In developed countries, the years from Age 30 to 45 are, for many, the most intense, demanding, and rewarding years of adult life. During this period of the life span most adults must negotiate the intersecting demands of progressing in a chosen career, maintaining an intimate partnership, and caring for children. Successes or difficulties in meeting these simultaneous demands have the potential to profoundly influence the direction of a person's adult life. As such, we believe that it is of critical importance to better understand this developmental period that we call established adulthood. This article provides a new theoretical conceptualization of established adulthood, outlining its distinctiveness from emerging adulthood and midlife in terms of physical health, well-being, cognitive development, and the career-and-care-crunch of competing work and family responsibilities. We also consider variations in the timing and experience of established adulthood, including variations by gender and social class, and provide suggestions for future research. As economic and social arrangements continue to evolve, so too will this developmental period, providing fertile ground for developmental theory and research. Public Significance Statement This article provides a new theoretical conceptualization of established adulthood, the period from 30-45. The article distinguishes established adulthood from emerging adulthood and midlife in terms of physical health, well-being, cognitive development, and the career-and-care-crunch of competing work and family responsibilities. Because successes or difficulties in handling the intensity of the intersection of work and family demands have the potential to profoundly influence the direction of a person's adult life, a better understanding of this developmental period may promote policy, programs, or therapeutic interventions to support established adults as they navigate what may be one of the most intense and demanding periods of the life span.
We investigated correlates of gender segregation among adolescent (15-17 yrs) boys (N=60) and girls (N= 85) from the Mid-Atlantic United States. Seventy-two percent of peers nominated for "hanging out" were the same gender as the adolescent. Girls' gender segregation was correlated with gender reference-group identity and believing girls are more responsive communicative partners than boys. Girls were more likely to endorse feminine, expressive traits, a cooperative activity orientation, and to believe in the greater communicative responsiveness of same-vs. other-gender peers. Boys and girls were equally likely to endorse masculine, instrumental traits, competitive activity orientations, and to identify same-gender others as a reference group. We consider implications of the developmental persistence of gender segregation for gender-typing.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.