What Do You Want to Accomplish in the Next 10 Years? The Goals of Emerging Adults

Abstract

Emerging adulthood is a period characterized by transition. Individuals in this stage of development find themselves in between adolescence and young adulthood, faced with consequential decisions related to their educational attainment, career trajectory, and the overall direction of their life course. This study focused on the goal-setting behavior of emerging adults. Data were collected through interviews with individuals between the ages of 18 and 25 (N = 91). It was expected that the goals of this group would be oriented toward more individualistic pursuits, with less emphasis placed on more collectivistic goals. It also was anticipated that interviewees would have wide-ranging and multiple goals, which is reflective of the exploratory nature of emerging adulthood. Results show partial support for these hypotheses as interviewees listed more collectivistic goals than anticipated, but also were likely to list multiple and wideranging goals.

Keywords

• emerging adulthood
• goals
• identity
• life course
• qualitative methods