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