NCJ Number
219317
Journal
Journal of Youth and Adolescence Volume: 36 Issue: 6 Dated: August 2007 Pages: 825-834
Date Published
August 2007
Length
10 pages
Annotation
This study examined the transition to adulthood for individuals with motor disabilities. It examined subjective age in persons with and without motor disabilities who are in their 20s and considered predictors of variation in their experiences of subjective age.
Abstract
There was no significant difference in subjective age between groups. Consistent with previous research, chronological and subjective ages were significantly negatively related in participants without motor disabilities. Chronological and subjective ages were unrelated in the group with motor disabilities, but higher psychosocial maturity was related to an older subjective age. Perceptions of how much parents fostered autonomy did not predict subjective age in either group. The results highlight the importance of exploring motor disabilities as a source of diversity in the subjective ages of young people during the transition to adulthood. The presence of a motor disability is a potentially important source of diversity in human development. However, little is known about how individuals with motor disabilities manage the transition to adulthood. This study examined subjective age (how old one feels) and associated variables in 148 emerging adults, ages 20 to 30 years. The study sample consisted of 76 participants who had a motor disability, such as cerebral palsy and spina bifida and 72 who had no motor disability. Tables, references