Middle adulthood is considered to be the developmental period beginning at approximately 40 years of age until 60 or 65 years of age.
During this period, Middle age adults make choices, evaluate their lives and if they need to make changes. They experience things such as losing a job. The concept of gains and losses is important in life-span development.
During this period, Middle age adults make choices, evaluate their lives and if they need to make changes. They experience things such as losing a job. The concept of gains and losses is important in life-span development.
Physical development
- Changes in middle adult are gradual
- Physical health became more negative as they aged
- Visible signs: one of the most visible sign is physical appearance. The skin begins to wrinkle because of a loss of fat and collagen in underlying tissues, aging spots
- Decrease in height, increase in weight, decrease in strength, deterioration of joints and bones; change in vision, hearing, cardiovascular system and sleep
- Physical health became more negative as they aged
- Visible signs: one of the most visible sign is physical appearance. The skin begins to wrinkle because of a loss of fat and collagen in underlying tissues, aging spots
- Decrease in height, increase in weight, decrease in strength, deterioration of joints and bones; change in vision, hearing, cardiovascular system and sleep
Health concern and wellness strategies
- The frequency of accidence decline, and middle adults are less sensitive to colds and allergies
- For some disease and persistent health problems become more common
- Chronic disorders increase in middle-adulthood
- The main chronic disorder for middle-adulthood is arthritis and by hypertension
- Chronic disorders vary by genders
- Men have a higher change of fatal chronic disorder (coronary disease, cancer, stroke)
- Women have a higher chance of non-fatal conditions (arthritis and bursitis)
- Stress is a factor in disease- linked through immune system and cardiovascular disease
- Also poverty leads to lower health status
- Individuals suffering with poverty experience more serious health problems
- Major issue with aboriginal people
Mortality rates
- Chronic disorders increase
- Are now the main cause of death for individuals in the middle-adulthood
- Cancer is the leading cause of death in Canada
- Lung, prostate and breast cancers are the most prevalent
Sexuality
- Menopause usually starts in the late forties or early fifties, when a woman’s menstrual periods completely stop
- Avg age a women has her last period is 51, however some people happens at a different age anywhere from 39-59
- Multiple genes influence menopause
-Menopause occurs a couple years earlier for women who smoke cigarettes on a regular basis due to the damage of ovaries from tobacco smoke and tar
- During menopause, the production of estrogen by the ovaries declines, which causes uncomfortable symptoms for a women such as hot flashes, nausea, fatigue and rapid heart beat
- A common treatment for menopause is hormone replacement therapy which increases the declining levels of reproductive hormone production by the ovaries
- although, If this treatment is taken for a long-term may cause cancer, heart disease, blood clots and dementia
- Men experience hormonal changes in their fifties and sixties
- Testosterone production declines 1 percent a year, but men do not lose their fertility in middle adulthood
- A common development is erectile dysfunction – the inability to adequately achieve and maintain an erection that results in satisfactory for sexual performance
- The number of men increases as they were older, and decreases if they are active in regular exercise and had a college education
- Smoking, diabetes, hypertension and elevated cholesterol levels are a cause of erectile problems
- Drugs such as Viagra, Levitra and Cialis are treatments for erectile dysfunction
- These drugs allow increased blood flow into the penis, which produces an erection
- Although Viagra contains side effects such as headaches and blackouts
- Sex occurs less frequently in middle-adulthood primarily due to constraint
- Avg age a women has her last period is 51, however some people happens at a different age anywhere from 39-59
- Multiple genes influence menopause
-Menopause occurs a couple years earlier for women who smoke cigarettes on a regular basis due to the damage of ovaries from tobacco smoke and tar
- During menopause, the production of estrogen by the ovaries declines, which causes uncomfortable symptoms for a women such as hot flashes, nausea, fatigue and rapid heart beat
- A common treatment for menopause is hormone replacement therapy which increases the declining levels of reproductive hormone production by the ovaries
- although, If this treatment is taken for a long-term may cause cancer, heart disease, blood clots and dementia
- Men experience hormonal changes in their fifties and sixties
- Testosterone production declines 1 percent a year, but men do not lose their fertility in middle adulthood
- A common development is erectile dysfunction – the inability to adequately achieve and maintain an erection that results in satisfactory for sexual performance
- The number of men increases as they were older, and decreases if they are active in regular exercise and had a college education
- Smoking, diabetes, hypertension and elevated cholesterol levels are a cause of erectile problems
- Drugs such as Viagra, Levitra and Cialis are treatments for erectile dysfunction
- These drugs allow increased blood flow into the penis, which produces an erection
- Although Viagra contains side effects such as headaches and blackouts
- Sex occurs less frequently in middle-adulthood primarily due to constraint
Cognitive development
The main changes in intelligence in the middle adulthood focuses on fluid and crystallized intelligence. Crystallized intelligence is an individuals accumulated information and verbal skills, which continue to increase in the middle adulthood years. Fluid intelligence is one’s ability to reason abstractly, begins to decline in middle adulthood years
Warner Schaie conducted the Seattle Longitudinal Study which is a study examining the intellectual abilities in the adulthood years. The study began in 1956, where 500 individuals were tested in seven-year intervals. The main focus of this study was on the stability and change in intelligence. Schaie used vocabulary, verbal memory and numbers in order to test individuals’ mental abilities. According to the results, Schaie concluded that when the individuals were assessed longitudinally, the intellectual abilities were likely to improve then when an individual was assessed cross-sectionally.
Information processing
-Perceptual speed begins declining in early adulthood and continues to decline in middle adulthood. The decline is not a major decline. The decline is stronger for women.
- memory- controversy about whether or not memory declines in the middle adulthood years, although most say it does
Socio-emotional development
Erikson's stage of Generativity versus Stagnation
Erikson believed that adults during middle adulthood either go through generatively or stagnation. Generativity is when adults have the desire to be caring and help benefit the next generation. Stagnation is when adults are self-absorbed and don't care about benefiting the next generation. Adults who undergo generatively develop the virtue of care. Generativity occurs by promoting the next generation by teaching, parenting and doing things that are good for the community.
Erikson believed that adults during middle adulthood either go through generatively or stagnation. Generativity is when adults have the desire to be caring and help benefit the next generation. Stagnation is when adults are self-absorbed and don't care about benefiting the next generation. Adults who undergo generatively develop the virtue of care. Generativity occurs by promoting the next generation by teaching, parenting and doing things that are good for the community.
Life events
o life events influence an individual’s development
o how it influences an individuals depends on the event and how they adapt to the event
o life events influence an individual’s development
o how it influences an individuals depends on the event and how they adapt to the event
Stress
o the non-specific response of the body to any demand made upon it
o can be episodic or chronic and negative or positive
o Episodic stress- stress related to an event which once coped with, is over
ex. Final exams or planning a wedding
o can be positive because its motivational
o chronic stress- stress that is negative and persistent
o stress effects the immune system, making an individual vulnerable to illness and disease
o Individuals who experience racisms from others often experience chronic stress
o poverty or family conflict also causes chronic stress
o the non-specific response of the body to any demand made upon it
o can be episodic or chronic and negative or positive
o Episodic stress- stress related to an event which once coped with, is over
ex. Final exams or planning a wedding
o can be positive because its motivational
o chronic stress- stress that is negative and persistent
o stress effects the immune system, making an individual vulnerable to illness and disease
o Individuals who experience racisms from others often experience chronic stress
o poverty or family conflict also causes chronic stress
The life- events approach
- highlights how life events influence the individuals development depends not only on the life event, but also on mediating factors and the individuals adaptation to the life event
- place too much importance on change
- may not be life’s major events that are primarily source of stress, but rather our daily experiences
ex. Hating your job and going everyday is more stressful than getting married
- highlights how life events influence the individuals development depends not only on the life event, but also on mediating factors and the individuals adaptation to the life event
- place too much importance on change
- may not be life’s major events that are primarily source of stress, but rather our daily experiences
ex. Hating your job and going everyday is more stressful than getting married
Love and marriage
o Partners may have fewer financial worries, less housework and chores and more time with each other
o Majority of middle-aged adults who are married are satisfied with their marriage
o Couple who divorce in mid-life are likely to have a more distant, emotionally suppressed relationship, whereas divorcing young adults are more likely to have an emotionally unstable and expressive relationship
o Partners may have fewer financial worries, less housework and chores and more time with each other
o Majority of middle-aged adults who are married are satisfied with their marriage
o Couple who divorce in mid-life are likely to have a more distant, emotionally suppressed relationship, whereas divorcing young adults are more likely to have an emotionally unstable and expressive relationship