TAMU PSYC 307 - Middle Adulthood
Type Lecture Slides
Pages 19

Unformatted text preview:

Middle Adulthood M I C H A L E S F E R R A T E X A S A & M U N I V E R S I T Y 4 / 9 / 2 0 2 1Physical Changes (continued) Fertility declines in men and women during midlife  Transition is referred to as climacteric Changes in Sexual Function Women  Menopause in late forties / early fifties (i.e., menstrual periods cease)  Perimenopause transitional period (~10 years) from normal menstrual periods to no menstrual periods at all  Dramatic decline in production of estrogen by the ovaries  Can be accompanied by depression, headaches, moodiness, “hot flashes”, nausea, fatigue  Not the highly negative experience it is stereotyped to be  Few women have significant severe physical or psychological problems  Loss of fertility and the “biological clock” Women Men  Do not experience a “menopause equivalent” in that do not completely lose their fertility in middle age  Modest decline in sexual hormone levels and sexual activity in 50s / 60s  Decline in hormones / sperm over time, but not as dramatic as women  Erectile dysfunction (ED) becomes more common as men age  8% 20-29 / 11% 30-39 / 50% 40-70s / 75% over 70  Risk factors related to age: Diabetes, obesity, hypertension, atherosclerosis, lowering testosterone levels  Other risk factors: Depression, anxiety, lack of exercise, smoking  Many risk factors tied to functioning of circulatory system Men Biological ability still largely intact  Sexual activity does begin to decline Sexual Behavior 32 29 36 Frequency of sexual intercourse  Emerging adults: 47% having sex twice a week or more  50-59 years: 23% sex twice a week or more for men / 14% for women  Largely tied to living with a spouse or romantic partner  Especially true as we age  Sex within past 6 months for women in late 50s  88% active with a partner, 37% active without a partner Sexual BehaviorLifestyle Changes“All the world’s a stage, and all the men and women merely players; they have their exits and their entrances; and one man in his time plays many parts.” - William Shakespeare Quote One method for examining human development is by looking at age-related stages  Largely what we have been doing  Second major method is to focus on life events  Person’s development viewed in context of major life events  Graduating, marriage, divorce, birth of child, accident, etc.  Focus of the Contemporary Life-Events Approach Tracking Human DevelopmentContemporary Life-Events Approach Criticisms of approach:  Focuses too much on how much we change over time  Middle adulthood is largely a time of stability in many ways  Does not account for daily stressors and hassles (which have larger effect on us over time) Contemporary Life-Events Approach Midlife is not a crisis for most people  Sensationalized by media  Similar points to adolescent turmoil  Realities:  High point of many cognitive skills  Height of career  Happiness and positive affect increases over lifetime  26% experience midlife crisis, and most attribute it to life events rather than based on aging alone The “Midlife Crisis” Many emerging adults who move out on their own think their parents might suffer from their absence  “Empty Nest Syndrome” and missing adult child upon moving out  Although true for some parents, opposite is true for most parents  Majority report many improvements in their quality of life  Parents report:  Increases in marital satisfaction and quality of time spent together  Improved relationship with adult children  More time to focus on self (e.g., hobbies, career goals) Empty Nest Faced with death more often (e.g., parents)  Questioning life and its meaning  Meaning motivates us to continue living  Tied to greater psychological wellbeing and health  Meaning can be derived from many sources (e.g., family, career, community, religion, etc.)  Meaning in life often tied to major needs  Let’s look at four main areas of needs for meaning… Meaning in Life Need for purpose. Choosing goals, working for, and fulfilling those goals.  Need for values. Judging of acts and behaviors as right or wrong for an individual’s life. Wishing to live a “good life”  Need for sense of self-efficacy. Belief that one can make a difference. Some feeling of control over their life.  Need for self-worth. Desire to be a “good, worthy person” Need for Meaning Middle-age is a peak in career (position + earnings)  Also many financial burdens  Staying in the workforce:  80% of 45-to-54 year-olds  64% of 55-to-64 year-olds  50% of 65 and older Work in Midlife Job performance peaks in some ways during middle age  Increased motivation, work experience  Time of reflection  Do I want to do this for the rest of my life? Type of work / lifestyle?  What changes do I need to make? Education? New career path? Work in Midlife Major conflict is Generativity vs. Stagnation  Start to become more concerned with own mortality  What will happen when I die?  Generativity: Desire to leave a legacy of themselves for the next generation. In essence, live on through others.  Stagnation: Has done nothing for next generation.  Accomplished through many avenues  Connecting to the next generation  Having children / parenting  Teaching  Contributing to society / the community Erikson’s Stages in Middle


View Full Document

TAMU PSYC 307 - Middle Adulthood

Type: Lecture Slides
Pages: 19
Documents in this Course
2.12_b w

2.12_b w

11 pages

4.10_b w

4.10_b w

10 pages

1.31_b w

1.31_b w

19 pages

1.24_b w

1.24_b w

22 pages

3.31_b w

3.31_b w

10 pages

3.18_b w

3.18_b w

12 pages

2.3_b w

2.3_b w

15 pages

3.25_b w

3.25_b w

11 pages

1.15_b w

1.15_b w

11 pages

4.1_b w

4.1_b w

6 pages

4.24_b w

4.24_b w

10 pages

1.22_b w

1.22_b w

17 pages

Load more
Download Middle Adulthood
Our administrator received your request to download this document. We will send you the file to your email shortly.
Loading Unlocking...
Login

Join to view Middle Adulthood and access 3M+ class-specific study document.

or
We will never post anything without your permission.
Don't have an account?
Sign Up

Join to view Middle Adulthood 2 2 and access 3M+ class-specific study document.

or

By creating an account you agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms Of Use

Already a member?