Adulthood is often inferred from age and milestones such as marriage, parenthood, and career. This study tested whether perceptions of adulthood – subjective adult status and perceived importance of markers of adulthood – are associated with personality traits in a UK sample (N = 714, age 18–77 years, MAge = 39.30). Regression analyses indicated that subjective adult status, or feeling like an adult, was associated with lower neuroticism and higher conscientiousness. Personality independently explained 27
Lifestyle factors have been linked to cognitive functioning, but their relative contributions to distinct cognitive constructs remain unclear, particularly in non-Western populations. This study examined associations of sleep quality, sleep duration, sedentary behavior, and physical activity with two latent cognitive factors—cognitive efficiency (CE) and working memory (WM). A total of 235 Arabic-speaking adults aged 18–46 (mean age = 26.48; 172 females) completed online cognitive tasks (Stroop, Flanker, Corsi block-tapping, digit updating) and self-report sleep and physical activity measures. The EZ-diffusion model was used to derive drift rates as indicators of CE. A structural equation model specified CE (indicated by Stroop and Flanker drift rates) and WM (indicated by Corsi span and updating) as parallel outcomes regressed on lifestyle predictors and covariates (age, sex, device type, and socioeconomic status). The model demonstrated excellent fit (χ²(39) = 28.97, p = .880; CFI = 1.000; RMSEA = 0.000; SRMR = 0.030). Sleep quality (β = 0.265, p = .018) and age (β = −0.258, p = .032) significantly predicted WM, whereas sedentary behavior showed a marginal association (β = 0.198, p = .070). Predictors explained 21.0
The growing prevalence of adult psychological distress underscores the necessity to identify factors influencing mental health. Although adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) have been linked to loneliness and psychological distress, the long-term consequences of nonviolent ACEs into established adulthood remain poorly understood. This study examined the associations between nonviolent ACEs (family financial difficulties, interparental discord, and parent–child discord) and psychological distress among Taiwanese established adults, positioning social and emotional loneliness as mediators and emotion regulation strategies as moderators. This study utilized secondary data from the 2020, 2022, and 2024 waves of the Panel Study of Family Dynamics (N = 1,906; Mage = 39.25). The findings revealed that each nonviolent ACE linked to psychological distress through differential mediating pathways involving the two forms of loneliness; some adversities exerted purely indirect effects via emotional loneliness or full mediation through both loneliness types, whereas others demonstrated both direct and indirect effects. Furthermore, cognitive reappraisal mitigated psychological distress from parent–child discord by reducing emotional loneliness. Conversely, the benefit of low expressive suppression in reducing social loneliness and psychological distress diminished under childhood family financial difficulties and parent–child discord. These findings contribute to a nuanced understanding of the psychological sequelae of nonviolent childhood adversity and emphasize the role of emotion regulation strategies in facilitating mental health during established adulthood.
Personal expressiveness (PE), the feeling that an activity reflects one’s true self, is a core experiential marker of eudaimonia and identity functioning, signaling that identity commitments are reflective of one’s “daimon.” In adulthood, identity commitments are often organized around relatively stable roles and relationships, suggesting that experiences of personal expressiveness may reflect not only the types of activities individuals pursue but also the relational contexts in which those activities are enacted. The present research examined how social context relates to PE across adulthood. Study 1 analyzed cross-sectional data from 294 adults (Mage = 40.19) who reported on a personally expressive activity and its typical social context. PE did not differ reliably across social formats and showed continuity across adult developmental age groups, though descriptively higher levels emerged in socially embedded pursuits. Study 2 used experience sampling with 52 adults (Mage = 40.46) to examine momentary associations between PE and social context in daily life. Multilevel mediation analyses showed that above-average momentary PE was associated with a greater likelihood of concurrent social presence and was indirectly associated with continued social presence across adjacent sampling occasions through concurrent social presence. Together, these findings suggest that in adulthood, personal expressiveness may function less as a property of specific activities and more as a momentary process through which established identities are socially enacted in daily life.
This study explores the dynamic evolution of purpose among urban Indian married women, highlighting how developmental transitions and cultural expectations shape their sense of self and purpose across two developmental periods of adulthood. Using a social constructivist qualitative approach, thirty-two middle-class women aged 31–55 were interviewed about shifts in purpose during established and middle adulthood. Thematic analysis revealed three distinct pathways during established adulthood post marriage: some women internalized traditional roles; others experienced conflict, reappraising cultural expectations and negotiating for space to pursue personal and professional aspirations; and a third group sustained strong professional identities, balancing work and family while actively redefining their purpose. Core factors enabling purposeful adaptation included competence, social support, and strategic reappraisal of roles. Midlife emerged as a pivotal period for reflection, with women leveraging increased autonomy to reclaim deferred interests and contribute to self and community wellbeing. Findings illuminate how purpose is continuously reconstructed through a bidirectional exchange between person and context, with adaptive strategies bridging traditional norms and individual agency. By distinguishing purpose from meaning, the study underscores the importance of a culturally sensitive purpose navigation and reorientation framework for women’s development and wellbeing, advocating for supportive environments that honor the fluidity and diversity of purposeful engagement in collectivist settings. These insights offer valuable directions for developmental science and mental health policy in a rapidly changing Indian society.
