Chapter 8: Middle Adulthood

Chapter Summary
As you read this chapter, take note of these central ideas:
1. Increased life expectancy and a post-World War II baby boom in the United States
and other industrial countries are leading to a trend of mass longevity and a
large cohort of adults in midlife; very recently, this trend has led to an intense
research interest in middle adulthood.
2. Theories about middle adulthood propose that midlife adults are deeply involved
in care and concern for the generations to come and that midlife is a time when
individuals attempt to find balance in opposing aspects of their lives.
3. Most biological systems reach their peak in the mid-20s, and gradual declines
begin after that; by age 50, biological change becomes physically noticeable in
most people, particularly changes in physical appearance, mobility, the
reproductive system, and in vulnerability to chronic disease.
4. Middle adulthood is the period of peak performance of four mental abilities:
inductive reasoning, spatial orientation, vocabulary, and verbal memory.
Perceptual speed and numerical ability decline in middle adulthood.
5. There is good evidence of both stability and change in personality in middle
adulthood; one often-noted personality change during middle adulthood is a
gender-role expansion.
6. Theory and research suggest that humans have the potential for continuous
spiritual growth across the life course, with midlife adults having the capacity to
recognize many truths and become more oriented to service to others.
7. The most central roles in middle adulthood are related to family and paid work.