Understanding emerging adulthood: examining trends in markers of adulthood over time

Objective Emerging adulthood, generally spanning ages 18 to 30, is characterized by exploration and delayed commitment to traditional adult roles. This study examined whether the importance assigned to individual and traditional markers of adulthood differed across 2 time points.Method Data were drawn from the Emerging Adulthood Measured as Multiple Institutions (EAMMI) and its successor, EAMMi2. We conducted an exploratory comparison of participants’ ratings of markers of adulthood, focusing on both individual criteria and traditional markers related to adult roles and responsibilities.Results Participants at the later time point assigned greater importance to individual markers of adulthood. The importance of traditional markers remained, indicating that increased emphasis on individual criteria did not correspond with reduced endorsement of traditional conceptions of adulthood.Conclusions Contemporary understandings of adulthood may increasingly incorporate individual criteria while continuing to value traditional markers of adult status. Rather than replacing traditional conceptions, individual and traditional markers may coexist within a more multidimensional understanding of adulthood. These findings provide preliminary evidence of possible shifts in how adulthood is defined and highlight the need for future longitudinal research examining changes in markers of adulthood across time and sociocultural contexts.