This document discusses key aspects of young adulthood between ages 18-35. It covers 4 main points: 1. Integration of personality as adolescents become independent from parents and secure in their identity. 2. Independence from family as young adults leave home to make decisions about careers and relationships. 3. Occupational choice is important as it determines lifestyle and further shapes personality. Career provides satisfaction and security. 4. Major task is developing intimacy rather than isolation, seen in willingness to commit to meaningful relationships like marriage rather than staying alone. Maturity involves capacity for intimacy in relationships.

1. YOUNG ADULT
(18 – 35 yrs. old)
Prepared by:
Catherine Vargas

2. Vocabulary Words:
Intimacy -> refers to the feeling of being in a close personal association and
belonging together.
Isolation -> is the process or fact of isolating or being isolated
Marriage -> is the process by which two people make their relationship public,
official, and permanent. It is the joining of two people in a bond that
putatively lasts until death, but in practice is increasingly cut short
by divorce.
Commitment -> the state or quality of being dedicated to a cause, activity, etc.
Passion -> is a very strong feeling about a person or thing. Passion is an
intense emotion, a compelling enthusiasm or desire for something.

3. Compatibility -> the state of being compatible; in which two or more things are able to exist or
perform together in combination without problems or conflict.
Eros -> means "love, mostly of the sexual passion." The Modern Greek word "erotas" means
"intimate love.“
Philos -> means "affectionate regard, friendship," usually "between equals." It is a dispassionate
virtuous love. Furthermore, in the same text philos denotes a general type of love, used for
love between family, between friends, a desire or enjoyment of an activity, as well as
between lovers.
Agape -> means "love: esp. brotherly love, charity; the love of God for man and of man for God.“
Agape is used in ancient texts to denote feelings for one's children and the feelings for a
spouse, and it was also used to refer to a love feast. Agape is used by Christians to express
the unconditional love of God for his children.

4. Physical peak -> the point of greatest development, strength, etc.
Career -> an occupation undertaken for a significant period of a person's life and with
opportunities for progress.
Peter Pan Syndrome -> The 'Peter Pan Syndrome' affects people who do not want or feel unable
to grow up, people with the body of an adult but the mind of a child.
“Overprotecting Parents Can Lead Children To Develop 'Peter Pan Syndrome”

5. YOUNG ADULT
(18 – 35 yrs. old)
Prepared by:
Catherine Vargas

6. I. Integration of the Personality at close of adolescent’s long stage of
diffusion
 Is able to be independent of parents: sets boundaries between self and parents.
 The revolt of adolescence has let up; can now appreciate parents realistically.
 Has evaluated parents values and has internalized some, but has discarded others.
 Has capacity to tolerate tensions and work through difficulties.
 Frustrations are handled, and aggressions are channelled constructively.
 Is now secure in gender identity; no need to prove masculinity/femininity through
compulsive activity, aggressiveness or sexuality

7. II. Independence of the young adult from the natal family
 Ready to leave home; decisions about occupation and mate begins process.
 Has attained adult status; physical maturation; height of physical vigor.
 Energy and interests are now directed beyond individual’s own growth and
development.
 Ready to focus energies and interest, and to renounce alternatives that distract
person from goal.
 Ready to reserve intimacy for one significant person.

8.  Will make the two of the most significant decisions of his/her lifetime in choosing an
occupation and in deciding whether and whom to marry:
1. These choices will be the result of the individual’s entire personality
development.
2. These choices will determine further personality development.

9. III. Occupational choice will determine the young adult’s way of
life
Determines environment, status, social roles, associates and patterns of living.
Occupations and personality traits are intimately related; kind of occupation is
chosen largely because of individual’s personality.
Occupation then plays significant part in further shaping of that personality.
Occupation is a matter of choice in U.S. (Unlike most of the world)
1.Many conscious/unconscious factors affect that choice in U.S.
2.Range of choice is dramatically affected by individual’s family
background, economic status, educational level, genetic inheritance etc.

10.  Career is sought for two primary purposes:
1. As source of satisfaction
2. As source of money and security
3. Ideal is a combination of both
 Historically, women have not been as concerned with career choices as have men;
more critical choice for woman has been that of mate – that has changed sharply.

11. IV. Major task for the young adult period is the development of
the capacity for intimacy rather than isolation (Erikson’s)
 No young adult develops perfectly
1. We all bear some scars of emotional trauma of some sort.
2. We even continue to utilize defences that are no longer needed.
3. Deficiencies are part of everyone’s human fragility; these should not lock young
adult into repetitively seeking solutions to old problems though.

12.  This is indicated by readiness to give up hard-won independence in order to share with
another in a meaningful relationships’ usually marriage (interdependence)
 According to Freud, maturity is measured by one’s capacity for genital sexuality:
1. Involves ability to enjoy sexuality in meaningful intimate relationship.
2. Depends on freedom from fixation at earlier developmental levels