Psychosocial Development in Middle Adulthood Chapter 16 2009

Psychosocial Development in Middle Adulthood Chapter 16 © 2009 by the Mc. Graw-Hill Companies, Inc 1

Guideposts for Study l l How do developmental scientists approach the study of psychosocial development in middle adulthood? What do theorists have to say about psychosocial change in middle age? What issues concerning the self come to the fore during middle adulthood? What role do social relationships play in the lives of middle-aged people? © 2009 by the Mc. Graw-Hill Companies, Inc 2

Guideposts for Study l l l How do marriages, cohabitations, and gay and lesbian relationships fare during the middle years, and how common is divorce at this time of life? How do friendships change during middle age? How do parent-child relationships change as children approach and reach adulthood? How do middle-aged people get along with parents and siblings? How has grandparenthood changed, and what roles do grandparents play? © 2009 by the Mc. Graw-Hill Companies, Inc 3

Normative Stage Models: Carl Jung l l First to theorize about adult development Healthy midlife includes individuation – – l Munculnya jati diri melalui keseimbangan antara seluruh kepribadian. melalui balancing atau integrasi bagian yang saling bertentangan dari kepribadian Two difficult but necessary tasks of middle age – – Giving up image of youth Menyadari kematian © 2009 by the Mc. Graw-Hill Companies, Inc 4

Erikson: Generativity v. Stagnation l Generativity – – l Concern for guiding the next generation Virtue of ‘care’ Stagnation – Orang yg gagal dalam generativity akan stagnan © 2009 by the Mc. Graw-Hill Companies, Inc 5

Forms of Generativity l l Teaching and mentorship Parenting and grandparenting Productivity or creativity “Self generation” or self-development © 2009 by the Mc. Graw-Hill Companies, Inc 6

Interiority: Men in Middle Life Vaillant and Levinson studies l An introspective tendency at midlife – interiority l Restrukturisasi kehidupan – mempertahankan hubungan l © 2009 by the Mc. Graw-Hill Companies, Inc 7

Box 16. 1 A Society Without Middle Age l l Gusii in southwestern Kenya No words for “adolescent, ” “young adult, ” or “middle aged” Transitions depend on life events “Social clock” set of expectations © 2009 by the Mc. Graw-Hill Companies, Inc 8

Timing of Events Model: The Social Clock l l Personality development lebih tergantung pd peristiwa yg penting dlm hidup dibandingkan dg usia Lifestyle skrg ini lebih beragam dan social clock semakin “cair” © 2009 by the Mc. Graw-Hill Companies, Inc 9

The Midlife Crisis l Stressful crisis of identity – l Second andolescent Triggered by – – Review of one’s life Awareness of mortality © 2009 by the Mc. Graw-Hill Companies, Inc 10

Do People Really Have Midlife Crises? l Occurrence is rare – – Some suffer turmoil (kekacauan), others feel at their peak Least likely among those with ‘ego resiliency’ l Able to adapt to stress l Have a sense of mastery and control l Midlife is just one of many transitions – – Middle age may be stressful But no more than other stages of life 11 © 2009 by the Mc. Graw-Hill Companies, Inc

Turning Points © 2009 by the Mc. Graw-Hill Companies, Inc 12

Turning Points Psychological transitions that involve significant change in person’s life l Involves introspective review and reappraisal of values l May bring developmental deadlines l – Kendala waktu pada peristiwa kehidupan © 2009 by the Mc. Graw-Hill Companies, Inc 13

Whitbourne: Identity Process Model l Schema that individuals use to interpret their experiences Model accounts for stability and change Perceptions continually revised and updated with new information through two processes: – – Identity assimilation Identity accommodation © 2009 by the Mc. Graw-Hill Companies, Inc 14

Equilibrium and Identity Style l l l Assimilative Identity – effort to fit new experience into an existing self-concept Accommodative Identity – adjusting the self-concept to fit new experience Balanced Identity – tendency to balance assimilation and accomodation © 2009 by the Mc. Graw-Hill Companies, Inc 15

Identity and Middle Age l Life-course perspective: – l Generativity (aspek pembentukan identitas) is affected by social roles and their timing Reaching generativity by middle age tends to lead to psychological health © 2009 by the Mc. Graw-Hill Companies, Inc 16

Narrative Psychology: Identity is a Story l l Narrative psy memandang perkembangan diri sebagai proses terus-menerus dlm membangun kisah hidup sso Identity is an internalized ‘script’ – l A dramatic narrative to make sense of one’s life Development is a continuous process – Adding to the story © 2009 by the Mc. Graw-Hill Companies, Inc 17

Men’s Gender Identity l l Gender crossover In middle age, many men become more interested in: – – – l Expression of feelings Intimate relationships Nurturing Traits traditionally labeled as feminine © 2009 by the Mc. Graw-Hill Companies, Inc 18

Women’s Gender Identity l In middle age, many women become more : – – – l Assertive Self-confident Achievement-oriented Characteristics traditionally labeled as masculine © 2009 by the Mc. Graw-Hill Companies, Inc 19

Emotionality in Midlife l Decline of negative emotions – – l Anger Fear In late adulthood, both men and women mengalami lonjakan emosi yg positif – Although women slightly more negative at all ages © 2009 by the Mc. Graw-Hill Companies, Inc 20

Life Satisfaction: Coping and Adapting l l l Kebanyakan orang melaporkan telah puas dengan kehidupan Positive emotions from pleasant memories tend to persist Negative emotions from unpleasant memories tend to fade © 2009 by the Mc. Graw-Hill Companies, Inc 21

Factors that Influence Happiness l Social Support – – Friends Spouse Being extraverted and conscientious l Quality of work and leisure l Feeling grateful or thankful l © 2009 by the Mc. Graw-Hill Companies, Inc 22

Ryff’s Dimensions of Well-Being Self-acceptance l Positive relations with others l Autonomy l Environmental mastery l Purpose in life l Personal growth l © 2009 by the Mc. Graw-Hill Companies, Inc 23

Social Well-Being The quality of a person’s self-reported relationships with other people: l l Neighborhood Community © 2009 by the Mc. Graw-Hill Companies, Inc 24

Five Dimensions of Social Well-Being Social Keyakinan bahwa masyarakat Actualization secara positif dapat berkembang Social Coherence Social Integration Social Acceptance Social Contribution Melihat dunia sbg sesuatu yg dapat diprediksi dan logis Feeling part of a community Memiliki sikap positif terhadap orang lain Percaya bahwa sso memiliki kontribusi dlm masyarakat © 2009 by the Mc. Graw-Hill Companies, Inc 25

Generativity and Well-Being l The best adjusted people are generally the most generative – – – Leaders in organizations and communities Responsible for others at work and with family Generous with charities © 2009 by the Mc. Graw-Hill Companies, Inc 26

Theories of Social Contact: Social Convoy Theory Sso dlm melalui hidup bergerak dikelilingi oleh konvoi social Lingkaran teman-teman dekat dan anggota keluarga, pada siapa mereka bergantung untuk memperoleh bantuan In return, they offer care, support and concern © 2009 by the Mc. Graw-Hill Companies, Inc 27

Theories of Social Contact: Socioemotional Selectivity Theory Sso memilih kontak sosial atas dasar perubahan kepentingan relatif dari interaksi sosial sebagai sumber informasi, sebagai bantuan dalam mengembangkan dan mempertahankan konsep diri, dan sebagai sumber kesejahteraan emosional Social interaction has 3 main goals: 1. Sumber informasi 2. Membantu mengembangkan kesadaran diri 3. Sumber kenyamanan atau kesejahteraan © 2009 by the Mc. Graw-Hill Companies, Inc 28

Life-Span Motives for Social Contact © 2009 by the Mc. Graw-Hill Companies, Inc 29

Marriage l Couples tend to be more satisfied at 35 -44 years of marriage than during first four © 2009 by the Mc. Graw-Hill Companies, Inc 30

Benefits of Marriage l l l Social support Easier to accumulate wealth Better physical and mental health – – Encouragement of healthy behaviors Being single is hardest on midlife men © 2009 by the Mc. Graw-Hill Companies, Inc 31

Cohabitation and Mental Health l l l Men: More depressed than married counterparts Women: No differences in mental health from married counterparts Why the gender difference? – – Women may want intimacy without obligation of caring for a husband Men may benefit from the kind of care wives traditionally provide © 2009 by the Mc. Graw-Hill Companies, Inc 32

Marital Capital Financial and emotional benefits of marriage – – – Becomes difficult to give up Makes long-standing marriages less likely to break up Middle-aged women tend to lose the most marital capital if they divorce © 2009 by the Mc. Graw-Hill Companies, Inc 33

Gay and Lesbian Relationships in Midlife l Middle-aged gays and lesbians grew up when homosexuality was considered mental illness – – l Issues surrounding identity more complicated than for younger counterparts Many may be openly gay for first time in their lives Gay couples do better and are stronger if they have social support or “fictive kin” © 2009 by the Mc. Graw-Hill Companies, Inc 34

Friendships in Midlife l l Social networks are smaller and more intimate Friendships are an especially strong source of support for women Quality of time makes up for lack of quantity of time spent with friends Conflicts tend to center around values, beliefs and lifestyles © 2009 by the Mc. Graw-Hill Companies, Inc 35

Relationships with Mature Children Today, middle age parents have to deal with: l Adult children still living at home l Adult children returning to live at home l Concern over “How did my child turn out? ” © 2009 by the Mc. Graw-Hill Companies, Inc 36

Middle-Aged Parents with Adolescent Children l l Teens usually have middle-aged parents For parents, this period is usually a time of: – – Questioning penilaian kembali Berkurangnya kesejahteraan Mix of positive and negative emotions © 2009 by the Mc. Graw-Hill Companies, Inc 37

The Empty Nest A transition period when the youngest child leaves home l Women heavily invested in mothering typically find this transition difficult l Most women find the transition liberating Relief from the “chronic emergencies” of parenthood © 2009 by the Mc. Graw-Hill Companies, Inc 38

Empty Nest and Marital Satisfaction Good marriages Empty nest may start a ‘second honeymoon’ phase Shaky marriages May stress marriage, lead to divorce © 2009 by the Mc. Graw-Hill Companies, Inc 39

Parenting Grown Children l l l Parents tend to give more support as the children are establishing careers and families. Some parents have troubles treating the children as adults. Most conflicts at this stage can be solved with open airing of feelings. © 2009 by the Mc. Graw-Hill Companies, Inc 40

The Cluttered Nest l Also called – – l l Revolving door syndrome Boomerang phenomenon Has become more common as more adults return home Most likely to return: – – – Men Single Divorced or separated (end) © 2009 by the Mc. Graw-Hill Companies, Inc 41

Aging Parents: Contact and Mutual Help l Most middle-aged adults have affectionate relationships with their parents – l A life stage of ‘filial maturity’ – l Frequent contact and mutual help is typical Middle-aged children accepting and meeting their parents’ dependency needs A healthy outcome of ‘filial crisis’ – Middle-aged adults balancing love and duty for their parents © 2009 by the Mc. Graw-Hill Companies, Inc 42

Caring for Aging Parents l l When older people become infirm, it can strain the relationship Many elders receive long-term care in the home of the caregiver Typically, a daughter takes caregiver role © 2009 by the Mc. Graw-Hill Companies, Inc 43

Strains of Caring for Parents l Caregiving is a physical, mental and financial burden – l Stressful caring for physical ailments, as well as mental ailments, like dementia – l Sandwich generation - caring for both elderly parents and own children Caring for demented parent can be agonizingly isolating Well-being is likely to suffer – Caregiver burnout © 2009 by the Mc. Graw-Hill Companies, Inc 44

Relationships with Siblings l Often takes the form of an hourglass – – l Most contact is at the two ends – childhood and late adulthood Although some studies show decrease in contact throughout adulthood Caring for aging parents can bring siblings closer or cause resentment © 2009 by the Mc. Graw-Hill Companies, Inc 45

Grandparenthood l l Grandparenting often begins before the end of active parenting Average grandparent: – – – Starts at age 45 Has 6 grandchildren Still has living parents © 2009 by the Mc. Graw-Hill Companies, Inc 46

The Grandparents’ Role l l 68% see at least one grandchild every 2 weeks Grandmothers tend to be ‘kinkeepers’ – – l l Keep in touch with the grandchildren Have warmer relationships than grandfathers Grandparents are the nation’s primary childcare providers Many spend money on educational needs of grandchildren © 2009 by the Mc. Graw-Hill Companies, Inc 47

Common Activities with Grandchildren Having dinner together l Watching TV l Going shopping l Reading together l Exercise and sports l © 2009 by the Mc. Graw-Hill Companies, Inc 48

Grandparenting after Parental Divorce or Remarriage After grandchildren’s parents divorce: l l Maternal grandparents: tend to have more contact with grandchildren Paternal grandparents: Remarriage of mother further decreases chances for contact © 2009 by the Mc. Graw-Hill Companies, Inc 49

Raising Grandchildren: Skip-Generation Families l l Many grandparents are sole caregivers of grandchildren Parents unable to care for children due to: – – – Teenage pregnancy Substance abuse Illness Divorce Death Kinship care © 2009 by the Mc. Graw-Hill Companies, Inc 50

Effects of ‘Parenting by Default’ Unplanned surrogate parenting is draining: l l Physically Emotionally – – l Generation gap can be larger than between parents and children Unclear legal rights may cause complications Financially – Many have to abandon leisure and retirement pursuits © 2009 by the Mc. Graw-Hill Companies, Inc 51