Chapter 11 Flashcards
What is emerging adulthood and what age range is specific to it? For whom
does this concept most apply?
emerging adulthood: transition from adolescence → adulthood
18-25 years of age, characterized by experimentation and exploration
What is considered the most significant and recognized marker for entry into
adulthood, depending on culture?
- holding a full-time job
- economic independence
- taking responsibility for themselves
- How does mental health tend to change from adolescence to early adulthood?
Why is this?
top-dog phenomenon replays: going from the oldest / most powerful group of students to
the youngest / least powerful
many positive features → students are more independent, have more time to spend with
peers, and more opportunities to explore different lifestyles and values
increased focus on achievement and assessment
negative features = higher levels of stress and depression
At what age do early adults meet peak physical performance, and what age do
they begin to physically decline?
peak physical performance occurs before the age of 30, usually between 19 and 26
different types of athletes reach peak at different ages
muscle tone and strength decline around 30 → sagging chins + protruding abdomens
Discuss health-compromising behaviors in early adulthood. Why might
emerging adults fail to incorporate good health habits? How does this affect
mortality?
have mortality rates that are twice of adolescents
- males are responsible for the higher rate
- engage in more health-compromising behaviors
- more likely to be overweight or obese
- inadequate sleep
emerging adults have fewer chronic health problems
emerging adults know how to take care of illnesses but are not the best at applying that to
themselves
most bad health habits engaged in during adolescence → appeared in emerging adulthood
few individuals actually sit down to think about how their lifestyles will affect their health
- bad habits = impact health and life satisfaction
physical health at age 30 predicted life satisfaction at age 70
- What are significant age ranges for key characteristics of drinking and
consumption of alcohol in early adulthood?
binge drinking peaks at around 21-22 years of age before declining
2/3rds of students on one campus pregamed
on 20% of college students reported that they abstained from drinking alcohol
1 in 9 individuals who drink continues the path to alcoholism
- 50-60% of individuals are believed to have a genetic predisposition to become
alcoholics
1⁄3 rule of alcoholism: by 65, 1⁄3 is dead or in terrible shape, 1⁄3 is abstinent or drinking
socially, and 1⁄3 is still trying to beat their addiction
How common is sex in early adulthood? How common is adultery?
more than 60% of individuals have experienced sexual intercourse
by the end of emerging adulthood (aka 25 years old), most have had sexual intercourse
- hooking up: u know what this means .
- friends with benefits: u also know what this means
adultery: exception rather than the rule
- sexual behavior is ruled by marriage and monogamy
- 75% of married men and 85% of married women indicated that they have never
been unfaithful
- Discuss how men and women differ in sexual attitudes
men: engaged more in masturbation, pornography use, casual sex. also was more
dismissive about casual sex than women
- have slightly more sexual experiences and permissive attitudes
- Discuss how gays and lesbians differ in sexual attitudes
lesbians have fewer sexual partners and less permissive attitudes about casual sex than
gay men
impossible to change an individual’s sexual orientation
months 2-5 after conception → exposure of fetus to female hormone levels might cause
the individual to become attracted to males
- What STIs are most concerning, and how can they be prevented?
most prevalent bacterial infections: gonorrhea, syphilis, and chlamydia
most prevalent STIs caused by viruses: genital herpes, genital warts, and HIV
HIV: destroys body’s immune system, leading to AIDS (acquired immune deficiency
syndrome)
- 37.9 million people are living with HIV in 2018
can be prevented by knowing the risk status of you AND your partner, obtaining medical
examinations, having protective sex, refraining from having multiple sexual partners
10.Compare formal operational and postformal thought.
formal operational: the final stage in cognitive development, and characterizes adults +
adolescents. ability to formulate hypotheses and then test them to arrive at an answer to a
problem. can think abstractly
postformal thought: thinking that is reflective, relativistic, contextual, provisional, realistic
+ influenced by emotion. essentially more practical, flexible and open minded. individuals
understand that there are multiple perspectives on topics.
11.Discuss research on creativity and purpose during early adulthood.
most important creative products were generated in their thirties
qualifying any conclusion about age and creative accomplishments = magnitude of the
decline in productivity, contrasts across creative domains, and individual differences in
lifetime output
- basically age and creative accomplishments are determined by decline in
productivity and differences between creative areas
people experience flow: state of pleasure in absorbing mental and physical challenges
how to cultivate your curiosity and interest!
- get surprised. like daily
- surprise one person every day
- write down what surprised you and how you surprised others
- follow your interests
- have specific goals to look forward to!
- spend time in places that spark creativity
self-efficacy:
belief that one can master a situation to potentially produce favorable
outcomes
mindset:
cognitive view that individuals develop for themselves
