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Development psychology 1Developmental Psychology (University of Delhi)Scan to open on StudocuStudocu is not sponsored or endorsed by any college or universityDevelopment psychology 1Developmental Psychology (University of Delhi)Scan to open on StudocuStudocu is not sponsored or endorsed by any college or universityDownloaded by S. Ananya (ananyaaqua25@gmail.com)lOMoARcPSD|22367756
Development psychologyDevelopmental psychology is a subfield of psychology that examines how peopleevolve, alter, adapt, and mature throughout different life stages (American PsychologicalAssociation). Developmental psychology has three goals: to characterise, explain, andoptimise development. It is vital to focus on both normal patterns of change and individualvariances in patterns of change when describing development. Developmental psychologistsstrive to optimise development and apply their theories to aid people in real circumstances.There are major life stages according to development psychologists:Prenatal development: Developmental psychologists are interested in prenatal(before birth) diagnosis such as Down syndrome. They also look at how maternal behaviours(the pregnant parent's actions), such as nutrition and drug usage, may affect the developingfoetus.Early childhood: Developmental psychologists want to know if young children arecompleting critical developmental milestones including walking, talking, and acquiring finemotor abilities (coordination in the hands, fingers, and wrists). They may be interested in achild's attachment to his or her parents or other carers.Middle childhood: Children learn about the world and acquire knowledge throughoutthis stage through experimentation, questioning, and observation. They begin to hone theirlogical and moral reasoning abilities.Adolescence: Adolescence is a period of rapid personal growth and identityconstruction. Teenagers and young adults may experiment with different identities, careerpaths, or areas of interest.Early adulthood: Most people in their early adulthood are focused on preparing forthe remainder of their lives by focusing on education, job, and financial independence. Thislife stage is frequently focused on romantic relationships, marriage, family-building,establishing "roots," and child-rearing.Middle adulthood: Middle-aged persons are frequently concerned with assisting thenext generation, whether within their own family or in their community. They are alsofrequently concerned with the legacy they will leave behind.Downloaded by S. Ananya (ananyaaqua25@gmail.com)lOMoARcPSD|22367756
Older adulthood: In addition to physical health difficulties, older persons mayencounter dementia or cognitive deterioration (decline in thinking, remembering, andreasoning). Older persons frequently need to reflect on their life, relate their tales, and findmeaning and peace as they age.Developmental psychologists investigate human growth and development over thelifespan, including physical, cognitive, social, intellectual, perceptual, personality, andemotional growth. College and university developmental psychologists often focus onresearch or teaching. Others who work in more applicable settings, such as health careinstitutions or clinics, aid in the assessment, evaluation, and treatment of people withdevelopmental impairments. Developmental psychologists may also work in nursing homesfor the elderly, hospitals, mental health clinics, and homeless shelters. The significance ofdevelopmental psychology research in the following areas:Theoretical study:Developmental psychology helps us understand human nature and how it interactswith the world in which we live. It also helps to grasp growth criteria in all of its forms, suchas mental, physical, social, and emotional development criteria. Developmental psychologyencompasses all periods of life, including pregnancy, childhood, adolescence, adulthood, andeventually old age.Empirical study:Individuals at various stages of development can learn to lead themselves. It alsoallows for the scientific measurement of numerous elements of growth, which aids in therepair of growth anomalies, whether educational or psychological.For psychologists:Psychologists can reap the benefits of their efforts to help people at all phases ofdevelopment, particularly in counselling, therapeutic psychology, psychological assessment,vocational training, and education.For educators:By studying developmental psychology, educators can learn about the psychologicaland educational features of persons at various stages of development. They can also identifythe elements impacting their growth, the strategies for changing their behaviour, the methodsDownloaded by S. Ananya (ananyaaqua25@gmail.com)lOMoARcPSD|22367756
for teaching them, and the difficulties that require preparation in the educational process,allowing the instructor to be aware of student differences.For parents:The study of developmental psychology assists parents in understanding theirchildren's characteristics, each stage of their development, the conditions they live in duringthese stages, their treatment based on data, the requirements of the stage they live in, and theopportunity to learn their children's individual differences in growth rates.For the community:Knowledge of psychological development among community members aids indetermining the best genetic conditions and correspond to each stage of growth, as well as insolving social problems related to the individual personality in terms of growth, composition,determinants, and prevention, such as sexual deviation, school delays, mental impairment,and ward. Developmental psychology also helps people change their behaviour in order toattain the highest level of educational, psychological, professional, and social compatibility,as well as accurate predicting of future occurrences.For individuals:Individuals' futures are represented in parents' and teachers' comprehension of thesame development; leading individuals on a scientific basis to attain good performance and aprosperous future from childhood to maturity. It also enables people to comprehend eventsbased on their degree of development, abilities, and the nature of the stage in which they findthemselves. Every step of a person's development should be fully experienced.Jeffrey Jensen Arnett gave the concept of emerging adulthood. According to Arnettemerging adulthood occurs during the transition period from adolescence to adulthood.Emerging adulthood occurs between the late teens and the early-to-mid-twenties, whenpeople have minimal externally imposed expectations or commitments. They use this time toexplore their identities, putting on numerous roles and engaging in new experiences, notablyin the areas of job, love, and worldview. Individuals' emerging adulthood gradually endswhen they establish more lasting adult obligations throughout their 20s.The transition periodfrim adolescence to adulthood is a period of frequent changes and exploration. Emergingadulthood is neither adolescence nor young adulthood, but differs from both conceptually andexperimentally. Emerging adulthood is defined by a degree of independence from social rolesDownloaded by S. Ananya (ananyaaqua25@gmail.com)lOMoARcPSD|22367756
and normative expectations. Emerging individuals frequently explore a number of alternativelife directions in love, career, and worldviews, having left the dependency of childhood andadolescence but not yet entering the enduring responsibilities that are normative in adulthood.Emerging adulthood is a stage in life when many diverse paths remain open, when little aboutthe future is certain, and when the scope of independent exploration of life's possibilities ishigher for most people than at any other point in their lives.Erik Erikson established the foundation for emerging adulthood, by postulating thatthere is a stage in-between adolescence and adulthood. Erik Erikson was an early contributorto the concept of development during the 1960s, from his late teens to his twenties. Erikson,unlike G. Stanley Hall, did not identify age in his books. While Erikson does not name thisstage, he believed it was a period for young adults to discover a unique niche in some area oftheir society that matches their distinctive needs psychosocial moratorium. Adolescents canexplore their identities without having to take on adult duties during psychosocialmoratorium. During this period person is caught between their childhood identity and the onethey will have as an adult.Another contribution can be found in the work of Daniel Levinson. Levinsoninterviewed men in their forties, but he also had them recount their earlier years, and based ontheir descriptions, he constructed a theory that covered growth in their late teens and twenties.He referred to the ages 17-33 as the novice period of development, arguing that the primarygoal of this stage is to transition into adulthood and establish a stable life structure. Accordingto Levinson, throughout this time, the young person undergoes significant change andinstability while sorting through numerous possibilities in love and employment in the courseof constructing a life structure. Levinson admitted that his understanding of the novice phasewas akin to Erikson's beliefs regarding role experimentation during the psychosocialmoratorium.Importance of emerging adulthood:Emerging adulthood is a critical stage in the life course for understanding resiliencebecause the considerable changes in functional capacity, educational attainment, and socialresponsibilities are extensive and varied, with a significant influence on life cycle outcomes.Emerging adulthood has been advocated as a unique stage of life for young people inindustrialised, industrialised cultures. Most people characterise it as an exploring era duringDownloaded by S. Ananya (ananyaaqua25@gmail.com)lOMoARcPSD|22367756
which they study alternative life routes and progressively arrive at more stable roles as theymake commitments in the areas of love, career, and worldviews (Arnett, 2000).How emerging adulthood is different from adolescence? :Adolescence is defined as the period between the ages of 11 and 18 years. This periodsignals the start of the adult transition. Puberty is characterised by the development of anadult-sized body as well as sexual maturity. Education is increasingly aimed toward preparingpupils for higher education and the workforce, and thought becomes abstract and idealistic.Young individuals begin to break away from their family and create their personal ideals andaspirations. The transition to adult roles for many modern teenagers in industrialised nationshas become progressively prolonged—to the point where some academics have proposed anew developmental stage called emerging adulthood, which spans the ages of 18 to 25.Despite having graduated from adolescence, emerging adults have not yet fully assumed adultresponsibilities. Rather, before making long-term commitments, these young peoplestrengthen their study of choices in love, work, and personal values during higher educationand sometimes beyond. Researchers have only just begun to explore emerging maturity sinceit has only recently become obvious (Arnett, 2007; Arnett & Tanner, 2006). Ifadolescence is defined as the time between the ages of 10 and 18, and emerging adulthood asthe time between the ages of 18 and 25, the majority of identity exploration takes place inemerging adulthood rather than adolescence. Many emerging adults do not regard themselvesas adolescents, but neither do they see themselves as adults.Cultural relevance:In 2016, emerging economies housed 6.1 billion people, or 80 percent of the world'spopulation (7.5 billion). Demographers distinguish between developing countries and theeconomically mature, industrialised members of the Organization for Economic Cooperationand Development (OECD). This includes the United States, Canada, Western Europe, Japan,South Korea, and Australia, all of which have significantly higher median incomes andeducational attainment as well as significantly lower rates of illness, disease, and prematuredeath. The hypothesis of emerging adulthood is primarily applicable to cultures within theseOECD nations, and it has just recently evolved as a developmental stage. It is specific tocertain cultural-demographic conditions, particularly widespread education and trainingbeyond secondary school and entry into marriage and parenthood in their early or late thirtiesor later. Downloaded by S. Ananya (ananyaaqua25@gmail.com)lOMoARcPSD|22367756
Furthermore, emerging adulthood occurs only in civilizations that allow occupationaltransitions, with emerging individuals changing occupations repeatedly before settling on acertain employment by the age of 30.Arnett also claims that emerging adulthood happens in societies that allow for atransition time between adolescence and marriage, the adulthood marker. Such marital andoccupational instability among emerging adults can be attributed to cultures that allow forthis stage of development; in individualised cultures, traditional familial and institutionalconstraints are less pronounced than in previous times or in non-industrialized or developingcultures, allowing for greater personal freedom in life decisions.However, emerging adulthood occurs even in developed countries that do not respectindividuality, such as the United States. Early people shifted from adolescence to youngadulthood around or around the age of 22 in OECD nations, and more recently in developingcountries around the world, until the late twentieth century, when they settled into long-term,obligation-filled familial and occupational positions. As a result, emerging adulthood doesnot exist as a widespread stage of development in countries where this trend endures. In termsof emerging adulthood, OECD nations have adopted a "one size fits all" paradigm, having allexperienced the same demographic changes that resulted in this new stage of developmentbetween adolescence and young adulthood. However, the structure of emerging adulthoodcan change even amongst OECD nations, and academics have only just begun to study suchcross-national variances. Researchers discovered, for example, that Europe has the longestemerging adulthood, with high levels of government aid and typical marriage ages close to30, compared to the United States, where the median marriage age is 27. East Asian emergingadult communities may be the most distinct to those in Europe and America because, whilethey share the benefits of rich countries with excellent education and welfare systems, theylack the same strong feeling of individualization. East Asian societies have traditionally andcurrently placed a greater focus on collectivism than Western civilizations. While Asianemerging adults, for example, explore their independent identities and personal growth, theydo it within more constrained boundaries imposed by familial obligation.European and American emerging people, for example, consistently rank financialindependence as a significant indicator of maturity, whereas Asian emerging adults rankfinancial ability to support parents as a key indicator with similar weight. Some Asian risingadults feel that marriage should take place only after finishing education and caring for one'sDownloaded by S. Ananya (ananyaaqua25@gmail.com)lOMoARcPSD|22367756
parents. Furthermore, whereas casual dating and premarital sex have become mainstream inthe West, parents in Asia still oppose such practises, calling them "unusual and taboo."Indeed, around 75% of young people in the United States and Europe report having hadpremarital sexual intercourse by the age of 20, whereas less than 20% in Japan and SouthKorea do. While exemplars of emerging adulthood can be found primarily in the OECDcountries' middle and upper classes, the stage of development appears to occur across classes,with the main difference being length—on average, young people in lower social classesenter adulthood two years before those in upper classes.While emerging adulthood is only observed on a wide scale in OECD countries,certain population subsets in developing countries may demonstrate similar behaviour. Incontrast to those in poorer or rural areas of developing countries, who have no emergingadulthood and sometimes no adolescence due to comparatively early marriage and adult-likework, young people in wealthier urban classes have begun to enter developmental stages thatresemble emerging adulthood, and the number of them is increasing. Such persons may createa bicultural or hybrid identity, with one part identifying with local culture and the otherportion participating in the professional culture of the global economy.Examples of such a position can be found among middle-class young people in India,who lead the globalised economic sector while yet preferring arranged weddings and caringfor their elderly parents. While emerging adulthood is more widespread in OECD countries,these years of transition and discovery are not available to all young people in thosecommunities. Shulman et al. (2009) investigated personality and support among students intwo preparatory institutions in Israel. They discovered that family support had an importantrole in effective adulthood adjustment. Self-critical emerging adults had more difficulty withacademic performance, had more unpleasant life experiences, and were less driven to pursuetheir goals. Young people are more prone to be pressured in an eastern culture that values thecomplete.Review of literature:Arnett proposed Emerging adulthood as a new conception of development for theperiod from the late teens through the twenties, with a focus on ages 18-25. A theoreticalbackground is presented. Then evidence is provided to support the idea that emergingadulthood is a distinct period demographically, subjectively, and in terms of identityexplorations. How emerging adulthood differs from adolescence and young adulthood isDownloaded by S. Ananya (ananyaaqua25@gmail.com)lOMoARcPSD|22367756
explained. Finally, a cultural context for the idea of emerging adulthood is outlined, and it isspecified that emerging adulthood exists only in cultures that allow young people a prolongedperiod of independent role exploration during the late teens and twenties.Seiter & Nelson (2011) performed a study in which Indian college students andnonstudents aged 18 to 26 were polled to determine (a) whether they consider themselvesadults (i.e., "age of feeling in-between"), (b) the criteria they believe are required forbecoming adults, and (c) the degree to which they are optimistic about their future (e.g., "ageof possibilities"). 478 college students from Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India, and 100nonstudents from rural regions surrounding Coimbatore participated. The majority of the 18-to 26-year-olds tested thought they had reached adulthood, according to the findings.Participants prioritised characteristics needed to perform family roles as essential formaturity. There were differences in optimism levels between students and nonstudents. Aspossible explanations for the unusual findings, the distinctive cultural and institutional factorsin India, such as Hinduism, caste, gendered socialisation, and the educational system, areexamined.Mitra & Arnett (2019) did study on Emerging adulthood and stated that it ischaracterised by significant life decisions. These life choices are influenced by socioculturaland historical factors. The current study used a mixed technique, idea mapping, to investigatethe tasks that emerging adults in India consider vital. The first study included five focusgroup talks with people aged 18 to 29 (N = 40, M age = 23) to get insight into a variety of lifechoices. The second study (N = 60, M age = 23) used rating and sorting procedures togenerate cluster maps. There were eight clusters found. Responsibility toward family,independence/autonomy, financial stability, education/career, parental expectations, romanticrelationships, community and faith, and societal norms are listed in order of priority. Thesedecisions in life were influenced by self, others, contextual, and external factors.Schwartz, Beyers, Luyckx, Hardy, Waterman (2010) did a study in Westerncivilizations, developing one's identity is a vital developmental job during the transition toadulthood. The current study sought to assess an empirically based, cluster-analytic identitystatus model, as well as to determine whether all four of Marcia's identity statuses (diffusion,foreclosure, moratorium, and achievement) would emerge empirically and to identifydifferent patterns of identity formation among American college-attending emerging adults.An ethnically diverse sample of 9,034 emerging-adult students (73 percent female; mean ageDownloaded by S. Ananya (ananyaaqua25@gmail.com)lOMoARcPSD|22367756
19.73 years) from 30 universities in the United States completed measures of identityexploration (ruminative, in breadth, and in depth), commitment (commitment making andidentification with commitment), identity synthesis and confusion, positive and negativepsychosocial functioning, and health-compromising behaviours. The identity status clustersolution that emerged provided an adequate fit to the data and included all four of Marcia’soriginal identity statuses, along with Carefree Diffusion and Undifferentiated statuses.Results provided evidence for concurrent validity, construct validity, and practicalapplicability of these statuses. Implications for identity research are discussed.A research done by Schwartz, Donnellan, Ravert, Luyckx, Zamboanga (2013) tostudy the transition from infancy to full adulthood is a significant developmental stageinfluenced by individual, familial, societal, and historical factors. The primary goal of thisage group is practically universal: to prepare for the key tasks undertaken by mature membersof the social group. Individuals are typically expected to contribute to society by fulfillingadult roles following a period of "adolescence," "youth," or a new word, "emergingadulthood." The transition to adulthood is stable and reasonably predictable in some culturalgroups and societies, although it can be unclear and protracted in others. For many people,particularly in modern, industrialised countries, this shift entails, among other things,attempting to build a sense of identity or self. Individualist perspectives (e.g., "I am") orcollectivist perspectives (e.g., "I am") can govern identity development (e.g., "We are"). Inthis chapter, we provide an overview of studies on the various ways in which identitydevelopment develops from adolescence to adulthood, as well as a description of the knowncorrelates of identity development and related outcomes, with a focus on personality andwell-being.The present study:The present study is based on the concept of emerging adulthood. According to Arnettit is a stage which spans from 18 years to 25 years. This period is marked by relativeindependence from social roles and from expectations. It is a phase where there is neitherdependency of childhood and adolescence nor the responsibilities of adulthood. This studywants to explore the emerging adulthood from an Indian perspective. The study wasconducted using a mixed method approach.Rationale:Downloaded by S. Ananya (ananyaaqua25@gmail.com)lOMoARcPSD|22367756
The objective of the current study is to understand the themes in emerging adulthoodin Indian context using a mixed method approach. The reason for choosing this research wasto understand the point of view of emerging adults about their view on their current life and ifthere exists an emerging adulthood stage in Indian culture. For the data collection anemerging adulthood scale developed by Arnett was used. Once the quantitative data wascollected then a qualitative data was collected with the help of self-designed interviewquestions. It is critical to understand the emerging adulthood as a stage as it helps usunderstand the emerging adults in India and what they are going through. How their lives areunfolding and what all issues are they going through. It was also noticed that there were onlya few studies on emerging adulthood which were based on emerging adulthood. Theseresearches also showed how emerging adulthood is not only an under researched topic it isalso unknown or a developing topic of research in many areas of the world. The research wasconducted on both and female participants. Method: The major context of the current study was to understand emerging adulthood fromcultural and social context. It is important to study emerging adulthood from a cultural pointof view since it holds different meanings in various cultures. In some countries you becomean adult when you have started earning whereas some cultures believe that you become anadult when you have settled down and have a family. Certain industrialized countries havemore prolonged emerging adulthood stages whereas there are certain highly industrializedcountries which have cultural practices which have either a very small emerging adulthoodstage or not at all. Research conducted by Heaton in 1992 was one such example wheremembers of Mormon Church experienced a very shortened and structured period of emergingadulthood. Emerging adults go through a lot of pressure to marry early and have a largefamily. It is also important to understand the social context of emerging adulthood as it helpsus in better understanding of emerging adults. Not only this it also helps emerging adults ingetting a better grasp on their lives and at the same time ensuring that they are not alone inthis difficult stage.Objective:To understand the themes of emerging adulthood in the Indian context using a mixedmethod approach.Tools used:Downloaded by S. Ananya (ananyaaqua25@gmail.com)lOMoARcPSD|22367756
Since the research is conducted in a mixed method approach the tools used were aquantitative inventory and interview schedule. The quantitative data was collected usingIDEA. I.e. inventory of dimensions of emerging adulthood created by Arnett, Reffman andColwell. The inventory consists of 31 items with 4 point Likert scale. This inventory is astandardized one and therefore was used so as to gain information on various aspects ofemerging adulthood. The qualitative data was collected using a self-constructed semi-structured interview schedule. The interview was helpful as it helped us gain various variedopinions on emerging adulthood.Procedure:The objective of the current research is to understand the themes of emergingadulthood in the Indian context using a mixed method approach. Before the subject enteredthe setting, it was made sure that all the materials were arranged properly. Once the subjectentered the setting, the subject was made to sit comfortably and the rapport was formed.Instructions were read out to the subject. All the queries of the subject were answered beforeadministration. The subject was encouraged not to leave any item of the Emerging AdulthoodScale unanswered. While the subject was doing the test, behavioural observation was notedby the tester. Once the test was completed, the tester made sure that no items were leftunanswered by the subject. Questions were framed in a semi structured manner to obtainmaximum detailed information from the subjects. It was made sure that no question providedthe subjects with any direction to answer. Informed consent was taken from the participantsselected for research and they were debriefed prior to the interview. The interview wasconducted on two subjects one male and one female of age 20 and 22 respectively, one ispursuing undergraduate degree and the other subject has done UG and is doings job. It wasmade sure that the subjects were comfortable with the interviews being recorded before theinterview was conducted. After the interview was conducted the subjects were thanked fortheir Cooperation and it was made sure that any anxiety that they experienced during theinterview was resolved before they left. The information obtained from the interview wasthen transcribed and analysed for codes and major themes.Result:Table 1: IDEA - inventory of the dimensions of emerging adulthood scoresSubscale Participant 1Participant 2Identity exploration2127Downloaded by S. Ananya (ananyaaqua25@gmail.com)lOMoARcPSD|22367756
Experimentation/possibilities2018Negativity/instability1916Other-focused65Self-focused2224Feeling “in between”88Thematic analysis: Result:Verbatim subthemesThemesAnd first comes the careerchoice, I think for today’sgenerationandforeverybody around us careeris the most important thingright now.I do have a clear view likewhere I can grow and whatmeasure I need to make forthat particular growth in mycareer life.whenever somebody ask meabout my career academicsand my relationships I feelvery ashamed because Idon’t know what to do Ihaven’t decided it yet butI’m sure that I’ll go inprioritizing careerClarity of vision Clear but perplexed: mixedperceptionCareer choice- a crucial stepAmbiguous careerDownloaded by S. Ananya (ananyaaqua25@gmail.com)lOMoARcPSD|22367756
business line because I havevery good interest.I started earning in mycollege days, I am earningfrom my college days. I think is if you are gettinghundred percent of yoursalary part then you shouldat least save twenty-fivepercent on monthly basisand you can spend the restamount and if it is notnecessary then you can savefrom that as wellto be very honest I don’thave financial knowledge atall like I just keep my moneyin my bank and that’s all IknowI always think what kind ofa person I was and what Iam right now so what I thinkis previously I was way tooemotional and I get tooindulge in people’s life and Ieager to earn need based spendingLack of financial knowledgePersonal developmentindependent approachFinancial habitscentred on oneself: self-focusedDownloaded by S. Ananya (ananyaaqua25@gmail.com)lOMoARcPSD|22367756
get to be the life saver. Butnow it is not important andnecessary to run for peoplewho do not need thatappreciationI think in future I’ll be morebetter and good person. Yes I definitely comparemyself to my peers but Ithink when we compare withothers we get somefeedbacks and from thosefeedbacks we can buildourselves make ourselvesgrow.My worldview has shift inthe sense that I was not intospirituality I like was a kidwho always believe in godbut now I have a faith ingod.I used to think that everyonetransparent on potentialimprovementsComparison aids in self-evaluation.Toward spiritualityNo reciprocitycomparison: useful exerciseSelf then and nowWorld: a self-centred placeDownloaded by S. Ananya (ananyaaqua25@gmail.com)lOMoARcPSD|22367756
in the world is same likeyou, like if you do somegood thing to someone thenthe person will also do thesame but in today’s world Idon’t think so this ishundred percent true like,people nowadays are likeselfish or they only thinkabout themselves.I was always a person whois like who always fightswith everyone, But now I amperson who do cares aboutthe family. To give thefamily that support whichyou can which I in yourhand like my achievementsand my growth is especiallyfor my family.before when we sit togethermy family used not to tell memuch about anything likewhat is going in the familybut now when we sittogether we share thingsconsiderateUnderstanding comes withmaturityFamily orientedOpenness Downloaded by S. Ananya (ananyaaqua25@gmail.com)lOMoARcPSD|22367756
Discussion:The objective of the current research is to understand the themes of emergingadulthood in the Indian context using a mixed method approach. According to Arnett it is astage which spans from 18 years to 25 years. This period is marked by relative independencefrom social roles and from expectations. It is a phase where there is neither dependency ofchildhood and adolescence nor the responsibilities of adulthood. This study wants to explorethe emerging adulthood from an Indian perspective. The study was conducted using a mixedmethod approach.The objective of the current research is to understand the themes of emergingadulthood in the Indian context using a mixed method approach. Before the subject enteredthe setting, it was made sure that all the materials were arranged properly. Once the subjectentered the setting, the subject was made to sit comfortably and the rapport was formed.Instructions were read out to the subject. All the queries of the subject were answered beforeadministration. The subject was encouraged not to leave any item of the Emerging AdulthoodScale unanswered. While the subject was doing the test, behavioural observation was notedby the tester. Once the test was completed, the tester made sure that no items were leftunanswered by the subject. Questions were framed in a semi structured manner to obtainmaximum detailed information from the subjects. It was made sure that no question providedthe subjects with any direction to answer. Informed consent was taken from the participantsselected for research and they were debriefed prior to the interview. The interview wasconducted on two subjects one male and one female of age 20 and 22 respectively, one ispursuing undergraduate degree and the other subject has done UG and is doings job. It wasmade sure that the subjects were comfortable with the interviews being recorded before theinterview was conducted. After the interview was conducted the subjects were thanked fortheir Cooperation and it was made sure that any anxiety that they experienced during theinterview was resolved before they left. The information obtained from the interview wasthen transcribed and analysed for codes and major themes.The first theme, on the basis of transcript is career choice- a crucial step. Someinstances were found where according to the participant career comes first (subtheme:prioritising career) this can be supported by the statement given by the participant and firstcomes the career choice. The participant stated that making a good career is the best decisionDownloaded by S. Ananya (ananyaaqua25@gmail.com)lOMoARcPSD|22367756
making in one’s life. The only important aim for today’s generation must be their career (fortoday’s generation and for everybody around us career is the most important thing rightnow). Participant also stated that the participant has a clarity of visioni.e the participantknows where the participant can grow and make a good career.The second theme is Ambiguous career. Ambiguous means not having one obviousmeaning. The participant feel ashamed when someone ask the participant about the decisionregarding career. As participant has not decided what the participant will do in future but onthe other hand the participant stated that the participant has a clear view that the participantwill go in business line. By this it can be interpreted that the participant has clear butperplexed thought or mixed perception. The third theme is Independent approach. Independent approach here means that theparticipant wants to be free from control in terms of actions, thoughts etc. the participantdoesn’t want to be dependent on anyone. This can be supported by the statement given by theparticipant that I started earning in my college days.The participant is eager to earn fromvery young age.The fourth theme is financial habits. Financial habits are the activities one do on aregular basis that shape one’s long-term financial future.This theme asserts that participants'perceptions of financial balance is very subtle, that the participant don't spend moneyexcessively, and that they are extremely careful with every dollar they spend. They practisefinancial responsibility and frugality. Both of the subjects in my study make regular need-based purchases. This can be supported form the statement: I think is if you are gettinghundred percent of your salary part then you should at least save twenty-five percent onmonthly basis and you can spend the rest amount and if it is not necessary then you can savefrom that as well. The other participant doesn’t have financial knowledge, the participantdoesn’t know how to manage the finances i.e. lack of financial knowledge. As the participantstated that “to be very honest I don’t have financial knowledge at all like I just keep mymoney in my bank and that’s all I know” by this it is clearly stated that the participant needsmore knowledge regarding the finance and need to learn how to maintain a budget.The fifth theme is centered on oneself: self-focused. Self-focus means the focus ofone's attention on oneself, including their needs, wants, and feelings. The participant statedthat “I always think what kind of a person I was and what I am right now so what I think ispreviously. But now it is not important and necessary to run for people who do not need thatDownloaded by S. Ananya (ananyaaqua25@gmail.com)lOMoARcPSD|22367756
appreciation I was way too emotional and I get too indulge in people’s life and I get to be thelife saver”. Here the participant is comparing the participant then vs the participant now. Itshows that earlier the participant was very emotional but with time that emotional phase isnow stable. According to the participant one should only focus on themselves (i.e. personaldevelopment)and should focus on the necessary developments to make in life. The otherstatement stated by the participant is “I think in future I’ll be more better and good person”.It proclaims that the participant has a transparent on future developments. and from this it canbe interpreted that the participant is focusing on present vs future. The participant is veryeager to learn new developments and want to make oneself grow.The sixth theme is comparison: useful exercise. When we think about comparison theonly thing that comes to our mind is that comparison is not a good exercise to perform as ourself-efficacy gets affected by it. But according to the participant comparison is a usefulexercise to do. It can supported by the statement “Yes I definitely compare myself to my peersbut I think when we compare with others we get some feedbacks and from those feedbacks wecan build ourselves make ourselves grow”. It proclaim that comparison has both pros andcons and the participant view is that by comparing we get some feedbacks and rom thosefeedbacks one can grow or develop (Comparison aids in self-evaluation)i.e. one can changebetter life to best life.The seventh theme is self then and now. This means that there is a self-shift in theperspective of the participant. The participant stated that “My worldview has shift in the sensethat I was not into spirituality I like was a kid who always believe in god but now I have afaith in god”. This proclaims that the there is a shift but within the participant. Theparticipant earlier was not into spirituality but with time the sense of spirituality increasedwithin the participant. Earlier the participant had believe in god but now the participant hasfaith in god. The primary distinction between faith and belief is that although belief refers to astate of mind, faith is a trust in something or someone. According to the participant foreverything good or bad happen in life god is there.The eight theme is World: a self-centred place. Self-centred means only thinkingabout one's own needs, wants, or interests. According to the participant world is a self-centredplace where people are selfish and only think about their benefits, needs and interests. It canbe supported by the given statement: “I used to think that everyone in the world is same likeyou, like if you do some good thing to someone then the person will also do the same but inDownloaded by S. Ananya (ananyaaqua25@gmail.com)lOMoARcPSD|22367756
today’s world I don’t think so this is hundred percent true like, people nowadays are likeselfish or they only think about themselves”. earlier the participant had a positive way ofthinking that all the people around are caring and has helping nature, but the worldview shiftin a way that the positive way turn out to be negative one . Now the participant thinkeveryone is selfish and one remembers any favors and are selfish.The ninth theme is family oriented. Family oriented means committing to your familyfirst. For instance the participant stated that “I was always a person who is like who alwaysfights with everyone, but now I am person who do cares about the family. To give the familythat support which you can which I in your hand like my achievements and my growth isespecially for my family”. It shows that the participants is consider about the family. Theparticipant’s relationship with the family changed as earlier the participant was a person whowas consider about the family but now the participant’s life is all about family. According tothe participant all the achievements of the participant is for the family only. The participantsays that one should give support to the family which is in one’s hand.The tenth theme is openness. Openness means accepting new ideas or experiences.According to the participant the participant relationship with the family changed in a way thatearlier the family used not to share anything with the participant but now the family shareseverything with the participant. It can be supported by the following statement: “before whenwe sit together my family used not to tell me much about anything like what is going in thefamily but now when we sit together we share things”. This proclaims that family/parentsview has changed in a way that the earlier their child was not enough mature to understandthe things but now the child has grown attain maturity and will now be able to understandthings. This means that understanding comes with maturity.The quantitative approach used in the study through IDEA inventory measures theidentity exploration, experimentation/possibilities, negativity/instability, and other focused,self-focused and feeling in-between. Participants 1 scored 21, 20, 19,6,22 and 8 whereasparticipant 2 scored 27, 18, 16, 5, 24 and 8 respectively. Precautions:Precautions were taken while conducting the study. Like the room was made sure tobe noise free, adequate conditioning of the temperature was done, rapport formation wasdone to make the participant feel at ease, and it was made sure that the participant does notget triggered or uncomfortable during the conduction room.Downloaded by S. Ananya (ananyaaqua25@gmail.com)lOMoARcPSD|22367756
Limitations: Limitations of the study are: the sample size was not large enough to generalize thefindings, the sample was selected from Delhi region, the interview questions were a littledifficult to grasp by the participant meaning the questions were more broad and philosophicalin nature which was confusing, and the data was analysed on an individual, not in a pooledmanner.Future implications:For future studies one should consider the following points: pilot testing should bedone to get clear any misunderstandings or mistakes. The study should be expanded. And theresearcher should focus on trying to find whether the concept of emerging adulthood exists inIndia.Appendix:Interview questions:Q1 - Do you feel equipped to make the decisions that are being asked of you right now? Towhat extent do you think your decisions impact your life?Q.2 - Can you describe your approach to financial habits?Q.3- Have you compared yourself to your peers in relation to where you are right now?Q.4- Has there been a shift in your world view? If so, can you describe your shifts?Q.5- How has your relationship with your family changed through the years?The questionnaire:The IDEA: Inventory of the Dimensions of Emerging AdulthoodThe IDEA instrument is shown below in actual questionnaire format. Please cite theinstrument as:Reifman, A., Arnett, J. J., & Colwell, M. J. (2007, summer). Emerging adulthood:Theory, assessment, and application. Journal of Youth Development, 2 (1).[Online journal access now appears to be limited to members of the National Association ofExtension 4-H Agents. Please e-mail alan.reifman@ttu.edu for copies of this article.]Downloaded by S. Ananya (ananyaaqua25@gmail.com)lOMoARcPSD|22367756
Instructions on how to compute the subscales are given at the bottom.Views of Life SurveyFirst, please think about this time in your life. By “time in your life,” we are referringto the present time, plus the last few years that have gone by, and the next few years tocome, as you see them. In short, you should think about a roughly five-year period,with the present time right in the middle.For each phrase shown below, please place a check mark in one of the columns toindicate the degree to which you agree or disagree that the phrase describes this timein your life. For example, if you “Somewhat Agree” that this is a “time ofexploration,” then on the same line as the phrase, you would put a check mark in thecolumn headed by “Somewhat Agree” (3).Be sure to put only one check mark per line.Table for participants 1:Is this period ofyour life a…?Stronglydisagree (1)Somewhatdisagree (2)Somewhatagree (3)Strongly agree(4)1. Time of manypossibilities?√2.Timeofexploration?√3.Timeofconfusion?√4.Timeofexperimentation?√5.Timeofpersonalfreedom?√6.Timeoffeelingrestricted?√7.timeofresponsibility foryourself?√8.Timeof√Downloaded by S. Ananya (ananyaaqua25@gmail.com)lOMoARcPSD|22367756
feeling stressedout?9.Timeofinstability?√10. Time ofoptimism?√11. time of highpressure?√12. Time offinding out whoyou are?√13. Time ofsettling down?√14. time ofresponsibility forothers?√15. time ofindependence?√16. time of openchoices?√17. time ofunpredictability?√18. time ofcommitments toothers?√19. Time of self-sufficiency?√20. Time ofmany worries?√21. Time oftrying out newthings?√22. time offocusing onyourself?√23. time ofseparating fromParents?√Downloaded by S. Ananya (ananyaaqua25@gmail.com)lOMoARcPSD|22367756
24. Time ofdefiningyourself?√25. time ofplanning for theFuture?√26. Time ofseeking a senseof meaning?√27. time ofdeciding on yourown beliefs andvalues?√28. Time oflearning to thinkfor yourself?√29. Time offeeling adult insome ways butnot others?√30. Time ofgraduallybecominganadult?√31.time of beingnot sure whetheryouhavereached fullAdulthood?√Table 2: participant 2Is this period ofyour life a…?Stronglydisagree (1)Somewhatdisagree (2)Somewhatagree (3)Strongly agree(4)1. Time of manypossibilities?√2.Timeof√Downloaded by S. Ananya (ananyaaqua25@gmail.com)lOMoARcPSD|22367756
exploration?3.Timeofconfusion?√4.Timeofexperimentation?√5.Timeofpersonalfreedom?√6.Timeoffeelingrestricted?√7.timeofresponsibility foryourself?√8.Timeoffeeling stressedout?√9.Timeofinstability?√10. Time ofoptimism?√11. time of highpressure?√12. Time offinding out whoyou are?√13. Time ofsettling down?√14. time ofresponsibility forothers?√15. time ofindependence?√16. time of openchoices?√17. time ofunpredictability?√Downloaded by S. Ananya (ananyaaqua25@gmail.com)lOMoARcPSD|22367756
18. time ofcommitments toothers?√19. Time of self-sufficiency?√20. Time ofmany worries?√21. Time oftrying out newthings?√22. time offocusing onyourself?√23. time ofseparating fromParents?√24. Time ofdefiningyourself?√25. time ofplanning for theFuture?√26. Time ofseeking a senseof meaning?√27. time ofdeciding on yourown beliefs andvalues?√28. Time oflearning to thinkfor yourself?√29. Time offeeling adult insome ways butnot others?√30. Time of√Downloaded by S. Ananya (ananyaaqua25@gmail.com)lOMoARcPSD|22367756
graduallybecominganadult?31.time of beingnot sure whetheryouhavereached fullAdulthood?√Scoring Instructions:Subscale Items to average Identity exploration12,23,24,25,26,27,28Experimentation/ possibilities1,2,4,16,21Negativity/instability3,6,8,9,11,17,20Other-focused13,14,18Self-focused5,7,10,15,19,22Feeling “in-between”29,30,31Transcription (participant 1):Interviewee:good morning, PrateekInterviewee: good morning AnshikaInterviewer: how are you?Interviewee: I’m good what about you?Interviewer:I’m good too, so how was your day?Interviewee:my day was very hectic and I’m tired now but I’m really very excited for thisinterview.Interviewer: so have you been living with your family or alone?Interviewee: I live with my family.Interviewer:okay! That’s great, so what are your hobbies?Interviewee:my hobby is to play volleyball, badminton, reading books and just watch likeNetflix series.Downloaded by S. Ananya (ananyaaqua25@gmail.com)lOMoARcPSD|22367756
Interviewer:okay that’s great. So I hope you are comfortable now?Interviewee:yes I’m comfortable now.Interviewer:so shall I start with the interview?Interviewee: yes you can start.Interviewer:okay so my question is do you feel equipped to make decisions that are beingasked to you right now? And to what extent do you think your decisions impact your life?Interviewee: whenever somebody ask me about my career academics and my relationships Ifeel very ashamed because I don’t know what to do I haven’t decided it yet but I’m sure thatI’ll go in business line because I have very good interest or you can say a very strong interestin business field and for that I have to pursue M.ba so maybe I’ll plan to do M.ba in next fewyears after my graduation and will decide other things after that. For me every aspect of mylife is important from my academics to my relationships with my family my friends etc. butbuilding a good career is also very important. I am taking necessary steps to build a goodcareer for my life and as I said before when people ask me about my career and relationship Ifeel ashamed but deep down I feel that I’m growing in my own way. And yes I think thedecisions I take in my life have an impact own my life. Like will share a common example atthe time of my admission I filled the forms for many universities/colleges so I got selected intwo universities one was DU and the was GBU so DU college was at two- two and a halfdistance and GBU was only about half an hour away from my home. There I decided to getenrolled in DU only and I think that decision changed my life. Interviewer:okay good to know. So the second question is can you describe your approach toyour financial habits?Interviewee:to be very honest I don’t have financial knowledge at all like I just keep mymoney in my bank and that’s all I know everyone should have some financial habits but Ihave started learning about stocks and Krypto so maybe in some time I’ll start investing andmanage my funds like my money to grow faster. And one more thing I would like to addtalking about financial habits one should learn to make a budget and should only spendmoney on essential things. This will really help a person to have stability in terms of finance.Interviewer:the third question is have you compared yourself to your peers in relation towhere you are right now?Downloaded by S. Ananya (ananyaaqua25@gmail.com)lOMoARcPSD|22367756
Interviewee:yes I definitely compare myself to my peers like some of my friends startedworking in corporate sector, some of them are doing internships and they also started earninga good amount by watching them I think that is should also do the same thing which they aredoing. But deep down I feel that comparing is not a good exercise to perform. When wecompare ourselves with others our confidence all our self-concept do get affected which inturn leads to pain but I think when we compare with others we get some feedbacks and fromthose feedbacks we can build ourselves make ourselves grow.Interviewer:agree. so the next question is has there been any shift in you worldview?Interviewee:yes like before I used to think that everyone in the world is same like you, like ifyou do some good thing to someone then the person will also do the same but in today’sworld I don’t think so this is hundred percent true like I’m also not saying that it is not truepeople nowadays are like selfish or they only think about themselves. Interviewer:okay the next question is how has your relationship with your family changedthrough the years?Interviewee:yes I think relationship with my family has also increased because before whenwe sit together my family used not to tell me much about anything like what is going in thefamily but now when we sit together we share things. Like there was a communication gapthat is filled now. Over the years you can say that this communication has filled just becauseof being mature and now I feel like that from our parents we learn so many things about lifethat can help us to know our surrounding the people around us.Interviewer:thank you Prateek for your time and patience it was a nice interview.Interviewee: thank you Anshika it was nice to give an interview.Transcription (participant 2): Interviewer:good evening Bhawna.Interviewee:good evening Anshika.Interviewer: How are you?Interviewee: I’m fine.Interviewer:so Bhawna have you been living with your family or alone these past fewmonths?Downloaded by S. Ananya (ananyaaqua25@gmail.com)lOMoARcPSD|22367756
Interviewee:No, I’m currently with my family.Interviewer:Okay! So do you like today’s weather?Interviewee:yea I am loving today’s weather as the sky turned out to be pink and I just lovecolorful skies.Interviewer:okay! So hope you are comfortable, now I’ll be asking few questions with you.Interviewee:Yeah I’m comfortable. You can ask me now.Interviewer:okay so my first question is do you feel equipped to make decisions that arebeing asked to you right now? And to what extent do you think your decisions impact yourlife?Interviewee: okay so yeah mostly which is necessary at this point… like I’m equippedenough to make the decisions for the same. And first comes the career choice, I think fortoday’s generation and for everybody around us career is the most important thing right now,right. So I feel equipped about the same because I have clear path of what I have to do andwhat not I have to do. I do have a clear view like where I can grow and what measure I needto make for that particular growth in my career life. I am already a step and already takingsteps for the same like to reach a higher point at my career. And the second comes therelationships so I think nowadays relationships, I am not thinking about relationships becauseI feel like I’m just 22.. Right. So this is the age where I can make myself to be an independentone and to be a successful person or either I’ll be distracted by various factors and that willdefinitely for surely impact me in my future. So I feel relationships are that only like they aredistraction for us nowadays. So yeah I feel like its everybody personal choice but what I felland what I observed this is my personal choice that thinking about the relationships andcoming into a relationship is a distraction for you and for your career growth or in anyparticular job or in any particular field where which we are doing we have to prove ourselveseveryday only that will lead us to be like greater person and to be a successful person so if alike if I will be able to do that only when I don't have any distractions around me right and Ifeel relationships are a distraction that I do not know about that I feel it is the right time tocome for the right person and my family will feel so like relationships will comeautomatically. So this is the time where I can make my career and I feel like this is not theright time to think about relationships and everything. And for the academic growth I havedone my graduation and for the post-graduation part I am also thinking as we are notDownloaded by S. Ananya (ananyaaqua25@gmail.com)lOMoARcPSD|22367756
financially strong so I have to do my academic thing my post-graduation by my own and I’mlooking out for options for the same. So yeah I will do that most probably by the next year.So yeah priority is for the career and which I think I’m on it and I think I am taking thenecessary steps for it.Interviewer: okay that was really a good thought to share. Okay the second question is canyou describe your approach to your financial habits?Interviewee:so yeah previously when I was not working I started earning in my college days,I am earning from my college days. So at that time I spend my money on expensive products,which was not even necessary without even thinking twice but now as I stared earning I cameto this thing that a good and a stable person will always think twice while spending foranything which is not even necessary. I think self-care self-love and shopping is kind of atherapy and I do think that but what I think is if you are getting hundred percent of yoursalary part then you should at least save twenty-five percent on monthly basis and you canspend the rest amount and if it is not necessary then you can save from that as well. So mycurrent scenario is I do spent on products which are expensive but I will always think aboutthat like if it is necessary to purchase right now or not so yeah I’ll always think whether it isnecessary to purchase anything or not and I spend accordingly and wisely. Like making abudget is very important to be financially stable.Interviewer: that’s a good approach to be financially stable. So next question is have youcompared yourself to your peers in relation to where you are right now?Interviewee: yes I did this comparison, I always think what kind of a person I was and what Iam right now so what I think is previously I was way too emotional and I get too indulge inpeople’s life and I get to be the life saver.But nowadays I got this feeling or can say I learntmy lesson from the not so good experiences of my life that it is not important and necessaryto run for people who do not need that appreciation like I have a basic thing like if I’m able toanything for anyone which is in my hand I’ll definitely give my best to do that particularthing. So yeah I’m very different the old me previously I consider myself a fool and now I’memotionally strong and I think in future I’ll be more better and good person. Interviewer: so the next question is has there been any shift in you worldview?Interviewee: there is a shift so in like previously I was not that much spiritual person I wasnot into spirituality I like was a kid who always believe in god but now I have a faith in god.Downloaded by S. Ananya (ananyaaqua25@gmail.com)lOMoARcPSD|22367756
These are different from each other. Whenever it is necessary….. not necessary whenever it isneedful and I need to say thank you mostly I say thanks and anything. So yeah I did my partover there and I am a spiritual person and I’m very spiritual person and I’m changedcompletely my scenarios and my things are completely changed and I do pray a lot, I havefaith in religion, I have faith in spirituality. Previously I think achievement is a good person tobe in your surroundings. This is the honest answer like to be a good person. But nowachievement is to be better person in oneself, to be better person to learn about self-care andto think about our happiness and to think about which is necessary for a particular person’sneed.Interviewer:okay that’s great, having faith in god, being spiritual is good. Okay will ask youanother question how has your relationship with your family changed through the years?Interviewee: yes this is definitely, my relationship with my family changed through the years.I was always a person who is like who always fights with everyone and with the person. Butnow I am person who do cares about the family, now I am a person who do like I don’t paythat much attention to the family people previously but now I am person who thinks and caresabout the family. And who thinks like it is necessary to be there for your family in everysituation, to give the family that support which you can which I in your hand like myachievements and my growth is especially for my family. So yeah my relationships with myfamily changed. Interviewer: thank you Bhawna for your time and patience it was a nice interview.Interviewee: it’s a good time for me and I personally liked this interview.Downloaded by S. Ananya (ananyaaqua25@gmail.com)lOMoARcPSD|22367756