Physical and Cognitive Development in Middle Adulthood

Changing Midlife Boundaries of middle age are being pushed upward More people lead healthier lifestyles; medical discoveries are holding off the aging process Middle age is starting later and lasting longer Midlife serves as an important preparation for late adulthood An increasing percentage of the population is made up of middle-aged and older adults “Rectangularization” of the age distribution

Generativity vs. Stagnation Erikson’s Generativity vs. Stagnation (40-65): Generativity: adults’ desire to leave legacies of themselves to the next generation (Money or property bequeathed to another by will) Stagnation: develops when individuals sense that they have done nothing for the next generation Research supports Erikson’s theory

Physical Changes Physical Changes: Usually gradual; aging rates vary Wrinkling and sagging of skin, age spots, thinning gray hair, thicker brittle nails, yellowing of teeth Height tends to shrink in middle age, due to bone loss in the vertebrae Many gain weight, which is a critical health problem in middle adulthood

Sarcopenia: age-related loss of muscle mass and strength, specially common in the back and legs -- exercise can reduce these declines Cushions for bone movement become less efficient, often leading to joint stiffness and difficulty in movement Progressive bone loss

Physical Changes Ability to focus and maintain an image declines between 40–59 years Difficulty viewing close objects Reduced blood supply decreases visual field Hearing can start to decline by age 40 Hearing loss occurs in up to 50% of individuals over the age of 50 High-pitched sounds are typically lost first

Physical Changes Blood pressure typically rises in the 40’s and 50’s At menopause, a woman’s blood pressure rises sharply, remaining higher than that of men into the later years Metabolic Syndrome: a condition characterized by hypertension, obesity, and insulin resistance Exercise, weight control, and a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, and whole grains can help to reduce many cardiovascular problems Lung tissue becomes less elastic at about age 55 Decreases lung’s capacity Nonsmokers have much better lung capacity Wakeful periods become more frequent in the 40’s Less deep sleep (stage 4) Feeling less rested in the morning

Health and Disease Frequency of accidents declines Individuals are less susceptible to colds and allergies Stress is a key factor in disease, especially Immune system functioning decreases with normal aging Link between stress and cardiovascular disease can be indirect Stress can lead to unhealthy lifestyle choices Chronic emotional stress is associated with high blood pressure, heart disease, and early death Chronic Disorders: characterized by a slow onset and a long duration Rare in early adulthood but increase in middle age Men have higher rates of fatal chronic conditions, while women have higher rates of nonfatal chronic conditions

Mortality Rates Chronic diseases are the main cause of death during middle adulthood Heart disease Cancer Cerebrovascular disease In the 1st half of middle age, cancer claims more lives than heart disease; trend is reversed during the 2nd half of middle age Men have higher mortality rates than women

Sexuality Climacteric: the midlife transition in which fertility declines Menopause: time in middle age (late 40’s to early 50’s) when a woman’s menstrual periods completely cease Perimenopause: transitional period; often takes up to 10 years Heredity and experience influence the onset of menopause Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) is controversial because it has been linked to increased risk of stroke, dementia, and cancer

Sexuality Hormonal Changes in Men: Sexual Attitudes and Behavior: Most men do not lose the ability to father children Modest decline in sexual hormone level and activity Erectile Dysfunction is common in middle-aged men May stem from physiological problems Sexual Attitudes and Behavior: Sexual activity occurs less frequently in middle adulthood Middle-aged men are more interested in sex than middle-aged women

Cognitive Development Fluid Intelligence the capacity to think logically and solve problems in new situations, independent of acquired knowledge It is necessary for all logical problem solving, especially scientific, mathematical and technical problem solving. Crystallized Intelligence the ability to use skills, knowledge, and experience one’s lifetime or intellectual achievement, as demonstrated largely through one's vocabulary and general knowledge

Cognitive Development Crystallized Intelligence: an individual’s accumulated information and verbal skills Continues to increase in middle adulthood Fluid Intelligence: the ability to reason abstractly May begin to decline in middle adulthood Some cognitive functions peak during middle adulthood, while others decline Depends on how studies are conducted Cross-sectional studies show more decline than longitudinal studies Starting in late middle age, more time is needed to learn new information Linked to changes in working memory (actively holds information in the mind to do verbal and nonverbal tasks) The Seattle Longitudinal Study: study of intellectual abilities in adulthood years Peak performance on vocabulary, verbal memory, inductive reasoning, and spatial orientation was attained in middle age Decline in numerical ability and perceptual speed Declines in memory, word fluency, and perceptual speed in middle adulthood were linked to neuropsychologists’ ratings of individuals’ cognitive impairment in late adulthood Extensive individual differences Speed of information processing declines moderately during middle adulthood Multiple potential causes Memory declines may occur exclusively during the later part of middle age or in late adulthood Memory decline is more likely to occur when individuals do not use effective memory strategies

Religion and Adult Lives More than 70% of middle-aged adults are religious and consider spirituality a major part of their lives Increase in spirituality tends to occur between late middle adulthood and late adulthood Women have consistently shown a stronger interest in religion than males Religious commitment helps to moderate blood pressure and hypertension and is associated with increased longevity

Socioemotional Development in Middle Adulthood

Stages of Adulthood How pervasive are midlife crises? Vaillant’s “Grant Study”: The 40’s are a decade of reassessing and recording the truth about the adolescent and adult years Only a minority of adults experience a midlife crisis (a time where adults come to realize their own mortality and how much time is left in their life) Reports of general well-being and life satisfaction tend to be high during mid-life Another study found that 26% of adults experienced a midlife crisis Most attributed this to negative life events rather than aging Adults often experience a peak of personal control and power during middle age Adults’ ability to master their environment, autonomy, and personal relations improve during middle age Adult developmental experts generally agree that midlife crises have been exaggerated In general, stage theories place too much emphasis on crises in development There is often considerable individual variation in the way people experience the stages Individual Variations: Stage theories do not adequately address individual variations in adult development Some individuals may experience a midlife crisis in some contexts of their lives but not others In 1/3 of cases where individuals report experiencing a midlife crisis, the crisis was triggered by life events such as job loss, financial problems, or illness

Stability and Change The Baltimore Study used the big five factors of personality to study 1,000 college-educated persons aged 20 to 96 starting from the 1950s and continuing today: Considerable stability in the five personality factors sociability and carefulness increased in early and middle adulthood Openness to experience increased in adolescence/early adulthood and then decreased in late adulthood

The big five factors of personality Openness to experience Appreciation for art, emotion, adventure, unusual ideas, curiosity, and variety of experience Eg: I have a rich vocabulary Conscientiousness A tendency to show self-discipline, act dutifully, and aim for achievement Eg: I am always prepared Extraversion Energy, positive emotions, assertiveness, sociability Eg: I feel comfortable around people.

The big five factors of personality Agreeableness A tendency to be compassionate and cooperative rather than suspicious and antagonistic towards others. Eg: I sympathize with others' feelings. Neuroticism The tendency to experience unpleasant emotions easily, such as anger, anxiety. Eg: I get irritated easily.

Stability and Change Berkeley Longitudinal Studies: more than 500 children and parents studied in the 1920s through midlife: No support that personality is characterized by changes or stability from adolescence to midlife Intellectual orientation, self-confidence, and openness to experience were the more stable traits Ability to nurture and self-control changed most

STABILITY AND CHANGE Vaillant’s Studies: conducted three longitudinal studies from the 1920s through today: Alcohol abuse and smoking at age 50 was the best predictor of death between ages 75 and 80 Factors at age 50 which are best predictors of “happy-well” between ages 75 and 80: Regular exercise and avoiding being overweight Well-educated and future oriented Having a stable marriage and good coping skills Being thankful, forgiving, and empathetic Being active with other people

Love and Marriage Romantic love is typically strong in early adulthood Affectionate love increases during middle adulthood Most married individuals are satisfied with their marriages during midlife Divorce in midlife can be less intense due to increased resources and narrowed child-rearing responsibilities However, emotional and time commitment to a long-lasting marriage is typically not given up easily Staying married because of the children is a common reason for waiting to get a divorce

The Empty Nest Empty Nest Syndrome: a decline in marital satisfaction after the children leave the home For most parents, marital satisfaction actually increases during the years after child rearing 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

Grandparenting Many adults become grandparents during middle age Grandmothers have more contact with grandchildren than grandfathers Three prominent meanings: Source of biological reward and link Source of emotional self-fulfillment Remote role The grandparent role and its functions vary among families, ethnic groups, and cultures

Grandparenting Three Grandparenting Styles: Fun-seeking style Distant-figure style Formal style An increasing number of U.S. grandchildren live with their grandparents 2.3 million in 1980; 6.1 million in 2005 Most common reasons are divorce, adolescent pregnancies, and parental drug use Tends to be more stressful for younger grandparents, when grandchildren have physical and psychological problems, and when there is low family structure Grandparents who take in grandchildren are in better health, are better educated, are more likely to be working outside the home, and are younger than grandparents who move in with their children Concern over grandparent visitation of children has become more common

Intergenerational Relationships Differences in gender: Mothers and daughters have closer relationships during their adult years than mothers and sons, fathers and daughters, and fathers and sons Married men are more involved with their wives’ families than with their own Middle-aged and older adults typically express a strong feeling of responsibility between generations in their family They share their experiences and transmit values to the younger generation Family members typically maintain considerable contact across generations When conflicts arise, parents most often cite habits and lifestyle choices, while adult children cite communication and interaction styles

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