Chapter 14Chapter 14Socioemotional Socioemotional Development inDevelopment in

Middle AdulthoodMiddle Adulthood

Erikson’s Stage in MidlifeErikson’s Stage in Midlife

Generativity vs. Generativity vs. StagnationStagnationPeople consider their contributions to People consider their contributions to their family, the community, & the their family, the community, & the societysocietyGuiding & encouraging future Guiding & encouraging future generationsgenerationsLeaving a lasting impression through Leaving a lasting impression through creative, artistic outputcreative, artistic outputLooking at life continuing through your Looking at life continuing through your influence on othersinfluence on othersStagnation: focusing on the trivial Stagnation: focusing on the trivial areas of life, feeling of not contributing areas of life, feeling of not contributing to the world, & one’s presence doesn’t to the world, & one’s presence doesn’t amount to muchamount to much

Other Views of MidlifeOther Views of Midlife VaillantVaillant

Keeping the meaning vs. rigidityKeeping the meaning vs. rigidity

Adults seek to extract the meaning Adults seek to extract the meaning from their lives by accepting the from their lives by accepting the strengths & weaknesses of othersstrengths & weaknesses of others

The rigid become more isolated from The rigid become more isolated from othersothers

GouldGouldAdults pass through 7 stages Adults pass through 7 stages associated with specific age periodsassociated with specific age periods

In late 30s-early 40s there’s an urgency In late 30s-early 40s there’s an urgency to achieve goals & this reality propels to achieve goals & this reality propels them into adulthoodthem into adulthood

LevinsonLevinsonAdult men pass through a series of Adult men pass through a series of stages beginning in early adulthood & stages beginning in early adulthood & going through midlifegoing through midlife

Early adulthood is leaving the family & Early adulthood is leaving the family & pursuing the dreampursuing the dream

By late 30s, they settle down & By late 30s, they settle down & establish themselves in career & familyestablish themselves in career & family

Between 40 & 45 is time of “midlife Between 40 & 45 is time of “midlife transition,” a time of questioning transition,” a time of questioning themselves & their lifethemselves & their life

May lead to a “midlife crisis”May lead to a “midlife crisis”

Perspectives on Adult Personality Perspectives on Adult Personality DevelopmentDevelopment

Normative Crisis Normative Crisis ModelModelPersonality develops in terms of Personality develops in terms of fairly universal stages, tied to a fairly universal stages, tied to a sequence of age-related crisessequence of age-related crisesCritics say that stage models are Critics say that stage models are outdated, coming from a time outdated, coming from a time when gender roles were more rigidwhen gender roles were more rigid

Life Events Life Events ModelModelThe timing of a particular event in The timing of a particular event in an adult’s life, rather than age per an adult’s life, rather than age per se, determine the course of se, determine the course of personality developmentpersonality developmentAn event at age 21 & the same An event at age 21 & the same event at 39 would cause the same event at 39 would cause the same emotional feelingsemotional feelingsAdulthood is not a time of Adulthood is not a time of passivity but of continued passivity but of continued psychological growthpsychological growth

The “Big Five”The “Big Five” The Five The Five

Factor ModelFactor ModelPaul Costa, Jr. & Paul Costa, Jr. & Robert McCraeRobert McCraeOrganizes personality Organizes personality traits into opposing traits into opposing factors and describes factors and describes differences in personality differences in personality using five categories. using five categories. These traits have been see These traits have been see in cultures as widely in cultures as widely divergent as American, divergent as American, German, Portuguese, German, Portuguese, Hebrew, Chinese, Korean, Hebrew, Chinese, Korean, and Japanese.and Japanese.

Factor Description of TraitsFactor Description of TraitsExtraversion vs. Extraversion vs. Sociable vs. WithdrawnSociable vs. WithdrawnIntroversionIntroversion Fun-loving vs. SoberFun-loving vs. Sober

Friendly vs. AloofFriendly vs. AloofAdventurous vs. CautiousAdventurous vs. Cautious

Neuroticism vs.Neuroticism vs. Anxious vs. RelaxedAnxious vs. RelaxedStabilityStability Insecure vs. SecureInsecure vs. Secure

Emotional vs. CalmEmotional vs. CalmSelf-pitying vs. ContentSelf-pitying vs. Content

Openness vs. ClosedOpenness vs. Closed Original vs. ConventionalOriginal vs. ConventionalTo ExperienceTo Experience Imaginative vs. Down-to-EarthImaginative vs. Down-to-Earth

Broad vs. Narrow InterestsBroad vs. Narrow InterestsOpen vs. Closed to New IdeasOpen vs. Closed to New Ideas

Agreeableness vs.Agreeableness vs. Good-natured vs. IrritableGood-natured vs. IrritableAntagonismAntagonism Soft-hearted vs. RuthlessSoft-hearted vs. Ruthless

Courteous vs. RudeCourteous vs. RudeSympathetic vs. Tough-Sympathetic vs. Tough-

mindedmindedConscientiousness vs.Conscientiousness vs. Well-organized vs. DisorderlyWell-organized vs. DisorderlyUndirectednessUndirectedness Dependable vs. UndependableDependable vs. Undependable

Hardworking vs. LazyHardworking vs. LazyAmbitious vs. EasygoingAmbitious vs. Easygoing

The Family in The Family in MidlifeMidlife

MarriageMarriageSatisfaction declines after Satisfaction declines after marriage & falls to the marriage & falls to the lowest after childbirthlowest after childbirth

Begins to climb after Begins to climb after child’s teens & reaches child’s teens & reaches highest when they leavehighest when they leave

See spouse as “best See spouse as “best friend” & marriage as a friend” & marriage as a long-term commitmentlong-term commitment

See spouse as growing See spouse as growing more interesting over the more interesting over the yearsyears

Sex life, though less Sex life, though less frequent, is more satisfyingfrequent, is more satisfying

The Family in The Family in MidlifeMidlife

Satisfaction keeps fallingSatisfaction keeps falling1 in 8 women divorce after 401 in 8 women divorce after 40

Reasons:Reasons:

1. Spending less time together1. Spending less time together

2. Feel more concern for personal 2. Feel more concern for personal happiness & leave the marriagehappiness & leave the marriage

3. Divorce is more accepted now3. Divorce is more accepted now

4. Wives feel less dependent on their 4. Wives feel less dependent on their husbands economically & emotionallyhusbands economically & emotionally

5. Feelings of romance & passion 5. Feelings of romance & passion subsidesubside

6. Stress in the household with both 6. Stress in the household with both parents workingparents working

75%-80% remarry within 2-5 years75%-80% remarry within 2-5 years

Less than 1/3 of women over 40 remarryLess than 1/3 of women over 40 remarry

Empty Nest Empty Nest SyndromeSyndrome

When last child When last child leaves homeleaves homeFeelings of unhappiness, worry, Feelings of unhappiness, worry, loneliness, & depressionloneliness, & depression

Worse for stay-at-home momsWorse for stay-at-home moms

Benefits:Benefits:

1) Can work harder1) Can work harder

2) More time alone2) More time alone

3) House stays cleaner3) House stays cleaner

4) Phone doesn’t ring as often4) Phone doesn’t ring as often

Boomerang Boomerang ChildrenChildrenYoung adults return to Young adults return to

live with middle age live with middle age parentsparentsReasons:

1. Unable to find work

2. Difficult to make ends meet

3. Break-up of marriage

Men are more likely to come back than women

Parents give sons more freedom

Parents’ reactions are both + & -

Sandwich Sandwich GenerationGenerationMust fulfill the Must fulfill the

needs of both needs of both children & parentschildren & parentsDue to:Due to:1. Marrying & having children 1. Marrying & having children laterlater2. Parents living longer with care 2. Parents living longer with care involving money to living in child’s involving money to living in child’s homehomeProblems:Problems:1. Is difficult because of role 1. Is difficult because of role reversalreversal2. Most of burden on wife2. Most of burden on wifeCan be rewarding for children & Can be rewarding for children & parentsparents

Work & Work & LeisureLeisureMidlife is time of highest Midlife is time of highest

productivity, success, & moneyproductivity, success, & moneyMidlife workers care more about the here-&-now qualities of workMidlife workers care more about the here-&-now qualities of workThe older the worker the more overall job satisfaction they experienceThe older the worker the more overall job satisfaction they experience

Job satisfaction is not universalJob satisfaction is not universalBurnout (experience of dissatisfaction, disillusionment, frustration, & Burnout (experience of dissatisfaction, disillusionment, frustration, & weariness from the job) can occurweariness from the job) can occur““Downsizing” can occur leaving one unemployed with ageism occurringDownsizing” can occur leaving one unemployed with ageism occurring

Voluntary job change may occurVoluntary job change may occurDue to little satisfaction with the old jobDue to little satisfaction with the old jobAchieved the challenges of the old jobAchieved the challenges of the old jobNo longer enjoy what they doNo longer enjoy what they do

Work & Work & LeisureLeisureMiddle-age adults have Middle-age adults have

70 hours a week for 70 hours a week for leisure timeleisure timeAverage middle-age Average middle-age adult watches 15 hours adult watches 15 hours of TV per weekof TV per week

Spend about 6 hours a Spend about 6 hours a week socializingweek socializing

Some volunteer their Some volunteer their timetime

U.S., Japan, & Western U.S., Japan, & Western Europe have fast-paced Europe have fast-paced liveslives

FriendshipsFriendships Friendships in Friendships in

adulthood follow 5 adulthood follow 5 identifiable stages:identifiable stages:

Acquaintanceship, Acquaintanceship, Buildup, Continuation, Buildup, Continuation, Deterioration, & EndingDeterioration, & Ending

If a friendship ends it If a friendship ends it depends mostly on depends mostly on availability of alternative availability of alternative relationshipsrelationships

FriendshipsFriendships People tend to People tend to

have more have more acquaintances acquaintances during young during young adulthood than adulthood than later onlater onFriendships important Friendships important because, in part, life because, in part, life satisfaction is highly satisfaction is highly related to the quantity & related to the quantity & quality of friendsquality of friendsFriendships play a major Friendships play a major role in determining how role in determining how much we enjoy lifemuch we enjoy life

3 broad themes 3 broad themes that underlie that underlie adult friendshipsadult friendshipsThe emotional basis of The emotional basis of the friendshipthe friendshipRefers to self-Refers to self-disclosure & disclosure & expressions of expressions of intimacy, appreciation, intimacy, appreciation, affection, & support all affection, & support all of which are based on of which are based on trust, loyalty, & trust, loyalty, & communicationscommunications

FriendshipsFriendships The shared or communal The shared or communal

nature of the friendshipnature of the friendshipFriends participate in or support activities of Friends participate in or support activities of mutual interestmutual interest

Sociability & compatibilitySociability & compatibility

Friends keep us entertained & are sources of Friends keep us entertained & are sources of amusement, fun, & recreationamusement, fun, & recreation

FriendshipsFriendships Gender differences in Gender differences in

friendshipsfriendshipsWomen tend to base friendships on more intimate Women tend to base friendships on more intimate emotional sharing & use friendships as a means to confide emotional sharing & use friendships as a means to confide in othersin othersGetting together takes the form of discussing personal Getting together takes the form of discussing personal mattersmattersHave much more experience with intimate sharing early in Have much more experience with intimate sharing early in life, & are more comfortable with vulnerabilitylife, & are more comfortable with vulnerabilityMen tend to base friendships on shared activities or Men tend to base friendships on shared activities or interestsinterestsGo to sporting events or talk sports with friendsGo to sporting events or talk sports with friendsCompetition is often part of friendshipsCompetition is often part of friendships