Running head: ADULT DEVELOPMENT SELF-STUDY PAPER

Adult Development Self-Study Paper

Marcus Monteiro
Psychology 230
December 20, 2015
Professor Leland J Peterson, M.Ed.

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Abstract
This self-study paper is designed to review the many aspects, thoughts and emotions I have
encountered during this course study of the adult development process as it relates to the
transitional stages from adolescence through the latter stages of adulthood. The major theme of
this paper is of self-identification; how I have related materials covered in this course to my life
experiences and personal perspectives.

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Transitioning from Adolescence to Adulthood
Taking into account, or summarizing the many insights I have gained from this course
covering the physical, cognitive, social and emotional development of an adult, has brought
about a deeper understanding of self and the personal perspectives and connections I have made
through this course. I initially started this course with the thought that I would encounter
information on adulthood with familiarity. During the past seven weeks, I have been enlightened,
thou not surprised, by the various concepts surrounding adulthood in the latter stages of
development
Adolescence to Early Adulthood
My journey from adolescence to adulthood embodied many adjustments Ive had to make
in my career along with the many unforeseen changes in my personal relationships. The various
stages of development are not only physical but also involve changes in how we understand and
perceive the world in which we live. Along with the physical growth we undergo, we also make
new discoveries about our emotional, social and interactions with our peers. Entering into the
stage of puberty is a life changing event for all. It can bring about distresses and perplexities for
those who are not supported or informed by parents or educators about the many changes taking
place within their body and mind. Without education or guidance, the unknown can be a
frightening position to be in. From adolescence to young adulthood is a continuation of physical,
emotional, and spiritual growth. This is a stage that many are faced with making decisions.
Young adults have a choice to considersome will make a wise decisional choice, others will
not. No matter which direction is chosen, the decision will be one they must take responsibility.
The choices made at this stage, or any other stages in life can have a lifelong aftereffect and
perhaps followed by years of responsibility. Many of the life choices I made during my

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adolescent stage of life were a direct result of my social, economic and cultural environment.
According to ( Durkin, Kevin, 2015) there is also evidence of diversity and the potential to
affect our development by the life choices that we make. Some abilities diminish with age while
others increase; successful aging appears to involve skillful re-balancing of the resources and
opportunities available to us, such that we learn to make the most of our strengths at the same
time as coping with our limitations. Reflecting on my life from 18-30 is very vivid simply
because life at that time was filled discord in the home, peer influences, and the excitement of
the social life. The marker of my transition from adolescent to adulthood was the birth of my first
child. Although biologically I should have and could have been a little older, mentally, I was
prepared. I didnt say to myself, Now I am grown up. Instead, I had no other choice but to say,
Now I must grow up and be responsible as a single parent. As an African American, at that
time, I did not believe that culturally my experience was much different from others of diverse
groups. I believe, that across cultures most females are born with a maternal instinct that kicks in
the moment they give birth. As for socio-economics, I lived a comfortable life; not extravagant,
just at an average lower-end of the middle class. My family (parents) played a significant part of
my transition from adolescence to early adulthood because they wanted to ensure that I took full
responsibility for taking care of my child while completing my high school education.
Living an Adult Life
There were many ideas I encountered throughout this course study covering the
transitional stages of life from adolescence to adulthood. These ideas helped me understand that
theres more to becoming an effective and efficient counselor than merely having the desire or
earning the title denoted by an academic degree. Having an understanding of the developmental
stages from adolescence through the latter stages of adulthood is essential for understanding

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ourselves and our purpose in life. From my experience living in this stage as a mature (senior)
adult, I have gained a profound maturity in my expressions and communications with others.
When Im speaking with an individual or with a group, Ive been keenly aware of the importance
I have incorporated into my listening skills. Even though I have a tendency to want to interject
my thoughts at inopportune moments, Ive refrained as appropriate to listen. I always encourage
others to express their feelings and try my best to maintain eye contact. Im not sure, but I truly
believe that being in the latter stages of adulthood is a major factor. According to (Lang, 2003),
We know that emotions become more salient as adults grow older, as they express emotions
more openly, and both processes are adaptive (Carstensen et al., 1997).
There were many case studies presented which were instrumental to my learning. I
learned that sometimes age doesnt always represent a total freedom as an adult. Culture
diversities are to be taken into consideration when assessing the concerns of a client. To
demonstrate, the case of Betty Lau is a good example. Betty was a 30-year-old Chinese
immigrant who was still living with her parents. Betty was culturally committed to abide by the
obligatory rules of her culture imposed upon her by the needs of her aging parents. Although I
consider myself as sensitive to cultural diversities, it was apparent that I needed to learn the
significant difference in being considerate and knowing the importance of recognizing the
differences in body language and demeanor between cultures. It is important not to make
assumptions, but research and study is an absolute requirement in the field of psychology. If you
feel an inadequacy about counseling a culturally diverse individual, then consulting with your
colleague(s) is a necessity. The most important statement Ive read about the diversity of cultures
was, to an unenlightened counselor or therapist, they may misinterpret the meaning of
avoidance of eye contact, a lower sound of the voice, pauses that go on and, and so forth or, or

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silences. Uhm, further, it's really important for us to realize as I've said in previous tapings that
subtlety is a form of communication style in many cultures. (Associates, 2003) Learning is a
lifelong experience. I gained a clear understanding that Western Europeans may not be
appropriate in the beginning to work with culturally diverse clients. To exemplify; after viewing
the required video presentation by Derald Wing Sue I posted to our discussion forum the
following, Great presentation by Derald Wing Sue! Perhaps my thoughts while watching this
video were due to the courses I have recently taken, or perhaps it just seems like common sense
to me that Bettys cultural dynamics would have been the very first consideration on the part of
the counselor. Just based on Bettys demeanor, responses, or lack thereof with the counselor were
red flags as to how the counselor should have approached this client. Being that there are
obviously counselors out there that dont have a clue on why they must consider the importance
of a clients cultureIm glad that this video is in place as an informative guide. (Monteiro,
2015)
I ask, what then are the alternatives for Western European counselors aside from learning
every aspect of ones culture before engaging in psychoanalytical sessions? It indicated that
learning the different communication styles that include proxemics, kinesics, paralanguage, and
high-low context would be the most beneficial approach. Very interesting! However, this would
not be an easy feat to accomplish. I realize that the stages of development are lifelong affair;
never pausing or taking breaks. As Im at the finish line for achieving my degree in psychology, I
imagine where Ill be five and ten years from now. Ive envisioned myself as a successful
therapist utilizing the many skills and insights I have acquired throughout my tenure here at
UI&I. Everything I do; my thoughts, my perspectives, always come from the heart with the wellbeing of others in mind. After all, does this not represent the mindset and caliber of a helping

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individual? I enjoyed reading the book, Life Worth Living. Its content included the study: Four
Stages Along the Road to Maturity, According to Erikson's Psychosocial Theory One of the
findings of this study was, people feel more self-determined as they become older: in this
sense, at least, people seem to consistently "get better" as they age. (Csikszentmihalyi, 2006, p.
223) From a personal perspective, I cant say that I dont agree with this finding.
Summary
My journey from adolescence to adulthood embodied many adjustments Ive had to make
in my career along with the many unforeseen changes in my personal relationships. The various
stages of development are not only physical but also involve changes of how we understand and
perceive the world in which we live. From adolescence through latter adulthood is a continuation
of physical, emotional, and spiritual growth. According to (Lang, 2003), We know that
emotions become more salient as adults grow older, as they express emotions more openly, and
both processes are adaptive (Carstensen et al., 1997). I have learned that to have an
understanding of the developmental stages of adolescence through the latter stages of adulthood
is essential for understanding ourselves and our purpose in life. Not only must we understand
ourselves, but we must also understand the diversities of others in our life and communities.
Understanding the diversities of others is especially true for those of us pursuing a degree in
counseling. To be an effective multi-cultural counselor requires an understanding of your world
views, the world views of culturally diverse clients that you work with and your ability to
develop culturally appropriate interventions, strategies and helping styles in working with a
pluralistic society that we currently live. I conclude that as an adult in the latter stages of lifes
journey, my understanding of self continuously expands. I completely agree with the concept

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that, people feel more self-determined as they become older: in this sense, at least, people
seem to consistently "get better" as they age. (Csikszentmihalyi, 2006, p. 223)

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Works Cited
Durkin, Kevin. (2015). Adolescence and Adulthood. Retrieved December 16, 2015,
from Intropsy:
http://www.blackwellpublishing.com/intropsych/pdf/chapter10.pdf
Associates, M. (Director). (2003). Multicultural Counseling/Therapy: Culturally
Appropriate Intervention Strategies [Motion Picture].
Csikszentmihalyi, M. &. (2006). Life Worth Living. Cary, NC, USA: Oxford University
Press.
Lang, F. R. (2003). Growing Together : Personal Relationships Across the Life Span.
West Nyack, New York, USA: Cambridge University.
Monteiro, M. (2015). Case Study of Betty Lau. Moreno Valley.