Rethinking adult development: Introduction to the special issue

Abstract

This is the introduction for the special issue of American Psychologist titled "Rethinking Adult Development: New Ideas for New Times." It highlights the main themes of the special issue and discusses the implications of current trends for future directions. Entry to adult family and work roles now comes later than ever before. More adults than in the past remain single, or coupled but "child-free," and fertility rates have declined, so that caring for children no longer dominates the entirety of adult life. The "knowledge economy" of today takes greater educational preparation and skill development but makes work more cognitively challenging and potentially rewarding than in the past. Adults not only live longer than ever before but are healthier for longer. Likely future trends include greater presence and involvement of grandparents and great-grandparents in children's lives and greater involvement in paid and unpaid work past age 60. Questions and challenges include continuing changes in the nature of family and work arrangements, as well as time devoted to electronic media use. Altogether, the study of adult development presents a great array of fascinating and important questions for psychological research with implications for interventions and policy.