ABSTRACT
Writing in the early 1950s, when many people really did settle down in their late teens or early twenties, Erikson believed that as young adults consolidated identities they progressed to the sixth of his eight developmental tasks: forming long-term intimate relationships with romantic partners and with people in their vocations and communities. A decade of studies has found that religious values, interpersonal styles, career interests and skills, and personal identity continue to develop through the twenties. This chapter provides the conceptual framework for our study. We briefly review theories of psychological development in early or "emerging" adulthood and the "componential" theories of belief systems we seek to evaluate. Then it describes the design of the Study of Social Values and the methods used to conduct and analyze interviews, focus groups, and cyber-memoirs. Surveys show that young adults feel generally positive about their lives and optimistic about their futures, and so do the majority of our respondents.
