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Middle Adulthood (Psychosocial Development)

Middle Adulthood (Physical and Cognitive Development)

WELCOME PSYCHOLOGY STUDENTS.

I. INTRODUCTION:

Erikson stated that the primary psychosocial task of middle adult‐ hood—ages 45 to 65—is to
develop generativity, or the desire to expand one's influence and commitment to family, society, and future
generations. In other words, the middle adult is concerned with forming and guiding the next generation. The
middle adult who fails to develop generativity experiences stagnation, or self‐absorption, with its associated
self‐indulgence and invalidism.

Perhaps middle adulthood is best known for its infamous midlife crisis: a time of reevaluation that leads to
questioning long‐held beliefs and values. The midlife crisis may also result in a person divorcing his or her
spouse, changing jobs, or moving from the city to the suburbs. Typically beginning in the early‐ or mid‐40s,
the crisis often occurs in response to a sense of mortality, as middle adults realize that their youth is limited
and that they have not accomplished all of their desired goals in life. Of course, not everyone experiences
stress or upset during middle age; instead they may simply undergo a midlife transition, or change, rather
than the emotional upheaval of a midlife crisis. Other middle adults prefer to reframe their experience by
thinking of themselves as being in the prime of their lives rather than in their declining years.

During the male midlife crisis, men may try to reassert their masculinity by engaging in more youthful male
behaviors, such as dressing in trendy clothes, taking up activities like scuba diving, motorcycling, or skydiving.

During the female midlife crisis, women may try to reassert their femininity by dressing in youthful styles,
having cosmetic surgery, or becoming more socially active. Some middle adult women try to look as young
as their young adult children by dying their hair and wearing more youthful clothing. Such actions may be a
response to feelings of isolation, loneliness, inferiority, uselessness, non-assertion, or unattractiveness.

II. OBJECTIVES:

o Describe the notion of the midlife crisis.

o Compare types of singles.
o Evaluate personality changes in midlife and work related issues
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III. PRELIMINARY ACTIVITIES:

Before you proceed to the main lesson, test yourself in this activity.

Imagine Who Your Friends Will Be

Imagine who your friends will be and what you will enjoy doing in the future. Think in terms of where
you will meet your friends and who you will have something in common with, not actual names. For example,
at 17, most of your friends will be people your own age that go to school with you. Draw your answer.

When I am 21, my circle of friends will include: For fun, we

:

When I am 40, my circle of friends will include: For fun, we:

When I am 50, my circle of friends will include: For fun, we:

When I am 60, my circle of friends will include: For fun, we:

GREAT!!!
You may now proceed to the main lesson.
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IV. LESSON PROPER

Based on the preliminary activities, what did you notice about it?
________________________________________________________
CONGRATULATIONS!
You may now proceed to the lesson.

Psychosocial Development
Midlife crisis?

Remember Levinson’s theory from our last lesson? Levinson found that the men he interviewed sometimes
had difficulty reconciling the “dream” they held about the future with the reality they now experience. “What
do I really get from and give to my wife, children, friends, work, community-and self?” a man might ask
(Levinson, 1978, p. 192). Tasks of the midlife transition include 1) ending early adulthood; 2) reassessing
life in the present and making modifications if needed; and 3) reconciling “polarities” or
contradictions in ones sense of self. Perhaps, early adulthood ends when a person no longer seeks adult
status-but feels like a full adult in the eyes of others. This ‘permission’ may lead to different choices in life;
choices that are made for self-fulfillment instead of social acceptance. While people in their early 20s may
emphasize how old they are (to gain respect, to be viewed as experienced), by the time people reach their
40s, they tend to emphasize how young they are. (Few 40 year olds cut each other down for being so young:
“You’re only 43? I’m 48!!”)

This new perspective on time brings about a new sense of urgency to life. The person becomes focused
more on the present than the future or the past. The person grows impatient at being in the “waiting room of
life” postponing doing the things they have always wanted to do. Now is the time. If it’s ever going to happen,
it better happen now. A previous focus on the future gives way to an emphasis on the
present. Neugarten (1968) notes that in midlife, people no longer think of their lives in terms of how long they
have lived. Rather, life is thought of in terms of how many years are left. If an adult is not satisfied at midlife,
there is a new sense of urgency to start to make changes now.

Changes may involve ending a relationship or modifying one’s expectations of a partner. These modifications
are easier than changing the self (Levinson, 1978). Midlife is a period of transition in which one holds earlier
images of the self while forming new ideas about the self of the future. A greater awareness of aging
accompanies feelings of youth. And harm that may have been done previously in relationships haunts new
dreams of contributing to the well-being of others. These polarities are the quieter struggles that continue
after outward signs of “crisis” have gone away.
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Goal-Free Living

One of the reasons the men in Levinson’s study became concerned about their life was because it had not
followed the course they had envisioned. Shapiro (2006) offers an alternative to linear thinking about the
future and career paths. Many plan their futures by using a map. They have a sense of where they are and
where they want to be and form strategies to get from point A to point B. While this seems perfectly logical,
Shapiro suggests that following a map closes one to opportunities for the future and provides a standard by
which all actual events may fall short. Life, then, is evaluated by how closely actual life events have followed
the map. If so, all is well. If not, a feeling of frustration and failure creeps in. Shapiro suggests using a
compass rather than a map as one’s guide. A compass indicates a direction, but does not provide a
destination. So, a person who lives “goal free” has direction and areas of interest that guide decision-making,
but does not know the outcome. (Many of us do not know the outcome-even when we follow a map!) This
approach opens a person up to possibilities that often occur by chance and frees one from being stressed or
devastated if a preset destination is not reached by a certain time. And more importantly, goal-free (or
compass-guided living) focuses a person’s attention on the process of the journey and helps them appreciate
all of their experiences along the way. What do you think? How many of your plans were mapped out
previously? Could you be happy knowing that you do not know where you will be 5 years from now?

According to Erikson, midlife adults face the crisis of generativity vs. stagnation. This involves looking at
one’s life while asking the question, “Am I doing anything worthwhile? Is anyone going to know that I was
here? What am I contributing to others?” If not, a feeling of being stuck or stagnated may
result. This discomfort can motivate a person to redirect energies into more meaningful activities. It is
important to make revisions here so that in later life, one may feel a sense of pride and accomplishment and
feel content with the choices that have been made.

Family relationships

Younger and older adults tend to experience more spouse-related stress than do midlife adults. Midlife adults
often have overload stressors such as having too many demands placed on them by children or due to
financial concerns. Parents adjust to launching their children into lives of their own during this time. Some
parents who feel uncomfortable about their children leaving home may actually precipitate a crisis to keep it
from happening or push their child out too soon (Anderson and Sabatelli, 2007). But even welcomed and
anticipated departure can still require adjustment on the part of the parents as they get used to their empty
nest.

Adult children typically maintain frequent contact with their parents if for no other reason, for money and
advice. Attitudes toward one’s parents may become more accepting and forgiving as parents are seen in a
more objective way-as people with good points and bad. And, as adults, children can continue to be subjected
to criticism, ridicule, and abuse at the hand of parents. How long are we “adult children”? For as long as our
parents are living, we continue in the role of son or daughter. (I had a neighbor in her nineties who would tell
me her “boys” were coming to see her this weekend. Her boys were in their 70s-but they were still her
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boys!) But after ones parents are gone, the adult is no longer a child; as one 40 year old man explained after
the death of his father, “I’ll never be a kid again.” And adult children, known as boomerang kids, may return
home to live temporarily after divorces or if they lose employment.

Being a midlife child sometimes involves kinkeeping; organizing events and communication in order to
maintain family ties. Kinkeepers are often midlife daughters (they are the person who tells you what food to
bring to a gathering or makes arrangement for a family reunion), but kinkeepers can be midlife sons as well.

Caregiving of a disabled child, spouse, or other family member is part of the lives of some midlife adults.
Overall, one major source of stress is that of trying to balance caregiving with meeting the demands of work
away from home. Caregiving can have both positive and negative consequences that depend in part on the
gender of the caregiver and the person receiving the care. Men and women express greater distress when
caring for a spouse than when caring for other family members. Men who care are providing care for a
spouse are more likely to experience greater hostility but also more personal growth than non-
caregiving males. Men who are caring for disabled children express having more positive relationships with
others. Women experience more positive relationships with others and greater purpose in life when caring
for parents either in or outside of their home. But women who are caring for disabled children may experience
poorer health and greater distress as a result (Marks, 1998).

Stein’s Typology of Singles

Many of the research findings about singles reveal that they are not all alike. Happiness with one’s status
depends on whether the person is single by choice and whether the situation is permanent. Let’s look at
Stein’s (1981) four categories of singles for a better understanding of this.

Voluntary temporary singles: These are younger people who have never been married and divorced
people who are postponing marriage and remarriage. They may be more involved in careers or getting an
education or just wanting to have fun without making a commitment to any one person. They are not quite
ready for that kind of relationship. These people tend to report being very happy with their single status.

Voluntary permanent singles: These individuals do not want to marry and aren’t intending to marry. This
might include cohabiting couples who don’t want to marry, priests, nuns, or others who are not considering
marriage. Again, this group is typically single by choice and understandably more contented with this
decision.

Involuntary temporary: These are people who are actively seeking mates. They hope to marry or remarry
and may be involved in going on blind dates, seeking a partner on the internet or placing “getting personal”
aids in search of a mate. They tend to be more anxious about being single.
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Involuntary permanent: These are older divorced, widowed, or never-married people who wanted to marry
but have not found a mate and are coming to accept singlehood as a probable permanent situation. Some
are bitter about not having married while others are more accepting of how their life has developed.

Marriage: It has been said that marriage can be the greatest source of happiness or pain in one’s life,
depending on the relationship. Those who are in marriages can experience deeper happiness and pain than
those who are unattached. All marriages are not alike and the same marriage between two people may
change through the years. Below we will look at how satisfaction with marriage is affected by the life cycle
and two ways to characterizing marriages.

Marital satisfaction & the life cycle: Marital satisfaction has peaks and valleys during the course of the life
cycle. Rates of happiness are highest in the years prior to the birth of the first child. It hits a low point with the
coming of children. Relationships become more traditional and there are more financial hardships and stress
in living. Then it begins to improve when children leave home. Children bring new expectations to the marital
relationship. Two people, who are comfortable with their roles as partners, may find the added parental duties
and expectations more challenging to meet. Some couples elect not to have children in order to have more
time and resources for the marriage. These child-free couples are happy keeping their time and attention on
their partners, careers, and interests.

Types of Marriages

Intrinsic and Utilitarian Marriages: One way marriages vary is with regard to the reason the partners are
married. Some marriages have intrinsic value: the partners are together because they enjoy, love and value
one another. Marriage is not thought of as a means to another end-is an end in itself. These partners look for
someone they are drawn to and with whom they feel a close and intense relationship. These partners find
the relationship personally rewarding. Other marriages called utilitarian marriages are unions entered
primarily for practical reasons. The partners see one another as a means to an end. The marriage brings
financial security, children, social approval, housekeeping, political favor, a good car, a great house, and so
on. These partners do not focus on intimacy. These marriages may be chosen more out of default. (“She was
there when it was time to get married so here we are.”) Marriages entered for practical reasons are more
common throughout history and throughout the world.

This classic typology of marriages is based on interviews with 437 highly educated, upper-middle class
people, and ages 35 to 55 (Cuber & Haroff, 1965). All were financially successful and emotionally
adjusted. From their interviews, the researchers found 6. Some of these are more intrinsic and some more
utilitarian. (One of the merits of this model is that it calls attention to the variation we find in marriages.)

1) Conflict-habituated marriages: In these marriages, there is considerable tension and unresolved

conflict. Spouses habitually quarrel, nag, and bring up the past. As a rule, both spouses acknowledge their
incompatibility and recognize the atmosphere of tension as normal. The subject of the argument hardly seems
important, and partners do not resolve or expect to resolve their differences. ‘Of course we don’t settle any
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of the issues. It’s sort of a matter of principle not to. Because somebody would have to give in and lose face
for the next encounter’, explained a member of a 25 year long conflict-habituated marriage. The conflict
between them is “controlled” meaning it doesn’t escalate. And it may be main way the partners interact with
one another.

2) Devitalized relationships: These marriages are characterized as being empty, apathetic relationships
which once had something more. Usually couples have been married several years, and over the course of
time, the relationship has lost its zest, intimacy, and meaning. Once deeply in love, they recall spending a
great deal of time enjoying sex, and having a close emotional relationship in the past. But now they spend
little time together, enjoy sex together less, and no longer share many interests and activities. Most of their
time is “duty time” together spent entertaining, planning and sharing activities with their children, and
participating in community responsibilities and functions. Once their marriage was intrinsic, but now has
become utilitarian.

3) Passive-congenial: These utilitarian marriages emphasize qualities in the partners rather than emotional
closeness. These upper-middle class couples tended to emphasize civic and professional responsibilities
and the importance of property, children, and reputation. Among working class people the focus might be on
the need for security or hopes for children. Unlike devitalized marriages, passive-congenial partners never
expected the marriage to be emotionally intense. Instead, they stress the “sensibility” of their decision to
marry. There is little conflict, but that does not mean there are no unspoken frustrations. There is little intimacy
but the partner’s fail each other’s need for casual companionship. Passive-congenial marriages are less likely
to end in divorce than unions in which partners have high expectations for emotional intensity. But if the
marriage fails to fill practical needs, such as economic support or professional advancement, the partners
may decide to divorce. Or, if one partner discovers they want more intimacy, they may leave.

4) Vital: These intrinsic marriages are created out of a desire for being together for the sake of enjoying one
another. Vital partners retain their separate identities, but really enjoy sharing activities. They do have conflict,
but it is likely to center on real issues rather than on “who said what first” or old grievances. They try to settle
disagreements quickly so they can resume the relationship that means so much to them. There are few long-
term areas of tension. Sex is important and pleasurable. Cuber and Haroff found these marriages to be in
the minority.

5) Total marriage: These are also intrinsic. They are like vital marriages but the marriage encompasses
even more areas of the partner’s lives. Spouses may share work life, friends and leisure activities, as well as
home life. They may organize their lives to make it possible to be alone together for long periods. These
relationships are emotionally intense. Total marriages were also rare. They may also be at risk for rapid
disintegration if the marital quality changes. These partners tend to want such intensity and be dissatisfied
with anything less. These marriages also foster a mutual dependency that makes it hard for the remaining
partner to adjust in case of death or divorce.
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Productivity at Work

Work and midlife includes many scenarios. Some experience stable careers while others experience lay-offs
and find themselves back in school to gain new skills for reemployment. Others experience discrimination
due to age or find it difficult to gain employment because of the higher salary demands compared with
younger, less experienced workers (Barnett, 1997). Many people over 50 seek meaning as well as income
in careers entered into in midlife known as “encore careers” www.encore.org/). Some midlife adults
anticipate retirement, while others may be postponing it for financial reasons.

The workplace today is one in which many people from various walks of life come together. Work schedules
are more flexible and varied, and more work independently from home or anywhere there is an internet
connection. The midlife worker must be flexible, stay current with technology, and be capable of working
within a global community. And the midlife mind seeks meaningful work.

Personality in Midlife

Does the personality change in midlife? Think about your parents or other adults you’ve known for some
time. Did their personalities change when they reached midlife? Or were they pretty much the same? Some
theorists maintain that personality becomes more stable as we reach middle adulthood. Other suggest that
with age comes the addition of new personality traits-one’s we may not have felt comfortable showing when
we were younger.

Midlife is viewed as a time of increased stability especially if compared with early adulthood or adolescence. A
person’s tendency toward extraversion, agreeableness, neuroticism, conscientiousness, and
openness, the Big Five personality traits, is more consistent (McCrae & Costa, 2003). Midlife adults
become more agreeable, but decline in openness and neuroticism.

However, midlife is also viewed as a time of change. Carl Jung believed that our personality actually matures
as we get older. A healthy personality is one that is balanced. People suffer tension and anxiety when they
fail to express all of their qualities. Jung believed that each of us possess a “shadow side”. For example,
those who are typically introverted also have an extroverted side that rarely finds expression unless we are
relaxed and uninhibited. Each of us has both a masculine and feminine side but in younger years, we feel
societal pressure to give expression only to one. As we get older, we may become freer to express all of our
traits as the situation arises. We find gender convergence in older adults. Men become more interested in
intimacy and family ties. Women may become more assertive. This gender convergence is also affected by
changes in society’s expectations for males and females. With each new generation we find that the roles of
men and women are less stereotypic and this allows for change as well.
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V. ANALYSIS, APPLICATION AND EXPLORATION

ACTIVITY 1

Name: ______________________________ Grade & Section: __________________

CASE ANALYSIS 1
After years of experiencing little personal growth at work, 42-year-old Mel looked for a new job and
received an attractive offer in another city. Although he felt torn between leaving close friends and pursuing
a long-awaited career opportunity, after several weeks of soul searching, he took the new job. Was Mel's
dilemma a midlife crisis? Why or why not?
How might the approach of many middle-aged adults to handling life regrets prevent the occurrence
of midlife crises?
Think of a middle-aged adult whom you admire. Describe the various ways that individual expresses
generativity.
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ACTIVITY 2

Name: ______________________________ Grade & Section: __________________

CASE ANALYSIS 2

 Jeff, age 46, suggested to his wife, Julia, that they set aside time once a year to discuss their
relationship—both positive aspects and ways to improve. Julia was surprised because Jeff had never
before expressed interest in working on their marriage. What developments at midlife probably
fostered this new concern?
 List cognitive gains that typically occur during middle adulthood. How might they support midlife
personality changes?
 List your hoped-for and feared possible selves. Then ask family members in the early and middle
adulthood periods to do the same. Are their reports consistent with age-related research findings?
Explain.

Finally, let us summarize the lesson of what we had discussed today.

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VI. GENERALIZATION

I. What personal and cultural forces motivate generativity? Why does it increase and contribute
vitally to favorable adjustment in midlife?

II. Summarize personality changes at midlife. How can these changes be reconciled with increasing
stability of the "big five" personality traits?
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III. Compare types of singles and tell which type you are considered.

KUDOS!
You have come to an end of Module 15.
OOPS! Don’t forget that you have still an assignment to do.
Here it is….

VII. ASSIGNMENT

Name: ______________________________ Grade & Section: __________________

1. What role do social relationships play in the lives of middle-aged people?

2. How do marriages, cohabitations, and gay and lesbian relationships fare during the middle years?
3. How do friendships fare during middle age?
4. How do parent-child relationships change as children approach and reach adulthood?
5. How do middle-aged people get along with parents and siblings?
6. What roles do today's grandparents play?
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After your long journey of reading and accomplishing the

module, let us now challenge your mind by answering the evaluation
part of this module.

VIII. EVALUATION

Name:______________________________ Grade & Section: __________________

Direction/Instruction: Encircle the letter of the correct answer.

1. According to Erik Erikson, the major concern of middle adulthood is

A. Searching for meaning within oneself.

B. Developing a sense of identity.
C. Leaving a legacy as a way of participating in life's continuation.
D. Forming a close, intimate bond with a life partner.

2. Which one of these middle-aged people fits the traditional normative social clock?
A. Bob, who is planning to retire next year when he turns 65
B. Carol, who retired from a high-tech start-up company after making millions before turning 40
C. Ted, who is returning to college at 52 to "retool" for a new career after being laid off
D. Alice, who is expecting her first baby at age 43

3. Many researchers studying the "midlife crisis" now consider it to be

A. A common event in industrialized societies.
B. Inevitable.
C. A universal phenomenon.
D. Rare, or possibly even nonexistent.

4. Which of the following people would researchers rate as having the highest social well-being?
A. Geraldo, who is married and has a large, extended family as well as a network of friends
B. Geraldine, who is single and the primary caregiver for her elderly parents
C. Georgine, who is separated from her husband and trying to reestablish a relationship with her
family
D. Gerald, who is not married and has a couple of drinking buddies and one living sibling
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5. Paige is approaching her 50th birthday, and as she is making the guest list for her party, she realizes
that she has known a lot of people—her brother and sister, her husband and children, many of her
friends—for much of her life. These people are Paige's
A. Generativists.
B. Social convoys.
C. Collective unconscious.
D. Age-span crossovers.

6. The U-shaped pattern of marital satisfaction, discovered by researchers to be common in longtime

marriages, occurs when
A. Marital satisfaction declines when the children begin to leave home.
B. Marital satisfaction declines steadily from early adulthood through late adulthood.
C. Marital satisfaction declines after the first few years of marriage, then rises again in middle age
through the first part of late adulthood.
D. Marital satisfaction rises steadily from the beginning of marriage through child-rearing and into
late adulthood.

7. Mac and Ronnie have been married for 22 years. During that time, they have created a financially
secure situation, including retirement investments and a home, and they share many friends and
hobbies. Mac and Ronnie have built up a lot of
A. All of these
B. Marital capital.
C. Socio-emotional selectivity.
D. Midlife convoys.

8. Research on the "empty nest syndrome" suggests that

A. Cutting back on employment decreases women's distress when children move away.
B. Many women find the transition to an empty nest liberating, rather than distressing.
C. Women are more likely than men to experience the empty nest syndrome and to report health-
related stress.
D. Men are more likely than women to experience the empty nest syndrome and to report health-
related stress.

9. Darnell and Aisha's two children now both live in cities far away from them, but both Darnell and
Aisha enjoy talking or exchanging emails with each child at least two or three times a week.
According to intergenerational family research, this family's relationships are
A. Intimate but distant.
B. Sociable.
C. Tight-knit.
D. Obligatory.
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10. Which middle-aged individual is MOST likely to care for an aging relative?
A. Richard, whose widowed mother-in-law is no longer able to care for herself
B. Anita, whose widowed mother is no longer able to care for herself
C. Larry, whose widowed mother is no longer able to care for herself
D. Harris, whose married mother-in-law is no longer able to care for herself

CONGRATULATIONS on reaching the end of this module!

You may now proceed to the next module.
Don’t forget to submit all the exercises, activities and portfolio
on ___________________.
KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK.
Well Done!!!