Chapter 16:

Social and Personality Development in Middle Adulthood

In This Chapter

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

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

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

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?

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)

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

Theories in Social and Personality Development

Role Transitions

Each of us occupies multiple roles at the same time, which produces frictions of various kinds

Changes in RelationshipsPartnerships

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

Changes in Relationships Children and Parents

In middle adulthood family role involves giving assistance in both directions of generational chain

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Figure 16.1 The “Middle Age Squeeze”

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

Changing Relationships

Are you or someone you know experiencing “Peter Pandemonium”?

Changing RelationshipsGrandparenting

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

Changing RelationshipsCategories of Grandparents

Changing RelationshipsGrandparenting: Remote Relationships

Characteristics

29% of grandparents

Infrequent contact and little direct influence

Most commonly created by physical distance

Changing RelationshipsGrandparenting: Involved

Relationships

Characteristics

16% report involved relationships

Daily participation in rearing their grandchildren

Often living in multi-generational housing

Changing RelationshipsGrandparenting

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

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.

Questions To PonderQuestions To PonderQuestions To PonderQuestions To Ponder

Changes in RelationshipsCaring For Aging Parents

Strong sense of filial responsibility

Caregiver burden may occur

Responsibility negotiated along several dimensions

Caring For Aging ParentsHow 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

Changing RelationshipsHow 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

Continuity and Change in PersonalityA Brief Review

The “Big Five”: OCEAN

Continuity and Change in PersonalityThree 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

Mid-Life Career IssuesWork Satisfaction

At its peak despite few work promotions in middle age

Work performance quality high Experience less burnout than younger adults More career stability

True or False?

Men and women have the same source of job satisfaction but deal with it differently.

Mid-life Career IssuesJob Performance

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

Mid-Life Career IssuesUnemployment and Career Transitions

Unemployement• Can be more difficult in middle age• Often involves ageism

Mid-Life Career IssuesUnemployment and Career Transitions

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

Voluntary career changers

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

Mid-Life Career IssuesVoluntary 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?

Mid-Life Career IssuesPreparing 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

Mid-Life Career IssuesPlanning for Retirement

Dychtwald’s Survey of Baby Boomers