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
