Does Your Research Really Matter? Revitalizing Public Engagement in the Study of Emerging Adulthood

Abstract

The broad goal of researchers of emerging adulthood can be construed as wanting to advance the understanding of development in emerging adulthood with the outcome of bettering the lives of emerging adults throughout the world. However, the information we amass during the research process is rarely extracted into the public sphere to influence policy or practice. My goal in this article is to revitalize motivations to conduct research that matters and provide an overview of practices that enhance the societal relevance and translational nature of our research via public engagement. First, I will discuss what public engagement by researchers is and why it matters. Second, I will identify barriers to engaging in public engagement. Third, I will review practices that can move us toward greater public engagement as researchers of emerging adulthood. Overall, though it presents many challenges, public engagement is critical for using our research to invoke social change.

A cross-cultural comparison of psychology of working theory among U.S. and Korean college students.

“…Moreover, many individuals who are college-age face barriers due to marginalized statuses which are likely to influence their future work choices and experiences (H. J. Kim et al, 2019; Morgan, 2019). This suggests the need to study how context influences college populations in terms of psychological resources, career-related behaviors, and future work perceptions before they make initial career choices and enter the workforce.…”

Application of the psychology of working theory with Korean emerging adults.

“…Although the theory was originally developed to explore the experiences of working adults, it may also apply to emerging adults who have postponed their adult roles to further explore work and educational possibilities (Arnett, 2000). In addition, many emerging adults face barriers due to various marginalized identities as they transition into adulthood (Morgan, 2018), which likely impact their ability to feel choice in their careers and cope with various career tasks and eventually secure decent work. Thus, it is important to clearly understand the effect of contextual factors on emerging adults’ career development.…”

Adolescents’ Frequency of Alcohol Use and Problems from Alcohol Abuse: Integrating Dating Partners with Parent and Peer Influences

“…Reciprocally, this analysis is heavily informed by the authors' experiences and engagement with adolescents and young adults and with youth advocates-a necessary element in producing research that is relevant to others and society collectively. Finally, dissemination of the findings and implications of this study and those that inform it is a necessary and often overlooked step in public engagement with research (Morgan, 2019). In the present case, part of the significance of this research is the need to communicate-to the public-the understanding that young people are influenced by the most important people in their lives in the meanings they attach to drinking, and the behaviors that follow.…”