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Learning is on the one side happing every day. On the other side, adult participation in (formal and non-formal) learning is low, especially in Germany and for certain subgroups (e.g., with low educational attainment). It is well known that with the acquisition of knowledge over a lifetime many positive findings are associated. Hence, we propose that measuring learner identity might be a helpful construct for predicting and influencing lifelong learning. However, measurement options for learner identity are sparse. Hence, the present paper tries to adapt and validate a scale to measure learner identity. For that, we first adapted the Dimensions of Identity Development Scale questionnaire (Luyckx et al., 2008). Second, internal construct validity and external construct validity were established. For the latter, as in other studies, self-esteem, depressive symptoms (Luyckx et al., 2008) and openness (Crocetti et al., 2008) were used. Curiosity and epistemological beliefs were assessed as well, because according to the division of cognitive labor, we must gain knowledge from different sources to deal with life’s complexity (Bromme, 2005). Third, Marcia’s identity status (1964) was identified using a clustering approach. The mean age of the 124 participants was 21.90 years (SD = 3.23). Most participants were female (80.6%), and the majority were studying for a teaching post at the bachelor’s level (68.5%). Finally, one student per identity status was interviewed (n = 4) using a topic guide based on Marcia’s (1964) identity status interview. In this way, an explanatory mixed-method design was applied (Creswell & Plano Clark, 2011). Both, the quantitative and the qualitative approach seem fruitful to assess learner identity. Analysis indicated that learner identity is different from epistemological beliefs. Learner identity is highly relevant to how learning situations are approached and how strong the commitment to learning activities and goals is.

The COVID-19 pandemic is impacting emerging adults during a crucial developmental period, which may have long-lasting effects on their developmental task progression and psychosocial adjustment. Because self-efficacy is a well-researched psychological resource to deal with substantial challenges, the present study examined the link between emerging adults’ life- and domain-specific satisfaction during the pandemic and self-efficacy before the pandemic. Drawing on a sample of 377 German emerging adults (56.5% female), we found that self-efficacy prior to the pandemic was not associated with life or domain-specific satisfaction during the pandemic. However, results revealed that associations between domain-specific satisfaction during the pandemic and self-efficacy varied by educational attainment. Results are discussed in light of specific circumstances related to the progression of the pandemic in Germany, possible non-response bias, as well as implications for social policy and future research.

The present mixed-methods study examined the relationship between socioeconomic status (SES) and the experience of emerging adulthood (EA). In Study 1, the associations among SES, EA, and critical life events (CLEs) were explored. CLEs were examined as a mediator between SES and EA in a German sample ( N = 3,269). Participants’ educational attainment, SES, and occupation-related prestige were associated with the experience of EA. For example, lower SES was associated with higher perceived instability, with more experienced CLEs mediating this relationship. Lower SES was associated with a higher number of CLEs, which, for example, was related to more focus on others. In Study 2, interview data from emerging adults with low educational attainment who were engaged in vocational training ( N = 12) were analyzed. In addition to reporting many CLEs, themes regarding their perception of their current life phase were established, indicating that low-SES youth experience aspects of EA as well.

This article introduces the special issue, International Perspectives on Identity and Acculturation in Emerging Adulthood. The idea for this issue was put forward by emerging scholars at the 7th Biennial Conference of the Society for the Study of Emerging Adulthood in Miami, FL, in October 2015. This special issue gathers qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods studies from North America, Europe, and South Africa on identity and acculturation in diverse samples. The five papers seek to shed light on the interplay of ethnicity, identity, and acculturation processes in underresearched contexts, in terms of either country or subpopulations within a country.

The present study tested if worries about the economy was associated with life satisfaction and if this association was mediated by individuals’ self-reported number of close friends. A longitudinal mediation model was employed across three time points with data from the beginning of the recession in 2008, the midst of the recession in 2011, and the recovery phase in 2013. A diverse sample of German emerging adults aged 18 to 29 (M (SD) age = 23.28 (3.53); 52.3% females at baseline) was selected. Results partly supported the hypotheses. More worries about the economy were associated with fewer close friends and having fewer friends was related to lower levels of life satisfaction. However, after considering the impact of covariates (e.g., gender, age, employment status), the study yielded slightly different results. Implications and practical applications for emerging adults’ well-being in light of economic strain are discussed.

This study examined how the endorsement of work values changed over time and investigated the role of socioeconomic status in the development of work values. A 5-year longitudinal sample of Korean adolescents was used. Three work values were measured: Extrinsic reward, working conditions, and personal development. Findings indicate that Korean adolescents’ endorsement of extrinsic reward and working conditions declines modestly over time, while no systematic change was found in the personal development value. Adolescents from a lower socioeconomic status were generally less likely to endorse work values than those from higher socioeconomic status. Implications regarding career interventions are discussed.

It is a well-established fact that forming a mature and coherent political identity is one developmental task in adolescence and young adulthood. However, given different degrees of commitment on the regional, national, and European level, the question remains whether young people’s identification varies among those spheres? Drawing on data from the European Catch-EyoU-project, it was the goal of this study to examine whether young people can be classified according to their identification toward their home country and Europe and how these types are associated with age, gender, country as well as political interest, tolerance, and political participation. The study is based on adolescents and young adults from the Czech Republic, Germany, Great Britain, Greece, Estonia, Italy, Portugal, and Sweden (N= 9,339;Mage=19.62; 59.1% female). Cluster analysis revealed five types of young people’s identification with country and Europe which showed significant associations between group membership and tolerance, political interest, and participation. The implications of distinguishing types of identification and their associations with political outcomes are discussed.

The present article challenges the assumption that later timing of sexual experiences is unequivocally associated with higher psychosocial adjustment. Data from two representative cross-sectional German studies conducted in 1996 and 2005 were analyzed to examine the psychosocial adjustment of young adults (age 20–29) who had their first sexual experiences early (before age 16), at an average age (between age 16 and 18), or late (later than age 18 or not yet). Early timing of sexual experiences was associated with lower educational attainment. Late timing of sexual experiences was associated with poorer social relations. Early and late timing of sexual experiences were associated with lower subjective well-being. Results were replicated across the two studies and controlled for sociodemographic characteristics and (in Study 1) early adversities, parental involvement, and pubertal timing. These findings show that not only early but also late timing of first sexual experiences can be associated with lower psychosocial adjustment in selected domains in young adulthood. Further research is needed to understand maladaptive correlates of late sexual timing.