bee & boyd, lifespan development, chapter 16
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Bee & Boyd, Lifespan Development, Chapter 16TRANSCRIPT
Chapter 16:
Social and Personality Development in Middle Adulthood
In This Chapter
Theories of Social and Personality Development
Generativity versus Stagnation
Erikson’s Psychosocial Stage
Generativity involves interest in establishing and guiding next generation
Stagnation involves pervading sense of stagnation and personal impoverishment
Theories of Social and Personality Development
Research on Generativity
Erikson’s Psychosocial Stage
Generativity associated with several positive outcomes:
successful marriages work achievements close friendships altruistic behaviors overall mental health
Theories of Social and Personality Development
Research on Childlessness
Impact of childlessness for men
Earlier response to childlessness predictive of male psychological health at age 47
Stop and Think
Is rearing one’s own or another’s child important for men’s psychological growth?
Would you draw the same or similar conclusion for women?
Why? Why not?
Theories of Social and Personality Development
Erikson’s Theory Revised
Vaillant’s Theory
“Career consolidation” stage (between intimacy and generativity)
“Keeper of the meaning” (following generativity and stagnation)
Mid-Life Crisis: Fact or Fiction?
Levinson and Erikson
Each person must confront a constellation of difficult tasks at mid-life
Newer research offers different conclusions
Serious problems experienced by the minority and may be triggered by life events
Theories in Social and Personality Development
Role Transitions
Each of us occupies multiple roles at the same time, which produces frictions of various kinds
Changes in RelationshipsPartnerships
Mid-life Profile
Marital stability and satisfaction increase in mid-life
Less likely to divorce; more able to cope with divorce stress
Mellowing of personality = more resilience
Changes in Relationships Children and Parents
In middle adulthood family role involves giving assistance in both directions of generational chain
Mid
dle
Ad
ulth
oo
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Figure 16.1 The “Middle Age Squeeze”
Changes in Relationships Empty Nest and Revolving Door
Women more often describe empty nest event as positive
Revolving door event may be stressful for middle-aged parents
Changing Relationships
Are you or someone you know experiencing “Peter Pandemonium”?
Changing RelationshipsGrandparenting
Overview
New roles for middle-aged adults
Grandparenting may be shifting to slightly later age
Most grandparents express high levels of satisfaction with their role
Grandparents can positively influence children’s development
Changing RelationshipsCategories of Grandparents
Changing RelationshipsGrandparenting: Remote Relationships
Characteristics
29% of grandparents
Infrequent contact and little direct influence
Most commonly created by physical distance
Changing RelationshipsGrandparenting: Involved
Relationships
Characteristics
16% report involved relationships
Daily participation in rearing their grandchildren
Often living in multi-generational housing
Changing RelationshipsGrandparenting
Full-time custodial grandparenting more likely when grandchild’s mother is unmarried Daughter can continue school or work
Role of grandmother broader and more intimate than that of grandfather
For most adults in middle age, grandparenthood not central to their lives, their sense of self, or to their overall morale
Questions to Ponder
Which kind of relationship do you have with your grandparents? What kinds of influence do they try to exert upon your life?
From your viewpoint, do people go through a mid-life crisis? Are they major events or minor adjustments? Please give examples.
Questions To PonderQuestions To PonderQuestions To PonderQuestions To Ponder
Changes in RelationshipsCaring For Aging Parents
Strong sense of filial responsibility
Caregiver burden may occur
Responsibility negotiated along several dimensions
Caring For Aging ParentsHow is caregiving responsibility
determined?
Influenced by competing demands of all children/family members
Most likely caregivers have specific life circumstances
Female gender bias
Intervention can help ease caregiver burden
Changing RelationshipsHow do friendships change?
Total number of friends less
Friendships more intimate and close
Friendships endure, even with less frequent contact
Scant research on middle adulthood friendships
Continuity and Change in PersonalityA Brief Review
The “Big Five”: OCEAN
Continuity and Change in PersonalityThree Ideas About the Big Five
Big Five are relatively stable from childhood through old age
Openness, extraversion, neuroticism decline as adults age
Agreeableness and conscientiousness tend to increase through age 70
Mid-Life Career IssuesWork Satisfaction
At its peak despite few work promotions in middle age
Work performance quality high Experience less burnout than younger adults More career stability
True or False?
Men and women have the same source of job satisfaction but deal with it differently.
Mid-life Career IssuesJob Performance
Job Performance Remains high throughout middle adulthood May engage in selective optimization with
compensation to remain highly productive Link between selection, optimization, and
compensation and the quality of work performance strengthens with increasing age
Mid-Life Career IssuesUnemployment and Career Transitions
Unemployement• Can be more difficult in middle age• Often involves ageism
Mid-Life Career IssuesUnemployment and Career Transitions
Involuntary career changers
Experience heightened anxiety, depression and health risks after job loss
Changes in family relationships
Loss of self-esteem Good coping skills are
critical Reemployment restores
sense of well-being
Voluntary career changers
May not wish to pursue advancement in current occupations
Express a new side of their personality
But the transition can still be stressful
“Honeymoon hangover effect” may emerge
Mid-Life Career IssuesVoluntary Career Changers
Genetic Basis for Career Change Twin studies suggest genetic basis Voluntary changes product of personality
What personality characteristics influence do you think influence such
a voluntary change?
Mid-Life Career IssuesPreparing for Retirement
Baby Boomers Projected to be healthiest, best educated,
and longest-living retirees in history Make retirement plans for both wives and
husbands May not have saved enough and have
accumulated too much debt for their desired lifestyle
Mid-Life Career IssuesPlanning for Retirement
Dychtwald’s Survey of Baby Boomers