Chapter 13

Physical & Cognitive Development in Young Adulthood

Emerging adulthood: ongoing process; late teens to early twenties

• Legal ages of consent (17; 18; 21)

• Considered adult when self-sufficient and self-supportive, have career,, formed significant romantic relationship, or started a family

• Psychologically: maturity, achieved identity, independent of parents, developed system of values, forming relationships, autonomy, self control, personal responsibility

• Therefore, some people never truly become adults

Health

Young adults: at peak of health; visual keenest from 20-40; senses undiminished until at least 45; loss for high pitch sounds begins during adolescence and apparent after age 25

 

Most common health concerns: arthritis and muscular and skeletal disorders

Concerns: sleep, physical activity, whether engage in risk behavior (smoke, drink), poverty

GeneticsCancer, obesity, alcoholism, depression,

AIDS (preventative gene), arthritis, atherosclerosis, cholesterol (HDL)

 Interrelatedness between physical, cognitive,

and emotional aspects of development Diet & nutritionPoor diet causes medical concerns and even

death

Obesity• 65% of population is overweight• Younger people less likely to be overweight,

until mid twenties• Snaking, fast foods, large portions• Leptin- hormone that tells the brain when

satiated; some people may lack this• Obesity can lead to emotional problems, high

blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, diabetes, arthritis, gallstones, skeletal disorders, cancers, and other diminished life issues

Physical activity

Maintain desirable body weight, builds muscles, protects against disease, stroke, diabetes, colon cancer/cancers, osteoporosis, relieves anxiety and depression, lengthens life

 

SleepProblems interfering with sleep: working abnormal

hours, eating before bed, stress, tv in bedroomCan lead to:• Premature aging, cognitive, emotional, physical,

and social impairments• Drowsy driving, impairs learning, increases

aggressiveness, poor parenting, irritability• Less than 6 hours sleep for three days in a row can

seriously impair cognitive performance even when not aware of it.

• Short naps are good• 7-10 hours

Smoking• Leading preventable cause of death• Increased risk of heart disease, stroke, cancer,

osteoporosis, other health concerns

• 30 minutes of passive, secondhand smoke can cause problems

• ¼ men, 1/5 women, smoke• 18-25, more likely to smoke• addictive, difficult to quit, media encourages

Alcohol• Peaks in emerging adulthood• 70% of 21-25 year olds report using alcohol• 48% of 21 years old binge drinkers• College students drink the heaviest• 31% of 18-24 years old report driving while

under the influence• 1,700 college students die yearly from alcohol-

related injuries• 70,000 cases of date rape/rape reported related

to alcohol consumption

Alcohol• Light to moderate use- reduce rate of fatal heart

disease and stroke, and also dementia in later life

• Heavy drinking: gastrointestinal diseases, cirrhosis of the liver, pancreatic disease, cancer, heart failure, stroke, damage to nervous system, psychosis, other medical problems, psychological/emotional problems. Comorbidity between drinking and smoking

Illicit drug use

• Peaks between ages 18-20- 23% use

• 6% adults continue to use drugs

• marijuana most common: impairs cognitive functioning, significant losses of memory and attention, amotivational syndrome

Substance use disorders• 10% of adults have substance use disorder• alcoholism: impairment in social, familial,

personal, occupational, physical and cognitive functioning

• long lasting changes in patterns of neural signal transmission; creates euphoric state causing neurological adaptations that produce withdrawal symptoms and cravings

• tolerance- requiring more and more alcohol to get same effect

• 20% also have mood disorder

Substance use disorders• Indirect Influences on Health and Fitness• Income, education, race/ethnicity, gender• Less schooling, poorer health and awareness, less

financial resources, less support, poor nutrition and housing

• Protective gene in women: longer life than men; less likely to die; estrogen significant for health

• Women more likely to seek medical/psychological help than men; men have more chronic problems

• Men may avoid seeking help- macho- seeking help equates with loss of control

Substance use disorders

• Social networks influence emotional well-being (exercise, eating right, less substance abuse), lower mortality, survive heart attacks, less reoccurrence of cancer, sleep better, less distressed

• Marriage usually improves health

Sexual & Reproductive Issues

Menstrual disorders

Premenstrual syndrome (PMS)- (usually 30’s and older) physical discomfort and emotional tension during two weeks prior to menstrual cycle

 

Includes fatigue, headaches, swelling and tenderness of breasts, hands and feet, abdominal bloating, nausea, cramping, constipation, food cravings, weight gain, anxiety, depression, irritability, mood swings, difficulty concentrating or remembering

Sexual & Reproductive Issues

Menstrual disorders

• 85% of women have some symptoms; only 5-10% warrant diagnosis

• Likely caused by abnormal response to monthly surges in estrogen and progesterone as well as levels of testosterone and serotonin; linked to ovulation

Sexual & Reproductive Issues

Menstrual disorders

• Dysmenorrhea (adolescents and young women)- painful menstruation (cramps).

• 40-90% suffer; 10-15% severe

• Caused by contractions of uterus ; treated with meds

Sexually Transmitted Disease (STDs)• 15 million people infected each year; half are

lifelong infections (Herpes & Gonorrhea rising)

 

Cognitive Development

Piaget- Formal Operations Stage (begins age 11)• Higher levels of abstract thinking (reflective

thinking)• Postformal thought - logic with emotion and

practical experience in the resolution of abstract and ambiguous problems.

Dewey- reflective thinking- active, persistent, and careful consideration of information or beliefs in the light of the evidence that supports them and the conclusions to which they lead

 Continually question supposed facts, draw

inferences, make connections, create complex intellectual systems that reconcile apparently conflicting ideas or considerations.

Emerges age 20-25- when cortical regions of brain that handle higher-level thinking fully mylenate. At same time brain is forming new neurons and synapses and dendritic connections. Environmental support can also stimulate the development of thinker, denser, cortical connections.

 

All adults develop capacity for becoming reflective thinkers, few attain it proficiently.

Postformal thought• Ability to deal with uncertainty, inconsistency,

contradiction, imperfection, and compromise.

• Flexible, adaptive, individualistic; helps cope with chaotic world

• Transcends single logical system

• Immature thinking sees black and white; postformal sees gray

Sinnott- Criteria for Postformal thought

• Shifting gears (ability to think within two different logical systems)

• Problem definition (ability to define a problem within a class or category of logical problems and define its parameters)

• Process-product shift (ability to see problem can be solved either through a process or through a product- concrete solution)

Sinnott- Criteria for Postformal thought• Pragmatism (ability to choose best of several

possible logical solutions and recognize criteria for choosing)

• Multiple solutions (awareness that most problems have more than one cause, solution, and people have differing goals; variety of methods can be used to arrive at more than one solution)

• Awareness of paradox (recognition that a problem or solution involves inherent conflict)

• Self-referential thought (awareness that they must be the judge of which logic to use- using postformal thought)

Schaie- A life-Span Model of Cognitive Development

• Defines by intellect

• Shift from acquisition of information and skills to practical integration of knowledge and skills to search for a meaning and purpose

• Not necessarily achieve all stages

Schaie- A life-Span Model of Cognitive Development

• Acquisition stage (childhood and adolescence) acquire information and skills mainly for own sake to participate in society.

• Achieving stage (late teens/early 20’s to early 30’s)- No longer acquire knowledge merely for its own sake; use what know to pursue goals

• Responsibility stage (late 30’s to early 60’s)- Use minds to solve practical problems associated with achieving and responsibilities to others (family, employer)

Schaie- A life-Span Model of Cognitive Dev

• Executive stage (30’s/40’s through middle age)- Responsible for societal systems or social movements; deal with complex relationships on multiple levels

• Reorganizational stage (end of middle age, beginning of late adulthood)- People who enter retirement reorganize their lives and intellectual energies around meaningful pursuits that replace work.

Schaie- A life-Span Model of Cognitive Dev • Reintegration stage (late adulthood)- May have

let go of some social involvement, cognitive functioning limited by biological changes, more selective about what tasks they spend energy on; taks most meaningful to them.

• Legacy stage (advanced old age)- Near end of life, create instructions for disposition of belongings; funeral arrangements, provide oral/written histories.

Sternberg: Insight & Know-How

Triarchic theory of intelligence:

Creative insight (experimental element) and practical intelligence (contextual element) are important in adult life.

 

Problem solving remains stable until midlife but ability to solve academic problems declines

Tacit knowledge: (unrelated to IQ; predicts job performance; common sense not taught but acquired on own)

self-management (how to motivate self and organize time and energy)

management of tasks (how to do things)

management of others (knowing how and when to reward or criticize)

Emotional intelligence (EI)

• Ability to recognize and deal with one’s feelings and the feelings of others

• More important for success than IQ

Those who succeed:Self-awareness (emotional awareness, accurate self-

assessment, self-confidence)Self-management (self-control, trustworthiness,

conscientiousness, adaptability, achievement drive, initiative)

Social awareness (empathy, service orientation, organizational awareness)

Relationship management (developing others, exerting influence, communication, conflict management, leadership, being catalyst for change, building bonds, teamwork and collaboration)

Those who succeed:Excelling in at least one of the competencies

seems to be a key to success in any job! Emotional intelligence plays role in ability to

acquire and use tacit knowledge. Related to Gardner’s intrapersonal and

interpersonal intelligences However, difficult to measure the concept of

emotional intelligence

Moral Reasoning- Kohlberg

Level 3- postconventioanl morality (early adolescence, young adulthood, if ever)

Recognize conflicts between moral standards and make own judgment on principles of right/wrong, fairness, justice.

Stage 5: morality of contract, individual rights, democracy of accepted law (rational, value will of majority, welfare of society)

Stage 6: morality of universal ethical principles (do what think is right, regardless of legal restrictions or opinions of others; use internalized standards)

Moral Reasoning- Kohlberg

Kohlberg proposed a 7th stage: adults reflect on moral question: “Why be moral?” a sense of unity with cosmos!

Culture & Moral ReasoningCultural contexts must be taken into considerations-

not all of development theories are universal, perhaps Kohlberg is not fully universal.

 Gender & Moral ReasoningGilligan:• Most research based on male norms• Women’s central moral dilemma: conflict between

own needs and needs of others• Expect women to self-sacrifice and to be

concerned for others• Kohlberg’s dilemmas found to be applicable to

both men and women

Education & WorkCollege- limited by factors (SES, family history,

parental support)Factors supportive of Adjusting to college• Family and financial support• Adaptable• High aptitude• Good problem solving• Actively engaged in studies• Enjoy autonomous relationships with parents• Independent • Achievement orientated• Ability to build peer relationships

Cognitive Growth in College Intellectual discovery & personal growth,

especially verbal and quantitative skills, critical thinking, moral reasoning

 Change in new ways of thinking:• To curriculum- new insights and ways of

thinking• Other student’s beliefs may challenge own

set of values• Student culture• Faculty members- new role models

Cognitive Growth in College ¼ in two-year colleges and ½ in 4 year

colleges complete. Some may simply take longer than 5 years or switch from 2 to 4 year colleges

 WorkReciprocal relationship between Substantive

complexity of the work, degree of forethought and independent judgment it requires, and person’s flexibility in coping with cognitive demands.

Spillover hypothesis

Cognitive gains at work carry over into nonworking hours and influence intellectual activities