Section 7:

Early Adulthood
Chapter 13:
Physical and Cognitive Development in
Early Adulthood
1
The Transition from
Adolescence to Adulthood
BECOMING AN ADULT
Emerging adulthood transition from adolescence to
adulthood
- 18 to 25 years of age
- characterized by exploration and
experimentation

Key Features
Five key features characterized by early adulthood:
1. Identity exploration key changes in identity
2. Instability residential changes peak
3. Self-focused great deal with autonomy in running
their own lives.
4. Feeling in-between dont consider themselves
adolescents or full-fledged adults
5. Age of responsibilities a time when individuals
have an opportunity to transform their lives.
- described in two ways:
a. adults are optimistic
b. opportunity to direct
their lives in a more
positive direction
NOTE:
Emerging adults who become competent after
experiencing difficulties while growing up were
more intelligent, experienced higher parenting
quality, and were less likely to grow up in
poverty or low income circumstances.
Three characteristics shared by late bloomers:
1. Support by adults
2. Being planful
3. Positive aspects of autonomy

Markers of Being an Adult

Markers:
1. Holding a more or less permanent full-time job
2. Economic independence
3. Taking responsibility for oneself
4. Marriage

THE TRANSITION FROM HIGH SCHOOL TO

COLLEGE
Going from high school to college important aspect of
the transition to adulthood
Top-dog phenomenon the oldest and most powerful
group of students becomes the youngest and least
powerful group of students
Transition involves:
1. Movement to a larger, more impersonal school
structure
2. Interaction with peers from more diverse
geographical and ethnic background
3. Increased focus on achievement and assessment
Positive features:
1. Feel grown up
2. More subject from which to select
3. More time to spend with peers
4. More opportunities to explore
5. Greater independence
6. Challenged intellectually
NOTE:
College students now are more depressed as
compared to the college student before.
Students feel:

Hopeless

Mentally exhausted

Overwhelmed with all they have to do

Feeling sad

Feeling depressed
Counselors help students cope with college

2
Physical Development
PHYSICAL PERFORMANCE AND
DEVELOPMENT
30 peak physical performance
- often between the ages of 19 and 26
NOTE:
Different types of athletes, reach their peak
performances at different stages
o Swimmers and gymnasts late teens
o Golfers and marathon runners late
twenties
o Other areas of athletes mid-twenties

Decline in physical performance:

1. Muscle tone and strength begin to show decline
2. Sagging chins and protruding abdomen
3. Lessening physical abilities

3.

Adipose cells where fat is stored

- 80 to 120 billion fat cells
when these cells are filled, you do not get
hungry
when people gain weight, the number of
their fat cells increases
fat cells can shrink but not go away

HEALTH
NOTE:
Males are more responsible for their high mortality
rate.
Emerging adults have few chronic health
problems, colds, and respiratory problems.
Worsened in emerging adults:
o Inactivity
o Diet
o Obesity
o Substance abuse
o Reproductive health care
o Health care access
Think about how their personal lifestyles will affect
their health later in their adult lives.
o Not eating bf
o Not eating regular meals
o Relying on snacks as main source of food
o Eating excessively
o Smoking moderately or excessively
o Drinking moderately or excessively
o Failing to exercise
o Getting by with only a few hours of sleep
Poor health poor life satisfaction
The health profile of emerging and young adults
can be improved by reducing the incidence of
certain health-impairing lifestyles and by
engaging in health-improving lifestyles.

Set point weight you maintain when you make no

effort to gain or lose weight

4.

Environmental factors greater availably of

foods, energy-saving devices, and defining
physical activity
Sociocultural factors more prevalent with low
income

5.

Dieting calorie-restricting : regain more weight

than they lost on their lives
- exercise : most effective program
- diet-plus-exercise program: 30mins a
day, planning meals, weighing daily

REGULAR EXERCISE
Aerobic exercise sustained exercise that stimulate heart
and lung activity
NOTE:
Most recommend that you raise your heart to at
least 60 percent of your maximum heart rate.
Exercise improves self-concept and reduces
anxiety and depression as psychotherapy.
Both moderate and intense activities produce
important physical and psychological gains.

EATING AND WEIGHT

Obesity
Obesity defined as having a BMI of 30 or more
- linked to increase hypertension, diabetes,
cardiovascular disease, and mental health problems.

Helpful strategies:
1. Reduce TV time
2. Chart your progress
3. Get rid of excuses
4. Imagine the alternative

SUBSTANCE ABUSE
Factors involved in obesity:
1. Heredity genetic component
- identical twins similar weight
2.

Leptin Greek: leptos thin

- protein that is involved in satiety (the
condition of being full to satisfaction) and released
by fat cells, resulting in decreased food intakes and
increased energy expenditure
- anti-obesity hormone
- regular exercise associated with
changes in leptin levels

Addiction behavior pattern characterized by an

overwhelming involvement with a drug and securing its
supply

Alcohol
Two problems associated with drinking:
1. Binge drinking more common among college
men than women and students living away from
home
- peaks at about 21 to 22 years
of age

Problems:
missing classes, physical injuries, trouble with
police, and having unprotected sex
Drinking games
Pregaming drinking alcohol before going out
NOTE: higher level of alcohol use have been
consistently linked to higher rates of sexual risk
taking.
2.

Alcoholism disorder that involves long-term,

repeated,
uncontrolled,
compulsive,
and
excessive use of alcoholic beverages and that
impairs the drinkers health and social
relationship.
NOTE:
GENETICS: High frequency of alcoholism in
the first-degree relative of alcoholics
ENVIRONMENTAL:
CULTURAL: Orthodox Jews low rates of
alcohol use
POSITIVE OUTCOME AND RECOVERY FROM
ALCOHOLISM:
Strong negative experience
Finding a substitute dependency to
compete with alcohol abuse
Having new social supports
Joining an inspirational group

Cigarette Smoking and Nicotine

Smoking is linked to:
Cancer deaths
Heart diseases deaths
Chronic pulmonary disease
Secondhand smoke
Children of smokers risk of respiratory and
middle-ear disease
Nicotine stimulant that increases the smokers energy and
alertness, a pleasurable and reinforcing experience
- stimulates neurotransmitters that have a calming
or pain-reducing effect

3
Sexuality
SEXUAL ACTIVITY IN EMERGING
ADULTHOOD
Both sexually active and unmarried most indi
Patterns of heterosexual behavior:
1. Males have more casual sexual patterns

2.
3.
4.

Adults had sexual intercourse with two or more

individuals
Sex less frequently
Casual sex is more common

SEXUAL ORIENTATION AND BEHAVIOR

Heterosexual Attitudes and Behavior
NOTE:
Three categories:
o Twice a week or more
o Few times a month
o Few times a year
Married (cohabiting) couples have sex more often.
Do not engage in kinky sexual acts.
Adultery is an exception
Men think about sex more often that women do.
Men have more sexual experience.

Sources of Sexual Orientation

Bisexual being sexually attracted to people of both sexes
NOTE:
Gays + male sex hormones = sexual desire
increase
Exposure of the fetus to any hormone attracted
to those sex
No one factor causes sexual orientation
Genes play a role in sexual orientation

Attitudes and Behavior of Lesbians and Gays

Bicultural identity creates new ways of defining
themselves
NOTE:

Gays adapt best when they dont define

themselves
Special concern are hate crimes and stigmarelated experiences.

SEXUALLY TRANSMITTED INFECTIONS

Sexually transmitted infections (STI)
Diseases that are primarily contracted through sex.
Some STIs:
A. Bacterial infections
1. Gonorrhea
Called the drip or clap
Caused
by
the
bacterium
gonorrhoeae

Neisseria

Spread by contact between infected most

moist membranes of two individuals
Characterized by discharge from penis or
vagina and painful urination
Can lead to infertility
3.
Treatment:
Penicillin
antibiotics
2.

Syphilis
Caused by the bacterium Treponema
pallidum.
Characterized by the appearance of a sore
where syphilis entered the body.
The sore can be on the external genitals,
vagina, or anus.
Later, a skin rash breaks out on palms of
hands and bottom of feet.
Lead to paralysis or even death.
Treatment:
Penicillin

3.

Chlamydia
A common STI named for the bacterium
Chlamydia trachomatis, an organism that
spreads by sexual contact and infects the
genital organs of both sexes.
A special concern: females infertile.
It is recommended that adolescent and young
adult females have an annual screening for
this STI.
Treatment:
antibiotics

B. Viruses
1. Genital herpes
Caused by a family of viruses with different
strains.
Involves an eruption of sores and blisters.
Spread by sexual contact.
Treatment:
No known cure but antiviral medications can
shorten outbreaks
2.

Genital warts
Caused by the human papillomavirus, which
does not always produce symptoms.
Usually appear as small, hard painless
bumps in the vaginal area, or around the anus.
Very contagious. Certain high-risk types of this
virus cause cervical cancer and other
genital cancers.
May recur despite treatment.
A new HPV preventive vaccine, Gardasil, has
been approved for girls and women 926
years of age.

Treatment:
A topical drug,
freezing,
surgery
AIDS
Caused
by
a
virus,
the
human
immunodeficiency
virus
(HIV),
which
destroys the bodys immune system.
Semen and blood are the main vehicles of
transmission.
Common symptoms include fevers, night
sweats, weight loss, chronic fatigue, and
swollen lymph nodes.
Treatment:
New treatments have slowed the progression
from HIV to AIDS;
no cure

NOTE:
Male sexual contact most frequent AIDS
transmission
Education and development of more effective drug
treatments reduced
Good strategies for protecting against HIV:

Knowing your and your partners risk status

Obtaining medical examinations

Having protected sex

Not having sex with multiple partners

FORCIBLE SEXUAL BEHAVIOR AND SEXUAL

HARASSMENT
Sex involves the exercise of power

Rape
Rape is forcible sexual intercourse with a person who does
not give consent
NOTE:
Most victims women
Men in prisons establish dominance and power
Victims experience depression, anxiety, fear,
and increased substance abuse
Recovery depends on the victims coping
abilities, psychological adjustments prior to the
assault and social support.
Causes:

Males are sexually aggressive

Regard women as inferior beings

View their pleasure as the most important

Characteristics of male rapists:

Aggression enhances their sense of power or

masculinity

Angry at women in general

Have higher level of mens sexual narcissism

Date or acquaintance rape coercive sexual activity

directed at someone with whom the victim is at least
casually acquainted
Red zone a period of time early in first year of college
when women are at especially high risk for unwanted
sexual intercourse

Sexual Harassment
Sexual harassment manifestation of power over one
another
- can result in serious psychological
consequence for the victim

Postformal thought
a form of thought that is qualitatively different from
Piagets formal operational thought
- involves understanding that the correct answer to a
problem can require reflective thinking, can vary from
one situation to another, and that the search for truth is
an on-going, never-ending proves
- involves the belief that solutions to problems need
to be realistic and that emotion and subjective
factors can influence thinking
PFT in practice:

Think deeply about aspects of politics, career, work

Understand that solutions are relative

Skeptical about truth

Realistic and pragmatic

CREATIVITY

4
Cognitive Development

40s - peak
CONCLUSION:
Magnitude of the decline in productivity
Contrasts across creative domains
Individual differences in lifetime output

COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT
Piagets View

NOTE:
Any consideration of decline in creativity with age
requires consideration of the field of creativity
involved.

Stress in:

Qualitative thinking

Quantitatively advance

Increase their knowledge in specific area

Systematic and sophisticated

5
Careers and Work

Realistic and Pragmatic Thinking

NOTE:
Adults progress in their use of intellect
Change in thinking go beyond the
operational
Move into the world of work

DEVELOPMENTAL CHANGES
formal

Reflective and Relativistic Thinking

NOTE:
Greater need for more reflective, complex thinking
that takes into account the change nature of
knowledge and challenges
Deciding on a particular worldview
Recognizing that the worldview is subjective
Understanding that diverse worldviews should be
acknowledged
Education influence to maximize cognitive
potential

Is There a Fifth, Postformal Stage?

Changes:

Seek to establish career

Career mystique ingrained cultural beliefs that

engaging in hard work for long hours through
adulthood will produce a path to status, security,
and happiness

Global outsourcing or jobs

FINDING A PATH TO PURPOSE

The Path to Purpose: Helping Our Children Find Their
Calling in Life
Engaging in behavior that places them at risk for
not fulfilling their potential and not finding a life
pursuit that energizes them
Concludes:
Rarely discuss where goals lead to
Dont explore the big picture

Ethnic diversity requires sensitivity

MONITORING THE OCCUPATIONAL

OUTLOOK
NOTE:
Projected job growth varies by education
requirements
Most high-paying occupations require a college
degree

THE IMPACT OF WORK

Work defines people in fundamental ways
NOTE:
no work low self-esteem, emotional distress
consideration stressfulness less productive
main sources of stress:
o low salaries
o lack of advancement opportunities
o uncertain job expectations
o long hours

Work During College

NOTE:
Restrict students opportunities to learn
Cooperative (co-op programs) programs paid
apprenticeships in a field that you are interested in
pursuing

Unemployment
Related to:

Physical problems

Mental problems

Marital difficulties

Homicide

Immune system functioning

Decreased self-esteem
Job counseling and self-help groups
provide practical advice

Dual-Earner Couples
NOTE:
Problem in balancing
Salary: men > women
Career decisions: men > women

DIVERSITY IN THE WORKPLACE

Glass ceiling invisible barrier to career advancement

prevents women and ethnic minorities from holding
managerial or executive jobs regardless of their
accomplishments and merits

1.

Chapter 14:
Socioemotional Development in Early
Adulthood

Difficult (x) continue formal education,

marital conflict

1
Stability and Change From
Childhood to Adulthood
Socioemotional development revolves around adaptively
integrating our emotional experiences into enjoyable
relationships with others on a daily basis
NOTE:
The smaller the intervals over which we measure
socioemotional characteristics, the more similar an
individual will look from one measurement to next

TEMPERAMENT
Temperament an individuals
characteristic emotional response
Changes:

Few mood swings

More responsible

Less risk-taking behavior

behavior

style

Easy and difficult

Easy well-adjusted

and

2.

Inhibition
Less likely to be assertive
More delay entering a stable job rack
Delay stable partnership
Link to social anxiety at 21 years of age

3.

Ability to control ones emotions

Resilient

ATTACHMENT
Three attachment styles:
1. Secure attachment style
Positive views
Not concerned or stress
Enjoy sexuality
Committed relationship
2.

Avoidant attachment style

Hesitant
Distance from partner

3.

Anxious attachment style

Demand closeness
Less trusting
More emotional
More jealous
More possessive

Characteristics of adult personality:

NOTE:

Attachment insecurity depression

Attachment insecurity risk to relationship
Genes serotonin transporter (5-HTTLPR)
Attachment categories are stable in adulthood but
adult do have the capacity to change their
attachment thinking and behavior

Benefits of secure attachment:

Self-acceptance

Self-esteem

Self-efficacy

Control emotions

Optimistic

Resilient

Activate cognitive representations of security

Mobilize coping strategies

2
Attraction, Love, and Close Relationship
Themes of exploration of close relationships:
1. How great they started
2. Faces of love
3. Falling out of love

Intimacy
ERIKSONS INTIMACY vs ISOLATION
Intimacy recurring theme
- finding oneself while losing oneself in another
person
- requires commitment to another person
Isolation failure, core pathology

ATTRACTION
Familiarity and Similarity

NOTE:
If this fails, individuals: recoil into a self-search
painful depression and isolation Contribute to
mistrust

Familiarity necessary condition for a close relationship to

develop
Reasons why people attracted to others who are similar
to them:
1. Consensual validation own attitude and values
are supported by someone elses attitudes and
values similar to us- their attitudes and values
validate ours
2. Shy away from the unknown
3. Enjoy same things, similar attitudes

Physical Attractiveness
Women:

Considerate

Honesty

Dependability

Kindness

Understanding

Earning prospects
Men:

Good looks
Cooking skills
Frugality

Matching hypothesis although we may prefer a more

attractive person in the abstract, in the real world we
end up choosing someone e who is close to our won
level of attractiveness

INTIMACY AND INDEPENDENCE

NOTE:
Involves balancing intimacy and commitment and
independence and freedom important themes
Making decisions for themselves
Extend: develop autonomy important implications

Friendship
NOTE:
New friendships at work

GENDER DIFFERENCE IN FRIENDSHIPS

Women:

More close friends

Self-disclosure

Exchange of mutual support, Sympathetic

Listen

talking companions
o Talk - central
Men:

Competitive
Practical solutions
Less talk

THE FACES OF LOVE

FRIENDSHIPS BETWEEN MEN AND WOMEN

Pros:

Learn more about common feelings and interests

Acquire knowledge and understand

Love refers to a vast and complex territory of human

behavior, spanning a range of relationship.

Con:

Unclear sexual boundaries

Romantic Love
Romantic love (passionate love or eros)
- strong components of sexuality and infatuation
- predominates in the early part of relationship
Sexual desire most important

Affectionate Love
Affectionate love (companionate love)
- occurs when someone desires to have the other
person near and has a deep, caring affection for the
person

Consummate Love

3
Adult Lifestyles
Adult lifestyles:
1. Live alone
2. Cohabit
3. Marry
4. Divorce
5. Remarry
6. Live with someone of the same sex

SINGLE ADULTS
Advantages:

Time to make decisions

Develop personal resources to meet goals

Freedom to make autonomous decisions

Pursue own schedule and interests

Opportunities to explore

Try out new things

Privacy
Types
Infatuation love

Passion

Intimacy

Affectionate love
Fatuous love
Consummate love

Commitment

Triarchic theory of love love can be thought as a triangle

with three main dimensions- passion, intimacy, and
commitment
Passion physical attraction to another
Intimacy emotional feelings of warmth, closeness, and
sharing in relationship
Commitment is the cognitive appraisal of the relationship
and the intent to maintain the relationship even in the
face of problems
Types of love:
1. Infatuation passion is the only ingredient
2. Affectionate intimacy and commitment
3. Fatuous love passion and commitment
4. Consummate love share all three dimensions
- strongest, fullest form of love

FALLING OUT OF LOVE

When love is not returned:

Depression

Obsessive thoughts

Sexual dysfunction

Inability to work efficiently

Difficulty in making friend

Self-condemnation

Common problems:

Intimate relationships

Confronting

Loneliness

Finding a niche

Stress
NOTE:
30 when many single adults make a conscious
decision to marry or remain single.

COHABITING ADULTS
Cohabitation living together in a sexual relationship
without being married
- Sweden common
- on-going lifestyle
- short-lived
Problems:

Disapproval of a family

Owning property jointly

Risk of partner violence

Cohabit before marriage?

lower rates of marital satisfaction

higher rates of divorce

Cohabit = divorce?
Attract less conventional indi who are not great
believers in marriage

MARRIED ADULTS

DIVORCED ADULTS

Stable marriage accepted as endpoint

Increase divorce:

Youthful marriage

Lower educational level

Low income

Not having a religious affiliation

Parents who are divorce

Baby before marriage

Marital Trends
NOTE:

Adults are remaining single longer today.

24 years men
21 years women
No specific age or age span for getting married that
is most likely to result in a successful marriage
Men are happier in their marriage

Characteristics of partner that increases likelihood:

Alcoholism

Psychological problems

Domestic violence

Infidelity

Inadequate division of household labor

Cross-Cultural Comparisons
Country note:

China min. 22 for males; 20 for females

China,
India,
Indonesia,
Iran,
Taiwan,
Palestinian Arab culture chastity no previous
sexual intercourse

Scandinavia marry later, cohabit

Hungary early marriage, child-bearing

Sweden delay marriage 33 men; 31 for women

Values:
1. Chastity - no previous sexual intercourse
2. Domesticity housekeeping skills
3. Religion

NOTE:
th
th
5 to 10 year divorce
Complains of divorced:

Loneliness

Diminished self-esteem

Anxiety

Difficulty in satisfactory new intimate relationships

Depression

Smoke daily

REMARRIED ADULTS

Premarital Education

NOTE:
Men with higher income early remarry
Remarriage initiate divorce

NOTE:
Education improve quality
o Lower level of destructive marital conflict
o Lower likelihood of divorce
Premarital education programs six months
before wedding

Effects of remarriage:

Lower mental health

Improve financial status

More egalitarian

Shared decision making

Stepchildren no childbearing

The Benefits of a Good Marriage

Benefits:

Live longer

Healthier lives

Women:
o Less lilekly to develop chiornic helath
condition, disease

Reason for benefits:

o Less stressed
o Less wear and tear
NOTE:
Unhappy marriage shorten life by 4 years

Why remarry?

Financial reasons

Help rear children

Reduce loneliness

GAY AND LESBIAN ADULTS

Gay-Lesbian couples:

High priority on equality

More flexible in their gender roles

Higher average level of relationship quality

Prefer long-term, committed

NOTE:
Gay open relationship

4
Marriage and the Family

Parenting interpersonal skills

- learn practice from own parents

MAKING MARRIAGE WORK

Trends in Childbearing

Seven main principles determine whether marriage will

work:
1. Establish love maps
- share their feelings with each other
- love maps express their fondness and
admiration

25.2 women give birth for the first time

2.

Nurture fondness and admiration

- praises
- positive spin

3.

Turn toward each other instead of away

- see each other friends
- respect each other
- appreciate

4.

Let your partner influence you

- willingness to share power
- respect views
- equal decision making

5.

Solve solvable conflicts

- Two types:
perpetual do not go away
solvable can be worked out
- compromise
- regulate emotions
- negotiate

6.

Overcome gridlock
- move out of gridlock
- be patient

7.

Create shared meaning

- share goals
- work to achieve goals

Trends:
1. Fewer children reduces the demand of childcare
2. Men invest time in fathering
3. Parental is supplemented by institutional care
Earlier child-bearing

More physical energy

Cope better

Fewer medical problems

Less likely expectations

Later child-bearing:

Consider goals in life

More mature

More competent

Established career

More income

DEALING WITH DIVORCE

Common pathways:
1. Enhancers
- grew more competent, well-adjusted, and
self-fulfilled
2.

Good enough
- average people
- problem, solve it
- new friends
- develop active social lives
- motivate to get higher paying jobs

3.

Seekers
- new mates asap
- predominated by men

4.

Libertines
- casual sex
- single bar
- sensation-seeking lifestyles
- stable relationship

5.

Competent loners
- well-adjusted, self-sufficient, socially skilled
- successful career
- active social life

6.

Defeated
- difficulty in coping

forgiveness and commitment self-repairs

Strategies for coping with the stress in step-families:
1. Have realistic expectations
2. Develop new positive relationships with the family

BECOMING PARENT
Parenting Myths and Reality
Parenting myths:

Birth of a child will save a marriage

A child is an extension of a parent

Child gives parents a second chance

Parenting is an instinct and requires no training

5
Gender, Relationships, and
Self-Development
GENDER AND COMMUNICATIONS
Two kinds of communication:
1. rapport talk language of conversation
- establish connection and negotiating
relationships
- women place a high value on
relationships and nurturing connections
2.

report talk give information

- men

Women:

expression of doubts

discuss people

communicate internal process

Men:

sports, events, objects,

money, swearing

process,

occupation,

WOMENS DEVELOPMENT
NOTE:
women place a high value on relationships and
nurturing connections
foster
persons
developmentemotionally,
intellectually, socially
maintain competency
self-motivated
competent relationships separate I-ness of both
persons can be appreciated and enhance while
staying m=emotionally connected to each other

MENS DEVELOPMENT
Role-strain view male roles are contradictory and
inconsistent
- males are stress and harmed when
they accord in mens roles
Cause strains in:
1. health five years less than women
- victims of homicide
2.

male-female relationship
- men should be dominant

3.

male-male relationship
- competition

Reconstruct masculinity become more emotionally

intelligent:
1. reexamine beliefs about manhood
2. separate out the valuable aspects of male role
3. get rid of hose parts of the masculine role that are
destructive
emotionally intelligent becoming more emotionally selfaware, managing emotions more effectively, reading
emotions better