Adulthood | EssayIvy.com

Running head: ADULTHOOD

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Subject: Psychology

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Level: MASTERS

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ADULTHOOD

Mahmud (2004) described adulthood as a period of intellectual and physical maturity i.e.

dating period and getting into marriage. It is also a moment when an individual would bear social

responsibility by leaving an environment that is protective to take care of themselves. There are

theories that explain cognitive development in adults as they fail in thinking and possible causes

to this situation. This paper aims at describing causes and failures in adult thinking and reasons

why they feel screwed up even if they think they are smart.

Langer (1978) described mindlessness as a failure in adult thinking. This is a situation

stimulated when they cannot aggressively engage themselves in immediate surroundings when

making distinctions. Most interestingly, a proximate cause is by the experience they have when

an activity is repeated several times. In some instances, single exposure to activity can cause

mindlessness because an adult does not adequately scrutinize available information, as he cannot

understand circumstances that lead to a specific situation. Thus, an adult does not find anything

to think of because the activity is minimal.

In development psychology, cognitive failures in adult thinking are often associated with

their aging. Adults describe that their future is limited and time left in pursuing their goals is not

enough. This type of thinking is a failure as it makes them get concerned of only the present and

not the future that is near distant. This is caused by differences in age related issues as the future

they anticipate leads to emotional and knowledge related goals. Concerning this, their knowledge

becomes limited and has direct impacts on their socio-emotional experiences.

Danner’s article describes egocentrism as a failure in adult thinking. Egocentrism in this case

is a process in which adult characteristic ways of understanding some information makes him/her

perceive reality in a wrong way Piaget (1970). Intellectual tools that make adults think about

ADULTHOOD

their own thoughts and make conclusions of other people’s motives traps them in inadequate

forms that are painful as in the case of adolescents. Causes that encourage adult egocentrism

include: stress brought by some situations such as divorce or job interviews, change of roles for

example divorce that makes them uncomfortable and feeling single among other couples, work

competition settings if one’s stand falls or rises and being defeated on making a choice of who to

talk to and what information to give them. Lastly, focusing on one self by being alone and social

isolation is another cause Ross and Sicoly (1979). Even though in their thinking of perceiving

things in a wrong way has consequences that are not wanting, they can regulate their behavior

appropriately hence think in a right way.

Another failure of adult thinking is inattentiveness and concentration that is caused by failure

in following directions, paying attention to detail and listening to other people. This can cause

overwhelming in parenting as consequences such as neglecting, abuse and embarrassment will

rise. This thinking about themselves and not being attentive to their children or other people can

disturb their thoughts. To solve this problem they need to think straight, adjust their attitude, and

get back to reality

Some adults have depressive thinking caused by loss of memory (Hartlage, Alloy, Vazquez,

& Dykman, 1993). Sometimes they report their inability to remember words said by other people

or what they are asked to do. They fail in memorizing the information and cannot think any

further to remember. On the other hand, some may result in having cognitive impairment signs

such as dementia.

Adults fail in adequately resolving problems of either their children or other people. They do

this because of fear by thinking that they are not perfect enough resulting in discomfort.

ADULTHOOD

Moreover, adult sexual dysfunctions, and neuroses cause this failure. Psychological development

in adults is based on resolving early conflicts among young people without fear. This brings an

understanding that reasoning and thinking needs focus on psychological development.

Adults fail in fully carrying out disjunctive reasoning unless they are told it is necessary.

This failure is caused by a rule that engaging brain is only when everything else fails. If

information given is difficult, adults do not think about it. On the other hand, an easiest one that

is wrong is the one they proceed in making inferences. This is cognitive miser characteristic

whereby they have a tendency of not looking at the information that is not stated but the one that

can be inferred. The reason why disjunctive reasoning does not take place is that cognitive

processing quickly takes place.

Human beings are intelligent and smart in thinking. However, they think they are smart by

not dwelling on the past making them screwed because emotion trajectory in age goes high

hence their goals of striving in future become less relevant. Moreover, their thinking that they are

smart in being inattentive because they feel what bothers them is disturbing screws them too, as

they will be emotionally upset in turn believing that they are unreasonable.

In my opinion, adulthood is divided in three stages i.e. early, middle, and final one.

Thinking failures can occur in all stages, some in early stages, and others on final one only. Most

of their failures are caused by aging as some lose memory, lack concentration, disjunctive

reasoning and, attentiveness, become mindlessness, not resolving conflicts well and egocentrism.

Although human beings thinking may be smart, factors may fade it especially in adults and this

screws them. Consequences from these failures may affect younger adults or children or even

fellow older adults. Moreover, some conditions may rise such as dementia but not in all adults.

ADULTHOOD

References

Goldstein, S., & Ellison, A. T. (2003). Clinicians' guide to adult ADHD: Assessment and intervention.

Princeton, NJ: Recording for the Blind & Dyslexic.

Honos-Webb, L. (2010). The gift of adult ADD: How to transform your challenges & build on your

strengths. Sydney, N.S.W.: Read How You Want.

Salkind, N. J. (2006). Encyclopedia of human development: Volume 2, F-O. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage

Publications.

ADULTHOOD

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