CHAPTER 12 Social and Emotional Development in Early Adulthood (Ages 18- 29)

Emerging Adulthood (Ages 18-29)

Beginning stage of adulthood characterized by new legal statuses and intense exploration

Emerging Adulthood (Dimensions)

Period when individuals develop through eight dimensions: physical health

Emerging Adulthood (Context)

Buffer period before full adulthood with changing roles and contexts

Self

Totality of all your personal characteristics

Self in Early Adulthood

Broader and more complex than personality or identity

Social clock

Cultural expectations about normative behavior and achievements associated with age

Percentage of young U.S. adults living with parents

Currently one-third of U.S. adults aged 18-34 live with parents

U.S. adults aged 18-34 living with parents

One-third

Living with parents (Peaked during)

Peaked during times of national emergency (Great Depression

Quarter-life crisis

Feelings of helplessness

Quarter-life crisis (Influences)

Influenced by both individual and environmental factors

Inflexible goal commitment

Can increase anxiety during quarter-life crisis

Social support and spirituality

Can reduce anxiety during quarter-life crisis

Strategies for Managing Transition (Examples)

Change your environment for perspective

Erikson's challenge for early adulthood

Intimacy vs. Isolation

Intimacy vs. Isolation

Establishing close and trusting relationships with others

Intimacy (Requirements)

Requires commitment

Isolation (Risk)

Risk experienced by those unwilling to experience intimacy

Daniel Levinson

Described "Seasons of Life" with transitional period (17-22) followed by early adulthood era

Judy Levinson

Found women faced greater obstacles reconciling education

Gail Sheehy

Identified "Tryout Twenties" (18-30) as provisional adulthood exploring options

Five-Factor Model (OCEAN)

Openness

Personality traits

Relatively stable predispositions that drive development

Rank-order stability

A person's ranking on traits remains stable relative to others

Mean-level change

The level of personality traits can fluctuate over the lifespan

Social investment theory

As young people commit to adult roles

Personality changes due to adult roles

Increases in agreeableness

Maturity principle

Increase or decrease of certain traits with age to effectively adapt to demands of development

Identity diffusion

No exploration or commitment to identity choices

Identity foreclosure

Commitment without exploration

Identity disruption

Occurs during developmental tasks such as higher education

Identity moratorium

Active exploration without commitment

Identity achievement

Exploration leading to commitment

Identity status cycling

Young adults may cycle through moratorium-achievement-moratorium-achievement

Factors influencing identity status

Economic conditions and parenthood

Intersectionality

Coined by Kimberle Crenshaw to address experiences of women of color

Intersectionality (Concept)

Recognizes that privileges or discrimination associated with different identity aspects interact

Identity development (Aspects)

Involves both who you want to be and who you don't want to be

Ethnoracial identity

Umbrella term capturing both racial and ethnic aspects of identity

Ethnoracial identity (Salience)

More salient for ethnic and racial minorities

Identity salience

Relevance of identity in a situation

Identity centrality

Importance of identity to overall self

Identity regard

Positive/negative feelings about identity

Ethnoracial identity achievement in young adults

Less likely than older adults to have explored or achieved ethnoracial identity

Hyper-invisibility

Experience of Black women who are first-generation college students in predominantly White institutions

Code-switch

Changing speech/behavior between educational settings and back home

Challenges faced by first-generation Black college women

Experience racist microaggressions while navigating challenges of being first-generation students

Gender and Sexual Identity

Often blurred in cultural norms though they differ

Development of Gender and Sexual Identity

Continues as young adults encounter new roles and environments

Most common U.S. religious affiliation

Christianity

Percentage of U.S. adults identifying as Christian (2021)

63%

Unaffiliated adults (Percentage increase 1970s to 2021)

Increased from 5% to 29%

Religiosity change in young adults (Patterns)

About 15% experience decline in religiosity

Self-Determination Theory (Needs)

Competence

Support systems

Help young adults navigate developmental challenges

Autonomous interdependence

Friendships evolve to appreciating individuality while providing support

Friendships in Early Adulthood (Changes)

Become deeper with increasing intimacy and trust

Social support source

Friendships often provide more social support than family during times of change

High-quality friendships

Predict psychological and physical health

Friendship networks (White and educated)

White and educated young adults have larger proportion of friends vs. family in networks

Kin-friends

Family members in friendship roles (more likely for people of color)

Cross-ethnic friendships

Increase understanding of diverse perspectives

Family Support (Primary Role)

Families remain primary support for young adult transition in U.S.

Parents providing financial support

65% of parents provided financial support to young adult children in the past year

Average parental income contribution

Parents provide on average 10% of income to young adult children

Grandparent relationships (Influence)

Grandparents influence values and decisions regarding careers

Young adult ownership of grandparent relationships

Young adults take more ownership of grandparent relationships (initiating contact or ending contentious ones)

Average moves during lifetime

Americans move about 12 times during lifetime

Age group that moves most frequently

Adults between 20-29

Proximity to childhood home

60% live within 10 miles of childhood home

Living at home (Demographics)

White young adults least likely to live at home

Cultural expectations for leaving home (Marriage)

Chinese

South Asian adult sons

Often expected to live in parental home after marriage

British immigrant families (Leaving home reason)

Cite education and employment as most expected reasons

Parent-Child Relationships After Leaving Home (U.S.)

Typically report decrease in conflict

Parent-Child Relationships After Leaving Home (Portugal)

Portuguese parents report greater agitation

Trajectory

Predicted pathway of development determined by behaviors within context

Social clock status

Has become more elongated and flexible

Young adult values (Independence)

Personal accountability

Enrollment in 2- or 4-year institutions (Ages 18-24)

About 40%

Post-high school pathways (Examples)

Vocational training

Volunteerism in early adulthood

Political engagement increases during early adulthood

Highest likelihood to volunteer

Female and Black young adults

Education deserts

More common in rural areas

Rural areas (Opportunities)

Offer fewer education and employment opportunities

Rural young adults (Choices)

Often choose familiar local jobs close to family

Rural young adults (Transitions)

Experience earlier transitions to adult roles

Lower SES and college

Associated with viewing college as unrealistic

First-generation students

May experience culture shock

Gap years

Used for personal and professional development

College students changing major

30% of college students change their major at least once

College pathways (Groups)

Rapid completers (38%) and marginal college-goers (43%)

Working part-time during college

Associated with better college outcomes

Switching majors (Effect)

Can increase likelihood of graduating

Average career changes in adult life

5-7 times

Young adults quitting jobs (Reason)

61% wanted to change field or occupation

Transferable skills (Examples)

Communication

Employer preference (Adaptability)

Two-thirds of employers want adaptable employees with good communication skills

Career goals (Influences)

Extrinsic factors (income

Collectivistic cultures (Career influences)

Associated with extrinsic factors and interpersonal influences