PSYC 2007 Winter 2014: Becoming an Adult LECTURE
Jan 9 and 13, 2014
Group Discussion
Becoming an Adult
Physical, Cognitive, and
Personality Development
 Divide into groups of 5-10
students
 Decide on 3 best answers to
following question:
 I will be (knew I was) an adult
when?
 The benefits of being a young
adult are (were)?
Early Adulthood: Physical,
Cogn. and Pers. development
Early Adulthood: Physical,
Cogn. and Pers. development
 When does adulthood begin?
 When does adulthood begin?
 Physical Development and
Health

Physical Development and Health

Cognitive
Cog
t e Development
e e op e t
 Cognitive Development

Personality in Young Adulthood
 Personality in Young Adulthood
When does adulthood begin?
 When do we become adults?
 Most widely recognized marker
 First permanent, full-time job
When does adulthood begin?

Arnett (1994) surveyed college
students
 > 70% said that being an adult means
 Accepting responsibility for
consequences of one’s actions
 Deciding own beliefs and values
 Establishing relationship with
parents as an equal adult
1
PSYC 2007 Winter 2014: Becoming an Adult LECTURE
Jan 9 and 13, 2014
When does adulthood begin?
When does adulthood begin?
 Other criteria (Lerner, 1995)
 Arnett (2004) indicates that the
transition to adulthood is different
now than at other times




Finishing schooling
Living apart from family
Marriage
Parenthood
 More extended
 Late teens to mid 20s (sometimes
even longer).
 Labeled this period as “Emerging
Adulthood”
Emerging Adulthood (Arnett, 2004)
Emerging Adulthood (Arnett, 2004)
 Five features of emerging adults
 Five features of emerging adults
 Age of identity exploration
 Age of instability
 Age of self-focus
 Age of feeling in between
 Age of possibilities
 Age of identity exploration
 Exploring various possibilities for their
lives
li
 Especially in love and work
 Helps them learn:
 Who they are
 What they want from life
Emerging Adulthood (Arnett, 2004)
Emerging Adulthood (Arnett, 2004)
 Five features of emerging adults
 Five features of emerging adults
 Age of identity exploration
 Age of identity exploration
 Age of instability
 Age of instability
 Rate off residential
id
i l change
h
((moving)
i )
highest during this period
 Age of self
self-focus
focus
 Not self-centered
 Instead, have very few social obligations.
 Lots of autonomy in their own lives.
2
PSYC 2007 Winter 2014: Becoming an Adult LECTURE
Jan 9 and 13, 2014
Emerging Adulthood (Arnett, 2004)
Emerging Adulthood (Arnett, 2004)
 Five features of emerging adults
 Five features of emerging adults
 Age of identity exploration
 Age of instability
 Age of self-focus
 Age of feeling in between
 The feeling of “being an adult” takes a
long time to develop.
 Getting there, but not there yet
 Reason: criteria for adulthood gradually
reached
Emerging Adulthood (Arnett, 2004)
 Five features of emerging adults
 Age of identity exploration
 Age of instability
 Age of self-focus
self focus
 Age of feeling in between
 Age of identity exploration
 Age of instability
 Age of self-focus
self focus
 Age of feeling in between
 Age of possibilities
 Time of great optimism
 Will have better life than parents
 Will meet their “soul mate”
Emerging Adulthood (Arnett,
2004)
 Dr. Arnett discusses emerging
Adulthood
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vEE170O9bX8
 Age of possibilities
 Time of great optimism
 Can move away from difficult home
 Chance to demonstrate resiliency
Early Adulthood: Physical,
Cogn. and Pers. development

When does adulthood begin?
 Physical Development and
Health

Cognitive Development

Personality in Young Adulthood
Physical Development and
Health
 Growth, Strength, and Physical
functioning

Young adults at peak of physical
functioning
g
3
PSYC 2007 Winter 2014: Becoming an Adult LECTURE
Jan 9 and 13, 2014
Physical Development and
Health
Physical Development and
Health
 Health Status
 Health Status
 Health of younger adults is
generally very good
 Death from disease is very
y rare
among younger adults
 Leading cause of death (among
20-39 age group) in Canada
 Health of younger adults is
generally very good
 Accidents
 Then suicide and cancer
Physical Development and
Health
Physical Development and
Health
 Health Status
 Health Status

Health of younger adults is generally very good
 Death from disease is very rare
among younger adults

Health of younger adults is generally very good

Death from disease is very rare among younger adults
 Leading cause of death in Canada
(among 20-39
20 39 age group)
 Accidents
 Then suicide and cancer
Physical Development and
Health
 Lifestyle Factors
 Lifestyle choices
 Influence current health
 Influence health status later in life
Addiction
 A pattern of behavior characterized
by overwhelming involvement with
using a drug and securing its
supply.
supply
 E.g., Substance Abuse and
Addictions
4
PSYC 2007 Winter 2014: Becoming an Adult LECTURE
Jan 9 and 13, 2014
Addiction

A pattern of behavior characterized by overwhelming
involvement with using a drug and securing its supply.
 Occurs despite adverse
q
consequences
 Associated with the use of the drug.
Peter Gzowski on Addiction
The differences between a habit (cryptic
crosswords, coffee) and an addiction are:
1. I'm not hurting anyone else when I indulge
in them.
2. If I were to stop doing morning cryptics, I
would almost certainly not start shaking and
retching from withdrawal and,
3. The price of continuing with these pastimes
would not be death.
Addiction

A pattern of behavior characterized by overwhelming
involvement with using a drug and securing its supply.

Occurs despite adverse consequences

associated with the use of the drug.
 Strong tendency to relapse after
quitting or withdrawal
Addictions
 Different models used to explain
addictions
 The Disease Model
 The Life Process Model
Excerpted from article by PAMELA WALLIN
Addictions
 Different models used to explain
addictions
 The Disease Model

The Life Process Model
The Disease Model
 Addictions are diseases
 They are
 Biologically based
 Lifelong
 Either inherited or bred into a person
 Not caused by current or recent problems
in life
5
PSYC 2007 Winter 2014: Becoming an Adult LECTURE
Jan 9 and 13, 2014
Addictions
 Different models used to explain
addictions

The Life-Process Model
 According to the Life-Process
Model, addiction is not a disease
The Disease Model
 The
Th Lif
Life Process
P
M
Model
d l
The Life-Process Model
The Life-Process Model
 According to the Life-Process
Model, addiction is not a disease
 According to the Life-Process
Model, addiction is not a disease
 Instead, it is
 A habitual response
 A source of gratification or security
Instead, it is


A habitual response

A source off gratification
ifi
i
or security
i
 Addiction can be understood only in
the context of
 social relationships
 experiences.
Physical Development and
Health
Physical Development and
Health
 Nutrition
 Nutrition
 An important consideration at all
points of life
 Directly affect one
one’s
s
 Mental
 Emotional
 Physical functioning
 Nutritional Requirements and
eating habits change across the
p
lifespan
 As we age
 We need fewer calories
 Need more liquids
 Need more protein
6
PSYC 2007 Winter 2014: Becoming an Adult LECTURE
Jan 9 and 13, 2014
Physical Development and
Health
Physical Development and
Health
 Nutrition
 One important risk factor for
cardiovascular disease
 Cholesterol
 Two different types
 Low-Density lipoproteins
(LDLs)
 The dangerous kind
 High-density lipoproteins
(HDLs)
 The good kind
 Cholesterol
h l
l
Physical Development and
Health
 Cholesterol
 Ratio of LDLs to HDLs most
important variable
 High LDLs
 Greater risk of heart disease
 High HDLs
 More protection from heart
disease
Early Adulthood: Physical,
Cogn. and Pers. development

When does adulthood begin?

Physical Development and Health
 Cognitive
g
Development
p

Personality in Young Adulthood
Cognitive/Intellectual
Development
Cognitive/Intellectual
Development
 Adult stages of intellectual
development
 Adult stages of intellectual
development
 Modern Intelligence Tests

Modern Intelligence Tests

Intelligence and age

Postformal Thought
 Intelligence and age
 Postformal Thought
7
PSYC 2007 Winter 2014: Becoming an Adult LECTURE
Jan 9 and 13, 2014
Adult stages of intellectual
development

Schaie’s Model of Adult
Cognitive Development
Schaie (1977-1978) & Schaie & Willis
(2000) have proposed
 Stages of adult intellectual
development
 Stages representing
 Different uses of intellect
K. Warner Schaie
(1928-
Sherry Willis
)
Schaie’s stages of Adult
Intellectual Development
Schaie’s stages of Adult
Intellectual Development
 In young adulthood
 Switch focus

 From
 Acquisition of knowledge
 To
 Application of knowledge
Achieving stage
 Responsibility stage
 Family
y is established
 Must meet needs of spouse and
offspring

Reorganizational
 Schaie called this stage
 The achieving stage
Schaie’s stages of Adult
Intellectual Development

Achieving stage
 Responsibility stage
 Executive
 Enter this stage when required
to know how organizations
work

Reorganizational
Schaie’s stages of Adult
Intellectual Development

Achieving

Responsible

Executive
 Reorganizational
 During this stage
 Individual must reorganize his/her
time
 Objective
 Maintain high level of
competence
8
PSYC 2007 Winter 2014: Becoming an Adult LECTURE
Jan 9 and 13, 2014
Schaie and Willis’ (2000) extension
of Schaie’s stages of Adult
Intellectual Development
Schaie’s stages of Adult
Intellectual Development


Achieving
Responsibility

Reorganizational

Executive
 Reintegration
 In later life, no longer asking
 “how do I use what I know?”
 Instead, asking
 “Why should I know?”
Schaie’s stages of Adult
Intellectual Development



Achieving
Responsibility
 Executive
Reorganizational
 Reintegration
Schaie’s stages of Adult
Intellectual Development
Achieving
Responsibility
 Executive
Reorganizational
Reintegration




 Legacy-leaving
Legacy leaving
 During this stage, we spend our
energy more selectively
 Last stage in which individual
prepares for the end of life
 Problem solving energy
 Social energy
Schaie’s stages of Adult
Intellectual Development




Achieving
Responsibility
 Executive
Reorganizational
Reintegration
 Legacy-leaving
Legacy leaving

Last stage in which individual prepares for the end of life
Intellectual Development

Adult stages of intellectual development
 Modern Intelligence Tests

Intelligence
te ge ce and
a d age

Postformal Thought
 Usually starts with life review which
typically includes
 Distribution of prized possessions
 Providing oral histories
 Providing instructions for funeral
9
PSYC 2007 Winter 2014: Becoming an Adult LECTURE
Jan 9 and 13, 2014
Modern Intelligence Tests

Alfred Binet
 Wanted to predict school
performance
 He put together a test that
measured
d




Reasoning
Judgment
Imagination
This test proved to be good
predictor of school success
Modern Intelligence Tests

Lewis Terman(1877-1956)
 Translated and modified Binet’s
test
 B
Became k
known as the
th Stanford-Binet
St f d Bi t
Test
 Devised Intelligence Quotient (IQ)
 IQ=(obtained age score/age)*100
Alfred Binet
(1857-1911)
Lewis Terman
(1877-1956)
Modern Intelligence Tests

Binet favoured idea of “general
intelligence”

Other tests have multiple intelligence
measures
 E.g., Wechsler Adult Intelligence
Scale (WAIS) has two subscales
Subscales of the WAIS







 Verbal
 performance
Subscales of the WAIS

Verbal Scale

Performance Scale
 Not reliant on verbal abilities
 5 subtests





Digit symbol
Picture completion
Block design
Picture arrangement
Object assembly
Verbal Scale
 6 subtests make up this scale
Information
Comprehension
C
h
i
Arithmetic
Similarities
Digit span
vocabulary
Intellectual Development

Adult stages of intellectual development

Modern Intelligence Tests
 Intelligence
g
and age
g

Postformal Thought
10
PSYC 2007 Winter 2014: Becoming an Adult LECTURE
Jan 9 and 13, 2014
Intelligence and Age

Intelligence and Age—Crosssectional findings
Early cross-sectional studies
 Found marked decline in
intelligence
 Beginning at age 25 or 30
 Declines most dramatic on certain
subscales of WAIS
 Performance
 Show decline
 Verbal
 Much less decline/maintenance
Intelligence and Age—Crosssectional findings
Intelligence and Age
 Longitudinal Studies
 Find an increase in IQ until middle age
 Then IQ decreases
 In 80s and 90s ((oldest old))
 See more dramatic changes
 Possibly due to
 Failure of sensory systems
 Other physiological changes
Intellectual Development—
Longitudinal Studies
Intelligence and Age

Crystallized and fluid intelligence
 Crystallized Intelligence
 Mental abilities that depend on
experiences
p
with the world
 Fluid Intelligence
 Related to Wechsler’s Native mental
abilities
 Reasoning
 Working with abstract concepts
11
PSYC 2007 Winter 2014: Becoming an Adult LECTURE
Jan 9 and 13, 2014
Crystallized and fluid
intelligence
Intelligence and Age
 Why difference between crosssectional and longitudinal
studies?
 Most likely reason
 Cohort differences
Cohort Differences
Intelligence and Age
 Why cohort differences?
 Better education
 Improved
p
nutrition
 Experience with tests
Intelligence and Age
Intelligence and Age
 More recent research indicates
cohort differences now changing
 Gender differences
Beginning to favour earlier born
cohorts
Why?




Changes in education
Changes in leisure activities
 TV, Video Games
 Consistent gender differences have
been found on measures of
i t lli
intelligence
 Differences maintained across life
span
12
PSYC 2007 Winter 2014: Becoming an Adult LECTURE
Jan 9 and 13, 2014
Halpern’s (1997) summary
of “real” differences
Halpern’s (1997) summary
of “real” differences
 Tests on which women perform
better
 Verbal fluency—phonological
retrieval
 Synonym generation—
meaning retrieval
 Spelling anagrams
 Memory for spatial locations

Halpern’s (1997) summary
of “real” differences
Halpern’s (1997) summary
of “real” differences

Test on which men perform better
 Mental rotation
 Piaget water level test

Test on which men perform better
 Mental rotation
Test on which men perform better
 Mental rotation
 Piaget water level test
 Accuracy in throwing
 Geographic knowledge Verbal analogies
 SAT
 Quantitative
Similar sex differences exist
across cultures (Halpern, 2004)
Differences on standardized
tests
13
PSYC 2007 Winter 2014: Becoming an Adult LECTURE
Jan 9 and 13, 2014
Halpern’s (1997) summary
of “real” differences
 Summary of differences
 Females score higher on tasks
requiring
Halpern’s (1997) summary
of “real” differences
 Summary of differences
 Males score higher on tasks requiring
 Transformation in visual-spatial working
memory
 Motor skills involved with aiming
 Spatiotemporal responding
 Fluid reasoning
 Especially in domains of
 Abstract mathematics
 science
 rapid
p access to and use of p
phonological
g
and semantic information in long-term
memory
 production and comprehension of
complex prose
 Use of fine motor skills
 Perceptual speed
Gender Differences in intelligence
Gender Differences in intelligence
 Halpern’s most important
conclusion from this research
 Halpern’s most important
conclusion from this research
 The brain remains plastic throughout
life
 The brain remains plastic throughout life
 Learning
L
i
should
h ld b
be a lif
lifelong
l
activity
ti it
that depends on individual abilities
and interests.
 The brain is altered in response to
experiences even into very old age
 Gender differences that exist in group
performance should not be used to restrict
individual choice.
Gender Differences in intelligence
Intellectual Development
 “Our best hope for the future is a
well-educated citizenry where
individuals can develop their
intellectual potential to its
fullest.” (Halpern, 1995, pp. 10981099)

Adult stages of intellectual development

Modern Intelligence Tests

Intelligence and age
 Postformal Thought
14
PSYC 2007 Winter 2014: Becoming an Adult LECTURE
Jan 9 and 13, 2014
Postformal Thought
 Longitudinal studies of thought
lead to conclusion
 Adults enter levels of thought
Postformal Thought
 Postformal thought
 Characterized by recognition that
 The truth (the correct answer) can
b variable
be
i bl
 Beyond Piaget’s Formal
Operational Thought
 Postformal thought
Postformal Thought
 Postformal thought
 Characterized by recognition that




Postformal Thought
 Postformal thought
 Characterized by recognition that
The truth (the correct answer) can be variable


 Solutions must be realistic to be
reasonable


 Postformal thought
 Characterized by recognition that



The truth (the correct answer) can be variable
Solutions must be realistic to be reasonable
Ambiguity and contradictions are the rule not the
exception
The truth (the correct answer) can be variable
Solutions must be realistic to be reasonable
 Ambiguity and contradictions are
the rule not the exception
Ambiguity and contradictions are the rule not the
exception
Emotion and subjective factors play important roles in
thinking
Postformal Thought
Solutions must be realistic to be reasonable
Ambiguity and contradictions are the rule not the
exception
Emotion and subjective factors play important roles in
thinking

Emotion and subjective factors play important roles in
thinking
Early Adulthood: Physical,
Cog. and Pers. development

When does adulthood begin?

Physical Development and Health

Cognitive Development
 Personality in Young Adulthood
 Emotion and subjective factors play
important roles in thinking
15
PSYC 2007 Winter 2014: Becoming an Adult LECTURE
Jan 9 and 13, 2014
Personality in Young
Adulthood
 Personal Control Beliefs
Personal Control Beliefs
 One’s own belief of his/her
ability to affect environment
 Personal control beliefs
 How much you believe your
performance in any situations
depends on your own actions
Personal Control Beliefs
Cognition and Motivation
 High belief
 Performance due to one’s own
behaviour
 When have high belief, then
have perceived control
 Two types of Perceived Control
 Low belief
 Performance due to influence
of others


Primary Control
Secondary Control
Cognition and Motivation
Cognition and Motivation
 When have high belief, then
have perceived control
 When have high belief, then
have perceived control
Two types of Perceived Control



Primary Control
 When individual perceives that
experience is the result of behaviour
Secondary Control
 Two types of Perceived Control


Primary Control
Secondary Control
 Perception of internalized
mechanisms including




Aspiration level
Denial
Egotistic attributions
Reinterpretation of goals
16
PSYC 2007 Winter 2014: Becoming an Adult LECTURE
Jan 9 and 13, 2014
Two Types of Perceived Control
Control—Developmental
Trends
 Secondary control concerned
with an individual’s ability to
adapt or accommodate:
One’s goals, and desires and beliefs
To Match the current situation


 Secondary control described as
Adaptive accommodation
Perceived Control
Perceived Control
 Perceived Control is made up of
two elements:
 LOC beliefs
Locus of Control (LOC) beliefs


Internal vs. External
Perceived Competence (COM)
beliefs


High competence vs. low competence
 Internal Locus of Control
 One’s own behaviours create
outcome
t
 External Locus of Control
 Own behaviours have no influence
on events
Perceived Control
Perceived Control
 Perceived competence
 High competence
 Perceived competence
 Can accomplish g
goals set for
self
 Possible to be high in one factor
and low in another
 Low competence
 Unable to accomplish goals
17
PSYC 2007 Winter 2014: Becoming an Adult LECTURE
Jan 9 and 13, 2014
External Locus of Control
Internal Locus of Control
 According to Levenson (1974)
 2 types of External locus of
control
 Internal Locus of Control
 There are benefits to this control
belief
 Chance
 Powerful others
Internal Locus of Control

Benefits of Internal Locus of Control
 Better health
 Better memory and intellectual
functioning
 Higher educational level
 Higher SES
 Lower levels of depression
 More open-mindedness
 More assertiveness
Summary
 Early adulthood an exciting time
of life
 At our peak in many areas
 E.g., physical functioning
 Decisions at this point
 Often affect remainder of lifespan
Next Lecture
 Relationships in young and middle
adulthood
 Chapter 12 of Ateah, Kail, &
Cavanaugh
18