Development Through the Lifespan Sixth Edition ● Laura E. Berk Copyright © 2014, 2010, 2007 by Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Chapter 16 Emotional and Social Development in Middle Adulthood

Development Through the Lifespan Sixth Edition ● Laura E. Berk Copyright © 2014, 2010, 2007 by Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Generativity  Reaching out to others in ways that give to and guide the next generation  Extending commitment beyond self and partner  May be realized through parenting or other family, work, and mentoring relationships Stagnation  Self-centered, self- indulgent, self-absorbed  Lack of interest in young people  Focus on what one can get from others, not what one can give  Little interest in being productive at work or developing talents Erikson’s Theory: Generativity vs. Stagnation

Development Through the Lifespan Sixth Edition ● Laura E. Berk Copyright © 2014, 2010, 2007 by Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Aging, Generativity, and Self-Perceptions Figure 16.1 (Adapted from Stewart, Ostrove, & Helson, 2001.)

Development Through the Lifespan Sixth Edition ● Laura E. Berk Copyright © 2014, 2010, 2007 by Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved.  Well-adjusted:  low in anxiety, depression  high in autonomy, self-acceptance, life satisfaction  Commitment story:  positive interpretation of life events  viewing good as emerging from adversity  giving back to family, community, society Highly Generative Adults

Development Through the Lifespan Sixth Edition ● Laura E. Berk Copyright © 2014, 2010, 2007 by Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Levinson’s Four Tasks of Middle Adulthood Young–Old Seek new ways of being both young and old Destruction– Creation Acknowledge past hurtful acts, try to leave legacy for future generations Masculinity– Femininity Balance masculine and feminine parts of self Engagement– Separateness Balance engagement with and separateness from external world

Development Through the Lifespan Sixth Edition ● Laura E. Berk Copyright © 2014, 2010, 2007 by Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved.  “Keepers of meaning”: older people as guardians of their culture  “Passing the torch” to next generation  Focus on longer-term, less-personal goals © Blaj Gabriel/Shutterstock Vaillant’s View of Midlife

Development Through the Lifespan Sixth Edition ● Laura E. Berk Copyright © 2014, 2010, 2007 by Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved.  Wide individual differences in response  Gender differences in work-related turning points:  women: early adulthood  men: midlife  Sharp disruption uncommon  Differences in handling life regrets:  making life changes or not  role of interpretation, acceptance in well-being © bikeriderlondon/Shutterstock Is There a Midlife Crisis?

Development Through the Lifespan Sixth Edition ● Laura E. Berk Copyright © 2014, 2010, 2007 by Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Stage View Midlife changes as developmental transitions Life Events View Midlife changes as adaptations to normative life events Midlife: Stage or Life Events? Most experts regard midlife adaptation as combined result of growing older and social experiences

Development Through the Lifespan Sixth Edition ● Laura E. Berk Copyright © 2014, 2010, 2007 by Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved.  What one hopes to become or fears becoming  Become fewer in number, more modest and concrete with age  Rely more on temporal than on social comparisons  Can be redefined by the individual, permitting affirmation of the self  Play protective role in self-esteem Possible Selves

Development Through the Lifespan Sixth Edition ● Laura E. Berk Copyright © 2014, 2010, 2007 by Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved.  Gains in expertise, practical problem solving  More complex, integrated self-descriptions  Increase in  self-acceptance  autonomy  environmental mastery  Factors contributing to well-being differ among cohorts © Marie C. Fields/Shutterstock Self-Acceptance, Autonomy, Environmental Mastery

Development Through the Lifespan Sixth Edition ● Laura E. Berk Copyright © 2014, 2010, 2007 by Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Daily Stressors in Middle Adulthood Figure 16.2 (From D. M. Almeida & M. C. Horn, 2004, “Is Daily Life More Stressful During Middle Adulthood?” in O. G. Brim, C. D. Ruff, and R. C. Kessler [Eds.], How Healthy Are We? A National Study of Well-Being at Midlife. Chicago: The University of Chicago Press, p Adapted by permission of The University of Chicago Press.)

Development Through the Lifespan Sixth Edition ● Laura E. Berk Copyright © 2014, 2010, 2007 by Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved.  Good health and exercise  Sense of control and personal life investment  Positive social relationships  Good marriage  Mastery of multiple roles © michaeljung/Shutterstock Factors in Midlife Psychological Well-Being

Development Through the Lifespan Sixth Edition ● Laura E. Berk Copyright © 2014, 2010, 2007 by Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved.  Effective coping strategies:  identifying positives  postponing action while evaluating alternatives  Personality changes that support coping:  complex, integrated, coherent self-descriptions, blending strengths and weaknesses  gains in emotional stability and confidence Coping Improvements in Middle Adulthood

Development Through the Lifespan Sixth Edition ● Laura E. Berk Copyright © 2014, 2010, 2007 by Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved.  Women increase in “masculine” traits  Men increase in “feminine” traits  Theories:  parental imperative  cohort effects: women’s career experiences  demands of midlife © Monkey Business Images/Shutterstock Gender Identity in Middle Adulthood

Development Through the Lifespan Sixth Edition ● Laura E. Berk Copyright © 2014, 2010, 2007 by Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved.  Neuroticism  Extroversion  Openness to experience  Agreeableness  Conscientiousness © Christine Langer-Pueschel/Shutterstock Big Five Personality Traits

Development Through the Lifespan Sixth Edition ● Laura E. Berk Copyright © 2014, 2010, 2007 by Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Changes in Big Five Personality Traits with Age  Basic, enduring individual dispositions persist  Changes occur in overall organization and integration of personality:  agreeableness and conscientiousness increase  neuroticism declines  extroversion and openness to experience remain the same or decrease slightly

Development Through the Lifespan Sixth Edition ● Laura E. Berk Copyright © 2014, 2010, 2007 by Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved.  Often, more close relationships than in any other period:  ties to both older and younger generations  well-established friendships  For many people, a liberating time:  sense of completion  opportunity to strengthen social ties, rekindle interests © bikeriderlondon/Shutterstock Relationships at Midlife

Development Through the Lifespan Sixth Edition ● Laura E. Berk Copyright © 2014, 2010, 2007 by Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved.  Middle-aged households typically well off compared with other age groups  Contemporary view of midlife marriage: expansion, new horizons  Need for review and adjustment of marital relationship  Marital satisfaction predicts psychological well-being © bikeriderlondon/Shutterstock Marriage in Middle Adulthood

Development Through the Lifespan Sixth Edition ● Laura E. Berk Copyright © 2014, 2010, 2007 by Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved.  Rate for U.S. 50- to 65-year-olds has doubled over past 20 years  More likely among those who are  remarried  highly educated  Midlifers adjust more easily than young adults:  practical problem solving  effective coping strategies  Contributes to feminization of poverty Divorce in Midlife

Development Through the Lifespan Sixth Edition ● Laura E. Berk Copyright © 2014, 2010, 2007 by Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved.  Launching: culmination of “letting go” process:  decline in parental authority  continued contact, affection, support to children  adjusting to in-laws  kinkeeper role, especially for mothers  Affected by  investment in nonparental roles, especially work  children’s characteristics: “off-time” children stress parents  cultural variations in social clock Parenting in Middle Adulthood

Development Through the Lifespan Sixth Edition ● Laura E. Berk Copyright © 2014, 2010, 2007 by Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved.  Emphasize positive communication.  Avoid comments that are holdovers from childhood.  Accept changes in cultural values, practices, and lifestyles.  Resist urge to “fix” problems.  Be clear about your own needs and preferences. Promoting Positive Ties with Adult Children © imtmphoto/Shutterstock

Development Through the Lifespan Sixth Edition ● Laura E. Berk Copyright © 2014, 2010, 2007 by Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved.  On average, begins in early fifties; can spend one-third of life as a grandparent  Significant milestone for most  Grandparenting styles influenced by proximity, age, gender, SES, ethnicity  Trends in grandparenting:  extended-family household  skipped-generation family  response to divorce of grandchildren’s parents Grandparenthood © Olesia Bilkei/Shutterstock

Development Through the Lifespan Sixth Edition ● Laura E. Berk Copyright © 2014, 2010, 2007 by Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved.  Valued elder  Immortality through descendants  Reinvolvement with personal past  Opportunity for indulgence © Monkey Business Images/Shutterstock Meanings of Grandparenthood

Development Through the Lifespan Sixth Edition ● Laura E. Berk Copyright © 2014, 2010, 2007 by Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Influences on Frequency of Grandchildren’s Visits Figure 16.3 (From P. Uhlenberg & B. G. Hammill, 1998, “Frequency of Grandparent Contact with Grandchild Sets: Six Factors That Make a Difference,” Gerontologist, 38, p Copyright © 1998 The Gerontological Society of America. Reprinted by permission of Oxford University Press and Peter Uhlenberg.)

Development Through the Lifespan Sixth Edition ● Laura E. Berk Copyright © 2014, 2010, 2007 by Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved.  Increasingly likely to have living parents  Reassess relationships with parents  In collectivist cultures, parents typically live with married children  Children provide more help to parents:  financial and household aid  caregiving as parental health problems increase  helping based on quality of earlier relationships Middle-Aged Children and Their Aging Parents

Development Through the Lifespan Sixth Edition ● Laura E. Berk Copyright © 2014, 2010, 2007 by Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved.  “Sandwich generation”  Factors include finances, location, gender, culture  Highly stressful:  time devoted to care averages 10 to 20 hours per week, more for women  emotional strain of witnessing parent’s decline  greatest stress for those sharing a household with ill parent Caring for Aging Parents

Development Through the Lifespan Sixth Edition ● Laura E. Berk Copyright © 2014, 2010, 2007 by Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Baby Boomers Caring for Aging Parents Figure 16.4 (Adapted from The MetLife Study of Caregiving Costs to Working Caregivers: Double Jeopardy for Baby Boomers Caring for Their Parents, June 2011, Figure 3. Reprinted by permission of the MetLife Mature Market Institute, New York, NY.)

Development Through the Lifespan Sixth Edition ● Laura E. Berk Copyright © 2014, 2010, 2007 by Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved.  Use effective coping strategies.  Seek social support.  Use community resources.  Get workplace help.  Work for helpful public policies. © absolute/Shutterstock Relieving Caregiving Stress

Development Through the Lifespan Sixth Edition ● Laura E. Berk Copyright © 2014, 2010, 2007 by Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved.  Contact and support decline because of demands of diverse roles  Still, siblings often feel closer:  baby-boom cohort more expressive  share similar events  Affected by  earlier relations  culture © Blend Images/Shutterstock Siblings in Middle Adulthood

Development Through the Lifespan Sixth Edition ● Laura E. Berk Copyright © 2014, 2010, 2007 by Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved.  Gender trends continue: men are less expressive than women  Fewer friends: become more selective, try harder to get along with friends  Rely on friends more for pleasure, family for support and security Friendships in Middle Adulthood

Development Through the Lifespan Sixth Edition ● Laura E. Berk Copyright © 2014, 2010, 2007 by Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved.  Important component of satisfaction and self-esteem:  attempt to increase personal meaning of vocational lives  improved job performance, low absenteeism, more effective collaboration with colleagues  increased job satisfaction  Negative stereotypes of aging may hinder advancement Vocational Life

Development Through the Lifespan Sixth Edition ● Laura E. Berk Copyright © 2014, 2010, 2007 by Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Age-Related Changes in Job Satisfaction Figure 16.6 (From W. A. Hochwarter et al., 2001, “A Note on the Nonlinearity of the Age–Job-Satisfaction Relationship,” Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 31, p Copyright © 2001, John Wiley and Sons. Reproduced with permission of Wiley Inc.)

Development Through the Lifespan Sixth Edition ● Laura E. Berk Copyright © 2014, 2010, 2007 by Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Causes  long-term job stress  work with high emotional demands  unsupportive work environment  excessive work assignments for available time  lack of encouragement from supervisors Linked to  impaired attention and memory  severe depression  on-the-job injuries  physical illnesses  poor job performance  absenteeism  turnover Burnout

Development Through the Lifespan Sixth Edition ● Laura E. Berk Copyright © 2014, 2010, 2007 by Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Limits to advancement  training  glass ceiling Midlife career changes  not usually drastic  often for more relaxing career Unemployment  middle-aged and older people most affected by downsizing  more stressful than for young adults Retirement planning © AVAVA/Shutterstock Career Development in Middle Adulthood

Development Through the Lifespan Sixth Edition ● Laura E. Berk Copyright © 2014, 2010, 2007 by Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Personal  desire to change: growth vs. security needs  co-workers, supervisor  stereotypes: self-efficacy Job  challenging vs. routine tasks  co-workers, teams © Blend Images/Shutterstock Influences on Interest in Job Training

Development Through the Lifespan Sixth Edition ● Laura E. Berk Copyright © 2014, 2010, 2007 by Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved.  Disrupts generativity and life reappraisal  Decline in physical and mental health  Remain jobless longer  Seldom attain former status or pay  Goal of counseling: problem-centered coping strategies © Steven Frame/Shutterstock Midlife Unemployment

Development Through the Lifespan Sixth Edition ● Laura E. Berk Copyright © 2014, 2010, 2007 by Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Ingredients of Effective Retirement Planning  Finances  Fitness  Role adjustment  Where to live  Leisure and volunteer activities  Health insurance  Legal affairs © bikeriderlondon/Shutterstock

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