Middle Adulthood
Personality & Sociocultural Development
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Generativity
Midlife Crisis
A Unique Generation
Marriage/Divorce/Remarriage
Work Change
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Erik Erikson
Generativity
Versus
Stagnation
(Self-Absorption)
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Generativity
People Act within 3 Domains
1- Procreative Domain
By giving and responding to the needs of the
next generation
2- Productive Domain
By integrating work with family life and
caring for the next generation
3- Creative Domain
By contributing to society on a larger scale
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Stagnation
Self-Absorption
• People focus on the triviality of their
life, and feel that they have made only a
limited contribution to the world.
• People devalue whatever
accomplishments they have.
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Robert Peck (1968)
7 Issues of Adult Conflict
Middle Adulthood
1- Valuing wisdom vs. valuing physical
powers.
2- Socializing vs. sexualizing in human
relationships
3- Cathectic (emotional) flexibility vs.
cathectic impoverishment
4- Mental flexibility vs. mental rigidity.
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Robert Peck (1968)
7 Issues of Adult Conflict
Older Adulthood
1- Ego differentiation vs. work-role
preoccupation
2- Body transcendence vs. body
preoccupation
3- Ego transcendence vs. ego
preoccupation
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George Vaillant
• Middle adulthood is “keeping the
meaning vs. rigidity”
• Adults seek to extract the meaning from
their lives by accepting the strengths and
weaknesses of others.
• Those who are rigid become increasingly
isolated from others.
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Daniel Levinson
Early Adulthood (20s) – leaving the family
and having “the dream”
Late 30s – men settle down and establish
themselves moving toward the dream
Between 40 & 45 – people move into “the
midlife transition” or a time of questioning
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Daniel Levinson
Between 40 & 45 – people move into “the midlife
transition” or a time of questioning
They focus on finite nature of life
They realize they will not live forever
They concentrate on the present
They begin to doubt the value of their
accomplishments
They experience their first signs of aging
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Daniel Levinson
This period of assessment may lead to a
MIDLIFE CRISIS, a stage of uncertainty
and indecision brought about by the
realization that life is finite.
Success: taking new roles, mentoring
younger children, and changing careers
Failure: stagnation and decline
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Well-Being in Midlife
Carol Ryff
1- Self-Acceptance
2- Positive Relations with People
3- Autonomy
4- Environmental Mastery
5- Purpose in Life
6- Personal Growth
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What is your dream?
Have you accomplished it?
What are the factors that will help you
avoid midlife crisis?
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Men and Middle Age
Four General Paths
1- Transcendent – generative man
2- pseudo developed man
3- A man in midlife crisis
4- Punitive – disenchanted man
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Four Types of Midlife Women
Terri Apter (1995)
1- Traditional women
2- Innovative women
3- Expansive women
4- Protesters
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Menopause
• Marks the point at which a traditional
pregnancy is no longer possible.
• Marks the ceasing of menstruation
• The production of estrogen and
progesterone begin to drop
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Symptoms with the Change in
Hormone Production
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Aching joints
Feeling of dizziness
Heart palpitations
Severe distress
Hot flashes
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Estrogen Replacement Therapy
Pros
Cons
Reduces hot flashes
Reduces loss of skin
elasticity
Decreases the thinning of
the bones
May reduce risk of
osteoporosis
May reduce the risk of
stroke and colon cancer
May slow the mental
deterioration in
Alzheimer’s
Reduces coronary heart
disease
Risk of breast cancer rises
More incidents of cancer of
the uterine lining
Increases in benign fibroid
tumors in the uterus
Associated with abnormal
blood clots
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Does menopause produce psychological
problems?
Expectations
Culture
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Can women get pregnant after
menopause?
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Group Activity
Assign a doctor in each group.
Discuss the family history of each woman
regarding:
stroke, heart disease, colon cancer,
Alzheimer’s disease, high cholesterol,
cancer in the uterine lining, breast cancer
Decide whether these women should go for
estrogen replacement therapy or not.
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A Unique Generation
The Kinkeepers
The Empty Nest Syndrome
The Sandwich Generation
Boomerang Children
Grandparenting
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Three Types of Grandparents
1- Involved
2- Companionate
3- Remote
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Four Symbolic Roles for
Grandparents
1- Being There
2- Family National Guard
3- Arbitrator
4- Maintaining the Family’s Biography
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Satisfaction in Marriage
• The frequent pattern is U-shaped
• Marital satisfaction begins to decline
after marriage
• It falls to its lowest point following the
birth of children
• It begins to grow after the children
leave adolescence
• It reaches its highest when the kids
have left home
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Myths of Marriage
• Everything will work out fine if we love each
other.
• Always consider the other person first.
• Emphasize the positive; keep criticisms to
oneself.
• If things go wrong, focus on the future.
• See oneself as a couple first and then as an
individual.
• What’s mine is yours.
• Marriage makes people happier than they were
before.
• What is best for the children will be best for us. 25
Myths of Divorce
• Because we no longer love each other, nothing
can work out any more.
• Always consider oneself first.
• Emphasize the negative and criticize everything
• If things go wrong, focus on the past.
• See oneself as an individual first and then as
part of a couple.
• What’s yours is mine.
• Divorce makes people unhappy.
• What is best for us must be devastating for the
children
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Divorce
• The breakup of marriage is usually the
culmination of a long process of emotional
distancing.
• The final decision is usually done by one
partner.
• Divorce is usually associated with misconception
of marriage.
• Divorce is usually conceived as a kind of failure.
• Divorced men and women have higher rates of
alcoholism, physical illness, and depression.
• Divorced men have the highest rate of
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remarriage.
Job Change and Stress
• Individuals often react to career loss in
ways that are similar to the grief response
triggered by the death of a loved one.
– Shock and disbelief
– Anger and protest
– Bargaining
– Depression
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Job Change and Stress
• Individuals often react to career loss in
ways that are similar to the grief response
triggered by the death of a loved one.
– Shock and disbelief
– Anger and protest
– Bargaining
– Depression
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Job Change and Stress
• Job loss is more difficult for middle-aged
people.
– They may have more identity invested in it/
– They may be the target of age discrimination.
– They may have to take a job that is lower in
status and pay.
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Job Change and Stress
• Burnout and emotional exhaustion
– Working hard to attain a goal and failing to do
so.
– Lack of extrinsic or intrinsic reward.
– Being realistic minimizes burn out.
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Research shows that older workers have
less absenteeism, hold their jobs
longer, are more reliable, and more
willing to learn new skills.
• Who would you rather hire
Young adults
middle-aged adults
old adults
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