Carin%20Rubenstein%20has%20suggested%20four%20possible%20schedules:

1
When Does Adulthood Begin?
Carin Rubenstein has suggested four possible
schedules Early Birds 25 Adult life begins at
18, due to early physical development, or to
parents divorce and mothers reliance on
daughter. On-Timers 10 Adult life begins at
ages 19-21. Had low high school grades,
terminated schooling after high school, and went
to work. Procrastinators 50 Adult life begins
around age 25 or 26. Described as taking their
time, waiting for the alarm on their
psychological clock. Superprocastinators
15 Adult life begins in ones 30s. Until this,
individuals feel free to act like a child, and
have no idea what makes one an adult. Rubenstein
suggests we are in a time of chronological chaos,
in which age is irrelevant and there is no rigid
timing of the transformation into adulthood.
Source Carin Rubenstein (1991), The New
Adulthood, Glamour Magazine
2
Average Declines in Major Biological Systems
100
80
Nerve conduction speed
Kidney function
60
Percent of Maximum Function
Cardiovascular function
Muscle strength
40
Useful lung volume
Maximum breathing capacity
20
0
20
40
60
80
Age
Source Rybash et al. (1995).
3
Annual Rate of Violent Death of American Adults,
Ages 20-29
Male Deaths per 100,000 People
Female Deaths per 100,000 People
Suicide Homicide Accidents Total
6 7 19 32
26 29 80 135
4
Behaviors That Affect Lifelong Health
Health Behaviors
Health-Compromising Behaviors
Low-fat, high-fiber diet Regular aerobic
exercise Weight near realistic ideal level
Smoking Drug abuse Alcohol abuse Unsafe sex
5
Percentages of U.S. Adults Who Engage in Risky
Behaviors
Dont use sunscreen 71 Dont eat fruits,
vegetables 59 Dont see dentist
regularly 39 Dont attempt to control
stress 35 Dons always wear seat belt 34 Are
overweight 29 No leisure physical
activity 29 Smoke cigarettes 22 Less than
6 hours sleep per night 20 60 or more drinks
per month 3
6
Fig13_2
The General Adaptation Syndrome
Stressor
7
Stressors

• Life events to which we must adjust marriage,
  parenthood, job changes, moves
• Trauma War, floods, fire, rape
• Conflicts Making difficult choices
• Occupational Pressures Especially police and
  firefighters, air traffic controllers
• Social Isolation Loss of friends and/or family
• Unhealthy Lifestyle Poor nutrition, smoking,
  sedentary activity level, drugs, lack of hobbies
  or outlets

8
Precursors
Diathesis
Stress
Outcome
Genetic factors
Poor self-understanding
Brain disease
Disorder (e.g. schizophrenia)
Vulnerability
Early learning experiences
Stressful family dynamics
Bad family dynamics
Social stresses
9
THEORIES OF ADULT COGNITION

• Piaget's Stages of Cognitive Development in
  Childhood
• Sensorimotor
• Preoperational
• Concrete operations
• Formal operations
• Proposed Fifth Stages of Adult Cognitive
  Development
• Arlin
• Basseches
• Commons Richards
• Labouvie-Vief

• Problem finding
• Dialectical postformal thought
• Metasystematic operations
• Intrasystemic thought
• (formal operationl thought)
• Intersystemic thought
• (fifth stage)
• Autonomous thought
• (sixth stage)

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EXECUTIVE
Tasks

• Meet needs of larger societal groups

ACQUISITIVE
ACHIEVING
REINTEGRATIVE

Tasks

• Build basic skills

Tasks
Tasks
Includes

• Refocus on personal interests and values

• Meet personal goals

• Sensorimotor
• Preoperational
• Concrete operations
• Formal operations

RESPONSIBLE

Tasks

• Integrate responsibility to others with personal
  goals

Childhood and
Early
Middle
Late
Adolescence
Adulthood
Adulthood
Adulthood
Source Adapted from Schaie (1977/1978).
11
25
20
15
Percentage
10
5
0
United
United
Japan
Germany
France
Canada
States
Kingdom
12
Summary of Physical Development in Early Adulthood

• All measures begin a gradual decline, about 1
  per year
• Health is generally good. A healthy lifestyle is
  important.
• Stress contributes to illness.
• There is a high level of sexual responsiveness,
  but fertility problems can emerge.

13
Summary of Cognitive Development in Early
Adulthood

• Theorists have proposed a fifth, post-formal
  stage beyond Piagets formal operations stage
• Arlen found evidence of a question finding
  stage.
• Schaie proposes an achievement stage.
• Dialectical thinking emerges.
• The college experience fosters intellectual
  development.