Social and Personality Development in Early Adulthood

These flashcards cover essential vocabulary related to social and personality development during early adulthood, including theories, concepts, and stages relevant to personal relationships and career choices.

Social Clock

A culturally determined psychological timepiece that indicates whether individuals have reached major life benchmarks at appropriate times compared to peers.

Cohabitation

The practice of couples living together without being married, often seen as a preference over marriage for various reasons.

Intimacy vs. Isolation

Erikson's stage focusing on the development of close relationships from post-adolescence into the early 30s, encompassing selflessness, sexuality, and devotion.

Dual-Earner Couples

Families where both spouses work, but often women still assume a greater share of household responsibilities.

Secure Attachment Style

A style where individuals find it easy to get close to others and depend on them, feeling confident in their relationships.

Avoidant Attachment Style

A style where individuals feel uncomfortable being close to others, experience nervousness in intimate situations, and often have higher breakup rates.

Ambivalent Attachment Style

A style characterized by a strong desire for closeness while fearing their partner's feelings, leading to overly invested relationships.

Fantasy Period

The initial stage in Ginzberg's career choice theory, where career options are imagined without regard to personal skills or real opportunities.

Career Consolidation

A development stage between ages 20 and 40 when young adults focus primarily on their careers.

Ginzberg’s Career Choice Theory

A theory that outlines three stages of career decision-making: Fantasy, Tentative, and Realistic Periods, where individuals gradually refine their career choices.

Components of Love (Sternberg)

According to Sternberg, love comprises three elements: Intimacy, Passion, and Decision/Commitment.

Communal Professions

Occupations associated with relationships and care roles, often occupied by women and typically lower in status and pay.

Agentic Professions

Occupations focused on getting things done and achieving goals, traditionally associated with men.

Friendship

Relationships that fulfill a need for belonging, relying on proximity, similarity, and personal qualities.

Labeling Theory of Passionate Love

A theory suggesting that individuals ascribe romantic feelings to physiological arousal and contextual cues that signal love.

Fertility Rate

The average number of children born to a woman over her lifetime, which has seen a significant decline in recent decades.

Marriage Gradient

The tendency for men to marry women who are younger and of lower status and for women to marry older and higher status men.

Career Type Theory (Holland)

A theory suggesting that specific personality types align with certain careers, optimizing individual satisfaction and success.