© 2014 by McGraw-Hill Education. This is proprietary material solely for authorized instructor use. Not authorized for sale or distribution in any manner. This document may not be copied, scanned, duplicated, forwarded, distributed, or posted on a website, in whole or part. SOCIOEMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT IN MIDDLE ADULTHOOD 14 3e

© 2014 by McGraw-Hill Education. This is proprietary material solely for authorized instructor use. Not authorized for sale or distribution in any manner. This document may not be copied, scanned, duplicated, forwarded, distributed, or posted on a website, in whole or part.  Adult stage theories  Erikson’s stage of generativity versus stagnation ▪ Generativity: Adults’ desire to leave legacies of themselves to the next generation ▪ Stagnation: Develops when individuals sense that they have done nothing for the next generation ▪ Generativity can be developed in a number of ways ▪ Biological generativity ▪ Parental generativity ▪ Work generativity ▪ Cultural generativity 14-2

© 2014 by McGraw-Hill Education. This is proprietary material solely for authorized instructor use. Not authorized for sale or distribution in any manner. This document may not be copied, scanned, duplicated, forwarded, distributed, or posted on a website, in whole or part.  How pervasive are midlife crises? ▪ The 40s are a decade of reassessing and recording the truth about the adolescent and adult years ▪ Only a minority of adults experience a midlife crisis 14-3

© 2014 by McGraw-Hill Education. This is proprietary material solely for authorized instructor use. Not authorized for sale or distribution in any manner. This document may not be copied, scanned, duplicated, forwarded, distributed, or posted on a website, in whole or part.  Stress and gender ▪ Fight-or-flight: When men experience stress: ▪ Become aggressive, socially withdraw, or drink alcohol ▪ Tend-and-befriend: When women experience stress: ▪ Seek social alliances with others, especially female friends  Contexts of midlife development  Historical contexts (Cohort effects) ▪ Social clock: Timetable according to which individuals are expected to accomplish life’s tasks 14-4

© 2014 by McGraw-Hill Education. This is proprietary material solely for authorized instructor use. Not authorized for sale or distribution in any manner. This document may not be copied, scanned, duplicated, forwarded, distributed, or posted on a website, in whole or part.  Love and marriage at midlife  Security, loyalty, and mutual emotional interest are more important in middle adulthood  Most married individuals are satisfied with their marriages during midlife  Divorce in middle adulthood may be more positive in some ways, more negative in others 14-5

© 2014 by McGraw-Hill Education. This is proprietary material solely for authorized instructor use. Not authorized for sale or distribution in any manner. This document may not be copied, scanned, duplicated, forwarded, distributed, or posted on a website, in whole or part.  The empty nest and its refilling  Empty nest syndrome: Decrease in marital satisfaction after children leave the home ▪ Parents derive considerable satisfaction from their children  Refilling of empty nest is a common occurrence ▪ Loss of privacy 14-6

© 2014 by McGraw-Hill Education. This is proprietary material solely for authorized instructor use. Not authorized for sale or distribution in any manner. This document may not be copied, scanned, duplicated, forwarded, distributed, or posted on a website, in whole or part.  Sibling relationships and friendships  Sibling relationships may be extremely close, apathetic, or highly rivalrous  Friendships that have endured over the adult years tend to be deeper 14-7