Chapter 12: Young Adulthood; Physical & Cognitive Development

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ü Adulthood is not the final destination in the development journey

o You don’t stop developing when you “get there”

o We have divided the first 20 years or so into 4 distinct stages [infancy & toddlers, early childhood, middle childhood, and adolescence].

o Adulthood generally lasts much longer…3,4, or even 5 times longer; it only reasonable that there are distinct stages of development continues. Early adulthood [20’s & 30’s] is just another beginning; similar to toddlers and young children.

ü Developmental changes in thinking, personality & behavior during
adulthood is very different from child development

o Generally, based much less on chronological age or biological changes - More on personal, social or cultural influences

o Adult role & responsibility for decision-making and problem-solving

o Leads to greater differences among adults than children; adults have less in common with one another than children have in common with one another

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ü Culturally defined markers or “social milestones” of development rather than physical markers like walking or pubescence

o Normative: getting your first job, moving out of parent’s home, marriage, career choice & advancement, parenting, etc.
Timing differs from individual to individual & culture to culture but generally occur at “relatively” specific times for most people in a particular group

o Idiosyncratic: unanticipated “life-changing events”; getting fired, death of a spouse, winning the lottery

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Age Clocks & Social Norms: concepts that help study & categorize adult development; since it is mainly based on individual behavior & judgement

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o Age clocks are a sort of “internal timing” regarding life events, in relation to one’s culture
Example: birth of first child

o Cultural changes in last couple of decades “blurring of traditional life periods” ; we are becoming an “age-irrelevant” society

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o Contextual Paradigm: very complex idea of integrating various “contexts”.
Focus on development as a whole, as opposed to looking at one perspective at a time.
Everything influences everything else

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Strength & Stamina
o Most young adults at peak of physical development: strength, endurance

o Generally physical functioning on the whole reaches its prime

o Gradual decline in functioning in most areas between 20 & 30 [see table page 372]

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o Health & fitness habits important & often those developed in early adulthood often carry over through later years. FORM GOOD HABITS YOUNG!

o Historical changes based on improvements in exercise, medicine & nutrition. Example of Olympic performance [not to mention use of steroids]

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Causes of death among young adults
o Accidents, HIV/AIDS, Cancers (among women)

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Sex & sexuality: Attitudes & behavior
o Monogamy

o 1/3 2X week; 1/3 several X month, 1/3 none to a few X year

o Married couples have more sex & more orgasms.

o Only very minor differences in frequency across ethic groups

o Major changes in past few decades
>Duration has increased markedly
>Suggests greater relaxation, enjoyment & mutuality
>Maximize pleasure vs. get it over with

Cognitive Changes: Adult thinking referred to as “Post Formal Thought”
o Goes beyond Piaget’s Formal Operations which is simpler, logic-driven
o Uses cognitive & emotional aspects in problem-solving
o Takes into account social context

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Goleman’s 4 areas of Emotional Intelligence
Developing emotional self-awareness
Managing emotions
Reading emotions
Handling relationships

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Major Tasks of Early Adulthood ( Table 12-7; p. 395)
Erikson -

Gould – Overcome dependency assumptions, develop competence, acknowledge limitations, accept responsibility

Havighurst – Start a Family & establish a career
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Schaie - using intellectual & cognitive abilities to accomplish personal & career goals
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Levenson – develop “early life structure”, which includes establishing a career & an intimate relationship with a special partner
o Different for men & women – pages 391& 392