Journey of Adulthood: International Edition (7e)

For undergraduate courses in Adulthood and Aging, Gerontology, and Adult Development.

This best-selling book discusses the aspects of “successful aging,” covering growth and development from emerging adulthood to old age, and the impact that culture, gender, ethnicity, and individual differences have on these processes.

For Barbara Bjorklund, the subject matter in Journey of Adulthood has never been far from home: as a middle-aged adult who is on this very journey along with her husband, looking ahead toward their parents who are in late adulthood and back toward their children who are making their own way through young adulthood, she has found that there is always room to learn - always room to grow. One of the major goals of this text is to capture this dynamic process of adult development from emerging adulthood to the end of life. Its core is made up of research findings from large longitudinal studies  and major theories of adult development, but it also reflects smaller studies of diverse groups, showing the influences of gender, culture, ethnicity, race, and socioeconomic background on this journey. Combined, this material creates for an exciting and thorough view on the process of "successful aging."

Click here to hear author Barbara  Bjorklund discuss the new edition of The Journey of Adulthood!  www.youtube.com/watch?v=M58giaf0Xho

Table of Contents

Inclusion of Emerging Adulthood as a stage (age 18 to 24) in every chapter, including review tables at ends of chapters.

Research updated in every chapter – about 30 percent new references.

New suggested reading – about 50 percent new.

Chapter 1

Updated timeline of historical events.

Epigenetic Inheritance added to section on Interactionist viewpoint.

Bronfenbrenner’s model updated to include Bioecological Model

Chapter 2

New research on relationship between telomere length and leisure time activities.

New research on caloric restriction and longevity.

New findings on obesity as a risk factor in many age-related health problems and diseases.

New findings that obesity rates are leveling off in the U.S. in the last 10 years.

Updated plastic surgery data for top ten procedures.

Updated data on joint replacement surgery.

Updated risk factors for major age-related disorders.

New findings on young adults and sleep problems.

Young adults and sexual problems (lack of desire due to fatigue).

Chapter 3

Data on recent decline in disability rates in U.S.

New section on Diabetes and a major age-related disease.

Mild cognitive impairment and personality change as precursors of Alzheimer’s disease.

Data showing that lifestyle factors are stronger than genes for Alzheimer’s disease in some people.

Effects of mental health disorders in emerging adulthood, such as dropout rate in high school and college.

Discussion of socioeconomic status and its association with health.

New studies linking racial inequality with health.

Cross cultural studies showing how optimism is related to good health and long life.

How positive affect in college students protects from stress-related health problems.

Research showing relationship between adult obesity and family income during infancy.

Research showing connection between prenatal stress and heart disease.

Chapter 4

Major changes making the chapter less about cognitive psychology and more about various memory components that change over adulthood. More applications to real life situations.

Explanation of declarative and non-declarative memory.

New research on age-related changes in primary and working memory.

Real world cognition for interpersonal problems.

Stereotype threats and memory.

The new stage of emerging adulthood and the social role transitions it involves.

Updated census figures for age of marriage, extent of cohabitation in U.S and worldwide.

New ideas on the “marriage benefit” – the Marital Crisis Effect.

Updated census figures on age of first births and mother’s marital status in U.S. and worldwide.

New data and theories on division of labor in two-career families with and without children.

New research on division of labor among same-sex couples with and without children.

Discussion of Jung’s ideas of gender at midlife.

New data on baby boomers and life satisfaction with multiple roles.

Discussion about how much older adults value independence.

Results of caregivers who “over-sympathize” and the problems it causes the person receiving their care.

Chapter 6

New studies of attachment theory applied to adulthood.

Attachment orientation in adults and caregiver orientation.

New research using the convoy model applied to health.

Evolutionary psychology applied to mate selection.

Research on romantic preferences based on speed dating data.

Longitudinal research predicting quality of marriage over 10 to 15 years.

Committed cohabitation and it’s effects in U.S. and worldwide.

Same sex marriages and partnerships, same sex parents.

The effects of being “out of the closet” on  same sex relationships.

How grandparents “level the playing field” for kids in single parent homes.

The “grandmother effect” from evolutionary psychology.

Updated data on workforce by age and gender.

Discussion of Marcia’s theory of identity achievement in emerging adulthood and its relevance to vocational interests choices.

Research on men in nontraditional jobs; men as stay-at-home dads.

Studies showing that older workers rank higher in many job-related skills.

Studies of non-traditional college students.

New gender breakdowns of college majors.

Unemployment statistics affected by recent recession.

Effects of job insecurity (anticipation of job loss).

New research on how couples divide up paid labor and household labor.

New models that explain divisions of household labor.

Division of labor and childcare in same-sex couples.

Updated retirement statistics as a result of recession of 2008.

Chapter 8

How personality can be changed by changing beliefs about personality change.

Link between personality traits and health in older adults.

Link between personality traits and health of spouse.

Discussion of Erikson’s stages in terms of delayed acquisition of stages.

New thoughts on self-determination theory.

Chapter 9

Updated survey results about religion and other belief systems.

Moral reasoning linked with college students’ concern for the environment.

Evolutionary psychology viewpoint on religion and human social cognitive systems.

Chapter 10

New research on stress related health problems due to racial discrimination and victimization.

New research on stress related health problems due to membership in a political minority.

Findings of college students’ reactions to discrimination.

Research on social support in older adulthood.

Research on happy marriages as coping mechanisms.

New findings on resilience in older adulthood.

Discussion of self-identity as a factor for resilience.

Chapter 11

Updated survey results on afterlife beliefs.

New data on living wills and organ donor status.

New discussion on finitude – the acceptance that life in finite and one will not live forever.

Update on hospice statistics.

Update on physician assisted suicides in the U.S. and worldwide.

Chapter 12

Review of all chapters presented chronologically.

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