Life and Career Skills: Late Adolescence and Early Adulthood

This set of vocabulary flashcards covers key developmental stages, identity statuses, psychosocial theories, and factors influencing growth during late adolescence and early adulthood.

Adolescence (WHO, 2023)

The period of transition between the onset of puberty and adulthood, spanning the ages of $10$ to $19$ years.

Early Adolescence

The first subdivision of adolescence, encompassing individuals aged $10-13$ years old.

Middle Adolescence

The second subdivision of adolescence, encompassing individuals aged $14-17$ years old.

Late Adolescence

The third subdivision of adolescence, encompassing individuals aged $18-21$ years old, which may extend up to $29$ to reflect continued growth in identity and responsibility.

Emerging Adulthood

A term introduced by Arnett ($2000$) to describe the transition between adolescence and early adulthood where individuals explore possibilities in career and relationships without full commitment.

Early Adulthood

A developmental stage that spans from the late teens up to the early forties.

Identity vs. Role Confusion

The central psychosocial conflict identified by Erik Erickson ($1968$) for adolescents aged $12-18$ years old, focusing on the question 'Who am I?'

Identity Diffusion

An identity status involving low commitment and low exploration, where the individual has not made firm decisions or actively explored alternatives regarding values or career.

Identity Foreclosure

An identity status characterized by high commitment without exploration, often occurring when an adolescent adopts choices expected by others, such as parents.

Identity Moratorium

An identity status involving high exploration but low commitment, where individuals are actively questioning and exploring different identities.

Identity Achievement

An identity status reached when an adolescent has explored alternatives and made specific commitments to values, beliefs, or goals.

Intimacy vs. Isolation

The psychosocial conflict in early adulthood where the central task is to form close, meaningful relationships; success leads to the virtue of love.

Developmental Task

Defined by Robert Havighurst ($1972$) as the skills, behaviors, and responsibilities individuals are expected to acquire through biological maturation and societal exploration.

Self-regulation

The process of recognizing emotions and managing reactions, which is a key component of developing emotional maturity.

Protective Factors

Factors that support healthy development, including positive self-concept, strong family/social support, healthy habits, and access to mentors.

Risk Factors

Factors that can hinder development, such as poor family support, poverty, negative peer influence, and exposure to violence.

Physiological Development

A domain of development referring to the physical and biological changes and growth occurring in an individual's body.

Cognitive Development

A domain of development involving changes in thinking and reasoning; it becomes more complex as the prefrontal cortex fully develops.

Psychological Development

A domain of development encompassing social and emotional changes, focusing on how adolescents think and feel about themselves.

Emotional Development

A domain of development centered on gaining control over emotions and learning healthy ways to express and cope with them.