The CARES taxonomy: Five psychological qualities of adulthood

Maturity has been traditionally inferred from the attainment of socio-demographic roles, such as having a professional career, being married, and rearing children. In today’s world, these traditional ‘adult’ roles are increasingly delayed or even entirely foregone. Here, we introduce the CARES taxonomy to describe adulthood as the rich, dynamic, and rewarding phase of life that it is, independent of work, marriage, and parenting. CARES proposes that five psychosocial qualities are at the core of adult maturity: Cognitive maturity, the confidence in one’s knowledge and abilities; sense of Aging, the realisation that one is aging and that life is finite; self-Reliance, the feeling of control in life; Eudaimonia, knowing oneself and living in alignment with one’s core values and beliefs; and Social convoy, the network of relationships and level of social support in life. These five qualities have conceptual and methodological foundations in the psychological literature, map the cognitive, affective, and behavioural roots of psychosocial maturity, and form the basis of adults’ mental health and well-being. We outline how the CARES taxonomy differs from existing models of adulthood and offers a promising starting point for exploring individual differences in adult maturity.