Two central life domains, love and work, are described as the focus of identity exploration in emerging adulthood. The present theoretical overview suggests an additional perspective. Current postmodern processes in Western industrialized countries set the stage for the saliency of a new developmental task in emerging adulthood: finding the meaningful life. This task is enacted in various domains of life including love and work. The pursuit in either domain is different in diverse cultures that ascribe different levels of importance and allow different levels of autonomy in each domain. Thus, a given domain may be more or less salient as a source of meaning in life. The studies in this special issue accord with this new viewpoint even though they were not conceptualized from this perspective. Current research has just begun to examine the search for meaningful life in emerging adulthood. Research is therefore called for to address this lacuna.
AckoffR. L. (1981). Creating the corporate future: Plan or be planned for. New York, NY: John Wiley.
2.
ArdichviliA.KuchinkeK. P. (2009). International perspectives on the meanings of work and working: Current research and theory. Advances in Developing Human Resources, 11, 155–167. doi:10.1177/1523422309333494
3.
ArnettJ. J. (2000). Emerging adulthood: A theory of development from the late teens through the twenties. American Psychologist, 55, 469–480.
4.
ArnettJ. J. (2001). Conceptions of the transition to adulthood: Perspectives from adolescence through midlife. Journal of Adult Development, 8, 133–143.
5.
ArnettJ. J. (2004). Emerging adulthood: The winding road from the late teens through the twenties. New York, NY: Oxford University Press.
6.
ArnettJ. J. (2007). Suffering, selfish, slackers? Myths and reality about emerging adults. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 36, 23–29.
7.
ArnettJ. J.TannerJ. L. (2006). Emerging adults in America: Coming to age in the 21st century. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.
8.
AronA.AronE. (2012). The meaning of love. In WongP. T. P. (Ed.), The human quest for meaning: Theories, research, and applications (2nd ed., pp. 185–209). New York, NY: Routledge.
9.
BaumanZ. (1995). Life in fragments: Essays in postmodern morality. Oxford, England: Blackwell.
10.
BaumeisterR. F. (1991). Meanings of life. New York, NY: Guilford Press.
11.
BranjeS.Laninga-WijnenL.YuR.MeeusW.Associations among school and friendship identity in adolescence and romantic relationships and work in emerging adulthood. Emerging Adulthood. doi:10.1177/2167696813515851
12.
BronkK. C.HillP. L.LapsleyD. K.TalibT. L.FinchH. (2009). Purpose, hope, and life satisfaction in three age groups. The Journal of Positive Psychology: Dedicated to furthering research and promoting good practice, 4, 500–510.
13.
ChalofskyN. (2003). An emerging construct for meaningful work. Human Resource Development International, 6, 69–83.
14.
ChisholmL. (1999). From systems to networks: The reconstruction of youth transition in Europe. In HeinzW. (Ed.), From education to work (pp. 299–318). New York: Cambridge University Press.
15.
CohenP.KasenS.ChenH.HartmarkC.GordonK. (2003). Variations in patterns of developmental transitions in the emerging adulthood period. Developmental Psychology, 39, 657–669.
16.
ColarussoC. A.NemiroffR. A. (1981). Adult development, a new dimension in psychodynamic theory and practice. New York, NY: Plenum press.
17.
CollinsW. A.van DulmenM. (2006). Friendships and romance in emerging adulthood: Assessing distinctiveness in close relationships. In ArnettJ. J.TannerJ. L. (Eds.), Emerging adults in America: Coming of age in the 21st century (pp. 219–234).Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.
18.
CookT. D.FurstenbergF. F.Jr. (2002). Explaining the transition to adulthood: A multi-disciplinary, case study synthesis for Italy, Sweden, Germany, and the USA. Annals of American Academy of Political and Social Science, 580, 257–287.
19.
CôtéJ. E. (2006). Emerging adulthood as an institutionalized moratorium: Risks and benefits to identity formation. In ArnettJ. J.TannerJ. L. (Eds.), Emerging adults in America (pp. 85–116). Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.
20.
DeciE. L.RyanR. M. (2000). The “what” and “why” of goal pursuits: Human needs and the self-determination of behavior. Psychological Inquiry, 11, 227–268.
21.
DohertyN. A.FeeneyJ. A. (2004). The composition of attachment networks throughout the adult years. Personal Relationships, 11, 479–488.
22.
EmmonsR. A. (1991). Personal strivings, daily life events, and psychological and physical well-being. Journal of Personality, 59, 453–472.
23.
EmmonsR. A. (1999). The psychology of ultimate concerns: Motivation and spirituality in personality. New York: Guilford Press.
24.
EmmonsR. A. (2005). Striving for the sacred: Personal goals, life meaning, and religion. Journal of Social Issues, 61, 731–745.
25.
EriksonE. H. (1968). Identity: Youth and crisis. New York, NY: Norton.
26.
European Group for Integrated Social Research. (2001). Misleading trajectories: Transition dilemmas of young adults in Europe. Journal of Youth Studies, 4, 101–118.
27.
FacioA.ResettS. (2014). Work, romantic relationships and life satisfaction in Argentinean emerging adults. Emerging Adulthood. doi:10.1177/2167696813515854
28.
FranklV. E. (1963). Man’s search for meaning: An introduction to logotherapy. New York, NY: Washington Square Press.
29.
FreudS. (1966). Civilization and its discontents. In StracheyJ., (Ed.), The standard edition of the complete psychological works of Sigmund Freud (Vol. 21). London, England: Hogarth Press.
30.
FurmanW.WehnerE. A. (1997). Adolescent romantic relationships: A developmental perspective. New directions for child and adolescent development, 1997, 21–36.
31.
GergenK. J. (1991). The saturated self: Dilemmas of identity in modern life. New York, NY: Basic Books.
32.
HaleN. (1980). Freud's reflections of work and love. In SmelserN. J.EriksonE. A. (Eds.), Themes of work and love and adulthood (pp. 29–42). Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.
33.
HavighurstR. J. (1948). Developmental tasks and education. Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press.
34.
HazanC.ShaverP. R. (1987). Romantic love conceptualized as an attachment process. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 52, 511–524.
35.
HazanC.ShaverP. R. (1990). Love and work: An attachment-theoretical perspective. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 59, 270–280.
36.
HazanC.ZeifmanD. (1994). Sex and the psychological tether. In BartholomewK.PerlmanD. (Eds.), Advances in personal relationships. (Vol. 5, pp. 151–178). London, England: Jessica Kingsley.
37.
HerzbergF.MausnerB.SnydermanB. (1993) The motivation to work (2nd ed.). New York, NY: John Wiley.
38.
HoareC. H. (2002). Erikson on development in adulthood: New insights from the unpublished papers. New York, NY: Oxford University Press.
39.
KerenE.MayselessO. (2013). The freedom to choose secure attachment relationships in adulthood. The Journal of Genetic Psychology, 174, 271–290.
40.
KoestnerR.LekesN.PowersT. A.ChicoineE. (2002). Attaining personal goals: Self-concordance plus implementation intentions equals success. Journal of personality and social psychology, 83, 231.
41.
LanzM.TagliabueS. (2007). Do I really need someone to become adult? Romantic relationships in emerging adulthood. Journal of Adolescent Research, 22, 531–549.
42.
LittleB. R. (1998). Personal project pursuit: Dimensions and dynamics of personal meaning. In WongP. T. P.FryP. S. (Eds.), The human quest for meaning: A handbook of research and clinical applications (pp. 193–212). Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.
43.
LittleB.Salmela-AroK.PhillipsS. (2007). Personal project pursuit: Goals, action, and human flourishing. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.
44.
MarciaJ. E. (1966). Development and validation of ego-identity status. Journal ofPersonality and Social Psychology, 3, 551–558.
45.
MaslowA. H. (1970). Motivation and personality (2nd ed.). New York, NY: Harper & Row.
46.
MastenA.ObradovicJ.BurtK. (2006). Resilience in emerging adulthood: Developmental perspectives on continuity and transformation. In ArnettJ. J.TannerJ. L. (Eds.), Emerging adults in America: Coming of age in the 21st century (pp. 173–190). Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.
47.
MayselessO.ScharfM. (2003). What does it mean to be an Adult? The Israeli Experience. In ArnettJ. J.GalambosN. L. (Eds.), New directions for child and adolescent development (#100): Exploring cultural conceptions of the transition to adulthood. San Francisco, CA: John Wiley, Jossey-Bass.
48.
McClellandD. C. (1965). Toward a theory of motive acquisition. American Psychologist, 20, 321–333.
49.
MyersD. G. (1999). Close relationships and quality of life. In KahnemanD.DienerE.SchwarzN. (Eds.), Well-being: The foundations of hedonic psychology (pp. 374–391). New York, NY: Sage.
50.
OishiS.DienerE. F.LucasR. E.SuhE. M. (1999). Cross-cultural variations in predictors of life satisfaction: Perspectives from needs and values. Personality and social psychology bulletin, 25, 980–990.
51.
OsgoodD. W.RuthG.EcclesJ. S.JacobsJ. E.BarberB. L. (2005). Six paths to adulthood: Fast starters, parents without careers, educated partners, working singles, and slow starters. In SetterstenR. A.Jr.FurstenbergF. F.Jr.RumbautR. G. (Eds.), On the frontier of adulthood: Theory, research, and public policy (pp. 320–355). Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press.
52.
ParkN.ParkM.PetersonC. (2010). When is the search for meaning related to life satisfaction?Applied Psychology: Health and Well-Being, 2, 1–13.
53.
PragerE.SavayaR.Bar-TurL. (2000). The development of culturally sensitive measure of sources of life meaning. In RekerG. T.ChamberlainK. (Eds.), Exploring existential meaning: Optimizing human development across the life span (pp. 123–136). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
54.
RattansiA.PhoenixA. (1997). Rethinking youth identities: Modernist and postmodernist frameworks. In BynnerJ.ChisholmL.FurlongA. (Eds.), Youth, citizenship and social change in a European context (pp. 121–150). Aldershot, England: Ashgate.
55.
RantaM.DietrichJ.Salmela-AroK. (2014). Career and romantic relationship goals and concerns during emerging adulthood. Emerging Adulthood. doi:10.1177/2167696813515852
56.
RobakR. W.GriffinP. W. (2000). Purpose in life: What is its relationship to happiness, depression, and grieving?North American Journal of Psychology, 2, 113–119.
57.
RogersC. (1961). On becoming a person: A therapist's view of psychotherapy. London, England: Constable.
58.
RoismanG. I.MastenA. S.CoatsworthJ. D.TellegenA. (2004). Salient and emerging developmental tasks in the transition to adulthood. Child Development, 75, 123–133.
59.
RyanR. M.DeciE. L. (2000). Self-determination theory and the facilitation of intrinsic motivation, social development, and well-being. American Psychologist, 55, 68–78.
60.
RyanR. M.DeciE. L. (2001). On happiness and human potentials: A review of research on hedonic and eudaimonic well-being. Annual Review of Psychology, 52, 141–166.
61.
RyffC. D. (1989). Happiness is everything, or is it? Explorations on the meaning of psychological well-being. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 57, 1069–1081.
62.
Salmela-AroK.AunolaK.NurmiJ. (2007). Personal goals during emerging adulthood: A 10-year follow up. Journal of Adolescent Research, 22, 690–715.
63.
SchachterE. P. (2005). Erikson meets the postmodern: Can classic identity theory rise to the challenge?Identity, 5, 137–160.
64.
ScharfM.MayselessO. (2010). Finding the authentic self in a communal culture: Developmental goals in emerging adulthood. In ShulmanS.NurmiJ. E. (Eds.), The role of goals in navigating individual lives during emerging adulthood (pp. 83–95). New Directions for Child and Adolescent Development, 130, San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
65.
SchnellT. (2009). The Sources of Meaning and Meaning in Life Questionnaire (SoMe): Relations to demographics and well-being, The Journal of Positive Psychology: Dedicated to furthering research and promoting good practice, 4, 483–499. doi: 10.1080/17439760903271074
66.
SchulenbergJ. E.BryantA. L.O’MallyP. (2004). Taking hold of some kind of life: How developmental tasks relate to trajectories of well-being during the transition to adulthood. Development and Psychopathology, 16, 1119–1140.
67.
SchwartzS. J.CôtéJ. E.ArnettJ. J. (2005). Identity and agency in emerging adulthood: Two developmental routes in the individualization process. Youth and Society, 37, 201–229.
68.
Seiffge-KrenkeI. (2003). Testing theories of romantic development from adolescence to young adulthood: Evidence of a developmental sequence. International Journal of Behavioral Development, 27, 519–531.
69.
Seiffge-KrenkeI.GelhaarT. (2008). Does successful attainment of developmental tasks lead to happiness and success in later developmental tasks? A test of Havighurst’s (1948) theses. Journal of Adolescence, 31, 33–52.
70.
Seiffge-KrenkeI.BosmaH.ChauC.CokF.GillespieC.LoncaricD.…RohailI. (2010). All they need is love? Placing romantic stress in the context of other stressors: A 17-nation study. International Journal of Behavioral Development, 34, 106–112.
71.
Seiffge-KrenkeI.ConnollyJ. (2010). Adolescent romantic relationships across the globe: Involvement, conflict management, and linkages to parents and peer relationships. International Journal of Behavioral Development, 34, 97.
72.
Seiffge-KrenkeI.ShulmanS.KlessingerN. (2001). Adolescent precursors of romantic relationships in young adulthood. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 18, 327–346.
73.
Seiffge-KrenkeLuyckx, K (2014). Competent in work and love? Emerging adults trajectories in dealing with work partnership conflicts and links to health functioning. Emerging Adulthood. doi:10.1177/2167696813516090
74.
SetterstenR. A.Jr.FurstenberF. F.Jr.RumbautR. G. (Eds). (2005). On the frontier of adulthood: Theory, research, and public policy. Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press.
75.
SheldonK. M.KasserT. (2001). Getting older, getting better? Personal strivings and psychological maturity across the life span. Developmental Psychology, 37, 491–501.
76.
SheldonK. M.RyanR. M.DeciE. L.KasserT. (2004). The independent effects of goal contents and motives on well-being: It’s both what you pursue and why you pursue it. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 30, 475–486.
77.
ShirmerL. L.LopezF. G. (2001). Probing the social support and work strain relationship among adult workers: Contributions of adult attachment orientations. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 59, 17–33.
78.
ShulmanS.ConnollyJ. (2013). The challenge of romantic relationships in emerging adulthood: Reconceptualization of the field. Emerging Adulthood, 1, 27–39. doi:10.1177/2167696812467330
79.
ShulmanS.LaursenB.DicksonD. (2014). Gender differences in the spillover between romantic experiences, work experiences, and individual adjustment across emerging adulthood. Emerging Adulthood. doi: 10.1177/2167696813515853
80.
ShulmanS.NurmiJ. (2010). Dynamics of goal pursuit and personality make-up among emerging adults: Typology, change over time, and adaptation. New Directions for Child and Adolescent Development, 57–70. doi:10.1002/cd.281
81.
StegerM. F.DikB. J. (2009). If one is looking for meaning in life, does it help to find meaning in work?Applied Psychology: Health and Well-being, 1, 303–320. doi:10. Ill l/j. I 758-0854.2009.01018.x
82.
StegerM. F.OishiS.KashdanT. B. (2009). Meaning in life across the life span: Levels and correlates of meaning in life from emerging adulthood to older adulthood. The Journal of Positive Psychology, 4, 43–52.
83.
SutcliffeS.BowmanM. (2000). Beyond new age: Exploring alternative spirituality. Edinburgh, Scotland: Edinburgh University Press.
84.
TrinkS. J.BartholomewK. (1997). Hierarchies of attachment relationships in young adulthood. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 14, 603–625.
85.
WatermanA. S. (1993). Two conceptions of happiness: Contrasts of personal expressiveness (eudaimonia) and hedonic enjoyment. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 64, 678–691.
86.
WeinsteinN.RyanR. M.DeciE. L. (2012). Motivation, meaning and wellness: A self-determination perspective on the creation and internalization of personal meanings and life goals. In WongP. T. P. (Ed.), The human quest for meaning: Theories, research, and applications (2nd ed., pp. 81–106). New York, NY: Routledge.
87.
WongP. T. P.FryP. S. (Eds). (1998). The human quest for meaning: A handbook of research and clinical applications. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.
88.
WrzesniewskiA.McCauleyC.RozinP.SchwartzB. (1997). Jobs, careers, and callings: People’s relations to their work. Journal of Research in Personality, 31, 21–33.
