Chapter 16: Socioemotional Development in Middle Adulthood

generativity is influenced by

psychosocial issues addressed earlier in life and reflects a lifetime of psychosocial development, including the ability to trust others and oneself, understand one's self, and sustain meaningful relationships

stagnation

self-absorption that interferes with personal growth and prevents middle aged adults from contributing to the welfare of others -some adults remain self-absorbed, and focus on their own comfort and security rather than community and making the world a better place

Openness

the degree to which one is open to experience, ranging from curious, explorative, and creative to disinterested, uncreative, and not open to new experiences

Generativity

the desire, in middle age, to use one's accumulated wisdom to guide future generations -sharing wisdom through roles as parents, teachers, and mentors -fulfill needs through teaching and mentoring others in the workplace/community, and engaging in creative work -increases from the 30s through the 60's in all types of people

parental imperative

the requirement that mothers and fathers adopt different roles to raise children successfully -adult gender roles can be shaped by this -young and middle-aged men emphasize their ability to feed and protect families, traditionally masculine traits (often referred to as instrumental traits because they are associated with acting on the world). -Young and middle-aged women emphasize their potential to nurture the young and care for families, traditional female traits (expressive traits that are associated with maintaining relationships).

Generativity vs. Stagnation

the seventh stage in Erikson's theory in which adults seek to move beyond a concern for their own personal goals and welfare in order to guide future generations and give back to society

Conscientiousness

the tendency to be responsible, disciplined, task oriented, and planful. this trait relates to effortful self-regulation. individuals low in this trait tend to be irresponsible, impulsive, and inattentive -more likely to complete college -high scores on measures of this trait predict better performance on cognitive tasks and slower rates of cognitive decline -especially close association with health as it influences the behaviors persons engage in—exercise, eating habits, and risky behaviors such as smoking -this trait measured in childhood predicts health in middle adulthood

self concept in middle adulthood

becomes more complex and integrated -adults are likely to integrate autobiographical information and experiences in self-descriptions as they age

reasons for divorce

communication problems, relationship inequality, adultery, physical and verbal abuse, and desires for autonomy

caring for aging parents

-15% of U.S. middle-aged adults reported providing financial support to a parent age 65 or older while raising a minor child or supporting a grown child -most middle-aged parents have adult children. -Middle-aged adults with adult children and parents over the age of 65 are more than twice as likely to provide financial support for their children than their parents, but they provide similar levels of emotional support to both -most adults do provide emotional support and assistance to multiple generations -

cosmetic procedures in middle adulthood

-90% of of cosmetic procedures are conducted on women -women in middle adulthood are more likely to get procedures -African American women report feeling more satisfied with their bodies than white women and less pressure to conform -African American women may hold a definition of attractiveness that is multifaceted and extends beyond a small body size to include factors such as dress attire and race -Cultural depictions of beauty may protect African American women from negative depictions of aging in mainstream culture. -cultural views on wisdom may influence beliefs about aging and cosmetic procedures -black elders, especially grandmothers, are valued in AA culture and are sources of wisdom

effects of caring for aging parents

-As adults' caregiving responsibilities increase, such as when an elderly parent develops dementia, they are more likely to experience conflicts among their many roles. -Caregivers can feel overwhelmed by their obligations to parents, children, spouses, employers, and friends, and this role overload is associated with anxiety -study found that relationship quality declined over a 5-year period as older adults' disability increased and their children provided more assistance with self-care tasks -career and economic costs: -children who give informal care is associated with significant costs in employment opportunities and participation -children who reduced their work hours or left the workforce to care, report losing income -women are more likely to provide health care, losing $300,000 on average in income and benefits over lifetime -responsibilities for parents may place female caregivers at risk of living in poverty and requiring public assistance later in life -Caregivers who face multiple career and childrearing demands are at risk for role strain, depressive symptoms, and a reduced sense of personal mastery and self-efficacy, and they engage in fewer outside activities

grandparenting and culture

-Grandparent involvement is high in many ethnic minority households, such as Chinese, Korean, Mexican American, Native American, and Canadian Aborigina —this is especially the case for grandmothers, who take on caregiver, mentor, and disciplinarian role; report high levels of life satisfaction

Grandparents raising grandchildren

-More grandparents have become primary caregivers of grandchildren - 2.6 million grandparents are raising grandchildren -African American and Hispanic grandparents are more likely to be the primary caregiver -The majority of these arrangements are informal -Parents unable to provide care needed as result of: -Child abuse, teen pregnancy, imprisonment, joblessness, military deployment, drug and alcohol addictions, illness, death, other social problems -transition to parenting grandchildren is not easy, partly because the reasons for parental absence, such as incarceration or illness, are stressful to both the grandparent and grandchildren. -Grandchildren often enter grandparent custodial arrangements with preexisting problems due to poor parenting and harsh contextual conditions -children experience difficulties: anxiety, depression, school problems, behavior problems -grandparent caregiver arrangements are common in low-income communities -As grandparent caregiving is not part of typical midlife development, it can be particularly difficult and stressful for adults . -grandparent caregivers tend to suffer more mental and physical health problems than those who do not care for their grandchildren -.African American and Latino grandparents tend to experience greater risk of health problems because they are more likely to live in poverty and in disadvantaged neighborhoods -despite cancers, many grandparent caregivers adjust and report positive aspects of caregiving -Many enjoy the love and companionship of their grandchildren and the opportunity to influence their development. -Some grandparents report that raising their grandchildren is easier than parenting their own children because of greater wisdom and experience, feeling more relaxed, and having more time and attention to give to grandchildren -social support is an important influence on caregivers' sense of well-being and adjustment

Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967 (Lyndon B. Johnson)

-a formal acknowledgment of the existence of ageism in the workplace. -"to promote the employment of older persons based on ability rather than age, to prohibit arbitrary age discrimination in employment and to help employers and workers find ways to address problems arising from the impact of age on employment" - original legislation protected employees between the ages of 40 and 65, but was extended from 65 to 70, and on January 1, 1987, the age cap was lifted completely -exemption for workers who are responsible for public safety: firefighters, police officers, pilots, and others -required to retire at an earlier age, often by 55 or 60

planning for retirement

-a process that often begins once the adult becomes aware that it is looming on the horizon but, it should begin much earlier -planning is important because retirement represents a major life transition -adults who plan ahead for the financial and lifestyle changes show better adjustment and greater life satisfaction to the changes associated with retirement -People with a college degree are more likely to have savings (75%) than those with a high school degree (41%) or no high school degree (20%) -white adults are about twice as likely to have retirement savings accounts (60%) than Black (34%) or Hispanic (30%) adults. -adults with more positive beliefs about their ability to control aspects of aging are more likely to financially plan for retirement

subjective age

-adults older than 30 tend t have younger subjective ages (feel younger) -the discrepancy between subjective and actual age increases into middle adulthood -adults identify with their younger selves, perhaps to compensate to counteract the negative cultural messages associated with aging and to increase happiness. -Subjective age is multidimensional, and people are more likely to feel younger in areas that tend to be associated with negative age-related stereotypes, such as cognitive aging and health -older adults feel about 13 years younger than their chronological age -research, suggests that older subjective age predicts poor life satisfaction only when adults have negative attitudes about aging but not when aging attitudes are positive -the adults with the greatest well-being are those who recognize their age but remain active, engage in preventive health habits, and do not become distressed by age-related physical changes

influences on subjective age

-adults who report higher levels of financial stress feel older and are perceived by their peers as older than their actual age -stressed adults show greater increases in higher subjective age -adults who feel older may alter appearance -Adults who view themselves as younger than their chronological age tend to score high on measures of well-being, mental health, and life satisfaction] -studies have shown that adults who reported feeling younger relative to their peers tended to show better performance and slower declines cognitive abilities -research, suggests that older subjective age predicts poor life satisfaction only when adults have negative attitudes about aging but not when aging attitudes are positive

grandparent involvement benefits

-associated with child well-being and adolescent adjacent -nurturing relationships with grandparents are associated with positive adjustment and relatively few problem behaviors in adolescents in divorced and single-parent homes -In low-income families, grandparents often take on important financial and caregiving roles. -Grandparent involvement is predated by regular contact, close relationships with grandchildren, and parental encouragement to visit with grandchildren. -Grandparents who are engaged and spend time with their grandchildren tend to report high levels of life satisfaction

parents to adult children

-children moving out is an important experience for parents -mothers report the move more stressful than others -most parents adjust well to their children's independent living -extended transition to adulthood common today means that middle-aged adults have more contact with their emerging adult children for a longer period of time and often provide more emotional and financial support than parents of prior generations -norms for parental involvement with grown children and the economic context may shape the implications of that involvement for parents' marital ties and well-being.

child benefits of middle aged parenting

-cognitive and emotional changes that take place from early to middle adulthood contribute to midlife adults' readiness to parent. -mothers who were older when their first child was born tended to demonstrate more positive parenting behaviors, such as hugs, kisses, and praise, and fewer negative ones, such as threats/hits -children raised by older mothers tend to be healthier, fewer visits to the hospital, a greater likelihood of receiving all immunizations by 9 months of age, and higher scores on measures of cognitive, language, and social development through age 5

friendships in middle adult hood

-continue to be an important source of social support: associated with positive well being and self esteem -women's friendships continue to be more inmate, and report closer friendships and experience more pleasure/satisfaction from then -men's friendships center on activities -work/family demands reduce the availability for friends, leading to less social networks -report having fewer friends and spending less time with friends -but the friendships that have endured tend to be described as close and few to none are ambivalent or troubled -friendships offer powerful protection against stress -turn to close friends for support with daily and major stressors -friends are increasingly offering support from afar, via social media -parents who are empty nesters are associated with an immediate increase in social media that persists for 2 years

Levinson's Seasons of life

-development is qualitative shifts in challenges that result from the interplay of intrapersonal and social forces -key element of the theory is the life structure -individuals progress through sessions in which their life structures are constructed, then tested, and changed in response to personal and social demands -the age 30 transition -Men tend to experience the mid-to-late 30s (34 to 40) as a period of settling down, focusing on goals and relationships and giving up others based on their value -women remain unsettled because they generally take on new career or family commitments and balance roles and aspirations -as adults transition to 40-45, they become aware of time and that half of life is spent -time tor reexamine dreams established in early adulthood, evaluate progress, and come to terms that ,many dreams will not be reached

effects of divorce in middle adulthood

-effects may be stronger on women: greater economic less and illness -women, illness often precedes divorce, illness is simply a correlate of divorce or perhaps a contributor rather than outcome of divorce -Women tend to think more deeply about arguments, having more detailed memories of conflicts, and feeling more depressed after arguments than men, which predict poor health outcomes -Women who successfully make the transition through a divorce tend to show positive long-term outcomes -overall, adults are fine and become more resilient, more confident, more tolerant, self-reliant, and nonconforming, especially after the initial adjustment -middle-aged show less of a decline in psychological well-being and overall better adaptation than do young adults after divorce -why? more experience, flexibility, and problem-solving and coping skills in middle adulthood aid adaptation.

meditation and the brain

-emotional regulation skills develop throughout life -can advance these skills through mindfulness meditation -(refers to focusing attention and becoming aware of one's ongoing sensory, cognitive, and emotional experiences with an accepting, nonjudgmental stance) -Adults who practice mindfulness meditation learn to become aware of their surroundings and observe their thoughts and emotional states. -The resulting increased emotional awareness is coupled with less rumination about feelings -meditation may affect neural processes -greater cortical thickness -prefrontal cortex, responsible for executive function -sensory cortex, body awareness, suggesting that people get better at reading their bodies -anterior cingulate cortex, associated with self, attention, and emotional regulation -diminished activation of the amygdala in response to emotional stimuli, suggesting a decrease in emotional arousal. -reductions in anxiety/depression, positive health behaviors such s exercise and no smoking

Age 30 transition (28-33)

-entails a reconsideration of the life structure in which adults shift priorities from career to family or vice versa -men may experience the change later, settling down in 30-40s -changes occur in life structure, either a moderate change or, more often, a severe and stressful crisis -adults who do not have satisfying experiences at home or work may struggle to revise their life structure and may experience the transition as a crisis. -adults who have dreams, revise them when needed and with experience, and are successful in achieving them are likely to be positioned to focus on the developmental tasks of middle adulthood, such as becoming generative and developing a more comprehensive sense of self.

benefits of middle aged parenting

-established careers with financial security, enabling flexibility -feel better prepared for parenthood -feel more mature, competent, and generative and tend to be less stressed than younger parents -experience greater increases in life satisfaction with the birth of their children and are less prone to depressive symptoms -tend to take a more youthful perspective, seeing middle age as extending longer and old age as starting later than do those who have children early in life -the most common complaints of older parents are less energy for parenting and feeling stigmatized as older parents

the self in middle adulthood

-first become aware of biological aging, changes in their skin, bodies, and athletic ability. -Youthfulness holds an important place in Western society, especially for women middle-aged women who report viewing these tv/media of middle-aged women with youthful shapes and sizes tend to rate their body shapes more poorly -adults attempt to stop or reverse the aging process in an effort to maintain an ageless sense of self. -However, women tend to place importance on maintaining physical activity and avoiding dependence on family over physical attractiveness -less socioeconomically advantaged adults tend to perceive themselves as older, -because of their worse health and less positive predictions of future health -Health inequalities can shape the personal experience of aging, how old we feel and how we experience aging itself.

grandparent and generativity

-grandparent role provides adults opportunities to satisfy generative needs by nurturing a new generation, enjoy spending time and playing with children without the responsibility of parenthood, and gain a sense of immortality by passing along family and personal history as well as a second generation of progeny -grandparental investment, the tendency for grandparents to be involved in their grandchildren's lives and transfer resources to them -stems from its provision of evolutionary benefits such as a correlation between the presence of the maternal grandmother and child survival

parents to infants and young children

-growing group of adults are postponing parent into early midlife -growing number of new parents in industrialized nations are middle aged -Middle-aged parentsmay find the social side of their new role challenging -have different concerns and needs than their friends. -a new mother may find that her social clock is discordant with her same-age peers who may be sending their children to college or planning for weddings and grandchildren. -At the same time, she may find herself much older than many of the other parents of infants she meets at child care, play groups, and parks. For these reasons, older parents may find the social side of parenting a challenge.

parenting relationship and well being

-how parents view their involvement with their adult child influences well-being -parents who viewed their grown children as more needy than others reported poorer well-being, but the frequency of support the parents provided was not associated with the parents' well-being -most parents report having positive interactions with their children on a daily basis -negative interactions with adult children, are consistently associated with reports of negative affect and predict daily patterns of the stress hormone cortisol -children's success influence well-being -mothers and fathers show negative emotional responses to children with unmet career/relationship goals -having one child at home post college age is associated with lower psychological well being among mothers -parents are harmed when they believe their grown children should be more autonomous -Adult children's problems are associated with low parental well-being, including more negative affect, low levels of self-esteem, marital quality, and poor parent-child relationships -one study of middle-aged adults, having an adult child with problems predicted poor parental well-being, regardless of the presence of another successful child, and the more problems in the family, the worse parental well-being

self-esteem in middle adulthood

-increases throughout middle adulthood -associated with positive emotional, social, and career outcomes throughout life -lowest point in early middle age, early 40s -role overload possibility

relationship between grandparents and grandchildren

-influenced by factors: grandparent/child gender, geographic proximity, socioeconomic status, and culture -grandparents and grandchildren of the same sex to be closer, especially grandmothers and grandchildren -grandmothers tend to have more contact with their grandchildren than do grandfathers, and they tend to report higher satisfaction with the grandparent role -grandparents who live closer tend to have closer relationships -in western nations, most grandparents have close relationships despite distance -Because parents tend to regulate grandparent-grandchildren contact, grandparents' relationships with their own children influence their contact and relationships with their grandchildren. -relationships show continuity over time -close grandparent-grandchild relationships in childhood predict close relations in adulthood they agree their relationships are close and enduring -grandparents source of emotional support for their grandchildren -over time, contact with grandchildren tends to decline as young and middle-aged grandchildren take on time-consuming family and work roles, but affection between grandchildren and grandparents remains strong

job satisfaction in middle adulthood

-influenced by more than high pay -women tend to earn less than mess, even in the same field -2015, among full-time workers ages 20 to 24, women were paid 90% of what men were paid on a weekly basis. By the time workers reach 55 to 64 years old, women are paid only 74% of what their male peers are paid; but women still report higher/same levels -age is associated with increase in job satisfaction -Age-related increases in job satisfaction are greater for professionals than blue-collar workers (fewer opportunities for growth and job control) -older workers face increased risk of experiencing age discrimination

race and retirement

-large racial disparities in retirement savings, with White adults having saved over three times as much as those who are Black or Hispanic -(a median of $77,000, $25,000, and $23,000, respectively) -income disparities associated with low levels of education and ethnic minority status contribute to differences in retirement savings.

gender identity in middle adulthood

-masculine or feminine gender role tends to become more fluid and integrated

gender identity in middle adulthood: men

-men begin to adopt more traditionally expressive (feminine) traits -sensitive, considerate, and dependent

gender differences in generativity

-men who have children score higher in measures of generativity than childless men -having children is not related to generativity in women -child care activities is associated with increases in generativity in men but not women -why? children may draw men's attention to the need to care for the next generation while women may already be socialized to nurture young. -men and women who are involuntarily childless may experience difficulty developing a sense of generativity

self and well-being in middle adult

-more likely to acknowledge and accept good and bad qualities and feel positive about oneself -realistic possible selves influence self-esteem and well-being -when feeling a sense of control, multiple roles in life predicts positive well-being, more trusting and positive relations with others, a sense of life purpose, and greater overall well-being -Perceived control is associated with life satisfaction, and multiple demands that middle-aged adults face often test their sense of control -positive processing is associated with high levels of well-being -most rate their subjective live satisfaction as moderate to high -middle-aged adults believe that this time in their life is stressful but fun and exciting, a time of freedom, when anything is possible, suggesting that positive views coexist with stress

finance and retirement planning

-most U.S. adults will spend many years in retirement, most are not financially prepared for it. -less than 50% U.S. adults report thinking about financial planning for retirement sometimes or never -workers should plan for retirement income of at least 70% to 80% of their current preretirement income, but one third of middle-class households have no savings, including 20% of adults, 55 to 61 -financial resources often are the determining factor with regard to whether and when an older adult retires -changing economics influence older adults' abilities to retire, as personal retirement investments such as IRAs and 401(k) plans may lose value unexpectedly. -Social Security was designed to aid elders in affording retirement. -Yet in 2012, 4 in 10 of U.S. adults expressed concern over whether they would have enough income and assets in retirement

Grandparenthood in Middle Adulthood

-most US adults are grandparents by the time they reach their late 40s and early 50s -average 49 for women and 52 for men -coming significantly later, but adults are spending more years as grandparents -gandparenthood occurs up to 3 years earlier in Eastern European countries (Poland, Ukraine, and Bulgaria) and 8 years later in Western European countries (Netherlands, Switzerland, and Austria) compared with the United States -many will spend one third of their lives as grandparents -timing of transition influences the experience of the role -adults who become grandparents earlier than the norm may find themselves in the position of parenting young children and adolescents while fulfilling the care and support functions of the grandparent role -the grandparent role is rewarding, and time caring for a new grandchild is associated with but may be accompanied by role strain

parent-child relationships in adulthood

-most parents launch their adult children into the world. -Many parents view their children's graduation from high school positive, while also experiencing some regrets -especially a sense of lost time with their children that cannot be regained -there is continuity in parent-child relationships throughout the lifespan -parental warmth and support in childhood and adolescence predicted contact and closeness with children in early adulthood -Most parents are happy in their roles, but their satisfaction varies with parental age, health, ethnic background, parent-child relationship quality, and perception of how their children "turn out," which influence their subjective levels of happiness

possible selves in middle adulthood

-motivator of behavior from early adulthood into older adulthood -failure to a achieve ideal self, or failure to avoid the feared self, results in negative self-evaluations -people often protect themselves from this threat of failure by adjusting goals and possible selves with experience -shift throughout adulthood -people are realizing their time and opportunities are now limited, becoming motivated to balance possible selves with their experiences to find meaning and happiness -middle adulthood is an important time of self growth -revise self to be more practical and realistic: successful at roles in life, and financially comfortable

divorce in middle adulthood

-occur within the first 10 years of marriage -10% of marriages end in divorce after 20 years or longer -1/3 of adults have been divorced by 45 -women are more likely to imitate divorce, and the ones who do are usually better off than the ones who do not initiate -series of stressful events, such as conflict, physical separation, relocation, child custody -associated with decrease life satisfaction, risk of illnesses, 20-30% increase in early mortality -more harmful to women, because women may lose the most benefits: such as health insurance -divorce represents an opportunity for growth and development -adaptive outcomes following divorce appear to be the norm, not the exception

Examples of Age Discrimination

-older workers being turned down for a job or promotion in favor of younger workers who are paid less -being disproportionately targeted in company layoffs -being excluded from important meetings and key assignments. -stereotyped as inflexible, conservative, less engaged, less sharp, unwilling to adapt to technology, and having physical limitations that may cost a company more for health insurance and related benefits -Blatant forms include jokes or patronizing behavior; assumptions of frailty, mental incompetence, or age-related health ailments

marriage in middle adulthood

-over 80% of adults marry by age 45, 90% by age 60, and over 95% by age 80 -men are happier in marriages then women, but difference is small -opposite-sex and same-sex marriage, satisfaction highest in egalitarian relationships in which home and family duties are shared and couples view themselves as equal contributors -successful partners balance similarities and differences (similar goals and interests/interaction styles, but some differences keep interest in one another) -satisfaction increase/decrease throughout -marital satisfaction tends to increase as family tasks and stress decline, family incomes rise, and spouses get better at understanding each other/have more time to spend together -emotional regulation advances

why does personality remain the same over a lifetime?

-personality influences life choices and experiences, but people believe it's the opposite, that a personality in adulthood is influenced by events/ experience over a lifetime. -research suggest that experience rarely causes dramatic changes -introverted and socially anxious people may be prone to find parties and social gatherings challenging—and in their distress, they may behave in ways that increase the likelihood of humiliating experiences: spilling a drink -people choose behaviors, lifestyles, partners, and contexts based on their personalities, and then the outcomes of these choices and life experiences may strengthen and stabilize personality traits

benefits of generativity

-promotes personal growth -associated with life satisfaction, self-acceptance, low rate of anxiety and depression, cognitive function, and overall well being -creativity is associated with generativity, and adults high in this are proactive problem solvers who approach problems with multiple solutions

motivations for caring for aging parents

-provide emotional and financial care due to obligation, reciprocity, and the quality of the relationship -young adults tend to adopt an idealistic perspective, perceiving strong obligations and ability to care for their parents, regardless of the level of care needed. -middle-aged adults adopt a more realistic perspective; anticipate the need to provide care and appreciate the responsibilities and sacrifices given the specific level and nature of care needed -influenced by parent-child relationship, family circumstances, and ethnicity -African American and Hispanic adults at all income levels are more likely than European American adults to provide aging parents with financial caregiving assistance; may reflect the cultural value of familism -Chinese, Japanese, and Korean women tend to provide care for their husband's aging parents, who tend to live with them -parents and adult children who have a lifetime of close and positive relations remain close, with adult children providing more assistance -relationships between mothers and daughters, usually closer than other parent-child relationships, tend to become more intimate and complex as daughters enter middle age - adults with weak parent-child relationships often provide care to parents out of a sense of duty -Daughters, especially those who live in close proximity, are most likely to be parental caregivers

changes that come with retirement

-retirement represents changes beyond loss of income -planning for retirement should include recognition of impending lifestyle changes and changes in the amount of free time available and how it will be used. -represents a major life transition, and adults who plan ahead for the financial and lifestyle changes that accompany retirement tend to show better adjustment and greater life satisfaction -most adults find that they need to determine how they will spend their time, often for the first time in their lives. -adults may feel overwhelmed, at least temporarily; others are glad to devote themselves to endeavors they have "always wanted" to pursue or to seek out entirely new activities and areas of interest. -community service, volunteering, learn a new language, home renovations, or spend more time with family members -retirees who do not plan how they will spend their time may find themselves adrift. -Planning an active life also contributes to postretirement adjustment and happiness

Criticism of Levinson's Seasons of Life Theory

-sample was small and of adults who were educated, White, and high SES -seasons of life are influenced by context and revising life structures is influenced by social opportunities and situations -contextual disadvantages include poverty, discrimination, or limited opportunities that deplete individuals of the energy and resources needed to revisit and change life structures -model does not all apply to all men and women across demographic contexts

parenthood on gender identity/roles

-signals a shift in couples' behavior and division of labor -most couples adopt traditional roles after birth and it continues throughout childhood -mothers do more housework, fathers do less -mother typically spends about twice as much time as the father on both housework and child care, whereas fathers spend more time working outside the home (37 hours as compared with 21 hours for mothers) -fathers today spend twice as much time doing household chores than in 1965 (4 hours per week in 1965 to about 10 hours per week today) -as children leave the nest, adults become less traditional to gender roles

job burnout in middle adulthood

-some experience job burnout., which is a sense of mental exhaustion that accompanies long-term job stress, excessive workloads, and reduced feelings of control -frequent in professions that are personally demanding: healthcare, human services, and teaching -a serious problem in the workplace -burnout is linked with impairments in attention and concentration abilities, depression, illnesses, poor job performance, workplace injuries, and high levels of employee absenteeism and turnover -less likely to experience burnout when workers receive social support, assistance in managing workloads and reducing stress, and opportunities to create an attractive workplace environment

personality in middle adulthood

-the big 5 personality traits -individual differences in Big 5 personality traits are large -people show unique patterns of traits, and those patterns and individual differences in personality traits are highly stable over periods of time ranging from 3 to 30 years research shows age differences in Big 5 factor -traits shift subtly over adulthood. Cross-sectional studies of adults in -agreeableness and conscientiousness increase and neuroticism, extroversion, and openness decline into middle adulthood -suggesting that adults mellow with age -continuity in personality traits increases with age, from early adulthood, peaking in the late 30s into middle adulthood and decreasing in older adulthood -Extroversion and openness to experience decline with age from 30 to 90, with the most pronounced drops after the mid-50s -individual differences: ex: someone who is high in openness relative to age peers will remain high in openness over time, even though as a group, the adults may show a decline over the adult years.

psychosocial development in middle adulthood

-the lead understood period -childcare declines as children and require less care -developmental issues., empty nest -career concerns, preparing for retiring -perhaps the most stressful time in life -midlife represents a transition similar to the transition to adulthood; it entails creating, clarifying, and evaluating values, goals, and priorities --time of increasing life satisfaction, self-esteem, and well-being -personality remains stable throughout adulthood

adult-child transition

-the transition to independent living is gradual and nonlinear -adult children often move back multiple times throughout life, especially after the recession in 2007-2008 -increasingly common for adult children to turn home in their 20's -Over one third of U.S. young adults ages 18 to 31 live with their parents

contextual factors and personality

-these factors play a role in stabilizing personality throughout adult as social and identity roles become more established -people, are largely stable over adulthood contributing to continuity in personality and individual differences in personality -dramatic life changes (divorce, illness, widowhood), can bring about new behaviors and trait patterns, but these events usually strengthen existing patterns of traits -situations and content can change one's personality, but most people are motivated to maintain a stable sense of personality as part of developing and maintaining a consistent sense of self

who has a midlife crisis?

-they are not universal among middle adulthood -exhibits significant differences in individuals and occurs at different periods of life -adults who experience this may have experienced upheavals at other times in their lives -personal characteristics: men who scored higher on measures of psychological problems earlier in adulthood were more likely to report experiencing a midlife crisis 10 years later -events that can occur at any time in adulthood: job loss, financial problems, or illness, may trigger responses that adults and their families may interpret as midlife crisis

careers in middle adulthood

-usually the support that structures people's days, contributes to a sense of identity and self-esteem, and provides a number of benefits aside from income. -people interact with others, display generativity through creativity, -Young adults tend to gravitate toward jobs that emphasize extrinsic rewards: high salaries and employee benefits, -middle-aged employees tend to place greater importance on the intrinsic rewards of work: friendships with coworkers, job satisfaction, self-esteem, and feeling that one is making a difference -job satisfaction more is associated with intrinsic rewards

age discrimination in the workplace

-with increased lifespan, better health, and later childbearing , middle aged adults, are spending more years in the workforce in 2017, baby boomers comprised one quarter of the U.S. workforce -Workers over 50 are often valued for their experience, knowledge, and emotional regulation, but older workers are also at risk to experience age discrimination -women experience greater rates than men -Women who report age discrimination tend to report greater financial strain and lower levels of life satisfaction

gender identity in middle adulthood: women

-women adopt more instrumental (masculine) characteristics -confidence, self-reliance, and assertiveness -women become less expressive across the lifespan -Middle-aged women who may be newly independent after divorce, death of a partner, or the end of childrearing may enter the workplace, seek advancement in current careers, or enroll in college. -meeting these new challenges requires self-reliance, assertiveness, and confidence

gender diferences in subjective age

-women tend to feel younger and hold more youthful self concepts -because western cultures view aging as more harsh in women -women with younger subjective ages tend to be more optimistic about cognitive abilities

gender differences in job satisfaction

-women tend to show higher job satisfaction than men or, in some cases, similar levels of satisfaction to men -gender-job satisfaction paradox is more apparent in countries where the job market is more challenging for women and nonexistent in countries that offer equal opportunities for women -job satisfaction is more linked to intrinsic rewards, and with women: job satisfaction is positively linked to both extrinsic and intrinsic rewards -for men: job satisfaction tends to be positively linked primarily to extrinsic rewards -men in physically demanding occupations (laborers/construction workers) find that the physical changes that occur over the course of middle adulthood make them less able to perform the tasks their jobs require -

many will spend how long of their lives as grandparents

1/3

midlife crisis

A period of self-doubt and stress attributed to entering midlife once thought to contribute to a major reorganization of personality in midlife. Now thought to occur in a small minority of adults and to be related to history more than age. -not widespread -only 10-20% of adults report experiencing this -the concept of a midlife crisis remains popular in our culture, because it describes exciting possibilities for making major life changes, or because it is a simple explanation for the many changes that occur. -Despite this, research suggests that most adults tend to view middle adulthood as a positive time in life

seasons of life

A set of life phases that Levinson concluded adults progress through in which life structures are constructed, tested, and modified, based on experiences and opportunities .

Erikson's Generativity vs. Stagnation

In middle aged adults, people discover a sense of contributing to the world, usually through family and work, or they may feel a lack of purpose -cultivating a sense of generativity, a concern and sense for responsibility for future generations and society as a whole -early midlife, generatively is expressed through childbearing -expands to include concern's to future generations, the social world, and community -fulfills adults' needs to feel needed and to make contributions that will last beyond their lifetimes, achieving a sense of immortality -however, some adults feel extreme disappointment in middle adulthood -some do not achieve their career or family goals, or find them dissatisfying -adults who fail to develop generativity experience stagnation

what is the determining factor of retirement?

financial resources

possible selves

future-oriented representations of self-concept into the future; who an individual might become, both hoped for and feared, that guides and motivates choices and behaviors. -motivated to try to become the hoped-for ideal self and avoid becoming the feared self—the self that they hope never to become.

Extroversion

includes social outgoingness, high activity, enthusiastic interest, and assertive tendencies. -this trait is related to positive emotionality. On the opposite pole, descriptors include social withdrawal and constrictedness. -more likely to marry and stay married

Androgyny

The gender identity of those who score high on both instrumental and expressive traits. -predicts positive adjustment -associated with high self-esteem, advanced moral reasoning, maturity, and life satisfaction -greater variation of skills, both masc/fem which helps them adapt to situations with greater ease than traditional gender role adults

Agreeableness

This trait includes descriptors such as trusting, cooperative, helpful, caring behaviors and attitudes toward others. Individuals low in agreeableness are seen as difficult, unhelpful, oppositional, and stingy. -tends to increase with age

Neuroticism

This trait relates to negative emotionality. Descriptors include moodiness, fear, worry, insecurity, and irritability. The opposite pole includes traits such as self-confidence. -more likely to divorce

Big 5 Personality Traits

openness, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness, neuroticism -reflect inherited predispositions that persist throughout life -predict career, family, and personal choices

Life Structure (Levinson)

a person's overall organization of his or her life, particularly dreams, goals, and relationships with significant others as well as institutions, such as marriage, family, and vocation -Some middle-aged adults make substantial changes to their life structure by changing careers, divorcing, or beginning a new project (writing a book)

positive processing

a tendency to interpret events in a favorable light

familism and support

a value that mandates that the family comes before all else and that family members have a duty to care for one another, regardless of the problem or situation, whether personal, financial, or legal -common among Hispanic cultures -financial resources also influence the level and types of support that family members provide. -poverty often leads family members to provide financial and physical assistance to each other, including living together. -early midlife parents continue to give children more assistance than they receive -especially when children are unmarried or facing challenging life transitions such as unemployment and career change or divorce