What Is Jayla Williams's Theory?

Jayla Williams is a 22 –year old recent college graduate who has experienced various views and beliefs different from her own upbringing. These differences and experiences have shaped who she has become as a young adult. Jayla has been in a relationship with 23-year old Elijah. Jayla and Elijah attend church services together regularly and enjoy each other’s company, however they both have different feelings in the relationship. Throughout young adulthood there are stages of cognitive and emotional development described by many theorists such as William Perry’s nine positions during post formal thought.

Cognitive Development
William Perry’s theory focuses on cognitive and moral development of college students. This stage-based
During this position, Jayla must give up the idea that there are right ideas and wrong ideas, and acknowledge multiple ideas (Ward, 2015). Jayla must acknowledge that even though she has her own morals and beliefs that she feels are true, there are also other religious beliefs that may be true to someone else. Ideas are multiple and there is more than one valid belief in religion. This means having no comparisons and applying criticisms to every idea to find the truth, and find facts to support these ideas even though she may not be able to believe or support all ideas (Ward, 2015).
Position 3: Multiplicity (Subordinate) or Early Multiplicity, multiple perspectives are real and legitimate. Although, Jayla has been attending church regularly with Elijah, there is now some though that people can have different views on religion and her beliefs may not be the same as someone else. This may be hard for her to understand, but the reality of differences must be recognized (Broderick& Blewitt,
Elijah also cares for Jayla but his feelings of insecurity in the relationship cause Jayla to become upset and frustrated. The attachment styles in this relationship are different for each of them. In their research on attachment, Dr. Phillip Shaver and Dr. Cindy Hazan found that 60 percent of people have secure attachments, 20 percent experience avoidant attachment, and 20 percent have an anxious attachment (Firestone, 2013). Jayla is more secure in this relationship. She finds it easy to get close to Elijah and does not worry about him leaving her or being unfaithful. She does not worry about other people getting to close to her (Broderick & Blewitt, 2017). Elijah however, exhibits an anxious-ambivalent attachment style in this relationship. He often worries about how Jayla feels about him and fears abandonment due to his thoughts of infidelity. This type of attachment style can sometimes cause others to stay away. This anxious type of attachment tends to be a “fantasy” bond. Instead of feeling real love and trust the person often feels an emotional hunger for intimacy (Firestone, 2013). Elijah is so afraid that Jayla does not feel as strongly as he does and is always worrying about the relationship. Being this insecure in the relationship may cause him to be more clingy or demanding of Jayla’s attention (Firestone, 2013). Attachment styles develop as a child