New study: Adult immaturity is on the rise

An article on the Discovery Channel's website talks about a recent study which indicates that today's adults are increasingly loath to grow up...

Serious Study: Immaturity Levels Rising

Jennifer Viegas, Discovery News

June 23, 2006 —The adage "like a kid at heart" may be truer than we think, since new research is showing that grown-ups are more immature than ever.

Specifically, it seems a growing number of people are retaining the behaviors and attitudes associated with youth.

As a consequence, many older people simply never achieve mental adulthood, according to a leading expert on evolutionary psychiatry.

Among scientists, the phenomenon is called psychological neoteny.

Personally, I don't know of very many people who fit the description of "psychological neoteny".

Stay tuned for my next article: a review of the blockbuster hit Nintendo DS game New Super Mario Bros.