Chap13 14 Feldman

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Chapter 13

Physical and Cognitive

Development in Early Adulthood


The Criteria for Becoming an Adult

• Permanent, full-time job.• Economic independence

• Over 70% of college students said being an adult means:– accepting responsibility for own actions

– knowing beliefs and values

– relationship with parents as an equal adult.


The Peak and Slowdown in Physical Performance

• Physical peak/healthiest between ages 19-26

• Chronic health problems are rare

• Possibility of pushing bodies too far

• Muscle tone and strength usually begin to show signs of decline around the age of 30.


Aging

• Primary aging:– Inevitable maturation/age related changes– Ex) graying or thinning of hair

• Secondary aging:– Accelerated aging due poor health choices– Ex) deterioration of senses due to smoking


Pervasiveness and Costs of Obesity

• Prevalence rose 8% in the 1990s

• 1/3 of Americans have increased health risks

• Associated with increased risk of:– hypertension

– diabetes

– cardiovascular disease

• Increases with age, especially among women


Obesity: Nature vs. Nurture• Nature

– Heredity: Estimates range from 25- 70%.• Twin Studies: MZ twins similar regardless of environment

– Set Point: weight maintained without effort to gain or loose

– Basal Metabolism Rate (BMR): Resting metabolic rate

• Nurture– greater availability of food (particularly food high in

fat)– energy saving devices – declining physical activity– More prevalent in low income individuals


The Diet Scene• Many divergent interests are involved in the topic

of dieting:– the public – the media– health professionals – the diet industry– policy makers – the food industry

• Societal norms lean aesthetic body

• Diet related products: $30 million annual sales


Restrained Eating• Chronic restriction of food intake to control weight

• Characteristics:– They are often on diets– Very conscious of what they eat– Tend to feel guilty after splurging on sweets.

• When they stop dieting, they tend to binge

• When stressed or not thinking about what they eat, they also binge


The Transition from High School to College

• Larger, more impersonal school structure

• Peers are more diverse

• Increased focus on achievement and assessment

• More freedom (subject choice)

• More peer interaction

• Opportunity for exploration


Today’s College Kids• More stress

• More depression

• Pressure: succeed, get good job, make money

• Dramatic increase in community college attendance

• More “returning students” than ever before


Patterns of Thought• Quantitatively advance in thinking (Piaget)

– more knowledge than adolescents, usually in specific area

– Adolescents hypothesize about intellectual problems

– But, adults are more systematic and sophisticated

• Other Theorists:– Shift from acquiring to applying knowledge

– Shift from polarities: right/wrong, good/bad, we/they.

– Absolute, dualistic thinking gives way to reflective, relativistic thinking of adulthood


Developmental Changes

• Career decision making – Children: idealistic fantasies – High school: somewhat less idealistic basis.– Late teens, early twenties: more serious.– Mid twenties and early adulthood: establish

their emerging career.


Intimacy Versus Isolation

• Erikson believes:– Establishment of a successful and stable identity should

proceed– Erikson describes intimacy as finding oneself yet losing

oneself in another person– Development of meaningful intimate relationships: friends,

significant others, family

• If intimacy is not developed in early adulthood, isolation may be the result


Functions of Friendships

• Companionship• Intimacy• Affection• Support• Source of Self-Esteem• Buffer from Stress• Source of Emotional Support


Female, Male, and Female-Male Friendship

• Women– More close friends – Friendships are more intimate– Female friends tend to spend time talking.

• Men– Friendships are more competitive.– Activity based– Talk is more distant, less intimate


Attraction: Familiarity and Similarity

• We like to associate with people similar to us

• We tend to have similar:– attitudes – behavior– clothes – characteristics– intelligence – personality– values – lifestyles

• This phenomenon can be explained by consensual validation.


Attraction: Consensual Validation

• Explains attraction due to similarity

• Match of attitudes and behaviors is reinforcing

• Similarity implies that we will enjoy doing the same things with the other person.


Physical Attraction:Gender Differences

• Women tend to rate:– considerateness, honesty, dependability, kindness,

and understanding as most important.

• Men tend to prefer:– good looks, cooking skills, and frugality.

• Matching Hypothesis: Similarity• In abstract, prefer a more attractive person,

but in the real world we end up choosing someone similar to us


The Triangular Theory of Love

• Robert J. Sternberg

• Consummate love: the strongest, fullest type of love

• Love includes passion, intimacy & commitment

• Couples must experience all three to have consummate love.


Secure Attachment and Romantic Relationships

• 50-60% are securely attached as children

• Past experiences affect them as adults

• Attachment shifts to romantic partners

• Secure base: obtain comfort and security in stressful times

• Link between quality of relationship as child and adult


Marital Trends• Remain single longer

• Average duration of marriage 9 years (US)

• Most still get married

• Divorce rate is high, but has slowed down


Marital Expectations• Divorce rate is due to high expectations

• Unhappily married, usually express unrealistic expectations

• Romanticized ideals of marriage often lead to disappointment

• Often due to numerous myths about marriage


Myths about Marriage

• Avoiding conflict will ruin your marriage.

• Affairs are the main cause of divorce.

• Men are not biologically made for marriage

• Men and women are from different planets.


The Benefits of a Good Marriage

• Unhappy marriages:– increase risk of illness by 1/3– Shorten life by an average of 4 years

• Happy marriages:– feel less physically and emotionally stressed.– prevent numerous physical and psychological

ailments.


Parental Roles

• Parenting requires:– interpersonal skills and emotional demands– but, no real formal education for this task

• Most parents learn from their own parents

• This passing down of parenting skills can result in positive and negative


Trends in Child Rearing• Parents are having fewer children

• Postponement of child bearing

• Less maternal investment in child development

• Men are investing more time in fathering

• Parental care is supplemented by institutional care


Personality Types• John Holland:

– Important to select a career that matches up well with their personality type

• Enjoyment in job leads to longevity

• Rarely pure types, most are a combination of two or three

• When choosing, also match values

• Identify values and refine their career choice


Holland’s Six Types

• Realistic

• Investigative

• Artistic

• Social

• Enterprising

• Conventional


Monitoring the Occupational Handbook

• Revised every 2 years• Contains info such as:

– Top four occupations with fastest projected growth

– Growth rate based on various levels of education

– Industries with the most new jobs


The Skills Employers Want• Oral and written communication skills• Interpersonal skills• Analytical skills• Computer skills• Leadership skills and experience• Involvement in campus organizations and

extracurricular activities• Relevant experiences in internships, part-time work, or

co-ops• Good grades


Finding the Right Career

• Have several careers in mind

• Develop general skills that valuable in a variety of jobs

• See a career counselor

• Engage in personal networking

• Scope out Internet networks and resources.


Work

• Work defines individuals

• Most spend 1/3 of adult lives at work

• Involuntary joblessness often causes emotional distress and low self-esteem

• Some aspects of work create stress

Chap13 14 Feldman

Health & Medicine

Transcript of Chap13 14 Feldman