Psychologists generally agree that early adulthood occurs between what ages?

Biologically adulthood is thought to begin as sex organs develop fully and, whilst it is difficult to put an exact age on adulthood as some children mature faster than others, it is generally thought that adulthood starts around the age of 14 in a biological sense. But psychologically the topic of adulthood has been widely debated.

• Psychological adulthood

Psychological development into adulthood has been long studied and the studies look into the maturity of thoughts and actions, ability to learn, interaction and relationships and hormone change in line with biological changes. Most psychologists in this field note the psychological change that happens as the body begins to change during puberty. In this way it could be said that the psychological adult age is also around the same time as the biological age as puberty releases hormones that spark growth and maturity physically and mentally. The onset for puberty is around the ages of 10 or 11 in girls and 12 or 13 in boys, generally speaking. This means that adulthood, from a psychological point of view, could start at a similar age. However, full adulthood has been described as the end of puberty, which can be as late as 16 or 17 years old, and perhaps this should been seen as the mark of adulthood.

• Cultural adulthood

The label of 'adult' also changes in different cultures due to different traditions and laws that each culture adopts. For example, laws in most US states allow sexual intercourse from 16 years old, this could mark adulthood. Another example is the Jewish tradition of Bar Mitzvah's where a boy becomes a man at the age of 13. In some African countries it is customary for children to stop education and begin working as early as 10 years old. These life changes usually bring about a new sense of maturity. This evidence all leads us to suggest that the exact age of adulthood is subjective.

Between age 18 to 20.