Section 3.4 Early adulthood (18-40 years)

According to cognitive development theories discussed in unit 2, adults in this stage exhibit advanced problem-solving, abstract thinking, and planning abilities. They are capable of complex reasoning about career goals, relationships, and life decisions, cognitive flexibility improves, allowing for adaptation to new situations and challenges, cognition begins to stabilize, reaching a peak around the age of 35.

Early adulthood is a time of relativistic thinking, in which young people begin to become aware of more than simplistic views of right vs. wrong. They begin to look at ideas and concepts from multiple angles and understand that a question can have more than one right (or wrong) answered. The need for specialization results in pragmatic thinking using logic to solve real-world problems while accepting contradiction, imperfection, and other issues. Finally, young adults develop a sort of expertise in either education or career, which further enhances problem-solving skills and the capacity for creativity. Young adults tend to score higher on tests of fluid intelligence, while middle adults tend to score higher on tests of crystallized intelligence. They may want absolute answers from absolute authorities. Many young adults particularly those who have attended college develop the ability to reason logically, solve theoretical problems, and think abstractly. They have reached Piaget’s formal operations stage of cognitive development.