Adulthood: Psychosocial Development

How will marriage, divorce, children and coping with your parents affect you?

Continuity and ChangeWhat changes? What stays the same?

What is happening in the major theories?

•Erikson’s Stages▫Intimacy vs. Isolation▫Generativity vs. stagnation

•Maslow’s stages▫5. Self-=actualization▫4. Success and esteem▫3. Love and belonging▫2. Safety▫1. Physiology

What is the midlife crisis?

•40’s - What have I accomplished?•Anxiety, self-reexamination,

transformation•Related more to developmental history

than age

Intimacy

How do we meet our need for intimacy?

•Met by: family, friends, coworkers, & romantic partners (the social convoy)

Do you remember?

•Which of Erikson’s stages is this person in?

•What are Maslow’s stages?•What can create a midlife crisis?

What happens to family bonds? Parent-Adult child relationships

•Improves with age (Generations become closer)

•May deteriorate if they live together•Familism

▫Belief that family members should support each other

Family bonds:Will you find a committed partner?

Does marriage produce happiness?

•Married people (In satisfying marriages)▫Happier, Healthier, Richer

•Learning to understand and forgive each other promotes happiness

•Cohabitation before marriage▫Decreases happiness

•Domestic violence is most likely to occur early in a relationship

Do children produce happiness?•Children and happiness (“U” shaped

curve)▫Happiness is highest before children▫Decreases with birth of first child

& additional children▫Decreases again when children reach

puberty Teenage years

▫Happiness improves after child raising years when children become more independent (Empty nest)

Empty nest: What happens when the children leave home?

•Improves relationships▫Parents are alone

again▫More money

available•Longtime partners

▫Stay together because of love & trust

Do you remember?

•What happens to parent – child relationships as the children mature?▫What can cause this relationship to

deteriorate?•What promotes happiness in good

marriages?•When is domestic violence most likely to

occur?•How does a couple’s happiness change

after the children leave home? Why?

What is the effect of separation and divorce?

•Almost 1 out of 2 marriages ends in divorce in the U.S.▫About 1/3 of all first marriages end in

divorce▫Remarried people have a greater chance of

divorce than first marriages•Very distressed marriages = happier after

divorce

What are the consequences of divorce?

•Can last for decades•Divorce reduces income, severs

friendships, and weakens family ties•Income, family welfare, and self-esteem =

lower among formerly married than still married or never married

Generativity: How can you deal with this stage?

•Erikson’s “Generativity vs. Stagnation▫Satisfied by

Creativity

Caregiving

Employment

How do you care for children? • Your biological children

▫Parent must change to adopt to developmental stages of child.

• Non-biological Children▫Children without emotional attachment become

mistrustful and fearful of becoming too dependent• Stepfamilies

▫Patient, authoritative parenting is needed• Adoption

▫Biological parents usually absent▫Desperately want a child

How do you care for your aging parents?

•Sandwich generation▫Sandwiched between their

children and their parents•Often only one child bears

the burden of caregiving▫Creates resentment

EmploymentWhat work do you want?

Employment = generativity

•Unemployed = higher rates of child abuse, alcoholism, depression & other problems.

•Happiness is not necessarily related to income

•For work to meet generativity needs, it must:▫Use personal skills▫Be creative▫Advise coworkers as a friend or mentor

Why do people work?

•Extrinsic rewards (Outside - External)▫Salary▫Health insurance▫Pension

•Intrinsic rewards (Inside – internal)▫Intangible rewards▫Job satisfaction▫Self-esteem▫Pride in contributing▫Feeling needed Apple Computer

Can you combine intimacy and generativity?

•Job satisfaction depends on▫The job▫Home situation▫Ability to balance

home and work

Do you remember?

•Do second marriages have a greater chance of success than first marriages?

•Do formerly married persons have higher income and self-esteem than currently married or never married?

•What is the sandwich generation?•What is the difference between extrinsic

and intrinsic rewards?▫Give an example of each