Emerging and Early Adulthood Overview

Overview

Early adulthood is the period from approximately 18 (the end of adolescence) to 45 (the beginning of middle adulthood).  This portion of the lifespan is described as intimacy versus isolation by Erik Erikson.  Intimate relationships, children, financial independence, and work (or career) significantly impact this phase of the lifespan.

Learning Outcomes

• Explain emerging adulthood 
• Explain how emerging adulthood differs from adolescence and adulthood 
• Describe economic and cultural variations of emerging adulthood 
• Identify the markers of adulthood 
• Identify where emerging and early adults currently live
  
• Summarize the overall physical growth in early adulthood 
• Describe statistics, possible causes, and consequences of obesity
• Explain how early adulthood is a healthy, yet risky time of life 
• Identify the risk factors for substance use 
• Describe the changes in brain maturation 
• Describe gender in adulthood, including gender minorities and stress 
• Define sexuality and explain the female and male reproductive systems 
• Describe the brain areas and hormones responsible for sexual behavior 
• Identify sexually transmitted infections 
• Describe cultural views related to sexuality 
• Describe research on sexual orientation
• Distinguish between formal and postformal thought 
• Describe dialectical thought 
• Describe the changes in educational attainment and the costs of education 
• Describe the benefits of education beyond high school 
• Describe the stages in career development, millennial employment, and NEETS 
• Describe sexism and how it affects pay, hiring, employment, and education
  
• Describe the relationship between infant and adult temperament 
• Explain personality in early adulthood 
• Explain the five factor model of personality
• Describe adult attachment styles 
• Describe Erikson’s stage of intimacy vs. isolation 
• Identify the factors affecting attraction 
• Differentiate among the types of love 
• Describe adult lifestyles, including singlehood, cohabitation and marriage 
• Describe the factors that influence parenting
  

Instructions

• Read Chapter 7: Emerging and Early Adulthood
• Watch the Sketchnote Video: Early Adulthood 
• Review the video resources and respond to the related questions in your notebook
  
• Complete the Topic 7 Quiz