A Longitudinal Study on the Stability and Predictors of Flourishing Among Emerging Adults

Flourishing is a concept that combines hedonic and eudaimonic well-being. Flourishing is advantageous for both individuals themselves and the society in which they live. The present study analyses the stability, predictors and correlates of flourishing during the initial years of emerging adulthood, along with gender differences. The sample comprised 400 emerging adults (268 women) who completed a questionnaire at two time points: Wave 1 (M (age) = 20.31; SD = 2.04) and (3 years later) wave 2 (M (age) = 23.66; SD = 2.08). The results indicate that flourishing is stable during this time period and that emerging adult women flourish more than their male counterparts. This high level of stability notwithstanding, the results indicate that having a romantic partner and enjoying social support from parents, friends and one's partner foster flourishing and cause it to increase over the course of this period. The findings reveal how important it is for young people to feel supported, since although they are engaged in a search for autonomy and independence, they continue to need social support. Public Significance Statement Flourishing throughout emerging adulthood is beneficial for both young people themselves and society in general. The results of our study reveal that flourishing remains stable during the early and middle years of emerging adulthood. They also indicate that young people need the support of their immediate social networks (peers, family, and partner) in order to maintain high levels of hedonic and eudaimonic well-being, since changes in flourishing between the early and middle years of this period can be explained by this relational variable.