1.  Middle Adulthood Adapted from Arnett’s Human Development: A Cultural Approach, 1 st Edition  What changes do people undergo during middle adulthood?  What are the “good things” that are associated with middle age?  What is generativity?  What is a major risk associated with the sandwich generation?

2. Information Processing in Middle Adulthood Speed, 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

3. Fluid and Crystallized Intelligence  Two kinds of intelligence  Fluid intelligence—information processing, discerning relations and processing speed  Crystallized intelligence—accumulation of knowledge  Fluid intelligence rises and declines  _____________________________  Not a large decline in memory tasks

4. The Peak of Expertise  _____________________________  Experience important  Allows for efficient processing of information  Leads to automaticity  A form of crystallized intelligence

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

6. Gender Issues in Midlife  Midlife sees a decline in restrictive gender roles  India—Middle 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

7. More Gender 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

8. Empty Nesters and “Boomerang” Children  Mid-life parents have young adult or emerging adulthood children  Unmarried adult children at home tend to be welcomed—Southern Europe and Japan  Adult children leaving the home is both sad and happy time—Northern Europe, U.S., UK  Returning home positive if there are goals  Parents still provide financial support

9. Grandparenting  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

10. Generativity  Erikson’s theory—Generativity versus Stagnation  Generativity is the motivation to contribute to the well-being of future generations  Parenting, mentorship, tutoring

11. The Midlife Crisis (Myth?)  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

12. Personality  Personality largely remains stable by some measurements  Some changes may occur throughout the lifespan