middle adulthood Flashcards
(19 cards)
what age is middle adulthood in
40-60
what is the midlife crisis
a study of 40 men through observation performed by Carl Jung
what was the result of the midlife crisis
- middle-age adults were less likely to be nervous and worried than young adults
- negative life events can occur, but they are not unique to middle adulthood
What is the central crisis of middle adulthood according to Erikson?
Generativity vs. Stagnation
what is generativity? What does it involve?
the motivation to contribute to the well-being of future generations
Involves:
- a sense of purpose, “a desire to be needed by others”
- expressed as parenting, mentorship, being a grandparent etc
what is stagnation
focusing on self-interest without concerning for the good of others
What pattern does marital satisfaction and years married follow?
a U shaped pattern
- marital satisfaction usually rises once their children grow into emerging adulthood and beyond
What is expressive divorce
the concept where individuals (especially young adults) seek divorce if the marriage no longer fits the high expectation (emotional or self- fulfillment needs for love, and intimacy)
define gray divorce
falling out of love
why do divorce rates go down and gray divorces go up in midlife
- many felt marriage is over well before divorce
- more women working
- less social stigma
what are some marital satisfaction patterns
- realistic expectations
- shared interests
- shared roles and responsibilities
- shared power
What are some divorce risk factors
1 - education
2 - age at marriage - if you marry younger than 25 and have divorced parents, you are more likely to get divorced
3 - partner’s behavior - drinking, drug use, infidelity
4 - beliefs
5 - religion - if you are less involved in religion, you are more likely to divorce
what is fluid intelligence
- information processing, discerning relations, processing speed, and spatial orientation
- applies to the novel situation
what is crystallized intelligence
- “thinking on your feet”
- applies to the familiar situation
- includes vocabulary and cultural information
According to the Seattle Longitudinal Study, when does crystallized intelligence peak
Middle adulthood
What is expertise often considered a form of
crystallized intelligence
what is the deaths of despair
increased deaths due to drug overdoses, sucides and alcohol related liver diseases
what group of people did the midlife mortality trend impact the most
white Americans with low levels of education
Which factor contributes to “deaths of despair” in midlife Americans with low education?
Economic dislocation
