Positive Relationships as an Indicator of Flourishing During Emerging Adulthood

Abstract

In this chapter we argue that positive development takes place within the context of relationships, and we review research on a number of relationships that emerging adults may have during this time period. This chapter explores theories of how and why relationships may be influential, and it reviews research on the role that relationships with members of one’s family of origin (parents, grandparents, and siblings) and with peers (friends, romantic partners, and spouses) play in flourishing during emerging adulthood. The way in which young people navigate these changing relationships, and the new patterning of relationships that are formed, may play important roles in the extent to which young people flourish during the third decade of life.

Predicting educational and social–emotional outcomes in emerging adulthood from intelligence, personality, and socioeconomic status.

“…Finally, this age of possibilities implies a wide range of available pathways and futures, because there is no standard trajectory through emerging adulthood. Overall, emerging adulthood constitutes a critical juncture in human development that forecasts individual differences in developmental outcomes across the entire life course (Lott, 2019; Padilla-Walker & Nelson, 2017; Tanner, 2006).…”

Family relationships during emerging adulthood : longitudinal course and associations with emotional and academic adjustment

“…Next, although siblings are often considered a more peripheral relationship during emerging adulthood, and have received considerably less research attention compared to peer and parent-child relationships ( Padilla-Walker et al, 2017), the present study indicates that these relationships are actually quite dynamic during emerging adulthood.…”

“…We chose to focus on the sibling dyad in particular rather than parent-child relationships because of the more reciprocal nature of this relationship compared to parent-child relationships (Buhrmester & Furman, 1990), and because of our more limited understanding of emerging adults' sibling relationships. Indeed, research on emerging adult sibling relationships is only in its infancy (Padilla-Walker, Memmott-Elison & Nelson, 2017). As such, we were able to examine over-time changes in sibling relationships from both siblings' perspectives (Aim 1), as well as associations between sibling relationship qualities and both siblings' emotional (Aim 2) and academic (Aim 3) outcomes.…”

“…The study of sibling relationships during emerging adulthood is only in its infancy ( Padilla-Walker et al, 2017), but both theory (e.g., Conger & Little, 2010) and empirical work (e.g., Lindell et al, 2014;Scharf et al, 2005;Whiteman et al, 2011) suggests that sibling relationships undergo significant changes when first-borns leave the family home to attend post-secondary education. Typically, changes include decreases in conflict, and increases in relationship satisfaction and emotional connection, despite decreases in communication and shared time.…”

“…The study of sibling relationships during emerging adulthood is still in its infancy compared to research on other close relationships during this developmental period ( Padilla-Walker et al, 2017). Thus, Study 2 provided important advances in our understanding of sibling relationships during this period.…”