Early Adulthood - Socioemotional Development Flashcards
Emotional Development in Early Adulthood:
- Adults adapt more effectively when they are emotionally intelligent—when they are skilled at perceiving and expressing emotion, understanding emotion, using feelings to facilitate thought, and managing emotions effectively
- Developmental changes often are characterized by an effort to create lifestyles that are emotionally satisfying, predictable, and manageable by making decisions about an occupation, a life partner, and other circumstances
How do men and women experience stress differently?
Men
- When men face stress, they are likely to respond in a fight or flight manner—become aggressive, withdraw from social contact, or drink alcohol.
Women
- Women are more vulnerable to social stressors such as those involving romance, family, and work
- When women experience stress, they are more likely to engage in a tend and befriend pattern, seeking social alliances with others, especially friends
- An individual’s behavioral style and characteristic way of responding
Temperament
Under temperament, it involves variations in the speed and intensity with which an individual responds to situations with positive or negative emotions.
Reactivity
Under temperament, it involves variations in the extent or effectiveness of an individual’s control of emotions
Self-regulation
How do temperaments in childhood affect adult development?
Easy temperament in childhood
- Likely to be well adjusted as young adults
Difficult temperament in childhood
- Not well-adjusted
- Boys – less likely to continue their formal education
- Girls – likely to experience marital conflict
How does inhibition in childhood affect adult development?
- Less likely as adults to be assertive or to experience social support
- More likely to delay entering a stable job track
How does emotional regulation in childhood affect adult development?
- When they showed good control of their emotions and were resilient in the face of stress in childhood, they were likely to continue to handle emotions effectively as adults
- If they had low emotional control and were not very resilient, they were likely to show problems in these areas as young adults
- High level of emotionality at 6 years old = association with depression in adulthood
- An attachment style that describes adults who have positive views of relationships
- Find it easy to get close to others
- Are not overly concerned or stressed out about their romantic relationships
- Enjoy sexuality in the context of a committed relationship
Secure attachment style
- An attachment style that describes adults who are hesitant about getting involved in romantic relationships
- Once in a relationship, tend to distance themselves from their partner
Avoidant attachment style
- An attachment style that describes adults who demand closeness, are less trusting, and are more emotional, jealous, and possessive
Anxious attachment style
- Also called passionate love, or eros,
- Thus type of love has strong components of sexuality and infatuation, and it often predominates in the early part of a love relationship
- Includes complex intermingling of emotions—fear, anger, sexual desire, joy, and jealousy,
Romantic Love
- Also called companionate love
- The type of love that occurs when individuals desire to have the other person near and have a deep, caring affection for the person
Affectionate love
How do romantic relationships evolve/change in emerging adulthood?
In a recent study that spanned 10 years, short-term relationships were more common as individuals moved into emerging adulthood
According to Sternberg’s Triangular Theory of Love, love has three main components or dimensions. These are:
- Passion - physical and sexual attraction to another
- Intimacy - emotional feelings of warmth, closeness, and sharing in a relationship
- Commitment - each partner’s cognitive appraisal of the relationship and their intent to maintain the relationship even in the face of problems
According to Sternberg, if passion is the only ingredient (with intimacy and commitment low or absent), we are merely experiencing _____
Infatuation
According to Sternberg, a relationship marked by high intimacy and commitment but low or lacking in passion is called
Affectionate love
a pattern often found among couples who have been married for many years
If passion and commitment are present but intimacy is not, Sternberg calls the relationship _____
Fatuous love
As when one person worships another from a distance
According to Sternberg, if passion, intimacy, and commitment are all strong, the result is _____
Consummate love
In attraction, _____ and _____ are present
Familiarity & Similarity
- This occurs when one’s own attitudes and values are supported when someone else’s attitudes and values are like ours
- Fosters similarity
Often prefer to be with people whose attitudes and values we can predict
Enjoy doing things with others who enjoy the same things and have similar attitudes
Consensual Validation
Spark that ignites a romantic relationship
Physical attractiveness
- The act of seeking out someone at our own level of attractiveness in physical characteristics as well as social attributes
- End up choosing someone who is close to our own level of attractiveness
Matching hypothesis
Erik Erikson: Intimacy vs. Isolation
- Deals with relationship building, an integral part of happiness in life
- Intimacy is being able to discuss personal details, have closeness with others, and be able, to be honest.
- If one is successful in developing intimacy, they will be able to have strong relationships with others, enduring connections, deep romantic relationships, and closeness with their families.
- If unsuccessful, the person would lean into isolation & loneliness
- Isolation could occur because of negative experiences in childhood from neglect or abuse, negative experiences in their prior relationships, the death of a spouse, or fear of intimacy or commitment.
Intimacy and Independence in Early Adulthood
- Development in early adulthood involves balancing intimacy and commitment with independence and freedom
Gender Differences in Friendship
Women
- Women have more close friends
- Friendships involve more self-disclosure and exchange of mutual support
Men
- Male pattern of friendship involves engaging in outdoor activities
- Involve keeping distance and sharing useful information
- Seek practical solutions to problems, rather than sympathy
- More competitive
Friendships between Women and Men
- Cross-gender friendships are more common; provides opportunities and problems
- Opportunities: learning more about common feelings, interests, and share characteristics, acquiring knowledge and understanding of beliefs and activities that have been historically typical of the other gender
- Have unclear sexual boundaries which can cause tension and confusion
Challenges for Single Adults:
- Forming intimate relationships with other adults
- Confronting loneliness
- Finding a niche in a marriage-oriented society
Advantages for Single Adults:
- Having time to make decisions about one’s life course
- Time to develop personal resources to meet goals
- Freedom to make autonomous decisions
- Pursue one’s own schedule and interests
- Opportunities to explore new places and try new things
- Privacy
When adults are living together in relationship without being married
- Spending time together
- Sharing expenses
- Evaluating compatibility
Cohabiting
- Way of communicating
- Language of conversation that is a way of establishing connections and negotiating relationships
- Enjoyed by women
Rapport talk
- Way of communicating
- Designed to give information and includes public speaking
- Enjoyed by men
Report talk
Mavis Hetherington’s 6 common pathways in exiting divorce
Grew more competent, well-adjusted, self-fulfilled
The Enhancers
Mavis Hetherington’s 6 common pathways in exiting divorce
Average people coping with divorce
The Good-Enoughs
Mavis Hetherington’s 6 common pathways in exiting divorce
Those who are motivated to find a new mate
The Seekers
Mavis Hetherington’s 6 common pathways in exiting divorce
Spend more time in single bars and more casual sex
The Libertines
Mavis Hetherington’s 6 common pathways in exiting divorce
Had a successful career, active social live, wide range of interests
The Competent Loners
Mavis Hetherington’s 6 common pathways in exiting divorce
Problems increased after breakup
The Defeated