Review lecture 17 chapter 17

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PART VI: Early Adulthood
TOPIC 17: Biosocial Development

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1. Introduction
2. Fact or Fiction?
3. Growth, Strength, and Health
4. Sexual Activity
5. Psychopathology
6. Taking Risks
7. Closing Thoughts
PART VI: EARLY ADULTHOOD

Fact or Fiction? Fiction Fact
1. Physical strength, such as that required to
lift a heavy load, peaks by age 21.
2. Many young adults downplay the long-term
consequences of risky behaviors.
3. Of all the stages of life, the beginning of young
adulthood is the time when problem drinking is most
common.
4. College student drinking behavior is more influenced by
portrayals of drinking in the media than by peer alcohol use.
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Strong Bodies
Topic addressed in a survey Response
How do young adults rate themselves in terms of their health?
How many age 18-29 rated health
good or better? (National Center
for Health Statistics, 2010)
95.8 percent good to excellent;
4.2 percent fair or poor
How many age 18-24 felt no limitation
to activity due to chronic health
problem? (Pew Research Center, 2007)
95.3 percent no limitation
How many felt that health was their
greatest problem? (Pew Research
Center, 2007)
2 percent age 18-24; 15 percent
for those over age 25
How many times in a year did males
and females age 18-30 visit a doctor?
(National Center for Health Statistics,
2010)
1 visit for 55 percent of males; 1
or more visit for 85 percent of
females (most often for birth
control)
emerging adulthood:
The period of life between
ages 18 and 25.
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Photo credits: Top: Teng Wei/Shutterstock.com; Bottom: Thinkstock

Source: National Center for Health Statistics, 2009.
Problems with aging
For each age group, how many U.S. deaths occur
for heart disease, stroke, and cancer?
Age Group Annual Rate
per 100,000
15-24
25-34
35-44
45-54
55-64
65-74
75-84
85+
7
18
65
219
561
1,313
2,971
7,126
senescence: The
process of aging,
whereby the body
becomes less strong
and efficient.
homeostasis: The
adjustment of all the
body’s systems to keep
physiological functions
in a state of
equilibrium.
The reason why it is
harder to stay at a
comfortable body
temperature as we age
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Exercise
How active are adults in the United States?
Percent not
physically
active
Source: U.S. Bureau of the Census, 2009.
No Physical Activity Among U.S. Adults, 2006
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
Age group18-24 25-44 45-64 65-74 75+
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Eating Well
What is the recommended
Body Mass Index (BMI) for adults?
Body Mass Index (BMI): The ratio
of a person’s weight in kilograms
divided by his or her height in
meters squared.
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What general attitudes do emerging adults have about the purpose of sex?
Reproduction
Relationship
Recreation
Reported as the main
purpose of sex (more
women than men; more
older than younger)
Belief that abstinence is
the contraception
accepted for fertile
women
Marry young, pressured by
values and sexual desires,
plus parent pressure
Believed by one-half of
people in U.S. (more
women than men)
Belief that sex is to
strengthen pair bonding;
dominant belief among
emerging adults
Preferred sequence: date,
fall in love, decide on
faithfulness, have sex,
live together, marry and
have children
Believed by one-fourth of people in U.S. (more men than
women, especially younger men)
Belief that sex is a fundamental human drive; a highly
pleasurable physical and mental activity (Cockerham, 2006)
Ideally, partners both reach orgasm, without making
commitment
Sexual Activity
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SEXUAL ACTIVITY

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diathesis-stress model: The view that psychological disorders, such as schizophrenia,
are produced by the interaction of a genetic vulnerability(the diathesis) and stressful
environment factors and life events.
Anxiety
disorders
 Evident in one-fourth of all U.S.
residents below the age of 25
(more prevalent than depression,
worldwide): Panic attacks, PTSD
(post-traumatic stress disorder),
OCD (obsessive-compulsive
disorder).
 Young adults face a higher rate of
trauma (military combat, rape,
serious accident) yet are less
protected by parents or spouses
(Odlaug et al., 2010).
How do genes and experience interact in some psychopathologies experienced by emerging adults?
Psychopathology
Mood
disorders
 bipolar depression: In adulthood, the
grandiosity of the mania and the
despair of depression may be
unchecked by the normal restraints
on children (Geller et al., 2008;
Merikangas & Pato, 2009).
 depression: Life experiences of
emerging adulthood can set a
downward spiral in motion though
major depression may be rooted in
biochemistry (in particular,
neurotransmitters and hormones.)
Schizophrenia
 Becoming overwhelmed by
disorganized and bizarre
thoughts, delusions, hallucinatio
ns,and emotions (American
Psychiatric Association, 2000).
 Worldwide, symptoms typically
begin in adolescence, with
diagnosis most common in ages
18 to 24, with men particularly
vulnerable (Anjum et al., 2010).
 Cause is partly genetic, but
factors of early childhood
malnutrition (or malnutrition
during pregnancy) or extensive
social pressure may be involved.
Photocredits,lefttoright:KalleSinger/beyondfotomediaRF/GettyImages;iStockphoto/Thinkstock;micheleprincigalli/iStockPhoto
INDIVIDUALS SHOWN ARE MODELS-ILLUSTRATIVE PURPOSES ONLY.
PSYCHOPATHOLOGY

Source: National Center for Health Statistics, 2010.
Health Risks
Compared to other adults, how often are
emerging adults treated at U.S. hospitals?
Adults with Accidental Injury Treated at
U.S. Hospital, 2007
Adults Admitted at Least Once to a Hospital, 2007*
Percent Percent15
10
5
0
18-24 25-44
Age group Age group
45-64 65+ 18-24 25-44 45-64 65+
0
10
20
30
* Includes for birth.
Male Female
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Source: reported in W.R. Miller & Carroll, 2006
Perspective
How do social norms affect the amount of alcohol
college students drink?
Group condition Response
One student recruited to drink
heavily
Group followed social norm of the
risk-taking confederate
One student recruited to drink
very little
Group followed social norm of the
cautious confederate
No confederate student
recruited
Group alcohol consumption similar
to group with cautious
confederate
social norms approach: A method of reducing risky behavior that uses emerging adults’
desire to follow social norms by making them aware, through the use of surveys, of the
prevalence of various behaviors within their peer group.
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Perspective
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Video:
College Binge Drinking

If an adolescent relative asked your
advice about what to expect as he or
she approaches being an adult, what
would you be sure to explain about
growth, strength, health, and possible
risks during the emerging adult years?
Closing Thoughts
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Review lecture 17 chapter 17

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