1. Chapter 14 Emotional and Social Development in Early Adulthood
Exploring Lifespan Development Third Edition  Laura E. Berk

2. Exploring Lifespan Development Third Edition  Laura E. Berk
Emerging Adulthood
Explore alternatives in:
Education
Work
Personal values and behavior
Routes to adult responsibility vary in:
Timing
Order
Develop a more complex self-concept
Exploring Lifespan Development Third Edition  Laura E. Berk
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3. Identity Development in Emerging Adulthood
Explore in breadth and depth
Depth: higher in self-esteem, well-being, adjustment
Too much breadth: poor adjustment, anxiety, depression, deviant behavior
Dual-cycle model
Fluctuating between making new commitments and evaluating old ones
Exploring Lifespan Development Third Edition  Laura E. Berk
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4. Religion in Emerging Adulthood
Religious practice falls in late teens and twenties: 1 in 4 U.S. 18- to 29-year-olds unaffiliated with a particular faith
Religion remains more important to U.S. young people than in other developed nations
Many construct individualized faith, weaving together diverse traditions
Exploring Lifespan Development Third Edition  Laura E. Berk

5. Religiosity Among Cohorts of U.S. 18- to 29-Year-Olds
Exploring Lifespan Development Third Edition  Laura E. Berk
Figure U.S. 18‐ to 29‐year‐olds’ religiosity across generations
Figure 14.1
(Adapted from Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life, 2010.)

6. Worldview in Emerging Adulthood
“Generation me” controversy:
Is there increased narcissism and materialism?
Cohort evidence questions these claims
Involvement in volunteerism, community service
Voter turnout
Exploring Lifespan Development Third Edition  Laura E. Berk
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7. Cultural Change, Cultural Variation, and Emerging Adulthood
Entry-level positions require more education
Wealth, longevity free young people from immediate entry to work force
Emerging adulthood largely limited to:
Middle- and high SES in industrialized nations
Wealthy, privileged few in developing countries
Some researchers question whether emerging adulthood is a distinct period
Exploring Lifespan Development Third Edition  Laura E. Berk

8. Fostering Success in Emerging Adulthood
Resilience
Cognitive attributes
Emotional attributes
Social attributes
Social support
Exploring Lifespan Development Third Edition  Laura E. Berk
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9. Erikson’s Theory: Intimacy versus Isolation
Making a permanent commitment to intimate partner
Redefining identity
Secure identity associated with fidelity
Isolation
Loneliness, self-absorption
State of searching
Exploring Lifespan Development Third Edition  Laura E. Berk
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10. Levinson’s Seasons of Life
Early adult transition
Dream
Women have “split dreams”
Mentor
“Age-30 transition”
Men “settle down”
Women remain unsettled
Occupational or relationship commitments
Exploring Lifespan Development Third Edition  Laura E. Berk
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11. Vailiant’s Adaptation to Life in Men
Intimacy concerns
30s
Career consolidation
40s
Generativity
50s and 60s
“Keepers of meaning”
70s
Spirituality and reflection
Exploring Lifespan Development Third Edition  Laura E. Berk

12. Exploring Lifespan Development Third Edition  Laura E. Berk
The Social Clock
Age-graded expectations for life events
Less rigid than in earlier generations
Following a social clock lends confidence, contributes to social stability
Distress if not following or falling behind
Exploring Lifespan Development Third Edition  Laura E. Berk
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13. Exploring Lifespan Development Third Edition  Laura E. Berk
Selecting a Mate
Most select partners similar to themselves
Gender differences:
Women: intelligence, ambition, financial status, and moral character
Men: attractiveness and domestic skills
Evolutionary perspective
Social learning view
Higher value placed on attributes that contribute to relationship satisfaction
Exploring Lifespan Development Third Edition  Laura E. Berk
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14. Childhood Attachment Patterns and Adult Romantic Relationships
Attachment History
Working Model
Adult Relationships
Secure
Comfortable with intimacy; unafraid of abandonment
Trust, happiness, friendship
Avoidant
Emphasize independence, mistrust, anxiety about closeness
Jealousy, emotional distance, little physical pleasure, unrealistic beliefs
Resistant
Seek quick love, complete merging
Jealousy, desperation, emotional highs and lows
Exploring Lifespan Development Third Edition  Laura E. Berk

15. Triangular Theory of Love
Intimacy: warm, tender concern
Passionate love: sexual attraction
Companionate love: affection and caregiving
Passionate love early, companionate love later
Passion gradually fades, while intimacy and commitment strengthen
Exploring Lifespan Development Third Edition  Laura E. Berk
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16. Friendships in Early Adulthood
Are usually similar in age, sex, SES, interests
Enhance self-esteem, make life more interesting
Trust, intimacy, loyalty continue to be important
Contributions of social media
Siblings as friends
Exploring Lifespan Development Third Edition  Laura E. Berk
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17. Exploring Lifespan Development Third Edition  Laura E. Berk
Gender and Friendship
Same-Sex Friendships
Gender differences: women’s more intimate
Individual differences: longer friendships more intimate
Other-Sex Friendships
Fewer than same-sex friendships
Educated, employed women have largest number
Benefits to both genders:
Men: opportunity for emotional expressiveness
Women: objective points of view
Exploring Lifespan Development Third Edition  Laura E. Berk

18. Exploring Lifespan Development Third Edition  Laura E. Berk
Family Life Cycle
Early adulthood:
Leaving home
Joining of families in marriage
Parenthood
Middle adulthood:
Launching children
Late adulthood:
Retirement
Death of spouse
Exploring Lifespan Development Third Edition  Laura E. Berk
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19. Exploring Lifespan Development Third Edition  Laura E. Berk
Leaving Home
Average age of leaving increased over last 50 years
Financial dependence is a factor
More than 50% leave, then return briefly
Culture, SES, ethnicity affect ability to leave, interest in leaving
Parents highly committed to helping young people move into adult roles
Exploring Lifespan Development Third Edition  Laura E. Berk

20. Exploring Lifespan Development Third Edition  Laura E. Berk
Trends in Marriage
Marrying later
70% marry at least once
Fewer marriages
Staying single, cohabiting, not remarrying after divorce
Trend toward legalization of same-sex marriage
Exploring Lifespan Development Third Edition  Laura E. Berk
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21. Traditional and Egalitarian Marriages
Clear division of roles
Woman: cares for husband, children, home
Man: head of household; responsible for economic well-being
Egalitarian
Partners as equals
Share power, authority
Balance in attention to jobs, children, home, spouse
Most well-educated women expect this form of marriage
Exploring Lifespan Development Third Edition  Laura E. Berk

22. Gender and Housework Hours
Exploring Lifespan Development Third Edition  Laura E. Berk
Figure Women’s and men’s housework hours by women’s employment for couples in Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States
Figure 14.2
(From L. P. Cooke, 2010, “The Politics of Housework,” in J. Treas & S. Drobnic, [Eds.], Dividing the Domestic: Men, Women, and Household Work in Cross‐National Perspective, p. 70. Copyright © by the Board of Trustees of the Leland Stanford Jr. University. Adapted with the permission of Stanford University Press,

23. Factors Related to Marital Satisfaction
Family backgrounds
Age at marriage
Timing of first pregnancy
Relationship to extended family
Marital patterns in extended family
Financial and employment status
Family responsibilities
Personality characteristics
Positive biases of partner’s attributes
Exploring Lifespan Development Third Edition  Laura E. Berk

24. Exploring Lifespan Development Third Edition  Laura E. Berk
Partner Abuse
Committed by both men and women, but women more likely to be seriously injured
Violence–remorse cycles common, related to:
Personality
Developmental history
Family circumstances
Culture
Existing treatments not very effective; need whole-family approach, services for men
Exploring Lifespan Development Third Edition  Laura E. Berk

25. Assaults by Intimate Partners Against Women
Exploring Lifespan Development Third Edition  Laura E. Berk
Figure Assaults by intimate partners against women in seven nations
Figure 14.3
(From Kaya & Cook, 2010; World Health Organization, 2000, 2005.)

26. Trends in Having Children
In United States, fewer married couples have children (70%)
Delay having first child
Decline in family size: U.S. average of 2.1 children per woman
Exploring Lifespan Development Third Edition  Laura E. Berk
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27. Transition to Parenthood
Parental roles
Often become more traditional with first birth
With second birth, pull back from traditional roles
Typically mild decline in relationship satisfaction; sharing caregiving predicts happiness
Later parenthood eases transition
Attainment of occupational goals
More life experience
Stronger relationship
Exploring Lifespan Development Third Edition  Laura E. Berk

28. Exploring Lifespan Development Third Edition  Laura E. Berk
Singlehood
Increasing: 8%–10% remain single for life
Gender differences:
Women more likely to stay single
More well-educated women, uneducated men single after age 30
Ethnic differences: African Americans single longer
Stressful periods:
Late twenties
Mid-thirties for women
Exploring Lifespan Development Third Edition  Laura E. Berk

29. Exploring Lifespan Development Third Edition  Laura E. Berk
Cohabitation
Increase in unmarried, sexually intimate couples living together
Preparation for marriage vs. alternative to marriage:
In Western Europe, cohabiters nearly as committed as married people
U.S. couples who cohabit before engagement more likely to divorce
Homosexual cohabiters report strong relationship commitment
Exploring Lifespan Development Third Edition  Laura E. Berk
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30. Exploring Lifespan Development Third Edition  Laura E. Berk
Childlessness
Involuntary
No parenthood partner
Infertile
May be dissatisfied
Voluntary
Usually college-educated and committed to prestigious jobs
About 20% of women
Exploring Lifespan Development Third Edition  Laura E. Berk
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31. Exploring Lifespan Development Third Edition  Laura E. Berk
Divorce Rates
Stabilized since 1980s
In United States, about 45%
Most common times: first seven years, midlife
Young children and adolescents involved
Exploring Lifespan Development Third Edition  Laura E. Berk
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32. Consequences of Divorce
Major change in life and self-image
Opportunities for positive and negative outcomes
Immediate consequences generally subside in two years
Disrupted social networks
Decline in social support
Increased anxiety, depression, impulsivity
Traditional women and noncustodial fathers may have more problems
New partner enhances life satisfaction
More crucial for men
Exploring Lifespan Development Third Edition  Laura E. Berk

33. Remarriage After Divorce
Most remarry within four years of divorce
Men sooner than women
Vulnerable to breakup:
Too focused on practical matters
Carry over negative interaction patterns
More likely to view divorce as acceptable resolution
Stepfamily stress
Takes three to five years to blend new family
Education, couples/family counseling can help
Exploring Lifespan Development Third Edition  Laura E. Berk

34. Exploring Lifespan Development Third Edition  Laura E. Berk
Stepparents
Stepmothers experience more parent–child conflict
Stepfathers with children establish positive bonds faster
Relationship quality varies widely
Higher divorce rate for remarried couples with stepchildren
Exploring Lifespan Development Third Edition  Laura E. Berk

35. Never-Married Single Parents
Affects about 11% of U.S. children
Predominantly African-American women: reliance on extended family
Increased financial hardship for low-SES women
Paternal involvement
Reliability of biological father
Stepfather–stepchild relationships
Exploring Lifespan Development Third Edition  Laura E. Berk
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36. Gay and Lesbian Parents
20%–35% of lesbians, 5%–15% of gay men
Children of heterosexual past relationships, adoption, or assisted reproduction
Children do not differ from peers cognitively or socially
May build “families of choice”
Stigma is a major concern
Exploring Lifespan Development Third Edition  Laura E. Berk
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37. Career Development in Early Adulthood
Disappointment near start of career is common
National economy affects career paths
Many job changes in twenties
Adjust expectations to opportunities to advance
Effective mentors enhance adjustment and success
Exploring Lifespan Development Third Edition  Laura E. Berk
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