Chapter 11 Flashcards
The transition from adolescence to adulthood is determined by
cultural standards and experiences
emerging adulthood (18-25)
characterized by further experimentation and exploration
key features of emerging adulthood include
identity exploration (especially in love and work), instability, self-focused, feeling in between, age of possibilites
What is the most widely recognized marker into adulthood?
holding a permanent full time job which leads to another marker- economic independence….taking responsibility and accepting responsibility for the consequences of one’s actions, deciding on one’s own beliefs and values, and establishing relationships with parents as an equal are also markers of adulthood.
When do emerging adults reach peak physical performance?
between the ages of 19-26, and is also the healthiest time
many college students have unrealistic beliefs about their future health risks which
often leads them to overwork and abuse their bodies with the negative effects showing up later in early adulthood or middle adulthood.
We also begin to decline in physical performance
with the lessening of physical abilities, a common complaint among the just-turned thirties.
Emerging adults have more than twice the mortality rate of adolescents
with males being responsible for the higher rate (car accidents and homicide).
although emerging adults have a higher death rate than adolescents
they have fewer chronic health problems.
most bad habits (inactivity, diet, obesity, substance use, reproductive health care) that emerged during adolescence
increased in emerging adulthood
What percentage of 20-39 year olds are obese?
27%
What is the increase in the probability of dying for individuals who are 30% overweight
Increases by 40%
Health experts recommend 30 minutes a day or more of exercise
benefits not only physical health, but mental health as well- i.e., improves self-concept, reduces anxiety and depression.
college students drink more than youth who end their education after high school
fortunately by the time individuals reach their mid-twenties, many have reduced their use of alcohol and drugs.
higher levels of alcohol use are linked to higher rates
of risk taking
risk taking behavior
- no contraceptive use
- regretting of casual sex
- sexual assaults.
at the beginning of emerging adulthood (age 18), slightly more than 60 % of individuals
have experiences sexual intercourse, but by the end of emerging adulthood (age 25) most individuals have had sexual intercourse
average age for marriage is 28 for males and 26 females
so emerging adulthood is a time when most individuals are both sexually active and unmarried
How many adults are affected by STIs?
1 in 6
Among the prevalent STIs are
bacterial infections (gonorrhea, syphilis and Chlamydia) and STIs caused by viruses (genital herpes, genital warts and AIDS)
How many rapes are reported each year in the US?
200,000
Male rape victims account for what percentage of all rapes?
5%
Causes of number of rapes
males are socialized to be sexually aggressive, to regard women as inferior beings, and to view their own pleasure as the most important objective in sexual relationships.
Male rapists share the following characteristics:
aggression enhances their sense of power or masculinity; they are angry at women in general; and they want to hurt or humiliate their victims.
an increasing concern is date or acquaintance rape
1 in 3 adolescent girls will be involved in a controlling abusive relationship before she graduates from high school, and 1 in 3 college freshman women report having been date-raped or having experienced an attempted date rape at least once.
piaget- formal operational thought
many young adults are more quantitatively advanced in their thinking in the sense that they have more knowledge than adolescents, but many adults do not think in formal operational ways at all.
is there a 5th post-formal stage?
a form of thought that involves understanding that the correct answer to a problem require reflective thinking and can vary from one situation to another and that the search for truth is often ongoing and never ending…. young adults are more likely to engage in this process than adolescents.
Schai
in early adulthood individuals often switch from acquiring knowledge to applying knowledge
Perry
the absolute, dualistic thinking (either/or) of adolescence gives way to reflective, relativistic thinking of adulthood.
Careers and work
from the mid-twenties through the remainder of early adulthood, individuals often seek to establish themselves in their emerging career in a particular field. they may work hard to move up the carrer ladder and improve their financial standing.
What fraction of their lives do most individuals spend at work?
1/3
Work defines people in fundamental ways
it is an important influence on their financial standing, housing, the way they spend their time, where they live, their friendship and their health.
some people define their identity
through work.
work creates a structure and rhythm to life and when unable to work
many individuals experience distress and low self-esteem
unemployment produces stress
and is related to physical problems, mental problems, marital difficulties and homicide
dual-career couples
- us husbands are taking increasing responsibility for maintaining the home
- us women are taking increased responsibility for bread winning
- us men are showing greater interest in their roles as dads.
