Chapter 18 Summary

1. Adult cognition can be studied in any of several ways: using a stage approach, a psychometric approach, or an information-processing approach. This chapter focuses on postformal thinking, a term used to describe adult cognitive development that may follow Piaget’s four stages.
2. Many researchers believe that in adulthood the complex and conflicting demands of daily life produce a new cognitive perspective. Postformal thinking is not the automatic result of maturation, so it is not a traditional “stage,” but it is a higher level of thought.
3. Postformal thought is practical, flexible, and dialectical (that is, more capable of combining contradictory elements into a comprehensive whole). Adults use their minds to solve the problems that they encounter, anticipating and deflecting difficulties.
4. One hallmark of adult thought is the ability to combine emotions and rational analysis. This ability is particularly useful in responding to social understanding and actions, because each relationship requires complex and flexible responses.
5. Stereotypes and stereotype threat interrupt thinking processes and thus can make people seem intellectually less capable. Ideally, adults find ways to overcome such liabilities.
6. Dialectical thinking synthesizes complexities and contradictions. Instead of seeking absolute, immutable truths, dialectical thought recognizes that people and situations are dynamic, ever-changing.

7. Thinking about questions of morality, faith, and ethics may also progress in adulthood. Specific moral opinions are strongly influenced by culture and context, but adults generally become less self-centered as they mature.
8. As people mature, life confronts them with ethical decisions, including many related to human relationships and the diversity of humankind. According to Fowler, religious faith also moves beyond culture-bound concepts toward universal principles.

9. Research over the past several decades indicates not only that college graduates are wealthier and healthier than other adults but also that they think at a more advanced level. Over the years of college, students gradually become less inclined to seek absolute truths from authorities and more interested in making their own decisions.
10. Today’s college students are unlike those of a few decades ago. In every nation, the sheer number of students has multiplied, and students’ backgrounds are more diverse ethnically, economically, and in every other way.
11. Colleges as institutions have also changed, becoming larger and catering more to students who are focused on careers in business rather than on ideas and theories. In addition, enrollment in publicly funded institutions has increased. The cost of college has become a major consideration for many in the United States.
12. Students and institutions have changed, but college education still seems to benefit emerging adults, intellectually and financially. Some changes, particularly the increased diversity among students and faculty, are likely to foster deeper thinking.