1. Social and Personality Development in Middle Adulthood
Chapter 16:
Social and Personality Development in Middle Adulthood

2. In This Chapter Theories of social and personality development
Relationships and personality
Mid-life career issues

3. 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
Generativity involves an interest in establishing and guiding the next generation
Rearing children, teaching, mentoring, taking leadership roles in civic, religious or charitable organizations
May continue through old age
Stagnation
Failure leads to pervading sense of stagnation and personal impoverishment; possible overindulgence

4. 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
Bradley in cooperation with Marcia and Trafford propose positive outcomes.
Read more at Suite101: Erikson's Concept, Leaving a Legacy

5. 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
40-year longitudinal study of a group of inner-city, nondelinquent boys who had originally served as a comparison group in a study of delinquent boys.
Of 343 married men in the study, 29 had fathered no children.
Critics suggest early studies were of well-educated, white, middle-aged males. Researchers have found consistent patterns of generativity-related behaviors and attitudes among poor as well as across a variety of ethnic groups.

6. 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?
Textbook author suggests that rearing one’s own or another’s child who calls forth one’s nurturing qualities may be important for psychological growth

7. 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)
Research emphasized resilience and includes measures of change across domains
Revision adds a “career consolidation” stage
Create a new social network
Generate satisfaction with work-related choices
Another new stage: “keeper of the meaning”
Preserve values and institutions to benefit future generations

8. 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
Levinson and Erikson: Accepting one’s own mortality
Recognizing new physical limitations and health risks
Adapting to major changes in most roles
Newer research: Serious mid-life problems are experienced by a minority—maybe 25% at most
Possibly triggered by life events rather than an age, for example, the death of a parents
Midlife does present some physical challenges
Variations such as optimism can affect how one constructs their midlife “life story”

9. Theories in Social and Personality Development Role Transitions
Each of us occupies multiple roles at the same time, which produces frictions of various kinds
Role Conflict
Role Strain
Stress associated with events of mid-life often complicated by role conflict
Role conflict: Any situation in which two or more roles are at least partially incompatible
For example, simultaneously caring for teenage children and aging parents (thus both parent and child)
Role strain: Stress that occurs when a person lacks the resources needed to fulfill a role
Midlife adult may need to return to college to learn new work skills, provoking anxiety
Roles that shift include family roles.

10. Changes in Relationships Partnerships
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
Conflicts over child-rearing decline
Increased sense of control
Identification of successful problem-solving strategies
Use of skilled diplomacy to ease tensions

11. Changes in Relationships Children and Parents
In middle adulthood family role involves giving assistance in both directions of generational chain
Care of Aging Parents
Care of Adult Children
Middle Adulthood
Sometimes called the midlife “squeeze” and those being squeezed are called the sandwich generation.
See Figure 16.1 to see the midlife squeeze.
In middle adulthood family role involves giving assistance in both directions of generational chain
Helping grown children
Supporting aging parents
The “sandwich generation”
Must shoulder responsibility for maintaining affectional bonds
Between 40 and 65, adults give help more than they receive in both directions within the family

12. Figure 16.1 The “Middle Age Squeeze”
The middle life squeeze or “sandwich generation” is illustrated in this graph of data from a national survey of adults . Middle aged adults give more help to both their adult children and their own parents then they receive.

13. 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
When women are asked about positive and negative transitions in their lives, they more often describe this event as positive
“Boomerang” or “Adultescents”—adult children who use a “revolving door” in and out of parental home
Young adults marrying and having children later can foster this development
The revolving door may be stressful for middle-aged parents

14. Changing Relationships
Are you or someone you know experiencing “Peter Pandemonium”?
More than half of adult children return home once a week for meals
1 in 5 receive mail at their parents’ home
13% bring laundry home for parent to wash
PP happens when adult child does not want to grow up

15. Changing Relationships Grandparenting
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
New roles for middle-aged adults
Becoming in-laws as children marry
Becoming grandparents
Grandparenting may shift to a slightly later age
Most grandparents express high levels of satisfaction with this role.
Grandparents can positively influence children’s development
Especially important source of stability for children of divorced parents

16. Changing Relationships Categories of Grandparents
Remote relationship
Companionate relationship
Involved relationship

17. Changing Relationships Grandparenting: Remote Relationships
Characteristics 29% of grandparents Infrequent contact and little direct influence Most commonly created by physical distance

18. Changing Relationships Grandparenting: Involved Relationships
Characteristics 16% report involved relationships Daily participation in rearing their grandchildren Often living in multi-generational housing
16% report involved relationships
Daily participation in rearing their grandchildren
Living in multi-generational housing
Nearly full-time care
More common in poor families

19. Changing Relationships Grandparenting
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

20. ? ? Questions To Ponder 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.

21. Changes in Relationships Caring For Aging Parents
Strong sense of filial responsibility
Caregiver burden may occur
Responsibility negotiated along several dimensions
Adults feel strong sense of filial responsibility – when parents need help, children try to provide it
Parents symbolically important as “elders”
Caregivers report more depression and less marital satisfaction than comparison groups: “caregiver burden”

22. Caring For Aging Parents How 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
Most likely caregivers have no children; live at home; not working; not married; lives closest
Daughters/daughters-in-law=90% of caregivers
Intervention can help ease caregiver burden by providing information about resources or encouraging support groups

23. Changing Relationships How 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
Total number of friends is less in middle adulthood than at earlier points
Friendships may be more intimate and close at this age
Friendships endure, even with less frequent contact

24. Continuity and Change in Personality A Brief Review
The “Big Five”: OCEAN
Openness
Conscientiousness
Extraversion
Agreeableness
Neuroticism
Increases in prosocial behaviors.
Seems to be linked to secure attachment.
This demonstrates both continuity and change at midlife.
Subtle age-related changes in five factors across the years of adulthood
Traits follow general pattern of stability in most people but that they are also subject to some degree of modification
Personality is important contribution to adult’s capacity for managing stress

25. Continuity and Change in Personality Three 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

26. Mid-Life Career Issues Work Satisfaction
At its peak despite few work promotions in middle age
Work performance quality high
Experience less burnout than younger adults
More career stability
Work satisfaction is at its peak despite few work promotions in middle age
Quality of work performance remains high in spite of declines in some cognitive or physical skills
Middle aged workers experience less burnout than younger ones
Careers are more stable in middle age

27. True or False?
Men and women have the same source of job satisfaction but deal with it differently.
True
Both genders use the same criteria to assess job satisfaction.
Both genders share similar preferences for performance awards and management style
Men and women think differently about work.
Women worry about the effect of children on career development.

28. Mid-life Career Issues 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
Remains high throughout middle adulthood
Exceptions are jobs that require speedy reactions or physical strength
Baltes and Baltes argue that adults 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
Longshoremen, air traffic controllers, truck drivers, all lose performance with age.
Baltes and Baltes
Selection: Narrowing of a worker’s range of activities, focusing on only the central tasks, delegating more to others.
Optimization: Exercising crucial abilities with added training or polishing rusty skills.
Compensation: Adopting pragmatic strategies for overcoming specific obstacles – getting glasses or hearing aids.

29. Mid-Life Career Issues Unemployment and Career Transitions
Unemployement
Can be more difficult in middle age
Often involves ageism
Unemployement
Can be more difficult in middle age
Must overcome ageism in obtaining new employment
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
Potential employees believe in productivity of younger workers.
Their skills have become obsolete, their jobs have been eliminated.
See Figure 16.3 on page 444 for employment data.
Reemployment tends to restore health, emotional stability, and a sense of well-being.
Marital satisfaction deteriorates when a job loss occurs.

30. Mid-Life Career Issues Unemployment and Career Transitions
Involuntary career changers
Voluntary 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
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

31. Mid-Life Career Issues Voluntary 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?
Twin studies suggest genetic basis for voluntary career changes in mid-life
Studies suggest voluntary changes are a product of personality.
Better sense of control
Higher tolerance for risk-taking
Not stressed by job-seeking

32. Mid-Life Career Issues Preparing 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
Expect to retire in early 60’s and live into the 80’s
May not have saved enough and have accumulated too much debt for their desired lifestyle

33. Mid-Life Career Issues Planning for Retirement
Dychtwald’s Survey of Baby Boomers
Wealth Builders
Idealists
Empowered Trailblazers
Stretched and Stressed Boomers
Leisure Lifers
Wealth Builders
Idealists: interested in volunteer work
Empowered Trailblazers: travel, courses
Stretched and Stressed Boomers: concerned about sufficient finances
Leisure Lifers: recreational pursuits