Linking Holistic Pathways to Adult Roles With Resolution of Tasks and Features of Emerging Adulthood: A Person-Oriented Approach

Abstract

Exploration of emerging adulthood experiences in different cultural settings is considered a central challenge for this area of research. Another concern surrounds the significance of role transitions for the process of becoming an adult. To address the previous, this study investigates the heterogeneity of pathways to adult roles and resolution of tasks and features outlined in the emerging adulthood theory, and the associations between the two, in a sample (N=489; 49.3% women, Mage=24.98, SDage=0.78) of Lithuanian emerging adults. Participants were interviewed with the Life History Calendar and filled a questionnaire, targeting tasks and features of emerging adulthood. Six pathways and three profiles were identified and both were found to be meaningfully associated. Collectively, results show that becoming an adult, in this cultural setting, is best viewed as diverse regarding transitions to adult roles and subjective experiences, and that pathways that emerging adults follow can significantly shape experiences of this period.