Speaker: Prof. Shmuel Shulman
                  Department of Psychology
                  Bsr Ilan University, Israel
Time:        2:00pm – 3:30pm
Date:        July 16 (Wed), 2014
Venue:     Room 101, East Building, IPCAS

Abstract: 

A Many young people nowadays have difficulties taking their first steps into the adult world; settling down in a career and establishing a family. These difficulties are manifested in postponement of developmental transitions, and an increased likelihood of oscillation between transitory and inconsistent states. In my presentation I will try to shed light on fluctuations among young people. Is a longer (and sometime inconsistent) road adaptive, and does it represent individual exploration in the search for one's niche, or do instabilities rather represent personal difficulties that result in floundering.
Based on accumulated data collected over a period of seven years, and taking a biographical approach, I will present and discuss the diverse pathways of career pursuit and development and romantic involvements that characterize young people. I will show that while some young people struggle to cope and find their niche, others might be stuck in the pursuit of unrealistic or unattainable dreams. Similarly, I will discuss the difficulties that young people have in balancing and integrating intimacy and commitment in their romantic involvements, and how this might end in less adaptive interactions.
Taking a developmental psychopathology approach, I will also discuss the role of personality characteristics and family support systems in predicting more and less favorable outcomes in the domains of career and romantic relationships.

Attachment: 

　  Career Pursuit and Romantic Relationships during Emerging Adulthood: Trajectories, Patterns, Precursors and Adaptation(.pdf)