Human Development
A Cultural Approach
Chapter
10
Young Adulthood
Human Development: A Cultural Approach
Jeffrey Jensen Arnett
Physical Development
Human Development: A Cultural Approach
Jeffrey Jensen Arnett
Transition to Adulthood
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Accepting responsibility for oneself
Making independent decisions
Becoming financially independent
Cultural variations include:
 Israeli’s completing military service
 Korean support parents financially
 Traditional cultures focus on marriage
Human Development: A Cultural Approach
Jeffrey Jensen Arnett
Aging Begins
• Changes in aging:
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Graying hair—begins in young adulthood
Thinning hair
Skin becomes looser, wrinkles appear
Cholesterol and fat begin to accumulate
Immune system ages, reduction of T cells
and B cells
Human Development: A Cultural Approach
Jeffrey Jensen Arnett
Overweight and Obesity
• Weight gain caused by multiple factors:
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Change in Basal metabolic rate
Genetics
Biology
Diet
Human Development: A Cultural Approach
Jeffrey Jensen Arnett
Overweight and Obesity
• Countries with highest rates of obesity
are wealthiest
• Developing countries’ obesity rates are
climbing
 (Increase in Western type diet)
Human Development: A Cultural Approach
Jeffrey Jensen Arnett
Overweight and Obesity
• Developed countries have higher
obesity rates in lower SES groups
• Obesity in developed countries
impacted by diet and sedentary work
Human Development: A Cultural Approach
Jeffrey Jensen Arnett
Obesity Consequences
• Obesity risks and outcomes:
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High blood pressure
Diabetes
Sleep disorders
Ridicule
Discrimination
Human Development: A Cultural Approach
Jeffrey Jensen Arnett
Importance of Exercise
• Exercise effects:
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Healthy weight
Increased metabolic rate
Reduced risk of diseases and illness
Lower levels of anxiety
• Lack of exercise may be caused by
busy pace of modern life
Human Development: A Cultural Approach
Jeffrey Jensen Arnett
Cognitive Development
Human Development: A Cultural Approach
Jeffrey Jensen Arnett
Adult Intelligence
• IQ scores and future success are
moderately correlated
 Lowest scores had work related problems
 Highest scores did well in careers
 Higher scores (140+) had fewer personal
problems and greater occupation success
• Different cultures may emphasize
different things
Human Development: A Cultural Approach
Jeffrey Jensen Arnett
Cultural Concepts of Intelligence
• Cultures vary on what constitutes
intelligence
 Chinese—intelligence includes humility
 Zambia—emphasize cooperativeness
• Sternberg’s practical intelligence may
be more inclusive cross-culturally
Human Development: A Cultural Approach
Jeffrey Jensen Arnett
Cognitive Changes
• Two aspects of cognitive development
in young adulthood
 Expertise—extensive knowledge and skill in
a specific field
- Exposure to a specific field allows problems
to be addressed efficiently
- Frontal lobe maturity promotes expertise
Human Development: A Cultural Approach
Jeffrey Jensen Arnett
Cognitive Changes
• Creativity—putting new ideas together
in creative ways
 With expertise, able to go from problem
solving to problem finding
 Some rigidity can develop causing
creativity to peak in young adulthood
Human Development: A Cultural Approach
Jeffrey Jensen Arnett
Emotional and Social
Development
Human Development: A Cultural Approach
Jeffrey Jensen Arnett
Erikson
• Intimacy versus isolation is central
conflict
• May occur after, at the same or before
identity development
• Gender differences in development
Human Development: A Cultural Approach
Jeffrey Jensen Arnett
Robert Sternberg
• Robert Sternberg proposed different
types of love based on 3 specific
qualities
 Passion—physical attraction and sexual
desire
 Intimacy—closeness and emotional
attachment
 Commitment—pledge to love over the long
run
• Combine to form 7 types of love
Human Development: A Cultural Approach
Jeffrey Jensen Arnett
Figure 10.1 Sternberg’s Triangular Theory of Love Three components, intimacy, passion, and
commitment, are combined in various ways to form seven different types of love. Source: Sternberg
(1988), p. 122
Human Development: A Cultural Approach
Jeffrey Jensen Arnett
Figure 10.2
Changes in Love
• The quality that makes up these
different loves follows a predictable
trajectory
Human Development: A Cultural Approach
Jeffrey Jensen Arnett
Marriage
• Marriage may exist for several reasons:
 Uniting people to serve complementary
gender roles
 Reduces sexual competition
 Necessary for the species
• Variation between cultures in choice of
marriage partners, economics and
number of marriage partners
Human Development: A Cultural Approach
Jeffrey Jensen Arnett
Table 10.2
The Importance of Various Traits in Mate Selection Throughout the World
Source: Based on Hatfield & Rapson (2005)
Human Development: A Cultural Approach
Jeffrey Jensen Arnett
Arranged Marriages
• Romantic love may not be a basis for
marriage for all cultures
• Arranged marriages are an alliance
between families with love developing
after marriage
 Commitment first and attachment second
• Many traditional cultures are shifting
from “arranged” to semi arranged
Human Development: A Cultural Approach
Jeffrey Jensen Arnett
Economics
• Marriage includes economic
transactions in many cultures:
 Bride price—substantial gift of money or
property from groom and kin to bride and
her kin
 Bride service—groom is obligated to work
for the bride’s family for a time
 Dowry—transfer of money or property from
bride’s family to the groom
Human Development: A Cultural Approach
Jeffrey Jensen Arnett
Western Marital Roles
• Western view of marriage strongly
based on intimacy and sexual
relationships
• Focus on ideal mate could lead to
marital dissatisfaction
Human Development: A Cultural Approach
Jeffrey Jensen Arnett
Western Marital Roles
• Factors that predict marital satisfaction:
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Realistic expectations
Shared interests
Shared roles and responsibilities
Shared power
• Necessary to continually adjust
Human Development: A Cultural Approach
Jeffrey Jensen Arnett
Divorce
• Marriage should provide emotional
needs of love and intimacy
• Expressive divorce can occur if
marriage doesn’t provide self-fulfillment
• Belief in self-fulfillment in marriage
leads to high divorce rate in the U.S.
Human Development: A Cultural Approach
Jeffrey Jensen Arnett
Figure 10.3 Divorce Peaks in Young Adulthood Notice that the rise is steepest in the early years
of marriage, reaching over 30% after 10 years, then continues at a less steep rate in the next 10 years
to a cumulative risk of 50% after 20 years. Source: Based on Bramlett & Mosher (2001)
Human Development: A Cultural Approach
Jeffrey Jensen Arnett
Divorce
• Causes of divorce include
 Age at marriage—younger than 25
 Divorced parents
 Socioeconomic status—conflict and stress
over finances
 Partner behavior—drinking or drug use,
infidelity
• Adjustments after divorce hardest in
first 1–2 years
Human Development: A Cultural Approach
Jeffrey Jensen Arnett
Single Adults
• Compared to married young adults it
was thought being single led to
 Increased mental health problems
 Physical health problems
 Substance abuse
• Thorough analysis has shown all these
negative effects were overblown
Human Development: A Cultural Approach
Jeffrey Jensen Arnett
Single Adults
• Ethnic variations exist in singlehood
 African Americans have higher rates of
cohabitation than other groups
 By age 40, 1/3 have never married
 In Asian countries (urban) 1/3 of woman
30-34 are single
 In Japan, single young adults are the
happiest group
Human Development: A Cultural Approach
Jeffrey Jensen Arnett
Gay and Lesbian Partnerships
• There are similarities between
homosexual and heterosexual
partnerships
 Seek long term relationship
 Seek out similar partners and have similar
areas of conflict
Human Development: A Cultural Approach
Jeffrey Jensen Arnett
Gay and Lesbian Partnerships
• Differences include
 Gay couples tolerate sexual episodes more
than lesbian or heterosexual couples
 Higher sexual activity
• Many differences are fading as
acceptance increases
Human Development: A Cultural Approach
Jeffrey Jensen Arnett
Sexuality in Young Adulthood
• Sexual peak occurs
 Social acceptance
 Implied pressure to have children
• Western countries report sexual activity
is less about children and more for
intimacy
• Men report more sexually motivated
behaviors than women
Human Development: A Cultural Approach
Jeffrey Jensen Arnett
Becoming a Parent
• Traditional countries
 Becoming a parent is extremely important
 Fertility is goal of a woman and men enjoy
greater status
• Developed countries
 Parenting is a choice and may not be
extremely important
 Parents more likely to be on their own
although there are ethnic group differences
Human Development: A Cultural Approach
Jeffrey Jensen Arnett
Parenting and Marital Relationship
• Traditional cultures
 Gender roles are well defined and
parenting fits the roles
• Developing countries
 Gender roles less defined but women more
likely to have household and childcare
duties
Human Development: A Cultural Approach
Jeffrey Jensen Arnett
Single Parent
• Single motherhood is higher now than
50 years ago
• In U.S. there are ethnic and education
differences
Human Development: A Cultural Approach
Jeffrey Jensen Arnett
Single Parent
Human Development: A Cultural Approach
Jeffrey Jensen Arnett
Single Parenthood
• Many single mothers cohabitate with a
father
 May receive assistance from other family
members
• In some cases gay and lesbian couples
who adopt are considered “single”
parents
• True single mothers may have lower
income and increased stress
Human Development: A Cultural Approach
Jeffrey Jensen Arnett
Work
• Developing occupational goals can occur
through 5 stages (Super)
 Crystallization—Beyond fantasizing and
begin to seek information
 Specification—Choices become more
focused
 Implantation—Completing education that
began in previous stage
 Stabilization—Establish career
 Consolidation—Gain expertise and
experience
Human Development: A Cultural Approach
Jeffrey Jensen Arnett
Influences on Occupational Goals
• Choice of occupation is influenced by
personality
• John Holland describes six personality
characteristics
Human Development: A Cultural Approach
Jeffrey Jensen Arnett
Table 10.4
Holland’s Theory
Human Development: A Cultural Approach
Jeffrey Jensen Arnett
Influences on Occupational Goals
• Gender impacts occupational choices
• Women overrepresented in service
sector
• Women also more likely to have lower
status of a high status occupation
Human Development: A Cultural Approach
Jeffrey Jensen Arnett
Influences on Occupational Goals
• Gender socialization and balancing
work and family roles play a part
• Women more likely to have to work and
take time away to care for family than
men
Human Development: A Cultural Approach
Jeffrey Jensen Arnett
Leisure Activities
• Civic involvement goes up as young
adults have children and become
concerned
• May also be impacted by business
networking
Human Development: A Cultural Approach
Jeffrey Jensen Arnett
Leisure Activities
• Television plays a role in leisure
activities in young adulthood
• There is a negative correlation between
television watching and community
involvement
• Since television is not demanding it is
attractive to engage in
Human Development: A Cultural Approach
Jeffrey Jensen Arnett