The later attainment of traditional adult roles by today’s youth compared to their counterparts of earlier decades has garnered considerable scholarly and public attention. This article describes a recent concept related to the transition to adulthood, known as emerging adulthood, including a discussion of relevant theory and historical background research. We then introduce a measurement instrument, the Inventory of the Dimensions of Emerging Adulthood (IDEA), which assesses identification with transition-to-adulthood themes. Results of initial scale-development studies were largely supportive of the measure’s reliability and validity. Respondents in their 20s identified with relevant themes to a greater extent than did their younger and older counterparts. Marital status differences on the IDEA emerged, but college and non-college respondents were largely similar. Finally, we provide suggestions for how parent educators can make use of the IDEA instrument in advising parents and their emerging adult children.

This study examined family characteristics associated with the coparenting behavior of 60 parents with an 11-to 15-month-old infant (30 boys, 30 girls) during a structured triadic play session. Mothers reported on family demographics, social support, and child temperament. Both parents reported on their self-esteem and childrearing beliefs. Fathers displayed more supportive coparenting behavior than mothers. Mothers' intrusive coparenting behavior differed based on the number of children, parent's employment status, and child gender. Social support, parental self-esteem, and child temperament were significant correlates of individual coparenting behavior. Results are discussed in terms of their implications for family theory and family practice.

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This study was designed to examine associations between preschool children's pretend and physical play with same-sex, other-sex, and mixed sex peers and children's social competence with peers. Sixty predominately middle-class preschoolers (33 boys, 51 European-American) were observed on the playground at their school over a period of 4 months. Children's samesex, other-sex, and mixed-sex peer play was observed, and teachers and peers provided assessments of children's social competence. Analyses revealed that children who engaged in more same-sex pretend play were better liked by peers and were viewed by teachers as being socially competent. In addition, girls who engaged in same-sex exercise play and boys who engaged in same-sex rough-and-tumble play were better liked by peers, whereas boys who engaged in rough-and-tumble play with other-sex peers were less liked by peers. The results suggest that child gender and gender of playmate are important factors in the association between pretend play and rough-and-tumble play and children's social competence with peers.