1. SOCIAL AND PERSONALITY DEVELOPMENT IN EARLY ADULTHOOD

2. Table 14-1

3. What makes young adults happy? Happiest memories = psychological needs rather than material needs satisfied Unhappiest memories = basic psychological needs left unfulfilled Culture influences which psychological needs are most important in determining happiness

4. What makes us tick? Social Clocks of Adulthood - milestones of development - marriage? - children? Cultural influence Ravenna Helson’s research found that women become more focused as they age whether family oriented or career oriented, both fared well

5. Seeking Intimacy: Erikson’s View of Young Adulthood INTIMACY-VERSUS-ISOLATION STAGE Intimacy = Close, intimate relationship with others Isolation = Feelings of loneliness and fearful of relationships - felt that people who did not develop traditional relationships would suffer

6. Friendship 481 Important part of adult life  need for belonging –Maslow Filters Proximity Similarity Personal qualities

7. Passionate and Companionate Love: Two Faces of Love PASSIONATE (ROMANTIC LOVE) –Deals more with physiological arousal COMPANIONATE LOVE –Affection that we feel towards family and loved ones

8. Sternberg’s Triangular Theory: Three Faces of Love Robert Sternberg –Intimacy-feelings of closeness –Passion-sex, physical closeness and romance –Decision/Commitment-love and determination that maintain that love 484

9. Attachment Styles and Romantic Relationships Infant attachment style is reflected in adult romantic relationships (Shaver) –Secure Happy and confident about relationships –Avoidant Less invested, higher break-up rates, often feel lonely –Anxious-ambivalent Overly invested, repeated break-ups with same partner, low self-esteem 489

10. THE COURSE OF RELATIONSHIPS

11. To Marry or Not to Marry: That is the Question More people may be Labeled a POSSLQ – Persons of the opposite Sex living together

12. Why do people choice cohabitation rather than marriage? Not ready for lifelong commitment “Practice” for marriage –Cohabitating does not necessarily mean the marriage will work out –Chances for divorce seem to be higher for those cohabitating prior to marriage Reject institution of marriage

13. Why marry? Preferred alternative during early adulthood Desirability of spouse roles – economic, sexual, therapeutic and recreational roles Legitimatization of children Legal benefits and protections

14. What makes marriage work? Successful married partners: –Show affection –Communicate relatively little negativity –Perceive themselves as interdependent –Experience social homogamy, similarity in leisure activity. and role preferences –Hold similar interest –Agree on distribution of roles

15. Divorce Around the World Increases in divorce rates are significant worldwide.

16. When the Honeymoon Wanes

17. Nearly half of married couples experience significant degree of conflict. Realities of daily living sink in, and they become more aware of flaws. Sources of conflict: –Separating from parents, becoming autonomous. –Some have trouble identifying with spouse, and some want to have separate identity from spouse. –Allocation of time with friends/family of origin.

18. But the news is not all bad! Most married couples: –View early years of marriage as deeply satisfying – Find themselves more deeply in love than before marriage –Report newlywed period as one of happiest in entire married life

19. Parenthood: Choosing to Have Children Statistics Costs Reasons 495

20. What produced the decline in the US fertility rate? Availability of more reliable birth control methods Increasing numbers of working outside the home Choosing to have children later Cost of raising and educating children Fear of not being good or accessible parent 496

21. Dual-Earner Couples Working Parent Statistics and Distribution of Chores 496

22. Close to ¾ of married women with school-aged children work outside home. More than 50% of mothers of children under age 6 work outside home. In majority of families, both partners work, but wife generally spend more time taking care of the children. Husbands primarily perform outside chores, and women do housework, child care, meal preparation. Although husbands and wives work about same number of hours at their paying, women spend more time doing chores and child care tasks. Women’s household chores tend to be devoted to things that need immediate attention and wives may experience greater levels of anxiety and stress.

23. Birth of child brings about dramatic shift in spouse's roles and sometimes decrease in marital satisfaction. Western culture’s emphasis on individualism views childrearing as primarily private enterprise. Parents in Western society are largely left without significant community support. Consequently, for many couples, strains accompanying the birth of child produce lowest level of marital satisfaction of any point in marriage. Not all couples experience decrease in marital satisfaction upon birth of child. Factors that permit couples to successfully weather stress of child: –Working to build fondness and affection towards each other. –Remaining aware of events in spouse's life and responding to those events. –Considering challenges controllable and solvable. Satisfaction closely related to state of marriage before birth of child.

24. WORK: CHOOSING AND EMBARKING ON A CAREER

25. Identity During Young Adulthood: Role of Work Vaillant : Career consolidation General pattern of psychological development as young adults center on careers Career concerns supplant focus on intimacy Criticisms –Highly restricted sample limits Generalizability –Dated findings questions in view of shifts in attitudes toward importance of work

26. Picking an Occupation Ginzberg’s Career Choice Theory –Fantasy period-until age 11 –Tentative period –during adolescence –Realistic period-young adults Criticism –Non-representative sample –Overstates choices and options to lower SES people –Age demarcations may be too rigid

27. Gender and Career Choices: Women’s Work Traditionally –COMMUNAL PROFESSIONS = women (relationships) –AGENTIC PROFESSIONS = men (accomplishments) Women less likely found in male- dominated professions 502

28. The Gender-Wage Gap

29. Why Do People Work? Motivation –Extrinsic –Intrinsic Personal identity Status

30. Satisfaction on the Job Satisfaction related to job status Worker satisfaction also associated with: –Nature of job –Amount of input one has into one’s duties –Influence employees have over others

31. The Informed Consumer of Development Choosing a Career: Beginning Guidelines Systematically evaluate a variety of choices. Know yourself. Create a “balance sheet,” “Try out” different careers through paid or unpaid internships. Remember that if you make a mistake, you can change careers. It is reasonable to expect that careers may change throughout life.