PSY 213 1st edition Lecture 25Outline of Last Lecture I. Challenges in Marriage, Parenting, and DivorceII. Gender, Communication, and RelationshipsIII. The Nature of Middle AdulthoodIV. Physical DevelopmentV. Cognitive DevelopmentOutline of Current Lecture I. Cognitive DevelopmentII. Careers, Work, and LeisureIII. Religion and Meaning in LifeIV. Personality Theories and DevelopmentCurrent LectureI. Cognitive DevelopmentInformation processinga. Speed of information processingi. Reaction-time task decreases with age b. Memoryi. Verbal memory declines during middle adulthood ii. Linked to changes in working memory and ineffective memory strategies1. 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 strategiesc. Expertisei. Rely on accumulated experienceii. Process information automatically and analyze it more efficientlyiii. Have better strategies and shortcuts to solving problemsiv. Are more creative and flexible in solving problemsII. Careers, Work, and LeisureWork in midlifea. The role of work is central during middle ageb. A time of evaluation, assessment, and reflection about workc. Responsibility is much greaterCareer challenges and changesd. Challengesi. Globalization of workii. Rapid developments in information technologiesiii. Downsizing of organizationsiv. Early retirementv. Concerns about pensions and health caree. Changesi. Self-motivatedii. Consequence of losing one’s jobLeisuref. Pleasant times after worki. When individuals are free to pursue activities and interests of their own choosingg. Changes may produce expanded opportunities for leisureh. People who don’t engage in leisure time report more health problemsIII. Religion and Meaning in LifeReligion and adult livesa. Important to consider the role of individual differences b. A powerful influence in some adults’ livesi. Whereas it plays little or no role in others’ livesc. Research suggests:i. More than 70% report spirituality is a significant part of lifeii. Significant increase in spirituality between late middle and late adulthoodiii. Females more than males participated in organized and personal forms of religion Religion and healthd. Some cults and religious sects encourage behaviors that are damaging to health e. Researchers increasingly finding positive links between religion and physicalf. Reasons why religion promotes health:i. Lifestyle issuesii. Social networksiii. Coping with stressPeople who have some sort of belief are healthier, live longer, and report better psychological wellbeing!!!Meaning in lifea. Emphasized each person’s uniqueness and the finiteness of lifeb. According to Frankl, the three most distinct human qualities are:i. Spiritualityii. Freedomiii. ResponsibilityIV. Personality Theories and DevelopmentAdult stage theoriesa. Erikson’s stage of generativity versus stagnationi. Generativity: adults desire to leave legacies of themselves to the next generation1. 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 socialconsequence 1. Generativity can be developed in a number of ways2. Biological generativity3. Parental generativity4. Work generativity5. Cultural generativityAdult stage theoriesb. Levinson’s seasons of a man’s lifei. Teens – Transition from dependence to independenceii. 20s are a novice phase of adult developmentiii. 30s are a time for focusing on family and career developmentiv. 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 adultc. Transition to middle adulthood lasts – conflictsi. Being young vs. being oldii. Being destructive vs. being constructiveiii. Being masculine vs. being feminineiv. Being attached to others vs. being separated from themd. How pervasive are midlife crises? i. The 40s are a decade of reassessing and recording the truth about the adolescent and adult yearsii. Only a minority of adults experience a midlife crisisiii. People who experience this are often off on the cultural time clock The life-events approache. Contemporary life-events approach: How life events influence the individual’s development depends on:i. Life event itselfii. Mediating factors: health, educated iii. Individual’s adaptation to the life eventiv. Life-stage contextv. Sociohistorical