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Following the pioneering work of Erik Erikson on adult life cycle, recent psychosocial and psychoanalytic studies by several contemporary researchers enabled a comprehensive understanding of adult development. Adult development has its own developmental stages, tasks, md lines. The author tried to integrate those theories of early adult development in the aspects of four dimensions including autonomy, intimacy, parenthood, and work/play. The psychic structures of young adults continues to change dynamically throughout the development. Their defenses become more mature, ego more realistic, and superego more flexible. During the processes of the third separation-individuation, they strive to achieve autonomy from their parents. On the basis of identity formed in adolescence, they choose a stable partner and relate intimately with the partner. Having and caring a baby gives young parents opportunities to reexperience and rework their infantile conflicts. During the course of career consolidation, vocational identity is attained. The field of adult development emerged recently and have lots of studies to be added. The author suggested the necessity of studies on crosscultural comparison and female adult development.
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