Maturity (psychological)

Maturity is a psychological term used to indicate how a person responds to the circumstances or environment in an appropriate manner. This response is generally learned rather than instinctive, and is not determined by one's age. Maturity also encompasses being aware of the correct time and place to behave and knowing when to act appropriately, according to the situation and the culture of the society one lives in.^{[citation needed]}

Age

See also: Age of majority

While it has been shown that older persons are generally more mature, psychological maturity is not determined by one's age.^[1] However, for legal purposes, people are not considered psychologically mature enough to perform certain tasks (such as driving, consenting to sex, signing a binding contract or making medical decisions) until they have reached a certain age. In fact, judge Julian Mack, who helped create the juvenile court system in the United States, said that juvenile justice was based on the belief that young people do not always make good decisions because they are not mature, but this means that they can be reformed more easily than adults.^[2] However, the relationship between psychological maturity and age is a difficult one, and there has been much debate over methods of determining maturity, especially regarding social issues such as religion, politics, human stem-cell research, genetic engineering and abortion.^[3]

See also

• Mental age
• Adult
• Mature minor doctrine

References

1. ^ Sheldon, K. M.; T. Kasser (2001). "Getting Older, Getting Better? Personal Strivings and Psychological Maturity Across the Life Span". Developmental Psychology 37 (4): 491–501. doi:10.1037/0012-1649.37.4.491. PMID 11444485. 
2. ^ Mack, J. W. (1909). "The Juvenile Court". Harvard Law Review (The Harvard Law Review Association) 23 (2): 104. doi:10.2307/1325042. JSTOR 1325042. 
3. ^ Steinberg, Laurence; Elizabeth Cauffman (1996-06). "Maturity of Judgment in Adolescence: Psychosocial Factors in Adolescent Decision Making". Law and Human Behavior (Springer) 20 (3): 249–272. doi:10.1007/BF01499023. ISSN 0147-7307. JSTOR 1393975. 

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