1. Discovering the Lifespan - Robert S. Feldman Copyright © 2009 Pearson Education, Inc., Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. All rights reserved. Chapter 16: Middle Adulthood Module 7 Social and Personality Development in Middle Adulthood

2. Discovering the Lifespan - Robert S. Feldman Copyright © 2009 Pearson Education, Inc., Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. All rights reserved. SOCIAL AND PERSONLITY DEVELOPMENT IN MIDDLE ADULTHOOD

3. Discovering the Lifespan - Robert S. Feldman Copyright © 2009 Pearson Education, Inc., Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. All rights reserved. How does personality development occur in middle adulthood?

4. Discovering the Lifespan - Robert S. Feldman Copyright © 2009 Pearson Education, Inc., Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. All rights reserved. Two Perspectives on Adult Personality Development Normative-Crisis Versus Life Events Views personality development in terms of fairly universal stages, tied to a sequence of age- related crises 398

5. Discovering the Lifespan - Robert S. Feldman Copyright © 2009 Pearson Education, Inc., Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. All rights reserved. Two Perspectives on Adult Personality Development Normative-Crisis Versus Life Events Revenna Helson –Suggest that timing of particular events in adult's life, rather than age per se, determine course of personality development 398

6. Discovering the Lifespan - Robert S. Feldman Copyright © 2009 Pearson Education, Inc., Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. All rights reserved. Other Views Erikson Critics argue that normative-crisis models are outdated Model came from time when gender roles were more rigid 399

7. Discovering the Lifespan - Robert S. Feldman Copyright © 2009 Pearson Education, Inc., Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. All rights reserved. Erik Erikson GENERATIVITY VERSUS STAGNATION –People consider their contributions to family, community, work, and society. Generativity = looking beyond oneself to continuation of one's life through others Stagnation = focusing on the triviality of their life 399

8. Discovering the Lifespan - Robert S. Feldman Copyright © 2009 Pearson Education, Inc., Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. All rights reserved.

9. Discovering the Lifespan - Robert S. Feldman Copyright © 2009 Pearson Education, Inc., Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. All rights reserved. Building on Erikson’s Views: Gould, Vaillant, and Levinson

10. Discovering the Lifespan - Robert S. Feldman Copyright © 2009 Pearson Education, Inc., Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. All rights reserved. Psychiatrist Roger Gould Adults pass through series of seven, age- related stages People in late 30s and early 40s begin to feel sense of urgency in attaining life’s goals Descriptions not research supported 399

11. Discovering the Lifespan - Robert S. Feldman Copyright © 2009 Pearson Education, Inc., Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. All rights reserved. Gould’s Approach 400

12. Discovering the Lifespan - Robert S. Feldman Copyright © 2009 Pearson Education, Inc., Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. All rights reserved. George Valliant Keeping meaning versus rigidity –Occurs between the ages of 45 and 55 Adults seek to extract meaning from their lives by accepting strengths and weaknesses of others –Those who are rigid become increasingly isolated from others 400

13. Discovering the Lifespan - Robert S. Feldman Copyright © 2009 Pearson Education, Inc., Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. All rights reserved. Levinson Seasons of Life Theory Most people are susceptible to fairly profound midlife crisis –Late 30s –Early 40s –Between 40 and 45 400

14. Discovering the Lifespan - Robert S. Feldman Copyright © 2009 Pearson Education, Inc., Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. All rights reserved.

15. Discovering the Lifespan - Robert S. Feldman Copyright © 2009 Pearson Education, Inc., Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. All rights reserved. Midlife Crisis Stage of uncertainty and indecision brought about by realization that life is finite –Gender differences –Despite widespread acceptance, evidence for midlife crisis does not exist 400

16. Discovering the Lifespan - Robert S. Feldman Copyright © 2009 Pearson Education, Inc., Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. All rights reserved. Non-Midlife Life Crisis For majority of people, transition is smooth and rewarding Many middle-aged people find their careers have blossomed They feel younger than they actually are 401

17. Discovering the Lifespan - Robert S. Feldman Copyright © 2009 Pearson Education, Inc., Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. All rights reserved. Developmental Diversity Middle Age: In Some Cultures It Doesn’t Exist Model of aging of Oriyan women –High caste Hindu women –Life course based on nature of one’s social responsibility, family management issues, and moral sense at given time  not on basis of chronological age –Domestic work is highly respected and valued 402

18. Discovering the Lifespan - Robert S. Feldman Copyright © 2009 Pearson Education, Inc., Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. All rights reserved. PERSONALITY DEVELOPMENT Does personality change or remains stable over course of development? Erikson and Levinson = substantial change Paul Costa and Robert McCrae = stability in traits across development 402

19. Discovering the Lifespan - Robert S. Feldman Copyright © 2009 Pearson Education, Inc., Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. All rights reserved. Same ol’…same ol’? 403

20. Discovering the Lifespan - Robert S. Feldman Copyright © 2009 Pearson Education, Inc., Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. All rights reserved. Stability and Change in the Big Five Personality Traits Big Five traits are relatively stable past age 30 with some variations in specific traits Neuroticism, extraversion, and openness to experience decline somewhat from early adulthood through middle adulthood Agreeableness and conscientiousness increase to a degree Findings are consistent across cultures 403

21. Discovering the Lifespan - Robert S. Feldman Copyright © 2009 Pearson Education, Inc., Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. All rights reserved. What makes you happy?

22. Discovering the Lifespan - Robert S. Feldman Copyright © 2009 Pearson Education, Inc., Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. All rights reserved. If You’re Happy and You Know It… Sense of subjective well-being or general happiness remains stable over life span Most people general “set point” for happiness Regardless of where they stand economically, residents of countries across the world have similar levels of happiness 404

23. Discovering the Lifespan - Robert S. Feldman Copyright © 2009 Pearson Education, Inc., Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. All rights reserved. Review and Apply REVIEW In normative-crisis models, people pass through age- related stages of development; life events models focus on how people change in response to varying life events. 405

24. Discovering the Lifespan - Robert S. Feldman Copyright © 2009 Pearson Education, Inc., Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. All rights reserved. Review and Apply REVIEW Levinson argues that the transition to middle age can lead to a midlife crisis, but there is little evidence for this in the majority of people. Broad, basic personality characteristics are relatively stable. Specific aspects of personality do seem to change in response to life events. 405

25. Discovering the Lifespan - Robert S. Feldman Copyright © 2009 Pearson Education, Inc., Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. All rights reserved. Review and Apply APPLY How do you think the midlife transition is different for a middle-aged person whose child has just entered adolescence versus a middle-aged person who has just become a parent for the first time? 405

26. Discovering the Lifespan - Robert S. Feldman Copyright © 2009 Pearson Education, Inc., Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. All rights reserved. RELATIONSHIPS: FAMILY IN MIDDLE AGE

27. Discovering the Lifespan - Robert S. Feldman Copyright © 2009 Pearson Education, Inc., Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. All rights reserved. Middle Age Marriages Most frequent pattern of marital satisfaction is U- shaped Marital satisfaction begins to decline after marriage and falls to its lowest point following the birth of children Marital satisfaction begins to grow after children leave adolescence and reaches its highest point when kids leave home 405

28. Discovering the Lifespan - Robert S. Feldman Copyright © 2009 Pearson Education, Inc., Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. All rights reserved. Do you know about U? 406

29. Discovering the Lifespan - Robert S. Feldman Copyright © 2009 Pearson Education, Inc., Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. All rights reserved. What do the newer findings suggest? Unhappy marriages tend to terminate so earlier cross-sectional methods not representative Long-married couples were older and were married during when marriage was more highly valued Different couples have different levels of marital satisfaction even at outset 406

30. Discovering the Lifespan - Robert S. Feldman Copyright © 2009 Pearson Education, Inc., Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. All rights reserved. And so… Why might couples who have children tend to experience better marital satisfaction later in life than do childless couples? Given these findings, how might you advise a newlywed couple on what to expect as their years of marriage progress?

31. Discovering the Lifespan - Robert S. Feldman Copyright © 2009 Pearson Education, Inc., Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. All rights reserved. Good Marriages Many couples state that their spouse is their "best friend“ They also view marriage as a long-term commitment They believe their spouse has grown more interesting over the years Most feel their sex lives (although frequency goes down) are satisfying 406

32. Discovering the Lifespan - Robert S. Feldman Copyright © 2009 Pearson Education, Inc., Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. All rights reserved. Struggling Marriages About 1 woman in 8 will get divorced after 40 People are more individual, spending less time together Many feel concerned with their own personal happiness and leave an unhappy marriage Divorce is more socially acceptable Feelings of romantic, passionate love may subside over time 407

33. Discovering the Lifespan - Robert S. Feldman Copyright © 2009 Pearson Education, Inc., Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. All rights reserved. Divorce Divorce can be especially hard for traditional women over 40 who stayed home with kids and never worked outside the home –75 percent to 80 percent of divorced people eventually remarry –It's harder for a middle-aged woman to remarry. 90 percent of women under 25 remarry –While 75 percent of white women remarry, less than half of African American women remarry –Less than 33 percent over the age of 40 remarry 407

34. Discovering the Lifespan - Robert S. Feldman Copyright © 2009 Pearson Education, Inc., Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. All rights reserved. Marriage Gradient The marriage gradient pushes men to marry younger women Older women are victims of the harsh societal standards regarding physical attractiveness A major reason many remarry is that being divorced carries a stigma 408

35. Discovering the Lifespan - Robert S. Feldman Copyright © 2009 Pearson Education, Inc., Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. All rights reserved. Second Time Around Older couples are more mature and realistic Roles are more flexible Couple looks at marriage less romantically and is more cautious Divorce rate is higher for second marriages More stress especially with blended families Once divorce experienced it is easier to walk away a second time 407

36. Discovering the Lifespan - Robert S. Feldman Copyright © 2009 Pearson Education, Inc., Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. All rights reserved. Family Evolutions: From Full House to Empty Nest When parents experience feelings of unhappiness, worry, loneliness, and depression resulting from their children's departure from home More myth than reality 408

37. Discovering the Lifespan - Robert S. Feldman Copyright © 2009 Pearson Education, Inc., Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. All rights reserved. When children leave home… Parents can work harder More time alone House stays cleaner Phone doesn't ring as often 408

38. Discovering the Lifespan - Robert S. Feldman Copyright © 2009 Pearson Education, Inc., Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. All rights reserved. Boomerang Children: Refilling the Empty Nest Young adults who come back to live in homes of their middle-aged parents –Men are more likely to do it than women –Parents tend to give sons more freedom than daughters –Unable to find a job –Difficulty making ends meet 409

39. Discovering the Lifespan - Robert S. Feldman Copyright © 2009 Pearson Education, Inc., Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. All rights reserved. Sandwich Generation Fulfill needs of both their children and their aging parents Couples are marrying and having children later Parents are living longer 409

40. Discovering the Lifespan - Robert S. Feldman Copyright © 2009 Pearson Education, Inc., Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. All rights reserved. Caring for Aging Parents Care of aging parents can be psychologically tricky –Significant degree of role reversal Range of care varies –Financial –Managing household –Providing direct care Influenced by cultural norms and expectations 409

41. Discovering the Lifespan - Robert S. Feldman Copyright © 2009 Pearson Education, Inc., Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. All rights reserved. Becoming a Grandparent: Who, Me? Involved (actively engaged and have role in raising/teaching) Companionate (supportive roles, occasionally take the grandchildren) Remote (detached and distant) 410

42. Discovering the Lifespan - Robert S. Feldman Copyright © 2009 Pearson Education, Inc., Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. All rights reserved. Are all grannies the same? Marked gender differences in ways people enjoy grandparenthood Grandmothers are more interested and experience greater satisfaction than grandfathers African American grandparents are more apt to be involved 410

43. Discovering the Lifespan - Robert S. Feldman Copyright © 2009 Pearson Education, Inc., Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. All rights reserved. Family Violence: The Hidden Epidemic Prevalence Characteristics of abuser and abused 411

44. Discovering the Lifespan - Robert S. Feldman Copyright © 2009 Pearson Education, Inc., Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. All rights reserved. Factors Low SES Growing up in a violent home Families with more children have more violence Single parent families with lots of stress 411

45. Discovering the Lifespan - Robert S. Feldman Copyright © 2009 Pearson Education, Inc., Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. All rights reserved. Neil Jacobson and John Gottman Husbands who abuse fall into two categories: –“Pit bulls” confine violence to those they love and strike out against their wives when they feel jealous or when they fear being abandoned –“Cobras” are likely to be aggressive to everyone, are more likely to use weapons, and are more calculating, showing little emotion or arousal 412

46. Discovering the Lifespan - Robert S. Feldman Copyright © 2009 Pearson Education, Inc., Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. All rights reserved. Lenore Walker Marital abuse by a husband occurs in three stages: –Tension-building stage where a batterer becomes upset and shows dissatisfaction initially through verbal abuse –Acute battering incident when the physical abuse actually occurs –Loving contrition stage where the husband feels remorse and apologizes for his actions 412

47. Discovering the Lifespan - Robert S. Feldman Copyright © 2009 Pearson Education, Inc., Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. All rights reserved. Why Women Stay Wife feels somewhat at fault –This explains why women stay in abusive relationships Some stay out of fear 412

48. Discovering the Lifespan - Robert S. Feldman Copyright © 2009 Pearson Education, Inc., Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. All rights reserved. Cycle of Violence Hypothesis Abuse and neglect of children leads them to be predisposed to abusiveness as adults About one-third of people who were abused or neglected as children abuse their own children Two-thirds of abusers were not abused as children 412

49. Discovering the Lifespan - Robert S. Feldman Copyright © 2009 Pearson Education, Inc., Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. All rights reserved. Cultural Differences Cultural correlates Status –Low status they = easy targets –High status = threat to husbands 412

50. Discovering the Lifespan - Robert S. Feldman Copyright © 2009 Pearson Education, Inc., Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. All rights reserved. Becoming an Informed Consumer of Development Dealing with Spousal Abuse Teach both wives and husbands that physical violence is NEVER acceptable Call the police Understand that the remorse shown by a spouse, no matter how heartfelt, may have no bearing on the possibility of future violence If you are the victim of abuse, seek a safe haven If you feel in danger from an abusive partner, seek a restraining order Call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800- 799-7233 for immediate advice. 413

51. Discovering the Lifespan - Robert S. Feldman Copyright © 2009 Pearson Education, Inc., Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. All rights reserved. Spousal Abuse and Society Cultural Roots of Violence Others cultures have traditions in which violence is regarded as acceptable Some experts suggest traditional power structure under which women and men function is root cause of abuse 412

52. Discovering the Lifespan - Robert S. Feldman Copyright © 2009 Pearson Education, Inc., Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. All rights reserved. Review and Apply REVIEW Family changes in middle adulthood include the departure of children. In recent years, the phenomenon of “boomerang children” has emerged. Middle-aged adults often have increasing responsibilities for their aging parents. 414

53. Discovering the Lifespan - Robert S. Feldman Copyright © 2009 Pearson Education, Inc., Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. All rights reserved. Review and Apply REVIEW Marital violence tends to pass through three stages: tension building, an acute battering incident, and loving contrition. 414

54. Discovering the Lifespan - Robert S. Feldman Copyright © 2009 Pearson Education, Inc., Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. All rights reserved. Review and Apply APPLY Are the phenomena of the empty nest, boomerang children, the sandwich generation, and grandparenting culturally dependent? Why might such phenomena be different in societies where multigenerational families are the norm? 414

55. Discovering the Lifespan - Robert S. Feldman Copyright © 2009 Pearson Education, Inc., Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. All rights reserved. WORK AND LEISURE

56. Discovering the Lifespan - Robert S. Feldman Copyright © 2009 Pearson Education, Inc., Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. All rights reserved. Jobs at Midlife Productivity Job satisfaction Worker characteristics and attitudes 415

57. Discovering the Lifespan - Robert S. Feldman Copyright © 2009 Pearson Education, Inc., Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. All rights reserved. Challenges of Work: On-the-Job Dissatisfaction What is the greatest underlying cause of burnout? 415

58. Discovering the Lifespan - Robert S. Feldman Copyright © 2009 Pearson Education, Inc., Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. All rights reserved. Burnout When highly trained professionals experience dissatisfaction, disillusionment, frustration, and weariness from their jobs –For many workers, unemployment is a hard reality of life and the implications are more psychological than economic. –Middle-aged adults tend to stay unemployed longer than do young workers. 415

59. Discovering the Lifespan - Robert S. Feldman Copyright © 2009 Pearson Education, Inc., Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. All rights reserved. Unemployment: The Dashing of the Dream Causes economic and psychological consequences –Feeling anxious, depressed, and irritable –Self-confidence and concentration may plummet –Sometimes depression and/or suicide 416

60. Discovering the Lifespan - Robert S. Feldman Copyright © 2009 Pearson Education, Inc., Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. All rights reserved. Seeking Work After Job Loss in Middle Age Employers may discriminate because of age and not hire older applicants Research shows that older workers have less absenteeism, hold their jobs longer, are more reliable, and more willing to learn new skills 416

61. Discovering the Lifespan - Robert S. Feldman Copyright © 2009 Pearson Education, Inc., Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. All rights reserved. Switching—and Starting— Careers at Midlife Some people change or seek jobs voluntarily in middle adulthood –Old job gave little satisfaction –Mastery of the old job's challenges achieved –No longer enjoy what they do –Need employment after raising children, divorce, or death of spouse 416

62. Discovering the Lifespan - Robert S. Feldman Copyright © 2009 Pearson Education, Inc., Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. All rights reserved. When Mom Goes to Work…Hey, What Do You Think She Has Been Doing At Home All Those Years? 65 percent of women between ages of 50 and 60 (80 percent of those who graduated from college) are now in the workforce Three-quarters are in full-time jobs 416

63. Discovering the Lifespan - Robert S. Feldman Copyright © 2009 Pearson Education, Inc., Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. All rights reserved. Immigrants on the Job: Making It in America Demographics Contributions Prejudice 417

64. Discovering the Lifespan - Robert S. Feldman Copyright © 2009 Pearson Education, Inc., Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. All rights reserved. Leisure time Leisure activities –Average number of hours –Nature of activities Pace of life differs across countries 418

65. Discovering the Lifespan - Robert S. Feldman Copyright © 2009 Pearson Education, Inc., Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. All rights reserved. Review and Apply REVIEW People in middle age view their jobs differently than before, placing more emphasis on short-term factors and less on career striving and ambition. 419

66. Discovering the Lifespan - Robert S. Feldman Copyright © 2009 Pearson Education, Inc., Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. All rights reserved. Review and Apply REVIEW Midlife career changes are becoming more prevalent, motivated usually by dissatisfaction, the need for more challenge or status, or the desire to return to the workforce after childrearing. People in mid-life usually have increased leisure time. Often they use it to become more involved outside the home in recreational and community activities. 419

67. Discovering the Lifespan - Robert S. Feldman Copyright © 2009 Pearson Education, Inc., Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. All rights reserved. Review and Apply APPLY Why might striving for occupational success be less appealing in middle age than before? What cognitive and personality changes might contribute to this phenomenon? 419