The objective of this study was to explore how meaning unfolded in the narratives of unemployed young adult graduates. South Africa has the highest youth unemployment rate in the world, which is affecting a growing number of university graduates. This study contributes to the existing body of knowledge about this population by combining insights on unemployment, young adulthood as a distinctive developmental period, and meaning. A qualitative research design, incorporating an existential-humanistic paradigm, was utilised to explore the nuances of personal experiences regarding meaning. A total of 12 participants between the ages of 21 and 30 who had graduated and had been unemployed for at least six months took part in individual interviews. Rich data were gathered through narrative interviews, and a narrative analysis yielded findings that demonstrated the uniqueness of each story and common themes that emerged. The participants had experienced a loss of meaning when expectations of employment were disappointed, which inspired efforts to seek meaning. Commitment to their original purpose through further education, connecting with supportive people, being involved in meaningful activities, and reflecting on how to obtain new coherence and growth restored their sense of meaning. The findings suggest that the ability to pursue new avenues of meaning can be cultivated as a valuable resource during unemployment. Stakeholders involved in graduates’ transition to work should consider including meaning-focused interventions to prepare graduates for the labour market and to curb the deleterious effects of unemployment. / Thesis (PhD)--University of Pretoria, 2019. / Psychology / PhD / Unrestricted

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This study was conducted to explore the adulthood transition experiences of Utah high-school graduates, with heightened focus on the application value of educational content from the course, Adult Roles. The purpose of the study was identified through experiential interactions with high-school graduates, and was supported by research on 21st century adulthood transitions shown to divert away from traditional adulthood markers. The inconsistency between modern adulthood transition behaviors and traditionally held adulthood assumptions lead to negative perceptions about young adult’s capability to adapt to adulthood. The researcher was motivated to investigate opportunities that may provide increased preparation for the transition into adulthood. Exploring the level of adulthood preparation and the methods of preparation was completed by conducting a survey and follow-up interviews, using questions pertaining to traditional and modern adulthood markers. The study was designed to take place during the spring 2019 semester, gathering experiences from participants in two parts. A 16 question, online survey was completed by 39 Utah State University students, and 287 Utah high-school graduates not enrolled in college to assess the level of preparation and methods of acquiring preparation to transition into adulthood, according to specific responsibilities. Follow-up interviews with seven volunteers from the Utah State University participants, consisted of 11 questions, to explore specific adulthood preparation received from enrollment in the Adult Roles course. Concluding results found that Utah high-school graduates perceived themselves as “moderate-positively” prepared for the adulthood transition responsibilities aligned with traditional adulthood markers. Preparation levels for 21st century markers show “minimally prepared” perceptions. The study determined enrollment in the life-skills course, Adult Roles, provided a moderate benefit to transitional experiences. Findings show that high-school graduates seeking a college degree have more positive perceptions of preparedness than graduates not seeking a college degree. Concluding findings show the level of preparedness for adult responsibilities, reflect the instructional emphasis on adulthood markers found within the Adult Roles curriculum. The study suggests that environments influencing adulthood preparation have the potential to support youth adult’s transitional experiences by incorporating preparation related to 21st century adulthood markers.

Thesis advisor: Judith A. Vessey / Significance of Problem: Emerging adults (ages 18-30) with type 1 diabetes (T1D) are a specific group that experiences worse glycemic control, more frequent severe hypoglycemia and more frequent diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) than any other age group. The multiple transitions and stressors associated with the developmental stage of emerging adulthood can magnify and exacerbate the diabetes specific emotional burden of living with T1D, resulting in increased diabetes distress (DD). However, there is no measure of DD specific to the developmental stage of emerging adulthood. Purpose: The purpose of this program of research is to explicate the need for a developmental stage-specific measure of DD, as well as to develop, refine and psychometrically validate a new measure of DD in emerging adults. Method: This multi-phase study employed methods grounded in both item response theory (Rasch analysis) and classical test theory to reduce, refine and validate a new measure of DD in emerging adulthood, entitled the Problem Areas in Diabetes-Emerging Adult version (PAID-EA). In phase 1, data were collected from emerging adults with T1D using a cross-sectional online survey strategy. Rasch methodology was used to reduce and refine the PAID-EA. In phase 2, an additional cross-sectional online survey was conducted using the refined PAID-EA. Classical test theory-based approaches were employed to examine the psychometric properties of the refined measure. Finally, the relationships between scores on the PAID-EA and related constructs and clinical variables were explored. Conclusions: Collectively, this work advances the science by providing insight into how the challenges of emerging adulthood impact life with T1D during this developmental stage and providing a new measure to accurately and validly capture this experience for both clinical and research purposes. / Thesis (PhD) — Boston College, 2021. / Submitted to: Boston College. Connell School of Nursing. / Discipline: Nursing.

Violence against children indicates factors like physical, psychological, emotional or financial damage. This is also associated with the fact that children that are exposed to domestic violence, also witness violence between their parents. The concept of violence against children can be interpreted in a long or short term  and from childhood to adulthood. This perspective is associated with the perception that domestic violence affects children's health, survival development and dignity. The purpose of this study is to examine the consequences of domestic violence during their childhood. By using autobiographies it will be possible to create a greater understanding of how domestic violence is portrayed from an individual and societal perspective. This will be associated with the understanding of what consequences are created by domestic violence from the authors childhood to adulthood. Autobiographies will make it possible for the reader to get an insight into the consequences of violence from the individual himself. The issues that will be presented in the study are first, How are the consequences of violence for the child's growth during childhood  described in autobiographies and why exactly. Secondly, What support is given to children exposed to violence in social work and what difference has it made. This study also explores social work with abused children. In conjunction with the second issue of the study , we will highlight what kind of help that these individuals experienced when they needed help and what kind of difference this made for them in their adulthood.  To create an understanding for the social work with abused children, this study will highlight which interventions that are included in social work, for example call processing with foster children or even children or young people that need help to become drug free. This study's theoretical starting point has been about the attachment theory. The aim of the attachment theory was to create a greater understanding for the development of an individual at a very young age. The result of our study will be shown from an individual level of perspective. An individual level in a way where the three different authors will present their own statements and stories by their own experiences of domestic violence. The presented consequences by the impact of violence  that the authors were exposed to growing up. It shows a general result of  a stronger mindset and strive, within the authors, to build a more stable life as adults. The result of this study will also show obvious negative consequences such as mental illness, while the authors were growing up. It will also show consequences in terms of damaged social relationships, both in external relations such as friends but also in internal relations like the relationships between siblings. The authors present their stories where they show experiences of difficulties during their childhood and adolescence, struggling with their past as abused children. The results that are shown in conjunction with this studies' first question at issue are that the support measures that come from social services has not been enough in terms of help for these authors that have experienced domestic violence as children. Although, as the authors are growing up, we can state that they get stronger and somehow they have managed to use their vulnerable childhood as a momentum.

Existing research concerning the effects of empathy development has primarily focused on the role of parents, culture, and education but has overlooked the role of siblings. This current retrospective study investigates sibling relationship quality and cognitive and affective empathy in young adults to address the question of whether siblings influence young adults’ empathy processes. A total of 205 young adults participated in the study and completed questionnaires examining their sibling relationship quality and empathy. Strong positive relationships were observed between affective empathy and sibling relationship quality, which suggests that siblings may play a unique role in shaping each other’s affective empathy development. Young adults with a sibling who made a positive impact on them had higher sibling relationship quality and affective empathy scores. Additionally, female participants showed higher affective empathy and quality relationship with their siblings than male participants.

Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) / For adults with intellectual disability life as an adult is more constrained, with fewer opportunities; the literature indicates that intellectual disability negatively impacts people across multiple life domains. Despite this adverse influence, it is largely unknown how those with intellectual disability describe their experiences with adulthood. The current study utilizes photo-elicitation interviewing methodology in an attempt to rectify this deficit. Photo-elicitation research methodology uses images, rather than text, to construct queries and prompt responses. This approach is generally undertaken in disability studies to accommodate participants’ verbal and cognitive challenges, to make abstract concepts concrete, to provide opportunity for meaningful participation, and to empower subjects within the research environment. In this study, photo-elicitation interviewing was employed with a sample of 11 young adults with intellectual disability to discover how adulthood might differ in comparison with typical peers. Participants shared their perceptions of adulthood and experiences related to family, learning/education; community/volunteering/spiritual or faith community/employment/vocation; housing/neighborhood; friends/supportive relationships/personal connections; hobbies/fun; personal health. Results replicate participants’ endorsement of the same broad criteria for adulthood attainment as typified by normative peers in the emerging adulthood literature: acceptance of responsibility for oneself; independent decision-making; financial independence. Salient emergent findings specific to the study population indicated that adulthood differs in comparison with typical peers in relation to (1), advocacy efforts to increase awareness and value of the disability experience; (2), the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic; (3), the need for continued access to support services. Access to services can only be achieved through increasing awareness of this need, recognizing the importance of this need, and prioritizing policy change to meet this need. Participants in this study have indicated that they are more than up to the task of increasing awareness through advocacy, yet it falls to social institutions such as education and government to recognize this need for ongoing support and to prioritize this need by implementing service provision policy change. / 2024-05-26

Prior research suggests a gender difference in friendship intimacy where men repeatedly report less intimacy. While several studies have identified a gender difference, others have raised alternative possibilities to explain the gender difference, such as measurement error, or that men’s friendships function differently from women’s friendships. Our qualitative study explored the possibility that men’s friendships are different than what is described in the literature using an inductive and anonymous online survey. The collected data from 64 self-identified men in emerging adulthood (19-25 years) was thematically analyzed to present a thematic map of their perception of intimacy in close friendship. Findings indicated that the participants valued their close friendships highly and that the generated themes showed an overall high degree of similarity with earlier studies. However, the themes confrontational honesty, flow, and timeless connection diverged from prior research and are discussed. We provide suggestions for future research that can advance the understanding of the divergent themes, and further the understanding of intimacy in men’s close same-gender friendships.

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