title: Defining Adult Experiences: Perspectives of a Diverse Sample of Young Adults.
abstract: This study explored the roles and psychological experiences identified as defining adult moments using mixed methods with a racially, ethnically, and socioeconomically diverse sample of young adults both enrolled and not enrolled in college (N= 726; ages 18-35). First, we evaluated results from a single survey item that asked participants to rate how adult they feel. Consistent with previous research, the majority of participants (56.9%) reported feeling "somewhat like an adult," and older participants had significantly higher subjective adulthood, controlling for other demographic variables. Next, we analyzed responses from an open-ended question asking participants to describe instances in which they felt like an adult. Responses covered both traditional roles (e.g., marriage, childbearing; 36.1%) and nontraditional social roles and experiences (e.g., moving out of parent's home, cohabitation; 55.6%). Although we found no differences by age and college status in the likelihood of citing a traditional or nontraditional role, participants who had achieved more traditional roles were more likely to cite them in their responses. In addition, responses were coded for psychological experiences, including responsibility for self (19.0%), responsibility for others (15.3%), self-regulation (31.1%), and reflected appraisals (5.1%). Older participants were significantly more likely to include self-regulation and reflected appraisals, whereas younger participants were more likely to include responsibility for self. College students were more likely than noncollege students to include self-regulation and reflected appraisals. Implications for research and practice are discussed.
authors.affiliation: University of Massachusetts Boston, Boston, MA, USA.
authors.forename: Sarah R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Lowe
authors.forename: Colleen O
authors.initials: CO
authors.lastname: Dillon
authors.forename: Jean E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Rhodes
authors.forename: Liza
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zwiebach
keywords: college issue; conceptions of adulthood; emerging adulthood; identity issues; self-image
references.citation: Am Psychol. 2000 May;55(5):469-80
references.pmid: 10842426
references.citation: Hum Brain Mapp. 2006 Sep;27(9):766-77
references.pmid: 16317714
references.citation: New Dir Child Adolesc Dev. 2003 Summer;(100):63-75
references.pmid: 12955983
references.citation: Dev Psychopathol. 2004 Fall;16(4):1119-40
references.pmid: 15704830
references.citation: New Dir Child Adolesc Dev. 2003 Summer;(100):21-31
references.pmid: 12955980
references.citation: New Dir Child Adolesc Dev. 2003 Summer;(100):5-20
references.pmid: 12955979
references.citation: Dev Psychol. 2003 Jul;39(4):657-69
references.pmid: 12859120
references.citation: J Pers. 2004 Dec;72(6):1301-33
references.pmid: 15509284