Developmental Psychology Middle Adulthood
Developmental Psychology Middle Adulthood
Developmental Tasks
Losing parents/grief
Launching children
Adjusting to life without children
Dealing with adult children who return
Becoming grandparents
Preparing for late adulthood
Acting as caregivers
Physical Changes
Most experience good health
Risk of disability
Vision
Hearing
Joint Pain
Weight Gain
Impact of Lifestyle
Risks to health
Poor diet
Stress
Smoking tobacco
Drinking alcohol
Physical inactivity
Chronic disease
Preventative Measures
Challenging physical and mental activity
Weight-bearing exercise
Good nutrition
Social resources
Physical Changes: Climacteric (Menopause)
Loss of estrogen
The Mid 40s to Mid 50s
All complete this by 58
Change in the menstrual cycle
Other changes
No more reproduction
Cultural variation
Andropause?
Reproductive ability continues
Lowered testosterone levels due to stress/sexual inactivity
The climacteric and Sexual Expression
Climacteric affects reproduction in females
Physical intimacy is still important
Practicing safe sex is still important
Lifestyle Changes: Exercise
Exercise helps keep muscles strong
Reduces stress
Increases energy
Weight training promotes bone density
The Ideal Diet
Low in cholesterol (<300 mg per day) HDL/LDL should be 4 to 1
Low in sodium
High in fiber
Low in sugar/starch
Alcohol in moderation (1-2 servings per day)
Formal Operational Thought
Formal operational thought varies
Not achieved in all areas
Tied to experience
Tied to education
Increases and Decreases
Increases with age:
Tacit knowledge
Verbal memory
Spatial skills
Inductive reasoning
Wisdom? It depends
Decreases:
Working memory
Speed of process
Older Adult Students
Relevance not rote
Accuracy over speed
Minimize distractions
Harder to learn when fatigued
Learn better with a slower pace
The Expert Vs the Novice
Midlife is a time of gaining expertise
Experts and novices work differently
Experts: intuition
Experts: less conscious
Experts: are better at handling unusual situations
Psychosocial Development
A Look At Psychological Concerns and Relationships During Midlife
Levinson’s Theory
Does everyone have a “midlife crisis”?
Why do some people have them?
What does it look like?
How long does it last?
Why is it more extreme than the age 30 transition?
