Paper Requirement

Chapter 13: Physical and Cognitive Development in Early Adulthood

Consider your transition from high school to college. How did your life circumstances change?

How prepared did you feel going into this new phase of your life? How prepared did you

discover you actually were? In what ways did you meet your expectations for success on your

own, and in what ways did you discover that you needed guidance? How are you faring now?

What has been the most significant change, and what is the most significant lesson you have

learned in this time period?

Learning Goals

Learning Goal 1: Describe the transition from adolescence to adulthood.

A. Describe and discuss becoming an adult.

B. Explain the transition from high school to college.

Learning Goal 2: Identify the changes in physical development in young adults.

A. Describe and discuss physical performance and development in early adulthood.

B. Discuss the health of young adults.

C. Characterize eating and weight during early adulthood.

D. Discuss the benefits of regular exercise and ways to incorporate it into everyday life.

E. Describe substance abuse in early adulthood.

Learning Goal 3: Discuss sexuality in young adults.

A. Summarize sexual activity in emerging adulthood.

B. Discuss sexual orientation and behavior.

C. Define and explain sexually transmitted infections.

D. Discuss forcible sexual behavioral and sexual harassment.

Learning Goal 4: Characterize cognitive changes in early adulthood.

A. Describe and explain cognitive stages in early adulthood.

B. Discuss creativity in early adulthood.

Learning Goal 5: Explain the key dimensions of career and work in early adulthood.

A. Describe the developmental changes that occur related to work.

B. Explain the finding a path to purpose in early adulthood.

C. Discuss monitoring the occupational outlook.

D. Summarize the impact of work in early adulthood.

E. Discuss diversity in the workplace.

Becoming an Adult

 Emerging Adulthood: the transition from adolescence to adulthood  Occurs from approximately 18 to 25 years of age. Most of my traditional on-ground

college students fall into this category.

 Characterized by experimentation and exploration  Key Features:  Identity exploration, especially in love and work. Emerging adulthood is the time during

which key changes in identity take place for many individuals (Kroger, 2012; Schwarz & others, 2013).

 Instability. Residential changes peak during early adulthood, a time during which there also is often instability in love, work, and education.

 Self-focused. According to Arnett (2006, p. 10), emerging adults “are self-focused in the sense that they have little in the way of social obligations, little in the way of duties and commitments to others, which leaves them with a great deal of autonomy in running their own lives.”

 Feeling in-between. Many emerging adults don't consider themselves adolescents or full-fledged adults.

 The age of possibilities, a time when individuals have an opportunity to transform their lives. Arnett (2006) describes two ways in which emerging adulthood is the age of possibilities: (1) many emerging adults are optimistic about their future; and (2) for emerging adults who have experienced difficult times while growing up, emerging adulthood presents an opportunity to chart their life course in a more positive direction.

SELF-PERCEPTIONS OF ADULT STATUS

 Three Characteristics of “Late-Bloomers”:

 Support by adults  Being planful  Showing positive aspects of autonomy

 Markers of Becoming an Adult:

 Holding a more or less permanent, full-time job  Economic independence (in US). According to this, I wouldn’t have been an “adult”

until I started here at ELAC in 2007!

 Taking responsibility for oneself  Different criteria in other countries

• Marriage. In developing countries, you could be 15 and be married and be considered an adult.

 Stressful Circumstances:  Tests and finals  Grades and competition  Professors and class environment  Too many demands  Papers and essay exams  Career and future success  Studying  Intimate relationships  Finances  Parental conflicts and expectations  Roommate conflicts

I’m sure this list is ringing a bell in many parts for you all.

DAILY ACTIVITY SELF-RATINGS AND COLLEGE STUDENTS’ HAPPINESS

Physical Development

 Physical Performance and Development:

 Peak physical performance typically occurs before the age of 25. It’s all downhill from here on out. Creaks, pops, lower lung capacity, etc…

• Different types of athletes reach their peak performances at different ages  Muscle tone and strength usually begin to show signs of decline around age 30

 Health:

 Young adults have more than twice the mortality rate of adolescents

 Few chronic health problems, those tend to crop up more during middle age.  Most college students know what behaviors will prevent illness and promote health,

but many of them do not apply this information. Establishing poor health habits is the biggest risk most young adults face.

Eating and Weight

 Obesity:  Prevalence of obesity in U.S. adults is increasing  Linked to increased risk of hypertension, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease

Mokdad et al. (1999) monitored obesity trends by state and geographical region

beginning in 1991 using a large population-based survey. Six states were not

included due to missing data. Body mass index (BMI) was calculated by dividing

self-reported weight in kilograms by square height in meters. Obesity was indicated

as a BMI of 30 or higher. Leisure-time physical activity was assessed and classified

as inactive; irregular active; regular, not intense; and, regular intense. Findings

included:

 Prevalence of obesity increased from 12 percent in 1991 to 17.9 percent in 1998.

 Obesity increased in women and men and across all sociodemographic groups. The highest increase occurred among the youngest ages and higher education levels. For Hispanic men, the prevalence increased from 10 percent to 18.3 percent and for Hispanic women from 13.2 percent to 23.4 percent.

 Prevalence and increase in prevalence since 1991 differed by state and region. Thirty-seven states had obesity levels higher than 15 percent. Delaware had the lowest magnitude of change from 1991 to 1998 with an 11 percent increase, and Georgia had the greatest change (101.8 percent).

 In 1998, the level of leisure-time physical activity was 28.6 percent inactive, 28.2 percent irregularly active, 29.6 percent regular not intense, and 13.6 percent regular intense. These numbers indicate that physical activity has not changed substantially since 1991.

For the most recent statistics on obesity rates, visit the CDC at http://www.cdc.gov/obesity/.

 Factors Involved in Obesity:  Heredity  Leptin: a protein involved in feeling full  Set point (your fairly stable weight when not trying to gain or lose weight)  Environmental factor

Eating and Weight

BMI Chart

 Dieting:

 As obesity rises, dieting is an obsession for many

 1/3 to 2/3 of dieters regain more weight than they lost on their diets  Most effective programs include exercise and daily weigh-ins  Diets can place the dieter at risk for other health problems

• Yo-yo dieting • Low-calorie diets are linked with gallbladder damage

I once had a student from China tell our class that her parents put her in a weight loss camp for

teen girls at the cost of about $10,000 USD. She said that she lost a lot of weight in the camp, but

then what happened when she got home? … You guessed it, she gained it all back. She didn’t have

family support, special meals, personal trainer, therapy, etc.. anymore. Sustained weight loss takes

full lifestyle change.

 Regular Exercise:  Aerobic exercise: sustained exercise that stimulates heart and lung activity  Exercise benefits both physical and mental health

• Improves self-concept and reduces anxiety and depression MODERATE AND VIGOROUS PHYSICAL ACTIVITIES

Weight Loss

EXERCISE TIPS

 Reduce TV time  Chart your progress  Get rid of excuses  Imagine the alternative (death, illness)  Learn more about exercise  Get 30 minutes of moderate exercise daily

Substance Abuse

 Individuals in college are less likely to use drugs  Exception: alcohol

 Alcohol: Binge drinking:

• Often increases in college

• More common among men than women • Binge drinking peaks at about 21 to 22 years of age and then declines

• Increases risk of having unprotected sex, falling behind in school, and driving drunk

 Alcoholism: a disorder that involves long-term, repeated, uncontrolled, compulsive, and excessive use of alcoholic beverages

 Impairs the drinker’s health and social relationships  One in nine of those who drink becomes an alcoholic  Family studies consistently reveal a high frequency of alcoholism in the first-degree

relatives of alcoholics

 Environmental factors play a role  By age 65:

• 1/3 are dead or in terrible shape • 1/3 have recovered • 1/3 are still trying to beat their addiction

 Predictors for a Positive Outcome:  A strong negative experience related to drinking  Finding a substitute dependency to compete with alcohol abuse  Having new social supports  Joining an inspirational group

 Cigarette Smoking and Nicotine:  Fewer people smoke today than in the past

 More is known about the risks of smoking  Nicotine addiction prevents many from quitting  Health risks decrease when one quits smoking

WHY COLLEGE STUDENTS SAY THEY DRINK

 1. “It increases my feelings of sociability.”  2. “It relieves anxiety or tension.”  3. “It makes me feel elated or euphoric.”  4. “It makes me less inhibited in thinking, saying, or doing certain things.”  5. “It enables me to go along with my friends.”  6. “It enables me to experience a different state of consciousness.”

 7. “It makes me less inhibited sexually.”  8. “It enables me to stop worrying.”  9. “It alleviates depression.”  10. “It makes me less self-conscious.”

Sexuality

 During emerging adulthood, most individuals are both sexually active and unmarried  Patterns of Sexual Behavior:

 Males have more casual sex partners, while females report being more selective  60% have had sexual intercourse with only 1 individual in the last year  25% report having sexual intercourse only a couple of times a year or not at all  Casual sex is more common in emerging adulthood than in young adulthood

 Sources of Sexual Orientation

 Many people view sexual orientation as a continuum from exclusive male–female relations to exclusive same-sex relations (with bisexuality in the middle)

 All people have similar physiological responses during sexual arousal

 Higher prevalence of mental disorders in lesbians, gay men, and bisexuals

• Due to stress associated with stigma  Homosexuality was once considered a mental disorder, but the classification was

discontinued in the 1970s

 Sources of Sexual Orientation

 Possible biological basis of same-sex relations:

• Sexual orientation does not change when gay men are given male sex hormones (androgens)

• Possible exposure to female hormones during 2nd to 5th month after conception

• Area of hypothalamus that governs sexual behavior is twice as large in heterosexual males as in gay males

• Most likely determined by a combination of genetic, hormonal, cognitive, and environmental factors

 Attitudes and Behaviors of Lesbians and Gay Males:  Many gender differences that appear in heterosexual relationships occur in

same-sex relationships

• Lesbians have fewer sexual partners and less permissive attitudes about casual sex than gay men

 Balancing the demands of two cultures (heterosexual and lesbian/gay male) can lead to more effective coping

MYTHS AND MISCONCEPTIONS

 What are some of the myths you have heard about sex and Sexually Transmitted Infections? “You can’t get pregnant the first time; if you jump up and down after sex, you won’t get pregnant (it’s gravity!), if you have sex with a virgin you won’t get an STI.” By the way, why do we say STI now instead of STD? Infection makes it sound less scary, and is more accurate as most STIs can be cured. The top three you see below are typically curable (although there are some drug resistant strains of Gonorrhea and Chlamydia going around), the bottom three are virus and don’t have a cure. Thankfully, Genital Warts and reproductive cancers can be prevented by taking the Gardisil vaccine. See http://www.gardasil.com/ for more details.

 Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs): diseases contracted primarily through sex  Affect about 1 of every 6 U.S. adults  AIDS has had a greater impact than any other:

• HIV destroys the body’s immune system • Leads to AIDS (acquired immune deficiency syndrome) • U.S. deaths are declining • Greatest concern is in Africa

 Strategies to Protect Yourself:  Knowing your and your partner’s risk status  Obtaining medical examinations  Having protected, not unprotected, sex  Not having sex with multiple partners

Forcible Sexual Behavior

 Rape forcible sexual intercourse without consent  Legal definitions vary from state to state  Victims are often reluctant to report the incident

 Occurs most frequently in large cities  Victims are most often women, although rape of men does occur  Males in the U.S. are socialized to be sexually aggressive, to regard women as

inferior, and to view their own pleasure as most important

I am a survivor of an attempted rape from a guy I was seeing in high school. When I told friends about

what happened, the reactions ranged from “Well, you should have known better, he’s an aggressive

guy”, to, “No, not him, couldn’t be!” Not one of my friends offered to talk or help, and there was a lot of

victim blaming going on.

Completed Rape and Attempted Rape of College Women According to Victim–Offender Relationship

 Characteristics of Male Rapists:  Aggression enhances their sense of power or masculinity  They are angry at women in general  They want to hurt and humiliate their victims

 Rape is traumatic for victims and those close to them  Many experience depression, fear, anxiety, and increased substance use  50% experience sexual dysfunctions

 Recovery varies

 Date or Acquaintance Rape: coercive sexual activity directed at someone with whom the victim is at least casually acquainted

 2/3 of college freshmen report having been date-raped or having experienced an attempted date rape. Rates of occurrence and attention on college campuses increasing.

 Sexual Harassment: a manifestation of power of one person over another  Takes many forms  Can result in serious psychological consequences for the victim

Cognitive Development

 Piaget’s View:  Adolescents and adults think qualitatively in the same way (formal operational

stage)

• Young adults are more quantitatively advanced because they have more knowledge than adolescents

 Some developmentalists theorize that individuals consolidate their formal operational thinking during adulthood

• Many adults do not think in formal operational ways at all  Realistic and Pragmatic Thinking:

 Some believe that as adults face the constraints of reality, their idealism decreases  Adults progress beyond adolescence in their use of intellect

• Switch from acquiring knowledge to applying knowledge Careers and Work

 From mid-twenties on, individuals often seek to establish their emerging career in a particular field

 It is important to be knowledgeable about different fields and companies  Work creates a structure and rhythm to life and defines people in fundamental ways  The invisible barrier to career advancement that prevents women and ethnic minorities

from holding managerial or executive jobs regardless of their accomplishments and merits is known as the “Glass Ceiling”

 80% of U.S. undergraduate college students worked during the 1999-2000 academic year

 Grades can suffer as number of hours worked per week increases

I worked many jobs while I was in college. In my senior year and first year of graduate school I

had three separate jobs and went to school full-time. This was difficult as I wanted to spend

more time studying but simply didn’t have the time.

Careers and Work

 Dual-Earner Couples:  Sometimes difficult to find a balance between work and the rest of life  Recent research suggests that:

• U.S. husbands are taking increased responsibility for maintaining the home • U.S. women are taking increased responsibility for breadwinning • U.S. men are showing greater interest in their families and parenting (but not

necessarily an increase in staying at home to raise the kids)

 Workplace is becoming increasingly diverse

Here are some good links related to this chapter:

Alcohol and Drug Information

http://ncadi.samhsa.gov/

HIV InSite Gateway to HIV and AIDS Knowledge

http://hivinsite.ucsf.edu/

Obesity

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/obesity.html

The Path to Purpose

http://www.williamdamon.com/pathtopurpose.html

Weight Loss and Control

http://www.niddk.nih.gov/health/nutrit/nutrit.htm

Workplace Diversity

http://www.ilr.cornell.edu/library/research/subjectguides/workplacediversity.html