Which age range corresponds to early adulthood in Levinson's model?

Which age range corresponds to early adulthood in Levinson's model?

• A. 17-45
• B. 0-22
• C. 60 onwards
• D. 40-65

Answer: (A)

In Levinson’s model, early adulthood is the period after adolescence when individuals begin shaping their adult life—forming a career path, establishing intimate relationships, and taking on independent responsibilities. This stage isn’t a brief moment; it spans a broad span as people experiment with roles and set the pattern for how they’ll live as adults. That broader window is described as roughly 17 to 45 years old, capturing the transition from late teens into midlife where major identity and life-structure decisions are made. The other ranges miss this full scope: starting at 0 captures childhood and adolescence, ending in the 60s or beyond falls into later life stages, and 40–65 sits largely in middle adulthood rather than the initial formation of adult roles.

In Levinson’s model, early adulthood is the period after adolescence when individuals begin shaping their adult life—forming a career path, establishing intimate relationships, and taking on independent responsibilities. This stage isn’t a brief moment; it spans a broad span as people experiment with roles and set the pattern for how they’ll live as adults.

That broader window is described as roughly 17 to 45 years old, capturing the transition from late teens into midlife where major identity and life-structure decisions are made. The other ranges miss this full scope: starting at 0 captures childhood and adolescence, ending in the 60s or beyond falls into later life stages, and 40–65 sits largely in middle adulthood rather than the initial formation of adult roles.