Psychology Transitions and Challenges in Adulthood - Term Paper Example

? Psychology Transitions and Challenges in Adulthood Affiliation Psychology Transitions and Challenges in Adulthood Introduction In the development of any being, there has to be a cycle that encompasses several stages, from the time of birth to the achievement of full growth and development. Psychologically, the mind undergoes the most development as it had to live with the recorded developmental phases that characterize it experiences. Nonetheless, the body undergoes equally inevitable phases that accompany size increment and cell elongation. Above all, the human has to display distinct characteristics that demonstrate respect for their age brackets and realization of maturity level. This is referred to as ‘acting up’ or being ‘a grown up’. The challenge however is the question about the actual age they demonstrate these qualities. The distinction in age between late adolescent and early / young adulthood is very slim. This poses the question; when does one begin acting up? In essence, it is difficult to answer this question unless one really understands what maturity is all about. The oxford dictionary defines maturity as a psychological term that refers to a person’s ability to respond to environmental circumstances in an appropriate manner. How appropriate one behaves in presence of peers or older generation counterparts is the gauge used to measure maturity. Maturity is thus a relative term. Society does not define its norms in laws but by conventional unwritten ideals that characterize everyone. People who disregard these ideals are thus viewed as immature. For the young adult however, the challenge comes in that he or she is viewed by a sphere of society as an overgrown teenage while another school of thought would regard to them as immature adults. Where to align oneself with regard to the societal mirror thus becomes a challenge (Burzette, R. G. (2007). The end of adolescence and the beginning of adulthood varies from country to country and depends on what is often referred to as the ‘majority age’. For most countries, this age is accepted as 18 years while some have it at 16 and others at 21. By being accorded the privileges to participate in the democratic process by voting and vying for elective seats such as college representatives and community/church leaders, young adults assume the role of being the key force that steers the community. In their transitioning from adolescent to adulthood, adolescents undergo a number of developmental stages crucial to life. The adolescent is characterized by raging hormones and often misunderstood as confused. In the development to adulthood however, it is expected that this hormonal imbalance subsides and paves way for emotional maturity. This is the key distinctive developmental process between the two phases in human development. An adolescent/teenager definitely faces the most challenging stage of life. Some of the prominent processes excluding emotional maturity include; assuming responsibilities, cognitive neural development, and identity development, building romantic relationships and strengthening of family ties. Generally, all these stages in the adult transformation to adulthood are inevitable for the average teenager. However, how each takes the responsibilities beforehand distinguishes their after-life in the adulthood circle. First, assumption of responsibilities is crucial especially since these teenagers are preparing to become leaders in society (Maslach, C. (2009). One has to dissociate slowly from being a ‘fed mouth’ to ‘having mouths to feed’ by the time the life clock hits 30 years of age. Responsibility is best taken through employment and leaving the parents/ guardian’s abode to lead an interdependent life. Most teenagers want independence. As maturity sets in however, interdependence becomes crucial to life. Cognitive neural development defines the mental changes that allow the teenager’s brain to change the way of thinking to appreciate new ideals and values. At adolescence, little mental development takes place as the human brain grows fully by the age of six years. By developing skills such as listening, understanding, sympathizing, social intelligence and critical thinking, one is able to assume adulthood much easier. An identity is one feature that defines the adult Cooney, T. M., Ann, J. S., Whitbourne S, B. (2006). During this transition period of young adulthood, the young adult has to develop an identity characterized by the peer influence the person yields to, the kind of spiritual development they undergo and the person life experience especially relating to the past. An identity will ultimately determine the kind of career paths the young adult will most likely take and the feasibility of them sustaining a particular kind of life. Family relationship and romantic feelings that generally develop at the teenage often stabilize at young adulthood. Most relationships that exist in this phase of life are more objective and lead to considerably predictable ends. This is often as a result of the establishment of identities among the people engaging in such. The fact that each person defines their own personal goals and chases after achievable targets they often can achieve is quite encouraging and desired. The line of family often only tells of one’s preparedness to settle down and more likely start a family of their own. This is often the reason why marriage often takes place in the young adulthood. More often than not, these stages hardly prove as much a smooth ride as the teenage and the childhood stage. One is faced with the challenge of having to act as an adult yet live within their means. As surely as it is common, the young adult will face challenging relating to financial freedom, maintaining beneficial relationships, living up to societal expectations(as a role model) and choosing careers to live by and possibly earn a living out of. These challenges are often constant and may extend to another critical stage of life known as the midlife crisis. To avoid reaching such a critical age without having settled down, all the above issues must be addressed by the time the young adult gets to 28 years. This may not be conventionally the case but as midlife crisis is in the age of thirties, it’s a safe ground to tread on. Conclusion Society will often expect a middle aged man or more to be of reputable standards by way of behavior, occupation and role they play in the society. To this effect, the young adult is often compelled to act as so and assume roles that they may not have been groomed for. These may include pressure to marry and settle down fast or get absorbed into a career to do something constructive with their lives. Choosing a career, a task that should be taken with optimal care and consideration is thus reduced to having a job. Employment encompasses very delicate social structures and thus ought to be done with a considerable level of moderation. Finding money to support young marriage life is challenging. It boils down to the aspect of financial stability known as financial freedom. Without enough skills and experience to attract a well paying job, the young adult often has to deal with constant stress. It is often the reason why most people chase after financial freedom before they tie the knot. References Boucher, C. H., & Maslach, C. (2009). Culture and individuation: the role of norms and self- construals. | ResearchGate. ResearchGate. Retrieved July 25, 2012, from http://www.researchgate.net/publication/41137883_Culture_and_individuation_the_role_of_norms_and_self-construals Donnellan, M. B., Conger, R. D., & Burzette, R. G. (2007). Ingentaconnect Personality Development from Late Adolescence to Young Adulthood: ingentaconnect Home. Retrieved July 25, 2012, from http://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/bpl/jopy/2007/00000075/00000002/art00002 Cooney, T. M., Ann, J. S., Whitbourne S, B. (2006). Adult development and aging: biopsychosocial perspectives. 4th Edition. Published by Wiley & Sons Inc. Brumbach, B, H.(2006) Effects of Harsh and Unpredictable Environments in Adolescence on Development of Life History Strategies: A Longitudinal Test of an Evolutionary Model. University of Arizona Printing Press. Development of the young adult. NCBI; Home. Retrieved on 25/7/2012 from www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9519633 Read More