Middle Adulthood : emotional & social development
11-17-10

I. Erikson's theory

the psychological conflict of midlife was generativity vs. stagnation:

Generativity -- reaching out to give to and guide the next generation -- begins in early adulthood and greatly expands in midlife

generative adults combine their own needs for self-expression with the need to integrate personal goals with the welfare of the larger social world

parenting is one major expression of generativity, but other routes are possible

generativity bring together personal desires and cultural demands

middle-aged adults often feel a need to make a contribution that will survive their death

society requires adults to take responsibility for the next generation as parents, teachers, mentors

Stagnation -- the negative outcome of midlife is stagnation -- when people, after obtaining their life goals, become self-centered and self-indulgent

stagnation can be seen in a lack of interest in young people

and in a failure to develop or continue to develop talents and interests

Generativity tends to increase in midlife

Highly generative people tend to be:

well-adjusted

open to differing viewpoints; possess leadership qualities; desire more from work than just pay; and care about their children, partner, aging parents, and the wider society

generativity is associated with more effective child rearing

individual differences in the stimulation of generativity:

having children tends to increase males' generative development more than females (which tends to be high to begin with)

for low-SES men with troubled pasts, fatherhood can provide a context for highly generative, positive life change

African Americans are especially likely to engage in certain forms of generativity, such as serving as sources of wisdom for their children

among Caucasian Americans, religiosity and spirituality are linked with generative activity

II. other theories of adult psychosocial development

Levinson's Seasons of Life:

midlife begins with a transitional period (app. 40 to 45) during which people evaluate their successes in meeting life goals

some make drastic life changes--divorce or career change--most turn inward for a time and focus on personally meaningful living

Levinson believes the middle aged adult must confront 4 developmental tasks, each requiring the reconciliation of two opposing tendencies to attain greater internal harmony:

young-old: they must seek new ways of being both young and old

destruction-creation: they must counter destructive acts from the past with an urge to advance human welfare and leave a legacy for the future

masculinity-femininity: they must reconcile the masculine and feminine parts of self--for men, greater acceptance of traits of nurturance and caring; for women, greater acceptance of autonomy and assertiveness

engagement-separateness: they must create a balance between engagement with the external world and separateness from it.

Vaillant's Adaptation to Life

Vaillant's longitudinal research followed well-educated men and women past age 50, into the time when they were taking on major responsibility for the functioning of society

the most successful and best adjusted entered a calmer, quieter time of life; and their attention turned to the survival of the positive aspects of their culture

in societies around the world, older adults are the guardians of traditions, laws, and cultural values; serving as the stabilizing force that holds overly rapid change in check

Is there a "midlife crisis"?

Levinson reported that many of his sample experienced substantial inner turmoil during the transition to middle adulthood

Vallant found slow and steady change in his sample

the MIDUS study (Midlife Development in the United States) from the mid-1990's reported that when asked to describe "turning points" in their lives over the past five years, the most commonly cited instances concerned work

this occurred earlier in woman, many of whom had adjusted their work lives to accommodate marriage and childrearing

and peaked at midlife in males, a time of increased career responsibility and advancement

only app. one fourth of the MIDUS sample reported what they considered a "midlife crisis"

reported regret over life choices (without making life changes) is associated with less favorable psychological adjustment and physical health

coming to terms with past regrets (and/or making changes) is associated with improved adjustment and health

midlife crisis is most often seen in those whose life circumstances, gender roles, family pressures, and/or poverty severely limited the ability to pursue personal needs and goals

11-19-10

III. Stability and change in personality

Possible selves--future-oriented representations of what we hope (or fear) we are becoming--the temporal dimension of the self-concept

with age, reports of possible selves become fewer in number, more modest, and more concrete

tend to become more time-oriented with age

compare to what you had planned

allows for reaffirmation

may help with adjustment and self-esteem

Self-perceptions in midlife

Middle-aged adults tend to give more complex, integrated descriptions of themselves than do younger and older individuals

research on well-educated adults suggest three traits increase from the late teens into the 70's:

self-acceptance: they acknowledge and accept both their good and bad qualities

autonomy: they are less concerned about other's expectations and more focused on self-chosen standards

environmental mastery: they see themselves as capable of managing a complex array of tasks easily and effectively

these changes are linked to increased well-being and reported happiness

Factors associated with psychological well-being in midlife:

good health

exercise

sense of control

personal life investment

positive social relationships

good marriage/intimate relationship

mastery of multiple roles

the MIDUS survey suggested that factors associated with good adjustment in midlife varied among age cohorts (reflecting changes in society and culture across the 20th century in America)

for women born during the baby-boom years or later, balancing career with family predicted greater self-acceptance, whereas women born before or during War World II who sacrificed career to child rearing experienced greater self-acceptance

Coping in middle adulthood tends to show improved skill and enhancement of adjustment through:

most focus on identification of positives

postponing action during/for evaluation (less impulsive)

anticipation and planning increases

humor is used more

strengths and weaknesses are integrated/accepted more

confidence increases with experience

emotional stability increases

among the so called "big Five" personality factors, "neuroticism" tends to decline modestly over the later adult years

coping skills for emotional regulation tend to increase, as does self-knowlege and understanding

Gender identity studies show a clear tendency toward more androgyny across middle life, even in diverse cultures

women increase in "masculine traits", men increase in "feminine traits"

both psychological and biological (evolutionary) theories have been offered for this:

parental imperative theory

decline in sex hormones

demands of midlife

although--gender trends continue:

males tend to be less expressive in friendship relationships than females

Individual differences in personality traits over the middle adult years

being "in step" with prevailing social expectations is associated with higher well-being

IV. Relationships at midlife

parenting -- "launching" children

marriage

review and adjustment may lead to stronger marriages

may lead to divorce

stronger marriages linked to psychological well-being

grandparenting

generally occurs in early 50's; may span over a third of your life

highly meaningful to most

valued elder

immortality through descendents

reinvolvement with personal past

indulgence

styles and tends vary greatly

friendships

friendships tend to become fewer and more selective

become based more on mutual pleasure than support

more time and effort may be invested in in friendships

caring for aging parents

more likely than in past due to increases in life-span

proximity tends to increase with age: move closer or move in with

helping tends to be based on earlier relationships

caretaker stress

middle aged adults are sometimes referred to as the "sandwich generation": caught between caring for children and caring for aging parents

caring for aging parents can be highly stressful:

time and resource commitment

onset may be sudden and unexpected, duration is often uncertain

hard to witness the parent(s)' decline

support is often essential