Posted: February 14th, 2023

Research Paper Outline for PSY200 Lifespan Development

Research Paper Outline for PSY200 Lifespan Development
Introduction
Psychological development for young adults and adolescents is characterized by various tasks. These tasks are; identity, autonomy, and future orientation. There are three phases of psychological development for young adults; early adolescence during middle school years, middle adolescence that happens during high school years, and late adolescence that occurs during early employment or college years.
THESIS: The process of psychological development for adolescents is relatively crucial due to the diverse nature of individuals influenced by personal beliefs, values, peer influence, and external environments that also determine the success of growth for the young adult.
Literature Review
The developmental process is not a uniform, continuous, or synchronous one, considering that the constant process of change might be challenging. In contrast, some individuals develop smoothly and others with significant turmoil (Meithing et al., 2016).
The Psychological Developmental Tasks
Establishment of Autonomy. At this point, the young adults strive to become independent from their parents or guardians based on the emotional and economic aspects. The adolescents begin to decrease interest in parental advice and family activities as they form same-sex peer groups (Castellanos-Ryan et al., 2017).
Developing a Sense of Identity. Self-identity is structured around the aspects of self-esteem and self-concept. The former entails the adolescent’s perception of themselves based on their life experiences, goals, and talents, while the latter is structured around their evaluation and understanding of self-worth.
Future Orientation. This stage mostly occurs at the late phase of adolescence as the individuals have acquired cognitive maturity that enables them to develop realistic goals (Toseeb et al., 2017). Moreover, at this phase, young adults have probably developed a sense of identity, and they might be refining their values and morals.
Conclusion
Before becoming a self-recognized and well-adjusted adult, adolescents have to undergo a psychological process based on their personal beliefs, values, peer influence, and external environments. To understand the psychological development of a young adult, it is imperative to consider the influencing factors affecting their decisions, perceptions, and beliefs.

References
Castellanos-Ryan, N., Pingault, J. B., Parent, S., Vitaro, F., Tremblay, R. E., & Seguin, J. R. (2017). Adolescent cannabis use, change in neurocognitive function, and high-school graduation: A longitudinal study from early adolescence to young adulthood. Development and psychopathology, 29(4), 1253.
Miething, A., Almquist, Y. B., Östberg, V., Rostila, M., Edling, C., & Rydgren, J. (2016). Friendship networks and psychological well-being from late adolescence to young adulthood: a gender-specific structural equation modeling approach. BMC psychology, 4(1), 34.
Toseeb, U., Pickles, A., Durkin, K., Botting, N., & Conti-Ramsden, G. (2017). Prosociality from early adolescence to young adulthood: A longitudinal study of individuals with a history of language impairment. Research in Developmental Disabilities, 62, 148-159.

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