Physical and Cognitive Development in Early Adulthood

Physical Development and the Senses Physical development and maturation complete Peak of physical capabilities Brain wave patterns show more mature patterns Senses are peak Most professional athletes at peak during early adulthood 443

Physical Fitness Superior physical capabilities require exercise and diet No more than 10% Americans exercise enough to keep themselves in good physical shape Less than 20% participate in moderate exercise on regular basis 443

Benefits of Exercise Cardiovascular fitness increase Lung capacity increases, raising endurance Stronger muscles and greater flexibility Greater range of movement More elasticity in muscles, tendons, and ligaments Reduction in osteoporosis Optimization of immune response Decreased stress level Increased sense of control over their bodies and feeling of accomplishment 444

One of the Best Pay-Offs: Longevity Greater fitness level = lower the death rate 444

Health Leading causes of death among young adults (ages 25-34) are: –Accidents –AIDS –Cancer –Heart disease –Suicide –Murder Gender and SES differences 444

Secondary Aging Lifestyle decisions, including the use—or abuse—of alcohol, tobacco, or drugs or engaging in unprotected sex, can hasten secondary aging This can also increase a young adult’s risk of dying 445

Violence and Death: Tracking Murder 445

Age and Obesity 447

Stress and Coping in Early Adulthood STRESS: Response to events that threaten or challenge an individual Pleasant events and unpleasant events Long-term, continuous exposure may result in a reduction of body's ability to deal with stress 449

Lazarus and Folkman People move through series of stages that determine whether or not they will experience stress –PRIMARY APPRAISAL –SECONDARY APPRAISAL 450

Predicting Stressful Event (Shelly Taylor, 1991) Negative emotions are more likely to produce stress Uncontrollable or unpredictable situations are more likely to produce stress Ambiguous and confusing situations produce more stress Simultaneously tasks demands are more likely to experience stress 451

Consequences of Stress PSYCHOSOMATIC DISORDERS SOMATOFORM DISORDERS COPING 451

Styles of Coping Problem-focused coping Emotion-focused coping Social support coping Defense coping involves 452

Hardiness, Resilience, and Coping Hardiness is a personality characteristic associated with lower rate of stress-related illness Resilience is ability to withstand, overcome, and actually thrive following profound adversity Optimistic vs. pessimistic explanatory style 453

The Informed Consumer of Development Coping with Stress: General Guidelines Seek control over the situation producing the stress Redefine “threat” as “challenge” Find social support Use relaxation techniques 454

COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT

Postformal Thought Giesela Labouvie-Vief Adult predicaments are sometimes solved by relativistic thinking rather than pure logic Postformal thought acknowledges that world sometimes lacks purely right and wrong solutions so adults must draw upon prior experiences to solve problems 456

K. Warner Schaie ACQUISITIVE STAGE ACHIEVING STAGE RESPONSIBLE STAGE EXECUTIVE STAGE REINTEGRATIVE STAGE 457

A Closer Look: Sternberg 459

Creativity: Novel Thought in Early Adulthood CREATIVITY Early adulthood –Peak of creativity –Many of professional problems are novel –Willing to take risks –Fluid vs. Crystallized intelligence 460

Life Events and Cognitive Development Major life events may lead to cognitive growth –Think about the world in novel, more complex, sophisticated, and often less rigid ways –Apply postformal thought (Labouvie-Vief) 462

COLLEGE: PURSUING HIGHER EDUCATION

Higher Education College is period of developmental growth that encompasses mastery not just of particular bodies of knowledge, but of ways of understanding world. 463

College: Pursuing Higher Education Nationwide, a minority of high school graduates enter college Only about 40% of those who start graduate from college in 4 years Influenced by race and gender variables 463

Who goes to college? 40% of college students today are 25 years of age or older Average age of a community college student is 31 College degree is becoming increasingly important in obtaining and keeping job Absolute number of minority students enrolled in college has increased BUT overall proportion of minority population has decreased over past decade 464

College Student Attendance Trends 464

Consequences Proportion of students who enter college but ultimately never graduate is substantial! 465

Why is there a gender gap in college attendance? Will it continue? Men have more opportunities to earn money when they graduate More women enrolled in college 468

The Changing College Student: Never Too Late to Go to College? According to Sherry Willis, adults return to college for several reasons: –To understand their own aging –To keep up with rapid technological and cultural advances –To combat obsolescence on the job –To acquire new vocational skills –To broaden their intellectual skills 466

College Adjustment: Reacting to the Demands of College Life First year adjustment reaction –Particularly affects unusually successful students in high school –Passes for most as friends made and integration into college life occurs –Serious psychological consequences for few 467

The Informed Consumer of Development When Do College Students Need Professional Help with Their Problems? Psychological distress that lingers and interferes with a person’s sense of well-being and ability to function Feelings that one is unable to cope effectively with the stress Hopeless or depressed feelings Inability to build close relationships with others Physical symptoms –1st Floor of the College Center, near the Enrollment Services Office (RVCC)

Depression in College Students 469 Why people visit a college counseling center

Stereotype Threat and Disidentification with School African Americans don’t do well in academic pursuits. Women lack ability in math and science. 471

Women and African Americans perform less well in college Academic disidentification Steele Research 472

The Great Gender Divide During 1 st year of college, men are more likely to view themselves as above average in several academic areas. 470

Dropping Out of College Half of all students drop out of college Marriage, children, or death of family member Academic difficulties Financial difficulties Time off to mature 473