Chapter 11 Middle Adulthood

Erik Erikson Middle Adulthood

Generativity vs Stagnation

Generativity

Refers to making your make on the world by caring for others as well as creating & accomplishing things that makes the world a better place

Stagnation

Refers to the failure to find a way to contribute. These individuals may feel disconnected or uninvolved with their community and with society as a whole

Generativity happens through

1. Being a parent and grandparent

2. Leader position

3. Involvement in community organization to seek to change society for the better

Generativity in midlife predicts better health outcomes in late adulthood

Fluid intelligence

Involves information processing abilities, the ability to discern spatial relations, and speed of processing; poses and declines in middle adulthood

Crystallized intelligence

The accumulation of culturally based knowledge, language, and understanding of social conventions; wisdom

Peaks in middle adulthood

Expertise

Extensive knowledge and skill in a specific field; process information efficiently and quickly and problem solving activities become automatic, flexible and creative in their strategies

Frontal lobe maturity promotes expertise

peaks in middle adulthood but May change due to treads of switching jobs and taking opportunities vs standing in one place like the past

Creativity

Putting new ideas together in creative ways; typically follows after expertise

Peaks in young adulthood

Holland’s code

Theory that people and work environments can be loosely classified into 6 different groups

Most people are more satisfied if there is some degree of fit between their personality and their work environment

Realistic

High physical strength, practical approach to problem solving, and low social understanding; farmer, truck driver, and construction

Intellectual

High on conceptual and theoretical thinking, low social skills; Research in fields such as math and science

Social

High in verbal skills and social skills; teaching, social work, and counseling

Conventional

High on following directions carefully, dislike of unstructured activities; little leadership such as bank teller or secretary

Enterprising

High in verbal abilities, social skills, and leadership skills; sales, polities, management, running a business

Artistic

Introspective, imaginative, sensitive, and unconventional; painting or writing fiction

Glass ceiling

unspoken limit on advancement: cannot go any more up happens to women due to discrimination

Burnout

state of being frustrated and tires of one’s job (high in “helping’ profession

Work

Job satisfaction peaks due to more expertise, more authority, and acceptance of profession. However, glass ceiling and burnout can lead to involuntary unemployment which tends to last for longer in middle adults

Self acceptance

at peace with themselves; no longer striving to be something different than they are

Autonomy

less concerned with other’s assessments, more inclined to assess themselves according to self defined standards

Environmental Mastery

See themselves as being able to handle a variety of roles and responsibillites effectively; feel they have the skill and knowledge to act upon their environment rather than having to go with the flow of life

Happiness

peaks; identity struggles are resolved, heightened sense of self understanding. Marital satisfaction peaks. Family importance rises: adult children and elderly parents

Midlife Crisis

Carl Jung coined the term, a common middle adulthood, thinking about one’s life choices, mortality, and purpose, entailing anxiety, unhappiness, and critical reappraisal of one’s life, possibly provoking dramatic change

Evidence of Midlife Crisis

Research has failed to find consistent evidence of a midlife crisis; the explanation being negative life events occur thus causing change, but not specific to middle adulthood

Family Relationships

typically have young adult or emerging adult children; parents still provide financial support

Empty nesters

Adults children leaving the home is both sad and happy time in Northern Europe, US, UK, Unmarried adults children tend to be welcomed to stay home in Southern Europe and Japan

Becoming a grandparent

Typically occurs in 50s (developed countries). Grandmothers tend to be more involved

In multigenerational households, daily child care of grandchildren. Involvement influenced by distance but that’s changing with technology.

Role tends to be enjoyed; passing down family history with minimum responsibilities of the child

Critial periods of divorce

1. Children enter the picture

2. Children leave the home

Divorce

tends to occur in first 10 years. Midlife divorce tends to be “fall out of love”, usually wait until children have left the house to divorce

Grey Divorce

divorce between partners who have been together to over their 50s; has doubled

Gottman’s 4 Horsemen of the apocalype

1. Criticism

2. Contempt: strongest; talking down to the partner, superiority, “hostile humor”

3. Defensiveness

4. Stonewalling

Leisure Activities

2-3 hours daily of tv, socializing, exercise, sports, etc. Time depends on free time between working; 80% work 40 0r more hours per week

Vacations

Physical health is better among those who take vacation; less likely to die from coronary disease. Unforuantely, the US does not guarantee vacation time