The young adulthood period in the lifespan is characterized by a complex interplay of roles and identity crises. The goal of this paper is to summarize research findings on the central themes and salient challenges of young adulthood such as cognitive, personality and relationship development associated with Erikson’s sixth stage of Psychosocial development, Intimacy versus Isolation. Conceptual frameworks and ideas of solutions are presented in lieu of challenges offered. Findings demonstrating the impact of South Africa’s unique socio-cultural context on young adults are explored.
According to Erik Erikson people face the task of establishing varying equilibriums between themselves and their social world, through resolving a developmental …show more content…
Piaget envisioned a person’s knowledge to be comprised of basic units of knowledge that are used to systematize past experiences, schemas (Piaget, 1999).
Vygotsky (1983) proposed that intellectual development had its roots in a person’s socio-cultural environment and the stimuli it imposes. Thus, if a young adult’s environment does not culminate negative affect, there would be little room for intimacy or development to be fostered. Developmental stunting would result in a state of searching, loneliness and self-absorption as learning would not be able to take place (Wadsworth, 2003).
The transition from adolescence is a time of cognitive advancement according to Kail and Cavanaugh (2016). A person’s working memory and processing speed are amplified, content knowledge is broadened, strategies and metacognitive skills become more advanced (Kail & Cavanaugh, 2016). Young adults solving and reasoning skills become more analytic. According to Kohlberg (1969) moral reasoning becomes based on internal moral codes of the individual rather than just being based on societies …show more content…
2). A main theory of personality which is subject to a variety of developmental influences is The Big Five approach which includes: Neuroticism, Conscientiousness, Agreeableness, Openness to experience and Extroversion (Srivastava & Oliver, 2003). All of which are said to increase in young adulthood. Specifically Conscientiousness and Openness to experience (Srivastava & Oliver, 2003).
Search for identity still continues into adulthood in the form of life-span constructs (Kail & Cavanaugh, 2016). Which are a unified sense of a persons past, present and future and is built on personal experiences and feedback from others (Fraley & Roberts, 2005). Challenges can occur ideals of society, values and identity are not yet fully formed. Unrealistic or flawed expectations of the future, scenarios, can pose a challenge to whether this construct remains stable (Fraley & Roberts, 2005).
Integration of emotion and logic during young adulthood allow for problems to be solved differently, which effects a person’s behaviour, all of which are linked to personality development (Cherry, 2017). Personality becomes a construct of ones’ environment and relationship roles (Kail & Cavanaugh,
According to Erik Erikson people face the task of establishing varying equilibriums between themselves and their social world, through resolving a developmental …show more content…
Piaget envisioned a person’s knowledge to be comprised of basic units of knowledge that are used to systematize past experiences, schemas (Piaget, 1999).
Vygotsky (1983) proposed that intellectual development had its roots in a person’s socio-cultural environment and the stimuli it imposes. Thus, if a young adult’s environment does not culminate negative affect, there would be little room for intimacy or development to be fostered. Developmental stunting would result in a state of searching, loneliness and self-absorption as learning would not be able to take place (Wadsworth, 2003).
The transition from adolescence is a time of cognitive advancement according to Kail and Cavanaugh (2016). A person’s working memory and processing speed are amplified, content knowledge is broadened, strategies and metacognitive skills become more advanced (Kail & Cavanaugh, 2016). Young adults solving and reasoning skills become more analytic. According to Kohlberg (1969) moral reasoning becomes based on internal moral codes of the individual rather than just being based on societies …show more content…
2). A main theory of personality which is subject to a variety of developmental influences is The Big Five approach which includes: Neuroticism, Conscientiousness, Agreeableness, Openness to experience and Extroversion (Srivastava & Oliver, 2003). All of which are said to increase in young adulthood. Specifically Conscientiousness and Openness to experience (Srivastava & Oliver, 2003).
Search for identity still continues into adulthood in the form of life-span constructs (Kail & Cavanaugh, 2016). Which are a unified sense of a persons past, present and future and is built on personal experiences and feedback from others (Fraley & Roberts, 2005). Challenges can occur ideals of society, values and identity are not yet fully formed. Unrealistic or flawed expectations of the future, scenarios, can pose a challenge to whether this construct remains stable (Fraley & Roberts, 2005).
Integration of emotion and logic during young adulthood allow for problems to be solved differently, which effects a person’s behaviour, all of which are linked to personality development (Cherry, 2017). Personality becomes a construct of ones’ environment and relationship roles (Kail & Cavanaugh,