Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Examining Criteria For Adulthood Among Young People In Sabah (East Malaysia), Walton Wider, Norazah Mohd Suki, Melanie L. Lott, Larry J. Nelson, Sew Kim Low, Gertrude Cosmas

Faculty Publications

This study aims to identify perceived adult status and to explore the criteria for adulthood of young people in Sabah (East Malaysia). The differences in such criteria based on gender and student status are also examined. Data collected from 208 respondents were analyzed via confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA). The empirical results of CFA revealed six criteria for adulthood: family capacities, norm compliance, interdependence, biological transitions, role transitions, and chronological transitions. However, the independence factor was discarded for further analysis because of having weak item loadings. In addition, the ANOVA test showed that women have …

Longitudinal Predictors Of Helicopter Parenting In Emerging Adulthood, Laura M. Padilla-Walker, Larry J. Nelson, Ryan D. Mclean

Faculty Publications

The purpose of this exploratory longitudinal study was to examine stability and change of helicopter parenting throughout the first few years of emerging adulthood and to examine child and parent–child relational factors that might predict helicopter parenting. Participants included 453 emerging adults from a northwestern city in the United States (51% female, 33% single-parent families) who participated in a 10-year longitudinal study, with the current study examining ages 19–21. Results revealed that (a) for both mothers and fathers, helicopter parenting decreased over time, (b) some child and relational factors predicted initial levels of helicopter parenting, but (c) the findings were …

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 …

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 …

Moving Toward And Away From Others: Social Orientations In Emerging Adulthood, Nathan A. Jorgensen, Larry J. Nelson

Faculty Publications

As emerging adults navigate numerous changes to their relationships, the ways in which they connect with and move away from others, or how they are socially oriented, may play an important role in their relational and individual well-being. The current study explored holistic types of social orientations (i.e., social motivations, the self in relation to others, other-directed emotions, and actual behaviors) and how they relate to the quality of close relationships, depression, and substance use in a sample of 787 US emerging adult college students. Results from latent profile analysissuggested five types of social orientations, each showing a distinct pattern …

Sanctifcation And Cheating Among Emerging Adults, Scott Braithwaite, Paige Mcallister, Elena Henderson, Meghan Maddock, Krista Dowdle, Frank D. Fincham

Faculty Publications

Cheating—a general term for extradyadic romantic or sexual behavior that violates expectations in a committed romantic relationship—is common and leads to a number of poor outcomes. Religion has historically infuenced conceptions of romantic relationships, but societal attitudes about religion are in fux as many seek to retain spirituality even as afliations with formal religion decrease. The present study evaluated a potential predictor of cheating that is more spiritual than formally religious, the “psychospiritual” concept of relationship sanctifcation (i.e., the idea that one’s relationship itself is sacred). In a sample of college students in committed relationships (N=716), we found that higher …

Positive Relationships As An Indicator Of Flourishing During Emerging Adulthood, Laura M. Padilla-Walker, Madison K. Memmott-Elison, Larry J. Nelson

Faculty Publications

In any discussion about flourishing in emerging adulthood, it would be easy to simply think about the positive things that young people do (e.g., pursue education, volunteer, serve, engage in political activism). However, few emerging adults walk the path toward adulthood alone. They embark on and make their way through the third decade of life within a myriad of complex relationships with family, friends, and romantic partners. However, the changing nature of these relationships is arguably more complex than at any other point in their lives to date. Graduation (for most) from high school brings the dissolution of many peer …

"I Think, Therefore I Do": Cognitions Related To Flourishing In Emerging Adulthood, Larry J. Nelson, Nathan A. Jorgensen, Adam A. Rogers

Faculty Publications

The focus of this volume is to bring greater attention to the ways in which many young people flourish during the third decade of life. In doing so, the majority of the chapters have focused on the things that emerging adults do that reflect positive development (e.g., volunteerism, service, political activism, education, preparation for careers). It may be, however, that the very way in which young cognitively approach the third decade might influence whether they flourish or flounder. Also, it may be that how they view adulthood (i.e., the fourth decade of life and beyond) might have bearing on what …

Flourishing In Emerging Adulthood: An Understudied Approach To The Third Decade Of Life, Laura M. Padilla-Walker, Larry J. Nelson

Faculty Publications

There is a growing body of literature that suggests that the third decade of life is anything but a time to foster positive development. Indeed, emerging adulthood has been referred to as a time of arrested development during which young people avoid responsibilities that are thought to be typical of adulthood (Cote, 2000), and instead engage in behaviors they feel they will not be able to enjoy once they become adults (e.g., travel, exploration of substance use and sexual experience, living a carefree life-style; Ravert, 2009). Emerging adults have been referred to as "Generation Me" and are increasingly typified as …

On The Horizon: Marriage Timing, Beliefs, And Consequences In Emerging Adulthood, Brian J. Willoughby, Jason S. Carroll

Faculty Publications

This chapter overviews marriage formation patterns and beliefs about marriage during emerging adulthood. Although marriage is no longer a transition occurring during emerging adulthood for many individuals, this chapter describes how marriage still has an important impact on emerging adult development and trajectories. The authors first note the major international demographic shifts in marriage that have occurred among emerging adults over the past several decades. They then highlight how research findings on beliefs about marriage have offered evidence that how emerging adults perceive their current or future marital transitions is strongly associated with other decisions during emerging adulthood. The chapter …

The Unique Influences Of Parental Divorce And Parental Conflict On Emerging Adults In Romantic Relationships, Scott R. Braithwaite, Reed A. Doxey, Krista Dowdle, Frank D. Fincham

Faculty Publications

Parental divorce and parental conflict influence children across multiple domains, including risk of divorce in their own marriages. However, parental conflict and divorce, both separately and the interaction between the two, have not often been studied in premarital relationships, especially when considering possible mechanisms mediating these effects. In a large sample of emerging adults (N = 353), we show that when the most plausible mediating mechanisms are simultaneously considered, only relational commitment mediates the influence of parental conflict on outcomes. Parental conflict in the absence of divorce was associated with less commitment and, in turn, less relationship satisfaction and stability …

“Adulthood” By Whose Definition?: The Complexity Of Emerging Adults’ Conceptions Of Adulthood, Larry J. Nelson, Stephanie S. Luster

Faculty Publications

The beginning of adulthood may well be the most nebulous transition of the life course. It is fair to say that no clear-cut universal marker indicates the beginning of adulthood, leading to widespread cultural and individual diversity in the beliefs of you people aged 18–29 regarding what it means to be an adult and how the transition into adulthood should occur. This chapter examines this complexity. The authors review the literature exploring the conceptions of adulthood of young people begging at age 18 and continuing through the third decade; examining how these conceptions have been linked to beliefs, behaviors, and …

"What A View!": Associations Between Young People’S Views Of The Late Teens And Twenties And Indices Of Adjustment And Maladjustment, Larry J. Nelson, Brian J. Willoughby, Adam A. Rogers, Laura M. Padilla-Walker

Faculty Publications

The purpose of this study was to examine differences in how young people view the period of life from the late teens to the mid-to-late twenties and how different perspectives of the time period may be differentially associated with indices of adjustment and maladjustment. Participants included 772 college students in the United States with an average age of 19.51 years (SD = 1.69). The majority of participants were female (69 %), White (69 %), and not living at home (90 %). Five factors were identified reflecting different views of what the time period should be about including risk- …

Associations Between Family And Interpersonal Processes And Emerging Adult Marital Paradigms: Does Adult Attachment Mediate?, Todd M. Jensen, Brian J. Willoughby, Thomas B. Holman, Dean M. Busby, Kevin Shafer

Faculty Publications

Current research on predictors of marital attitudes highlights the importance of family and interpersonal processes, yet fails to identify which factors are more important and whether there are mediators that help to conceptually simplify the process by which such attitudes are influenced. We examine the influence of family-of-origin quality and past romantic relationships on three specific marital paradigms, as well as the mediating role adult attachment may play in these associations. We used a sample of 1,210 single heterosexual males (23 %) and females (77 %), age 18–30 years, who took the READY assessment. Results indicated that family-of-origin quality, attachment …

Healthy Transitions To Family Formation, Erin Kramer Holmes, Geoffrey Brown, Kevin Shafer, Nate Stoddard

Faculty Publications

Current demographic trends in the United States suggest that emerging adults delay marriage (Vespa, 2014), nonmarital cohabitation is the norm among this age group (National Marriage Project, 2012), and premarital sex—including noncommitted hooking up (Garcia, Reiber, Massey, & Merriwether, 2012)—is widely accepted (Pew Research Center, 2014). These trends collide with consistently high divorce rates (Amato, 2010; Cherlin, 2010), where up to one-third of emerging adults grow up in stepfamilies (Copen, Daniels, Vespa, & Mosher, 2012). Aside from high divorce rates, the United States is experiencing what some demogra- phers term “the great crossover,” whereby unmarried parenthood is overtaking married parenthood …

Is Being "Spiritual" Enough Without Being Religious? A Study Of Violent And Property Crimes Among Emerging Adults, Sung Joon Jang, Aaron B. Franzen

Faculty Publications

While prior research tends to confirm a negative association between religiousness and crime, criminologists have been slow to incorporate new concepts and emergent issues from the scientific study of religion into their own research. The self-identity phrase “spiritual but not religious” is one of them, which has been increasingly used by individuals who claim to be “spiritual” but disassociate themselves from organized religion. This study first examines differences in crime between “spiritual but not religious” individuals and their “religious and spiritual,” “religious but not spiritual,” and “neither religious nor spiritual” peers in emerging adulthood. Specifically, we hypothesize that the spiritual-but-not-religious …

Black Hawk Down?: Establishing Helicopter Parenting As A Distinct Construct From Other Forms Of Parental Control During Emerging Adulthood, Laura M. Padilla-Walker, Larry J. Nelson

Faculty Publications

The purpose of the current study was to establish a measure of helicopter parenting that was distinct from other forms of parental control, and to examine parental and behavioral correlates of helicopter parenting. Participants included 438 undergraduate students from four universities in the United States (Mage = 19.65, SD = 2.00, range = 18–29; 320 women, 118 men), and at least one of their parents. Analyses revealed that helicopter parenting loaded on a separate factor from both behavioral and psychological control, and that helicopter parenting was positively associated with behavioral and psychological control, but not at levels suggesting …

The Role Of Mothers And Media On Emerging Adults’ Religious Faith And Practices By Way Of Internalization Of Prosocial Values, Carolyn Mcnamara Barry, Laura M. Padilla-Walker, Larry J. Nelson

Faculty Publications

In the current study, we investigated the role of emerging adults’ internalization of prosocial values as a mediator between maternal relationship quality and two types of media use (positive and negative) and religious faith and practices. Participants included 500 undergraduate students (ranging from 18 to 26 years; 75% European American) from five American universities. Structural equation modeling results indicated that both maternal relationship quality and positive media were related positively and indirectly (by way of prosocial values) to religious faith, and maternal relationship quality was related positively and directly to religious faith. In contrast, negative media use was related negatively …

Affording Emerging Adulthood: Parental Financial Assistance Of Their College-Aged Children, Laura M. Padilla-Walker, Larry J. Nelson, Jason S. Carroll

Faculty Publications

The purpose of this study was to examine parents’ attitudes about and patterns of providing financial assistance to their children during college, and how varying levels of parental financial support were related to children’s beliefs (e.g., perceptions of adulthood), behaviors (e.g., work hours, drinking, and drug use), and identity development. The sample consisted of 402 undergraduate students (62% women) recruited from four college sites across the United States (M age = 19.89), and one of their parents (310 mothers and 92 fathers). Using cluster analysis, results suggested four distinct approaches to parental financial involvement and found that emerging adults’ …

Religiosity In Adolescence And Emerging Adulthood, Carolyn Mcnamara Barry, Larry J. Nelson

Faculty Publications

According to IEA Civic Education Study, approximately half of American adolescents participate in religious groups (Torney-Purta et al. 2001) and half of American 18–24-year-olds report religious beliefs to be important (Inglehart et al. 2004). Thus, religious experiences are an important aspect of the lives of many adolescents and emerging adults (approximately ages 18 to the mid-20s) in the USA. Specifically, adolescents are fully immersed in identity exploration and ideally resolve this search in emerging adulthood. They embark on a quest to solidify their values and beliefs about countless issues, including religiosity. This essay will review the literature on religiosity among …

Parenting In Emerging Adulthood: An Examination Of Parenting Clusters And Correlates, Larry J. Nelson, Laura M. Padilla-Walker, Katherine J. Christensen, Cortney A. Evans, Jason S. Carroll

Faculty Publications

The changing nature of the transition to adulthood in western societies, such as the United States, may be extending the length of time parents are engaged in “parenting” activities. However, little is known about different approaches parents take in their interactions with their emerging-adult children. Hence, this study attempted to identify different clusters of parents based on the extent to which they exhibited both extremes of control (psychological control, punishment, verbal hostility, indulgence) and responsiveness (knowledge, warmth, induction, autonomy granting), and to examine how combinations of parenting were related to emerging adult children’s relational and individual outcomes (e.g. parent–child relationship …

“I Believe It Is Wrong But I Still Do It”: A Comparison Of Religious Young Men Who Do Versus Do Not Use Pornography, Larry J. Nelson, Laura M. Padilla-Walker, Jason S. Carroll

Faculty Publications

While researchers have found a negative association between religiosity and pornography use, little, if any, research has examined the specific aspects of religiosity that might be related the use of pornography. Therefore, the purpose of this study of religious young men was to compare those who view pornography with those who do not on indices of (a) family relationships, (b) religiosity (i.e., beliefs, past/present personal religious practices, and past family religious practices), and (c) personal characteristics (identity development, depression, self-esteem, and drug use). Participants were 192 emerging-adult men ages 18-27 (M age = 21.00, SD = 3.00) attending a …

The Role Of Perceived Parental Knowledge On Emerging Adults’ Risk Behaviors, Laura M. Padilla-Walker, Larry J. Nelson, Stephanie D. Madsen, Carolyn Mcnamara Barry

Faculty Publications

The purpose of this study was to gain a clearer understanding of the relation between parents’ knowledge of their emerging-adult children and emerging adults’ risk behaviors. Participants included 200 undergraduate students between the ages of 18 and 25 (121 women, 78 men; Mage = 19.59, SD = 1.62) and both of their parents. Results revealed that knowledge of the emerging-adult child’s activities varied as a function of parent- and child-reports, and that child outcomes associated with parental knowledge were generally positive, including less drinking, drug use, and risky sexual behavior (although this varied as a function of reporter). The …

The Impact Of Maternal Relationship Quality On Emerging Adults’ Prosocial Tendencies: Indirect Effects Via Regulation Of Prosocial Values, Carolyn Mcnamara Barry, Laura M. Padilla-Walker, Stephanie D. Madsen, Larry J. Nelson

Faculty Publications

Studies document that parents serve as children’s primary socialization agents, particularly for moral development and prosocial behavior; however, less is known regarding parental influences on prosocial outcomes during the transition to adulthood. The purpose of this study was to investigate how mother–child relationship quality was related to prosocial tendencies via emerging adults’ regulation of prosocial values. Participants included 228 undergraduate students (ranging from 18 to 25 years; 90% European American) and their mothers (ranging from 38 to 59 years) from four locations across the United States. Path analyses using structural equation modeling revealed that mother–child relationship quality was related to …

Looking On The Bright Side: The Role Of Identity Status And Gender On Positive Orientations During Emerging Adulthood, Laura M. Padilla-Walker, Carolyn Mcnamara Barry, Jason S. Carroll, Stephanie D. Madsen, Larry J. Nelson

Faculty Publications

Emerging adulthood has been characterized as an age of possibilities that involves heightened identity exploration and risk-taking. Although some scholars have investigated the relation between identity status and risk behaviors in emerging adulthood, less attention has been paid to the relation between identity status and prosocial orientations. Thus, the current study examined how emerging adults’ engagement in positive behaviors (i.e., prosocial tendencies, internalization of values, religiosity) varied as a function of identity status and gender. Results indicated that emerging adults who were in identity diffusion reported fewer prosocial tendencies, lower scores on internalization of values and lower religiosity, but emerging …

Associations Between Shyness And Internalizing Behaviors, Externalizing Behaviors, And Relationships During Emerging Adulthood, Larry J. Nelson, Laura M. Padilla-Walker, Sarah Badger, Carolyn Mcnamara Barry, Jason S. Carroll, Stephanie D. Madsen

Faculty Publications

Many studies have documented the ways in which shyness can be a barrier to personal well-being and social adjustment throughout childhood and adolescence; however, less is known regarding shyness in emerging adulthood. Shyness as experienced during emerging adulthood may continue to be a risk factor for successful development. The purpose of this study was to compare shy emerging adults with their non-shy peers in (a) internalizing behaviors, (b) externalizing behaviors, and (c) close relationships. Participants included 813 undergraduate students (500 women, 313 men) from a number of locations across the United States. Results showed that relatively shy emerging adults, both …

"If You Want Me To Treat You Like An Adult, Start Acting Like One!" Comparing The Criteria That Emerging Adults And Their Parents Have For Adulthood, Larry J. Nelson, Laura M. Padilla-Walker, Jason S. Carroll, Stephanie D. Madsen, Carolyn Mcnamara Barry, Sarah Badger

Faculty Publications

The purpose of this study was (a) to identify the criteria parents of emerging adults consider necessary and important for their children to achieve adulthood, (b) to compare parents' criteria for adulthood with the criteria espoused by emerging adults, and (c) to examine how these criteria might differ on the basis of gender and the parent and gender of the child. Participants included 392 unmarried college students, ages 18–25, and at least 1 of their parents (271 fathers, 391 mothers). Results revealed that (a) as did their children, most parents did not yet view their children as adults, (b) there …

The Role Of Religion In The Transition To Adulthood For Young Emerging Adults, Carolyn Mcnamara Barry, Larry J. Nelson

Faculty Publications

Recent research has highlighted the role of culture in emerging adulthood (age between 18 and 25 years). However, most studies have examined majority cultures (e.g., China) as well as subcultures (e.g., American ethnic minorities). Thus, work on other aspects of culture such as religion is needed given the emerging evidence that it may have an impact on development. This study explored the role of religious culture in the emerging adulthood of college students. Participants were 445 undergraduates (ages 18–20 years) from institutions that were Catholic (31 males, 89 females), Mormon (48 males, 200 females), and public (21 males, 56 females). …

Rites Of Passage In Emerging Adulthood: Perspectives Of Young Mormoons, Larry J. Nelson

Faculty Publications

This study explores the role that culture, particularly religious rites of passage, may play in emerging adulthood by examining the demographics, criteria for adulthood, identity development, and risk behavior of Mormon emerging adults.