Jeffrey Arnett

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Jeffrey Jensen Arnett is a professor in the Department of Psychology at Clark University in Massachusetts. His main research interest is in "emerging adulthood", a term he coined, which refers to the distinct phase between adolescence and young adulthood, occurring from the ages of 18 to 25. [1]

Contents

Career

Jeffrey Arnett completed a B.S. in psychology, at Michigan State University in 1980. Five years later, he finished an M.A. in developmental psychology at University of Virginia. In 1986 he finished his Ph.D., also at the University of Virginia, in developmental psychology. [2] From 1986 to 1989, he was an assistant professor of psychology, at Oglethorpe University, Atlanta, Georgia. From 1989 to 1992, he was a research associate at the Rush-Presbyterian-St. Luke's Medical Center in Chicago. From 1989 to 1992, he was a postdoctoral fellow at the Northwestern University Department of Psychiatry and the Committee on Human Development at the University of Chicago. From 1992 to 1998 he was an associate professor at the University of Missouri. He was awarded tenure in 1996. [3] From 1998 to 2005, he was a visiting associate professor at the University of Maryland, Department of Human Development and Department of Psychology.

Arnett authored a book on heavy metal subculture and teens, entitled Metalheads: Heavy Metal Music and Adolescent Alienation (1996, Westview Press). He also authored a textbook entitled Adolescence and Emerging Adulthood: A Cultural Approach (Prentice Hall). In May 2013, he coauthored a book (with Elizabeth Fishel), entitled Getting to 30: A Parent's Guide to the 20-Something Years. [4] Arnett is a proponent of the idea that Generation Z is more "thoughtful and civic-minded" than previous generations. [5]

Emerging adulthood

Emerging adulthood is a phase of the life span between adolescence and full-fledged adulthood, proposed by Arnett in a 2000 article in the American Psychologist . [6] [7] Emerging adulthood also encompasses late adolescence and early adulthood. It primarily applies to young adults in developed countries who do not have children, do not live in their own home, or do not have sufficient income to become fully independent in their early to late 20s.

Arnett says emerging adulthood is the period between 18 and 25 years of age where adolescents become more independent and explore various life possibilities. Emerging adulthood is a new demographic, is contentiously changing, and some believe that twenty-somethings have always struggled with "identity exploration, instability, self-focus, and feeling in-between". [8] [9]

Jeffrey Arnett explains four movements that gave rise to this stage in life. The movements are: Youth movement, Technology revolution, Sexual revolution and women's movement. The factor that has revolutionized manufacturing and has been crucial is the technology revolution. It helped others be aware that education is essential, it has also spread rapidly to all the world. [10]

Different psychologists and scientists have described different ways of explaining the transition to adulthood. [11] Terms like "late adolescence" and "young adulthood" have been used before, however, Arnett explains that these terms don't work because "the lives of persons in their late teens and 20s are vastly different from the lives of most adolescents", and "young adulthood has been used already to refer to such diverse age periods." [12] This creates a need for the term Emerging Adulthood.

In some cultures, it is more helpful for this period of life between 18 and 25 years of age to be described as emerging adulthood instead of being the "tail-end of a so called extended adolescence, or as the early part of a so-called young adulthood that stretches from 18 years to 40 or 45 years of age". [13] [14]

Why Does It Take so Long to Grow Up Today?

In a 2015 TED talk titled "Why Does It Take So Long To Grow Up Today?", Arnett detailed four revolutions that have led to an increase in the age of adulthood and have contributed to the emergence of his new stage of emerging adulthood. These are the technology and sexual revolutions, the Women's Movement, and the Youth Movement. [15]

The technology revolution details moving away from a manufacturing economy and embracing a knowledge economy. Arnett argues that a significant share of the job market is dominated by the information and technology industry. Jobs in these fields are specialized and require more education. Arnett states that this increased emphasis on continuing education has led to a delay in completing other benchmarks of adulthood, such as marriage.

The sexual revolution is defined by the increase in the age of marriage, but in the decrease in the age of sexual experience. Arnett theorizes that the invention of birth control pills and more efficient contraceptives have resulted in a separation of sex and marriage. This means that young people spend much more time in sexual relationships that do not result in marriage. The goal of prolonging youth and holding onto the wild and fun era of life added to the decrease in age for sexual experiences. [16]

The Women's Movement has led to an increase in the age that women begin seeking out a marital partner. This increase is a result of increased work and education opportunities for women. Arnett states that women are being considered for more employment positions in fields that have historically been open only to men. These increased opportunities have led to more women spending their 20s pursuing their education and their careers, and thus delaying marriage and childbearing.

The Youth Movement is an attitude of delaying getting older by trying to prolong youth. According to Arnett, youth are not in a rush to adulthood and are thus reaching milestones at older ages. As parenting styles have become less authoritarian and moved toward permissiveness, the pressure on an adolescent to move out and begin adulthood has minimized. Members of older generations have begun to encourage young people to "hold onto their youth", as well.

Some may perceive emerging adulthood as a period of selfish behavior due to its focus on self-exploration. For most emerging adults, this period of their lives is the first time they have been able to have full autonomy and personal freedom. This freedom can lead to reckless behavior as emerging adults explore their new-found independence. For example, many emerging adults participate in heavy drinking and drug use. While these behaviors may create lifelong destructive habits, most emerging adults report feeling "in control" and that they have the ability to redirect their lives.

Distinction from young adulthood and adolescence

Arnett suggests that there are a few reasons why the term young adulthood is not fit to describe the developmental period of the late teens and early twenties. First, the term "young adulthood" suggests that at this developmental stage, adulthood has already been reached. Arnett states that most people in this developmental stage believe they have not yet reached adulthood. [6] Instead, they believe they are slowly progressing into adulthood, and thus the term "emerging adulthood" is much more appropriate.

What is more, if the years 18-25 are classified as "young adulthood," Arnett believes that it is then difficult to find an appropriate term for the thirties and that it is nonsensical to combine the late teenage years, twenties, and thirties together because the 18‑25 age period and the thirties are very distinct from one another. He says that while most 18- to 20-year-olds in the United States don't see themselves as adults and are still in the process of obtaining an education, are unmarried, and are childless, most people in their thirties in the United States see themselves as adults, have settled on a career, are married, and have at least one child.[ citation needed ]

Currently, it is appropriate to define adolescence as the period spanning ages 10 to 18. This is because people in this age group in the United States typically live at home with their parents, are undergoing pubertal changes, attend middle schools or junior high schools, and are involved in a "school-based peer culture". All of these characteristics are no longer normative after the age of 18, and it is therefore considered inappropriate to call the late teenage years and early twenties "adolescence" or "late adolescence". Furthermore, in the United States, the age of 18 is the age at which people are able to legally vote. [17] [6]

Selected publications

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Developmental psychology</span> Scientific study of psychological changes in humans over the course of their lives

Developmental psychology is the scientific study of how and why humans grow, change, and adapt across the course of their lives. Originally concerned with infants and children, the field has expanded to include adolescence, adult development, aging, and the entire lifespan. Developmental psychologists aim to explain how thinking, feeling, and behaviors change throughout life. This field examines change across three major dimensions, which are physical development, cognitive development, and social emotional development. Within these three dimensions are a broad range of topics including motor skills, executive functions, moral understanding, language acquisition, social change, personality, emotional development, self-concept, and identity formation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Adolescence</span> Human transition from puberty to adult

Adolescence is a transitional stage of physical and psychological development that generally occurs during the period from puberty to adulthood. Adolescence is usually associated with the teenage years, but its physical, psychological or cultural expressions may begin earlier or end later. Puberty typically begins during preadolescence, particularly in females. Physical growth and cognitive development can extend past the teens. Age provides only a rough marker of adolescence, and scholars have not agreed upon a precise definition. Some definitions start as early as 10 and end as late as 26. The World Health Organization definition officially designates an adolescent as someone between the ages of 10 and 19.

In social psychology, an interpersonal relation describes a social association, connection, or affiliation between two or more persons. It overlaps significantly with the concept of social relations, which are the fundamental unit of analysis within the social sciences. Relations vary in degrees of intimacy, self-disclosure, duration, reciprocity, and power distribution. The main themes or trends of the interpersonal relations are: family, kinship, friendship, love, marriage, business, employment, clubs, neighborhoods, ethical values, support and solidarity. Interpersonal relations may be regulated by law, custom, or mutual agreement, and form the basis of social groups and societies. They appear when people communicate or act with each other within specific social contexts, and they thrive on equitable and reciprocal compromises.

An adult is a human or other animal that has reached full growth. The biological definition of the word means an animal reaching sexual maturity and thus capable of reproduction. In the human context, the term adult has meanings associated with social and legal concepts. In contrast to a non-adult or "minor", a legal adult is a person who has attained the age of majority and is therefore regarded as independent, self-sufficient, and responsible. They may also be regarded as a "major". The typical age of attaining legal adulthood is 18 to 21, although definition may vary by legal rights, country, and psychological development.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Youth culture</span> Norms, values, practices and shared symbolic systems of children, adolescents and young adults

Youth culture refers to the societal norms of children, adolescents, and young adults. Specifically, it comprises the processes and symbolic systems that are shared by the youth and are distinct from those of adults in the community.

In medicine and the social sciences, a young adult is generally a person in the years following adolescence, regardless of the local legal definition of "adult". Definitions and opinions on what qualifies as a young adult vary, with works such as Erik Erikson's stages of human development significantly influencing the definition of the term; generally, the term is often used to refer to adults in approximately the age range of 20 to 40 years, with some more inclusive definitions extending the definition into the early to mid 40s. The young adult stage in human development precedes middle adulthood.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Peer group</span> Primary group of people with similar interests, age, background, or social status

In sociology, a peer group is both a social group and a primary group of people who have similar interests (homophily), age, background, or social status. The members of this group are likely to influence the person's beliefs and behaviour.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Juvenile delinquency</span> Illegal behavior by minors

Juvenile delinquency, also known as juvenile offending, is the act of participating in unlawful behavior as a minor or individual younger than the statutory age of majority. The term delinquent usually refers to juvenile delinquency, and is also generalised to refer to a young person who behaves an unacceptable way.

Emerging adulthood, early adulthood, or post-adolescence refers to a phase of the life span between late adolescence and early adulthood, as initially proposed by Jeffrey Arnett in a 2000 article from the American Psychologist. It primarily describes people living in developed countries, but it is also experienced by young adults in wealthy urban families in the Global South. The term describes young adults who do not have children, do not live in their own homes, and/or do not have sufficient income to become fully independent. Arnett suggests emerging adulthood is the distinct period between 20 and 29 years of age where young adults become more independent and explore various life possibilities.

Identity formation, also called identity development or identity construction, is a complex process in which humans develop a clear and unique view of themselves and of their identity.

According to Alberts, Elkind, and Ginsberg the personal fable "is the corollary to the imaginary audience. Thinking of themselves as the center of attention, the adolescent comes to believe that it is because they are special and unique.” It is found during the formal operational stage in Piagetian theory, along with the imaginary audience. Feelings of invulnerability are also common. The term "personal fable" was first coined by the psychologist David Elkind in his 1967 work Egocentrism in Adolescence.

Teen dating violence is the physical, sexual, or psychological / emotional abuse within a dating relationship among adolescents. Intimate partner violence (IPV) has been a well examined and documented phenomenon in adults; however, there has not been nearly as much study on violence in adolescent dating relationships, and it is therefore not as well understood. The research has mainly focused on Caucasian youth, and, as of 2013, there are no studies which focus specifically on IPV in adolescent same-sex relationships.

Religious identity is a specific type of identity formation. Particularly, it is the sense of group membership to a religion and the importance of this group membership as it pertains to one's self-concept. Religious identity is not necessarily the same as religiousness or religiosity. Although these three terms share a commonality, religiousness and religiosity refer to both the value of religious group membership as well as participation in religious events. Religious identity, on the other hand, refers specifically to religious group membership regardless of religious activity or participation.

The media and American adolescent sexuality relates to the effect the media has on the sexuality of American adolescents and the portrayal thereof.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sandra L. Calvert</span> American psychologist

Sandra L. Calvert is a developmental and child psychologist, whose scholarship illuminates the children's media area, including policy implications. Calvert is currently professor of psychology, and an affiliated faculty member at the McCourt School of Public Policy at Georgetown University. Calvert is also the co-founder and Director of the Children's Digital Media Center, a multi-university research initiative funded primarily by multiple grants from the National Science Foundation, as well as by private foundations. Calvert served as chair of the department of psychology at Georgetown University from 2006 to 2009.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jean Twenge</span> American psychologist (born 1971)

Jean Marie Twenge is an American psychologist researching generational differences, including work values, life goals, and speed of development. She is a professor of psychology at San Diego State University, author, consultant, and public speaker. She has examined generational differences in work attitudes, life goals, developmental speed, sexual behavior, and religious commitment.

The dual systems model, also known as the maturational imbalance model, is a theory arising from developmental cognitive neuroscience which posits that increased risk-taking during adolescence is a result of a combination of heightened reward sensitivity and immature impulse control. In other words, the appreciation for the benefits arising from the success of an endeavor is heightened, but the appreciation of the risks of failure lags behind.

M. Lynne Cooper is the Curators' Distinguished Professor of Psychology at the University of Missouri. She is known for her research on risk-taking and psychological adjustment of adolescents, young adults, and couples. Many of her studies and published works are related to alcohol, substance use, and sexual activity in adolescents and young adults at the transition to adulthood. Other influential research has examined health outcomes of parents who experience stress due to conflicts between work and family responsibilities.

Deborah M. Capaldi is a developmental psychologist known for her research on at-risk male youth and the intergenerational transmission of substance use, antisocial behavior, intimate partner violence, and child abuse. She is a senior scientist at the Oregon Social Learning Center. Her current projects focus on child exposure to family violence and parenting practices of at-risk parents.

Susan Krauss Whitbourne is a developmental clinical psychologist known for her work on personality and identity over the lifespan. She holds the position of Professor Emerita of Psychology at the University of Massachusetts Amherst.

References

  1. ↑ O'Connell, Scott (22 September 2018). "Clark professor: Technology use may be keeping kids safer". The Worcester Telegram & Gazette.
  2. ↑ "Jeffrey Arnett, Ph.D." Clark University.
  3. ↑ "Curriculum Vitae, Jeffrey Jensen Arnett". Clark University.
  4. ↑ Arnett, Jeffrey Jensen; Fishel, Elizabeth (2014). Getting to 30: A Parent's Guide to the 20-Something Years. Workman Publishing Co. ISBN   978-0-7611-7966-5.
  5. ↑ Quenqua, Douglas (5 August 2013). "Seeing Narcissists Everywhere". The New York Times.
  6. 1 2 3 Arnett, Jeffrey Jensen (2000). "Emerging adulthood: A theory of development from the late teens through the twenties". American Psychologist. 55 (5): 469–480. CiteSeerX   10.1.1.462.7685 . doi:10.1037/0003-066X.55.5.469. PMID   10842426.
  7. ↑ "For emerging adults, pandemic serves up unique challenges". Fox 40. Associated Press. January 31, 2021. Retrieved February 16, 2021.
  8. ↑ Ludwig, Devin (August 23, 2010). "Challenges of the Young Adult Generation". Huffington Post . Retrieved August 24, 2010.
  9. ↑ Marantz Henig, Robin (18 August 2010). "What Is It About 20-Somethings?". The New York Times .
  10. ↑ Arnett 2004, pp. 3–8.
  11. ↑ Arnett, Jeffrey Jensen (September 1997). "Young People's Conceptions of the Transition to Adulthood". Youth & Society. 29 (1): 3–23. doi:10.1177/0044118X97029001001. S2CID   145724043.
  12. ↑ Arnett, Jeffrey Jensen (7 December 2007). "Emerging Adulthood: What Is It, and What Is It Good For?". Child Development Perspectives. 1 (2): 68–73. CiteSeerX   10.1.1.838.5368 . doi:10.1111/j.1750-8606.2007.00016.x.
  13. ↑ Arnett, Jeffrey J; Žukauskienė, Rita; Sugimura, Kazumi (December 2014). "The new life stage of emerging adulthood at ages 18–29 years: implications for mental health". The Lancet Psychiatry. 1 (7): 569–576. doi:10.1016/S2215-0366(14)00080-7. PMID   26361316.
  14. ↑ Mehta, Clare M.; Arnett, Jeffrey Jensen; Palmer, Carlie G.; Nelson, Larry J. (May 2020). "Established adulthood: A new conception of ages 30 to 45". American Psychologist. 75 (4): 431–444. doi:10.1037/amp0000600. PMID   32378940. S2CID   218534203.
  15. ↑ Arnett, Jeffrey (26 January 2018). "Jeffrey Jensen Arnett: Why Does It Take so Long to Grow Up Today? at TEDxPSU (Transcript)". The Singju Post. Retrieved 4 December 2020.
  16. ↑ Arnett, Jeffrey Jensen (2014). "Work: More than a job". Emerging Adulthood. pp. 169–193. doi:10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199929382.003.0007. ISBN   978-0-19-992938-2.
  17. ↑ Lee, Marcella (9 October 2020). "Why is the voting age 18?". CBS8. Archived from the original on 15 October 2020.
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