MIDDLE ADULTHOOD

SARATH GOPI
MASWDS
 MIDDLE AGE
• Middle age is the longest span of life, period
which s characterised by age group in
between 40 to 60 years and is considered to
be very long period of an individual’ life span
as its spans more than 20 years.
• Middle age is considered as dreaded period,
the word indicates that next to old age, it is
the most dreaded period in the total life
span.
• Middle age is consider as period of transition.
There is a shift from one experience to
another experience and this transition is
different in men and women.
 SIGNS OF AGING
• Skin tone and texture, pigments change
• Hair colour
• Thicker nails
• Yellowing teeth
 LOSING YOUR SENSE
• VISION
- EARLY TO MID 40S
- GLASSES, ABILITY TO FOCUS.
- REACTING TO LIGHT /DARK CHANGES
HEARING
- 40S
- CERTAIN TONES 4$ PITCHES
-NOSE INDUCED
-REDUCE AMOUNT AND LEVEL TO PREVENT LOSS.
 Marital satisfaction?
 Career focus / satisfaction
 Career change
 Delaying a career
 Community focus
 Turing inward to review
 Launching children
 Adult children are friends
 Starting a family
 Grand parenthood
 Prioritizing life
 PSYSIOLOGIC CHANGES
▪ HEART RATE AVERAGES 70 PER MINUTE
▪ RESPIRATORY RATE AVERAGES 16 TO 20
BREATHS PER MINTUE
▪ SYSTOLIC BLOOD PRESSURE AVERAGES
120/80mmHg
▪ IN THE EARLY 40S , THE BODY IS STILL
FUNCTIONING AS EFFECTIVELY AS IT IN DID
IN 20S
• Near vision declines by the late forties.
• Taste sensation diminish
• Ability to hear high frequency sounds
decreases, particularly in men.
• Metabolism slows, making weight control
more difficult.
• CARDIOVASCULAR HEALTH BECOMES A
CONCERN
- BLOOD VESSALS LOSE ELASTICITY AND
BECOME THICKER
- CHOLESTROL LEVELS INCREASE
- CARDIAC OUTPUT DECREASES
• Hormonal changes occur both omen and men.
- in women, menopause occurs in the late 40s or
early 50s.
- in men, testosterone levels gradually decline and
sperm production decreases.
• Hair begins to thin and turn grey.
• Skin’s elasticity and moisture decreases
- wrinkling occurs
• Cancer often strikes in this age group.
 Cognitive changes
• Memory, perception, learning, problem
solving, and creativity change very little.
• Reaction time may diminish toward the later
part of middle adulthood.
• Experience and expertise allows them to
surpass younger workers in problem solving
ability.
 PSYCHOSOCIAL CHANGES
• Approach problems more as challenges than
threats.
• Typically the centre of the family, between
aging parents, adult children, and grand
children.
• some may be burdened by financial
commitments for them.
• Empty nest syndrome
- A feeling of sadness and loneliness
when one or more of the children leaves home.
 PSYCHOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENT
There is 3 theories about he psychological
development in middle adulthood.
• Erikson’s generativity v/s self absorption.
• Levin son’s seasons of a man’s life emphasizes
developmental tasks.
• Peck’s tasks of ego integrity
 ERIKSON’S 7TH STAGE GENERATIVITY V/S
STAGNATION
• THIS STAGE TOOK PLACE DURING MIDDLE
ADULTHOOD BETWEEN IN THE AGE OF
APPROXIMATELY 40 AND 65.
• STAGE OF DEVEOLPMENT.
• GENERATIVITY – ‘making your mark’
• STAGNATION- ‘The failure to find a way to
contribute’.
• YOUNG • DESTRUCTION
OLD CREATION

• MASCULINITY • ENGAGEMENT
FEMINITY SEPARATENENES
S
 Although Levinson ’s major interest focused on midlife
change , he described a number of stages and transitions
during the period from 17 to 65 age old.
 Levinson emphasizes that developmental tasks must be
mastered at each stage
 At the end of one’s teens ,a transition from dependence
to independence should occur , this transition is marked by
the formation of a dream-an image of the kind of life the
youth wants to have, especially in terms of a career and
marriage.
 Levinson sees the twenties as a novice phases of adult
development.it is a time of reasonably free
experimentation and of testing the dream in the real
world.in early adulthood , two major tasks to be mastered
are
 -exploring the possibilities for adult living and
 -developing a stable life structure
age Season descriptions
0-16 years Childhood $
adolescence
17-40 years Early Entering the adult world , becoming
adulthood independent in a way which links the
self and the adult world ; which concept
, together with ideas for the future is
called dream.
40-65 years Middle Settling down , consolidating goals,
adulthood commitments , etc. … evaluating the
dream so far
60 years+ Older Evaluating the pursuit and realization of
adulthood the dream, accepting reality
 EGO DIFFERNTIATION- finding other ways
apart from careers to affirm self- worth.

▪ BODY TRANSCENDENCE-Surmounting physical

limitations by emphasising the compensating
rewards of cognitive, emotional, and social
powers.
▪ EGO TRANSCENDENCE- Contemporaries die;
face reality of death constructively through
efforts to make life more secure, meaningful
and gratifying for younger generation.
 HE FOUND THAT PEOPLE IN THEIR FIFITIES
BECAME KEEPERS OF MEANING AND GUARDIANS OF
THEIR CULTURE.
 Men in particular believed to pause , review ,
achievements take stock of what have not
accomplished and potentially take drastic
measures to fulfil their dreams[theory]
 Strict or moderate definition of midlife crisis
not founded on empirical grounds
 Lenient conceptualization of social
expectations and personal goals.
 Personality change during adulthood?
 Mean level changes of conscientiousness ,
agreeableness, neuroticism, openness , and
extraversion
 The big five traits
 The 5 factor theory is these personality
traits are set like plaster by age 30
 Launching children
 Adult children who do not launch

 Redefining relationships with children

 Renegotiating relationships with spouses,
family members and friends
 Acceptance of one’s morality
 Change in self perception
 Increased self reliance
 More responsive to others
Self reflection
Well being
Concept of service
Forgiveness
Higher power
Spirituality in work
Concept of morality
Legacy
 Middle adulthood or midlife refers to the period
of the life span between young adulthood and
old age. This period lasts from 20 to 40 years
depending on how these stages , ages , and tasks
are culturally defined.
 Central tasks during middle adult hood can
include maintaining healthy life patterns ,
raising children or in some way helping future
generations, being proud of one’s
accomplishments , or taking care of aging
parents.
 middle adulthood is a critical period of the life
course . how we develop in middle age the
central period of our lives can influence how
well we cope in our later years.
 MIDDLEADULTHOOD: A LIFESPAN
PERSPECTIVE- SHERRY L. WILLIS, MIKE
MARTIN.
 DEVELOPMENTAL PSYCHOLOGY – JAFER
MAHMUD