Life span chapter 12

Chapter 12 Socioemotional Development in Early Adulthood

20s & 30s PowerPoint's developed by Jenni Fauchier,

Butchered by Professor Carney

20s & 30s

Integrating Emotional Experiences into Enjoyable Relationships

• Fewer mood swings than adolescence

• More responsible • Less risk-taking • Links between

• childhood temperament• adult personality

20s & 30s

Childhood Temperament Linked to Adult Personality

• Easy temperament age 3 - 5 • Likely well-adjusted young

adults

• Inhibited temperament in childhood

• Less likely assertive

20s & 30s

Ability to Control Emotions

• Age 3• Control emotions & cope well

stress

• Continues into adulthood

• Low emotional control & not resilient• Problems as young adults

20s & 30s

Attachment

• Attachment important in socioemotional development • Securely attached infants

• Used caregiver as secure base to explore

• Securely attached as adults• See partners similarly

• Secure base• Return to & obtain comfort & security when

stressed

20s & 30s

Conceptualizing & Measuring Adult Attachment

• Attachment-related anxiety • Extent to which individuals feel

secure or insecure • Question:

• Will partner• be available• responsive• attentive

• Attachment-related avoidance• Degree to which individuals feel

• Secure/insecure relying on others• Opening up• Being intimate

20s & 30s

Conceptualizing & Measuring Adult Attachment

20s & 30s

Attraction: Physical Attractiveness  

• Force of similarity also operates at a physical level • Matching hypothesis

• Abstract• Prefer more attractive person

• Real world• End up with someone close to our level of attractiveness

• Men & women differ on importance of good looks

20s & 30s

Friendship  

• Friendship • Important role in development throughout life• Functions of friendship:

• Companionship• Intimacy/affection• Support• Source of self-esteem• Buffer from stress• Better emotional support than family

• Adult friends usually same age group

20s & 30s

Gender Differences in Friendships• Women have more:

• Close friends • Self-disclosure• Exchange of mutual support

• Men:• Want practical solutions to their

problems• Rather than sympathy

• Friendships more competitive

20s & 30s

Falling Out of Love• Collapse of a close relationship may feel

tragic • Depression• Obsessive thoughts• Sexual dysfunction• Inability to work effectively• Difficulty making new friends• Self-condemnation

20s & 30s

Adult Lifestyles: Single or Cohabiting

• More adults remaining single longer

• Cohabitation • Living together in sexual relationship without

being married • Many view their cohabitation as an

ongoing lifestyle

20s & 30s

Cohabitation

• Relationships tend to be more equal

• Disadvantages

• disapproval by parents

• difficulty owning property jointly

• legal rights on dissolution of relationship less certain

20s & 30s

Marriage

• Changing norm of male-female equality means marriages:• More fragile• More intense

• Marry• Over 90 % of U.S. women• Projections: rate will drop 80 - 90 % range

• Average duration of marriage in U.S. • 9 years

20s & 30s

Happy versus Unhappy Marriages

• Happily married people:• Live longer

• Healthier

• Happier

• Men happier being married

• People in unhappy marriages may have: • High blood pressure

• Heart disease

• Psychological problems • Anxiety

• Depression

• Substance abuse

20s & 30s

Divorce• Increases in divorce correlated with:

• Youthful marriage• Low educational level• Low income• Not religious • Divorced parents• Baby before marriage

20s & 30s

• Both divorced women & men complain of:• Loneliness• Diminished self-esteem• Anxiety about unknowns• Difficulty forming new intimate relationships

• Divorced adults remarry within 4 yrs

• Men remarry sooner

Divorce

20s & 30s

Gay Male & Lesbian Adults

• Relationships similar to heterosexual relationships in• Satisfactions• Loves• Joys• Conflict

20s & 30s

Making Marriage Work: Gottman

• 7 principles determining marriage will work:• Establishing love maps• Nurturing fondness & admiration• Turning toward each other instead of away• Letting your partner influence you• Solving solvable conflicts • Overcoming gridlock • Creating shared meaning