MIDDLE

ADULTHOOD
 A
Agenda
Introduction to Middle Adulthood

Theory of Robert J. Havighurst

Physical Development

Cognitive Development

Socioemotional Development

Erik Erikson’s Theory

Levinson’s Theory
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 Introduction
Middle Adulthood, also referred to as midlife, is the period of life that
occurs between early adulthood and late adulthood.
Most common range between 40 – 65.
Important Event: Parenting
This stage demonstrates both developmental gains and losses
Significant social agents are the spouse, children, and cultural norms.

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THEORY OF ROBERT J. HAVIGHURST’S
 THEORY OF ROBERT J. HAVIGHURST’S

Middle age lasts from age 40 to age 60 and is the time when most people
start a family and settle into their adult lives.

 Maintain a standard of living

 Perform civic and social responsibilities
 Maintain a relationship with spouse
 Adjust to psychological changes

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PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT IN MIDDLE
ADULTHOOD
 During this time, people experience many physical changes that signal
that the person is aging, including gray hair, hair loss, wrinkles, age spots,
vision loss, hearing loss, and weight gain.
 Most midlife adult experience a good life
 Their risk of chronic disease is relatively low
 During midlife, women go through a climacteric or menopause
 Men in the other hand do not lose their reproductive ability although
the sperm count can be lower with age and testosterone levels may
due to stress and a sexual inactivity.

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COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT IN
MIDDLE ADULTHOOD
 The brain, in midlife, has been shown to not only maintain many of the abilities of young adults
but also gain new ones. Some individuals in middle age actually have improved cognitive
functioning. (Phillips, 2011)
 Formal operation thought by Jean Piaget
 Formal operation thought is the ability to think abstractly about an area. This ability is going
to be found in areas in which they have a lot of experience and education.
 Increase in tacit knowledge
 Tacit knowledge is the kind of understanding that really can’t be taught. It’s acquired through
experience
 Verbal memory increase with age
 Spatial skills and inductive reasoning
 While working memory and the speed of processing decrease with age
 Midlife is sometimes considered to be a time of gaining expertise

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 SOCIOEMOTIONAL
DEVELOPMENT IN MIDDLE
ADULTHOOD
  Middle ages brain is:
calmer
less neurotic

M
more capable of managing emotions
better to be able to negotiate social situations
remember images than those younger ones

Middle Adulthood people are:

• Better in financial decisions
• Show better in economic understanding

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 ERIK ERIKSON’S THEORY
Conflict: Generativity vs. Stagnation
According to Erikson, “ A person does best at
this time to put aside thoughts of death and
balance its certainty with the only happiness
that is lasting: to increase, by whatever is
yours to give, the goodwill and higher-order
in your sector of the world”.
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LEVINSON’S THEORY
Stages of Midlife Development
 Midlife transition (40-45)
 Age 50 transition(50-55)
 Midlife Crisis
- Midlife crisis involves changing
things in order to get back on course
with the way one wanted life to be
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 CONCLUSION

• Neugarten (1968)
• In midlife, people no longer think of their lives in terms of how long they
haved lived. Rather, life is thought of in terms of how many years are left.

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 MEMBERS:

 Mary Clear Micutuan

 Jean Gulfo
Thank you
 Racquel Bongcac

 Jamaica Macua

 Charren Saga Sarayan