PSY 213 1st edition Lecture 25 Outline of Last Lecture I Challenges in Marriage Parenting and Divorce II Gender Communication and Relationships III The Nature of Middle Adulthood IV Physical Development V Cognitive Development Outline of Current Lecture I Cognitive Development II Careers Work and Leisure III Religion and Meaning in Life IV Personality Theories and Development Current Lecture I Cognitive Development Information processing a Speed of information processing i Reaction time task decreases with age b Memory i Verbal memory declines during middle adulthood ii Linked to changes in working memory and ineffective memory strategies 1 Working memory mental workbench where individuals manipulate and assemble information when making decisions solving problems and comprehending written and spoken language These notes represent a detailed interpretation of the professor s lecture GradeBuddy is best used as a supplement to your own notes not as a substitute 2 Memory declines more who don t use effective strategies c Expertise i Rely on accumulated experience ii Process information automatically and analyze it more efficiently iii Have better strategies and shortcuts to solving problems iv Are more creative and flexible in solving problems II Careers Work and Leisure Work in midlife a The role of work is central during middle age b A time of evaluation assessment and reflection about work c Responsibility is much greater Career challenges and changes d Challenges i Globalization of work ii Rapid developments in information technologies iii Downsizing of organizations iv Early retirement v Concerns about pensions and health care e Changes i Self motivated ii Consequence of losing one s job Leisure f Pleasant times after work i When individuals are free to pursue activities and interests of their own choosing g Changes may produce expanded opportunities for leisure h People who don t engage in leisure time report more health problems III Religion and Meaning in Life Religion and adult lives a Important to consider the role of individual differences b A powerful influence in some adults lives i Whereas it plays little or no role in others lives c Research suggests i More than 70 report spirituality is a significant part of life ii Significant increase in spirituality between late middle and late adulthood iii Females more than males participated in organized and personal forms of religion Religion and health d Some cults and religious sects encourage behaviors that are damaging to health e Researchers increasingly finding positive links between religion and physical f Reasons why religion promotes health i Lifestyle issues ii Social networks iii Coping with stress People who have some sort of belief are healthier live longer and report better psychological wellbeing Meaning in life a Emphasized each person s uniqueness and the finiteness of life b According to Frankl the three most distinct human qualities are i Spirituality ii Freedom iii Responsibility IV Personality Theories and Development Adult stage theories a Erikson s stage of generativity versus stagnation i Generativity adults desire to leave legacies of themselves to the next generation 1 Example children parenting Work Being a mentor ii Stagnation develops when individuals sense that they have done nothing for the next generation Self absorbed Complain a lot Bitter Negative psycho social consequence 1 Generativity can be developed in a number of ways 2 Biological generativity 3 Parental generativity 4 Work generativity 5 Cultural generativity Adult stage theories b Levinson s seasons of a man s life i Teens Transition from dependence to independence ii 20s are a novice phase of adult development iii 30s are a time for focusing on family and career development iv By the 40s man has a stable career and now must look forward to the kind of life he will lead as a middle aged adult c Transition to middle adulthood lasts conflicts i Being young vs being old ii Being destructive vs being constructive iii Being masculine vs being feminine iv Being attached to others vs being separated from them d How pervasive are midlife crises i The 40s are a decade of reassessing and recording the truth about the adolescent and adult years ii Only a minority of adults experience a midlife crisis iii People who experience this are often off on the cultural time clock The life events approach e Contemporary life events approach How life events influence the individual s development depends on i Life event itself ii Mediating factors health educated iii Individual s adaptation to the life event iv Life stage context v Sociohistorical context