Module 7 Early Adult Hood Notes

Alan Fierro-Vega

4/6/2023

Emerging Adulthood:

- Emerging adulthood is the period between the late teens and early twenties; ages 18-25. Some
researchers have included up to age 29 in the definition.
- Emerging adulthood is the age of identity exploration, and the age of instability.
- Exploration generates uncertainty and instability, emerging adults change jobs, relationships,
and residences more frequently than other age groups.
- This is also the age where most have mixed feelings.
EX: When people in this stage where asked if they feel like adults, on average the 18 to 25 year-
olds answered “yes and no” than the teens or adults over the age of 25.

The Physiological Peak:

- People in their mid-twenties to mid-forties are in early adulthood.

- By the time we reach early adulthood, our physical maturation is complete, although our height
and weight may increase slightly.
- The aging process begins during early adulthood, around the age of 30, many changes begin to
occur in different parts of the body.
EX: The lens of the eye starts to stiffen and thicken, resulting in changes in vision. Not only that,
hearing sensitivity also begings to decrease.

Healthy/Risky Time:

- Although this stage is usually the peak of human health, there is still the concern of obesity.
Research from the National Center for Health Statistics indicated that an estimated 70.7% of
U.S. adults, at the age of 20 and over, were overweight.
- Visits to the doctor are also much less frequent. This puts them at higher risk for health issues.
- Drug abuse such as Alcohol Abuse is a significant contributing factor to risky behavior in
emerging adults.
- This drug use peaks between the ages of 19 and 22 and then begins to decline.
EX: examples of drugs used are cigarettes, marijuana, opioid pain relivers, anti-anxiety
medications, and ADHD medication.

Gender:

- Gender is the cultural, social, and psychological meanings associated with masculinity and
feminity.
- Gender identity refers to an individual’s self-concept as belonging to a particular gender.
Throughout their lives, many adults feel pressured to conform to traditional gender roles and
societal expectations that are associated with being male or female. However, there is a growing
movement of adults who are challenging the gender binary and traditional gender labels and
roles.
 - The people who go against the gender norms tend to experience harassment, bullying, and
violence based on their gender identity.
EX: a gay person may experience harassment in public because of their beliefs.

Sexuality:

- Sexuality in humans encompasses their attraction towards others and sexual interest, as well as
their ability to have erotic experiences and responses. People may experience and express their
sexuality through a range of thoughts, fantasies, beliefs, attitudes, values, behaviors, practices,
roles, and relationships.
- The brain regulates the release of hormones, which are believed to be the physiological origin of
sexual desire.

Temperament/Personality in Adulthood:

- Each person possesses a distinct personality that encompasses their individual way of thinking,
feeling, behaving, and interacting with others. Personality traits, which are the habitual patterns
of thinking, feeling, and relating to others, are a part of this unique personality.
- Personality is formed by combining one’s temperament with cultural and environmental factors.

Temperament- the innate characteristics of the infant, including mood, activity level, and emotional
reactivity, noticeable soon after birth.

Parents and Siblings relationships:

- During early adulthood, the relationship between a parent and their child must evolve into a
relationship between two adults. This requires both the parent and the young adult to re-
evaluate their relationship. This can be challenging for parents.
- As individuals grow into adulthood, the dynamic of their relationship with their siblings also
changes. Unlike childhood, adults have the freedom to decide whether they want to maintain a
close relationship with their siblings and remain a significant part of their lives or keep them out
of their lives.
- Similar to the relationship between parents and their adult children, siblings must also re-
evaluate their relationship and adjust to each other’s adult status.

Factors that influencing Attraction:

- Attraction between individuals is influenced by several factors, including shared values and
beliefs, open communication, and physical proximity. Similar values and beliefs can increase
attraction, while open communication and listening can enhance liking. Proximity, or physical
closeness, is another crucial determinant of liking. Ultimately, friends are those with whom we
can share our needs and goals and who respond to us in an empathetic and accepting manner.
EX: you tend to have friends with similar goals or likes and dislikes as you.

Friendships:

- During our twenties, we may find that our need for intimacy can be satisfied through friendships
rather than romantic relationships, particularly in the United States. Many young adults are
 delaying long-term commitments to partners such as marriage or cohabitation. Furthermore,
the nature of friendships between men and women tends to vary.

Parenthood:

- Parenthood is changing globally, with children less likely to be living with both parents, and
women in the United States having fewer children than before.
- The fertility rate of women in the US was around seven children in the early 1900s and has
stabilized at 2.1 since the 1970s. Additionally, people are having children at older ages, as many
age markers for adulthood have been delayed, such as marriage, education completion, work
establishment, and financial independence.
- Parenting is a complex process in which parents and children influence each other, with many
reasons for parents’ behavior still being explored.
- Unique traits and qualities brought by parents affect their decisions as parents, including their
age, gender, beliefs, personality, developmental history, knowledge about parenting and child
development, and mental and physical health.