Adulthood: Psychosocial Development (Chapter 13)

According to Maslow, adult development is based on...

According to Maslow, adult development is not based on age, but on a hierarchy of needs.

What is the average age of a stepchild?

Average age of a stepchild is around 9 years old. This means that the child already has a strong connection with biological parents so taking on the role of a step parent may be challenging. Remember, children in middle childhood prefer continuity!

What is Generatively?

Generativity: concern for guiding the next generation

What is the sandwich Generation?

"Sandwich Generation" - may still be taking care of their children and now they are taking care of their parents.

Openness

-I have a rich vocabulary. -I have a vivid imagination. -I have excellent ideas.

The Big Five

-Openness Imaginative, curious, artistic, creative, open to new experiences -Conscientiousness Organized, deliberate, conforming, self-disciplined -Extroversion Outgoing, assertive, active -Agreeableness Kind, helpful, easygoing, generous -Neuroticism Anxious, moody, self-punishing, critical

Who developed 5 stages? What are they about?

-Abraham Maslow (1954) described five stages, which occur in sequence. -Movement occurs when people have satisfied their needs at one level and are ready for the next step. Maslow refused to link chronological age and adult development when he described a hierarchy of needs with 5 stages achieved in sequence. In his later years, Maslow added a 6th stage, self-transcendence.

Generativity vs. Stagnation Who's theory?

-Adults satisfy their need to be generative in many ways, including creativity, caregiving, and employment -Adults need to care for the next generation either by raising their own children or by mentoring, teaching, and helping younger people (parenthood). -Erickson's Theory

Work meets generativity needs by allowing people to do the following:

-Develop and use their personal skills -Express their creative energy -Aid and advise coworkers, as a mentor or friend -Support the education and health of their families -Contribute to the community by providing goods or services

Conscientiousness

-I am always prepared. -I pay attention to details. -I get chores done right away

Neuroticism

-I am easily disturbed. -I change my mood a lot. -I get irritated easily.

Agreeableness

-I am interested in people. -I sympathize with others' feelings. -I have a soft heart.

Extroversion

-I am the life of the party. -I don't mind being the center of attention. -I feel comfortable around people.

Potential new roles: Launching children

-Refilling of empty nest is becoming a common occurrence -Adult children are returning to live at home for financial reasons -Loss of privacy is a common complaint for both parents and adult children

Potential new roles?

-Stepparent -Foster Parent -Adoptive Parent -Managerial roles at work -Caring for an aging parent

Maslows Hierarchy of Needs:

1) physiology- 2) Safety- 3) Love and belonging- 4) Success and esteem 5) Self- actualization 6) Self-transcendence-

In the stage generatively vs stagnation, how do adults seek productivity? What question do they answer?

According to Erikson, after the stage of intimacy vs. isolation comes generativity vs. stagnation, when adults seek to be productive in a caring way. Adults seek to answer the question "Can I make my life count?"

The big 5 examples?

Education (conscientious people are more likely to complete college) Cheating on exams (low on agreeableness) Marriage (extroverts more often marry) Divorce (more likely for neurotics) IQ (higher in openness) Verbal fluency (openness and extroversion), Political views (conservatives are less open)

What is a Empty nest?

Empty nest: the time in parents' lives when grown children leave the family home.

What has found the big 5?

Longitudinal, cross sectional, and multicultural research have found five basic characters of personality traits (the big five) that remain quite stable throughout adulthood.

What is Median Age? What fraction of people become grandparents?

Median age is 42-45; ¾ of people become grandparents by 65

4) Success and esteem

Need for self-esteem, achievement, competence, and independence: need for recognition and respect from others

2) Safety-

Need to feel that the world is organized and predictable: need to feel safe, secure, and stable

5) Self- actualization

Need to live up to one's fullest and unique potential

3) Love and belonging-

Need to love and be loved, to belong and be accepted: need to avoid loneliness and alienation

1) physiology-

Need to satisfy hunger and thirst

What is Stagnation?

Stagnation: person who is self centered and unable or unwilling to help society move forward develops a dissatisfaction with the relative lack of productivity.

Intrinsic rewards of work

The intangible gratifications (e.g., job satisfaction, self-esteem, pride) that come from within oneself as a result of doing a job

The major source of developmental continuity during adulthood is the stability of

The major source of developmental continuity during adulthood is the stability of personality.

Extrinsic rewards of work

The tangible benefits, usually in the form of compensation (e.g., salary, health insurance, pension), that one receives for doing a job

As people age, what rewards become more important?

as people age, intrinsic rewards of work tend to become more important than the extrinisc rewards

6) Self-transcendence-

full spiritual awakening or liberation from egocentricity. Human needs for ethics, creativity, compassion and spirituality.

What is the benefits of being an older couple?

older couples have less child-rearing stress, fewer arguments, and higher incomes than younger couples

What has research found out about the big 5 traits?

research has found that of the Big Five traits, agreeableness and conscientiousness increased in adulthood, while openness, extroversion and neuroticism decreased.