Development Over The Life Span

Part II

Erik Erikson (1902 – 1994)

• Born in Germany to Danish parents, Erik Erikson's lifelong interest in the psychology of identity may be traced to his childhood.

• He was born on June 15, 1902 as a result of his mother's extramarital affair, and the circumstances of his birth were concealed from him until adulthood.

• The development of identity was one of the greatest concerns in Erikson's own life as well as in his theory.

• He was a tall, blond, blue-eyed boy who was raised in the Jewish tradition.

• At temple school, the kids teased him for being Nordic; at grammar school, they teased him for being Jewish.

Erikson’s Psychosocial Developmental Stages

Crisis Virtue Age________________________________________________________Trust vs. mistrust Hope Infancy (birth - 1)

Autonomy vs. shame & doubt Will Toddler (1-2)

Initiative vs. guilt Purpose Preschool (3-5)

Industry vs. inferiority Competency Grade School (6-12)

Identity vs. role confusion Fidelity Adolescence (13-19)

Intimacy vs. isolation Love Young adulthood ( 20-40)

Generativity vs. stagnation Caring Middle adulthood (40-65)

Integrity vs. despair Wisdom Late adulthood (65 >)

Limitations

Today’s theories of development

emphasize the transitions that mark

adult life, rather than a rigid

developmental sequence.

ADOLESCENCE

Period of development between puberty (the

age at which a person becomes capable of

sexual reproduction) and adulthood.

Psychology of Adolescence

• Studies find that extreme turmoil and unhappiness are the exception.

• Peer group is particularly influential.• Externalizing problems become more common in boys.• Internalizing problems become more common in girls.• Suicide rates increasing in boys.• Preteens who encounter problems are often reacting to

specific changes in the environment.• Conflicts often stem from their need to individuate.

Individuation

• Individuation– The process of developing one’s own opinions,

values, style of dress, and look.

Adolescents are trying to separate from parents but remain connected and dependent on them.

• Quarrels w/ parents represent a shift from one-sided parental authority to a more reciprocal relationship.– The extent to which parents and teens quarrel

depends on cultural norms.

Turmoil and Adjustment

• Conflict with parents

• Mood swings and depression

• Higher rates of rule-breaking and risky behavior

Timing of Puberty

• Onset of puberty depends on genetic and environmental factors.

• Early vs. late onset– Early maturing boys have more positive views of their

bodies, but likely to smoke, drink, and break the law.– Early maturing girls are usually socially popular but

likely to be regarded by peer as precocious and sexually active.

– They are more likely to fight with parents and have a negative body image.

Emerging Adulthood From 18-25?

• Phase of life distinct from adolescence and adulthood.

• In some ways an adult, in some ways not.

Adult Development

• Psychological concerns can occur at any time in life.

• Adult development involves interactions among– Biological changes– Personality traits– Personal experiences– Historical events– Particular environments– Friends and relationships

The Social Clock

• Social norms governing what people of the same age are expected to do.

• Most people still unconsciously evaluate their transitions according to a social clock.

• Others judge them based on the social clock.• People who wish to do things “on time” and are

not able to do so may feel depressed or anxious.

The Middle Years 40 and 65

• Considered the prime of life for most Americans.• Menopause

– Ovaries stop producing estrogen and progesterone.– Only about 10 % of all women have severe physical

symptoms.– Most postmenopausal women view menopause

positively.– Menopause itself has no effect on most women’s

mental and physical health.

• Men lack biological equivalent of menopause.

Middle years sometimes deal with:

• Boomerang Generation

• Sandwich Generation

• Empty Nest

Gerontology

• The study of the social, psychological and biological aspects of aging.

• It is distinguished from geriatrics, which is the branch of medicine that studies the disease of the elderly.

Growing Old in a Youth-Oriented Culture

• On television and in the movies, old people are usually portrayed as objects of amusement, sympathy, or scorn.

• Researchers have been challenging cultural

stereotypes of old age.

• The fastest-growing age group in the USA and Canada consists of people over the age of 85.

Old Age Changes

• Fluid intelligence:– The capacity for deductive reasoning and the ability

to use new information to solve problems; relatively independent of education, declines in old age.

• Crystallized intelligence– Cognitive skills and specific knowledge of information

acquired over a lifetime; depends heavily on education, remains stable over lifetime.

Old Age

• Many problems are not inevitable and are correctable.

• Short-term training programs can boost memory and other cognitive skills dramatically.

• People who have complex or challenging occupations and interests and who are flexible are most likely to maintain their cognitive abilities in later life.

• Many people get happier and calmer with age.

Research Findings• Researchers divide the elderly into 2 groups: those who have their

health, strength, and mental capacities, and those who are infirm, weak, and incapacitated.

• They found that many of the conditions thought characteristic of old age are really a result of cellular damage, malnutrition, overmedication, or disease.

• Only 15 % of people over age 65 suffer serious mental impairment, and ½ of those cases are due to Alzheimer’s disease, a neurological disorder.

• Tragically high number of older people are overmedicated, given too

many drugs for different problems, the results of which can appear as confusion, senility, or even psychosis.

Aging has its Benefits

• Researchers are also discovering that aging often brings wisdom, tolerance, and old-fashioned maturity.

• As people age, they tend to feel less angry, less lonely, happier, and more content with themselves and their limitations.

• In a society that values youth and the new, it is easy to overlook the values of experience and the old.

Reasons to be Optimistic

• Many researchers who study cognition and aging are optimistic

• They believe that when people live in stimulating, interesting environments, their brain function does not “naturally” decay.

• Other researchers are skeptical about the “use it or lose it” philosophy, pointing out that if you have lost it, you can’t use it.

• One thing is certain--we can continue to learn throughout our lives.

Multigenerational Living

• In the 2000 Census, multigenerational households, such as extended families with kids, parents and grandparents, totaled 4.2 million homes.

• The prevalence of multigenerational households varies by race and ethnicity.