Adulthood

A. Klimczuk, Adulthood, [in:] H.L. Miller (ed.), The SAGE Encyclopedia of Theory in Psychology, Sage, Thousand Oaks 2016, pp. 15-18.

7 Pages Posted: 20 Mar 2018 Last revised: 8 Feb 2021

Date Written: April 16, 2016

Abstract

Adulthood is usually defined as the period of human development in which the physical development, cognitive development, and psychosocial development of women and men slow and reach their highest level. Although scholars strive to build consistent theories, the description of the developmentally highest level differs between countries and cultures due to economic factors and sociocultural factors. After presenting some basic concepts of adulthood from different cultures, this entry continues with a psychological definition of adulthood, a discussion of characteristics of maturity, and brief descriptions of various theories about what constitutes adulthood. It ends with suggestions for the direction of future discussions on adulthood.

Keywords: Behavioral Development; Cognitive Development; Culture and Development; Erikson’s Theory of Psychosocial Development; Freud’s Psychosexual Stage Theory of Personality; Gender Development; Hermeneutics and Developmental Psychology; Language and Development; Language Development; Moral Development; Mo

JEL Classification: Z10

Suggested Citation

Klimczuk, Andrzej, Adulthood (April 16, 2016). A. Klimczuk, Adulthood, [in:] H.L. Miller (ed.), The SAGE Encyclopedia of Theory in Psychology, Sage, Thousand Oaks 2016, pp. 15-18. , Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2765772

Andrzej Klimczuk (Contact Author)

Warsaw School of Economics (SGH) ( email )

al. Niepodległości 162
Warsaw, Select State 02-554
Poland

HOME PAGE: http://www.sgh.waw.pl/

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