Psychology-Early Adulthood

Psychology-Early Adulthood

Transition to Adulthood

Transitioning into adulthood from teenage years has different meanings for different individuals. An interview was conducted to highlight the diversity in perceptions and involved three male teens aged between 18 and 19 years. The three males consented to this report being written but requested anonymity. A summary of the answers to the questions asked, as well as the parallel reference of the issues in the textbook readings, are discussed in this report.

Question 1: If you had a chance to talk to a teen, what would you recommend they do to establish and maintain their physical health? Do you follow these recommendations yourself?

The recommendations given include eating less junk food and exercising more. The interviewees also said teens should spend less time on screen and more time outside their enclosed spaces. One teen recommended eating more vegetables and taking protein shakes to build muscle and attract girls. Two of the teens said that they went biking every weekend, but the rest of the week was spent either in school, hanging out with friends after school, or at home to complete their class assignments. One teen said that he takes the protein shakes he recommended but has yet to see any tangible results- he said he got the idea from a YouTube video he watched a month ago.

Berk (p.1480) notes that engaging in regular exercises such as dancing, swimming, and jogging is linked to a positive outlook and self-rate health among older adults compared to younger adults. This means that while being fit as a teen is advisable, continuing with the trend is of more significance as one becomes older (McPhee et al., 2016).

Question 2: At what point was it absolutely clear that you had entered adulthood? When do people in your family recognize someone as an adult?

One teen said that he knew he had entered adulthood when his parents were no longer following up on him (as much as they previously did) on where he was and what he had been doing all day. Initially, his parents would call every now and then during the day and would want to know what he was doing and with whom. Another said that when his parents told him that he had to do his own laundry, iron and fold his clothes, and clean his room every weekend, he knew he would soon be asked to pay rent (probably when he reaches 20 years of age). The third teen said that when his mother scheduled, he would be responsible for the food budget at home and would be required to plan for the whole month, the meals, and prepare the same and on time; that is when he knew that adult responsibilities had started. They also said that a person is recognized as an adult once she reaches 21 years. A person is expected to get a job or move out of the house; if one chooses to stay, they would be required to pay rent and utilities.

However, Berk (p.1312) points out that “rather than being unique, emerging adults are part of a general trend toward the blurring of age-related expectations, yielding multiple transitions and increased diversity in development throughout the adult years.” The economic climate allows for parents to be more lenient with their adult children as the latter take up adult roles, including job seeking.

Question 3: What defines a healthy relationship? What roles do culture and values play in healthy relationships?

A healthy relationship is one where people respect others’ ‘spaces.’ It means caring for a person but not being too nosy about their lives. A healthy relationship means a person can talk to another, especially the parents, without fear of repercussion or being labeled as dumb. Some cultures dictate how people relate; for example, daughters are not allowed to be too close to their fathers in Islamic cultures, which is a sign of respect. Also, Muslim and Asian females cannot show any physical affection, including simple gestures such as holding hands with male relatives, as this is considered as lacking moral values. Healthy relationships are encouraged among other families, including whites, blacks, and Hispanics, and public display of affection is encouraged as long as the display is appropriate; for example, a female can hug a male relative and be considered endearing.

However, in the textbook reading, teens from immigrant families have a propensity to rebel against their restrictive cultures and will want to defy their cultural expectations. While there are those that will keep some of their cultures, most will opt to fit into the host country’s culture (Berk, p. 1149-1151).

Question 4: How can you tell when it’s time to change the nature of the romantic relationship (moving in together, marriage, children, etc.)? Are there signs that indicate it’s time to end a relationship?

The best indicator is when you find that two people are spending a lot of time together; more sleepovers especially are an indicator that one can move in with their partner. One of the teens said that the nature of the relationship changes when two people realize that they have the same goals in life, are happy with each other, and are already investing in each other more. For example, when important decisions are made based on the dynamics of the relationship. A case in point is when two people are willing to compromise to get to a neutral agreement; for example, one person willingly moving with their partner to a new city where the partner gets a new job opportunity. Making such decisions signifies that the couple is ready to move to the next level of their relationship, such as marriage. Some of the signs that can indicate it’s time to end a relationship are constant quarreling, unwarranted secrecy, evasion from one’s partner, and infidelity. Another sign would be when one partner becomes passive and disinterested in the relationship.

In the readings, however, a person’s propensity to move a relationship to the next level is influenced heavily by the type of parenting they have had. For example, a person from a controlling parent relationship will be less likely to move to the next level in a relationship even when the couple has shared life goals. A person from an autonomous parent relationship will have better chances of making independent decisions with their partner on when and how to move to the next level of their relationship (Berk, p.1312).

Question 5: What is the best way to establish a healthy work-life balance? How do you establish boundaries?

A person should have mandatory alone-time. A person should respect their workspace and home space in that they should not carry their work to the home. A person should establish that any issues related to work do not interfere with their lives once at home. Also, a person should have one day when they can take absolute time out from work and house chores to rejuvenate simply. One effective way of establishing boundaries is to have a private phone number and a work-related phone number; once a person gets home, they should switch off their work-related phone number.

According to Berk (p. 1376), when employers allow their employees to have flexible working hours, especially for new parents, the employees are more productive. Such employees also reported fewer work conflicts and less absenteeism was reported as well. Berk (p. 1376) supports the point given by the interviewees, suggesting that an employee needs to critically evaluate the time one devotes to work in reference to one’s family priorities, and if the work is too much, then one needs to cut back.

Conclusions on the transition to adulthood and establishing a healthy lifestyle

Transitioning to adulthood should not be a cookie-cutter process. Every teen has their own pace of transitioning and needs to be encouraged by their parents to move into adulthood so that it does not cause unnecessary teen pressure to conform to societal expectations. On the other hand, the parents should be firm enough to discourage avoidable delays and indecisions by the teen on the life course to take (Schneider et al., 2016). A parent should encourage a teen to complete their personal life goals and life maps with reasonable timelines on when and how to achieve set goals. To the best of their ability, the parents should then offer support to their teen as it transitions to adulthood.

Reference

Berk, L. E. (2017). Exploring life span development (International Edition).

McPhee, J. S., French, D. P., Jackson, D., Nazroo, J., Pendleton, N., & Degens, H. (2016). Physical activity in older age: perspectives for healthy ageing and frailty. Biogerontology, 17(3), 567-580.

Schneider, B., Klager, C., Chen, I. C., & Burns, J. (2016). Transitioning into adulthood: Striking a balance between support and independence. Policy Insights from the Behavioral and Brain Sciences, 3(1), 106-113.

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Psychology-Early Adulthood

In the transition into adulthood people take on new responsibilities including taking care of themselves and others. For this project interview three young adults ask the following:

• If you had a chance to talk to a teen, what would you recommend they do to establish and maintain their physical health? Do you follow these recommendations yourself?
• At what point was it absolutely clear that you had entered adulthood? When do people in your family recognize someone as an adult?
• What defines a healthy relationship? What roles do culture and values play in healthy relationships?
• How can you tell when it’s time to change the nature of the romantic relationship (moving in together, marriage, children, etc.)? Are there signs that indicate it’s time to end a relationship?
• What is the best way to establish a healthy work-life balance? How do you establish boundaries?
• After the conclusion of the interviews summarize the responses and identify any patterns that have emerged. Compare the responses to some of the data in the textbook and explain how the text supports or refutes some of the responses from your interviews (be sure to cite your sources).

Based on the interviews and the textbook data, draw your own conclusions on the transition to adulthood and establishing a healthy lifestyle.

While APA style is not required for the body of this assignment, solid academic writing is expected, and documentation of sources should be presented using APA formatting guidelines, which can be found in the APA Style Guide, located in the Student Success Center.

This assignment uses a rubric. Please review the rubric prior to beginning the assignment to become familiar with the expectations for successful completion.