Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Perceived Helicopter Parenting And Self-Determination Theory In Emerging Adulthood, Emily Hivick

Senior Honors Projects, 2010-2019

Self-determination theory encompasses three different elements, competence, autonomy and social belongingness (Deci & Ryan, 2000). Helicopter parenting is defined as extreme involvement in a child’s life to the point of making decisions for them while also being associated with high levels of parental support and high feelings of parental-child closeness (Padilla-Walker & Nelson, 2012). Research has shown that helicopter parenting has been associated with psychological and behavioral problems in young adults, (Odenweller, Booth-Butterfield, & Weber, 2014). The current study investigated the association between perceived helicopter parenting and self-determination theory components along with intrinsic motivation and academic and extracurricular engagement in …

Tiger Moms, Dragon Dads, And Baby Pandas: Cultural Expectations Of Success Among Asian-American College Students, Corinne Tam

Student Scholar Symposium Abstracts and Posters

Family sociologists explore the societal conditions contributing to the need for young adults to move home following the completion of school. This is known as the boomerang phenomenon, and it can be seen as part of a new life stage in which young adults explore their identities, are unstable and self-focused, feel in-between adolescence and adulthood, and sense broad possibilities for the future. Although scholars explore this condition for contemporary young adults, previous literature does not account for the extra pressures that Asian-Americans face. This research project asks, How do college-aged Asian-Americans deal with expectations of success in a contemporary …

Associations Between Perceptions About Siblings' Development And Emerging Adults' Adulthood Attainment, Jenna R. Cassinat, Shawn D. Whiteman, Alexander C. Jensen

Human Development and Family Studies Faculty Publications

Siblings shape each other's attitudes and behaviors during childhood and adolescence; however, it is less clear if siblings continue to influence each other in emerging adulthood. This study investigated the extent to which emerging adults modeled their siblings in domains of adulthood attainment. Participants included 1,750 emerging adults from the United States between the ages of 18 and 29 years. Data were collected via Amazon Mechanical Turk. Findings showed that perceptions of siblings' adulthood attainment were positively related to emerging adults' development in those same domains. Moreover, the extent to which emerging adults modeled their siblings enhanced these associations; neither …

Emerging Adult Career Pathways: Understanding Aspirations And Switching, Tasmiah Amreen

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Emerging adulthood is a stage of life characterized by a high degree of fluctuation in identity formation and future decision-making (Arnett 2015). During this life stage, emerging adults make decisions about their future career by assessing whether they want to continue with their current career pathway or whether they intend to switch. The present study investigates this process in terms of its overall prevalence – or how often emerging adults intend to switch career trajectories – and the correlates of it. Previous studies on career switching have focused largely on educational switches. This quantitative study operationalizes career pathway by using …

Somebody To Lean On: The Moderating Effect Of Relationships On Links Between Social Withdrawal And Self-Worth, Brandon N. Clifford, Larry J. Nelson

Faculty Publications

Previous research has discovered different subtypes of social withdrawal based on motivations to approach or avoid social interactions. Each of these motivations are uniquely related to indices of maladjustment during emerging adulthood, including aspects of the self. However, research has yet to investigate whether or not relationship quality moderates these associations. The purpose of this study was to examine whether relationship quality with best friends, romantic partners, mothers, and fathers, respectively, serve as protective factors in the negative links between shyness and avoidance and self-worth. The participants included 519 college students (Mage = 19.87, SD= 1.99, 61% female) from four …

Profiles Of Religiousness, Spirituality, And Psychological Adjustment In Emerging Adults, Carolyn Mcnamara Barry, Jennifer L. Christofferson, Eric P. Boorman, Larry J. Nelson

Faculty Publications

Although emerging adults are engaged in heightened levels of meaning-making (Barry and Abo-Zena (eds) in Emerging adults’ religiousness and spirituality: meaning-making in an age of transition. Oxford University Press, New York, 2014), research has focused on either religiousness or spirituality (R/S) in each study. While R/S individually have been associated with emerging adults’ psychological adjustment (Rew and Wong in J Adolesc Health 38:433–442, 2006), scholars have rarely explored the specific profiles of R/S adjustment. Thus, a diverse group of undergraduate students (N = 792; Mage = 19.61, SD= 1.86; 69% women) completed questionnaires online involving these constructs. Preliminary …

What Happens Here Stays Here? Associations Between Choices During The Twenties And Flourishing Or Floundering During The Thirties, Melanie Lynn Lott

Theses and Dissertations

Life course theory suggests that an individual’s development is influenced by many factors such as one’s past choices and environment. The twenties are a period of great autonomy for many young people with opportunities to engage in choices with lasting consequences, both positive (e.g., furthering education, volunteering) and negative (e.g., crime, risky sexual behavior, heavy video game use). The current study explored the relationship between behaviors during one’s twenties and indices of adjustment (i.e., life satisfaction, relationship satisfaction, and hope) and maladjustment (i.e., poor emotional health and regret) in one’s thirties. Additionally, as factors such as income and biological sex …

Is Breaking Up Hard To Do? Exploring Emerging Adults’ Beliefs About Their Abilities To End Romantic Relationships, Tyler B. Jamison Phd, Jonathon J. Beckmeyer Phd

Faculty Publications

Objective: We explored emerging adults’ beliefs about their ability to end romantic relationships (i.e., breakup beliefs) and identified demographic, personality, and romantic experience factors associated with breakup beliefs.

Background: Emerging adulthood typically involves forming and dissolving multiple romantic unions. Thus, ending relationships is a key component of emerging adult romantic development.

Method: 948 emerging adults, recruited from Qualtrics Panel Services, participated in a cross-sectional study of romantic experiences and health outcomes.

Results: Most participants perceive they are able to carry out breakup related tasks. Most participants reported knowing when to break up, being able to do so appropriately, being able …

Developmental Disruptions And Substance Use In An Emerging Adult Sample, Nena N. Mcgath

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

Recent substance use reports indicate a rise in use-related deaths. Emerging adults are identified as the most prevalent users of substances when compared to other age groups. Current intervention methods are not universally effective, with relapse rates varying by treatment model. The poor efficacy of interventions may be due to a lack of models using a developmental focus. For example, previous research highlights the influence of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) on negative adult outcomes such as excessive substance use. ACEs may trigger a cascade of adaptation failures, disrupting attachment bonds between caregiver and child, and later influencing the development of …

Distinguishing Beliefs About Social Inequality: Associations Among Dimensions Of Critical Consciousness, Lauren M. Alvis

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

Critical consciousness researchers posit that critical reflection, which refers to a critical awareness of structural inequalities between socially constructed groups and external political efficacy beliefs (i.e., perceptions of government responsiveness) are important precursors to effective political action (Diemer et al., 2016; Watts, Diemer, & Voight, 2011). However, little is known about emerging adults’ views of social inequality and political change regarding specific marginalized groups. There are different forms of social inequality and the extent to which individuals experience these inequities is partially determined by multiple sociodemographic characteristics including race/ethnicity, sex, sexual-orientation, and gender identity (Hurst et al., 2016). Identifying potential …

Investigating Variation And Strength In Social Networks, Timothy D. Immelman, Richard M. Wielkiewicz

Psychology Faculty Publications

Participants were 318 college students from two small, Catholic liberal arts institutions in the Upper Midwest. Variation (i.e., having friends with varied interests and activities) of an individual’s social network was measured by a researcher-developed inventory, the Social Network Variation Scale (SNVS). Social network strength was measured by the researcher-developed Social Network Strength Scale (SNSS). People with more variation or more strength in their social network had higher levels of happiness and lower levels of stress. Autonomy mediated the relationships between variation and stress and strength and stress. Personality moderated the relationships between variation and happiness and variation and stress.

Longitudinal Patterns Of Depression Symptoms Among Emerging Adults, Sarah W. Clark

Theses and Dissertations

Research has suggested that depression symptoms generally decrease after late adolescence; however, there is increasing attention paid to depression symptoms among college students given the stressors unique to this time period and negative outcomes associated with depression. This study examined latent trajectories of depression symptom severity among college students. Participants were 9,889 college students who participated in the Spit for Science project (Dick et al., 2011). Growth Mixture Modeling was used to identify the presence of four subgroups of individuals with similar patterns of initial level and change in depression severity over four years of college, including Low/Minimal (55.9%), Decreasing …

Emerging Adults’ Experiences Of Agency In Higher Education Decisions, Leah B. Benjamin

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

Over the past several decades, there has been a cultural shift impacting the experience of individuals in their late-teens to mid-20s in the United States. These individuals undergo a time of “cultural limbo,” during which the lines between adolescence and adulthood are blurred. The term emerging adulthood describes this distinct developmental period, which fits within the context of Erikson’s preexisting stages of psychosocial development (Arnett, 2014). A challenge for emerging adults is coming to terms with some of their more adult-like responsibilities in life. This requires making complex decisions that will impact their lives for many years to come, such …