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10 - Initiating and Evaluating Close Relationships: A Task Central to Emerging Adults

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  06 December 2010

By
Margaret S. Clark  and
Lindsey A. Beck
Edited by
Frank D. Fincham  and
Ming Cui
Frank D. Fincham
Affiliation:
Florida State University
Ming Cui
Affiliation:
Florida State University
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Summary

Emerging adulthood (EA) has been defined as a time between the ages of 18 and 25, during which individuals are neither adolescents who have never left home, live with their parents (or parent), and are highly dependent on their parents (or parent) nor adults who have assumed full responsibility for themselves and for others, such as a romantic partner or a child. Many of these individuals are going to college, technical school, or graduate school. Others are trying out careers. Sometimes they are living with a partner, sometimes with parents, and sometimes alone. This time has been declared a special stage of life, at least in western culture (Arnett, 2000) – a stage described as a time of exploration and uncertainty and also of self-focus and self-concern. Emerging adults are exploring options, evaluating possible romantic relationships and world views, and preparing for and trying out careers they may eventually assume. It is a time of many choices and few commitments.

For the moment this stage of life has been defined by age, tasks, and a lack of commitments. Little has been said about the intra- and interpersonal psychological processes involved in the tasks of this period. We believe an understanding the psychological processes common during this stage of life is important to understanding why it seems to be a distinct life stage. It is important to ask, what gives this stage of life its own distinct “feel?”

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Romantic Relationships in Emerging Adulthood , pp. 190 - 212
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2010

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