Emerging adults (i.e., individuals from 18 to 29 years old) are at a unique stage in their development and are repeatedly presented with decisions that have important consequences that unfold over time (i.e., intertemporal decisions). Chapter 1 of this dissertation provides a brief overview of emerging adulthood as a developmental stage and presents a rationale for the importance of understanding the relationship between temporal self-perceptions and longitudinal outcomes in emerging adults. Then, in four articles (Chapters 2-5), this dissertation provides evidence for the connection between temporal self-perceptions and positive downstream consequences in college students (i.e., a subsample of emerging adults). Specifically, Chapter 2, examines longitudinal changes in perception of the future self through the first two years of college, how those changes predict downstream academic success, and identifies sex differences in those relationships. Chapters 3 and 4 then extend the research on longitudinal outcomes of future self-perception to downstream outcomes during a global crisis (i.e., the COVID-19 pandemic). Chapter 3 explores the role of perception of the future self as a potential protective and promotive factor for longitudinal mental health during the pandemic. Chapter 4 presents a study during the initial stages of the COVID-19 pandemic that investigates a vivid view of the future self at the start of college as a resource to support downstream resilience for graduating college students—especially for students who are already at an economic disadvantage (i.e., low socioeconomic status). Chapter 5 then broadens the understanding of these relationships by testing the relationship between continuity between temporal selves (i.e., past-to-future) and psychological well-being. Finally, Chapter 6 incorporates the reported findings into a theoretical model, reviews the literature on the constructs to extend the model beyond college students to emerging adults as a developmental group, and discusses avenues for future research.

It is well known that neighborhood contexts form an integral part in shaping development across the lifespan. At the same time, it is recognized that there is variability in the manner with which the neighborhood context is associated with pertinent outcomes, such as mental health and psychological well-being. In this regard, empirical research has differentiated between subjective and objective neighborhood indicators. Midlife is a critical life stage due to middle-aged adults being “sandwiched” between generations and being firmly entrenched in the workforce; in this regard, the neighborhood context could play a role in shaping mental health and psychological well-being in midlife. Of importance is determining which factors account for development in midlife, and whether individuals can find protective factors in order to preserve their health and psychological wellbeing into older adulthood. The purpose of this dissertation was to examine whether and how neighborhood context is associated with mental health and psychological well-being in midlife. The first study examined whether the subjective and objective neighborhood context moderates the impact of monthly adversity on mental health and psychological well-being in midlife. The second study aimed to examine whether and which potentially relevant latent factors exist among subjective and objective neighborhood indicators in a sample of middle-aged adults from the Phoenix Metropolitan area. Taken together, the results of these studies provide evidence that neighborhood context is indeed relevant resource for middle-aged adults. Specifically, in Paper 1, found that individuals who live in neighborhoods with less disorder show fewer steep declines in mental health and well-being in months when an adversity was reported. Paper 2 found that that there are distinct latent constructs that were primarily comprised of factors related to resource and prosperity and financial strain for the objective indicators. For subjective perceptions factors comprised neighborhood insights. These findings contribute to the literature on potential ways in which neighborhood context may serve as a resource and serve as the groundwork for future studies that test mechanisms linking the neighborhood context to mental health and well-being in midlife and inform future intervention studies.

One salient aspect of most world religions is an emphasis on reproductive morality—rules about which types of sexual behaviors and familiar structures are acceptable. In Chapter 1, I introduce the theoretical background of the dissertation, including the Reproductive-Religiosity Model. Then, in one theoretical paper (Chapter 2) and two empirical papers (Chapters 3 and 4), I consider the cultural and social implications of religious proscriptions on sexual behavior. In Chapter 2, I review the Reproductive-Religiosity Model, which posits that religions are especially attractive to people who desire monogamous, long-term mating strategies. I also discuss the implications of this model for cultural evolution. In Chapter 3, I look at the social implications of these religious proscriptions. That is, if restricted attitudes toward sexuality are strongly linked to religious belief, it follows that people’s stereotypes of religious people may track this relationship. Three studies showed that people tended to trust religious targets more than nonreligious targets, but that this effect seems to be due to inferences about religious targets’ reproductive strategies—that is, people trusted religious targets because they perceived them more likely to be interested in starting a family. In Chapter 4, I examine patterns of religiosity across the world through a rational choice lens, positing that people are more likely to be religious when religion can help them fulfill their goals. Analysis of two global datasets shows that men, more so than women, tend to be less religious in countries with greater gender equality. Finally, Chapter 5 summarizes results and discusses future directions for this line of research.

Drawing upon the theoretical framework of Cooley’s (1902) “looking-glass self” model, the current study examined how affective dimensions of parenting in adolescence contribute to psychopathology in early adulthood through the mediating mechanism of authenticity – one’s level of comfort with being oneself. Using latent profile analysis (LPA), a three-class solution was identified, classifying inadequate, adequate, and optimal profiles of parenting in adolescence. Class membership was used in a multilevel mediation structural equation model to examine longitudinal links with authenticity and psychopathology (e.g., internalizing, externalizing, and substance abuse disorders) in early adulthood. Results demonstrated that optimal compared to inadequate parent-adolescent relationship quality was directly linked to higher levels of authenticity, which in turn, was directly linked to lower levels of all forms of psychopathology in early adulthood. Results also indicated that authenticity fully mediated the link between profiles of parent-adolescent relationship quality (e.g., grade 12) and internalizing, externalizing, and substance abuse disorders in early adulthood (e.g., four years post-college). In conclusion, the current study demonstrated the influence of affective dimensions of parenting profiles in adolescence on the development of psychopathology in early adulthood via the mediating mechanism of authenticity. Moreover, findings from the current study suggest that authenticity is a critical feature shared in common among various forms of psychopathology. Finally, clinical implications are discussed regarding the potential effectiveness of evidence-based psychotherapies aimed at the promotion of authenticity as a mechanism for improving mental health and well-being.