Middle Adulthood

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11

• Middle Adulthood

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Physical Development
3
Physical Changes in Middle AdulthoodChanges in
Sensory Abilities

• Vision declines
• Lens becomes less flexible
• Rods and cones diminish in numbers
• Hearing declinesespecially for high pitched
  sounds
• Cilia thin out
• Less flexible inner ear
• Environment also plays a role

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Physical Changes in Middle AdulthoodChanges in
Reproductive Systems

• ClimactericFertility decline in midlife
• MenopauseEnd of monthly ovulation and
  menstruation
• Timing influenced by genetics
• Variety of symptoms
• Include hot flashes, headaches, and dizziness
• Culture can impact symptoms

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Physical Changes in Middle AdulthoodChanges in
Reproductive Systems

• Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT)
• Severe menopause treatment
• Effective at reducing symptoms
• Strengthens bones and reduces colon cancer
• Increased risk of stroke, heart attacks, and
  breast cancer
• Over 60 advised against HRT

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Physical Changes in Middle AdulthoodChanges in
Reproductive Systems

• Responses
• Typically enjoyed and welcomed
• Mens changes include lowered testosterone
  levels, sperm quality, and quantity
• Possible evolutionary reason for no male menopause

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Health and DiseaseHealth Problems

• Major health risks in middle adulthood include
  sleep problems, osteoporosis, cardiovascular
  problems, and cancer
• Sleep problems
• Common after 40
• Occurs with other problems as well
• May not get enough sleep

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Health and DiseaseHealth Problems

• Osteoporosisbones become thin and brittle as a
  result of rapid calcium depletion
• Estrogen loss increases risk for women not men
• Genetics risk factor for osteoporosis
• Lifestyle can have an affect
• Diet and regular exercise are protective factors

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Health and DiseaseHealth Problems

• Cardiovascular disease- leading cause of death
  among adults worldwide
• Risk factors include high fat diets, smoking,
  lack of physical activity
• Stress is another factor
• CVD can be treated
• Protective factors exercise, weight, and aspirin
  daily

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Health and DiseaseHealth Problems

• Second leading cause of death among adults
• Prostrate and breast cancer most common
• Genetic and environmental factors
• Treatments include chemotherapy, radiation
  therapy, and surgery
• Best treatment is detection

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Health and DiseaseMidlife Health and Later
Development
Figure 11.2 Vaillant Study
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Cognitive Development
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IntelligenceFluid and Crystallized

• Two kinds of intelligence
• Fluid intelligenceinformation processing,
  discerning relations and processing speed
• Crystallized intelligenceaccumulation of
  knowledge
• Fluid intelligence rises and declines
• Crystallized intelligence peaks in midlife

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IntelligenceThe Peak of Expertise

• Expertise peaks in middle adulthood
• Experience important
• Allows for efficient processing of information
• Leads to automaticity
• A form of crystallized intelligence

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Information Processing in Middle AdulthoodSpeed,
Attention, and Memory

• Perceptual speed declines in middle adulthood
• Decline in ability to focus attention
• Disregard the irrelevant information
• Decline in ability for divided attention
• Not a large decline in memory tasks

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Emotional and Social Development
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Emotional and Self-DevelopmentSelf-Concept

• Self-Development peaks
• Self-acceptance favorable
• Identity seems more favorable
• Increased autonomy
• Collectivist cultures
• May emphasize relations to others more than
  self-development

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Emotional and Self-DevelopmentMidlife Crisis

• Jung credited with coining the term mid-life
  crisis
• Levinson and Jung believed it a time of feeling
  confusion and turmoil
• Research has failed to find consistent evidence
  of a midlife crisis
• Negative life events can occur but not specific
  to middle adulthood

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Emotional and Self-DevelopmentGenerativity

• Eriksons theoryGenerativity versus Stagnation
• Generativity is the motivation to contribute to
  the well-being of future generations
• Parenting, mentorship, tutoring

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Figure 11.5 Womens Increased Identity
Certainty and Generativity Through Middle
Adulthood The identity struggles of earlier
stages diminish by midlife and generativity also
increases. Source Stewart et al. (2001)
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Emotional and Self-DevelopmentGender Issues in
Midlife

• Midlife sees a decline in restrictive gender
  roles
• IndiaMiddle adulthood women gain position in the
  family and in religious matters
• In many cultures women in midlife are still
  deemed unattractive
• Cultures vary in women achieving status and
  authority

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Map 11.1 Gender Empowerment Measure The Gender
Empowerment Measure (GEM) is based on womens
representation in positions of political power,
the percentage of women in professional and
technical occupations, and the ratio of females
to males earned income. Which countries have the
highest and lowest GEM? To what extent is GEM
related to economic factors (refer back to Map
1.2)?
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Emotional and Self-DevelopmentGender Issues in
Midlife

• More opportunity but still not equal
• High status tradeoff
• Could cause frustration as women have to
  sacrifice family goals for status
• Men more flexible in midlife
• Marital roles more egalitarian but women still do
  bulk of household chores

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Social and Cultural Contexts of Development
Family Relationships

• Mid-life parents have young adult or emerging
  adulthood children
• Unmarried adult children at home tend to be
  welcomedSouthern Europe and Japan
• Adult children leaving the home is both sad and
  happy timeNorthern Europe, U.S., UK
• Returning home positive if there are goals
• Parents still provide financial support

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Social and Cultural Contexts of Development
Family Relationships

• Relations with parents also vary
• Traditional cultures may live with parents even
  if married
• Europe varies based on region
• Relations are mutually supportive
• Health of parent plays a role in relationship

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Social and Cultural Contexts of Development
Family Relationships

• Becoming a grandparent is a new role
• Daily household chores including childcare
• Involvement influenced by distance, and
  relationship with in-laws
• Daughter-in-law relationship important
• Grandmothers tend to be more involved
• Role tends to be enjoyed

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Figure 11.6 Marital Satisfaction and Years
Married For most couples, marital satisfaction
rises once their children grow into emerging
adulthood and beyond. Source Vaillant Vaillant
(1993)
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Social and Cultural Contexts of Development Love
and Sexuality

• Most divorce occurs in first 10 years of marriage
• Midlife divorce tended to fall out of love
• Many felt marriage over well before divorce

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Social and Cultural Contexts of Development Love
and Sexuality

• Midlife adults handle divorce stress better than
  younger adults
• Women worse off financially
• Most men will remarry, but only about 33 of
  women will

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Social and Cultural Contexts of Development Love
and Sexuality

• Nonnormative events may make midlife difficult
  for lesbians and gays
• Coming out in mid-life can have positive effects
  and difficulties
• Single persons in midlife express desire to be
  married
• Tend to enjoy freedom and independence
• Close friends are necessary

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Social and Cultural Contexts of Development Love
and Sexuality

• Cultural variation
• Middle adulthood seen as a time of turning to
  spiritual purity
• Most Americans remain sexually active
• Hormonal changes may require assistance for both
  men and women

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Social and Cultural Contexts of Development Work

• Job satisfaction peaks
• More expertise
• More authority
• Acceptance of profession

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Social and Cultural Contexts of Development Work

• Dissatisfaction can occur
• Pursue new challenges
• Glass ceiling (women)
• Burnout
• Involuntary unemployment can be disruptive

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Social and Cultural Contexts of Development Work

• Globalization of work has increased some work
  instability
• Shift away from organizational careers
• Same job and same field for years
• Shift towards protean career
• Changeable and less linear
• Middle adulthood more difficult to obtain these
  types of jobs
• Education may also create separation

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Social and Cultural Contexts of
DevelopmentCommunity and Leisure Activities

• Time spent in middle adulthood includes
• Community involvement
• Watching television
• Socializing with family and friends
• Going on vacations
• Enhances cognitive and physical functioning
• Better physical health
• More likely to avoid burnout

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Table 11.1 Vacation Time in Developed Countries
Source Based on ILO (2011)