AdulthoodChapter 12

Young AdulthoodCharacteristics & Goals:

◦20-40◦Physical peak in 20’s◦20’s & 30’s faster, stronger, better coordinated,

more endurance than have ever had or will ever again ????

◦Height of cognitive power◦Desire to try new ways of doing things & changing

relationships with parents Early 20’s assume if live like parents if want to succeed,

parents will rescue them if fail Time passes, become independent, take responsibility for

self and decisions they make Becoming independent from parental authority is key goal

of development for most YA men Women less concerned with seeing themselves as separate,

independent individuals, creating relationships with others

Young AdulthoodTasks according to Erikson:

◦Exploring adult roles◦Becoming independent◦Developing intimate relationships◦Adjusting to living with another person◦Starting a family & becoming a parent◦Assuming the responsibilities of managing a

home◦Beginning a new career or job◦Assuming some responsibilities in larger

community◦Creating social network of friends & co-

workers

Young Adulthood◦Reassessment:

in 20’s many think need to chose course exactly right for them

In 30’s many reevaluate decisions and change course, “age 30 transition”

Can bring many life changes, new jobs, careers, time to find a mate, time to work outside of home, start a family

Women more likely to reassess in 30’s, childbearing years, controlled by others no chance to shape own life, overwhelmed by duties of family & jobs, working women mixed feelings about success on job (sacrifice family or job, more acceptable for men to work long hours)

◦Settling Down: Mid to late 30’s characterized by planting roots Increase financial & emotional investments make in life Many have promotions & raises, more focused on

advancing careers & gaining stability in personal life

Young AdulthoodMarriage & Relationships:

◦ Development of Identity: who you are and what you stand for, values personal stability that is needed to form lasing relationships

◦ Can be difficult to sustain when 1 or both lack stability◦ Those with sense of own ID during adolescence may

be ready to join lives with those of others in friendships & marriage

◦ Erikson believed those who don’t develop intimate relationships risk falling into pattern of isolation & loneliness Intimate relationships don’t have to be physical, but trusting,

close friendship with another in which can be honest w/o fear of rejection

75-80% get married at least once, many delay to pursue education & career goals now Median age risen in past 30 years to 23-27 for men and 21-25 for

women

Young Adulthood◦History of Marriage:

Patriarchy: men traditionally play dominant role in marriage Changed over time & today many consider it to be fairly equal

Today still changing Many traditional man breadwinner, woman at home Others share or reverse role, stay at home dads Others single/divorced responsible for both/all roles

US marry for love, common since 1800’s, before that arranged marriages by parents to benefit 2 families Transfer wealth from 1 family to another, generation to

generation Provide stable home life & children Political strength

Today companionship & intimacy central goals in most marriages Feeling of security Opportunity to share experiences & ideas with someone special About 86% of US still see marriage as permanent

Young Adulthood◦Choosing Spouses:

We chose our spouses, but parents do have some degree of influence

Consider ethnicity, level of education, social class, and religion, usually similar to themselves

Only about 4% of US marriages About 90%+are same religion Similarity in attitudes & tastes in key contributor to

attraction & intimate relationships Tend to able close to age, meet in school and marry in

early adulthood Most men ten to be about 2-5 years older than women People who marry later in life or remarry after behind divorced or

widowed are less likely to select partners close in age Marriages between similar people has greater chance at

survival b/c share values & attitudes Dissimilar couples can overcome differences that divide

them by developing shared interests & mutual respects

Young AdulthoodDivorce:

◦Rose steadily before leveling off in 80’s Over ¼ of kids live in single parent households

◦Reasons for Divorce: Easier than it use to be No fault divorce laws, no one has to blame the

other If both agree on child custody, financial support, &

distribution of assets it can be dissolved Increased economic independence of women

makes them less inclined to stay in troubled marriage, more job opportunities for women, better education

Spousal abuse, infidelity, strains about illness or financial hardship, inability to communicate effectively, increasingly high expectations

Young Adulthood◦The Costs of Divorce:

14% avg. decline in per capital income experienced by women who remain single after divorce

3% avg. decline in per capita income experienced by women who remarry after divorce

80% average per capita income experience by men who remain single after divorce

40% average increase in per capita income experienced by men who remarry after divorce

Neither maintains the S of L before the divorce Women often suffer the most, raising children forced need

for more income Fathers may find difficult to pay child support & alimony

(financial support to former spouse) Many time of personal growth & renewal, establish new &

more rewarding lives Most recover, majority remarry Remarriages more likely to end in divorce

More inclined to leave, 1st marriage more inclined to persist Patter or maladaptive behavior

Young Adulthood◦Children of Divorce:

Difficult for children regardless of age More likely to have behavioral problems,

engaged in substance abuse, earn lower grades in school

Step-family can introduce new family relationships

Parents work more to support family financially & have less time for kids

Typically after initial period of stress & adjustment then to be okay

Boys more likely than girls to have problems adjusting to parental conflict or divorce

Young Adulthood Not the separation of parents that affects kids as much a

breakdown in quality of parenting Study children ages 0-3with 2 parent families had higher scores on

achievement & ability tests, more social skills, fewer problems & greater security

However, when considered mother's level of education & income, difference less significant

Children not affected by parental divorce but related to mother’s level of education, income, level of well-being

Children fare better in homes with well-adjusted divorced mothers than in homes with bickering married parents

Psychologists advise: agree on how to interact with the children help each other maintain good parent-child relationships Avoid harsh criticizing of each other to or in front of kids

Generalize those to any relationship when parents aren’t together Divorce & marital conflict both affect kids, can make

relationships between kids & parents more difficult, and may also be connected with later conflict in the child’s own marriage

Middle Adulthood 40-60 People lose some strength, coordination, stamina

◦ gradual & hard to notice◦ only concern for those with physical fitness as part of job or interest◦ Work at conditioning can maintain excellent health & strength

throughout middle adulthood Generativity: the ability to create, originate, and produce

◦ According to Erikson, greatest challenge facing middle adults◦ Adds meaning to lives of adults◦ Helps maintain & enhance self-esteem◦ In various areas of lives, careers, families, communities◦ Often in positions where can exercise a particular important

influence on world around them Experienced workers can improve methods & relationships in workplace Parents guide next generation Voters/Residents make communities safer

◦ If not generative become Stagnant: lack of advancement or development can result in feelings of emptiness & meaninglessness

Young AdulthoodDevelopmental Tasks according to Erikson

to improve quality of life & strengthen relationships personally & in community◦Helping child make transition from home life to

outside world◦Strengthen relationship with spouse◦Helping make world better place by assuming

leadership roles in social/civic activities◦Achieving mastery in career◦Adjusting to physical changes◦Making decisions about how to spend 2nd

adulthood◦Pursuing passions◦Coping with aging parents

Middle AdulthoodTransition: Midlife transition around 40-45

◦Period in middle adulthood when people’s perspective change in a major way

◦Dramatic realization have lived ½ life, turning point

◦Often a critical event occurs (illness, change at work, death of friend/relative, losing to a child) trigger realization made generational shift

◦Women undergo it about 35, men about 40◦Women typically when youngest child is in grade

school or other child milestone, illustrates growing up Many have more kids, increased risk Around 40 need to start having mammograms

◦Face to face with limitations, acknowledge dreams haven’t realized, triggers sense of urgency

Middle Adulthood◦Midlife Crisis or Age of Mastery:

Midlife Crisis: 2nd period of reassessment that can be triggered by midlife transition Typically treated as negative

Age of Mastery: people are frequently at the height of their creative & productive powers decide what they will do with remainder of life can continue to have fulfilling lives if find careers or hobbies

that bring satisfaction Middlescence: describe a period of searching that

in some ways resembles adolescence, period of transition Search for a new identity or a 2nd adulthood Women dealt with fears & uncertainties just now confronting

men Women emerge from middleescense in 40’s & 50’s Experience renewed sense of self, confident & secure, extend

interests, committed to what they are doing & feel productive, effective, empowered

Middle Adulthood Life Changes:

◦ Some adjusting to needs of children becoming adults, others physical changes with aging

◦ Empty Nest Syndrome: applied to feelings of emptiness & loss mothers & fathers sometimes feel after children have left home to establish their own lives Especially hard for stay at home moms, can lose purpose & become

depressed Many women report being happier in marriage & other aspects of life,

greater peace of mind, more self-confidence, more personal stability Middle aged women become self-assertive & achievement oriented Many become employed for 1st time, politics, return to school Father adjust too, not as strongly Many feel hopeless & drained Increased freedom Free of financial worries Travel Leisure time for hobbies, explore old interests Self-development, freedom, opportunity Sandwich generation Caregiver for children & sometimes parents Positive health benefits

Middle Adulthood◦ Menopause: end of menstruation, usually women’s

late 40’s early 50’s Decrease hormones estrogen & progesterone No longer produces egg cells that can be fertilized, lack of

fertility Breast tissue decreases, skin becomes less elastic, bone density

decreases can lead to osteoporosis Discomfort of hot flashes, sweating, fatigue, mood swings Hormone replacement therapy Psychological changes more important than physical

Feeling of losing identity more likely to become distressed Stay at home mom’s struggle more

Many have negative impression, but is normal & healthy Not just hot flashes & moodiness Not all need hormone replacement therapy Not all become depressed or anxious Doesn’t end sex drive Doesn’t decrease activity level

Men: testosterone hormone decline 1/3 to ½ between age 40-50 to age 80 Loss of strength, weight gain reduced energy, decreased fertility

Middle AdulthoodBaby Boomers:

◦ those born after WWII, 1946-1964◦ 50 is the new 30◦ Youthful, active, free-spirited, optimistic, oriented to social

causes, defiant, distrustful of government, self-indulgent◦ Impact: economy (large group of consumers & Social

Security), fought for rights, refusal to grow oldBoomerang Generation: young adult children who

leave home, go to college or be on own, pursue career, and chose to return to live with parents, called kidults◦ Few or low paying jobs, high cost of housing, student loan

debt, desire to save money, close parental relationship, fear of independence

◦ Positive impact on parents: continued close relationships, help with responsibilities & younger siblings

◦ Negative impact on parents: loss of freedom, tension, economic burden, particularly if have aging parents

Late AdulthoodPhysical Changes:

◦65+◦People live longer than ever before◦1900 only 1 of 30 lived to 65◦2020 nearly 1/5 will be 65 or older◦Physical Changes: wrinkling & folding, of skin,

less elastic skin; senses less sharp (hearing, vision, smell); reflexes & reaction time slower

◦Health problems from brittle bones, increased fractures, danger of falls, immune system less effective

◦Can maintain health, strength, & energy level with regular exercise & healthful diet

◦Maintain flexibility through exercise like walking, swimming, less stress on bones & joints

Late AdulthoodWhy People Age:

◦ Vary person to person◦ Programmed Theories: developmental theories

that maintain that aging is the result of genetics Genetics determine how fast biological clocks move forward

and pace People with older parents will live longer Heredity influences cells

Cells divide specific number of times then become inactive & die Limitation on number of divisions is less important than the fact that

cells are aging As age less able to repair themselves, people more vulnerable to

disease like cancer Heredity affects hormones

Hormonal changes make body more vulnerable to health problems like diabetes, osteoporosis, heart disease

Melatonin & HGH Heredity affects immune system

Genetics may predetermine decline in immune systems, less able fight disease

Late Adulthood◦Cellular Damage Theories: aging suggests that

cells malfunction as a result of damage, not heredity Damage from internal body changes or external causes,

trauma & toxins Cell bodies affected by environment

Poisons or cancer causing agents less able to repair themselves & more vulnerable to diseases

Cells & vital organs are worn down Free Radicals: unstable molecules in our body, normally produced

as by-products of digestion, but may be produced by exposure to environmental agents UV light, air pollution, pesticides, extreme heat Accumulate in body, damage cells, cause aging faster &

vulnerability to diseases Cross-linking: another cause of aging, proteins within a

cell bind together, toughening body tissues, leads to breakdown of various bodily processes & causes aging

◦Complex biological process may not be explained by either or both, may be factors not yet aware of

Late AdulthoodCognitive Changes:

◦Cognitive development is affected by aging

◦Creativity generally stays strong throughout life

◦Memory declines Trouble recalling names of things or people Memory lapses can be embarrassing Loss of confidence in memory Not as bad as assumed, Memory tests usually

recall meaningless info, do better when can apply experiences to new challenges

Sometimes reversible Good time to discover new skills & ways of

thinking

Late Adulthood◦Senile Dementia:

Dementia: serious loss of cognitive functioning, major losses in memory, speech problems, unable to perform simple tasks, difficulty concentrating or making plans

Senile Dementia: occurs after age 65, only minority of old people have it, many called senility, usually 80+

◦Alzheimer’s Disease: progressive form of mental deterioration 10% of people over the age of 65 nearly half of those over age of 85 Connected with aging but disease, not normal part of

aging Characterized by general, gradual deterioration in

mental processes, memory, language, problem solving May forget familiar faces & names Eventually become helpless, cannot communicate,

walk, require help with simple tasks

Late Adulthood Reduced levels of neurotransmitter acetylcholine

(Ach) and buildup of sticky plaque in brain (formed by fragments of body protein) Normally immune system stops buildup of plaque, but doesn’t

do it’s job well enough 1 form of treatment boots Ach levels by slowing its

breakdown, modest benefits with many people Other form of treatment is vaccine of harmful protein

that helps immune system better attack plaque Myths:

People can get it as young as 30’s No evidence that aluminum leads to Alzheimer’s Flue shots reduce the risk, not increase it Cannot be treated or cured, but can slow the progression for

a short time It is not fatal, but does kill sufferers by destroying brain cells

& disrupting other bodily functions, makes it more likely that you’ll die of something else

Late Adulthood◦ Vascular Dementia: caused by bursting of blood vessel

in brain, as during a stroke, or by a decrease in blood supply to brain Happens when fatty deposits collect in blood vessels that go to

brain, narrow, impede blood flow Infections can also cause it

Social Changes: ◦ Retirement: no longer work

Some enjoy free time Usually voluntary, others must retire at a certain age or feel forced

out of job Some turn to leisure activities, work part-time, volunteer First retire undergo honeymoon phase: feel positive about new

freedom & do things dreamed of, quite busy Later many disillusioned, schedules slow down, things less

stimulating than thought Stress on marriage b/c suddenly spend more time together Volunteer or participate more in community activities Other begin new careers Later establish a new routine & stability

Late Adulthood◦Grandparenthood:

More relaxed relationship with grandkids than children Perspectives broadened, more tolerant, more understanding Don’t have to shoulder major responsibility so enjoy

themselves Many taking major responsibility for raising grandchildren Adult children frequently value parents for role play with

grandchildren, many help babysit, provide wisdom & love Many consider it an important job Many worry families no longer want them around, but most

still see & talk to kids regularly◦ Living Arrangements:

Stereotype is that many live with family, nursing home or institute, or retirement community in warm climate

Most are independent, financially secure in own home & own hometown

About 30% will eventually spend time in nursing home, but usually past age of 80

Late AdulthoodErikson’s Developmental Tasks

◦Adjusting to physical changes & keeping physically active

◦Maintaining concern about other people so don’t become preoccupied with physical changes

◦Shifting from work to retirement or leisure activity

◦Adjusting to changes in financial status◦Establish fulfilling living arrangements◦Learning to live with a husband or wife in

retirement◦Adjusting to illness or death of spouse

Late AdulthoodSuccessful Aging:

◦ Ego Integrity: the belief that life is meaningful & worthwhile even when physical abilities are not what they use to be, accept approaching death with composure Enables people to let go of relationships & objects as end of life

approaches If don’t maintain may fall into despair Connected with wisdom to accept that life span is limited and realize it

won’t last forever◦ Aging & Adjustment:

Most people in 70’s satisfied with life, over 75% have good or excellent health

Good health & financially secure = more happy Economically disadvantaged at any age more likely to report bad health Financially secure more likely to afford better health care & preventative services,

worry less, stress reduced People who are healthy may be able to work hard & earn higher incomes Most older people have financial security, but 10% over age 65 live below poverty

line Connection between social support & personal well-being

Relationships with spouses, children, friends provide practical & emotional support Older couples more happy than older singles or widows After retirement marriage takes on greater importance When spouse dies, children often able to provide needed support

Late Adulthood◦ Reshaping Life:

Specific goals to bring satisfaction May help to have 1 main hobby or interest Tend to spend time more wisely No longer try to compete with younger people in activities, athletics

or business Focus on activities with personal control, find way to make up for loss

in abilities◦ Positive Outlook:

14,000 people over 70 with common health problems, those blame on aging more likely to die sooner than specific factors

Negative stereotypes late in adulthood act7ually walk more slowly & forget more, even affect cardiovascular system

◦ Self-Challenge: If just rest can become passive & not live to fullest extent Foster grandparent group faced greater physical challenges & had

new social experiences, improved overall cognitive functioning, memory & sleep

Withdrawing from life & avoiding challenge is not good for health Secret to aging: increased participation in activities, making more

close friends, visiting with family, spending quiet time reading & listening to music

Death & DyingStages of Dying:

◦To heal after death, helps to have a chance to say goodbye Don’t protect kids from death by keeping them away

◦Terminal Illness: certain to lead to death◦5 stages of dying:

1. Denial 2. Anger 3. Bargaining 4. Depression 5. Acceptance Others criticize saying no sequence, they shift around

and go place to place, reactions based on personality & philosophy of life

Other criticism is that ignores uniqueness of individual’s experience toward end of life

Death & DyingDying with Dignity:

◦Need security, self-confidence, dignity, relief from pain (don’t usually worry about addiction), cared for, supported

◦Helpful if family members encourage dying people to discuss feelings, spend quiet time, assist with financial & legal arrangements, arrange medical or property care

◦Knowing final wishes will be carried out give peace & completion

◦Some want all details, some don’t, that should be respected, but not treated like children

Death & Dying◦Hospice: a home like place where dying people and

their families are given physical & emotional support to help them cope with terminal illness No restricted visiting hours Staff & family provide physical & emotional support Patient has little say in treatment in hospital, more in hospice

(diets, activities, medications)◦Euthanasia: easy death

Many believe when no hope for recovery or pain in unbearable euthanasia is good option

Illegal in most states, but many oppose Opponents argue no one has right to do that, or help others &

that mediation & therapy today are best options available◦Living Will: legal document to avoid being kept alive

by artificial support if there is no hope for recovery Spare indignity of being alive if no hope of survival Spare loved ones decision on whether to remove support Doesn’t go into effect until incapacitated

Death & DyingDealing with Death:

◦Funeral: traditional way to acknowledge a member has died, rituals of what to do and how to act when person passes Usually tied to religious beliefs, Way of saying good-bye Body is prepared to be separated from the living Remember & celebrate life of person Eulogy: speech praising person who died, share

memories Burial or cremation popular

◦Bereavement: mourning over something or someone precious who has been taken away Sadness, relief, loneliness, numbness, anger Helpful to join support groups or seek professional help Survivors grow in compassion for others, appreciate life

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