A Longitudinal Investigation of the Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic and the Role of Higher Education Enrollment on the Development of the Features of Emerging Adulthood

This two-wave longitudinal study of emerging adults examined how the COVID-19 pandemic affected five features of emerging adulthood—identity exploration, self-focus, instability, feeling in-between, and sense of possibilities—and explored the potential moderating role of higher education enrollment. Results showed that emerging adults not in higher education, especially those affected by COVID-19, typically experienced declines in identity exploration, self-focus, instability, and feeling in-between. Conversely, emerging adults in higher education affected by COVID-19 showed increases in identity exploration and self-focus. Only the sense of possibilities feature remained unchanged, independent of COVID-19 impact and higher education enrollment. Findings suggest enrollment in higher education may function as a psychosocial moratorium, protecting normative developmental processes during societal disruptions; and the COVID-19 pandemic may have led emerging adults in higher education to focus more on particular developmental needs. Results underscore the importance of the higher education setting in understanding emerging adult development amid crises.