Barbara R. Bjorklund - Julie L. Earles - Journey of Adulthood-Pearson (2019)

About Revel and This Course
About This Course
 Listen to the Audio
Now in its ninth edition, The Journey of Adulthood continues to capture the
dynamic process of adult development from early adulthood to the end of
life. Its core is made up of research findings from large-scale projects and
major theories of adult development, but it also reflects smaller studies of
diverse groups, showing the influences of gender, culture, ethnicity, race,
and socioeconomic background on this journey. I have balanced new
research with classic studies from pioneers in the field of adult
development. And I have sweetened this sometimes medicinal taste with
a spoonful of honey—a little personal warmth and humor. After all, I am

now officially an older adult who is on this journey along with my
husband, looking ahead at the examples our parents’ journeys gave us,
and back toward our children who are blazing their own trails. And as of
this edition, we have 14 grandchildren—seven of whom are beginning
their own journeys of adulthood either as college students or starting
their careers.
Not only have I changed over the course of this book, but I have taken on
a co-author and have truly enjoyed having her input. She is Dr. Julie
Earles, a long-time friend and colleague at the Wilkes Honors College of
Florida Atlantic University. She has a little different spin on things, and I
think it will make this an even better book as she adds more and more to
the chapters.
The ninth edition of The Journey of Adulthood features a comprehensive
update of all chapters. Almost one-third of the references are new to this
edition, as are many of the figures and tables. The field of adult
development is changing quickly, and this edition of The Journey of
Adulthood gives a thorough coverage of the changes that have taken place
since the previous edition was written 4 years ago. Ultimately a text on
development, The Journey of Adulthood has itself developed through

numerous editions over the past two decades. This ninth edition features
several types of change; some reflect change in the field of adult
development and some reflect change in the world around us,
specifically, the academic settings in which this text is used.
Changes in the Field of Adult Development

The study of adult development is a fairly new field and it expands
exponentially from year to year. It began as a field of psychology, but
more and more disciplines have shown an interest in the changes that
take place over the adult years. This book includes research from
scientists who identify themselves as psychologists, sociologists,
anthropologists, neuroscientists, epidemiologists, behavioral geneticists,
cellular biologists, biogerontologists, and many more. The terminology

and methods in these fields have become more and more similar, and
many researchers publish in the journals of a variety of fields. This

edition of The Journey of Adulthood reflects this wonderful collaboration
and the richness of a number of multidisciplinary projects. It is an exciting

time in developmental science, and this text reflects that energy.
Some of the projects that have been tapped for this text are the Midlife in
the U.S. Study (MIDUS), the Berlin Study of Aging, the Grant Study of
Harvard Men, the National Comorbidity Study, the Nun Study of the
School Sisters of Notre Dame, the Victoria Longitudinal Study, the
Swedish Twin Study, the National Survey of Sexual and Health Behavior,
The Women’s Health Study, and the National Longitudinal Mortality
Study.
To emphasize these collaborations, we have identified each major

researcher or theorist with his or her field of study. Two editions ago, I
was struck with the diversity of scientific fields contributing to the adult
development literature. We want this text to reflect that diversity. When

we discuss some work in detail, we give the full names of the researchers
and how they identify their field of study. We hope that the students who
are interested in adult development will take note and consider these
areas when they declare their majors or make plans for graduate school.
As professors, we all need to remember that we not only teach the
content of the courses, but also guide our students in career decisions—in
life decisions.
Another change in the field of adult development is that more and more
research projects reported in major journals are done by international
groups of researchers in settings all over the developed world. We are no

longer limited to information on adults in the United States, we also have
research being done by Swedish, Japanese, and Egyptian scientists using

Swedish, Japanese, and Egyptian participants. When the findings are
similar to studies done in the United States, we can be more confident

that the developmental phenomenon being studied is an integral part of
the human experience and not something particular to people in the

United States. When the findings are different from studies done in the
United States, we can investigate these differences and find their roots.
We have identified these international research teams and the
nationalities of their participants. We hope this accentuates the global
aspects of our academic community and, as seasoned travelers ourselves,

we hope it inspires students to consider “study-abroad” programs and to
consider the world outside their own.
We include full names of major researchers and theorists when we
discuss their work in detail. Seeing the first and last names makes the
researchers more real to the students than conventional citations of “last

names, comma, date.” Full names also reflect the diversity of scientists—
often their gender and their national or ethnic backgrounds. Our students
represent a wide range of races and ethnicities, and the time of science
being the sole domain of an elite group most of us cannot identify with is
gone.
One of the most exciting changes in the field of adult development has
been its expansion to emphasize a wider and wider range of age groups.
In the early editions of this text, the focus of interest was older adults. The
last three editions have featured more and more studies of young adults,
middle-aged adults, and emerging adults. This edition features additional
research on the opposite end of the age spectrum: those who are 75, 80,
90 years of age and older. Although having people in this age group is
nothing new, the growing numbers of them have made it important (and
relatively easy) to include them in studies of adult development. Clearly
the study of adult development is no longer the study of certain specific
age groups, it is now truly a study of every aspect of adulthood. We have
tried to capture this inclusion by choosing topics, examples, opening

stories, photos, suggested reading, and critical thinking questions that
represent the entire adult lifespan.
Changes in the World Around Us

Since the last edition of this book, the world has changed in many ways.
As we write this preface, we seem to have recovered from the financial
setbacks many families experienced a decade ago and unemployment
numbers are low. However, technology and outsourcing have replaced
workers in many areas, and those replaced workers are often
underemployed in fields that have lower wages. Many students are

graduating from college with student loan debt and poor job prospects in
their areas of study. Opioid abuse has become a public health crisis,
taking a toll on every part of the country and every level of society.
Cutbacks in government funding and the weakening of regulations
threaten our environment and our planet’s future. There is a large

political divide. More troops are coming home from overseas
deployment, but many have war-related disabilities that include
posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and traumatic brain injury (TBI).
Single-parent families and dual-earner families in the United States (and

in many other developed countries) are having a rough time; they receive
little cooperation from the government, the workplace, or the community
to assist them in caring for both job and family. Many older women,
especially those who live alone, are living below the poverty line. The
United States has the highest rates of mental health disorders of any
developed country and most of the people experiencing these symptoms
do not get adequate treatment. Unhealthy lifestyles are resulting in
increased health problems for many adults in the developing world, and
the ages of those affected are extending to both the younger and older
end of the spectrum. Although we try to maintain a positive tone, these
topics are part of the reality of adult life, and we have included them in
The Journey of Adulthood.
Other changes in the world around us are more positive. Health

awareness is increasing at all ages; advances are being made in many
areas of disease prevention, detection, and treatment; and a greater
percentage of people in developed countries are living into old age. The
rate of cancer deaths continues to decline as advances are made in early

detection and treatment. Although there is still no “cure” for aging and no
sign of a way to increase the existing maximum lifespan, people are
increasing the number of healthy years in their lives. Programs such as
hospice are making it possible for an increasing number of people to
choose to have “a good death” when that time comes. Women are making
great strides in professional careers and in their positive adjustment to
children leaving home and widowhood. Communication technology has

made it easier for families to stay in touch and for older adults to live
independently. The average age of people using social media, cell
phones, and e-games is increasing. These are also among the topics
selected for this text.
Changes in the Classroom

Courses in adult development are offered in all major colleges and
universities in the United States and are becoming popular around the
world. It is safe to say that graduates in almost all majors will be working
in fields that deal with the changes that occur during adulthood. It is also
safe to say that students in all majors will be dealing with the topic on a
personal level, both their own progress through adulthood and that of
their parents. The students at the Wilkes Honors College at Florida

Atlantic University this semester are majoring in psychology, counseling,
nursing, criminal justice, premedical sciences, prelaw, social work,
occupational therapy, sociology, and education. About one-half are
bilingual and about one-third speak English as a second language. The

majority will be the first in their families to graduate from college. We no
longer assume that they have the same academic backgrounds as students
a decade ago. For these reasons, we include basic definitions of key terms
in the text of each chapter, clear explanations of relevant statistical
methods, and basic details of major theories. We meet the readers

knowing that the “typical student” is an outdated stereotype, but we meet
them with respect for their intelligence and motivation. We firmly believe
that it is possible to explain complex ideas clearly and connect with
students from a variety of backgrounds and experiences. We do it every
week in our classes, and we do it in this text.
Content Highlights
The first chapter contains the basics for the course—definitions, methods,
and guiding perspectives for the study of adult development. Chapters 2 
through 8  cover traditional developmental topics, featuring recent
research, classic studies, current theories, new directions, and practical
applications. Chapters 9 , 10 , and 11  cover topics not traditionally

found in adult development texts, but which we feel are important to
round out a student’s experience in this course: the quest for meaning;
the inevitability of stress, coping, and resilience in adult life; and the way
we face our own deaths and those of our loved ones. The final chapter
takes a chronological look at adult development, in contrast to the topical
theme in the earlier chapters, and also suggests a model of adult

development that will “pull the threads together and tie up loose ends.”
New to This Edition

Chapter 1  serves as an introduction to the study of adult development,
beginning with the concept of development being both stable and

changing. I use my own journey of adulthood as an example of these
concepts and invite students to think of their own lives in these terms.
Two guiding perspectives are introduced: Baltes’s lifespan developmental
approach and Bronfenbrenner’s bioecological model. The next section
covers developmental research. We don’t assume that all students have
taken a research methods class, so we limit the methods, measures,
analyses, and designs to those that are used in later chapters. In fact, we
use some of these studies as examples, hoping that students will feel
comfortable with them when they encounter them later in the text.
New in this chapter:
Studies comparing Eastern and Western cultures on their attitudes
toward aging adults.
New research on age-related changes in olfactory abilities.
New research on the development of perceived control in emerging
adults as they undergo the transition to adulthood.
The theme of Chapter 2  is primary aging, the physical changes that take
place predictably in most of us when we reach certain milestones in our
journeys of adulthood. Again we begin with some basic theories
including Harmon’s theory of oxidative damage, Hayflick’s theory of
genetic limits, and the theory of caloric restriction. Then we cover age-
related physical changes including outward appearance, the senses, the
bones and muscles, the cardiovascular and respiratory systems, the brain
and nervous system, the immune system, and the hormonal system. Most
of the age-related change in these systems is gradual, but much can be
done to avoid premature aging (and much of that can be done in early
adulthood, such as avoiding excessive exposure to sunlight and tobacco
use). Next, we cover four areas of more complex functioning: (1) athletic
abilities; (2) stamina, dexterity, and balance; (3) sleep; and (4) sexual
activity, all of which decline gradually with age. We cover some of the
ways these declines can be slowed, but end the chapter with the caution
that so far, we have no proven way to “turn back the clock.”
Evidence of psychological problems that arise with hearing loss.

News that hearing loss has decreased in the past two decades,
probably because of workplace noise restrictions.
Studies that show increased risk of hip osteoarthritis for men who
play handball, soccer, and hockey. Other studies show that
professional ballet dancers have increased risk of hip osteoarthritis,

especially women.
More evidence that physical exercise can promote brain health.

New research findings on sleep and insomnia.
On the horizon—lab-grown replacement organs, transfusions of
“young” blood components to older people, and identification of gene

segments in people 100+ years of age and insertion into the DNA of
younger people.
Ethical and practical implications of extending the maximum lifespan.
Chapter 3  is about age-related disease, or secondary aging. We try to
keep this separate from the normal changes discussed in the previous
chapter. Not everyone suffers from these diseases no matter how long
they live, and many age-related conditions can be prevented or cured. We

start with data of mortality rates by age because we think it helps students
put the risk of death and disease into perspective. For most of our
students, the risk of premature death is very low, and the top cause is
accidents. We then discuss four of the top age-related diseases and
explain their causes, their risk factors, and some preventative measures.
These are heart disease, cancer, diabetes, and Alzheimer’s disease. We try
to balance good news (lower rates of cancer deaths due to early detection
and treatment, lower disability rates in the United States) with the bad
(rising rates of diabetes at all ages, still no cure for Alzheimer’s disease).
The second part of the chapter is about mental health disorders. We try to
impress upon the students that most of these disorders begin early in
adulthood (or even in adolescence) and that most can be treated.
However, the individuals suffering from these disorders (or their families)
need to seek help and seek competent help. We end the chapter by telling
that these physical and mental health disorders are not distributed
randomly. Some groups are more apt to suffer than others, depending on
one’s genes, socioeconomic background, gender, lifestyle, personality

patterns, and events that happened to them in very early childhood or
even before birth.
Completely updated mortality and morbidity statistics.
Decreasing rates of disability for adults in the United States and the
increasing rates of older adults “aging in place” around the world.
New findings on the difference in heart disease in women and men.
Continued decline in cancer deaths in the United States.
New information about type 2 diabetes rates leveling off and even
declining in some age groups.

New diagnosis techniques for Alzheimer’s disease.
Updated statistics on mental health in the United States.
New categories of mental disorders to fit DSM-5 classifications
(anxiety disorders, depressive disorders, substance-related and

addictive disorders).
Extended discussion about the opioid problem in the United States.
New information on robotic assistance and assistance animals.
Bad news about continued poor diets and sedentary lifestyles among
most age groups; good news about a drop in tobacco use.

LGBT+ community faces more isolation and discrimination by the
healthcare system than other minority groups, but have more need
for physical and mental health assistance due to higher rates of
victimization, homelessness, and job discrimination.

New research on how adversity affects the immune system.
New findings about intergenerational effects and how they affect our
health.
Cognitive aging is discussed in Chapter 4 . This chapter is about age-
related changes in cognitive abilities, including attention, memory,
intelligence, and problem solving. We explain how flaws in early research

led to the conclusion that cognition declines sharply with age, and we
present new research with better methodology that shows different
patterns of age-related changes for different cognitive abilities. We
demonstrate that some abilities, such as cognitive speed, do decline with
age, whereas other cognitive abilities, such as those involving knowledge

and expertise, improve with increased age. We begin the chapter with a
discussion of research on attention, including research on divided
attention tasks. The second part of the chapter is focused on memory and
shows students the effects of age on different components of and different

types of memory. We include a demonstration of the negative effects that
stereotypes of cognitive aging can have on memory performance. We
then turn to a discussion of intelligence, including differences in results
for longitudinal and cross-sectional studies and differential effects of
aging on separate components of intelligence. We also talk about

individual differences in cognitive aging and mechanisms for improving
cognitive abilities as one ages, and we hope students will be able to apply
the research findings to their own cognitive health.
New section on attention that includes research on divided attention
and visual search.

Reorganization of the chapter so that students can see how changes
in attention and memory influence intelligence and problem solving.
New research on the positive effects of physical exercise and
cognitive engagement on cognitive abilities.
Expanded discussion of the use of technology to assist adults with

cognitive impairments.
Chapter 5  is about social roles and the change that takes place during
adulthood. Social roles refer to the attitudes and behaviors we adopt
when we make a transition into a particular role, such as worker,
husband, or grandmother. This chapter covers changes within a person
due to these life transitions. Gender is a major part of social roles, and
several theories suggest how we learn what attitudes and behaviors fit the
gender roles we fill. Bem’s learning schema theory, Eagly’s social role
theory, and Buss’s evolutionary psychology theory are presented. Various
social roles, arranged chronologically, are discussed, including the
transition from living in one’s parents’ home to living independently to

living with a romantic partner in a cohabitation relationship or a
marriage. Being part of a committed couple is related to good mental and
physical health. Another role transition is from being part of a couple to
being a parent. Social-role transitions in middle adulthood involve going

from having children living in your home to having children who are
independently living adults to becoming a grandparent. Another role in
middle adulthood is often as caregiver for one’s own parents. In late
adulthood, many move into the role of living alone and becoming a care
receiver. Not everyone fits these role transitions. Some adults never
marry and some never have children but still have happy and productive
lives. Lots of new social roles appear when there is a divorce in a family
and then a remarriage, as most students know firsthand.
Increased proportion of emerging adults and young adults who live in
their parents’ home. Decreased proportion of emerging adults and

young adults who are married or cohabiting.
Record low birthrates for teens and higher birthrates for women over
age 40.
New research comparing time use of mothers versus fathers when
they are employed full time, part time, or not at all.

Research on how couples divide up housework before and after
becoming parents.
Research that working mothers raise egalitarian sons.

Increase in proportion of children living in grandparent-headed
households, especially African American, Hispanic, and Asian
families.
More detailed look at young and middle-aged adults who spend time
as caregivers for older adults. Most report a stressful but positive
experience.
Decreased proportion of older adults who live in nursing homes.
New research on infertility and the effect it can have on couples.
Social relationships are covered in Chapter 6  and differ from social roles
because they involve two-way interactions between individuals, not just
the behavior a person performs in a certain role. This is a difficult

distinction, but there is just too much material on social-related topics for
one chapter, so it’s the division we have chosen. It also roughly fits the
division between sociology studies (roles) and psychology studies

(relationships). I begin this chapter with Bowlby’s attachment theory,
Ainsworth’s model of attachment behaviors, Antonucci’s convoy model,

Carstensen’s socioemotional selectivity theory, and Buss’s evolutionary
psychology approach. Then we start with various relationships in which
adults participate, beginning with intimate partnerships, which include

opposite-sex cohabitation, marriage, and same-sex partnerships. Next are
parent–child relationships in adulthood, grandparent–grandchild

relationships, and sibling relationships in adulthood. The chapter ends
with a section on friendship. Students of all ages relate to this chapter
personally and it works well in the middle of the text.
New material on social contacts across the lifespan.

New findings on what traits men and women find desirable in
potential long-term partners.
New findings on online dating.

Meta-analyses of longitudinal studies of attachment styles
Cross-cultural studies of the acceptance of cohabitation.

New research on cohabitation in the over-50 age group.
Research on same-sex couples’ counseling.
Increased contact between parents and adult children, both face-to-

face and via telecommunications.
Increase in divorce for couples age 50 and older and the effect it has
on their adult children.

Older adults dealing with the life crises of adult children—a major
source of distress.
Importance of sibling relationships in middle and older adulthood.
Benefits of giving social support.
Social networks in later life.

Social media and mental health across the lifespan.
Social media’s role in reducing interethnic prejudice.
The topics of work and retirement are covered in Chapter 7 . In the early
editions of this text, students applied the information in this chapter to

their futures or to their parents’ careers, but recently many apply it to
themselves because they are part of the labor force and some are
retraining for a second career. A few are even retired and attending
college as a pastime. We start the chapter with Super’s theory of career
development and Holland’s theory of career selection. Students are

usually familiar with vocational preference tests and interested in finding
out what type of work they would enjoy most. Gender differences are an
important part of career selection and we question the reasons that even
though women are found in almost every line of work and attend college
in greater numbers than men, they still make less money and are not
equally represented in top-paying, high-prestige jobs. The next section
deals with age differences in job performance and job satisfaction. The
section on work and personal life includes how jobs can affect
individuals, intimate relationships, and responsibilities for other family
members, including how household chores are divided up. The section
on retirement includes reasons a person decides to retire or not, the
effects of retirement, and some middle ground between full-time work

and full-time retirement. We try to impress upon the young student that
much of one’s quality of life in retirement depends on planning ahead,
and we hope they take that more seriously than we would have at his or
her age.
The concepts of careers that have no boundaries, are versatile, and

are open to change.
New data on women in the labor force.

Longitudinal study of older adults in the labor force.
How pre-retirement work complexity contributes to successful
cognitive aging.
How job strain contributes to cognitive changes and health.
The worldwide problem of young people who are not working and
not in school.
New research on the paid work/family divide by gender and
employment status.
Longitudinal studies of caregivers.
New research findings on volunteer work.
The topic of Chapter 8  is personality. We divide the chapter into two
parts: first, the research on personality structures, featuring Costa and

McCrae’s five-factor model, and, second, the grand old theories of
personality, including Erikson’s theory of psychosocial development,
Loevinger’s theory of ego development, Vaillant’s theory of mature

adaptation, Gutmann’s theory of gender crossover, and Maslow’s theory
of positive well-being. We selected these from many because they have

continued to inform research into age-related personality stability and
change.
New section on stereotypes of personality change.
New longitudinal research on changes in dependability.

New discussion of the effects of major life events on personality.
New research on the relationship between openness and
achievement.
Increased discussion of the relationship between personality and
health.
New research on the effects of discrimination on personality.
Chapter 9  presents information on the quest for meaning and how it is

manifest at different stages of adult life. This continues to be the most
controversial chapter, with some adopters rating it as the best chapter
and others questioning why it is included. Our belief is that it fills an

important place in the journey of adulthood as we question how this
journey started and where, exactly, we are going. It’s a chance to look a
little further up the road and a little further back than the other chapters
give us. I start by showing how the topic of religion and spirituality has
ballooned in empirical journals over the last four decades and the
importance of having a sense of the sacred in our lives. Then I cover some
diverse theories, including Kohlberg’s theory of moral reasoning and
Fowler’s theory of faith development, showing the similarities in those

and two theories from the personality chapter we just covered,
Loevinger’s theory of ego development and Maslow’s theory of positive

well-being. Then we conclude the chapter with material about mystical
experiences and transitions, which William James, one of the founding
fathers of psychology, wrote about in 1902.
New in this edition:
Increase in the percent of people in the United States who report
belief in God.
Argument that spirituality is an evolved trait in humans.

Research on the relationship of religious beliefs and sound mental
health, even when socioeconomic status, health behaviors, and

specific religious practices are considered.
The related topics of stress and resilience comprise the subject matter for
Chapter 10 . This type of research is usually done by health
psychologists and medical researchers but has recently been of interest to

social psychologists, sociologists, forensic psychologists, and military
leaders. This is another chapter that students take very personally
because most are dealing with more than their fair share of stressors. We
begin with Selye’s concept of the general adaptation syndrome and then
present Holmes and Rahe’s measurement of life-change events. Research
is cited to show that high levels of stress are related to physical and
mental disorders. The timely topic of PTSD is covered and individual
differences, such as gender and age, are included. We cover racial

discrimination as a source of chronic stress and talk about stress-related
growth—the idea that what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger. Types of
coping mechanisms are presented followed by the topic of resilience.

Recent studies have shown that the most frequent reaction to trauma is
resilience and that some people are more apt to be resilient than others.
Longitudinal study of stress and mortality.

New APA guidelines on PTSD.
Research on PTSD in the children of Holocaust survivors.
Research findings on perceived discrimination and psychological

well-being.
Studies of stress experienced by the LGBTQ community mediated by
social support and gay identity.

Longitudinal study of optimism and whether it acts as a buffer to
trauma.
Use of virtual therapists in military settings.
Chapter 11  covers death: how we think about it at different ages, how

we cope with the death of loved ones, and how we face the reality of our
own deaths. We begin the chapter with a discussion of how we acquire
an understanding of death, both the deaths of others and the eventual

death of oneself. This includes abstract methods like overcoming the fear
of death as well as practical methods, like making a living will and

becoming an organ donor. The place of one’s death is important to many
people, and most want to die at home with their families. That is
becoming more feasible because of the hospice approach, and we explain

that in detail. Others who are terminally ill would like to choose the time
of their deaths, and that has become possible in several states that have
legalized physician-assisted suicide, and we explain how that is arranged
and how people make that decision. For the next section we have
compiled numerous mourning rituals that take place in different cultures

in the United States. It is not an exhaustive list and there may be many
exceptions, but it is a good way to start a discussion about our multi-

cultural society and about respecting and understanding each other at
these most personal times. The chapter ends on a hopeful note with a
study of bereavement that shows that the most common response to the
loss of a spouse in older adulthood is resilience.

New cross-cultural studies of death anxiety.
Research suggesting new ways of communicating with dementia
patients using classic baseball games and antique cars.
Updated figures on hospice care and physician-assisted suicide.
In Chapter 12 , the final chapter, we wrap up everything in chronological

order. We add in the relevant new material and present my own model of
adult development complete with a flow chart of how we move from
disequilibrium to equilibrium in several areas of our lives. We also

include a master table of age-related changes throughout adulthood.
Features
Learning Objectives distill the major takeaways of each chapter,
stimulating interest in the main topics, helping focus student attention on
the most salient points, and serving as a preview of what is to come.
Learning Objectives also are linked to the content of the Chapter

Summaries and to all questions in the Test Item File.
A Word from the Author—a sometimes funny, sometimes personal, and
often introspective look at the main themes of a chapter, illustrated

through lived experience and other relevant stories—begins each chapter.
This feature helps to ground what can be abstract and theoretical

concepts in the real world.
Videos help bring to life compelling topics within developmental

psychology. In a series of short clips, students will be able to delve deeper
into health disparities, the experiences of a non-traditional college
student, genetic mechanism, neuroplasticity, and much more.
Interactive figures give students the opportunity to take a closer look at

the data behind the graphics, allowing them to dive deeper into studies
on topics as varied as mortality rates around the world, the top plastic
surgery procedures in the United States, and how “in love” long-term
couples are at different times in their relationships.
Journal questions encourage students to reflect on the content and relate
it to their own experiences.
Shared Writing prompts allow students to write their own essays and
then to read and comment on fellow students’ essays, giving them a
broader understanding of different experiences and perspectives.
Key terms are set in boldface type and defined immediately in the text.
We believe we learn best by seeing a term in context. Definitions are also
offered in the Glossary.
Available Instructor Resources

The following resources are available for instructors. These can be
downloaded at https://www.pearsonhighered.com. Login is required.
PowerPoint—provides an ADA compliant template of the main ideas,

concepts, and select images covered throughout the text. These can easily
be customized for your classroom.
Instructor’s Manual—includes outcome-based chapter outlines along

with questions for discussion and research assignments..
Test Bank—includes additional questions in multiple-choice and open-

ended—short and essay response—formats. Each question includes a
corresponding skill, difficulty level, text reference, and learning objective.
MyTest—an electronic version of the Test Bank to customize in-class tests

or quizzes.
About the Authors
Barbara R. Bjorklund has authored the last six editions of Journey of
Adulthood, and is pleased to co-author this edition with Dr. Julie Earles.
Dr. Bjorklund has taught psychology classes at colleges and universities
around south Florida for over 40 years and has conducted research in
both child and adult development. In addition to publishing research in
academic journals, she has also written for the popular press and been a
columnist for Parents magazine. Earlier editions of this book have been
written in Germany, Spain, and New Zealand where she was living as a
visiting scholar. Currently, Dr. Bjorklund is an Affiliate Professor at the
Wilkes Honors College of Florida Atlantic University.

Julie Earles is a Professor of Psychology at the Wilkes Honors College of
Florida Atlantic University where she teaches Lifespan Human
Development, Adult Development and Aging, and Research Methods in
Psychology. Her research program involves understanding how cognition
changes with age, with an emphasis on developmental changes in
memory for events. She has published over 30 articles and given over 100
presentations on her work. Her proudest accomplishment is her

supervision of over 80 honors thesis projects by undergraduate students.
She is also the Faculty in Residence for the Wilkes Honors College and
enjoys enhancing connections between faculty and students as part of an
engaged learning environment.
Dedication
For my new grandchildren: Jane and Wesley Zeman, Sage Zeman, and Amelia
Tobiaz.
You light up my life! BRB

For my father, Dr. Tom Earles, who taught me to appreciate human complexity
and search for the good in every person.
I love you dad. JLE
Acknowledgments
We are deeply grateful to Helen Bee, who authored the first three editions
of this book. We have worked with a variety of talented people while
revising this text. Some of them are Ashley Dodge, Sutapa Mukherjee,
and Tanimaa Mehra at Pearson’s end, our editorial project manager,
Michelle Hacker, our developmental editor, Nic Albert, and the entire
design and production team at SPi Global. We would also like to thank
the many reviewers who offered valuable suggestions for this revision
and previous editions.
We greatly appreciate the interest and patience of our family and friends
over the long course of updating this edition of Journey of Adulthood,
especially our husbands, David Bjorklund and Alan Kersten.
Barbara R. Bjorklund
Julie L. Earles
Jupiter, Florida
The Story of Revel—Why Revel?
WATCH Why Revel?
Revel is an interactive learning environment designed for the way today’s
students read, think, and learn. Revel uses interactives and assessments
integrated within the narrative that enhance content as well as students’
overall learning experiences.
The story of Revel is simple: When students are engaged in the course
content, they learn more effectively and perform better.
When creating your course, you have many choices as to how to
supplement your lectures and curriculum. So ask yourself these
questions: How do I know if my students are reading their assigned
materials? Do I want my students to have a better understanding of the
concepts presented in this class through course materials and lectures?
Do I want to see my students perform better throughout the course? If
you answered “yes” to these questions, choose Revel.

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Narrative Tells the Story
With Revel, students are introduced to a new learning experience, one in

which the most up-to-date content, reading, and interactive learning
become one.
We’ve talked to hundreds of instructors about their biggest challenges in

teaching their courses. We’ve heard some consistent answers: students
are not engaged; students come to class unprepared; students are unable
to think critically. However, the most common answer is that students do
not read, which leads directly to, and in fact magnifies, the other
challenges that instructors identified—lack of student engagement, lack of
student preparedness, and an inability to think critically. Our goal in

developing Revel was to research why students aren’t reading and to
solve that problem first and foremost as a gateway to deeper learning.

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Research and Data
Research shows that for students, reducing the extraneous cognitive load
– that is, the mental effort being used in the working memory – is key to
learning and retention. When students read or study in order to process
and retain information, the information must move from the working
memory to the long-term memory. Put simply, reducing extraneous

cognitive load increases long-term memory.
Our research also tells us that students do not see the benefits of reading
their textbooks. Students perceive their instructor’s dynamic lectures and
class notes as their main source for learning and view their assigned text
as simply a repetition of that classroom experience. In a student’s mind,

why would they read? What are the benefits?
We share the same goals: to give your students the motivation to read by
adding value to their interaction with the course materials, and to make it
easier for you to assign reading.
If that’s important to you, choose Revel.

The Story of Revel—The Solution
WATCH The Revel Solution
Revel is learning reimagined.
Revel benefits your students. Revel’s dynamic content matches the way
students learn today. Narrative is supported and enhanced by interactive
content and as a result, reading becomes a pleasure rather than a chore.
Revel also enables students to read and interact with course material on
the devices they use, anywhere and any time. Responsive design allows
students to access Revel on their tablets, desktop computers, or mobile
devices with content displayed clearly in both portrait and landscape
view.
Revel benefits you. Revel allows you to check your students’ progress
and understanding of core concepts through regular and consistent
assessment. End-of-module and end-of-chapter quizzes in Revel allow

students opportunities to check their understanding at regular intervals
before moving on; their grades are reported to the instructor dashboard.
Revel also offers no-, low-, and high-stakes writing activities for students
through the journal, shared writing, and essay activities.
Revel lets you monitor class assignment completion as well as individual
student achievement. Do you want to see points earned on quizzes, time
on task, and whether a particular student’s grade is improving? If so,
choose Revel.
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Reading
Our extensive research with both students and instructors found that
students who spend time completing their Revel reading assignments
come to class better prepared to ask questions and participate in
discussions. Revel’s assignability and tracking tools help educators make
sure students are completing their reading and understanding core

concepts. Instructors using Revel can see how frequently students access
their reading assignments and how well they understand what they read
before they come to class.
Assessments allow instructors to gauge student comprehension
frequently, provide timely feedback, and address learning gaps along the
way. Stakes associated with assessment instruments can positively impact
motivation, which can improve student participation and performance.

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Learning Design Theory
Over the course of several years, we have worked with thousands of

educators, students, and instructional design experts to develop Revel
with our authors. All of Revel’s key aspects—from features to content to
performance dashboard reporting—were guided by interactions with our
customers. Each Revel prototype has been tested with educators and
students to make sure it facilitates the achievement of their course and
individual goals. The result is a new approach to digital learning that
gives educators and students precisely what they need to enhance
learning and engagement.
INTERACTIVES AND VIDEOS Integrated interactive elements and

brief videos allow students to engage with content and take an active role
in learning. Revel’s interactive learning tools have been designed to be
completed quickly so students stay focused and on task.
INTERACTIVITY SPACED ACROSS CONTENT Instructional design
research shows that active pauses—with interactive content interspersed
within the text narrative—improves learning. Interactive content can often
more clearly provide information that is difficult to convey in static text.

Revel integrates active pauses to let learners stop and process information
using encoding and retrieval processes in the brain (Cheon, Crooks,
Chung, Song & Kim, 2014).

FAMILIAR LEARNING AND STUDY TOOLS Highlighting, note
taking, and a glossary personalize the learning experience. Instructors can
add notes for students, too, including reminders or study tips.

Data and Product Development
Instructional design research shows that taking a test on presented

material promotes subsequent learning and retention of that material on
a final test. When assessments are implemented appropriately and with
specific, timely feedback, students are engaged in the retrieval process,
and this act of retrieving solidifies the original learning. (McDaniel,

Anderson, Derbish, & Morrisette, 2007; Wiliam 2007).
The Story of Revel—Your Students
WATCH Revel and Your Students
Today’s students are busy. Many are not only taking a full class load, but
are also working full-time, holding internships, raising families, and

commuting to and from campus. As an instructor, you are competing for
the limited time that students have outside of class. In addition, you are
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With Revel, students can be efficient with their time. Revel ensures that
your course will become a priority, and it will motivate students to
complete their reading prior to coming to class. You work hard to give
your students a 21st century experience in class, one that incorporates
multimedia and technology. With Revel, your students can have that
same experience out of class on their own so that they can be better
prepared, and ultimately, more successful, in your class.
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What Students Need
Students need to be motivated to read. Students also need the work they
do outside of class to be a valuable use of their limited time. They need to
believe that they are spending their time wisely. The interactive elements
of Revel ensure that students are getting more than just a digital textbook
experience; with Revel, they are “experiencing” the content in new and
dynamic ways. Coupled with periodic assessment tools – as well as
opportunities to write about what they have read and learned – Revel
enhances student learning and retention.

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Mobile App
The new Revel mobile app lets students read, practice, and study—
anywhere, anytime, on any device. Content is available both online and
offline, and the app automatically syncs work across all registered
devices, giving students greater flexibility to toggle between their phone,
tablet, and laptop as they move through their day. The app also lets
students customize assignment notifications to stay on top of all due
dates.
In spring 2016 and 2017, over 1,600 students at nearly 80 two and four-
year colleges and universities responded to a demonstration of Revel.
Here is a sample of some student responses:
"Easy to access, no waiting for the textbook to arrive. I can review for
tests and it will remind me of upcoming assignments." - Danielle,
Normandale Community College
"Simple interface, easy to navigate and very convenient." - Degerio,
Guilford Technical Community College
"The future of learning." - Enrique, Des Moines Area Community College
Available for download from the Apple iTunes App Store or Google Play.
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Accessibility
Learning doesn’t stop when students walk out of class or step off campus;
we designed the mobile app because learning happens where life
happens — everywhere.
The Revel app lets students customize assignment notifications to stay on

top of all due dates. With the Revel app, students can:
access the assignment calendar;
complete reading and quizzes;
set customized due date reminders;
check overall performance on their mobile device.

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Support and Implementation—
Getting Started with Revel
More than 5,000 Revel instructors are connecting and sharing ideas.
They’re energizing their classrooms and brainstorming teaching
challenges via Pearson’s growing network of faculty communities. The

Revel community is an open, online space where members come together
to collaborate and learn from each other. If you’re currently teaching with
Revel or considering Revel for use in your class, we invite you to join the
Revel community.
Getting started with Revel is easy:
Identify the Problems You Want to Solve
Do you want students to come to class more prepared, having read
their assigned reading? Are your goals focused on improving student

success in your course? Are you looking to increase student
engagement? Are you interested in flipping your classroom so that
students learn basic course content outside of class, allowing for more
active and applied in-class learning?
Keep It Simple
The process of accessing and navigating these learning solutions
needs to be simple and intuitive. Revel has built-in, frequent, low-
stakes assessments for students to easily assess their understanding of
the material, without getting sidetracked from their required reading
assignment.
Track Learning Gains
Educators who track and measure learning gains are able to make
informed decisions about product implementations, course
transformations, and redesigns. In addition, they can increase their

ability to prove institutional effectiveness, meet accreditation
standards, track quality-enhancement plans, and fulfill grant
requirements.
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Course Creation, Set-Up, and
Assignments
If you have used a Pearson digital product in the past like a MyLab, you
can use your same Pearson account info to sign in to Revel.
If you do not have a Pearson account already, click Educator in the Get
Started box, and click I would like to request access.
After sign in, you will arrive at Revel’s course homepage. Select Search
for Materials in the upper right-hand corner and enter the title, author,
ISBN or keyword of the text you’ll be using. When you find your text,
click Create Course. Fill in your course information, and click Save.
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The first time you log in to Revel as an instructor you will be prompted to
“start creating assignments.” Click Get Started.
You are now ready to:
select content to choose textbook content, interactive media, and

graded assignments;
set due dates to make sure students know what Revel reading and
assessments are due and when;
publish assignments to push content and assignments to students.

BUILDING AN ASSESSMENT PLAN Revel includes various quiz types
to use for both formative and summative assessments. To get started,
simply assign each Revel module that you intend to cover in your course.
Be sure to consider your assignment due dates. If your goal is for students
to come to class more prepared, then be sure to make assignments due

before those topics are covered in class.
Additionally, think about how you will measure success in this Revel
course. What are the quantifiable goals you want to achieve? Pertinent
metrics might include one or both of the following:
an analysis of student engagement using Revel’s built-in reporting

features or
a comparison of in-class exam scores, final course grades, or retention

rates with those of previous semesters.
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Dashboard and Analytics
Because students tend to skip optional assignments, it is critical that Revel

contributes to the overall course grade. The recommendation of
experienced educators is that Revel should represent at least 10-20% of
the total course grade.
Remember that when you assign a chapter or section in Revel, you are
assigning reading, interactives, videos, and assessments. All you need to
do is pick the chapters and topics you want to cover, and then assign
them to your students on the Revel assignment calendar. The
Performance Dashboard allows you to export the student grades and
provides total points earned for easy manual adjustments to external

gradebooks.
Instructional design research suggests that certain habits of mind and
dispositions are associated with critical thinking skills. Writing can be
used as a tool to foster critical thinking. To get students to move toward
adopting these habits and dispositions, instruction and assessment should
be appropriately complex, and focused on supporting, eliciting, and
assessing skills such as evaluation, analysis, synthesis, collaboration, and

critical reflection. (Cope, Kalantzis, McCarthey, Vojak & Kline, 2011; Liu,
Frankel, & Roohr, 2014).
As a reminder, all Revel product information can be found on the
Pearson Revel site.

www.pearson.com/revel
Pearson Education
LMS Integration
Pearson provides Blackboard Learn™, Canvas™, Brightspace by D2L,

and Moodle integration, giving institutions, instructors, and students easy
access to Revel. Our Revel integration delivers streamlined access to
everything your students need for the course in these learning
management system (LMS) environments.
SINGLE SIGN-ON With a single sign-on, students are ready on their
first day. From your LMS course, students have easy access to an
interactive blend of author’s narrative, media, and assessment.

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GRADE SYNC Flexible, on-demand grade synchronization capabilities

allow you to control exactly which Revel grades should be transferred to
the LMS gradebook.
BEFORE YOU GET STARTED

Visit www.pearsonhighered.com/revel/educators/lms-integration-
services/ for administration and training guides related to your LMS.

Summary
With Revel, Pearson authors have been able to reimagine the way
students learn content, applying new and engaging learning and

assessment strategies that were not possible in the past with a print
textbook. If you want your students to read, retain what they have read,
understand concepts more fully, and develop and apply critical thinking
skills, you have one choice.
Choose Revel.
Pearson Education
REFERENCES
Cheon, J., Chung, S., Crooks, S. M., Song, J., & Kim, J. (2014). An investigation of the effects
of different types of activities during pauses in a segmented instructional animation.
Journal of Educational Technology & Society, 17(2), 296–306.
Cope, B., Kalantzis, M., McCarthey, S., Vojak, C., & Kline, S. (2011). Technology-mediated
writing assessments: Principles and processes. Computers and Composition, 28(2), 79–96.
DOI: 10.1016/j.compcom.2011.04.007
Liu, O. L., Frankel, L., & Roohr, K. C. (2014). Assessing critical thinking in higher education:
Current state and directions for next-generation assessment. ETS Research Reports
Series, 2014: 1–23. DOI: 10.1002/ets2.12009
McDaniel, M. A., Anderson, J, L., Derbish, M. H., & Morrisette, N. (2007). Testing the testing
effect in the classroom. European Journal of Cognitive Psychology, 19:4, 494–513.
Wiliam, D. (2007). Keeping learning on track: classroom assessment and the regulation of
learning. In F. K. Lester Jr (Ed.), Second handbook of mathematics teaching and learning (pp.
1053-1098). Greenwich, CT: Information Age Publishing.

Chapter 1
Introduction to Adult Development
A multigenerational family.
 Learning Objectives
1.1 Explore major themes in developmental psychology

1.2 Explain the major sources of development
1.3 Differentiate between the perspectives of psychological and
bioecological models
1.4 Evaluate developmental research methods
A Word from the Author: My Journey of Adulthood
My journey of adulthood began early, as did that of many women
of my generation, when I married shortly after high school and
began a family. But unlike many women in my peer group, I
spent more time reading than I did having morning coffee with
the other moms. I always took a book along to read while the
kids had music lessons, baseball practice, and orthodontist

appointments. The library was important to me. It was as much a
weekly stop as the grocery store. By the time my youngest child
began kindergarten, I enrolled in college as a freshman—at the
age of 29, which was much older than the average at that time.
For the next 7 years, my children and I did our homework

together at the kitchen table, counted the days to the next holiday
break, and posted our grade reports on the refrigerator. Today, as
adults, they tell me that they can’t remember a time in their

childhood when I wasn’t in school. Just before I earned my
master’s degree in developmental psychology, the marriage

ended, and I spent some time as a single mother. I abandoned
plans for a PhD and took a job at the university, teaching

psychology courses and doing research on children’s memory
development. And just as my children began to leave the nest, I

married a man whose own journey of adulthood had brought him
to fatherhood rather late, making me stepmother of a 5-year-old,

who quickly became an important part of my life. Not too much
later, the grandchildren began to arrive, and life settled into a
nice routine. It seemed I had done it all—marriage, parenthood,

career, single parenthood, stepparenthood, and
grandparenthood; my life was full.
Suddenly, my 50th birthday loomed. It seemed to represent much
more than turning “just another year older” and caused me to

reevaluate my life. I realized that I wasn’t ready to ride slowly
into the sunset for the next several decades; I needed to get back
on track and move forward with my education. The next fall, I
entered a PhD program in lifespan developmental psychology at

the University of Georgia. It was an invigorating and humbling
experience. Instead of being the teacher, I was the student.

Instead of supervising the research project, I was being
supervised. Instead of giving advice, I was asking where the
bookstore was, where to park, and how to use the copy machine.
But 3 years later I was awarded a red-and-black hood in a formal
graduation ceremony with my children and grandchildren,

parents, and siblings cheering for me from the audience.
Now I have an affiliate position at the Wilkes Honors College of

Florida Atlantic University, and I write college textbooks. My
husband and I live in a rural community in southeastern Florida

with a cypress stand in the front yard and a small pine forest in
the back. Our neighbors have horses, and we wake to roosters

crowing in the morning. The book club I started 13 years ago is
still going strong, and I enjoy attending community lectures at

the university.
One son and daughter-in-law live nearby with three of our

grandchildren, and my typical day consists of early-morning
writing followed by a water aerobics class. Afternoons I am on

homework-help duty or driving grandkids from school to music
lessons to home. One grandson is a budding chef at 15, and he
comes to our house after school to cook with my husband.

Recently, they have been trying to create the perfect French
baguette. Another son and daughter-in-law live with their three
children just an hour down the coast, and we visit each other
often. Despite some typical family drama, in general, life is good.
Seven years ago, with three children and eight grandchildren

ranging in age from 8 to 25, my husband and I felt that our lives
had settled down. But then both sons, who had been divorced for
some time, remarried and started new families. Within the last 5
years, we have added Lily Pearl (age 5), twins Wesley and Jane
(age 4), and Sage (age 2). Our younger son married a woman
with a 15-year-old son, Andrés, and we quickly added him to our
list. As I write this, our 14th grandchild, Amelia, is getting ready
to come home from the NICU, after making her entrance into our
family a month ago at 3-1/2 pounds. Looking back, we can’t
imagine how we felt our lives were complete without these six
additions!
If there is a message to take from this text it is this: development

doesn’t stop at 21, or 40, or 65. Your life will never stop
surprising you until you breathe your last breath. My wish for
you is that the surprises are mostly happy ones.
I approach the topic of this text both as a developmental

psychologist and on a more personal level. Like many people, I
am on this journey of adulthood with my sisters, my husband, my
friends, my adult children, and my college-aged grandchildren
who are in emerging adulthood, so my interest is both scientific
and personal. I want to understand how it all works and why,

both because that is what I have chosen for my career and also
because it is what I think about a good deal of the time when I
am not at work. My journey through adulthood is no doubt
similar to yours, but it is also different in other ways. What I am

searching for in this text are the basic rules or processes that
account for both the similarities and the differences. I hope you
can share with me the sense of adventure in the scientific search
as well as in the personal journey.
1.1: Basic Concepts in Adult
Development
Objective: Explore major themes in developmental psychology
Developmental psychology  is the field of study that deals with the
behavior, thoughts, and emotions of individuals as they go through

various parts of the lifespan. It includes child development, adolescent
development, and adult development —the particular concern of this
book. We are interested in the changes that take place within individuals
as they progress from emerging adulthood (when adolescence is ending)
to the end of life. Although many autobiographies give first-person

accounts of people’s lives and many interesting stories about people’s
experiences in adulthood, this book is based on empirical research —
scientific studies of observable events that are measured and evaluated
objectively. When personal accounts and examples are used (including
the opening story about my life), they are chosen to illustrate concepts
that have been carefully researched.
 By the end of this module, you

will be able to:
1.1.1 Describe differences and commonalities in experiences of
adulthood
1.1.2 Identify constants and changes that impact adult development

1.1.3 Differentiate among the various types of age
1.1.1: Differences and Commonalities
Objective: Describe differences and commonalities in
experiences of adulthood
Some of you are just beginning the journey of your own adult life; some
of you are partway along the road, having traveled through your 20s, 30s,
and perhaps 40s, 50s, and beyond. Whatever your age, you are traveling,
moving through the years and the transformations that come along the
way. We do not all follow the same itinerary on this journey; you may
spend a long time in a location that I do not visit at all; I may make an
unscheduled side trip. Or we may visit the same places but experience
them very differently. Every journey has individual differences , aspects
that are unique to the individual. You may not have experienced the trials
of single parenthood as I have or the joys of grandparenthood, and I
cannot relate to the independence you must feel when living alone or the
confusion you experience when your parents divorce. Likewise, there are
also some commonalities , typical aspects of adult life that most of us
can relate to (either now or in the future). Most of us have moved out of
our parents’ homes (or plan to), experienced romantic relationships,

entered college with some plans for the future, and either started a family
or given some serious thought to parenthood. My goal for this book is to
explore with you both the uniqueness and the common grounds of our
adult lives.
1.1.2: Stability and Change
Objective: Identify constants and changes that impact adult
development
Two of the concepts featured in this text are stability and change during
the developmental process. Stability  refers to the important parts of
ourselves that make up a consistent core. It is the constant set of
personality traits, preferences, and typical ways of behaving that make
each of us the individuals that we are throughout our lifetimes. In other

words, your 40-year-old self will be similar to your 20-year-old self in
some ways, as will your 60-year-old self. For example, one of the stable
themes of my adult life is a love for books. In fact, it goes back to my
childhood. Some of my most prized possessions are the books in my
library. I always have several books that I am in the process of reading,
and an audiobook that plays in my car via Bluetooth. Thirteen years ago, I
started a book club in my neighborhood that has become a big source of
joy for me. Another theme that keeps popping up in my life is children,
beginning early on with three younger sisters, then my own children,
then my stepdaughter, nieces and nephews, then grandchildren. I have

always had a toy box in my living room and sippy cups in the kitchen
cabinet. In fact, the two themes of books and children often mix. I send
books on birthdays for the children on my gift list, and when visiting
children spend the night, I have a shelf of children’s books in the
guestroom, some that belonged to their own parents many years ago.
Perhaps you find stability in your life in terms of playing a musical

instrument or participating in sports. The genre of books I read may
change over the years, and your choice of musical selections or sporting
events may be different from time to time, but the core essence of these
stable themes remains an integral part of our lives.
Change  is the opposite force to stability. It is what happens to us over
time that makes us different from our younger (and older) selves. An
example from my life is travel. As a child, I never traveled too far out of
my home state of Florida. Almost all my relatives lived nearby, and those
who didn’t were more than happy to visit our warm climate during
winter. In fact, at the age of 35, I had never been on an airplane. But
when I married my current husband (and no longer had children living at
home), I had the opportunity to travel to national conferences and
accompany him on international trips as he collaborated with colleagues
and worked as a visiting professor around the world. In the last 20 years,
we have spent extended periods of time in Germany, Spain, and New
Zealand. We have made shorter trips to Japan, China, Italy, Sweden,
Norway, Denmark, England, Scotland, Wales, Austria, Switzerland, and
Egypt. Last year we made it to Paris! I am an expert packer, and my office

is filled with framed photos I have taken in many exotic locations. To
compare myself at 30 and 50, my travel habits would constitute a

dramatic change. Other examples of change in the adult developmental
process occur when one becomes a parent, switches careers, or decides to

move to another part of the country (or to an entirely different country).
One way to view the journey of adulthood is to consider both the stability
and the change that define our lives.
Photo of the author, Barbara Bjorklund, visiting a Roman aqueduct on a
recent trip to Pont du Gard, France.
Continuity and Stages
Still another way of looking at this journey is gauging how straight the
road is. Some stretches of our lives are continuous —slow and gradual,
taking us in a predictable direction. My gardening certainly fits this
definition. In my earliest apartments I had potted plants, and when we
rented our first house, I persuaded the landlord to let me put in a small
flower garden. As our yards have grown bigger, so have my garden
projects. I enjoy plant fairs, trade plant cuttings with friends, and of
course, read books about gardening. I find it relaxing to spend time
“digging in the dirt.” I have increased my knowledge and skill over the
years. Now that our yard is measured in acres instead of square feet, I’m
in heaven. So far, I have a butterfly garden in the front yard, and I’m
working on a vegetable garden in the back. Hopefully I will continue to
“develop” as a gardener for many years.
In contrast, our lives also have stages , parts of the journey where there
seems to be no progress for some time, followed by an abrupt change.
Stages are much like driving on a quiet country road for a long time and
then getting onto a busy interstate highway (or vice versa). In my adult
life I view the years of being home with my young children as a stage that
was followed by the abrupt change of the youngest entering school and
me starting college. I suddenly went from having minute-to-minute,
hands-on parenting duties to the type that involve preparations the night
before and then dropping the children off at school in the morning. I also
went from having mostly tasks that involved physical work and concrete
thinking skills (e.g., how to get crayon marks off the walls) to those that
required abstract thinking (e.g., Psychology 101). This mother/student
stage continued for many years until I reached the single-
mother/researcher stage. An interesting question in the study of
adulthood is exploring how typical  these stages of adult life are: Do
most adults go through them along their journeys and, if so, do they go
through them in the same order and at the same age? Or are they
atypical , unique to the individual? I think that sending one’s youngest
child off to school is probably a universal event in a parent’s life, signaling
the end of one stage and the beginning of another, but I don’t think that
the transition from full-time mother to full-time student is typical, though
it is more common today than it was a generation ago. Listen to a
nontraditional student reflect on her atypical journey in the following
video.
Watch Experiences of a Nontraditional College Student

External and Internal Change
A final theme of this text has to do with internal versus external changes.
As we proceed along the journey of adulthood, many external changes 
are visible and apparent to those we encounter. We enter early adulthood
and become more confident in our step and our carriage; we fill out and
mature; some of us become pregnant; some begin to lose their hair. In

middle age many of us lose and gain weight, increase and decrease in
fitness. Internal changes  are not as apparent to the casual observer. We
fall in and out of love, hold our children close, and then learn to give
them space. We look to our parents for guidance at the beginning of our
journeys and then assist them at the end of theirs. And we grow in
wisdom and grace. Of course, the internal and external changes are not
independent of one another. External changes can affect the way we feel
about ourselves, and vice versa. They also affect the way others perceive
us, and this, in turn, affects our self-perceptions. Untangling this
conceptual ball of yarn is another goal of this text.

1.1.3: A Word About “Age”
Objective: Differentiate among the various types of age
Most people know that age is just a number. Perhaps ages in childhood
give valid information about what to expect in the way of appearance or

behavior, but once a child reaches adolescence, many more factors are
involved. In fact, the further we venture on the journey of adulthood, the
more variability there is among people our “own” age.
Several types of age have been identified, and they illustrate the many
dimensions of adult development. Click or tap each type of age to expand
or collapse each type and learn more about it.
Types of Age
Sometimes biological age, psychological age, and social age are
considered in a package as functional age , or how well a person is
functioning as an adult compared to others. But it seems clear that the
question “How old are you?” has a number of answers.
As developmental psychologists, we try not to depend solely on

chronological age when investigating some aspect of adult behavior. As
you will see, many studies use age groups (young adults compared with
middle-aged adults) or roles (people without children compared with
people with children). Often, they avoid the chronological age question
by comparing the same people before and after they take on a role, such
as parenthood or retirement. It is important to keep in mind that

development and chronological age do not travel hand in hand, and this
becomes more and more apparent the older we get.

1.2: Sources of Change
Objective: Explain the major sources of development
There are many potential influences on adult development. In fact, the
types of influences that result in change have been classified as: (1)
normative age-graded influences, (2) normative history-graded

influences, and (3) nonnormative life events. In the following section I
explain these various influences and give you some examples so you can
see them at work in your own lives.

will be able to:
1.2.1 Identify normative age-graded influences on development
1.2.2 Describe how historical events impact development
1.2.3 Evaluate the ways that nonnormative events affect adulthood
1.2.4 Explain the interactionist view on the influences of nature and
nurture on development
1.2.1: Normative Age-Graded
Influences
Objective: Identify normative age-graded influences on
development
When you hear the phrase “sources of change,” your first thought is
probably of normative age-graded influences , those influences that are
linked to age and experienced by most adults as they grow older.
Biology
Some of the changes we see in adults are shared by all of us because we
are all members of our species undergoing natural aging processes. This
is often represented by the idea of a biological clock , ticking away to
mark the common changes that occur with time. Many such changes are
easy to see, such as hair gradually turning gray or skin becoming
wrinkled. Others are not visible from the outside but occur internally,
such as the loss of muscle tissue, which results in a gradual loss of
physical strength. The rate at which such physical changes occur varies
quite a lot from one person to another.
Shared Experiences
Another normative influence that is dictated for most of us by our ages
can be envisioned by a culturally determined social clock  defining a
typical sequence of adult life experiences, such as the timing of college

graduation, marriage, and retirement. Even though our society has
expanded the choices we have in the timing of these experiences, we still
are aware of the “normative” timing of these events. Where we stand in
relation to the social clock can affect our own sense of self. The middle-
aged man still living at home, the “perpetual student,” the older working
woman whose friends have retired—all may be doing well in important
aspects of their lives, but if those lives are out of sync with what society
expects in the way of timing, it may lead to some personal doubts. In
contrast, the young adult who is CEO of his own high-tech company, the
middle-aged woman who completes law school, and the octogenarian

who finishes the Boston Marathon may have reason to celebrate over and
above the face value of their accomplishments. Of course, the normal
sequence of adult life differs by culture and even subculture. For example,
the average age of marriage in India and many African countries is the
early 20s, while in most of Europe and Australia it is the early 30s.
Another effect the social clock can have is ageism , a type of
discrimination in which opinions are formed and decisions are made
about others based solely on the fact that they are in a particular age
group. Older adults are sometimes stereotyped as cranky, sexless,
forgetful, and less valuable than younger people. Television sitcoms,

commercials, birthday cards, and jokes on social media all perpetuate
these stereotypes. Emerging adults can also be targets of ageism, when

they are perceived as being less capable than their older coworkers or
when they are stereotyped as delinquents because of their style of clothes

and speech. One of my goals for this text is to give a realistic and
respectful look at adults of every age.
Another manifestation of the influence of the social clock in virtually all
cultures is the pattern of experiences associated with family life. For

example, the majority of adults experience parenthood, and once their
first child is born, they begin a fixed pattern of shared social experiences
with other parents that move along with their children’s stages of life—
infancy, toddlerhood, the school years, adolescence, and preparation to
leave home. Each of these periods in a child’s life makes a different set of
demands on parents—attending childbirth classes, setting preschool
playdates, hosting scout meetings, coaching Little League baseball,

visiting potential colleges—and this sequence shapes 20 or 30 years of
most adults’ lives, regardless of their own biological ages.
Obviously, shared developmental changes based on the social clock are
much less likely to be universal than those based on the biological clock.
But within any given culture, shared age-graded experiences can explain
some of the common threads of adult development.

1.2.2: Normative History-Graded
Influences
Objective: Describe how historical events impact development
Experiences that result from historical events or conditions, known as

normative history-graded influences , also shape adult development.
These influences are helpful for explaining both the similarities found
among people within certain groups and also the dissimilarities among
people in those same groups. Both are important parts of a course on

adult development.
The large social environments in which development takes place are
known as cultures , and the ways they influence the adult life pattern
can vary enormously: the expected age of marriage or childbearing, the
typical number of children (and spouses), the roles of men and women,
class structures, religious practices, and laws. I was reminded of this on a
trip several years ago, when a young Chinese mother in Beijing struck up
a conversation with me, and we began talking about our families. She had
a toddler daughter with her who was 2-1/2, just the age of my youngest
grandson, I told her. “Youngest grandson?” she asked, “How many
grandchildren do you have?” I told her I had eight, then realized from her
expression of surprise that this was very unusual in China. She explained
to me that since 1979 there has been a one-child policy in China. Almost
all Chinese parents in urban areas limit their families to one child. She
was an only child; her daughter was an only child (and the only
grandchild of both sets of grandparents). The typical person in her culture
has no siblings, no aunts or uncles, and no cousins. She asked to see
pictures of my grandchildren and wanted to know their ages and details
about them. We had a very friendly visit, but I could not help but wonder
how different my life would be in that culture, and what her life will be
like when she is my age. When I learned that China had begun phasing
out this policy in 2015, I immediately thought of the nice woman in
Beijing, whose daughter might be an adult now. I wondered how this
cultural change would affect her and her family.

Cohorts
A cohort  is a more finely grained concept than a culture because it
refers to a group of people who share a common historical experience at
the same stage of life. The term is roughly synonymous with generation,
but narrower—a generation refers to about 20 years, whereas a cohort can
be a much shorter period. And a generation can refer to a much larger

geographic area, whereas a cohort can be just one country or one region
of one country. For example, Cuban Americans who came to the United
States in the 1960s to flee Fidel Castro make up an important cohort in
south Florida.
One of the most studied cohorts in the social sciences is the group of
people who grew up during the Great Depression of the 1930s. This was a
time in the United States (and in most of the world) that crops failed,
factories closed, the stock market crashed, unemployment skyrocketed,
and without unemployment benefits and government social programs,

the only help available was from family, neighbors, or churches (none of
whom had much to share). Almost no one escaped the effects of this
disaster. But what were its effects, and were people affected differently
depending on what age they were when the Great Depression hit? That
was the thrust of the research on growing up in the Great Depression
conducted by sociologist Glen H. Elder, Jr. (1979). He found that the
cohort of people who were teenagers during the Great Depression
showed fewer long-term effects than those who had been in early
elementary school at the same time. The younger cohort spent a greater
portion of their childhood under conditions of economic hardship. The
hardship altered family interaction patterns, educational opportunities,
and even the personalities of the children, so that the negative effects
could still be detected in adulthood. Those who were teenagers during
the Great Depression did not show negative effects in adult life; on the
contrary, some of them seemed to have grown from the experience of
hardship and showed more independence and initiative in adulthood as a
result. Thus, two cohorts, rather close in actual age, experienced the same
historical event differently because of their ages. The timing of events
interacts with tasks, issues, and age norms, producing unique patterns of
influence for each cohort and helping to create common adult-life
trajectories for those in the same cohort.
Although the era of the Great Depression is past, this research should
remind us that every one of us, as an adult, bears the marks of the events
we have lived through and the age-specific ways we reacted to those
events. The recession of 2008 affected many families, and although the
economy is doing much better, young adults who grew up in those times
will be different in their outlooks toward job security than those who
grew up a decade before or a decade afterward.
Although there are no definite ages for the cohorts living today, several
general groupings have been suggested. Figure 1.1  shows one such
grouping.
Figure 1.1 Primary Cohorts Today

Which cohort do you belong to? Your parents? Your grandparents?
1.2.3: Nonnormative Life Events
Objective: Evaluate the ways that nonnormative events affect
adulthood
Along with the aspects that you share with most other adults your age
and in your culture, there are nonnormative life events , aspects that
influence your life that are unique to you and not shared with most
others. These can have an important effect on the pathway of your life.
Examples of nonnormative life events are having one’s spouse die in early
adulthood, inheriting enough money to retire at age 40, taking over
parental responsibility for one’s grandchildren, and starting one’s own
business at 65.
Some of these events are nonnormative for anyone at any age, such as
inheriting a large amount of money, but others are nonnormative because
of the timing. The death of a spouse is, unfortunately, a normative event
in older adulthood, but not so in the earlier years. And starting one’s own
business may be remarkable in early adulthood, but it is highly
nonnormative at the age of 65. As pioneering developmental psychologist

Bernice Neugarten advised us back in 1976, we have to pay attention not
only to the event itself, but also to the timing. Events that are on time are
much easier to cope with (even the death of a spouse) than those that are
off time.
I can speak from experience as one who was off time in several aspects of
my life—becoming a parent early, going to college late, becoming a
grandparent early, going to graduate school late. It makes for a good
chapter introduction, but it was not always easy. One problem is the lack
of peers—I was always “the older one” or “the younger one,” never just
one of the group. You don’t fit in with your agemates because you are
doing something different, but you don’t fit in with your fellow students
or other moms either because you are not their age. And if this situation
is easy to deal with yourself, sometimes others have problems, such as
administrators who don’t want to hire beginning professors who are older
than they are. So, in the best of all possible worlds, it is probably easier to
do things “on time” than march to your own drummer—I’ve just never
lived in the best of all possible worlds.

1.2.4: Genetics, the Environment, and
their Interactions
Objective: Explain the interactionist view on the influences of
nature and nurture on development
Each of us inherits, at conception, a unique combination of genes. A very
large percentage of these genes is identical from one member of the
species to the next. This is why our developmental patterns are so much
alike—why children all over the world walk at about 12 months, and why
we go through puberty in our early teens and menopause around age 51.
But our genetic inheritance is individual as well as collective. The study of
behavioral genetics , or the contributions genes make to individual
behavior, has been a particularly active research topic in recent decades.
We now know that specific heredity affects a remarkably broad range of
behaviors, including cognitive abilities, such as problem solving; physical

characteristics, such as height or body shape or a tendency to fatness or
leanness; personality characteristics; and even pathological behavior,
such as a tendency toward alcoholism, schizophrenia, or depression
(Plomin et al., 2012). The extent to which these traits and tendencies
remain in place throughout our lives shows the influence of heredity on
stability in development.
In searching for genetic influences on variations in adult behavior,

behavioral geneticists rely primarily on twin studies . These are studies
that compare monozygotic twins with dizygotic twins on some behavior.

Such studies are based on the fact that monozygotic twins develop from
the same sperm and ovum and thus share exactly the same genetic
patterning at conception, whereas dizygotic twins each develop from a
separate sperm and ovum and are therefore no more alike, genetically,
than any other pair of siblings. In typical twin studies, measurements of
some trait or ability are taken on each twin, and then the pairs are
compared to see how similar their scores are. If the monozygotic twin
pairs are more similar for that trait or ability than the dizygotic twin pairs,
then it is taken as evidence that the trait or ability is influenced by
genetics.
Watch Genetic Mechanisms and Behavioral Genetics
Twin studies are difficult because the statistics involved require large
numbers of participants, and it is difficult for a researcher to recruit
hundreds of pairs of twins. For this reason, several countries that have
central databanks of their citizens’ birth records and health records have
taken the lead in this type of research. The largest databank of twins is in
Sweden at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm. It maintains a database
of information on over 85,000 twin pairs.

Environment
Our environment also contributes to the parts of ourselves that remain
relatively stable over time. Although neither our biology nor our
upbringing dictates our destiny, both have long-term effects. The lifelong
effect of early family experience has been clearly demonstrated by the
Grant Study of Harvard Men. Psychiatrist George Vaillant (2002), the

study’s current director, has concluded that those who lived in the
warmest, most trusting homes as children are more apt to be living well-
adjusted lives in adulthood than those who spent their childhoods in the
bleakest homes. Men from the warmest homes are more able, as adults,
to express emotions appropriately and openly, to see the world and the
people in it as trustworthy, and to have friends with whom they enjoy
leisure-time activities. Vaillant’s interpretation is that parents who
provide basic trust to their children (in this case, their sons) instill a sense
of self-worth, good coping skills, the ability to form meaningful
relationships, and in general construct a solid foundation for the core

values the child will take with him or her throughout adulthood. And
what’s more, subsequent studies show that these data could predict
which men at age 75 would most likely be aging successfully (i.e., be
healthy and happy) and which would be aging unsuccessfully (i.e., be sick
and sad). Taken together, Vaillant’s studies show that at least for extreme
situations, the early childhood environment can set the course for a
lifetime of either emotional openness, trust, and good health or
loneliness, mistrust, and illness.

A more recent study showed the effects of living in an impoverished
environment on mental health. In the National Health and Nutrition
Examination Survey, adults were asked about their depressive symptoms.
When responses were examined by income level, respondents at every
age who lived in impoverished environments reported more symptoms of
depression.
Interactions
Of course, there are no simple partitions between genes and
environment, and we can’t separate their contributions to the stability we
experience throughout adulthood. Most developmental psychologists
now subscribe to an interactionist view  in which one’s genetic traits
determine how one interacts with the environment and even the
environment itself (Greenberg et al., 2010). For example, a boy with a
genetic makeup that promotes avoiding risks will grow up with a certain
pattern of interactions with his parents and siblings and will seek out
friends and activities that do not involve high risk. Teachers may view
this as stable and sensible and steer him to a career such as accounting.
The result is a young adult with risk-avoiding genes working in a low-risk
career environment and enjoying low-risk activities with his friends. He
will probably marry someone who shares these interests, giving him even
more support for this lifestyle. You can imagine the life course of this
person, perhaps having one child, living in the same home and working
in the same job until retirement. Quiet evenings would be spent at home
or at the neighborhood tavern. He would have good health because of
regular checkups, exercise, and sensible eating habits. He would probably
wear his seatbelt and drive defensively. Vacations would be carefully
planned tours of scenic places, and retirement would bring regular golf
games with the same friends each week and volunteer work with the
foster grandparent program at the local elementary school. Risk
avoidance is the theme of this person’s life, but can we really say it was
caused by his genetic makeup? Or was it the environment? These kinds of
questions make up the interactionist’s chicken-and-egg dilemma.
One mechanism for this interaction between genes and environment is
epigenetic inheritance , a process by which the genes one receives at
conception are modified by subsequent environmental events that occur
during the prenatal period and throughout the lifespan (Kremen & Lyons,
2011). The process by which genes are modified is known as DNA
methylation  because it involves the chemical modification of DNA
through the addition of a methyl group, resulting in reduced gene

expression. This type of inheritance explains how the environment can
cause permanent, lifelong characteristics that were not part of the original
genetic endowment at conception. For example, autopsies of adults who
committed suicide show that those who had a history of childhood abuse
are more apt to have modified glucocorticoid receptor genes in their
brains than both adults who committed suicide but had no history of
childhood abuse and a control group of adults who died of other causes
(McGowan et al., 2009). Glucocorticoid receptors determine how an
individual responds to stress. In this case, it seems that early childhood

experiences bring forth changes in the children’s genetic expression that
have lifelong consequences.

1.3: Guiding Perspectives
Objective: Differentiate between the perspectives of
psychological and bioecological models
Before any questions about adult development can be asked, we need to
determine what platform to stand on—the base from which we set the
course of this journey. The remainder of this text covers specific areas of
development and includes specific theories to guide that research, but
two broad approaches are used throughout, and they define the tone of
the book.

will be able to:
1.3.1 Describe elements of the lifespan developmental psychology
approach
1.3.2 Outline the systems used in the bioecological model of
development
1.3.1: Lifespan Developmental
Psychology Approach
Objective: Describe elements of the lifespan developmental
psychology approach
One major approach of this text is the lifespan developmental
psychology approach , which states that development is lifelong,
multidimensional, plastic, contextual, and has multiple causes (Baltes et
al., 1980). Psychologist Paul Baltes and his colleagues introduced these
ideas in 1980, and although this approach sounds very ordinary today, it
marked a turning point in developmental psychology, which before that
time was focused almost exclusively on child development. The major
points of the lifespan developmental approach are illustrated in Table
1.1 , along with some examples of each. As you read through, you will
see that it opened the door for the study of development at all ages—not
just your 12-year-old brother, but also you, your fellow students, your
parents, your professor, and even your grandparents. Click or tap each
concept to learn more.
Table 1.1 Lifespan Developmental Psychology: Concepts,

Propositions, and Examples
1.3.2: Bioecological Model of
Development
Objective: Outline the systems used in the bioecological model of
development
A second major approach this text takes is based on the bioecological
model , which points out that we must consider the developing person
within the context of multiple environments. The idea is that
development must take place within biological, psychological, and,

especially, social contexts that change over time, and that these various
influences are in constant interaction (Lerner, 2006; Sameroff, 2009).
These ideas were introduced by psychologist Urie Bronfenbrenner in
1979 and have been modified over the last four decades (Bronfenbrenner
& Morris, 2006). Bronfenbrenner proposed five systems: the microsystem,
the exosystem, and the macrosystem, as shown in Figure 1.2 , with the
mesosystem as the interaction among elements in the microsystem. In
addition, there is the chronosystem, which reflects the fact that the other
three systems are dynamic—constantly changing over time. This change
can be as individual as physical maturation or as encompassing as a large-
scale earthquake or an economic recession in one’s country.
Figure 1.2 The Bioecological Model

This figure illustrates Urie Bronfenbrenner’s model of the ecological-
systems approach to studying development. He suggested that
researchers look beyond behavior in laboratory settings and consider
how development takes place within multiple environments and through
time.
Source: Based on Bronfenbrenner (1979)
The major point of Bronfenbrenner’s theory, and other developmental

contextual approaches in general, is that individuals and their
development cannot be studied “out of context.” Rather, we must

consider the social environment-from family and friends through
community and the broader culture, all in interaction-when trying to

explain the factors that influence the course of a person’s journey to and
through adulthood.
As you will see throughout this text, recent research in most areas of the
social sciences has reflected this model, investigating the development of
adults in the context of their lives as individuals, as partners in

relationships, as parents in families, as workers on job sites, and as
members of particular cultural groups and cohorts.
1.4: Developmental Research
Objective: Evaluate developmental research methods
To understand adult development, it is important to know a little about
the research process because information today in the social sciences is,
for the most part, science based. I won't attempt to present a whole
course on research methods and statistics, but I cover some of the
methods that are used in the studies described throughout this text.
All research begins with questions. Suppose, for example, that I want to
know something about change or stability in personal relationships over
the adult years-relationships with a spouse, with other family members,

or with friends. Or suppose that I wanted to study memory over
adulthood. Older adults frequently complain that they can't remember
things as well as when they were younger. Is this a valid perception? Is
there really a loss in memory ability in old age, or earlier? How would I
go about designing research to answer such questions? In every instance,
there is a set of questions to answer:
Should I study groups of people of different ages, or should I study

the same group of people over time, or some combination of the two?
This is a question dealing with basic research methods.
How will I measure the behavior, thought, or emotion I am studying?
How can I best inquire about the quality of marriage-with a
questionnaire or in an interview? How do I measure depression-is

there a set of questions I can use? These are questions of research
measures.
What will I do with the data? Is it enough merely to compare the
average number of friends, or the average relationship satisfaction
described by participants in each age group? What else would I want
to do to tease out some of the possible explanations? These are
questions of research analysis.
What do the results mean? Depending on the research method,
measures, and analysis, what is the overall conclusion? What is the
answer to the research question I began with? These are questions of

research design.

will be able to:
1.4.1 Identify methods used in developmental research
1.4.2 Explain the advantages and disadvantages of different measures
1.4.3 Describe forms of data analysis
1.4.4 Differentiate among research designs

1.4.1: Methods
Objective: Identify methods used in developmental research
Choosing a research method is perhaps the most crucial decision the
researcher makes. This is true in any area of science, but there are special
considerations when the topic of study is development. There are
essentially three choices:
1. You can choose different groups of participants at each of a series

of ages and compare their responses-in other words, the cross-
sectional method.
2. You can study the same participants over a period of time,
observing whether their responses remain the same or change in
systematic ways-the longitudinal method.
3. You can combine the two in any of several ways, collectively
called sequential methods.

Cross-Sectional Studies
A cross-sectional study  in developmental psychology describes a study
that is based on data gathered at one time from groups of participants
who represent different age groups. Each participant is measured or
tested only once, and the results give us information about differences
between the groups.
One example of a cross-sectional research design was performed by
neurobiologist Janina Seubert and her colleagues (2017) to investigate the
decline of the sense of smell in participants of different ages. This is an
important ability as people get older because without the sense of smell
they may not detect gas leaks or other noxious substances in their homes,
and because smell is closely related to taste, they may not eat enough to
remain healthy or may eat food that is spoiled. The sense of smell is also
important for the enjoyment of food and other aromas.
Seubert and her colleagues collected demographic information from 2,848
adults in 11 different age groups between 66 and 99+ years. They were
chosen randomly from the participants in a larger study, the Swedish
National Study of Aging and Care. The number chosen at each age
reflected the population of Sweden at the time. They removed those who
reported having allergies, asthma, or just did not want to participate.
They also removed any participant who had dementia or several other
cognitive impairments, leaving 2,234 healthy participants. Researchers
collected demographic information, such as gender, education, physical

health, mental health, and whether they had certain genetic markers for
diseases, such as the APOE-ε4 gene associated with Alzheimer’s disease.
The participants were also asked about their own evaluations of their
senses of smell. Table 1.2  shows the number of participants at each age
group and each gender,
Table 1.2 Number of Participants (n) for Each Age and Gender
Source: Data from Seubert et al. (2017).
The odor test involved 16 items: apple, banana, clove, coffee, cinnamon,
fish, garlic, lemon, leather, licorice, peppermint, pineapple, rose,

turpentine, mushrooms, and gasoline. Odors were infused into felt-tip
pens and each participant was exposed to the odor on the pen for 5
seconds. The researchers recorded how many of the odors each
participant was able to identify correctly and how many they identified
incorrectly, giving each a score. Those with scores below an established
cutoff were considered to have olfactory dysfunction, or difficulty with their

sense of smell. Figure 1.3  shows what percentage of participating men
and women at each age had olfactory dysfunction. As you can see, this
problem increases with age from 66 to 90, and it is generally more
prevalent in men than in women. Click or tap each point on the graph to
view associated details.
Figure 1.3 Prevalence of Olfactory Dysfunction
Some cross-sectional studies do not use age groups. Instead, they use
stages in life, such as comparing young couples without children to
couples who have had their first child to see the effects of parenthood on
a marriage. Or comparing young people entering college with those who
are graduating to see the effects of education on political views. But all
cross-sectional studies are designed to test people from different age
groups or stages in life at the same point in time—kind of a shortcut for

following one group of people throughout a period of years and charting
individual changes. The benefit is that it is quicker, easier, and less

expensive than following the same people around the whole time. The
downside is that it only shows age differences, not change. When cross-
sectional studies are conducted with older adults, it is possible that the
people in the older groups do not represent the general population as
well as those in the younger groups, due to transportation problems,
chronic health concerns, and difficulty in recruiting older participants. It

is also the case that older participants are those who have survived into
old age and may be healthier and wealthier (and perhaps wiser). But
again, the minimal time and effort it takes to conduct cross-sectional

studies makes them attractive to most researchers, and many of these
problems can be predicted and controlled for. At our university, we are
able to avoid some of these problems by running studies that compare
our students (the young adult group) with students of our Lifelong
Learning program (the older adult group). Since the older adults who
attend this lecture series tend to be college educated, it gives us an older
group that is matched to our younger group.
Longitudinal Studies
A longitudinal study  is one in which a researcher follows the same
group of people over a period of time, taking measurements of some
behavior of interest at regular intervals. In comparison to the cross-
sectional study, a longitudinal study might start with a group of people
who are 35 to 44, asking how much effort they devote to their health.
Then, 10 years later, the researchers could find the same people, now at
the ages of 45 to 54, and ask them the same question again. Finally,
another 10 years later, the last data could be gathered when the
participants are 55–64 years of age. Then comparisons could be made,
telling the story of these individuals, at least in regard to age-related

changes in the time they devoted to their health over their middle years
(not just age-related differences as are revealed by cross-sectional studies).
An example of a study using the longitudinal method is one conducted by
developmental psychologist Dyuma I. Vargas Lascano and her colleagues

(2015), who were interested in how the concept of perceived control
changes during the transition to adulthood. These researchers were also
interested in what factors might affect changes in perceived control.
Details of this study are shown in Table 1.3 . Click “Next” to explore the
stages of the study.
Example of a Longitudinal Study

Some of the most ambitious longitudinal studies are done in large
European research centers. For example, the Berlin Study of Aging began
in 1990 with 516 participants ranging in age from 70 to over 100. It was
the first large-scale multidisciplinary assessment of people in this age
group. The initial group was examined on many aspects of their physical,
psychological, and social well-being-an examination that took 3 years to

complete. Over the next 19 years, the research team repeated key tests on
the surviving participants (Baltes & Mayer, 1999). Some of the

participants outlived the principle investigator, psychologist Paul Baltes,
who died at the age of 67 in 2006. At one point, there were 40 researchers
on the staff along with hundreds of students and research assistants.
Although the data-gathering ended in 2009, there are still 13 core

researchers working on this project and publishing new research articles.
Archived data is available for researchers around the world to incorporate

into their own projects, and blood samples have been stored for future
genetic research.
Another drawback to longitudinal studies is attrition , or participant
dropout. The Vargas Lascano study began with a fairly general sample of
high school students, but as the years went by, each wave of data
collection yielded fewer and fewer returns. More than half of the original
participants were absent from the last wave of the study. When attrition is
present, we need to ask whether those who dropped out might have
made a difference in the results. The researchers mentioned this in the

discussion section of their journal article. They said that the perceived
control scores of those who dropped out and those who remained in the
study did not differ in the earlier parts of the survey in which all
participated.
Sequential Studies
One of the ways to combine the positive aspects of the cross-sectional
design with those of the longitudinal design is to use the sequential
study , which is a series of longitudinal studies begun at different points
in time. In the simplest form, one longitudinal study (Cohort 1) is begun
with participants who are in one age group. Several years later, a second
longitudinal study (Cohort 2) is begun with participants who are the same
age as the Cohort 1 participants were when the study began. As the two
studies progress, they yield two sets of longitudinal data, and they also
give cross-sectional data. For example, a sequential study was conducted
by psychologist Susan Krauss Whitbourne and her colleagues

(Whitbourne et al., 1992) to answer the question of whether young
adults’ personalities change or remain stable as they moved into middle
age. Click “Next” to explore the stages of the study.
Example of a Sequential Study

1.4.2: Measures
Objective: Explain the advantages and disadvantages of different
measures
Once the research design is determined, the next major set of decisions
has to do with how to measure the behavior of interest. Each method has
its own set of advantages and disadvantages, and I discuss them here
briefly.
One of the most common instruments used to gather data is a personal
interview , that is, having the experimenter ask the participant
questions, one-on-one. Personal interviews can be structured, like a
multiple-choice test, or open ended, like an essay test, or a combination of
both. While personal interviews have the advantage of allowing the
interviewer to clarify questions and ask follow-up questions, and might
make participants feel more comfortable than they might simply writing
answers on an impersonal questionnaire, one drawback is that the
participants might provide responses they feel are socially acceptable to
the interviewer. Similarly, the interviewer’s feelings toward the

participant might cloud the recording or coding of responses, especially
with very long interviews. Building rapport between interviewer and
participant can be a plus or a minus.
This problem is avoided by using the survey questionnaire , consisting
of structured and focused questions that participants can answer on their

own. Survey questionnaires are often given out on a large scale, such as
online or at large gatherings, allowing researchers to reach a large
number of people in a wide geographic range. Participants may be more
truthful and forthcoming about sensitive topics with a survey than if
talking face-to-face with an interviewer. Survey questionnaires are much
less expensive and time-consuming than personal interviews. One
drawback for survey questionnaires is that there is often a low return rate
(an average of 30% of participants return the first questionnaire). Group-
administered questionnaires have fewer lost participants, but can be
affected by peer influence (especially if given out in the social

environment of high school auditoriums or retirement condominium
recreation rooms). Good survey questionnaires are also incredibly
difficult to construct.
Some of the problems of survey questionnaire construction can be
avoided by using standardized tests . These are instruments that
measure some trait or behavior and have already been established in your
field of interest. Drawbacks are that many of these tests are owned by
publishing companies, and you have to purchase the right to use them in
your research. An example is measuring IQ using the Wechsler scales or
personality using the MMPI or the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator.

However, a number of tests are also available at no charge that have been
standardized and published in research articles, along with instructions

for administering and scoring them. For example, researchers in a
number of studies in this text measure depression in their participants

with an instrument known as the CES-D-10, or the Center for
Epidemiological Studies Short Depressive Symptoms Scale (Radloff,

1977). This test is easily available on the Internet. It is a good example of
a standardized test that is easily scored and has a good record of
validity  (it measures what it claims to measure) and reliability  (it

would yield a similar score if the person took it again). How would you
select a standardized test for your own research? There are reference
books that review tests periodically, such as the Mental Measurements
Yearbook (Carlson et al., 2017), but the advice I give students is to read
similar studies published by other researchers and see what they use.
These are by no means the only research measures available. There are
many ways to measure human behavior, from complex brain-imaging
techniques to one-item questionnaires (“How would you rate your

health? Circle one of the following: Very Poor, Poor, Average, Good, Very
Good”). Depending on the research question, it’s important to find the
most appropriate way to measure the behavior of interest.

1.4.3: Data Analysis
Objective: Describe forms of data analysis
Once the research method has been chosen and the measure of behavior
has been selected, researchers must make another set of decisions about
how to analyze the data they will collect. Some of the statistical methods
now being used are extremely sophisticated and complex. For now, let’s
talk about the most common ways of looking at adult development.
Comparison of Means
The most common and the simplest way to describe age-related
differences is to collect the data (scores, measurement results) for each
group, find the means (averages), and determine whether the differences
in the means are large enough to be significant, a process known as

comparison of means . With cross-sectional studies, the means of the
age groups are compared. With longitudinal studies, the means of the
scores for the same people at different ages are compared. With
sequential studies, both comparisons are possible. However, the
similarity remains—we are looking for an age-related pattern of change.
If the group of participants is large enough, it is often possible to divide it
into smaller groups and look for age differences or continuities in the
subgroups, such as women versus men, rural dwellers versus urban
dwellers, those with young children versus those without young children.
If the same pattern appears in all subgroups, we'd be more likely to

conclude that this is a significant age-related pattern. However, if the
change is different for the subgroups (as is often the case), it opens the
door for follow-up questions. For example, in the cross-sectional study
described earlier (Seubert et al., 2017), the mean scores for all
participants in each age group showed an age-related increase in the
percentage of participants who suffered from olfactory dysfunction. (This
is shown by the “All Participants” column in Table 1.2 .) When the
researchers divided the participants into groups by gender, it showed that
not only did the prevalence of olfactory dysfunction increase with age,
but it was also higher for men than for women in almost every age group
(as shown by the rows in Table 1.2  labeled “Women” and “Men”).
Correlational Analysis
Comparisons of means for different age groups, either cross-sectionally or
longitudinally, can give us some insights into possible age changes or
developmental patterns, but they cannot tell us whether there has been
stability or change within individuals. For this information, a different
type of analysis is required: a correlational analysis . Click or tap “Next”

to learn more about correlational analysis and its various
implementations
Implementations of Correlational Analysis

Meta-Analysis
Another way of analyzing data is the meta-analysis . This approach
combines data from a large number of studies that deal with the same
research question. A researcher conducting a meta-analysis selects a
research question, such as, “Are older adults viewed differently in
different cultures?” It is a common belief that people in Eastern cultures

have more positive attitudes toward aging and older adults than do
people in Western cultures, but is this belief actually true? Michael North
and Susan Fiske (2015) conducted a meta-analysis of existing research in
an attempt to find out. The first step in a meta-analysis is to find all of the
research articles addressing the question of interest. The researchers

conducted a literature search and found 37 articles published between
1984 and 2014 that directly compared the attitudes of people from Eastern
and Western cultures toward older adults. There were data from a total of
21,093 people. They calculated the size of the difference in attitudes
expressed by people from Eastern and Western cultures on every attitude

measure from every article. A striking pattern emerged. People from
Western cultures actually held older adults in higher esteem than did
people from Eastern cultures. It turns out that only one article found that
attitudes toward older adults were significantly more positive in Eastern
than in Western cultures.

1.4.4: Designs
Objective: Differentiate among research designs
The closing statement researchers are allowed to make depends on what
kind of research design has been used, experimental or nonexperimental.

If it is experimental, researchers are able to say their findings show that
their factor of interest caused the change observed in their participants. If
it is not experimental research, they must limit themselves to saying that
their results show a relationship or an association with the change.
The distinctions between experimental and nonexperimental designs
could fill a whole book (and there are a number of good ones available),
but for now, let me just say that the feature that distinguishes
experimental from nonexperimental designs is how much control the
experimenter has over the way the study is conducted. In the strictest
sense of the word, an experimental design  has a control group, the
participants are selected randomly from the population of interest, they
are assigned randomly to groups, there is random assignment of groups
to treatment and control conditions, and there is a high degree of control

over any outside factors that might affect the outcome. The importance of
control groups is shown in the following video.
Watch Why We Need Control Groups

The more of these features that are present, the stronger the case the
researcher can make for causality. Table 1.5  shows two types of
experimental designs and the presence or absence of these controls.
Table 1.5 Experimental Designs and Their Comparative Features
Source: Salkind (2011).
Experimental designs include true experiments and quasi-experiments,
depending on which of the controls listed in the table are present. True
experiments are often not possible in answering developmental research
questions because when comparisons are made between age groups (or
between groups of people at different stages of life, such as preretirement

versus post-retirement), the participants cannot be assigned to groups;
they are already in one group or the other. That automatically takes a
large amount of control out of the hands of the researcher and opens the
door for a number of problems. As such, most developmental research is

quasi-experimental.
Descriptive and Qualitative Research
Other designs include descriptive research and qualitative research.
Descriptive research  tells the current state of the participants on some
measure of interest. The number of people of different ages who die of
suicide each year is descriptive research. The rate of births to unmarried
women over the past 50 years is descriptive research, and the cross-
sectional, longitudinal, and sequential studies discussed earlier are
descriptive research. What they have in common is the lack of a high
level of experimenter control. They are still valuable sources of
information on development.
Qualitative research  uses less structured data collection techniques,
such as case studies, interviews, participant observations, direct
observations, and exploring documents, artifacts, and archival records. If
you have ever done genealogy research to find your family history in old
records and documents, you have done a form of qualitative research. It is

a very old tradition that has only recently been included in developmental
sciences. Although research without numbers may sound very enticing to
students who have just completed a statistics course, it is not really a
replacement for quantitative research  (research with measurable data),
but a different approach that is used to supplement quantitative research.
An example of qualitative research is a study by sociologists Amy
Hequembourg and Sara Brallier (2005). They were interested in the role
transitions among adult siblings when their parents need care in old age.
We have long been aware that daughters are most likely to be the major
caregiver of an aging parent, but these researchers found eight brother-
sister pairs and interviewed them at length about their roles and feelings
about their caregiving responsibilities. They recorded the answers in
detail and then spent many months analyzing them. The finished product
was a very interesting view of these families. Yes, the sisters did more,
but sometimes they were pleased to be in that role. And other times the
brothers stepped in and took over. There was evidence of adult sisters
and brothers growing closer to each other as they shared the care for
their parents. Although it was a study of only 16 participants, it gave more

depth than a questionnaire sent out to 5,000. Clearly there is a place in
developmental psychology for this type of research, and I am pleased to
see it being discussed in research methods books.
Qualitative research is not easy. It needs to be carefully planned, the
sources need to be wisely chosen, and questions need to be designed to
focus on the topic at hand. If the research involves spending a lot of time
with the people being interviewed, the experimenter needs to be able to
remain as objective as possible. Data must be recorded precisely and

completely. And then the findings need to be organized and written up to
share with others.
Qualitative research is an excellent way to begin a new line of research.

Epidemiologist David Snowden, former director of the Nun Study of the
School Sisters of Notre Dame, started his research by visiting with the
older nuns in a convent in Minnesota. As a beginning professor, he had
no idea what he wanted to do for a research program, but one day he

stumbled onto a room that contained the archives of the convent. Each
sister had a file going back to her first days as a nun, often 50 or 60 years
before. They had all written essays about their childhoods and why they
wanted to be nuns. Snowdon (2001) wrote that “for an epidemiologist,
this sort of find is equivalent to an archaeologist’s discovering an

undisturbed tomb or a paleontologist’s unearthing a perfectly preserved
skeleton” (p. 24). From this beginning, he began the research that became
his career. For example, he and his colleagues (Riley et al., 2005) found
that the more complex the language in the essays the nuns had written as
young women, the less likely they were to have Alzheimer’s disease in
late adulthood. Some of Snowdon’s other research findings are discussed
later in this text, but for now, this serves as a good example of qualitative
research based on archival records.
Summary: Introduction to Adult
Development
1.1 Basic Concepts in Adult

Development
Objective: Explore major themes in developmental psychology
Developmental psychology includes the study of change and stability

over time during childhood, adolescence, and adulthood. The study
of adult development covers the time from emerging adulthood to the
end of life and is based on empirical research.
This text covers individual differences among people and also the
commonalities they share. It looks at stability and change, continuity
and stages, typical development and atypical development, and the
external and internal changes that occur over the years of adulthood.
The word age has many more meanings than how many years one
has been alive (chronological age). In various usages it also

designates estimates of a person’s physical condition compared to
others (biological age), the abilities one displays in dealing effectively
with the environment (psychological age), and the roles one has
taken on (social age). Functional age is a combination of biological,
psychological, and social ages.

1.2 Sources of Change
Objective: Explain the major sources of development
Sources of change in adulthood are classified into three types.
Normative age-graded influences are linked to age and happen to

most people as they grow older. They come from both biological and
environmental causes and also from interactions between genes and
the environment.
Normative history-graded influences are environmental factors that
affect people within a group. These changes include cultural
conditions and cohort experiences. One of the best-studied cohorts is
the group of people who lived through the Great Depression.
Nonnormative life events are unique to the individual and cause
developmental changes that are not shared by most people.
Genes and the environment also contribute to change. They usually
interact, and one mechanism for this interaction is epigenetic
inheritance, in which genes are modified through DNA methylation.
1.3 Guiding Perspectives

Objective: Differentiate between the perspectives of psychological and
bioecological models
This text will approach the topic of adult development using the
tenets of lifespan developmental psychology, a set of ideas introduced

by Baltes in 1980 that encouraged psychologists to study
development at many ages and to view development in a broader

scope than they had before.
A second approach this text will take is based on the ecological
systems view introduced by Bronfenbrenner in 1979. This set of ideas

inspired psychologists to consider the whole person, not just the
isolated behavior of a participant in a laboratory experiment.
1.4 Developmental Research

Objective: Evaluate developmental research methods
The first step in conducting developmental research is to select a
research method. There are three possibilities: (1) cross-sectional

studies gather data on a group of people representing different age
groups, (2) longitudinal studies follow the same people over a longer
period of time, gathering data at several points along the way, and (3)
sequential studies combine the preceding methods by conducting two

longitudinal studies during different time periods, thereby making it
possible to do both longitudinal and cross-sectional comparisons.
There are pros and cons to each method.

After a method is chosen, a researcher needs to choose an
appropriate measure. Some of the most common ones in

developmental research are personal interviews, survey
questionnaires, and standardized tests.

The next step in developmental research is selecting analyses. Most
research uses either comparison of means, which involves computing

the means of the measurement scores for each group and testing
them statistically to see if they are significantly different, or

correlational analysis, in which the researcher compares scores on
several measurements for the participants to see if there is a
relationship between the characteristics being measured. Correlations

are used to show both change and stability. They are also used to
demonstrate heritability by comparing scores of monozygotic twin

pairs with scores of dizygotic twin pairs. The meta-analysis combines
data from a number of previously published studies that focus on the

same research question and reanalyzes it as a larger, more powerful
study.
The final step in developmental research involves stating conclusions,

and this depends on whether the research design was experimental
or not. If the design was experimental, it is possible to conclude that
the results of the study were caused by the factor of interest.

Experimental designs include true experiments and quasi-
experiments, and they differ in the amount of control the
experimenter has over the conditions of the study and the outside
factors that might also cause similar results. Ture experimental

designs are not often used in developmental research. Research
designs that are not experimental provide valuable knowledge about
development even though researchers cannot conclude that their
factor of interest caused the results. These designs include descriptive
research and qualitative research.
Key Terms: Introduction to Adult Development

Chapter 2
Physical Changes
While everyone ages physically, not everyone ages on the same timeline.
2.1 Evaluate theories of primary aging

2.2 Analyze how adults deal with age-related changes in appearance
2.3 Summarize how the senses change with age
2.4 Analyze the social impact of age-related changes to the body
2.5 Determine how age-related physical changes impact life as an
older adult
2.6 Relate aging experiences to demographic influences
A Word from the Author: A Short Lesson on Child

Development
When my grandson, Nicholas, was 5 years old, I was writing a
book on child development. I wanted to open each chapter with a
warm and personal story that would introduce the topic (much as
I am doing now). Nicholas was a rich source of material. I was
writing about children’s cognitive processes, and I knew that at 5,

children tend to judge everything at face value. They are
convinced that the glass with the highest level of lemonade holds
the most, regardless of its diameter. The longest line of M&Ms
has the most candy, regardless of how far apart they are spaced.
And people who are taller are older, period.
So I asked Nicholas who was older, Grandma or Dad. He quickly

answered that Dad (who is 5′ 11″) is certainly older than
Grandma (who is 5′ 7″), although he also knew that Dad was

Grandma’s son. He knew that Dad was 30 and Grandma was 54,
and that 54 is more than 30, but logic is not important at 5. I was
pleased—so far, he was perfectly illustrating the important
concepts in my textbook chapter.

Then I asked, “How do you tell how old a person is?” I expected
him to comment on their height or hair color. But I was surprised
when he replied, “You look at their hands.” Hands? Well, I

thought, I guess that’s true. The hands of older people have dark
spots and larger knuckles. Adolescents have larger hands in

proportion to their other body parts. And infants have hands that
are closed in reflexive fists. I thought he may be onto something

interesting. So I asked, “What do you look for when you look at
their hands?”
“Their fingers,” he said patiently. He held up one hand with
outstretched fingers and said, “You ask someone how old they
are and when they hold up their fingers, you count them. See, I’m
5.”
Nicholas’s hypothesis of determining age by looking at hands may hold

up with kids up to the age of 10, but it’s not much use in adulthood. In
fact, the further we get from “holding up fingers” to tell our ages, the
more difficult it is to determine age just by looking at someone. One of

the reasons is that there are two processes of aging. Primary aging , the
topic of this chapter, consists of the gradual, inevitable changes that will
happen to most of us as we go through adulthood. Research over the last
few decades has given us two major facts about primary aging: first, that
it can be differentiated from disease and, second, that there are many
different “normal” time lines for primary aging (National Institutes of

Health, 2008). Secondary aging , the topic of another chapter, refers to
the changes that happen more suddenly and that are usually the result of
disease, injury, or some environmental event.
I begin this chapter with some of the theories of primary aging and then
describe the changes in the major systems of the body most adults
experience as they age. Then I discuss the effects of primary aging on
complex behaviors like sleep and sexual activity. Finally, I cover some of
the individual differences that are found in primary aging patterns and
answer the age-old question, “Can we turn back the clock?”
2.1: Theories of Primary Aging
Objective: Evaluate theories of primary aging
Why do we age? This question has been the subject of speculation for
centuries, but the technology and methodology to investigate it is fairly
new. We now have Big Data—huge sets of secondary data such as

national health registries that can be analyzed quickly—as well as major
longitudinal data and advances in methods and statistics. These tools
make it fairly easy for researchers to “churn out principally descriptive
publications” (Bengtson & Settersten, 2016, p. 1), especially when their
jobs and livelihood depend so heavily on publications and grants. This
work is valuable in describing the primary aging process, but not in

answering the “why” of aging. For this, we need theories. We need
someone to compile empirical findings so we can integrate what is
known, identify what is missing, and point the way to what needs to be
investigated next. This is what theories do and why we need them.
In the relatively short life of lifespan development, we have gone from the
grand theories of the 1930s and 1940s—theories that were large, inclusive
explanations of all aspects of aging—to the minimalist theories of the

1960s and 1970s that were little more than descriptions of the data at
hand. Today, the pendulum seems to have swung back to a Goldilocks
balance, not too grandiose and not too sparse, but a middle ground that is
“just right.” Furthermore, the new era of theories are multidisciplinary
and focused more on healthspan rather than lifespan, with a focus on

prevention and treatment of age-related changes, whether it be lifestyle
change or medical treatment. “Health and well-being are clearly central
nodes around which scholars are fostering theories that bridge disciplines
and levels of analysis, from cells to society” (Bengtson & Settersten, 2016,
p. 8). I have selected a few of the more recent theories to describe here,
along with support and criticism for each.
Before we move on, I should caution you not to expect any single theory
to be proven to be the one and only correct answer to the question of
why we age. As biochemist Brian K. Kennedy explains, “Gone are the

days of scientists working on one model for aging or one hypothesis
about what causes aging. Instead we are in a new research world that is
at once exciting and a bit scary, in which complexity of the aging process
is becoming appreciated and a system-level view of aging in an entire
organism at least seems theoretically attainable, albeit not in the short
term” (2016, p. 108).

will be able to:
2.1.1 Explain the idea that cell damage causes aging
2.1.2 Describe how genetics influences aging
2.1.3 Explain the relationship between aging and caloric intake
2.1.4 Identify challenges in prolonging human life

2.1.1: Oxidative Damage
Objective: Explain the idea that cell damage causes aging
One theory of primary aging is based on random damage that takes place
at the cellular level. This process, first identified by biogerontologist

Denham Harmon in 1956, involves the release of free radicals ,
molecules or atoms that possess an unpaired electron and are by-
products of normal body metabolism as well as a response to diet,
sunlight, X-rays, and air pollution. These molecules enter into many
potentially damaging chemical reactions, most of which the healthy body
can resist or repair. One consequence of oxidative stress is mutations in
mitochondrial DNA. Mitochondria are organelles in most cells that
produce energy, so mutations can lead to cellular dysfunction (Gredilla,
2011). According to this theory, our resistance and repair functions
decline as we age, and the oxidative damage increases. The result is
primary aging.
A number of vitamins and vitamin-like substances have been identified as
antioxidants , substances with properties that protect against oxidative

damage. Some of these are vitamins E and C, coenzyme Q10, beta-
carotene, and creatine. Many nutritional supplements on the market
contain large doses of these substances and advertise themselves as
having antioxidant properties. However, there is no evidence that they
can delay primary aging in humans or extend the lifespan. Most people in
developed countries have adequate supplies of these nutrients in their

diets, and no benefit has been shown for higher-than-recommended
doses.
2.1.2: Genetic Limits
Objective: Describe how genetics influences aging
The theory of genetic limits centers on the observation that every species
has a characteristic maximum lifespan. Something between 110 and 120

years appears to be the effective maximum lifespan for humans, whereas
for some turtles it is far longer, and for chickens (or dogs, or cats, or cows,
or most other mammals) it is far shorter. Such observations led cellular
biologist Leonard Hayflick (1977, 1994) to propose that there is a genetic

program setting the upper age limit of each species. Hayflick showed that
when human embryo cells are placed in nutrient solutions and observed
over a period of time, the cells divide only about 50 times, after which
they stop dividing and enter a state known as replicative senescence 
(Hornsby, 2001). Furthermore, cells from the embryos of longer-lived
creatures such as the Galápagos tortoise double perhaps 100 times,
whereas chicken embryo cells double only about 25 times. The number of
divisions a species will undergo before reaching replicative senescence is
known as its Hayflick limit , and there is a positive correlation between
that number and the species’ longevity. According to the genetic limits
theory, primary aging results when we approach the Hayflick limit for the
human species, exhausting our cells’ ability to replicate.
The suggested mechanism behind the genetic limits theory of aging
comes from the discovery that chromosomes in many human body cells
(and those of some other species, too) have, at their tips, lengths of
repeating DNA called telomeres . Telomeres are necessary for DNA
replication and appear to serve as timekeepers for the cells. On average,
the telomeres in the cells of a middle-aged adult are shorter than those of
a young adult; the telomeres of an older adult are shorter still. And once
the telomeres are used up, the cell stops dividing.
Telomere length has been related to both primary and secondary aging.
People who are at high risk for heart disease or type 2 diabetes have
shorter telomere lengths than healthy individuals the same age. Telomere
length has also been related to chronic stress conditions. In one study, a
group of mothers who were caregivers for children with chronic illnesses
were found to have telomere lengths equivalent to women 10 years older
who were caregivers for healthy children (Epel et al., 2004). Seemingly,
the stress that comes with caring for a child with chronic illness adds 10
years to one’s biological age.
Is it possible to slow down the loss of telomere

length in one’s cells?
This was the focus of a study by medical researcher Tim D. Spector and
his colleagues (Cherkas et al., 2008), who interviewed over 2,400
individuals between 18 and 81 years of age about their leisure-time

exercise. Following the interview, a sample of blood was drawn from
each participant, and the telomeres from their white blood cells were
examined. The researchers found that those in the light, moderate, and
heavy exercise groups had cells with significantly longer telomeres than
those in the inactive group. Participants in the heavy exercise group had
telomere lengths similar to the people in the inactive group who were 10
years younger. It was interesting that the exercise described in this study
was “leisure-time exercise.” When researchers examined the amount of
work-related exercise the participants got (such as stocking shelves in a

grocery store), the results were not significant. This suggests that the
“leisure” mode is a key feature of beneficial exercise.
It seems that shorter telomere lengths are good predictors of premature
aging and age-related diseases. It also seems that shorter telomere

lengths go hand in hand with poor health habits such as eating junk food,
smoking cigarettes, and maintaining a sedentary lifestyle. None of this

research shows that telomere length determines the rate of aging, but the
relationships are very strong.
2.1.3: Caloric Restriction
Objective: Explain the relationship between aging and caloric
intake
One of the most promising explanations of why we age is that aging is

connected with our diets—not so much what we eat, but how many
calories we metabolize per day. This idea was first suggested 60 years ago
when researchers studied the effects of caloric restriction (CR)  on lab
animals by feeding them diets drastically reduced in calories (60–70% of

normal diets), but containing all the necessary nutrients. Early
researchers found that animals put on these diets shortly after weaning
stayed youthful longer, suffered fewer late-life diseases, and lived
significantly longer than their normally fed counterparts (McCay et al.,
1935). More recent studies have supported these findings. For example,
studies with rhesus monkeys show that animals on caloric restriction
show a lower incidence of age-related disease, including type 2 diabetes,
cancer, heart disease, and brain atrophy (Colman et al., 2009).
Would caloric restriction increase human longevity?

One problem is that, to receive maximum benefits, we would have to
reduce our caloric intake by 30%. People eating a 2,000-calorie diet would
need to cut back to 1,400 calories—difficult enough for a few months, but
close to impossible as a lifetime regimen. Limited studies using human

subjects on CR have shown some positive health benefits such as
protection against type 2 diabetes and heart disease and a reduction in

cancer incidence and cancer deaths (Fontana et al., 2011); however, a
number of adverse effects have also been documented. These include
cold intolerance, increases in stress hormones, decreases in sex
hormones, and the psychological effects of extreme hunger—obsessive
thoughts about food, low energy, social withdrawal, irritability, and loss
of interest in sex. If the goals of caloric restriction are longevity and
freedom from disease, this practice seems promising. But if the goals are
quality of life, severely restricting calories does not seem to be the
answer, especially in the developed countries of the world, where food
cues are abundant and attractive (Polivy et al., 2008).
Scientists have now turned to finding a substance that provides the same
health and longevity as caloric restriction without reducing normal food
intake. Several candidates have been found, such as resveratrol, a
substance found in red wine that extended the lifespans of yeast, worms,
and flies. However, the results on mammals were disappointing. Another
substance, rapamycin, has been more promising (Kapahi & Kockel, 2011).
Originally found in soil collected on Easter Island, rapamycin inhibits cell
growth and was first used as an antirejection medication for organ

transplant patients. Studies of the effects of rapamycin on mice extended
maximum lifespan by about 12% (Miller et al., 2011), including some

mice that were the human equivalent of 60 years of age (Harrison et al.,
2009). Unfortunately, rapamycin itself has side effects that rule it out for
human consumption, but it is some of the most compelling evidence that
aging may someday be slowed by a pharmaceutical product.

2.1.4: Turning Back the Clock
Objective: Identify challenges in prolonging human life
When it comes to primary aging, there are many ideas about what can be
done to slow down the process. We can exercise our minds and bodies.
We can eat healthy food and keep our weight in the normal range. We
can avoid tobacco, excessive alcohol, and exposure to loud noises. There
are also things we can do to cover up some types of primary aging, such
as cosmetics, hair dye, and plastic surgery. Despite seeing commercials on

TV about how to look and feel young again and reading serious scientific
articles about ideas to turn back the clock, I have no solid scientific
evidence to offer about actually preventing or reversing the effects of
primary aging at this time.
The maximum lifespan  of our species has been about 120 years for
some time now. That means that for centuries there have been a few
individuals who live to that age, but none who live beyond. What has
changed is the average lifespan , the number that comes from adding up
the ages at which everyone in a certain population dies and then dividing
by the number of people in that population. That number has increased
each year, mainly due to eradication of infant and early childhood deaths.
When there are fewer deaths of 2- and 3-year-old children, the average
lifespan goes up dramatically. Currently, some researchers are trying to
find ways to expand our maximum lifespan by finding ways to replace our
aging organs with new organs grown in a lab (Kretzschmar & Clevers,
2016). Some are trying to rejuvenate old organs with stem cells or
transfuse the blood of young mice into old mice in hopes of transferring
components that will repair old cells (Apple et al., 2017). Some
researchers are searching the DNA of families with many centenarians to
find segments of genes that may be responsible for their longevity,
hoping to someday insert it into the DNA of people who do not have
those longevity genes (Passarino et al., 2016).
While all these attempts to slow down aging sound exciting, there is
another side to the life-extension coin. How will we pay for this
expensive life-extension treatment? Will the retirement age increase?
What will this do to our workforce? Do we have enough natural resources
for a larger population of new, improved senior citizens?
I don’t have the answers to these questions, but I think it is important to
ask them and to think about what would happen if we could increase our
maximum lifespan, because it is clearly a possibility.

2.2: Physical Changes in Outward
Appearance
Objective: Analyze how adults deal with age-related changes in
appearance
Other chapters in this text cover changes in thinking abilities, personality,

spirituality, and disease patterns during adulthood. This chapter deals
with the physical aspect of adult development, from outward appearance
to working through the senses, to various systems of the body, to a
discussion of individual differences in primary aging. In this section, we
look specifically at changes in outward appearance.
I have reviewed the myriad details of primary aging in Table 2.1 ,
showing the physical characteristics of adults at different ages. When you
look at the information this way, you can see that adults are clearly at
their physical peak in the years from 18 to 39. In the years of midlife, from
40 to 64, the rate of physical change varies widely from one person to the
next, with some experiencing a loss of physical function quite early, and
others much later. From age 65 to 74, the loss of some abilities continues,
along with significant increases in chronic diseases—both trends that
accelerate in late adulthood. But here, too, there are wide individual
differences in the rate of change and effective compensations. Many
adults maintain perfectly adequate (or even excellent) physical
functioning well past 75 and into their 80s. In the oldest group, however,
all these changes accelerate, and compensations become more and more
difficult to maintain. Click or tap each age group to expand or collapse
corresponding details.
Table 2.1 An Overview of Physical Changes in Adulthood

will be able to:
2.2.1 Outline changes to body composition over time
2.2.2 Characterize how skin changes with age
2.2.3 Describe issues associated with hair and the aging process
2.2.1: Weight and Body Composition
Objective: Outline changes to body composition over time
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services reports that changes
in total body weight follow a pattern over adulthood.
As you can see in Figure 2.1 , this pattern takes the shape on a graph of
an inverted U (Fryar et al., 2016). The upswing in weight that takes place
during young adulthood and middle age can be attributed to our

tendency to become more and more sedentary during that time without
changing our eating habits to compensate (Masoro, 2011). Much of the
downturn in total body weight that takes place in later adulthood is due
to loss of bone density and muscle tissue (Florido et al., 2011).
Figure 2.1 Changes in Weight Over Adulthood

Total body weight for men and women rises from the 20s to the 40s, stays
fairly level into the 50s and 60s, then declines in the 70s.
Source: Data from Fryar et al. (2016).
Along with changes in total body weight, there are also changes in where
the weight is distributed; starting in middle age, fat slowly leaves the face
and extremities and begins to accumulate around the abdomen, resulting
in a loss of plump cheeks and lips, a loss of protective padding on the
soles of the feet, and a gain in waistline circumference.
When a person’s total body weight is more than what is considered
optimally healthy for their height, they are considered overweight. This is
a concern for adults of all ages, and rightly so—almost two-thirds of us in
the United States are above optimal weight. Being overweight can impair
movement and flexibility, and it can alter appearance. Our society does
not generally view overweight individuals as healthy and attractive, and

this can result in social and economic discrimination (Lillis et al., 2011).
When the weight-to-height ratio increases to the point that it has an
adverse effect on the person’s health, it is a medical condition known as

obesity . The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports
that over one-third of adults in the United States have this condition
(Ogden et al., 2015).
How do you stand in the body composition evaluation? Table 2.2  shows
how to find your body mass index (BMI)  by finding your height (in
inches) in the far left column and moving across that row to find your
weight. The number at the top of the column is your BMI. According to
the CDC (2016a), BMIs less than 18.5 are considered underweight, 18.5–
24 are considered normal weight, 25–29 are overweight, and 30 and
above are obese. This is not a perfect system because some healthy, very
muscular people would be assigned the “overweight” label based on their
height and weight, but most health organizations and medical researchers
around the world use BMI to evaluate body composition. Click or tap
here to view the index.
Table 2.2 Find Your BMI
Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2016a)
Adults who are 40–59 years of age are slightly more likely to be obese,
but as you can see in Figure 2.2 , the proportion of obese adults in other
age groups is not much lower. Still, the fact remains that over one-third of
all adults (and 17% of children) have total body weight that is considered
a serious medical condition (Ogden et al., 2015).
Figure 2.2 Obesity in the United States

The proportion of people in the United States who are obese is highest
for women and for those between the ages of 40 and 59.
Source: Ogden et al. (2015).
What can be done about age-related changes in body composition? An

active lifestyle in young adulthood and middle adulthood will help
minimize age-related weight gain and the amount of fat that accumulates
in the abdomen at middle age. Healthy eating habits can reduce excess
fat. However, nothing has been found that will totally prevent these
changes.
2.2.2: Skin Changes
Objective: Characterize how skin changes with age
Youth is signaled by smooth skin, but beginning about age 45, wrinkles
become evident, resulting in part from redistribution of body fat.

Wrinkles also occur because of an age-related loss of elasticity that affects
muscles, tendons, blood vessels, and internal organs as well as skin. The
loss of elasticity is especially noticeable in skin that has been continually
exposed to the sun, such as the skin of the face and hands.
From a quick trip down the beauty aisle of a drugstore or a look at the
annual earnings of a cosmetic company, you would get the impression
that many miracle cures are available for aging skin. However, the only
effective products available over the counter are those that will cover up
the wrinkles and age spots. One product available by prescription seems
to be effective in reversing skin damage due to exposure to the sun.
Several well-designed lab studies have shown that applying Retin-A
(tretinoin) to the skin for several months not only changed the
appearance of damaged skin but also reversed some of the underlying

changes that had occurred (Rosenfeld, 2005). It is much easier to prevent
sun damage by limiting strong, direct sun exposure. When that is not
possible, it helps to use sunblock and protective clothing (Porter, 2009).
Skin damage that is too severe to be remedied by prescription creams can
be treated by medical procedures, such as chemical peels or

microdermabrasion, in which the outer layers of the skin are removed. As
you might expect, these minimally invasive procedures are more
expensive than skin creams and carry more risks. Nevertheless, many
people have been pleased with the results and find that when they look
younger, they feel younger. Table 2.3  shows the top procedures
performed by plastic surgeons in the United States, along with the
average surgeon’s fee and the percentage of patients having these
procedures in each of five age groups. As you can see, the 40- to 54-year-
old age group makes up the largest segment (48%) for plastic surgery
procedures (American Society of Plastic Surgeons, 2016). Click or tap

each category of procedure to learn more about it.
Table 2.3 Top Plastic Surgery Procedures in the United States,

Prices, Number, and Age of Patients
Men make up about 13% of plastic surgery patients. Surgical procedures

that are popular with both genders are nose reshaping, liposuction, and
eyelid surgery. Women use it for breast augmentation and tummy tucks;
men choose breast reduction and face-lifts. There has been a recent
increase in two other surgical procedures for men—buttock lifts and
buttock implants (American Society of Plastic Surgeons, 2016).
Several minimally invasive procedures have increased in popularity
recently for both men and women. One is injections of Botox, a diluted
preparation of a neurotoxin that paralyzes the muscles under the skin and
eliminates creases and frown lines. This is now the most frequent
procedure done by plastic surgeons for both men and women. Another
popular procedure is injections of hyaluronic acid (Restylane or other
products). This is a natural substance found in connective tissues

throughout the body, and it cushions, lubricates, and keeps the skin
plump. When injected into soft tissue, it fills the area and adds volume,
temporarily reducing wrinkles and sagging of the skin. Botox has to be
reinjected every few months; Restylane lasts somewhat longer—typically

6 months. Both procedures need to be administered by qualified medical
professionals, and they carry slight risks. And needless to say, all are
expensive—with Botox at an average of $382 a treatment and hyaluronic
acid an average of $949—which is not covered by most health-care

insurance plans (American Society of Plastic Surgeons, 2016).
Table 2.3  also shows the proportion of patients having these procedures
in each age group. For example, the younger group (13–19 years) favors
nose reshaping, whereas the older group (55 and older) tends to have
eyelid surgery. It’s an interesting picture of what procedures are favored
at different ages. It is also interesting to see that almost half of all

procedures are undertaken by people from 40 to 54 years of age, probably
reflecting the intersection of declining youth and increasing incomes.

2.2.3: Hair
Objective: Describe issues associated with hair and the aging
process
Hair loss is a common characteristic of aging for both men and women,
although it is more noticeable in men. About 67% of men in the United
States show some hair loss by the age of 35, and 85% show significantly
thinning hair by 50 (American Hair Loss Association, 2010). Graying of
hair differs widely among ethnic groups and among individuals within
any one group. Asian Americans, collectively, gray much later than
Americans of European descent, for example. Figure 2.3  shows the
various stages of typical patterns of hair loss.
Figure 2.3 Typical Hair Loss Patterns

There are several typical hair-loss patterns for men, and they proceed in
predictable stages.
Men and women have used chemical and natural dyes to conceal gray
hair throughout history, and it is still a widespread practice today. Other
old solutions in new boxes are wigs, hairpieces, and hair replacement
“systems.” In addition, drugs are available that slow down or reverse hair
loss, some over the counter for men and women, such as Rogaine
(monoxidil), and others by prescription for men only, such as Propecia
(finasteride). The most extreme solution to hair loss is hair transplant, a

surgical procedure in which small plugs of hair and skin are transplanted
from a high-hair-growth area of the body to the hairless part of the scalp.
Over 15,000 people in the United States underwent this procedure in

2015, about 70% of them men and most of them over the age of 55
(American Society of Plastic Surgeons, 2016). Again, none of these

antiaging measures actually turns back the clock, but when they are done
by experienced professionals and patients have realistic expectations,
they can give a good morale boost for those who need one.
2.3: The Changing Senses
Objective: Summarize how the senses change with age
Another series of body changes noted by many adults as they age affects
the senses of vision, hearing, taste, and smell. Vision is by far the most
researched, followed by hearing, with taste and smell trailing far behind.

will be able to:
2.3.1 Describe age-related vision changes
2.3.2 Relate hearing to the experience of aging
2.3.3 Explain how taste and smell change with age

2.3.1: Vision
Objective: Describe age-related vision changes
Vision is the last sense to develop in infants and the first to show signs of
decline in middle age. It is also the sensory system that has the most
complex structure and function and, as you might guess, has the most to
go wrong. A diagram of the parts of the eye is shown in Figure 2.4 .
During normal aging, the lens  of the eye gradually thickens and
yellows, and the pupil  loses its ability to open efficiently in response to
reduced light. The result is that the older we get, the less light gets to our
retina , the site of visual receptor cells. In fact, by age 60, our retinas are
getting only one-third of the light they did in our 20s (Porter, 2009). One
of the changes we experience as a result is a gradual loss of visual
acuity , the ability to perceive detail in a visual pattern. To test this
yourself, try reading a small-print book both indoors where you usually
study and outdoors in full sunlight. If you are like most adults, you will
notice that the clarity of the print is better in bright sunlight.
Figure 2.4 Diagram of Eye with Labels

Cross section view of the human eye.
Around the age of 45, the lens of the eye, which has been accumulating
layers of cells since childhood and gradually losing elasticity, shows a

sharp decrease in its ability to accommodate , or change shape to focus
on near objects or small print. This loss further reduces overall visual
acuity in middle-aged and older adults. Most people with reduced visual
acuity or loss of near vision, a condition known as presbyopia , can
function quite well with prescription glasses or contact lenses.
Another visual change that takes place throughout adulthood is a gradual

loss of dark adaptation , the ability of the pupil to adjust to changes in
the amount of available light. This begins around age 30, but most people
experience a marked decline after the age of 60. This causes minor
inconveniences, such as difficulty reading menus in dimly lit restaurants

or finding seats in darkened movie theaters. It also causes more
dangerous situations, such as problems seeing road signs at night or

recovering from the sudden glare of oncoming headlights. This is one of
the reasons older people prefer attending matinee performances, making

“early-bird” dinner reservations, and taking daytime classes at the
university instead of participating in nighttime activities.

Age-Related Eye Disorders
Three more age-related conditions in the visual system may or may not
be part of normal aging, but they are so common that I include them
here. Click or tap each tab to learn more about some of the more
common age-related eye disorders.
Common Disorders of the Eye

The Impact of Ocular Changes
The overall result of declining visual ability over middle and late
adulthood can be limiting in many ways. Often older adults give up
driving, which means they are no longer able to do their shopping and no
longer as able to visit friends, participate in leisure activities, attend
religious services, or go to doctors’ offices on their own. There is also a

loss of status for some older adults when they must stop driving.
Decreased vision is associated with many other problems in older adults,
such as falls, hip fractures, family stress, and depression.
The World Health Organization (2015) estimates that over 80% of visual
impairments worldwide can be prevented or cured. Problems involve lack
of information about diagnosis and treatment, such as the mistaken belief
many adults have that the eye exam given to renew drivers’ licenses will
screen for these visual conditions. Another problem is that many people
in the United States and around the world live in areas without access to
eye-care specialists. And still another problem arises when older adults
and their family members believe that failing eyesight is an unavoidable
part of aging.
2.3.2: Hearing
Objective: Relate hearing to the experience of aging
Around age 30, many adults begin to experience some hearing loss,
mainly of higher-pitched tones. There is also shortening of the loudness

scale—that is, there is confusion between loud tones that are not being
heard as well as before and softer tones that are still being heard
accurately. Without the loud–soft discrimination, it is difficult to perceive
which sounds are coming from nearby and which are from across a noisy
room—which words are coming from your dinner partner and which from
the server taking an order two tables over. This condition is known as
sensorineural hearing loss , and it is caused by damage to the tiny hairs
inside the cochlea , a small shell-shaped structure in the inner ear. This
mechanism is responsible for picking up sound vibrations and turning
them into nerve impulses that will be transmitted to the hearing centers
of the brain.
Although age-related hearing loss is gradual for most people, it can reach
a point that it has serious effects on peoples’ lives. The obvious effects are
problems in the workplace and in social situations. And at a time of life
that medical information becomes more and more important, over half of
people over 60 years of age in one study report that they have
misunderstood instructions from their doctors (Cudmore et al., 2017).
Less obvious effects are feelings of isolation, depression, and paranoia
(Hearing Loss Association of America, 2017).

The prevalence of hearing loss increases with age and is more extreme in
men than in women (Hoffman et al., 2017). Figure 2.6  shows this
increase by age and gender at two time spans. There is some good news.
The rate of hearing loss was higher in the 1999–2004 group (Panel A)
than in the more recent 2011–2012 group (Panel B). This decrease is
probably the result of a reduction in workplace noise, which is regulated
by the U.S. Bureau of Labor.
Figure 2.6 Prevalence of Hearing Loss in Men and Women at Two

Time Spans
Source: Hoffman et al. (2017).
Table 2.4  shows how loud workplace sounds are allowed to be at

certain durations of time. For example, constant noise throughout the
workday can’t be more than 90 decibels.
Table 2.4 Permissible Noise Exposure

Source: U.S. Department of Labor (2012).
Although workplace noise is more controlled now, many of our after-
hours and weekend activities involve noise that exceeds safe levels of 85
decibels. For example, motorcycles produce 98 decibels of noise,
snowmobiles 100 decibels, rock concerts 125 decibels, and a gunshot at
100 feet produces 140 (Hearing Loss Association of America, 2017).

Hearing Aids and PSADs
What can be done about hearing loss? Hearing aids are effective for some
types of hearing loss, but not many people use them. Only 33% of people
in the United States diagnosed with hearing loss actually use hearing aids.
One reason is the cost; the average hearing aid costs $2,400, and most
people need one for each ear. Medicare does not pay for them and
neither do most private insurance policies (Grundfast & Liu, 2017).
However, the rate of hearing-aid use is low in countries that do pay for
them, such as Norway (only 43%), and within groups that provide them
for free, such as the Veteran’s Administration (less than 50%) (Valente &
Amlani, 2017).
Clearly, it is not just the cost that undermines hearing-aid use, but also
that it usually requires visiting an audiologist to be examined, being
prescribed a particular device, having it fitted to your own specifications,
and then returning several times to have it fine-tuned. Recently, many

people with hearing loss have been buying personal sound amplification
devices (PSADs) that look a lot like hearing aids but cost between $50
and $500. When a team of researchers compared several PSADs with a
state-of-the art hearing aid, using a convenience sample of 42 participants
with hearing loss, they found that three of the five PSADs improved the
understanding of speech accuracy almost as well as the hearing aid. Mean
score for the hearing aid was 88% while the three PSADs were 87%, 87%,
and 84%. The cost for the hearing aid was $1,910 and the three PSADs
were $350, $350, and $300 (Reed et al., 2017). Other people with hearing
loss buy over-the-counter hearing aids and electronic devices that amplify
sound. None of these are approved by the U.S. Food and Drug
Administration (FDA) for hearing loss, but people seem to like the price
and the ability to “unpack a box and plug it in their ear.” Several large
wholesale companies have begun selling the three most popular hearing
aids online. These three hearing aids fit about 85% of the population that
has hearing loss. This seems similar to buying over-the-counter reading
glasses. In addition, online companies will send prescription hearing aids
to people who have seen an audiologist and have an audiogram of the
pattern of their individual hearing loss (Grundfast & Liu, 2017).

2.3.3: Taste and Smell
Objective: Explain how taste and smell change with age
Taste and smell depend on three mechanisms that interact to enable us to
enjoy the food we eat and the fragrances in our environment. They also
provide survival information that keeps us from eating food that is spoiled
and warns us of dangerous substances such as smoke or gas leaks. These
mechanisms consist of smell, taste, and common chemical sense. Smell
takes place in the olfactory membrane , a specialized part of the nasal

cavity. It consists of 350–400 types of odor receptors, and we perceive the
results as subtle and complex scents. In addition, we experience taste
through the taste buds , which are receptor cells found on the tongue,
mouth, and throat. The five basic tastes that our species can sense are
sweet, salty, sour, bitter, and umami, which is a mouth-filling, savory
taste (Owen, 2015). Receptors on the moist surfaces of the mouth, nose,
throat, and eyes sense irritating properties of food and odors—things like
the spiciness of chili peppers and the coolness of mint (Fukunaga et al.,
2005). All three types of receptors take information to different parts of
the brain, where the total experience is integrated and translated into
messages, such as knowing you are having a pleasurable dining
experience or that the milk in your refrigerator has outlived its expiration
date.
The ability to taste and smell declines over the adult years, beginning at
about age 30 and becoming more noticeable around 65 or 70. Over 2

million people in the United States have disorders of taste or smell, and
most of them are older adults. One reason for this is that the amount of
mucus in the nasal cavity is reduced so that odor molecules do not bind
to the receptors as well as they do in younger people. Similarly, there is a
reduction in the amount of saliva produced when chewing food, reducing
the release of molecules in food to be sensed by the taste buds. There are
fewer receptor cells, both in the sinus cavity and the mouth—about half as
many at 70 years of age as at 20. Years of smoking and living in areas
with air pollution contribute to the loss of taste and smell. Some diseases
have this effect, as well as the use of some medications, both of which are
more common in older adults (Douglass & Heckman, 2010).
The results can be minor ones. We prefer salsa to ketchup on our food.
We use more salt and spices. We put extra sugar or sweetener in our
coffee. Or they can be more serious, when food loses its appeal and older
adults skip meals. The reduced sense of smell can cause older people to
eat food that has spoiled and may interfere with their ability to smell
dangerous odors such as the rotten-egg smell natural gas companies add
to their product to signal a leak in the lines.

2.4: How Age Changes Internal
Structures and Systems
Objective: Analyze the social impact of age-related changes to
the body
Most of us are concerned about our outward appearance and how it will
change as we navigate the years of adulthood. Many of the most obvious
signs of aging belong in this category, and we see them in our parents
and grandparents, in our friends, and sometimes in our mirrors. Perhaps
less obvious are those changes taking place beneath the surface—in our
muscles and bones and heart and lungs and in our ability to fight off
disease and infection. In this section, we examine these age-related
changes to internal structures and systems.

will be able to:
2.4.1 Determine the impacts of age-related bone and muscle changes
2.4.2 Explain how the cardiovascular and respiratory systems change
with age
2.4.3 Identify age-related changes to the nervous system
2.4.4 Summarize age-related changes to the immune system

2.4.5 Differentiate how hormone changes affect males and females
2.4.1: Bones and Muscles
Objective: Determine the impacts of age-related bone and muscle
changes
The major change involved in primary aging of the bones is calcium loss,
which causes bones to become less dense. Peak bone mass is reached
around the age of 30, followed by a gradual decline for both men and
women, but the overall effect of this bone loss is greater for women for
several reasons. First, women’s bones are smaller and contain less
calcium—in other words, even if the decline were equal, women begin at
a disadvantage. Second, the decline is not equal; women’s bone loss rate
shows a marked acceleration between the ages of 50 and 65, whereas
men’s decline is more gradual. Severe loss of bone mass, or
osteoporosis , makes the bones more likely to break than those of a
younger person. There is controversy over whether or not osteoporosis is
a disease because the process is not distinguishable from normal aging of
the bones, except in degree of severity.

Osteoporosis
Osteoporosis is based on a measure of bone mass density (BMD) ,
which is easily determined with a test called a DXA (dual-energy X-ray
absorptiometry) scan of the hips and spine. The results are compared to
those of a young healthy person. BMD measures at either hip or spine
that are more than 2.5 standard deviations below normal are considered
osteoporosis.
According to the CDC, osteoporosis affects 16% of people over age 65.
Women are four times more apt to have osteoporosis than men, and
individuals with Mexican American heritage are more likely to have

osteoporosis than those of non-Hispanic white or non-Hispanic black
heritage (Looker & Frenk, 2015).
The biggest problem caused by osteoporosis is the increased risk of injury
after a fall. Diminished eyesight and a decreased sense of balance result

in a greater number of falls as we get older. When brittle bones enter the
equation, falls can result in serious injury, disability, loss of independent
living, and even death. The typical sites of breaks are the wrist, spine, and
hip.
New strategies to prevent osteoporosis focus on promoting bone health
throughout life, starting with childhood, through proper diet containing
required amounts of calcium and vitamin D. Healthy bones also require a
regimen of exercise of the weight-bearing muscles, including high-impact

exercise such as running and jumping. Peak bone mass is reached in the
late teens and early 20s, and the denser the bone mass is at this age, the
lower the risk for osteoporosis in later life (National Osteoporosis
Foundation, 2016).
Measuring bone mass density is becoming more and more a part of
routine examinations by gynecologists, internists, and family physicians.
Treatment of bone loss includes vitamin D, estrogen, and drugs that slow
down bone loss and increase the rate of bone formation. Recently more
emphasis is being placed on patient adherence to treatment for bone loss.

Patients are being urged to refill their prescriptions before they run out of
medication and to follow the instructions carefully to ensure that the drug
is being absorbed well into the system and to avoid unpleasant side
effects. Medication-delivery systems are available that allow patients to
take only one pill a month or one IV treatment a year.
Risk Factors for Osteoporosis
Increased age
Family history
Female gender
European, Asian, or Latin ancestry
History of earlier bone fracture

Sedentary lifestyle*
Smoking*
Excessive alcohol consumption*
Underweight BMI*
Source: (CDC, 2015c; National Institute on Aging, 2013)
*Can be controlled or prevented.

Osteoarthritis
Over the adult years, bones also change at the joints. Osteoarthritis  is a
condition that occurs when the soft cartilage that covers the ends of the
bones wears away with use and age. This allows the bones to rub
together and causes pain, swelling, and loss of motion at the joint. The
CDC (2015c) estimates that 34% of people who are 65 years of age or
older have osteoarthritis. In older adults this condition is more prevalent
in women; in younger adults it is more apt to appear in men and be the
result of work and sports injuries.
Researchers are investigating the long-term effects of high-impact sports

on bones and joints. Studies have been conducted with male elite
athletes, defined as athletes playing at the national or professional levels
of high-impact sports, to determine the relationship between
participation in various sports and later osteoarthritis of the hip joint.
One review of the available literature showed that there was an increase
in the risk of hip osteoarthritis for men playing handball, soccer, and
hockey, but the evidence for long distance running was not consistent
(Vigdorchik et al., 2016).
Women athletes have not been studied enough for review articles, but
one recent study involved women (and men) ballet dancers, an art form
that can be as physically demanding as high-impact sports (Reider, 2016).
Joshua D. Harris, a physician who specializes in orthopedic surgery and
sports medicine, along with his colleagues (Harris et al., 2015) examined
47 male and female dancers from an international ballet company using
radiographic images of their hip joints. He found evidence of a dysplasia
(or deformity) of at least one hip joint in 89% of the dancers. This
dysplasia was more apt to be found in female (92%) than male (74%)
dancers. I should remind you that all these studies are cross-sectional,
and longitudinal studies need to be conducted to determine how (or if)
these risk factors and hip dysplasia develop into later-life osteoarthritis
and whether some safeguards are possible, such as avoiding certain
movements or wearing certain protective gear.
Osteoarthritis, no matter the cause, can lead to depression, anxiety,
feelings of helplessness, lifestyle and job limitations, and loss of
independence. However, most people with this condition find that the
pain and stiffness of osteoarthritis can be relieved with anti-inflammatory
and pain-relief medication, and also an appropriate balance of rest and
exercise to preserve range of motion. Weight management is also helpful
for many.
Some people with osteoarthritis report that they have found help through
alternative and complementary medical treatment, such as acupuncture,
massage therapy, vitamins, and nutritional supplements. Others have

injections of hyaluranic acid, which is a natural component of cartilage
and joint fluid. Studies are currently being done on all these treatments.
For example, researchers recently conducted a meta-analysis of 29
randomized, controlled trials of over 17,000 acupuncture patients who

either had needles inserted at traditional acupuncture sites or at sham
sites, chosen randomly. When researchers asked patients about the

effectiveness of the treatment in alleviating osteoarthritis pain, there was
a modest but significant difference in the two treatments, showing that
the results patients experience from traditional acupuncture sites are

greater than a placebo effect (Vickers, Cronin, Maschino, et al., 2012).
When people with osteoarthritis cannot find relief with these treatments,
there is the surgical option of joint replacement. In recent years, over
300,000 hip joints and over 600,000 knee joints have been replaced
annually in the United States with high success rates. The vast majority of
these surgeries are due to osteoarthritis (American Academy of

Orthopaedic Surgeons, 2016a, 2016b).
Risk Factors for Osteoarthritis
Increased age
Female gender (after 50)
Family history
History of joint injury
History of repeated joint stress*
Overweight or obese BMI*
Source: (CDC, 2015c; National Institute on Aging, 2013)
*Can be controlled or prevented.

Muscle Mass and Strength
With age, most adults experience a gradual decrease in muscle mass and
strength. The reason for this is that the number of muscle fibers
decreases, probably as a result of reduced levels of growth hormones and
testosterone. Another normal, age-related change is that muscles slowly
lose their ability to contract as quickly as they did at younger ages. In

addition, older people do not regain muscle mass as quickly as younger
people after periods of inactivity, such as when recovering from illness or
injury. All this being said, most older people have adequate muscle
strength to attend to the tasks they need to do, and many athletes stay at
high levels of functioning. However, even the most fit will notice some
decline as they age.
Two types of exercise help rebuild muscle mass and strength: resistance
training, which involves contracting muscles by lifting or pushing and
holding the contraction for up to 6 seconds, and stretching, which

lengthens muscles and increases flexibility. Stretches should be held for 5
seconds when beginning, but up to 30 seconds with increased practice.
One good way to combine these two types of exercise is water aerobics,
and I have used that as part of my exercise plan for many years.
Stretching is much easier when the water is supporting much of your
weight, and the water also provides more resistance than doing the same
exercises on land. I’m lucky enough to live in south Florida and can
attend the outdoor classes year-round. (But to be honest, they do heat the
pool in the winter, and I stay home when the air temperature is below 60
degrees.)
2.4.2: Cardiovascular and Respiratory
Systems
Objective: Explain how the cardiovascular and respiratory
systems change with age
The cardiovascular system includes the heart and its blood vessels. You
may be glad to hear that the heart of an older person functions about as
well as a younger person on a day-to-day basis, unless there is some
disease present. The difference arises when the cardiovascular system is

challenged, as happens during heavy exercise: The older heart is slow to
respond to the challenge and cannot increase its function as well as a
younger heart.
Another age-related change is that the walls of the arteries become
thicker and less supple, so they do not adjust to changes in blood flow as
well as younger arteries. This loss of elasticity can cause hypertension, or
high blood pressure, which is more prevalent in older people than in
younger people. Figure 2.7  shows the proportion of men and women of
different ages in the United States who have been diagnosed with high
blood pressure. As you can see, the proportion increases with age for
both men and women, with the proportion of women being lower than
men until the 45–64 age group, then similar to men until the 75+ age
group, when it exceeds the proportion for men (CDC, 2016c).

Figure 2.7 Percentage of U.S. Men and Women by Age Group Who
Have Been Diagnosed with High Blood Pressure
High blood pressure increases with age for both men and women.
Source: Data from CDC(2016).
The respiratory system is made up of the lungs and the muscles involved
in breathing. This system weakens slightly with age, but in healthy people
who don’t smoke, the respiratory function is good enough to support
daily activities. As with the cardiovascular system, the difference is
noticed when the system is challenged, as it is with vigorous exercise or
at high altitudes (Beers, 2004).
One good piece of news is that regular exercise can reduce some of the
effects of aging. Exercise can make the heart stronger and lower blood
pressure; well-toned muscles can aid in circulation and breathing.
Aerobic exercise, which includes brisk walking, running, and bicycling, is

recommended for the cardiovascular and respiratory systems.
2.4.3: Brain and Nervous System
Objective: Identify age-related changes to the nervous system
Many people believe that aging means deterioration of the brain, and
research in the past seemed to support this, but more recent studies using
new technology have shown that loss of neurons , or brain cells, in
primary aging is much less severe than once thought. Evidence now
shows that the nervous system is characterized by lifelong plasticity ,
meaning that neurons are capable of making changes with age. For
example, neurons form new connections with other neurons, change
thresholds and response rates, and take over the functions of nearby
neurons that have been damaged (Beers, 2004). Watch the following
video to learn more about the plasticity of neurons.
Watch Overview of Neuroplasticity

Along with neuronal loss and plasticity, the role of neurogenesis , which
is the production of new neurons from neural stem cells, takes place
throughout the adult years in two parts of the brain. One is the dentate
gyrus, a small area of the hippocampus that is crucial for forming
memories; the other is the subventricular zone, which is part of the lining
of the cavities in the brain where cerebrospinal fluid is produced (Apple
et al., 2017). Stem cells  are immature undifferentiated cells that can
multiply easily and mature into many different kinds of cells, including
neurons. Although neurogenesis continues well into older adulthood, the
rate at which neurons are produced slows down as we age, presumably

leading to age-related cognitive loss. Researchers are trying to find ways
to boost the rate of neurogenesis in the later years either by increasing
stem cell production or by identifying factors that lead to the slowdown
and finding ways to reduce their effects. One promising line of research is
caloric restriction, which preserves the production of stem cells and new
neurons in the hippocampus of aged mice (Park et al, 2013) and memory
function in adult mice (Hornsby et al., 2016). A growth factor found in the
blood of young mice can promote neurogenesis and improve learning
and memory when injected into old mice (Valleda et al., 2014).
Molecular neurobiologists Désirée Seib and Ana Martin-Villalba (2015)

recommend an alternative method for maintaining brain health –
exercise. It has been demonstrated in many research studies that exercise

restores cognitive functioning and physical health in human research
participants with few side effects. If you add some mentally challenging
tasks, the result is increased neurogenesis and brain plasticity in older
adulthood.
2.4.4: Immune System
Objective: Summarize age-related changes to the immune system
The immune system protects the body in two ways: (1) the B cells ,
produced in the bone marrow, make proteins called antibodies , which

react to foreign organisms (such as viruses and other infectious agents),
and (2) the T cells , produced in the thymus gland, reject and consume
harmful or foreign cells, such as bacteria and transplanted organs. B cells
show abnormalities with age and have been implicated in the increase of
autoimmune disorders in older adults. With age, T cells show reduced
ability to fight new infection. It is difficult to establish that the aging
body’s decreasing ability to defend itself from disease is a process of
primary aging. It is possible, instead, that the immune system becomes
weakened in older adulthood as chronic diseases become more prevalent
and exercise and nutrition decline.
Taking nutritional supplements to boost immune function is a topic of
controversy. On one side are warnings from the FDA that supplements
are not intended to treat, prevent, or cure disease. On the other side are
research findings that various antioxidant supplements (vitamins C, E,
and others) increase immune function in lab animals (Catoni et al., 2008)
and the nutritional supplement manufacturers, who claim that their
products will prevent (and reverse) many aspects of primary aging. My
personal conclusion is that that unless your physician tells you otherwise,
middle-aged adults (and younger adults) with relatively healthy diets and
lifestyles don’t need to take vitamin supplements. For older adults,
especially those with appetite loss or who don’t get outdoors much, a
daily multivitamin may help and can’t hurt—except for the cost (Porter,
2009).
2.4.5: Hormonal System
Objective: Differentiate how hormone changes affect males and
females
Both men and women experience changes in their hormonal systems over
the course of adult life, beginning around the age of 30. Growth hormone
decreases with age, reducing muscle mass. Aldosterone production
decreases, leaving some older adults prone to dehydration and heatstroke
when summer temperatures soar. However, as with many other aspects

of primary aging, most of these changes are not noticeable until late
adulthood (Halter, 2011). One more obvious change is the reduction of
hormones that results in loss of reproductive ability, a time of life known
as the climacteric . The climacteric takes place gradually for men over
middle and late adulthood and more abruptly for women around the late
40s and early 50s. Click or tap each tab below to learn more about the
effects of climacteric in men and women
Climacteric in Men and Women

Hormone Replacement
If primary aging is due to a decline in hormone production in men and women,
why not replace the lost hormones and reverse the process? This is not a new
suggestion; it has been the impetus behind many failed “fountain-of-
youth” therapies throughout history, including the injection of pulverized
sheep and guinea pig testicles into patients in the 1890s and chimpanzee
testicle and ovary implants into elderly men and women in the 1920s
(Epelbaum, 2008). Needless to say, none of these measures restored
youth, but more recent attempts to replace diminished hormone supplies
in aging adults have met with some success. Although none reverse the
aging process, they may alleviate some of the symptoms.
The most-used hormone replacement regimen is a combination of
estrogen and progesterone prescribed for women at menopause. This
hormone replacement therapy (HRT)  provides women with the
hormones once produced by their ovaries and can reduce some of the
adverse symptoms of the climacteric. Hormone replacement therapy can
alleviate hot flashes, vaginal dryness, and risk of bone fractures; however,
research findings on the negative effects of HRT are mixed. According to
the American Cancer Society (2015), some studies have shown that HRT
can increase the risk of cancer of the breast, the ovaries, and the
endometrium (lining of the uterus). The risk of HRT seems to depend on
which hormones are replaced, how long the treatment continues, and the
woman’s overall medical history (Dalal & Agarwal, 2015). Some
nonhormone treatments have been found effective, such as cognitive-

behavioral therapy, hypnosis, antidepressants, and paroxetine salt,
whereas others have not, such as paced respiration therapy and lifestyle
changes that include wearing layers of clothing and avoiding spicy food.
Exercise and yoga are also not very effective for alleviating hot flashes,
but are helpful for overall good health (Jacob, 2016). Women are advised
to talk to their physicians about their menopausal symptoms to decide on
the best course of action for them.
Although controversial, testosterone replacement therapy is popular
among middle-aged and older men in the form of injections, skin patches,
and gels applied to the underarms. Although only about 20% of men over
age 60 have lower-than-normal testosterone levels, prescriptions for
testosterone replacement in the United States increased from 692,000 in
2000 to over 2 million in 2013, the majority being written by primary care
physicians. Despite this increase in use, the benefits and risks of long-
term testosterone replacement therapy are unknown at this time, and one
of the side effects is the increased rate of division of cancer cells. Several
medical associations including the FDA and the American Urological
Association have called for more research into the health benefits and
risks of this hormone treatment (Garnick, 2015).
DHEA and GH
Age-related declines in both sexes have been documented for two other
hormones: DHEA (dehydroepiandrosterone)  and GH  (growth

hormone). Not only do these hormones decline naturally with age, but
animal studies suggest that replacing these hormones reverses aging and
provides protection against disease. What about humans? Results have
been mixed. An early study using DHEA with a small group of older men
and women showed promise, but large clinical trials using placebo
controls have failed to demonstrate that it has any effect on body
composition, physical performance, or quality of life (Nair et al., 2006). A

meta-analysis of 31 randomized, controlled studies of GH’s effects on
healthy adults over age 50 showed that there were small decreases in
body fat and small increases in lean body mass, but increased rates of
adverse effects such as increased fluid in soft tissues and fatigue (Liu et
al., 2007). A later study showed that GH has little effect on healthy adults
and that any increase in lean body mass is possibly due to fluid retention
(Birzniece et al., 2011).
All that being said, DHEA is widely used by adults of all ages in the
United States, where it is considered a nutritional supplement and sold in

health food stores and over the Internet. GH is also widely available in
the United States, despite the fact that it must be prescribed by a doctor
and the FDA has not approved it as an antiaging drug. Products claiming
to contain GH account for millions of dollars of Internet sales each year.

2.5: Changes in Physical Behavior
Objective: Determine how age-related physical changes impact
life as an older adult
The changes in various body systems discussed so far form the
foundation for age-related changes in more complex behaviors and day-

to-day activities. These changes include a gradual slowing of peak athletic
performance; the decline of stamina, dexterity, and balance; changes in
sleep habits; and the changes that occur in sexual functioning for both
men and women.

will be able to:
2.5.1 Summarize how athletic abilities change with age
2.5.2 Identify age-related challenges in personal stamina, dexterity,
and balance
2.5.3 Characterize sleep at different ages
2.5.4 Describe changes and continuities in sexual activity with age

2.5.1: Athletic Abilities
Objective: Summarize how athletic abilities change with age
In any sport, the top performers are almost always in their teens or 20s,
especially any sport involving speed. Gymnasts peak in their teens, short-
distance runners in their early 20s, and baseball players at about 27. As
endurance becomes more involved in performance, such as for long-
distance running, the peak performance age rises, but the top performers
are almost always still in their 20s. Few of us have reached the heights of
athletic superstars, but most of us notice some downturn in athletic ability
shortly after the high school years. In the following video, a middle-aged
man and woman discuss the changes they have experienced in their
physical abilities since younger adulthood. Watch the following video for
more on physical changes over time.
Watch Changes in Physical Abilities

Cross-sectional comparisons of athletes of different ages show these
changes dramatically. Figure 2.8  shows the oxygen uptake for three
groups of men ranging in age from 20 to 90 (Kusy et al., 2012). The group
represented by the set of bars on the left consists of professional athletes
and master athletes in Poland who trained for endurance sports (cyclists,
triathletes, and long-distance runners). The group represented by the bars
in the center is their countrymen who have trained for speed-power
sports (sprinters, jumpers, and throwers). The set of bars on the right
shows the oxygen uptake for untrained men, defined as those who do not
have more than 150 minutes of vigorous activity per week. As you can
see, the athletes trained for endurance sports have significantly higher
levels of oxygen uptake than those trained for speed-power sports. And
both types of athletes have significantly higher oxygen uptake levels than
the nonathletes at all age levels. Furthermore, although the oxygen
uptake of all the men declines with age, the differences in the three
groups continue, with some trained athletes in their late 80s still testing
higher than some nonathletes in their 20s. The lesson is clear: We slow
down as we get older, but when we start out in better shape and keep
exercising, we are still ahead of those who never trained at all.
Figure 2.8 Age Differences in Oxygen Uptake

The ability to utilize oxygen is greater in endurance trained athletes than
in speed-power trained athletes. Both types of training provide better
oxygen uptake than no training at all. However, all groups show a decline
with age.
2.5.2: Stamina, Dexterity, and Balance
Objective: Identify age-related challenges in personal stamina,
dexterity, and balance
In addition to loss of speed, all the physical changes associated with aging
combine to produce a reduction in stamina, dexterity, and balance. The
loss of stamina , which is the ability to sustain moderate or strenuous
activity over a period of time, clearly arises in large part from the changes
in the cardiovascular and respiratory systems, as well as from changes in

muscles. Dexterity , the ability to use the hands or body in a skillful
way, is lost primarily as a result of arthritic changes in the joints.
Another significant change, one with clear practical ramifications, is a
gradual loss of balance , the ability to adapt body position to change.
Older adults are likely to have greater difficulty handling uneven
sidewalks or snowy streets or adapting the body to a swaying bus. All
these situations require flexibility and muscle strength, both of which
decline in old age. One result of less steady balance is a greater incidence
of falls among older adults. As mentioned previously, declining eyesight

and brittle bones combine with the decline in balance to produce a
hazardous situation for older adults.
One remedy for loss of balance is regular exercise, including strength and
flexibility training such as tai-chi, a gentle form of martial arts that
emphasizes fluid movements and balance. Tai-chi is a traditional pastime

of groups of older adults in China, now taught in many community
centers in the United States and other countries as a type of “meditation
in motion.” Other suggestions include “fall-proofing” the home, for
example, have well-lit stairs and no throw rugs, avoid loose-fitting shoes,
and mark the edges of steps (CDC, 2015a).

2.5.3: Sleep
Objective: Characterize sleep at different ages
Most of us think of sleep as simply the absence of conscious thought and
purposeful activity, and this is true to some extent. It is a period of time

set aside for cellular restoration, energy conservation, and consolidation
of newly formed memories and learning. But sleep also has an active
component. There are important processes going on while we sleep. We
find new answers to problems we have mulled over during the day, our
creativity is fired up after a good night’s sleep, and mental roadblocks
have been circumvented during the night ranging from how to end the
opera we are writing to how to solve a family relationship problem that
seemed hopeless the night before (Lockley & Foster, 2012). So it stands
to reason that it is important for us to get a healthy dose of sleep on a
regular basis.
Adults typically need 7–8 hours of sleep per night, and this includes older
adults, yet the CDC (2016d) finds that over a third of adults in the United
States report getting less than that on a regular basis. This chronic lack of
sleep can lead to increased accidents, heart disease, obesity, diabetes,
cancer, and mental disorders and decreased immune function.
Sleep problems differ by age in adulthood. Emerging adults have sleep–
wake cycles that are about 2 or 3 hours behind that of other adults,
making them “night owls” who don’t get sleepy until late at night and
then don’t feel wakeful until midmorning. This has been interpreted by
generations of parents (and college professors) as laziness or lack of
discipline, but sleep researchers come down on the side of the younger
generation, stating that this is a normal developmental phenomenon and
that parents and educators should be more understanding and let them
sleep later (Carskadon, 2009).

Sleep Pathologies
Young adults continue to have sleep–wake cycles that are slightly behind
their older counterparts, but most of their sleep problems are related to
work schedules, family obligations, and stress. In middle age, lack of
sleep due to health problems becomes a factor, especially if weight has
increased and activity level has decreased. Stress also contributes to sleep
problems at this age, when children are entering adulthood and careers
are demanding (or uncertain). Menopause affects sleep with hot flashes,
and there is also an increase in sleep apnea , which is a pause in
breathing during sleep due to a constriction of the airway (Lockley &
Foster, 2012). Sleep apnea has been declared a hidden health crisis for
both men and women by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine
(2016) because it is an underlying cause for work accidents, auto
accidents, and major health problems. Warning signs are snoring,
choking, and gasping during sleep. Treatment is available and about
three-quarters of patients who undergo treatment for sleep apnea report

improved health and quality of life.
Older adults sleep about an hour less at night than younger adults,
waking about an hour earlier on average, but also are more apt to take
naps during the day. Sleep problems in older adults can be the effect of
physical and mental disorders. Sleep researchers believe that although
sleep patterns change in old age, it does not mean that insomnia is part of
aging—it’s just that health problems and medication use increase with age
(Lockley & Foster, 2012) and time spent exercising decreases (Buman et
al., 2011).
Insomnia  —the inability to sleep—increases with age and affects women
more than men. There are three major causes. First, some people seem to
be inherently predisposed to insomnia. Second are outside factors such as
disease, medication, depression and anxiety, and stress. Third are lifestyle
factors such as alcohol use, overuse of caffeine, lack of exercise, daily
napping, and the use of blue-screen electronic devices before bedtime
(and during the night). Besides not allowing us to clear our minds and
relax, the light from tablets and phones mimics daylight and confuses the
circadian rhythms much like jet lag does. Some people, especially
adolescents and emerging adults, are extremely sensitive to this, and it
results in insomnia.
As you can see, some of these factors can be changed easily and others
not at all. It is relatively easy to monitor caffeine intake and get regular
exercise, but dealing with health problems and medication requires
working with your physician (Punnoose, 2012). However, making

lifestyle changes is the best place to start before moving on to medication,
which has not proven to be as safe and effective as it would seem on TV

commercials.
2.5.4: Sexual Activity
Objective: Describe changes and continuities in sexual activity
with age
As a result of normal changes in various systems of the body, sexual

behavior shows the effects of primary aging. The key indicator used in
research is the average number of times per month people of different
ages have intercourse. A number of early studies showed that among
people in their 20s with regular partners, the number is high—as much as
10 times or more per month, dropping to about 3 times per month for
people in their 60s and 70s, and this is found in both cross-sectional and
longitudinal studies.
However, one problem with this research question is that it reduces a
very complex human interaction into a simple frequency count. Few
studies tell us about the quality of the sexual relations people have at
different ages or about types of sexual expression that don’t involve
intercourse. An exception was a study by social psychologists John
DeLamater and Sara Moorman (2007) using data collected by the AARP
in their Modern Maturity Sexuality Survey. In this survey, over 1,300 men
and women from the ages of 45 to 94 were asked about sexual activities
such as kissing and hugging, sexual touching, oral sex, and masturbation,
as well as sexual intercourse. Although participation in all these sexual
activities was related to age, other factors were important, too, such as
physical ability, sexual desire, social surroundings, and environmental

aspects of life at different points in adulthood. Let’s look at some of these
factors in more detail.

Physical Ability
Studies of the physiological components of the sexual responses of
younger men and women (age 20–40) compared to older men and
women (age 50–78) show that there are differences in all four stages of
sexual response (Medina, 1996; Shifren & Hanfling, 2010). These
changes, which are described in Table 2.5 , show that sexual responses
of younger men and women are a little faster and a little more intense
than in the older group. Although many changes may result in less sexual
activity with age, some can have the opposite result, such as lack of
concerns about pregnancy, more privacy in the home, greater experience,
fewer inhibitions, and a deeper understanding of one’s personal needs

and those of one’s partner (Fraser et al., 2004; Shifren & Hanfling, 2010).
Click or tap each phase to learn more about the difference in that phase
in women and men
Table 2.5 Sexual Response in Older Adults (50–78 Years of Age)

Compared to Younger Adults (20–40 Years of Age)
One of the most prevalent sexual problems for men is erectile
dysfunction (ED) , which is defined as the inability to have an erection
adequate for satisfactory sexual performance. This problem occurs in
about 30 million men in the United States and the incidence increases
with age. About 12% of men younger than age 60 are affected, as are 22%
of men age 60–69. Thirty percent of men over age 70 experience erectile
dysfunction. Although ED occurs for many reasons (high blood pressure,
diabetes, heart disease, side effects of medication, treatment for prostate

cancer or bladder cancer), the underlying mechanism seems to be similar
in many cases—a shortage of cyclic GMP , a substance that is released

by the brain during sexual arousal. Part of the job of cyclic GMP is to
close down the veins of the penis that normally drain away blood so that
the blood supply increases and the tissues become engorged and erect.
When cyclic GMP is in short supply, regardless of the reason, the result
can be erectile dysfunction. In the last few decades, drugs have been
developed—such as Viagra (sildenafil), Levitra (vardenafil), Cialis

(tadalafil), and Stendra (avanafil)—that magnify the effects of cyclic GMP,
making erections possible if even a small amount of the substance is
present. In addition, men with erectile dysfunction are encouraged to
make some lifestyle changes, such as not smoking, limiting or avoiding
alcohol, increasing physical activity, and avoiding illegal drug use

(National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Disorders,
2017).
As mentioned before, one of the effects of menopause for some women is

vaginal dryness and the reduced ability to lubricate when sexually
aroused. This is often alleviated by estrogen treatment, either pills,
patches, or creams, or the use of an artificial lubricant. However, as is

discussed later in this section, sexual behavior involves more than erectile
functioning and vaginal lubrication; there is also general health and well-
being, relationship quality, conducive surroundings, and the perception
of oneself as a sexual being, regardless of age. So far there is no “little

blue pill” that will correct problems in all these areas.
Sexual Desire
The desire to participate in sexual activity waxes and wanes throughout
adulthood. For example, young adults report loss of desire when career
pressures and parental responsibilities are at a peak. Middle-aged adults
report increased sexual desire when the day-to-day responsibilities of
parenthood end. Older adults report loss of desire because they believe
that sex is only for the young or those with youthful bodies. But all in all,
the desire to have sex is highest in emerging adulthood and declines with
age as part of primary aging. Although lack of physical ability is the major
sex-related complaint of men, clinicians report that lack of desire is by far
the most common complaint of women (Tomic, Gallicchio, Whiteman, et

al., 2006).
Sexual desire is driven by testosterone in women as well as in men. By
menopause, women have about half of the amount of testosterone as they
did in their 20s, and that decline can contribute to reduced desire for sex
and briefer, less pleasurable orgasms for some women. Testosterone
replacement therapy for women is fairly recent and controversial. Several
studies have shown that daily testosterone, delivered via a skin patch, can
boost sexual desire and increase orgasms for postmenopausal women,
but questions remain about the side effects, which can include excess hair
growth, acne, liver problems, and lower levels of high-density lipoprotein
cholesterol (the “good” cholesterol). The FDA has not given approval for
the use of testosterone replacement for women with low sexual desire
and will not until further long-term studies are completed (Shifren &
Hanfling, 2010), though it is widely prescribed “off label.”
In 2015, the FDA approved flibanserin (Addyi) as a treatment for low
sexual desire in women. The manufacturer introduced it as a product to
“even the score,” in other words, to give women the same opportunities
as men have with Viagara (Woloshin & Schwartz, 2016). The following
year, researchers performed a meta-analysis on data from eight studies of
the effects of flibanserin, which included almost 6,000 women.
Participants were premenopausal or postmenopausal women who had

been in monogamous relationships for at least 1 year and who had
experienced a recent decrease in sexual desire. They had been randomly
assigned to either a flibanserin group or a placebo group. After the course
of treatment, women in the flibanserin group reported having 0.5 more
“satisfying sexual experiences” per month than those in the placebo
group. Although the difference was statistically significant, it was
minimal. In addition, the women in the flibanserin group experienced
significantly more side effects, such as dizziness, sleepiness, nausea, and
fatigue (Jaspers et al., 2016).
Nearly 90% of U.S. physicians report that they would prescribe an

approved drug for women reporting decreased sexual desire in middle
age, but it doesn’t seem that this particular drug is the answer. It should
be noted that there are safe and proven remedies for sexual dysfunction
that have been helpful to many couples, such as reducing alcohol

consumption and stress, increasing exercise and quality time together as
a couple, and consulting a professional sex therapist. Of course, physical

ability and sexual desire are not the only considerations when it comes to
adults having sex. Here are a few other sexual considerations. Click or tap
each tab below to learn more about other sexual considerations
Other Sexual Considerations

2.6: Individual Differences in
Primary Aging
Objective: Relate aging experiences to demographic influences
There is often a big difference between group means and individual
measurements in research findings. In fact, the older we get, the more

differences there are between us and our own agemates. If you have had
the opportunity to attend a high school reunion, you will know what I
mean. Seniors in high school are very similar, and they look and behave
in much the same manner, but at your 10-year reunion—at the age of 28
or so—differences are already apparent. Some have not changed much

from their 18-year-old appearances, but others have begun to show
changes in body shape and thinning of hair. By the time you reach your
30-year reunion—at the age of 48 or so—the differences will be even more
dramatic. What factors are involved in this diversity? And, more
specifically, you may ask, “What factors might affect the aging process for
me?”

will be able to:
2.6.1 Explain the heritability of aging
2.6.2 Relate lifestyle to how a person ages

2.6.3 Describe racial and socioeconomic impacts on the experience of
aging
2.6.1: Genetics
Objective: Explain the heritability of aging
Twin studies and other family studies show that the number of years a
person lives is moderately heritable (McClearn et al., 2001), but this may
be primarily due to the absence of genetic predispositions for certain
diseases. Still, living a long life doesn’t tell us much about the rate of
primary aging. Do genes influence the rate at which we age? Would a pair
of identical twins start showing wrinkles at the same age and have their
hair start turning gray together? In one study, researchers gathered data
about the aging of skin at the annual Twins Festival in Twinsburg, Ohio,
and compared identical twins’ faces and those of fraternal twins. For 130
pairs of twins ranging up to 77 years of age, they found that the identical
twin pairs were more alike in their facial skin aging patterns than the
fraternal twin pairs and that the genetic contribution to facial skin aging is
about 60%. This means that 40% of our facial skin aging is due to other
causes, such as smoking and UV radiation exposure from the sun
(Martires et al., 2009), as well as the use of tanning beds (Robinson &
Bigby, 2011). In addition, about 60% of the variation in total body weight,
as well as the pattern of age-related weight change, are influenced by
genetics (Ortega-Alonso et al., 2009), though physical exercise can
modify the genetic influence on both total body weight and waist
circumference (Mustelin et al., 2009).

2.6.2: Lifestyle
Objective: Relate lifestyle to how a person ages
Another broad category of factors that affect the rate of primary aging
involves the lifestyle choices we make. This involves exercise, diet, and
use of alcohol, tobacco products, and other substances. One of the most
frequently mentioned risk factors for various age-related conditions is
sedentary lifestyle. All experts on healthy aging emphasize the
importance of an active lifestyle. I try to follow my own advice and get a

balance of aerobic exercise, strength and flexibility training, and yoga. I
attend early-morning classes almost every weekday before settling down
at my desk to write. It does wonders for my back and gives me an energy
boost. The social aspects of visiting with others in my classes are
important to my mood, too.
Although I have never been a competitive athlete, I do take inspiration
from master athletes. These people, who are 35 to 90 years of age (and
older), train for athletic events and have better aerobic fitness, higher
levels of “good” cholesterol, fewer risk factors for diabetes, and better
bone density than their peers who are not master athletes. They also are
able to consume more calories while weighing less than people of
comparable ages who have more sedentary lifestyles (Rosenbloom &
Bahns, 2006). This doesn’t make them immune from primary aging, but
their appearances and physical abilities are much “younger” than their
chronological agemates.
For those who dread the idea of starting an exercise program, there is
some encouraging news. Researchers have found that people typically
think negatively about starting a physical workout regimen, but feel more
positive about it once they get started. In other words, even if it seems
difficult and unpleasant ahead of time, just do it. You will be happier once
you get involved in it (Ruby et al., 2011).
Another important factor in primary aging is diet. I recently bit the bullet
(and a lot of celery sticks) and lost 20 pounds that had crept up on me
slowly over the last few years. Losing that 20 pounds increased my
energy level and made me a little happier about exercising. I noticed
when traveling that my knees didn’t hurt after a long day of sightseeing,
and I was not out of breath when I climbed stairs or hills (both a rarity in
south Florida).
Adopting a healthy diet has multilevel benefits. But what is a “healthy
diet?" We are all familiar with the recommended daily allowances of
calories and various nutrients, but these recommendations often do not
take age into account, giving recommendations only for children, adults,
and pregnant or lactating women. Recently, the recommended daily
requirement of vitamin D and protein were raised for older adults. Other
research has shown that the reduced amount of stomach acid that comes
with age can contribute to lower levels of vitamin B12 in older adults
(Kritchevsky, 2016). It seems clear that “healthy diet” means different
things for adults of different ages.
Another lifestyle factor that contributes to accelerated primary aging is

exposure to UV radiation from the sun. This is a major cause of aging of
the skin, specifically coarse texture, dark and white “age spots,” and
spider veins—those red webs that appear on the face and legs near the
knees and ankles. Although aging of the skin is unavoidable in the long
run, we can avoid premature aging by limiting the time we spend

outdoors during peak sun exposure, wearing protective clothing, avoiding
tanning beds, and using sunscreen.
2.6.3: Race, Ethnicity, and
Socioeconomic Group
Objective: Describe racial and socioeconomic impacts on the
experience of aging
Race and ethnicity are risk factors for many conditions involved with
primary aging such as obesity, glaucoma, macular degeneration, and
osteoporosis, as we discussed earlier. But when socioeconomic factors are
added to race and ethnicity, more differences emerge. Many factors that
determine the rate of primary aging depend on education and income
levels. Healthy eating requires information about nutrition, exercise takes
time, and early screening and treatment for conditions such as glaucoma
and osteoporosis are difficult unless families can afford medical care.
Some low-income neighborhoods are food deserts, meaning that residents

have limited access to fresh fruits and vegetables, food is relatively
expensive, and residents have little access to transportation so they can
shop elsewhere. The American Nutrition Association (2011) points out
that food deserts not only lack healthy food, but they are also usually
areas that have a high density of fast-food restaurants and quickie marts
offering processed food that is high in sugar and fat. Figure 2.9  shows
the prevalence of food deserts in the United States. For this map, food
deserts are defined as urban areas with no grocery stores within walking
distance (1 mile), or rural areas with no grocery stores within 10 miles.
Click or tap on the map to enlarge and see the locations of food deserts in
the U.S.
Figure 2.9 Locations of Food Deserts in the United States
Source: U.S. Department of Agriculture, https://www.ers.usda.gov/data-products/food-access-

research-atlas/go-to-the-atlas.aspx
The CDC (2016b) has found that people who have lower levels of
education and lower incomes are more apt to have limited access to
medical care, dental care, and prescription drugs. Add to that findings
that black Americans are more likely to be shut out of these forms of
health care than Hispanic Americans, who are more likely to be shut out
than white Americans, and you have a perfect storm that explains why
primary aging is more rapid for some racial and ethnic groups than others
(Olshansky et al., 2012).
Summary: Physical Changes
2.1 Theories of Primary Aging

Objective: Evaluate theories of primary aging
The oxidative damage theory of primary aging says that we age as a
result of damage from free radicals that are released during normal
cell metabolism.
The genetic limits theory says that we age because our cells are
programmed to stop dividing once we have reached a certain age.
The caloric restriction theory says that our longevity is controlled by
the number of calories we metabolize in our lifetime.
Although scientists have identified several candidates for being the

cause of aging, they have not been able to extend the lifespans of
human participants. Most experts agree that there is as yet no way to
“turn back the clock” of primary aging.
2.2 Physical Changes in Outward

Appearance
Objective: Analyze how adults deal with age-related changes in
appearance
Weight increases gradually, starting toward the end of young
adulthood, remains stable in middle adulthood, and then begins to
decline in later adulthood. Obesity rates are high and increasing
steadily for adults of all ages in the United States and other developed
countries. This condition is linked to a number of diseases, and it also
affects self-perceptions of health, ability to exercise, and social
interactions. The main causes are eating an unhealthy diet and
leading a sedentary lifestyle.
Skin begins to wrinkle toward the end of young adulthood and
becomes more noticeable in the middle years. “Remedies” sold over

the counter for aging skin only cover the signs of aging.
An increasing number of men and women are having cosmetic
surgery and other medical procedures to change their appearances,
and it is most common for those from 40 to 54 years of age.
2.3 The Changing Senses

Objective: Summarize how the senses change with age
Vision begins to decline in early adulthood, but is not noticeable until

middle age. Around age 45, near vision is lost more suddenly, but can
be corrected with reading glasses or contact lenses. The incidence of
cataracts, glaucoma, and macular degeneration increases beginning in

middle age.
Hearing loss begins in the 30s, but is not noticeable until middle age,
when adults have problems hearing higher and softer tones.
Taste and smell begin to decline in the 30s, and this becomes more
noticeable in the late years of middle age.
2.4 How Age Changes Internal
Structures and Systems
Objective: Analyze the social impact of age-related changes to the body
Bone mass density peaks around age 30 and then begins to decline
for both men and women. The decline is gradual for men and sharp
for women at menopause. Women are at greater risk for osteoporosis

and fractures. Osteoarthritis is a common condition in older adults
and can lead to decreased activity and depressive symptoms.

Muscle mass and strength decline slowly and do not affect the daily
activities of most adults. Resistance training and stretching exercises
can help slow down the decline.

Changes in the heart and respiratory system are gradual and do not
affect the daily activities of most adults, but heavy exercise brings
slower responses in the later years. Aerobic exercise can help.
The brain loses neurons with age, but not at the high rate once
believed. However, the nervous system is capable of making
adjustments to the losses, and there is evidence that new neurons can
be created in parts of the adult brain.
The immune system does not function as well in later adulthood as it

did in earlier years, possibly due to the greater prevalence of chronic
diseases and susceptibility to stress. Vitamin supplements may help in
later adulthood.
There is a gradual decline in hormone production and reproductive
ability in both men and women from early adulthood into middle age,
with a sharp decrease for women at menopause. Hormone
replacement is possible, but should be approached with caution and

in consultation with a medical professional.
2.5 Changes in Physical Behavior

Objective: Determine how age-related physical changes impact life as an
older adult
Sleep becomes lighter as we age, and insomnia is more common.
Sleep patterns change to earlier bedtimes and earlier awakenings.
Lifestyle changes can help and should be tried before medication.

Sexual activity is a complex set of behaviors determined by physical
ability, desire, availability of a partner, and privacy. New medication
is available to help with physical ability in men, but other factors can
cause sexual activity to decline with age. Many people remain

sexually active throughout their lives.
2.6 Individual Differences in Primary

Aging
Objective: Relate aging experiences to demographic influences
Primary aging is affected by many individual differences. Genes spare

some people from predispositions to certain conditions, such as
glaucoma and osteoporosis. Genes also account for about 60% of the
timing of skin wrinkling, age-related weight gain, and perceived age.
Lifestyle factors, such as exercise and healthy diet, promote slower
decline.
Race, ethnicity, and socioeconomic factors affect access to health care
and living in neighborhoods where exercise and good nutrition are

easily obtained.
Key Terms: Physical Changes

Chapter 3
Health and Health Disorders
Disease and disability can hit people of all ages, but there are more and
more survivors who go on to live meaningful, happy lives.
3.1 Predict adult health issues based on data
3.2 Analyze ways in which older adults experience disease
3.3 Evaluate mental health challenges facing adults

3.4 Analyze assistance options for physical and mental disorders
3.5 Compare the physical health issues facing adults from different
populations
A Word from the Author: Race for the Cure
Every year a race is run in our town, and probably in yours too,
called the “Race for the Cure,” and it is intended to raise
awareness (and money) for breast cancer prevention, detection,
treatment, and research. The term race is fairly loose—ours is in

January, and many people go in groups to enjoy a brisk walk in
the Florida sun along the waterway, talking with each other and
greeting friends they see along the route. There are also lots of
kids on skateboards, rollerblades, and in strollers. But the theme
of the day is on everyone’s minds—this form of cancer will strike
(or has struck) one of every nine women in the United States.
Almost everyone in the crowd has been touched by breast
cancer, either by being diagnosed themselves or having a loved

one counted among its statistics. Despite the festive atmosphere,
one inescapable theme of the day is clear: A whole lot of women (as
well as men and nonbinary people) have had breast cancer and
survived to walk in the sun.
This chapter is about health and disease. I wish it were more about health
and less about disease, but in truth, disease is part of adult life, and the
longer we live the greater the chance we will have one disease or
another. Many diseases, like breast cancer, have better and better
detection rates and survival rates. Some, like lung cancer, can be
prevented to a great extent through lifestyle decisions. And others, like
Alzheimer’s disease, are more difficult to prevent or to treat at present. In
this chapter, I cover some general statistics about disease patterns and the
most prevalent physical and mental health disorders. I also review the
research on individual differences in health and disease.
3.1 Mortality, Morbidity, and
Disability
Objective: Predict adult health issues based on data
Secondary aging involves changes that happen to some people as they
move through adulthood. Examples of secondary aging are cardiovascular

disease and cancer, which become more prevalent with age. These
changes are different than those of primary aging, which tend to happen
to almost everyone, such as hair loss and cataracts. The changes of
secondary aging can be caused by external factors, such as infection, or
internal factors, such as a disease of a particular organ or system. They

can also be caused by accidents. The truth is, the further a person
journeys into adulthood, the higher the chances one or more of these
conditions will crop up, cause some degree of disability, and eventually,
cause death.
On a brighter note, the changes involved in secondary aging are often

preventable, or if diagnosed early, curable. This type of aging is more
under our control than hair loss or cataracts. In this module, I discuss
death rates, different causes of death for different age groups, major age-
related diseases, mental illnesses, and individual differences in the
prevalence of these conditions. But I also offer ways to prevent many of
these diseases and sources of disability, along with research showing how
valuable early detection can be.

The World Health Organization (WHO, 2009) released a report on
number of deaths by risk factors, which are characteristics of our
behavior, environment, metabolism, and occupation that lead to disease.
As you can see in Figure 3.1 , the top risk factor is high blood pressure,
accounting for over 10 million deaths a year. Second is smoking. Many of
these risk factors are under the control of the individual, especially in
developed countries where healthy food choices and opportunities for
safe exercise are readily available. Although the topic of this module is
death and disease, the main take-away is hope.
Figure 3.1 Number of Worldwide Deaths by Risk Factor
Source: Based on Ritchie & Roser (2018).

will be able to:
3.1.1 Distinguish between mortality and morbidity rates
3.1.2 Describe current experiences of adulthood disability

3.1.1: Mortality and Morbidity
Objective: Distinguish between mortality and morbidity rates
You might assume that an age-related pattern would emerge for the
morbidity rate , or illness rate, with older adults suffering from more of
all types of health conditions than do younger adults. But that is not the
case. Younger adults are actually about twice as likely as are those over
age 65 to suffer from short-term health problems, which physicians call
acute conditions , including colds, flu, infections, or short-term

intestinal upsets. While younger adults are more likely to suffer from
acute conditions, older adults are more likely to experience complications
when they do suffer from acute conditions.
It is only the rates of chronic conditions , longer-lasting disorders such
as heart disease, arthritis, or high blood pressure, that show an age-
related increase. Older adults are two to three times more likely to suffer
from such disorders than adults in their 20s and 30s.
You might also assume there to be an age-related pattern in mortality

rate , or the probability of dying in any one year. In this instance, your
assumption would be correct. Figure 3.2  shows the mortality rate for
Americans in various age groups. You can see that fewer than one-tenth
of 1% of emerging adults age 15 to 24 die in any given year, whereas
about 13% of adults over 85 die each year (U.S. Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention [CDC], 2017b). The fact that older people are
more likely to die is surely no great surprise (although you may be
comforted to see how small the increases are in young adulthood and
middle age).
Figure 3.2 Mortality Rates across Various Age Groups
The mortality rate for adults in the United States increases slowly with
age well into the 60s, then rises more sharply.
Source: CDC (2016).
Of course, there are also different causes of death for people at different
ages. Table 3.1  gives the major causes of death for people in the United
States by age. Three of the top five causes of death for adults from 15 to
34 aren’t even diseases; they are accidents, suicides, and homicides. For
the age group from 35 to 44, accidents are still in first place, followed by
cancer and heart disease. Middle-aged adults (age 45 to 64) have cancer
and heart disease in first and second place, and for older adults (age 65
and over) these two diseases are reversed in first and second place, and
Alzheimer’s disease makes its first appearance in the top five causes of
death (CDC, 2017a).
Table 3.1 Leading Causes of Death in the United States by Age
Group
Source: Data from CDC (2017a).

3.1.2: Disability
Objective: Describe current experiences of adulthood disability
Psychologists, epidemiologists, gerontologists, and even lawyers who
deal with guardianship cases all define disability as the extent to which an
individual is unable to perform two groups of activities:
1. Basic self-care activities, such as bathing, dressing, getting around
inside the home, shifting from a bed to a chair, using the toilet,
and eating, collectively called ADLs (activities of daily living) .
2. More complex everyday tasks, such as preparing meals, shopping
for personal items, doing light housework, doing laundry, using
transportation, handling finances, using the telephone, and taking
medications, referred to as IADLs (instrumental activities of
daily living) .
Another way of measuring health, instead of evaluating activities of daily
living, is to ask adults of different ages to rate their own health on a
simple scale, such as (1) excellent/very good, (2) good, or (3) fair/poor.
These types of rating scales have compared well to more objective
measures of physical and mental health. One such study was included in
the U.S. National Health Interview Survey, and not surprisingly, young
adults rated their health better than older adults. However, 40% of adults
over the age of 75 rated themselves as being in excellent or very good
health (Blackwell et al., 2014). This does not mean, of course, that an 85-
year-old who describes him- or herself as being in “excellent or very
good” health has the same physical functioning as a 25-year-old who
chooses the same description.
Although disabilities occur in all age groups, the incidence increases with
age. As you can see in Figure 3.3 , the U.S. Census Bureau reports that
up until the age of 20, about 1 in 20 emerging adults report having a
disability. During young adulthood and middle age, about 1 in 10 report
having a disability, but the percentage goes up after age 65 and then
again after 75, when almost half of adults report disabilities (Erikson et
al., 2016). Among working-age adults with disabilities, 34% are employed
(Kraus, 2015). As you can imagine, older adults spend more time on
ADLs and IADLs than younger adults, and their ability to perform them is
a key indicator of their quality of life.

Disability does not automatically mean “unemployment.” About one-third
of disabled adults of working age hold jobs.
Figure 3.3 Prevalence of Disability by Age Group in the United States

Disability rates increase with age during the adult years.
Source: Erikson et al. (2016).
Having a chronic illness or health condition does not translate directly

into being disabled. It is quite possible to have one or more chronic
conditions without experiencing significant impairment. One person may
have high blood pressure that is controlled with medication and exercise;
another may have arthritis that responds well to medication and places
no limitation on major activities. For most adults, the crucial issue is not
whether they have a chronic condition but whether that condition has an
impact on their daily lives, requiring restriction in daily activities or
reducing their ability to care for themselves or participate in a full life
without assistance.
In the past 20 years, the disability rates among older adults in the United
States have declined substantially for a number of reasons. According to
population epidemiologist Vicki A. Freedman (2011), this decline is likely

due to advances in medical care and changes in attitudes toward health.
People are healthier today in all age groups, and this translates into less
disability in old age. New surgical procedures and medications help
manage diseases such as cardiovascular disease, cataracts, and arthritic
knees and hips. Another factor in the decrease of disability rates is

assistive technology, which has increased over the last two decades.
People who would have been considered disabled in the past are able to
function well because of items such as personal computers, cell phones,
motorized wheelchairs, and portable oxygen tanks. Older people today
have higher incomes and more education, which often results in healthier
diets, less stress, and better medical care. Increases in income and
education have indirect effects, too. For example, people with more
education are less apt to have strenuous jobs that can lead to disabilities
in later years.
As a result of these various factors, only about 3% of people over age 65

live in nursing homes or skilled care facilities. About 81% of women and
90% of men over 65 are community dwelling , living in their own
homes either with their spouses or alone. The remaining people this age
live in senior residences or assisted-living facilities that provide limited
help or live in the homes of family members (National Institute on Aging,
2011). Even at the age of 90 years and older, almost three-fourths of older
adults are living in their own homes or in the homes of family members
(He & Muenchrath, 2011).
3.2: Specific Diseases
Objective: Analyze ways in which older adults experience
disease
Chances are that you have people living with age-related diseases or
disabilities in your family or among your friends and neighbors. I do.

Living in south Florida, where the proportion of older adults is higher
than most places in the country, people with age-related diseases and
disabilities have become increasingly common. For example:
In my yoga class are two women with Alzheimer’s disease. One comes with a professional
caregiver (who does yoga alongside her), and the other comes with a long-time friend,
who drives her to class and then takes her out to lunch afterward, giving her caregiver
husband a break twice a week.
On our highways are digital signs for posting messages about accidents or other public
service announcements. Now, along with Amber Alerts for missing children, we
frequently have Silver Alerts for older adults with dementia who are missing from their
homes.
The golf club where some of my friends play has a golf pro who takes people living with
disabilities out to play golf on Thursday afternoons. Most have cardiovascular disease and
can’t play all 18 holes, some have Alzheimer’s disease but are able to play with some
assistance, but all enjoy being out on the course in the golf cart and being with fellow
golfers.
My water aerobics class of about 50 women almost always has one or two with colorful
headscarves covering bald heads—the temporary side effect of cancer treatment. After
class there is conversation among the current patients and the survivors, exchanging
words of encouragement, and talking about wigs, tattooed eyebrows, and care for
damaged skin.
This section covers four diseases in detail—cardiovascular disease, cancer,
diabetes, and Alzheimer’s disease. I certainly don’t intend to turn you into
medical experts; my aim is to offer a picture of how health affects our
daily lives (and also how our daily lives affect our health). While we do
need to look at the symptoms and statistics, we must also learn to see the
people living with age-related diseases. Being diagnosed with Alzheimer’s
disease or cancer or heart disease is not the end of personhood. There are
often many years between the diagnosis and the end of life, and family
members, friends, professional caregivers, and even golf pros can help
make those years pleasurable and meaningful. If it takes a village to raise

a child, it takes the same village to care for its elders.

will be able to:
3.2.1 Differentiate the experiences of cardiovascular disease by sex
3.2.2 Explain how the experience of adulthood cancer has changed
over time
3.2.3 Summarize the impact of diabetes on the adult population
3.2.4 Describe the development and progression of Alzheimer’s

disease
3.2.1: Cardiovascular Disease
Objective: Differentiate the experiences of cardiovascular
disease by sex
Disease of the heart and blood vessels, or cardiovascular disease ,

covers a number of physical deteriorations; the key change is in the
coronary arteries, which slowly develop a dangerous accumulation of
plaques , or fat-laden deposits. This process is known as
atherosclerosis , and it is caused by inflammation, which is normally a

protective process of the immune system. Chronic inflammation causes
plaques to form in the artery walls, which can rupture and form blood
clots that block the arteries, leading to heart attack or stroke (Smith et al.,
2009).
Cardiovascular disease involves the buildup of fat-laden deposits, or
plaques, in the coronary arteries.
The death rate from cardiovascular disease has been dropping rapidly in
the past two decades in the United States and most other industrialized
countries, yet it remains the leading cause of death and disability in the
United States (Hoyert & Xu, 2012) and throughout the developed world
(WHO, 2012). Some people are at greater risk for cardiovascular disease
than others.
Risk Factors for Cardiovascular Disease
Here are some risk factors associated with cardiovascular disease. As you
will notice, some of these factors are under our control, such as sedentary
lifestyle, and others are not, such as being older than 50.
Age 50 or older
Family history of cardiovascular disease
Tobacco use and environmental exposure to tobacco smoke*
Obesity*
Diabetes*
High cholesterol*
High blood pressure*
Source: From CDC (2012f).
I feel I should emphasize something here: Cardiovascular disease is the
number-one killer of women throughout the developed world (CDC, 2017c).

The numbers can be misleading because the average age that men have
heart attacks and die from cardiovascular disease is younger than the
average age for women. Comparing cardiovascular disease rates by age
can give the impression that it is a men’s health problem; however, it can
be just as dangerous for women.
In some ways, cardiovascular disease is even more dangerous for women
because the early symptoms can be different. When we think of a heart

attack, we think of crushing chest pain, but for women, the chest pain
may be absent. They may only experience nausea, fatigue, dizziness, cold
sweats, shortness of breath, or sharp pain in the upper body, neck, or jaw.
When these warning signs are not heeded or are misinterpreted,
cardiovascular disease can advance to the point that the first time medical
assistance is sought, the disease has progressed much further than would
be the case for men. In addition, women’s cardiovascular disease often

involves smaller arteries of the heart instead of the large coronary arteries
that are typically affected in men. In these cases, routine tests on the
larger arteries show low risk of cardiovascular disease, when, in fact, the
women can be in advanced stages of microvascular disease, which has

few symptoms. For this reason, almost two-thirds of women who die
suddenly from cardiovascular disease have had no previous symptoms
(CDC, 2017c).
* Can be modified or prevented.
3.2.2: Cancer
Objective: Explain how the experience of adulthood cancer has
changed over time
The second leading cause of death in the United States is cancer , a

disease in which abnormal cells undergo rapidly accelerated,
uncontrolled division and often move into adjacent normal tissues.
Cancer can then spread through the bloodstream or lymph vessels to
more distant tissues in the body, including the brain.
The incidence of cancer increases with age. Figure 3.4  shows the
probability of developing invasive cancer at different ages for men and
women. As you can see, developing invasive cancer becomes more
probable with age. Another change with age is in the type of cancer one
is likely to have. Breast cancer is the most frequent cause of cancer deaths
for women under age 60, whereas brain and other nervous system cancer
is the most frequent cancer death for men under age 40. After 60 for
women and 40 for men, the most frequent cause of cancer death is lung
cancer (Siegel et al., 2016).
Figure 3.4 Probability of Developing Invasive Cancer by Age and Sex

The risk of developing invasive cancer increases with age and is higher
for women before the age of 50 and higher for men after the age of 50.
Source: Siegel et al. (2016).

Advancements in Cancer Research
The search for a cause of cancer has made dramatic progress recently. It
has long been believed that cancer begins with a series of random
mutations that turn off tumor-suppressing genes in a cell and turn on
tumor-stimulating genes. Once this occurs, the mutated cell divides and
replicates excessively, resulting in cancer. Recently, this explanation has

been expanded. Although genetic mutations do occur, a major cause of
cancer is now thought to arise from epigenetic inheritance , in which
environmental events cause changes in gene expression (Berdasco &
Esteller, 2010). Epigenetic inheritance is thought to go hand in hand with
random mutations in causing a number of diseases, including cancer.

Genetic characteristics that are caused by epigenetic inheritance are not
those that are encoded in the genome at conception, like eye color or
dimples. Rather, they are the result of environmental influences during
the prenatal period or during the lifespan that affect how existing genes
are expressed without altering the genetic code itself. In its desired
function, epigenetic inheritance works to downregulate (or silence) one
gene so that another gene at that location is expressed. While this can
produce advantageous effects, it can also produce detrimental effects,
such as switching off tumor-supressing genes or turning on tumor-
stimulating genes. The difference between this explanation and the
traditional “random mutations” explanation is that it may be possible to
discover which environmental factors tend to create harmful epigenetic
inheritance markers and to work toward preventions.

Advances have also been made in the treatment of cancer, which has
evolved from surgery to radiation to chemotherapy. Now the DNA of a
tumor can be examined to determine which type of treatment would be
most successful. In one study of breast cancer tumors, 18 genes were
located that were frequently mutated. Interestingly, five of the genes had
been previously linked to leukemia (Ellis et al., 2012). These findings
have led to tumors being classified by genes rather than by the tumor’s
location in the body. The implication is that drugs can be selected based
on the mutated genes and not the body location. Researchers have found
that one person’s breast cancer may be similar in DNA to another

person’s leukemia and should be treated with similar drugs. This method
has opened up the possibility that drugs that have been successful against
cancer at one location of the body can be used on genetically similar
tumors at other locations.
In 1990, the incidence and death rate from cancer began to decline
significantly in the United States for the first time since national
recordkeeping began. The most recent statistics from the American
Cancer Society show a 25% decline in cancer deaths in the last 20 years
(Simon, 2017). This decline is due to advances in prevention, early
detection, and treatment. Recent prevention measures include the human

papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine, which reduces chances of cervical cancer,
and the hepatitis B vaccine, which helps prevent liver cancer (Siegel et al.,
2016). Early detection has decreased the number of deaths from cervical,
colorectal, and breast cancers. A growing number of people have made

lifestyle changes to reduce their risks of cancer.
Risk Factors for Cancer
Here are some risk factors associated with cancer. As you’ll see, some are
within our control to change, while others are not.
Age 50 and older

Family history of cancer
History of hepatitis C
Tobacco use (cigarettes, cigars, chewing tobacco, snuff)*

Exposure to secondhand smoke*
Unhealthy diet (low in fruits and vegetables)*

Chemical and radiation exposure in the workplace*
Sexually transmitted diseases*

Obesity*
Excessive alcohol use*

Unprotected exposure to strong sunlight or tanning beds*
Source: American Cancer Society (2019).

3.2.3: Diabetes
Objective: Summarize the impact of diabetes on the adult
population
Diabetes  is a disease in which the body is not able to metabolize

insulin. Because insulin is required for the utilization of glucose, diabetes
results in high levels of glucose in the blood and a reduction of
nourishment to the body. Diabetes is related to increased risk of heart
disease and stroke and is a major cause of blindness, kidney disease,

amputations of feet and legs, complications during pregnancy leading to
birth defects, and premature death. Although some diabetes (type 1)
appears in childhood or young adulthood, over 90% of diabetes (type 2) is
associated with older age, obesity, and physical inactivity. Figure 3.5 
shows that the prevalence of type 2 diabetes sharply increased between
1990 and 2008 for middle-aged and older adults. Epidemiologists connect
this to the doubling of obesity rates from 1980 to 2000, a decade earlier.
The figure also shows that the prevalence of type 2 diabetes has been
relatively stable since 2008, perhaps mirroring the recent leveling of
obesity rates in the U.S. population. These researchers suggest this is due
to the success of various programs undertaken by the U.S. Surgeon
General, the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and the U.S. Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in promoting good nutrition and
physical activity (Herman & Rothberg, 2015).
Figure 3.5 Increase in Prevalence of Type 2 Diabetes

The prevalence of type 2 diabetes increased sharply between 1990 and
2008 for adults 45 years of age and older. Since 2008, it has leveled off
and shows signs of declining.
Source: CDC (2015).
Even though the prevalence of type 2 diabetes seems to be have leveled
off in recent years, over 28 million adults and children are still affected,
and diabetes has become one of the major causes of disability and death
for middle-aged adults in the United States. It is the ninth greatest cause
of death worldwide (WHO, 2016).
Because type 2 diabetes seems clearly linked to obesity and sedentary
lifestyles, the hopeful news is that most cases are preventable when
individuals adopt a healthy diet and lifestyle, especially those in high-risk
categories.
Other hopeful news is that people diagnosed with prediabetes can slow
down the progression to diabetes by losing weight and exercising, even
when they are over the age of 60 (Halter, 2011). And a good number of
obese people who have diabetes benefit dramatically from gastric bypass
and gastric banding surgery, once considered a treatment of last resort
(Purnell et al., 2016).

Risk Factors for Diabetes
Here are some risk factors associated with diabetes, most of which are
within our control to change.
Increasing age
Family history of diabetes

Obesity*

High cholesterol*
Source: International Diabetes Foundation (2015).

3.2.4: Alzheimer’s Disease
Objective: Describe the development and progression of
Alzheimer’s disease.
The fifth leading cause of death for people age 65 and over is Alzheimer’s
disease , a progressive, irreversible deterioration of key areas of the
brain involved in various cognitive functions. The hallmark loss with
Alzheimer’s disease is short-term memory, which is important for
remembering newly learned information such as recent events or earlier

conversations. These deficits increase to affect social, cognitive, and
movement abilities and end in death approximately 8 to 10 years after
diagnosis (although most patients die of other causes such as pneumonia
or complications after a fall). Unlike cardiovascular disease and cancer,
which can occur throughout adulthood, Alzheimer’s disease is truly a
disease of old age, with 90% of the cases developing after the age of 65.
Once considered a rare disorder, Alzheimer’s disease has become a major
public health problem in the United States and throughout the world,
primarily because of the increasing proportion of older people in our
population. Alzheimer’s disease afflicts one out of 10 people in the United

States over 65—5.5 million people—and almost half of people 85 and
older (Alzheimer’s Association, 2017). If you are like 25 million other
people in the United States, you are acutely aware of this disease because
you have a family member with Alzheimer’s disease and are experiencing
its effects firsthand.

Alzheimer’s disease is the most prevalent type of dementia , a category
of conditions that involve global deterioration in intellectual abilities and
physical function. Other types of dementia can be caused by multiple
small strokes, Parkinson’s disease, multiple blows to the head (as among
professional boxers and football players), a single head trauma, advanced
stages of AIDS, depression, drug intoxication, hypothyroidism, some
kinds of tumors, vitamin B12 deficiency, anemia, and alcohol abuse. I don’t
expect you to memorize this list, but I do want you to realize that a
decline in cognitive functioning is not necessarily Alzheimer’s disease;
sometimes it is a condition that can be treated and has a more favorable
outcome.
The cause of Alzheimer’s disease is not clear, but we have known since
the early part of the 20th century that autopsies of people who die of
dementia often reveal specific abnormalities in the brain tissue. One of
these abnormalities, first identified by neuropathologist Alois Alzheimer
in 1907, is senile plaques . These are small, circular deposits of a dense

protein, beta-amyloid; another abnormality is neurofibrillary tangles , or
webs of degenerating neurons.

Senile plaque and neurofibrillary tangles.
According to the Alzheimer’s Association (2017), several genes have been
found to contribute to Alzheimer’s disease. One gene, APOE E4, increases

one’s risk for Alzheimer’s disease. If you inherit one copy of this gene,
you are at higher risk than someone who does not have this form of the
gene. If you inherit two copies of this gene, you are at even greater risk,
though it is not certain you will have the disease. Three other genes, APP,
PSEN1, and PSEN2, determine with certainty that a person will have
Alzheimer’s disease. The type of Alzheimer’s disease caused by all these
genes is the early-onset type, occurring in middle age (sometimes as early

as 30 or 40) and affecting many family members in each generation.
However, this type of Alzheimer’s disease accounts for only 5% of the

total cases. Scientists have identified a few hundred families in the world
with these genes, and they study them in hopes of learning something
about the more common forms of the disease. For example, possible
vaccines against Alzheimer’s disease are tested on these families instead
of individuals in the general population because of the higher probability
that they will develop the disease in a shorter amount of time.

Risk Factors for Alzheimer’s and Other
Forms of Dementia
The greatest risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease is age. Other risk factors
are mentioned below.
Additional Risk Factors for Alzheimer’s Disease
Here are some risk factors associated with Alzheimer’s disease:
Age 50 and older
Head injury*
Family history of Alzheimer’s disease
High cholesterol levels*

Tobacco use*
Obesity*
Source: Alzheimer’s Association (2017).
Some of the risk factors for Alzheimer’s disease should seem familiar to
you by now because they are the same as those that put us at risk for
cardiovascular disease. In fact, people with cardiovascular disease are
more apt to get Alzheimer’s disease than people with healthy hearts,
probably because of the inflammation that underlies both diseases.

One risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease and other types of dementia is
traumatic brain injury (TBI) . Studies have shown that individuals who
sustain head injuries severe enough to lose consciousness are two to four
times more likely to develop dementia in later life than those who do not
have this injury. This applies especially to a type of dementia known as
chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) . This line of research began
in England in the 1960s when the Royal College of Physicians asked
medical researcher A. H. Roberts to examine a randomly selected sample
of retired boxers. He found that 17% of them fit the diagnosis for CTE
(Roberts, 1969). Since that time, autopsies on football, soccer, and ice
hockey players have confirmed a high number of cases of CTE, the
symptoms of which can include explosive rage, depression, substance
abuse, memory impairment, and suicide (Mez et al., 2017).
Of particular concern are military personnel who experience TBI as a
result of improvised explosive devices, the weapon of choice of militants
in Iraq and Afghanistan (Hope et al., 2008). TBI has been strongly
associated with posttraumatic stress syndrome (PTSD), leading to the
hypothesis that many of the combat veterans with PTSD also have CTE
(Omalu et al., 2011). Both the professional sports organizations and the
Veterans Administration are working on better protection for the young

men and women involved and ways to avoid the long-term damage done
by these injuries.

Diagnosing Alzheimer’s
Advances are also being made in the diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease.
Until the 1990s, it could only be diagnosed with certainty after death with
an autopsy. New diagnostic methods include brain imaging and tests for
the presence of protein in the blood or cerebrospinal fluid (Alzheimer’s
Association, 2017).
A pre-Alzheimer’s stage is called mild cognitive impairment (MCI) , in
which patients show some cognitive symptoms, but not all those
necessary for a diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease. About half the
individuals with mild cognitive impairment will progress to Alzheimer’s

disease within the next 3 to 4 years (Storandt, 2008).
I end this section with a few words about Alzheimer’s disease and normal
aging of the brain. The memory of an older adult is not as sharp or as
quick as it once was, and it becomes somewhat more difficult for them to
learn new information. This might lead you to believe that Alzheimer’s
disease is just an extreme form of normal aging, but this is not true.
Alzheimer’s disease is a different creature entirely. With normal aging, we
may forget for a minute what day it is, have trouble retrieving a specific
name, or misplace our car keys. Cognitive symptoms of Alzheimer’s
disease include losing track of the season, being unable to carry on a
conversation, and being lost in a familiar neighborhood (Alzheimer’s
Association, 2017).
It is important to attend to personality and cognitive changes in older
adults. Although there is currently no cure for Alzheimer’s disease, there
is treatment available for other conditions with similar symptoms.
Medications are now available that may slow down the progression of
Alzheimer’s disease in its early stages. There is counseling and
community assistance for patients with Alzheimer’s disease and their
caregivers.
3.3: Psychological Disorders
Objective: Evaluate mental health challenges facing adults
Compared to physical health disorders, the scientific diagnosis and
treatment of psychological disorders is a fairly new topic. Before Freud’s
time, psychological disorders were the realm of religion or philosophy.

Once they became accepted as treatable health conditions, each school of
therapy had its own classification system and treatment plan. It was not
until 1980 that a standardized system of symptoms and diagnoses was
agreed on by mental health professionals in the United States in the form
of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, third edition
(DSM-III; American Psychiatric Association, 1980). This advance was

important for therapists and their patients, but it also made it possible for
epidemiologists to compile data and answer questions about our
country’s mental health. Since that time, several large-scale surveys about
the state of the nation’s mental health have been conducted. The DSM is
now in its fifth edition, reflecting the ongoing changes in our knowledge
about mental health disorders and their treatments (American Psychiatric
Association, 2013).
The proportion of people with mental illness in a particular population is
measured in a number of different ways. The prevalence  is the
percentage of people experiencing a disorder within a given period of
time, such as lifetime prevalence or 12-month prevalence. Several sources
estimate that the lifetime prevalence of mental illness in the United States
is just under 50%. That means that almost half of the people in this
country will experience some sort of mental disorder that fits the
diagnostic description in DSM-5 sometime during their lives. The 12-
month prevalence of mental illness in the United States is 25%, meaning
that one in four will experience some sort of mental disorder during a
given 12-month period (American Psychological Association, 2017;
Kessler et al., 2005).
The most prevalent mental health problems for adults in the United
States fall into three categories: (1) anxiety disorders, (2) depressive
disorders, and (3) substance-related and addictive disorders. In this
section, I give more detail about these disorders, along with a brief
discussion of treatment.

will be able to:
3.3.1 Evaluate common anxiety symptoms and treatments
3.3.2 Evaluate common depressive symptoms and treatments
3.3.3 Characterize addictive disorders
3.3.4 Analyze mental health treatment options

3.3.1: Anxiety Disorders
Objective: Evaluate common anxiety symptoms and treatments
Anxiety disorders  involve feelings of fear, threat, and dread when no
obvious danger is present. They are the most common type of mental
health disorder for adults in the United States. During a 12-month period,
approximately 18% of American adults report experiencing an anxiety
disorder that would fit the diagnosis in the DSM-5. The most common
anxiety disorders are phobias , which are fears and anxiety out of
proportion to the danger presented, and social anxiety , which involves
feeling fear and anxiety about social situations, such as meeting new
people or performing before an audience. Although many adults
experience anxiety disorders, they usually begin in childhood. Half the
people who have anxiety disorders experience the first one before the age
of 11; three quarters of the people who have anxiety disorders have
experienced one before the age of 21. About twice as many women than
men experience anxiety disorders (American Psychological Association,
2017).
Psychotherapy is very successful in treating anxiety disorders, either in
individual therapy, group therapy, or family therapy if the patient is a
child or adolescent. The American Psychological Association (2016) states
that most people are able to notice improvement in just a few sessions
with a therapist and often find the symptoms are reduced or eliminated
entirely within 1–2 months of therapy. Symptoms can be relieved with
antianxiety medication, antidepressants, and beta-blockers.
Almost everyone has symptoms of anxiety at some point in their lives, but
there are a few things we can do to help prevent them from developing
into an anxiety disorder. A balanced diet, exercise, and socialization are
always a good idea, as well as limiting alcohol and caffeine. Maintaining a
regular sleep pattern, keeping a journal to identify triggers of anxiety, and
practicing relaxation techniques such as yoga, meditation, and
mindfulness are also useful (Anxiety and Depression Society of America,

2016).
Risk Factors for Anxiety Disorders
Here are some risk factors associated with anxiety disorders.
Shyness in childhood
Being female
Family history of anxiety disorder (or other psychological disorders)

Exposure to stressful life events
Poverty
Source: NIMH (2017).

3.3.2: Depressive Disorders
Objective: Evaluate common depressive symptoms and
treatments
The most prevalent depressive disorder is major depressive disorder ,

typified by a long-term, pervasive sense of sadness and hopelessness. To
be diagnosed with major depressive disorder, the DSM-5 states that for a
12-week period, the patient must be in a depressed mood most of the day
and show a loss of interest or pleasure in almost all activities. They may
in addition show a change in weight or sleep patterns, fatigue, feelings of
worthlessness, problems with decision making, or thoughts of suicide
(APA, 2013). In the National Comorbidity Survey, major depressive
disorder was the second most prevalent disorder for adults in the United
States, affecting over 16% of respondents during their lifetimes (Kessler et
al., 2005). The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH, 2016) reports
that the 12-month prevalence for major depressive disorder is about 7%
in the United States, with rates high all over the world; it is the leading
cause of disability in the world and the leading cause of suicide (WHO,
2017). The median age of onset for this disorder is 30. The prevalence is
three times higher in young adults than older adults and twice as high for
women as for men (APA, 2013).
Major depressive disorder should not be confused with depressive
symptoms, which are not as severe or long-lasting and not considered a

mental disorder by the DSM-5. These occur more often in older adults
and are usually related to chronic disease, bereavement, or loneliness.
Standard treatment for major depressive disorder is medication and
psychotherapy. For extreme cases, electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) or
transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) may be options (NIMH, 2016).
Adults of all ages who feel symptoms of depression can take steps to help
prevent it from escalating into major depression. Exercise seems to boost
important brain chemicals, as does spending time socializing with others.

Confiding in a trusted friend or relative and accepting help from others
can help, too. Other advice is to seek out reliable information about
depression and avoid alcohol and drugs until you are feeling better. You
don’t have to have major depressive disorder to talk to a therapist (NIMH,
2016).
Risk Factors for Major Depressive Disorder
Here are some risk factors associated with major depressive disorder.
Personal or family history of depression

Being female
Major life changes

Trauma and excessive stress
Certain physical illnesses or medication

Poverty
Unemployment
Alcohol or drug abuse
Death of a loved one

Relationship breakup
Source: NIMS (2016); WHO (2017).

3.3.3: Substance-Related and Addictive
Disorders
Objective: Characterize addictive disorders
Substance-related disorders  and addictive disorders  refer to nine

separate classes of drugs plus gambling (American Psychiatric
Association, 2013).
1. Alcohol
2. Caffeine
3. Cannabis
4. Hallucinogens
5. Sedatives, Hypnotics, and Anxiolytics
6. Stimulants
7. Tobacco
8. Inhalants
9. Opioids
These substances, along with gambling, have one thing in common: They
activate the reward system of the brain directly, taking a shortcut to the
feelings we ordinarily achieve after a long expenditure of effort. Consider
the training and effort put into running a marathon and finishing in the
top half of your field. Imagine the rush of euphoria you would feel when
you achieved that goal. These substances give that rush of euphoria
instantaneously, just for ingesting, smoking, snorting, injecting, or

drinking them. And the rush is so much more rewarding than natural
rewards like winning a marathon that, over time, the brain circuitry is
changed so that the body experiences intense desire for the substance
when any related triggers are present. The person with substance use
disorder often spends more and more time using the drug and searching
for access to the drug that they neglect work, friends, and family, even
though the drug use is putting them into high-risk situations. The
prevalence of this disorder is highest in young adults from 18 to 24 years
of age and the initial drug used is usually alcohol (American Psychiatric
Association, 2013).
Alcohol use disorder is prevalent in about 9% of adults in the United
States in a 12-month period, and it declines with age. The prevalence for
younger adults (18 to 29 years) is 16%, whereas for older adults (65 years
or more) it is only 2%. It is higher for Native Americans and Alaskan
Natives (12%) than for whites (9%), Hispanics (8%), African Americans
(7%), and Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (5%) (Figure 3.6 ). Men
have more than twice the prevalence of alcohol use disorder than women
(12% vs. 5%) (APA, 2013).
Figure 3.6 Prevalence of Alcohol Use Disorder for U.S. Adults
About 9% of adults in the United States experience alcohol use disorder

in any 12-month period. It is higher in some groups than others, and
higher in young adults than in older adults.
Source: APA (2013).
Currently, the class of substances with the biggest problem in the United
States are opioids, which are synthetic drugs that resemble natural
opiates, such as morphine. They were developed by pharmaceutical

companies to be less dangerous and addictive than the natural opiates,
but it has turned out that opioids are just as dangerous and addictive.
Some of the opioids are oxycodone, hydrocodone, hydromorphone,

methadone, some types of heroin, and, recently, the synthetic opioid
fentanyl. Because opioids began as prescribed drugs, they were

considered safer than street drugs. They are effective in alleviating pain
after surgery and severe injuries, but they also produce euphoria by
directly stimulating the brain’s reward center. Opioid use—particularly
fentanyl, which is 50 to 100 times stronger than heroin—can lead to

addiction, respiratory arrest, coma, and death (National Institute on Drug
Abuse, 2016).
The U.S. is experiencing a drug epidemic with opioid addiction. As you
can see in Figure 3.7 , deaths from overdoses have increased from over
47,000 at the beginning of 2015 to over 65,000 just 2 years later. This is
more than car crashes and gun homicides. Public health officials consider
it the worst drug crisis in American history (Bosman, 2017). Opioid use is
prevalent in all 50 states and has reduced the life expectancy of the non-
Hispanic white population (Dowell et al., 2017).
Figure 3.7 Drug Overdose Deaths: United States

Deaths caused by drug overdoses have increased dramatically in the past
few years, mostly due to the increased use of opioid drugs.
Source: CDC (2018).

Treatment for Substance Abuse
Treatment for substance abuse and addictive disorders depends on the
drug and the severity of the disorder. Medication is available to reduce
the cravings, block the effects of the drug, or induce negative feelings
when the drug is taken. Drugs used specifically for mitigating the effects
of opioids are naltrexone (Narcan), a drug that can reverse the effects of
an overdose if given soon enough, and buprenorphine (Suboxone) and
methadone, two drugs that reduce cravings and withdrawal. Therapy can
be given as an outpatient or in a treatment center, and 12-step
fellowships, such as Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) or Narcotics
Anonymous (NA), can be helpful.
Individuals can do several things to avoid substance abuse and addiction.
First, if you are prescribed an opioid pain medication after surgery or an
injury, ask if another, less addictive medication is available. If you do take
a potentially addictive medication, take it for the fewest number of days

possible. If you fit any of the risk factors for this disorder, avoid
experimenting with any type of drugs. Don’t put yourself in situations
where drugs are present. Don’t surround yourself with a social group that
uses drugs (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration, 2016).
Risk Factors for Substance Abuse Disorders
Here are some risk factors associated with substance abuse disorders.
Family history of substance abuse or addiction

Psychological factors such as high impulsivity, sensation seeking,
anxiety disorder, eating disorders
History of physical, sexual, or emotional abuse
Substance abuse among peers
Access to addictive substance
Starting alcohol, nicotine, or other drug use at early age
Source: National Center of Addiction and Substance Abuse (2016).

3.3.4: Treatment of Mental Health
Disorders
Objective: Analyze mental health treatment options
Only about 40% of adults with mental health disorders seek some sort of
treatment. Considering all the recent advances in psychopharmacology
and psychotherapy, this shows that the optimistic picture of “curing”
mental illness is not a reality for the majority of people who suffer from
these disorders. To make matters worse, only about a third of those who
seek help actually get treatment that is judged adequate by professional
guidelines (Wang et al., 2005).
Another third of the people who seek treatment for mental health
disorders go to complementary and alternative medicine providers ,
such as chiropractors, acupuncturists, herbalists, or spiritualists, none of

whose methods for treating mental health disorders have been supported
by scientific data. Still, patients report that these complementary and
alternative medicine providers listen to them and include them in
treatment decisions. It is important for mainstream mental health
professionals to adopt some of this “bedside manner” and use it to make
their conventional treatment more attractive (Wang et al., 2005). Other
studies have shown that a brief screening for mental health problems
during visits with primary care physicians can be very effective in

diagnosing patients at risk for depression and substance abuse disorders
and providing counseling or further treatment (Maciosek et al., 2010).

One group that has become the target of concern among educators and
mental health professionals is emerging adults. Twenty-one-year-olds
who report symptoms of depression are less likely to receive treatment
than 16-year-olds. Some of the reasons they give are that they can’t afford
treatment, they think the symptoms will go away on their own, and they
are too busy (Yu et al., 2008). Another reason is that parents can insist
that their minor children be treated for health problems, while those who
are over 18 are legally adults and must agree to the treatment themselves
(unless they pose a danger to themselves or others).
Most mental health disorders first appear in adolescence and emerging
adulthood, and if diagnosed and treated early, they are less likely to cause
lifelong problems. Research has shown mental health disorders to be
responsible for over 10% of high school dropouts and almost 3% of
college dropouts (Breslau et al., 2008). Yet few parents, pediatricians, and
school officials are trained to identify early symptoms or high-risk
variables.
In summary, it seems that the advances in pharmaceuticals and therapy

for mental health disorders are not interfacing well with the actual needs
of adults of all ages. We need more education about what is a mental

disorder and what is not, more information about proven treatment and
where to find it, better treatment for people who do seek it, and more
people-friendly professionals providing proven, conventional therapies.
Let’s hope that future waves of studies show some progress in this area.
3.4 Assistance Solutions
Objective: Analyze assistance options for physical and mental
disorders
Not all the answers to disease and disability involve medication and
surgery; some involve assistive technology and assistance animals, and as

our population grows older, these “devices” are becoming more and more
common.

will be able to:
3.4.1 Describe trends in assistive technology
3.4.2 Summarize the functions of assistance animals

3.4.1: Assistive Technology
Objective: Describe trends in assistive technology
When lifespan developmental psychology meets technology, the result
can be products that improve the quality of life and independence for
adults with age-related conditions or disabilities. These devices can range
in complexity from simple reach extenders to complex electronics. For
example, wireless personal emergency response systems that transmit
information about falls, inactivity, room temperature, fire, and carbon

monoxide to remote caregivers or family members, allowing older adults
or adults with disabilities to have more independence in their own
homes, are widely available. Personal computers run software that
translates text to speech or magnifies text for people with vision
limitations. Smartphone apps now perform basic medical tests like
measuring heart rate, blood pressure, and blood sugar level, keeping a
record of the results for the user to monitor or sending the information to
a caregiver or physician. Household robots may seem like science fiction
to some adults, but they are already present in many homes. (I have one
that cleans my pool and another that vacuums my floors.) Other robots
can be operated by distant caregivers to communicate with elderly or
disabled people via camera, microphone, and speaker. On the horizon are
more humanlike robots that cook simple meals, tidy living spaces, and
give reminders about medication schedules.

Robot manufacturers in Japan and various European countries that have a
large proportion of older adults and too few younger adults to work as
caregivers are leading the way in researching and designing robots to
provide personal care for older adults who want to live independently for
as long as possible (Muoio, 2015). In the United States, there are now
voice-activated control systems that will make phone calls, play games,
and learn the preferences of their owners to suggest which audiobooks
and music they would enjoy (Cuthbertson, 2017).
In addition to doing housework and selecting music, robots also assist in

surgical procedures. By 2025, it is estimated that one of three surgeries in
the United States will be performed by robotic systems. These systems
involve surgeons sitting in front of a computer screen guiding robotic
arms, and they are widely used today for hernia repair, bariatric surgery,
hysterectomies, and prostate removal. The positive side to this is that
robotics give surgeons greater precision and less fatigue. The negative is
that they are expensive and actually slow down procedures because of
the setup time required for each surgery. Most of the robotic surgery
systems are found in developed countries, but plans are for the prices to
be reduced so they can also be used in developing countries (Kelly, 2016).
3.4.2: Assistance Animals
Objective: Summarize the functions of assistance animals
Much lower-tech help comes from assistance animals. Their roles include
guiding the visually impaired, signaling the hearing impaired, or

performing services such as flipping on light switches, picking up
dropped objects, and alerting their human to alarms, telephone rings, and
doorbells. Most of these assistance animals are dogs, but capuchin
monkeys can be trained to perform tasks that require fine motor skills like
turning the pages of a book and pushing buttons on a microwave oven.
Lower-tech help comes from animals, such as guide dogs that assist the
visually impaired.
Another type of assistance animal is a comfort animal, again usually a
dog, that is used to calm people in stressful situations, such as in
psychotherapy sessions. In fact, Sigmund Freud used his Chow Chow,
Jofi, during psychoanalysis sessions to help patients relax (Coren, 2010).
Comfort animals are also used to calm people who are institutionalized in
nursing homes, mental hospitals, and prisons (Baun & Johnson, 2010). At
my university, volunteers bring comfort animals to campus during
midterm and final exam weeks, and they receive a very warm reception
from students, who are often missing their own “comfort animals” back
home.
3.5 Individual Differences in Health
Objective: Compare the physical health issues facing adults from
different populations
While there’s a case to be made for age-linked patterns for various
physical diseases and mental health conditions, as you no doubt realize,

this is not a matter of “one rule fits all.” Within these age patterns are a
variety of individual differences caused by factors we are born with, such
as sex, and factors we acquire along the way, such as exercise habits. The
following is a discussion of some of these factors and how they interact to
affect both physical and mental health through the lifespan.

will be able to:
3.5.1 Explain the contributions of genetics to adult health
3.5.2 Differentiate health experiences by sex and gender
3.5.3 Describe the ways in which socioeconomic class impacts health
3.5.4 Summarize racial and ethnic differences in health
3.5.5 Explain how discrimination leads to negative health outcomes
for women and people from minority groups
3.5.6 Explain how personality influences health

3.5.7 Analyze how prenatal and childhood experiences affect adult
health
3.5.8 Determine how lifestyle choices affect health

3.5.1: Genetics
Objective: Explain the contributions of genetics to adult health
One’s genotype , the personal complement of genes that each of us
possesses, has a big influence on our health. Most of us are aware of

diseases that “run in families,” such as breast cancer, heart disease, and
substance abuse. Few diseases are determined by a single gene. (One
example is early-onset Alzheimer’s disease caused by the APP, PS-1, or
PS-2 genes.) Other diseases, such as depression and cancer, are

transmitted by a combination of genes. In these cases, the gene
combinations don’t cause the disease as much as they predispose the
individual to the disease by making him or her more susceptible than
others to environmental factors, such as tobacco smoke leading to lung
cancer, head injury leading to Alzheimer’s disease, or fatty diets leading
to cardiovascular disease. Few diseases are determined by a single gene,
and genes alone seldom determine our destinies.
Another example of a genetic disorder that has received a great deal of
research attention is cystic fibrosis, which appears at birth in a child who

has inherited two mutant forms of the CFTR gene, one from the mother
and one from the father. This disorder causes the normal secretions of the
body, such as airway mucus, pancreatic ducts, and bowels, to be
unusually thick and dehydrated, leading to breathing and digestive
problems. When the disease was first described in the late 1930s, infants
born with this disorder did not survive infancy. With each medical
discovery, though, the life expectancy increased. Today it is almost 40
years (National Jewish Health Center, 2018)
Other genes have been found that have a protective effect. For example, a
mutation of the APP gene, which causes early onset Alzheimer’s in its
nonmutated form, has been found in a small number of Icelanders and
seems to serve as protection against Alzheimer’s disease. People who
carry this mutation also live longer and are less likely to suffer from other
types of cognitive decline (Jonsson et al., 2012).
Genetic information can also affect our individual responses to different
treatments for diseases. For example, a number of genes have been
identified that determine which of several drugs would be most successful
in treating leukemia patients. Progress is also being made in identifying
genes relating to drug responses for cancer, asthma, and cardiovascular
disease (Couzin, 2005). These findings have led to the practice of
personalized medicine, in which your own DNA sequence becomes part
of your medical record and is used in making decisions about which
screening tests you should have for early diagnosis of diseases and, if
treatment is necessary, what type is best suited for you.
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3.5.2: Sex and Gender
Objective: Differentiate health experiences by sex and gender
Men and women have different patterns of health problems. Men have
shorter life expectancies than women and develop cardiovascular disease

at younger ages. They have higher rates of hypertension, death by
accident, and overall cancer rates. Women live longer than men, but
when they die, they do so from basically the same diseases that men do;
they just develop them later in life (CDC, 2016).
Women have more chronic health conditions than men, including
arthritis, asthma, migraine headaches, thyroid disease, gallbladder
problems, irritable bowel syndrome, and urinary and bladder problems,
among others (Stöppler, 2015). Women have more visits to doctors, take
more medication, and spend more time in hospitals than men (Austad,
2011). In addition, women react differently to many medications than do
men (Legato, 2016).
Where might such sex differences come from? The explanations are partly
biological, partly environmental. Most investigators agree that the
differences in longevity and in later onset of major disease are primarily
biological: Women have a genetic endowment that gives them protection
in early adulthood against many fatal diseases, such as cardiovascular
disease. Why this discrepancy? Many theorists believe that it is because
their overall health during the childbearing and early parenting years has
been more important to the survival of the species than men’s overall
health (Allman et al., 1998).
A related hypothesis is that men do not live as long as women because,
for our ancient ancestors, men had to contend with more dangers in the
wild and evolved mechanisms to deal with short-term hazards instead of
long-term survival (Austad, 2011; Williams, 1957). Today, men still tend
to engage in more high-risk behavior than women and, not surprisingly,
are twice as likely to die in accidents (Heron et al., 2009).
Gender differences include behavioral factors, such as health awareness
and effort spent on health care, which are higher for women than men
throughout adulthood. Perhaps one reason women live longer is because
of this vigilance (and also why men with wives live longer than men
without them).
There are robust sex differences for specific mental health disorders;
women have higher rates of depressive disorders and anxiety disorders,
whereas men have higher rates of substance-related and addictive

disorders. Men are more likely to commit suicide. The heightened
vulnerability to disorders that affects emotional functioning in women is

thought to be due, in part, to estrogen levels—the same hormones that
provide protection from some physical diseases. Testosterone, on the

other hand, tends to protect men against depression by blunting the effect
of stress and negative emotions (Holden, 2005).
There are environmental factors for the higher rate of major depression
and anxiety disorders in women; women are more apt to be victims of
domestic violence and sexual assault than men. In many cultures around
the world (and in some parts of the United States) men are in roles that
dominate and control many aspects of women’s lives. Being victimized
and powerless are risk factors for major depression and anxiety disorders
(WHO, 2016). Even when men and women live in relatively egalitarian
relationships, women are usually the caregivers of the family and are “on
call” when family members have problems, experiencing secondhand

stress from the problems of their loved ones (Thoits, 2010).
3.5.3: Socioeconomic Class
Objective: Describe the ways in which socioeconomic class
impacts health
The United States is one of the wealthiest countries in the world. We

spend more on health care than any other country, yet we have one of the
lowest life expectancies of any developed country. The average number
of years an individual can expect to live depends on their sex and the
country in which they live. Figure 3.8  shows that men in the United
States can expect to live fewer years than those in 24 other countries, and
that women in the United States can expect to live fewer years than those
in 27 other countries (CDC, 2017). Tap each to learn more about the life
expectancy a birth for men and women in developed countries.
Figure 3.8 Mortality: Life Expectancy at Birth, by Country

The largest discrepancy is found in the groups of people with lower
incomes and less education. Because people in minority racial and ethnic
groups are more prevalent in the lower socioeconomic levels, it is difficult
to separate the effects of income, education, and minority status on
health, but I attempt to do that in the following section. This video
features a health psychologist talking about health disparities in the

United States.
Watch Health Disparities

Socioeconomic Level
The combined rating of income and education makes up one’s
socioeconomic level . The more income a person has, the more years
they can expect to live. Figure 3.9  shows the age of expected death for
40-year-olds, based on their household income ranking. As you can see,
the higher the income, the longer the average person is expected to live
(Chetty et al. 2016). Furthermore, Blackwell et al., (2014) report that only
54% of people with incomes below $35,000 a year are apt to report being
in excellent health or very good health. About 70% of people who make
$50,000–74,999 report having excellent or very good health, while over
80% of people who make over $100,000 a year give that favorable
response.
Figure 3.9 Life Expectancy versus Income in the United States

Men and women’s life expectancies are related to their household
incomes, with those who have higher incomes having longer life
expectancies than those with lower incomes.
Source: Chetty et al. (2016).
Education is also a major factor in health. Figure 3.10  shows how many
more years of expected life remain for 25-year-olds with different
education levels. As you can see, each step on the education ladder brings
more expected years of life (CDC, 2012). Education affects subjective
health, too. Only 39% of people with less than a high school education
report themselves in excellent or very good health, while 75% of those
with a college degree or more give that response (Blackwell et al., 2014).
Figure 3.10 Variance in Education in Young Adults
Young adults with more education can expect to live longer, on average,
than those with less education.
Source: CDC (2012b).
Socioeconomic status has a large effect also on mental health. In the
National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, adults were asked

about their depressive symptoms. When responses were examined by
income level, respondents at every age who had lower income levels
reported more symptoms of depression (CDC, 2012). Figure 3.11  shows
those results.
Figure 3.11 Effect of Varying Income Levels on Depression
Adults of all ages whose incomes are below the poverty level are more
apt to experience depression than those with higher incomes, and the
lower the income is, the higher the risk for depression.
Source: CDC (2012).
The contributions of age, gender, race, and education to self-rated health

were evaluated in a sequential study using longitudinal data from 10
waves of the Health and Retirement Study, consisting of almost 30,000

participants over the age of 50 (Brown et al., 2016). Participants were
asked their gender, race, age, and number of years of education. They
were also asked to rate their health on a scale of 1 to 5 with 1 being
“poor” and 5 being “excellent.” For the men, health ratings decline
steadily from age 50 to the end of the study at age 77. White men
generally have higher levels of self-rated health than black men, and
within those groups, those with higher levels of education have higher
levels of self-reported health than those with lower levels. The same is
true of black and white women at different education levels. Another

notable finding is that there is more variance between the groups at age
50 than later in life. Black men with college degrees start with an
advantage over white men with high school educations, but they slowly
lose the advantage as they get older. White women without high school
educations have a health advantage over black women without high
school educations at age 50, but their health ratings decline until they are
at the same level at age 77. The general findings of this study are that
gender, race, education, and age contribute to self-reported health
independently.
3.5.4: Race and Ethnicity
Objective: Summarize racial and ethnic differences in health
There is little agreement on how to categorize people in the United States
into racial and ethnic groups, how to define those groups, and what to do
with those who don’t quite fit into a group (or those who fit into more
than one group). In addition, people in minority groups are more apt to
have lower incomes and less education, which, as we saw in the last
section, contribute to shorter lives and less favorable health outcomes.

When this topic was first explored over 20 years ago, the comparisons of
interest were black versus white. Then Hispanics were added as a group,
although they represent individuals of different races and origins. Since
then, Asian and Pacific Islanders have been included, as well as Native
Americans, but not as much data has been gathered on these last two
groups (Angel et al., 2016). With all that in mind, I summarize the
findings here. Be aware: this topic is not as simple as it seems. Click or
tap each tab below to learn more about health outcomes among different
ethnic groups.
Health Outcomes Across Ethnic Groups

3.5.5: Discrimination
Objective: Explain how discrimination leads to negative health
outcomes for women and people from minority groups
It seems clear that some racial and ethnic minorities have a greater
prevalence of early death, physical health problems, and mental health
disorders than others. There is also evidence that some groups also
receive lower levels of health care, especially African Americans and
Hispanic Americans. One study compared mental health care for African
American patients and non-Hispanic white patients, finding that the gap
between the two groups had increased during the past decade, with fewer
African American patients getting adequate treatment for mental health
disorders compared to white patients (Ault-Brutus, 2012). Much of this
can be explained by socioeconomic factors—the high price of visits to
mental health-care providers and the cost of medication. It is also more
difficult for people with lower levels of income and education to take time
off from work and to travel to medical centers outside their immediate
neighborhoods when necessary. It is difficult to know when mental
health care is needed or what type of provider is appropriate.
Even so, many individuals also report to researchers that they experience
discrimination , or prejudicial treatment, from the health-care system
because of their gender, race, socioeconomic status, sexual orientation, or
ethnicity. For instance, one group that has lower levels of physical and
mental health that may be due to discrimination is the lesbian, gay,

bisexual, transgender, and related (LGBT+) community. Although there
are no nationally representative data on LGBT+ individuals in the United
States, smaller studies show that this population has higher rates of
tobacco, alcohol, and other drug use than the general population. LGBT+
emerging adults are more likely to be homeless than other youths and are
two to three times more likely to attempt suicide. Elderly members of the
LGBT+ community don’t get adequate health care because of isolation
and discrimination by providers. Transgender individuals have higher
rates of victimization, mental health issues, and suicide, even when
compared to lesbian, gay, and bisexual individuals (U.S. Department of

Health and Human Services, 2016).
To test for prejudicial treatment of patients, sociologist Heather
Kugelmass (2016) devised an experiment: leaving voicemail messages
with 320 psychotherapists, asking for appointments. The callers were
actually actors—a black man and a white man along with a black woman
and a white woman—who delivered a script in a manner that had been
tested on an online crowd-sourcing marketplace to sound either middle
class or working class. Each therapist received one voicemail message

mentioning the symptoms of depression and anxiety, giving the name of
the same insurance plan, and requesting an appointment for a weekday

evening. The callers varied by race (black or white), gender (male or
female), and social class (working class or middle class). Researchers

recorded how many therapists responded to the voicemails and how
many agreed to meet with the caller at the requested time. A month later
a second, similar call was made, except the therapists who had received
an initial call from a white caller received one from a black caller of the
same gender and social class.
Out of 640 voicemails, only 287 (44%) were returned, and of those, only
97 (15%) elicited an offer for an appointment at any time. Only 57 (9%) of
the calls resulted in appointments at the preferred times (Figure 3.12 ).
Figure 3.12 Outcomes of of Help-Seeking Calls (n = 160 per group)
Source: Kugelmass (2016).
The therapists clearly preferred to make appointments with help-seekers

who sounded middle class (28%) compared to those who sounded
working class (8%), regardless of perceived race. However, they also
preferred help-seekers who sounded middle-class white over those who

sounded middle-class black. There were no race differences with
working-class help-seekers. Therapists also preferred to make

appointments with female help-seekers regardless of perceived race or
socioeconomic class. It seems clear that for this group, at least, knowing
that one needs help, finding a therapist, and having insurance is not
enough. It is also important for therapists to be responsive to help-

seekers regardless of perceived race or socioeconomic status.
Adversity and Stress
The statistics on female and minority health show inequality at all levels
of health care—prevention, detection, treatment, and follow-up. However,
there is even more to this problem than direct discrimination. The
perception that one is being discriminated against can produce stress,
which can lead to negative health outcomes. Racial and ethnic minorities
(as well as women, people living in poverty, and members of the LGBT+
community) are exposed to different experiences than mainstream society
members. These different experiences lead to higher levels of stress,
which in turn lead to higher levels of physical and mental health
disorders. Stress burdens on women and minorities build up over the life
course and result in an increasing health gap between the “haves” and
“have-nots.” So even if systematic discrimination in health care is not
apparent, 40 years of research shows that belonging to a racial or ethnic
minority can contribute to early death, more physical and mental health
disorders, less treatment (or less-effective treatment), and a lower quality

of life than those in the mainstream (Thoits, 2010).
A number of studies over the last decade have shown that inequalities in
medical treatment are a reality, but other issues are in play here, too, such
as English proficiency, health literacy, neighborhood social cohesion, and
cultural distrust of the medical system (Lyles et al., 2011). All of these
have an effect on health. For example, help-seekers who perceive that
they are discriminated against in medical settings as well as in everyday
life are more apt to seek treatment from complementary and alternative
medical providers instead of medical providers who use treatment
supported by research (Shippee et al., 2012).
Women and members of minority groups can also experience negative
health outcomes at times of adversity, when they are experiencing
discrimination and still managing to cope and achieve. But there is a cost
to coping. Sometimes it takes the form of overeating, smoking, or alcohol
and drug abuse, which in themselves contribute to poor health (Jackson
et al., 2010). Other times it is manifest in lower immune function and
susceptibility to infection. In a study that included 150 healthy black

adults, those who had higher educational attainment, lower symptoms of
depression, and a wider range of social relationships despite a
disadvantaged background were also more likely to develop an upper
respiratory infection when innoculated with an active rhinovirus culture
(Miller et al., 2016). The authors of this study concluded that managing to
achieve in spite of adversity can weaken the immune system and lead to
physical illness—another way that one’s membership in a minority group
might lead to less than optimal health status.

3.5.6: Personality and Behavior Patterns
Objective: Explain how personality influences health
The idea that one’s personality contributes to one’s physical health dates
back at least to the time of Hippocrates in ancient Greece. Cardiologists

Meyer Friedman and Ray Rosenman (1959) made the first empirical
demonstration of this relationship when they identified a behavior
pattern that predicted risk for coronary heart disease. Since then, this area
of research has become well accepted. Specific stable patterns of thinking,

feeling, and behaving are indeed associated with increased risk of illness
and premature death (Smith & Gallo, 2001).
Individuals classified as having a type A behavior pattern  are
achievement-striving, competitive, and involved in their jobs to excess;
they feel extreme urgency with time-related matters and are easily
provoked to hostility. People who do not fit this description are referred
to as type B. Although the issue has been debated actively for over 50
years, it seems clear that, when careful measures are made, people who
fit the type A behavior pattern are at greater risk of coronary heart disease
than those with type B behavior (Bokenberger et al., 2014; Smith & Gallo,
2001).
A great deal of research has been done to determine how this effect takes
place. Generally, researchers have found both a direct link (type A
behavior affects physical health through such mechanisms as increasing

stress reactions and lowering immune function) and an indirect link (type
A behavior causes the person to create and seek out stressful situations
that, in turn, elicit more type A behavior, which leads to physical
responses). In other words, people who have this personality style are apt
to create other situations that call for similar responses. People who are
always racing against the clock to get to important appointments will
place themselves in traffic situations that bring forth additional type A
responses, thus further increasing the risk for physical problems.
Another personality component, hostility , which is defined as a

negative cognitive set against others, is related to increased heart rate and
blood pressure, direct pathways to cardiovascular disease, premature
death (Chida & Hamer, 2008), and peptic ulcers (Lemogne et al., 2015).
In addition, there are indirect pathways. For example, people who are
high in hostility no doubt have hostile relationships with others, such as
in their marriages, and these hostile interactions add more health risk
(and subtract the protective effect of social support). Hostile people are
also known to engage in more high-risk behaviors, such as smoking, and,
as a result, show a higher rate of smoking-related cancer (Lemogne et al.,

2015).
In contrast, people who are high in optimism , that is, who have a
positive outlook on life, believe that good things are going to happen to
them, cope with life’s problems by taking steps to find direct solutions
(instead of hoping that someone will rescue them or placing blame on

others), are less apt to suffer from serious physical illness, and are less
likely to die prematurely (Seligman, 1991). Since the initial research, the
trait of optimism has been linked with positive health outcomes all
around the world (Pressman et al., 2013). For example, optimism was
related to longevity in a group of older African American women (average

age of 77 years) with Caribbean roots (Unson et al., 2008), to better
health-care outcomes in a group of Native American elders (Ruthig &

Allery, 2008), to successful aging in a group of white and Hispanic
women over the age of 60 (Lamond et al., 2008), and to better health
during the year following diagnosis in a group of patients with heart

disease in Ireland (Hevey et al., 2012). I would be remiss not to add one
study that shows the dark side of optimism—college students whose

optimism is too high (unrealistic optimism) are more apt to ignore the use
of sunscreen protection, even though they are aware of the dangers of

ultraviolet radiation exposure, believing that “it won’t happen to me”
(Calder & Aitken, 2008).
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If you are like me, you may be wondering whether anything can be done
to change people who are type A, hostile, or pessimistic because
personality is considered an enduring component of an individual. Many

researchers are cautious about using the term personality for this very
reason; instead, they use other terms, such as behavior patterns. But
whatever terms are used, the question remains: Is it possible to recognize
and modify unhealthy traits in oneself? One meta-analysis of almost

10,000 cardiac patients showed that psychological treatment (including
stress management, cognitive-behavioral therapy, and behavioral
therapy), when included with the usual medical care, resulted in fewer
deaths and recurrences of cardiac events for at least 2 years for male
patients (Bokenberger et al., 2014). Another study produced positive

affect in a group of college students by asking them to write a short essay
about a happy event each week for 4 weeks and also keep a diary of
happy events. At the end of the study, they reported better overall health
status than a control group of students who had written on neutral topics
(Yamasaki et al., 2009).
3.5.7: Developmental Origins
Objective: Analyze how prenatal and childhood experiences
affect adult health
Several researchers have presented evidence suggesting that some

diseases of adulthood are determined partly by environmental events
earlier in life. Epidemiologist David Barker and his colleagues (Barker et
al., 1989) introduced this idea three decades ago when they examined
birth and death records for over 5,000 men born within a 20-year period
in the same area of England. They found that the men with the lowest
weights at birth had the highest likelihood of dying from cardiovascular
disease. Later research linked low birthweight to type 2 diabetes and
hypertension. Since that time, research with humans and other species
has given rise to the developmental-origins hypothesis , which states
that growth during the fetal period, infancy, and the early years of
childhood is a significant factor in adult health (Kuh & Ben-Shlomo,
2016).
Environmental factors present in early development that have been

studied include maternal nutrition, season of birth, and maternal
smoking. The resulting adult health outcomes include hypertension,
diabetes, osteoporosis, and mood disorders (Gluckman & Hanson, 2004).
A similar study linked family income during very early childhood with
adult obesity (Ziol-Guest et al., 2009). Individuals whose parents made
less than $25,000 a year during the child’s prenatal period and the first
year of life were more apt to be obese in adulthood than those whose
families had higher incomes. Interestingly, family income during
subsequent years of childhood (from the age of 1 to 15) had no impact on
adult obesity.
Furthermore, evidence has been found that if a woman suffers
malnutrition during pregnancy, her child is likely to be born at a low birth
weight. And if that child is a daughter, her children’s birth weight and
subsequent health could be affected by the malnutrition experienced
during the grandmother’s pregnancy, even if the daughter did not

experience malnutrition herself (Gluckman & Hanson, 2004). The
explanation for this is that ova are formed during the prenatal period.
Malnutrition of the pregnant woman affects her developing fetus, and if
the fetus is female, the malnutrition would affect the development of her
ova. Not only can we trace our health status back to our childhood and
prenatal experiences, but we can also go back to our mothers’ prenatal
months when half our genetic material was being formed, influences
referred to as intergenerational effects .
There is also a relationship between childhood infectious disease and
adult cardiovascular disease, cancer, and diabetes. One study

demonstrating this connection was done by economic historians Tommy
Bengtsson and Martin Lindström (2003), who examined 18th-century

medical records in four parishes in Sweden for a period of 128 years.
They found that the people with the fewest infectious diseases in infancy
had the greatest longevity. Even when periods of food shortage were
considered, infant infections remained the strongest factor in determining

adult longevity. It is suggested that the link between early childhood
infections and early death in adulthood is inflammation (Finch &
Crimmins, 2004)—a factor implicated in diseases such as heart disease,

cancer, and Alzheimer’s disease.
In a study using lab animals, neuroscientist Francesca Mastorci and her
colleagues (2009) exposed pregnant rats to different types of stressors and
investigated the outcomes of the offspring once they reached adulthood.

Interestingly, there was no change for any biological structure or function
as a result of the prenatal stress alone, but once these adult animals were
exposed to environmental stressors themselves, they were less able to
regulate their cardiovascular systems and were rendered more susceptible

to heart disease than rats that had not experienced the prenatal stress. It
seems that the prenatal stress did not produce heart disease itself, but
produced a predisposition for heart disease once the animals encountered

their own environmental stress.
For those of us in developed countries, the incidence of childhood
infectious disease is low, and some researchers suggest that the increase
in our lifespans during the 20th century was due to this fact. However, in
developing countries, diseases such as tuberculosis, diarrheal illnesses,

and malaria are still prevalent. Epidemiologists believe that once these
childhood diseases are controlled, there will be a corresponding drop in

the rates of life-limiting adult diseases that involve inflammation and a
resulting increase in longevity.
3.5.8: Lifestyle
Objective: Determine how lifestyle choices affect health
At the risk of repeating myself, I must point out that two of the biggest
factors in age-related disease and mental health disorders are sedentary

lifestyle and obesity. However, it may surprise you to know that fewer
than 20% of adults in the United States get the recommended aerobic and
muscle-strengthening exercise each week, and only one in three adults
eat the recommended amount of vegetables in their diets (Office of

Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, 2016). Over one-third of U.S.
adults are obese, due in part to lack of exercise and diets high in calories
from sugar and fat.
Other lifestyle factors that contribute to poor health are tobacco and other
substance abuse. Tobacco is a risk factor for almost every form of cancer,
as well as heart disease and Alzheimer’s disease, yet 16% of people in the
United States smoke cigarettes, and more use other tobacco products
(CDC, 2017b). The good news is that the rate of tobacco use has come
down in the last two decades, and the rate of exercise is up.
I have reviewed the changes in health through adulthood in the table
below, but I want to end with a reminder that the health disorders and
diseases of adulthood don’t happen to everyone and don’t happen at
random. Many can be prevented; others can be detected early and treated
successfully, or at least controlled. The best advice is still to eat healthy

foods, exercise, get regular checkups, know your family health history,
and seek scientifically proven treatment early for whatever disorders
occur. Live a balanced life with time for supportive relationships and
activities that reduce stress. Don’t smoke; if you do smoke, quit. Practice
safe sex. Wear your seatbelts and safety helmets. To date, there is still no
evidence for magic potions or pills that provide a shortcut to good health
and long life. Click or tap each factor related to health and illness to
compare its prevalence and effect for each associated age group.
Review of Health and Illness over the Adult Years

Summary: Health and Health
Disorders
3.1: Mortality, Morbidity, and Disability

Objective: Predict adult health issues based on data
Mortality rates increase with age, especially after 60. Causes of death
are different for different ages, with accidents, homicides, and

suicides leading the list for emerging adults, heart disease and cancer
for older adults.
Younger adults have a greater incidence of acute illnesses; older
adults have a greater incidence of chronic conditions such as arthritis,
high blood pressure, and cardiovascular disease.
Rates of disability also increase with age, although almost half of

adults age 75 years or more report having no disability.
About 81% of women age 65 and older and 90% of men this age are
community dwelling. Only 3% are in nursing homes, and most of
those are in their 80s or older.
3.2: Specific Diseases

Objective: Analyze ways in which older adults experience disease
Cardiovascular disease is the top cause of death among adults
throughout the world. It involves the blocking of coronary arteries by
plaques in the artery walls and can lead to heart attack. Some risk
factors are under our control, such as smoking and leading a
sedentary lifestyle. Others are not under our control, such as family
history and age. Women get cardiovascular disease at the same rate
as men, only later in life and with different symptoms.
The second leading cause of death for adults in the United States is
cancer, which involves rapid division of abnormal cells invading
nearby tissue or spreading to other parts of the body. The incidence

of cancer increases with age. Risk factors for cancer that are under
our control are smoking, obesity, and unprotected exposure to bright
sunlight. Factors that are not under our control are age and family
history.
Diabetes is a hormonal condition in which the body does not produce
enough insulin to utilize the glucose produced by the digestive
system. Type 2 diabetes is increasing in prevalence as a major cause
of death and disability for middle-aged adults and older. It is often the
result of a sedentary lifestyle and unhealthy eating habits and can be

controlled by making changes in these areas of one’s life and
sometimes by gastric bypass surgery.

The fifth leading cause of death among older adults is Alzheimer’s
disease, caused by progressive deterioration of certain parts of the

brain. The result is loss of cognitive ability and physical function.
Alzheimer’s disease is seldom seen before age 50, and 90% of cases
occur after age 65. Many of the risk factors for Alzheimer’s disease are
the same as for cardiovascular disease, and both may be linked to

inflammation earlier in life. Some of the risk factors that can be
modified are smoking, sedentary lifestyle, and obesity. Factors that
can’t are age and genetic predisposition. Traumatic brain injuries

from contact sports and combat can cause a type of dementia in later
life called chronic traumatic encephalopathy.

3.3: Psychological Disorders
Objective: Evaluate mental health challenges facing adults
The rate of mental health disorders in U.S. adults has remained stable
in the past decade. The most common types are anxiety disorders
(phobias, social anxiety), major depressive disorder, and substance-

related and addictive disorders. The onset of most mental health
disorders is in adolescence and early adulthood. Major depression is

more apt to affect young adults than older adults, who are more apt
to report depressive symptoms.

The majority of people who experience symptoms of mental health
disorders do not seek treatment, and a third receive treatment that is

inadequate or inappropriate. Those who do not seek treatment are
more likely to be older adults than younger or middle-aged adults.
3.4: Assistance Solutions

Objective: Analyze assistance options for physical and mental disorders
Some solutions for disease and disability involve assistive technology

and assistance animals. As our population grows older, these tools
are becoming more and more common.
3.5: Individual Differences in Health

Objective: Compare the physical health issues facing adults from different
populations
Many physical and mental health disorders can be prevented through

healthy lifestyles. Others can be detected early and treated
successfully. There are no shortcuts to good health and no magic
pills.
Men and women have different patterns of both physical and mental
health problems. Men have shorter life expectancies, higher rates of
life-threatening physical diseases, more psychological disorders
involving alcohol and substance abuse, and more impulse control

disorders. Women have more chronic diseases and higher rates of
major depression and anxiety disorders. This difference is partly
biological and partly sociocultural.
People in lower socioeconomic groups have lower levels of physical

and mental health than higher socioeconomic groups and decline in
physical health more quickly. This difference is primarily due to
health-care availability, health habits, and the effects of stress.
Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders have the best health picture of
any group in the United States, due in part to their healthy diets and
low smoking rates. The lowest level of health in the United States is
found in Native American and Alaskan Native groups.
Discrimination by people in the health-care profession against
women, people of color, working-class patients, and members of the

LGBT+ community have been reported and demonstrated in
investigations by researchers. This discrimination can lead to high
levels of stress, which, in turn, can lead to poorer health.
Another factor that can affect health is behavior patterns (type A,
hostility, pessimism) that lead to cardiovascular disease and early

death.
The genetic contribution to disease ranges from actually determining
that an individual will have a certain disease (some types of
Alzheimer’s disease) to providing a predisposition that environmental

factors will cause a disease (tobacco and lung cancer). One’s
genotype may even provide protection against certain diseases. Some
medical treatments are now being designed for individuals based on
their genotypes.
Low birth weight, early childhood infections, and low family income
during the first year of life have been linked to adult health problems
such as diabetes, mood disorders, and obesity.

Click or tap through each flashcard for this chapter's key terms and
their corresponding definitions.
Key Terms: Health and Health Disorders

Chapter 4
Cognitive Abilities
Games can help adults keep their cognitive abilities sharp.
4.1 Explain how attention changes with age

4.2 Compare how different forms of memory change over time
4.3 Evaluate the concept of age-related changes to intellectual ability
4.4 Relate decision making and problem solving to age
4.5 Analyze factors that influence individual cognitive change
4.6 Evaluate forms of cognitive assistance
A Word from the Author: Remembering My Dad’s Friend,

Don Iverson
My parents took me out to a steakhouse for my 53rd birthday,
and when I had trouble getting catsup to pour out of a new bottle
onto my fries, Dad showed me a trick he had learned from a
catsup salesman—you tap the neck of the bottle sharply against
your outstretched index finger and the catsup comes out easily.
Then he and Mom reminisced about the catsup salesman, their

friend Don Iverson. He lived in Savannah, Georgia, and they had
last visited him on the way home from their honeymoon. Don’s
wife had made a standing rib roast for dinner with peach cobbler
for dessert. What a great time they had, eating and playing cards
and talking until early morning. What was Don’s wife’s name?
Neither could remember. They talked back and forth a little,

trying to come up with the name of the salesman’s wife they had
not seen in 55 years but finally agreed in desperation: “We just

can’t remember anything anymore!”
It’s true that my parents were growing old—they were 77 and 80

at the time of that birthday dinner—but remembering the catsup
salesman’s name, the city he lived in, and even what his wife had
served for dinner that evening over 50 years before is impressive
at any age. Yet one of the most popular stereotypes of aging is
cognitive loss, and it is a stereotype that even older adults hold
about themselves. The same lost car keys or forgotten phone

number that at the age of 30 or 40 is a normal slipup is viewed as
a symptom of early senility at 70 or 80. But what is typical of

cognitive aging, and what is myth?
A common view of cognitive aging is that people become passive

victims of the deterioration of their brains, with a corresponding
decline in competent thought and behavior. Some basic cognitive

abilities such as attention, the speed with which we process
information, and some forms of memory do take a turn for the

worse as we age. But the picture is not so bleak. Although
cognitive decline with advancing age is real, in many cases older

adults maintain, and sometimes even increase, their mental skills,
and studies using functional brain imaging—which examines not
just the structure of the brain but also looks at how the brain
functions when performing cognitive tasks—show that the aging
brain is a dynamic organ, adapting to cognitive challenges and

neural deterioration (Park & McDonough, 2013).
4.1: Attention
Objective: Explain how attention changes with age
In the first psychology textbook, William James (1890), defined attention
as “the taking possession of the mind, in clear and vivid form, of one out
of what may seem several simultaneously possible objects or trains of

thoughts.… It implies withdrawal from some things in order to deal
effectively with others” (p. 404). A good example of a task that requires
attention is driving. Many accidents are caused by a driver’s failure to
attend to the important tasks of driving such as keeping the car on the
road and avoiding other cars, road debris, and pedestrians. Younger
adults actually have more car accidents than do older adults, but when
older adults have accidents, the most common cause is a failure to attend
to an important change in the environment, such as the presence of
another car, pedestrian, or traffic sign.
In order to drive successfully, we must not only attend to our driving, we
also must be able to ignore distractions from things like beautiful scenery,
a passenger drinking coffee, a dog in the backseat, etc. Older adults are
more susceptible to failures of attention due to distraction than are

younger adults.

will be able to:
4.1.1 Describe how the ability to maintain divided attention changes
with age
4.1.2 Relate visual search ability to age

4.1.1: Divided Attention
Objective: Describe how the ability to maintain divided attention
changes with age
When we try to attend to more than one task at a time, this is called
divided attention . Driving is even more difficult, for example, when a
person is simultaneously trying to pay attention to driving and to talking
on a cell phone, talking to a passenger, or thinking about work. While
both younger and older adults show a decrease in performance on most

tasks when dividing their attention, older adults find attending to
multiple things at one time particularly difficult. Another good example of
a divided attention task that occurs often in everyday life is trying to
follow more than one conversation at the same time. In one experiment,
researchers simulated the conditions of a cocktail party in which younger
and older participants were required to attend to stimuli coming to them
from various voices and multiple directions (Getzmann et al., 2016).
Figure 4.1  shows the results of this experiment. When the information
was being given by a single speaker with no distraction, participants in
both age groups attended well, but when the information was being given
by multiple speakers at once, the younger group performed better than
the older group. Furthermore, when asked to attend only to information
coming from one direction or another (divided attention), the younger
group was significantly better at the task than the older group.
Figure 4.1 Younger and Older Adults Attending to Speech in Varied

Environments
Younger people and older people attend well to auditory cues from a
speaker with no distractions, but there is an age difference when the cues
are given by multiple speakers at once. Younger participants attend
significantly better than older participants when instructed to divide
attention.
Source: Getzmann et al. (2016).

4.1.2: Visual Search
Objective: Relate visual search ability to age
Another attention task that people often perform in everyday life involves
visual search , the process of searching your environment in an attempt

to locate a particular item. Cognitive psychologist Allison A. Brennan and
her colleagues (2017) compared the abilities of children, younger adults,
and older adults to find certain objects in their environment. The older
adults included a group who reported having fallen at least twice in the
past year. The research participants were instructed to open the door to a
room, walk inside, and visually locate a common item, such as an apple
or a ball, on shelves containing many items.
They repeated this task with different items in different locations 16
times. As can be seen in Figure 4.2 , the number of times participants
failed to locate the object within 20 seconds decreased from childhood to
young adulthood and then increased from young adulthood to older
adulthood. The group of older adults with a history of falls had the most
failed attempts to locate the objects. The researchers concluded that older
adults have more difficulty locating objects in their environment, and
those who have particular difficulty in visual search tasks may be more
likely to fall (Brennan et al., 2017).
Figure 4.2 Locating Objects in a Visual Search Task

Errors on visual search task decrease from childhood to young adulthood,
but increase from young adulthood to older adulthood.
Source: Brennan et al. (2017).

4.2: Memory
Objective: Compare how different forms of memory change over
time
Memory  is defined as the ability to retain or store information and
retrieve it when needed. Attention is essential to memory because we

cannot retain and store information successfully if we do not attend to the
information to start with. For example, if we fail to retrieve the name of a
person, it may be that we never successfully attended to the information
and thus never stored the information into memory. As illustrated in my
story about the catsup salesman at the beginning of this chapter, older
adults often incorrectly interpret minor memory lapses as signs of serious

mental failure, and at the same time they do not give themselves credit
for the many accurate and important memory tasks they perform each
day. Most adults over the age of 65 report that they have noticed a recent
decline in their memory abilities, and most express concern over it,
associating it with illness, loss of independence, and their own mortality
(Lane & Zelinski, 2003).
Memory, however, is not a single ability, and age does not have the same
effect on all memory abilities. Short-term memory  involves holding
information for several seconds and then either discarding the
information or moving the information to long-term memory , where
information can be stored for many years or even forever. Working
memory  expands the definition of short-term memory to include not

just the holding of information in memory, but also the processing of that
information, which would include strategies for moving information from
short-term to long-term memory.

will be able to:
4.2.1 Differentiate short-term and working memory
4.2.2 Summarize how declarative and nondeclarative memory change
with age
4.2.3 Characterize prospective memory
4.2.4 Explain how memory training works
4.2.5 Describe potential issues with age-related memory studies

4.2.1: Short-Term and Working
Memory
Objective: Differentiate short-term and working memory
Short-term memory (STM) is the passive maintenance of information for

a short period of time and is assessed by tests such as the digit-span
task . In the digit-span task, an examiner reads a series of randomly
arranged digits at a rate of about one per second, and at the end of the list
the person must repeat the digits back in the same order. Short-term
memory shows relatively small declines with age through the 70s and 80s
(Gregoire & Van der Linden, 1997) and remains relatively stable through
the mid-90s (Bäckman et al., 2000). Declines in verbal short-term
memory with increased age may be due in part to hearing loss.
Verhaegen and colleagues (2014) found equivalent verbal STM
performance when comparing the performance of older adults with

younger adults who were matched in hearing thresholds.
Most of the time, however, we are not passively maintaining information
for a short period of time. Instead, we are actively processing the
information. Working memory (Baddeley, 1986) refers to the amount of
information we can hold in mind while performing some type of
operation on it. For example, in the backward digit-span test, a common
measure of working memory, one hears a series of digits, and then

repeats those digits in reverse order. There is a much more substantial
decline with age in working memory (Berg & Sternberg, 2003; Hale et al.,
2011) than in short-term memory.
This different effect of age on short term and working memory was
demonstrated by psychologist Denise Park and her colleagues (Park et al.,
2002). They gave a variety of memory tasks to participants in seven
groups, ranging in age from the 20s to the 80s. The results of some of
these tests are shown in Figure 4.3 . Short-term memory tasks included
watching the experimenter point to a sequence of colored blocks and
then repeating the sequence and listening to the experimenter give a

sequence of numbers and repeating them back. As you can see,
performance declined with age for short-term memory. Declines were
sharper, however, for tests of working memory. These tests involved
storing information in memory while performing some computation on it.
For example, in the reading-span test, participants listened to a sentence
(“After dinner the chef prepared dessert”). They were then asked to
answer a multiple-choice question about the sentence (“What did the chef
prepare? a. fish, b. dessert, c. salad”). Participants were presented a
number of different sentences and questions, then asked to remember the

last word in each sentence in exact order. The trajectory for these tasks,
as you can see, shows a much steeper decline with age than for the short-
term memory tasks. But the rate of decline also depends on what people
are remembering. For example, age-related declines in working memory

are greater for spatial information (e.g., remembering the location of a
series of Xs on a grid) than for verbal information (e.g., remembering the

last word in each of several sentences) (Hale et al., 2011).
Figure 4.3 Age-Related Cross-Sectional Changes on Various

Cognitive Tasks
Age-related cross-sectional changes are demonstrated on a variety of
cognitive tasks. Note that although both short-term (primary) and
working memory decline with advancing age, the decline is steeper for
working memory.
Source: Park et al. (2002).
The same pattern of results has been found in longitudinal studies. For
example, psychologist David Hultsch and his colleagues (1998) gave

various memory tests to a group of 297 older Canadian adults who were
participants in the Victoria Longitudinal Study. The average age of one

group of participants was 65 when they were first tested, and the average
age of the other group was 75. Three years later, both the younger group
(now 68) and the older group (now 78) showed significant declines in
verbal working memory, and the older group had a significantly greater
decline than the younger group.
How Working Memory Changes
What is the reason for this decline in working memory? One theory is
that older people don’t have the mental energy, or attentional resources,
that younger people do (Craik & Byrd, 1982). A related idea is that older
people are not as able to use the strategies required by working-memory
tasks (Brébion et al., 1997). Another explanation offered is a decline in

processing speed (Salthouse, 1996). Park et al. (2002) measured
processing speed in addition to short-term memory and working memory
and found that processing speed declines with increased age. Recent
research has contrasted the “strategy-use” versus “processing speed”
hypotheses and found that although differences in strategy use can

account for some individual differences in working memory, this cannot
account for all of the age differences in working memory. In contrast,
differences in processing speed account for a substantial amount of the
age differences in working-memory performance among older adults
(Bailey et al., 2009). A fourth hypothesis is that older adults are less able
to inhibit irrelevant and confusing information (Samrani et al., 2017). This
irrelevant information takes up space in working memory and distracts
from the ability to remember the important and relevant information. In
addition, researchers have found evidence that older adults took longer
than younger adults to remove no-longer-relevant information from
working memory (Yi & Friedman, 2014).
It is also interesting to know that when younger and older adults perform
comparably on working-memory tasks, such as when the memory load is

small (for example, only two to four items have to be remembered), brain
imaging studies reveal that they use different parts of their brains (Reuter-
Lorenz, 2013). For example, for small memory loads, older adults show
more activation in the frontal regions of the brain, an area associated with
higher-order cognition. As the task becomes more demanding, younger
adults also show increased activation in these areas (Cappell et al., 2010;
Schneider-Garces et al., 2010). This pattern of neural activation suggests
that older adults are not the passive victims of a deteriorating brain, but
rather are developing alternate neural strategies to maintain their levels
of cognitive performance.
Why is working memory, in particular, so important? The primary reason
is that working memory is associated with performing almost all other
cognitive tasks. The ability to keep information active in one’s mind and
do something with that information (that is, “think” about it) is central to
almost every problem people set out to solve, from the mundane act of
preparing one’s coffee in the morning to making decisions about buying a
new flat-screen TV. Working memory is a central component of what
psychologists call executive function , which refers to the processes

involved in regulating attention and in determining what to do with
information just gathered or retrieved from long-term memory (Jones et

al., 2003; Miyake & Friedman, 2012). In addition to working memory,
executive function includes the ability to inhibit responding and resist

interference, the ability to selectively attend to information, and cognitive
flexibility, as reflected by how easily individuals can switch between

different sets of rules or different tasks. Each of these skills declines in
efficiency in older adults (Goh et al., 2012; Passow et al., 2012).

4.2.2: Episodic Memory
Objective: Summarize how declarative and nondeclarative
memory change with age
Memory is not a single process. In fact, memories themselves are not a

single thing—a specific event that is retrieved from long-term memory
and brought to consciousness. Rather, psychologists have proposed that
information is represented in long-term memory in one of two general
ways: declarative memory and nondeclarative memory (Tulving, 1985,

2005). Declarative memory , sometimes called explicit memory, refers to
knowledge that is available to conscious awareness and can be directly
(explicitly) assessed by tests of recall or recognition memory. Declarative
memory comes in two types: semantic memory , our knowledge of
language, facts, and concepts, and episodic memory , the ability to
recall events. When you appear on the TV program Jeopardy and come up
with the correct name of the 15th president of the United States, you are
using your semantic memory. When you come home and tell your friends
and family about your trip to Los Angeles and the whole game-show
experience, you are using your episodic memory.
When older people say, “My memory isn’t as sharp as it used to be,” they
are talking about their episodic memory. In information-processing terms,
it would be expressed this way: “My storage and retrieval processes don’t
seem to be working as efficiently as they once did.” Episodic memory is
typically studied by presenting people of different ages with lists of words

or stories for memorization. Later (anywhere between a few seconds and
several days) they are instructed to recall as many of the words or as
much of the story as they can. The typical findings are that older adults do
not recall as many of the words as younger adults, and that this decline,
though relatively slow, is continuous over the adult years; it begins early,
perhaps as early as the late teens and early 20s, and is continuous into at
least the mid-90s (Hoyer & Verhaeghen, 2006; Ornstein & Light, 2010).
One part of episodic memory that is especially difficult for older adults is
binding together individual features of an event. When we try to

remember a real-world event, we must remember both the features of the
event (such as, the people, the actions, the context) and how these
features are connected (for example, who performed which action and in
which context). Developmental psychologist Julie Earles and her
colleagues demonstrated this by showing younger and older adults a
series of video clips of people performing simple actions (a young woman
peeling an apple, for example). They came back later and were shown
another series of video clips, some of which were the same clips they saw
before and others that were different. Some of the different videos
showed a new action that had not been seen before. Others of the new
videos, conjunction events, showed a person they had seen before

performing an action they had seen before, only being performed by
someone else. Older adults were much more likely than younger adults to
make these conjunction event mistakes, even when they remembered the
people and the actions as well as did the younger adults. Older adults
have difficulty forming associations among single units of episodic
memory and retrieving them from long-term memory (Earles et al., 2008,
2016; Kersten et al., 2008). This age-related associative deficit is also
consistent with the finding that older adults have more difficulty than
younger adults learning the names of new acquaintances (Old & Naveh-
Benjamin, 2012) and have more difficulty remembering the sources of
information (Cansino et al., 2013).

Semantic Memory
What about semantic memory? We know that IQ subtests that deal with
vocabulary and general knowledge show very little, if any, decline with
age (Salthouse, 1991), so it seems that semantic memory is fairly stable
before the age of 75. In addition, studies of middle-aged adults (age 35–
50) show no age changes on semantic memory tasks (Bäckman &

Nilsson, 1996; Burke & Shafto, 2008). Studies of participants between the
ages of 70 and 103 in the Berlin Aging Study showed a gradual but
systematic decline in the performance of tasks that tap this store of facts
and word meanings (Lindenberger & Baltes, 1994). Figure 4.4  presents
estimates for changes in semantic and episodic memory from 35 to 85

years of age (Rönnlund et al., 2005). As you can see, semantic memory
abilities actually show increases into middle age before experiencing a
moderate decline, whereas episodic memory abilities show a sharp
decline beginning in the mid-60s. This was further illustrated by cognitive
psychologist Boaz M. Ben-David and his colleagues (2015), who looked at

the vocabulary scores of over 2,000 younger and older adults that they
had tested over a 16-year period. Across studies, older adults had
consistently higher vocabulary scores than younger adults.
Figure 4.4 Estimated Changes in Semantic and Episodic Memory

Estimated age-related changes in semantic and episodic memory abilities.
Semantic memory abilities show increases over middle adulthood and a
slow decline in older age, whereas episodic abilities display a sharper
decline in the mid-60s.
Source: Rönnlund et al. (2005).
The one exception to the rule of semantic memory remaining stable over
the years is the case of word-finding failures —that feeling many
middle-aged and older adults get when they know the word they want to
use but just can’t locate it at the moment, often referred to as the tip-of-
the-tongue phenomenon (Shafto et al., 2007). The related semantic memory
phenomenon of name-retrieval failures , for example, the failure to

come up with “the name of that actor who used to be on Star Trek and
now does hotel commercials,” also begins to increase in middle age

(Maylor, 1990). Psychologist Fergus Craik (2000) explained these
exceptions by suggesting that specificity is the key to whether a long-term

memory system component is stable or declines with age—tasks that
require a specific word or name as an answer are more difficult and show
a decline with age, whereas other tasks that require a more general
answer are easier and remain stable up to late adulthood. In the example
given earlier of the Jeopardy game experience, “James Buchanan” is a very
specific item of information, and failure to recall it could not be
compensated for by the use of other words. However, the story about the
trip to L.A. consists of more general information, and even if some
specific items could not be recalled (for example, the name of the host of
Jeopardy), the story could still be told using “the game-show host” or “the
star of the show” instead of “Alex Trebek.” Using Craik’s explanation, the
reason semantic memory is so stable with age is that it is usually general
rather than specific. And the reason there are age-related changes in
episodic memory is due to the specificity required.

Nondeclarative Memory
In contrast to declarative memory, nondeclarative memory or implicit
memory—is the memory system responsible for skill learning and
retention (Tulving, 1985). The skills that depend on this system include
many motor systems such as driving a car, tying one’s shoes, or riding a
bike. Once learned, these skills involve well-learned, automatic mental

processes that are not available to conscious awareness. We don’t have to
remind ourselves how to use a can opener or how to ride a bike, and the
fact that these skills are independent of conscious memory seems to
protect them from the effects of aging and brain damage. There is little
change in implicit memory with age over adulthood, except for tasks that
require speeded performance (Dixon et al., 2001). Further evidence of the
durability of implicit memory is found in studies of individuals suffering
from various types of amnesia. Although this condition is defined by loss
of memory ability in many areas, implicit memory abilities often remain
at normal levels (Schacter, 1997).

4.2.3: Prospective Memory
Objective: Characterize prospective memory
One other type of memory that is of importance to older adults is
prospective memory , remembering to do something later on or in the

future (Einstein & McDaniel, 2005). This can involve remembering to
perform a specific one-time task (remembering to call the golf course for
a tee time on Saturday) or performing some habitual routine
(remembering to take your medication every day after lunch). Prospective

memory requires not only that a person remember to do something in the
future, but also to remember what it is that needs to be done. Perhaps
some of you can recall staring at your calendar knowing that there was
something you were supposed to do on Tuesday at 2:30, but not recalling
what that “something” was. Research has consistently reported that older
adults perform more poorly on prospective memory tasks than younger
adults (Smith & Hunt, 2014), but the magnitude of the difference is
usually smaller than for episodic memory (Henry et al., 2004). The
exception seems to be when there is interfering material or activities
involved. For example, when participants must quickly switch from

performing one task to performing another, so that the second task
interferes with the first, older adults (and first-grade children) perform
more poorly than young adults, although the differences among the
younger and older adults are much smaller or nonexistent when there is
no interference (Kliegel et al., 2008). One explanation for this finding is

that aspects of prospective memory are dependent on executive function,
which shows declines in older adults (Cepeda et al., 2001).
Both younger and older adults show increased prospective memory
performance when they use external cues as reminders. This was
demonstrated by psychology researcher Julie D. Henry and her colleagues
(2012), who used a computerized board game called Virtual Week to
assess prospective memory in younger and older adults. In this game,
participants moved around a board that is divided into days of the week.
As they moved around they saw pop-up screens with descriptions of

events and were asked to make decisions, such as what they want to eat
when they enter a restaurant. Embedded within the game are prospective
memory tasks such as taking medicine with every breakfast and dinner
event (event-based prospective memory). Participants are also asked to
perform prospective memory tasks at particular times (time-based
prospective memory). Participants played the game under three different
conditions. In the control condition there were no reminder cues. In the
experimenter-initiated condition, participants were given reminders
within the game. And in the self-initiated reminder condition,

participants saw a “To Do” button on the screen and could click this
button for reminders of the prospective memory tasks. As can be seen in

Figure 4.5 , younger adults performed better on both the event-based
and the time-based prospective memory tasks than did older adults, but
both groups benefited from external reminders.
Figure 4.5 Age Differences in Prospective Memory Tasks

Young adults performed prospective memory tasks better than older
adults, and all participants did better when given cues.
Source: Henry et al. (2012).

4.2.4: Slowing Declines in Memory
Abilities
Objective: Explain how memory training works
If some types of memory abilities decline with age, is it possible for older
adults to be taught special strategies to compensate for their processing
problems? This is the idea behind many memory-training studies. For
example, older adults have been successfully trained to remember names
of people they have just met by using internal memory aids such as
mental imagery to form associations between the people’s faces and their
names (Yesavage et al., 1989). In other studies, older adults have been
given training on encoding, attention, and relaxation strategies to
improve word recall (Gross & Rebok, 2011) or to discriminate between
old and new items on a recognition test (Bissig & Lustig, 2007; Jennings
et al., 2005). And participants in the Berlin Aging Study learned to use the
method of loci to improve their recall performances by associating words
on the recall list with landmark buildings along a familiar route in their
city (Kliegel et al., 1990).
Although training sometimes improves memory function on a specific
task, it doesn’t do away with the decline completely. In none of these
studies did the performance of older adults reach the level of young
adults, but all brought significant improvement over the participants’

earlier performance or over a control group of older adults who received
no training. Moreover, children and younger adults typically benefit more

from training than older adults. For example, 9- to 12-year-old children
and 65- to 78-year-old adults were trained to use an imagery-based
memory strategy to help them encode and retrieve words by using
location cues (Brehmer et al., 2007). The researchers reported that
although the children and adults had similar performance at the
beginning of the study and that each showed improvement as a result of
the training, the children displayed greater benefits than the older adults.
Unfortunately, there is conflicting evidence for transfer from the
improvements on the trained tasks to new tasks. For example, psychology
researcher Erika Borella and her colleagues (2017) found evidence that
training older adults on working-memory tasks did improve performance
not just on the working-memory tasks that were trained but also on other
cognitive tasks. However, other researchers found no such evidence of
transfer (Guye & von Bastian, 2017; Salthouse, 2016).
While the effects of cognitive exercise on general cognitive abilities may
be somewhat limited, physical exercise definitely does have a large effect
on cognitive ability. For example, researchers compared the effects of
physical exercise, cognitive training, and mindfulness on working

memory and found that the physical exercise had a much larger positive
effect on working-memory performance and produced a much higher

level of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) (Håkansson et al.,
2017). At the 2018 Cognitive Aging Conference, which is attended by the

best cognitive aging researchers in the world, conference attendees were
asked to raise their hand if they practiced a particular working-memory

task, and no one raised their hand. When asked if they exercised to
prevent cognitive decline, almost everyone raised their hand.
Other memory researchers have focused on training older adults to use
external memory aids, such as making lists, writing notes, placing items-
to-be-remembered in obvious places, and using voice mail, timers, and
handheld audio recorders. In one such study, psychologists Orah Burack

and Margie Lachman (1996) randomly assigned young and older adults to
two groups—list-making and non-list-making—and gave them word recall
and recognition tests. As expected, in the standard recall condition (non–

list makers), the older adults performed less well than the younger adults,
but for the list makers, there were no significant differences between the
old and young groups. In addition, the older list makers performed better
than the older non–list makers.
In an interesting twist, the authors of this study added a condition in
which some of the list-making participants were told ahead of time that
they would be able to refer to their lists during the recall test but then
were not allowed to use them. These participants benefited as much from
making the lists and not using them as the participants who made the lists
and did use them, suggesting that the activity of list making improves
memory, even when the list is not available at recall. (If you have ever
made a grocery list and left it at home, you will realize that the act of
making the list is almost as good as having it with you.)
Studies such as these show that training on both internal and external
memory aids can benefit older adults whose memories are not as sharp as
they were in younger years, and physical exercise has powerful positive
effects on memory. They may not bring back 100% of earlier abilities, but
intervention and improvement are possible.

4.2.5: Memory in Context
Objective: Describe potential issues with age-related memory
studies
Laboratory studies of age changes in memory have yielded valuable

insights into this aspect of adult development. However, their
dependence on out-of-context tasks may not tell the complete story of
how thinking changes with age. Typical tasks in memory experiments
“are relatively stripped down in terms of familiarity or meaningfulness,”

and little attention is paid to individual characteristics of the participants
(Hess, 2005, p. 383).
A number of researchers have adopted an approach to adult cognition
known as the contextual perspective . Its proponents believe that
traditional laboratory studies fail to consider that cognitive processes
across adulthood take place in everyday life and appear in a different light
when age-related contexts are considered. The contextual perspective
considers the adaptive nature of cognition , the idea that as we age our
lives change and that successful aging depends on how we adapt our
cognitive styles to fit those changes. For example, younger adults tend to
be involved in education or job training and thus are more apt to focus
their cognitive abilities on acquisition of specific facts and skills, often for
the approval of authority figures. In contrast, older adults are often
involved in transmitting their knowledge to the younger generation and
thus may focus their cognitive abilities on extracting the emotional

meaning from information and integrating it with their existing
knowledge. Traditional lab tasks that investigate age differences are more
similar to the typical cognitive activities of young people (Hess, 2005).
This difference was demonstrated in a study by psychologist Cynthia
Adams and her colleagues (2002) in which women in two age groups
were given a story to remember and retell either to the experimenter or
to a young child. The younger group’s average age was 20; the older
group’s was 68. Those who had been instructed to retell the story to an
experimenter resembled a typical laboratory experiment, and the results

were not surprising: Younger women recalled more of the story than
older women. However, for those who were instructed to retell the story
to a young child, older women recalled as much of the story as younger
women. In addition, the older women were more apt to adjust the
complexity of the story to fit the young listener. Adams and her
colleagues (2002) concluded that older people can recall stories as well as
younger people when the goals are adjusted to fit the context of their
lives—when they are given a task appropriate for a grandmother’s goals
rather than those of a young student.

Stereotype Threat
Another factor that is not considered in traditional lab studies is the role
of negative stereotypes of aging and memory ability. When members of a
group are aware of a negative stereotype that is widely held about their
group, they can experience anxiety when they are put in a position that
might confirm the stereotype. This contextual factor is known as

stereotype threat , and one example is the negative stereotype of older
adults as forgetful. As I mentioned in the beginning of this section, age-
related memory loss is a very touchy topic for many adults, and some
researchers argue that older adults’ cognitive abilities can be
compromised just by the knowledge that they are in a memory study

(Desrichard & Köpetz, 2005; Levy & Leifheit-Limson, 2009). In fact, when
the “memory” part of the study is deemphasized, older adults perform
better (Hess et al., 2004). In a study of older adults who were around the
age of 78, researchers found that their memory abilities declined as more
words describing negative stereotypes were added to the test materials.

When asked if they had concerns about their own memory abilities, those
who expressed more concerns were the ones whose recall was affected
the most by the stereotypes (Hess et al., 2003). Negative stereotypes
affect memory performance for older adults, and the size of the effect is
related to the amount of concern they express about their own memories.
But why should being reminded of negative age stereotypes cause older
adults to remember less? Psychologist Marie Mazerolle and her
colleagues (2012) hypothesized that stereotype threat may consume more

working-memory resources in older than in younger adults, accounting
for the greater decline in memory performance. To test this, younger
(average age of 21 years) and older (average age of 69 years) adults were
given a working-memory task, in which participants read short sentences
and were asked to recall the last word in each sentence in the order they
were presented. They were also given a cued-recall task in which they
read 40 words displayed one at a time on a computer screen and later
were shown the first three letters of those words and asked to recall the
entire word. Participants were told that these tasks were “fully validated
and diagnostic of memory capacity.” Both the younger and older

participants were then assigned to one of two conditions. In the
stereotype-threat condition, participants were simply told that both
younger and older adults would be performing these tasks, which is
usually enough to remind older adults that memory is typically worse in
older than younger adults. In the reduced-threat condition, participants
were also told that both younger and older adults would be taking the
test but further told these were “age-fair” tests in which performance does
not vary with age.
As expected, the younger adults performed better than the older adults
on the cued-recall task, with the difference being greatest in the

stereotype condition. This finding is not new, but simply confirms that
older adults perform worse on declarative memory tasks when they are
reminded of the negative age stereotype. What is interesting in this study
is that this effect was associated with performance on the working-

memory measure. Figure 4.6  shows younger and older adults’ scores on
the working-memory task in both the stereotype-threat and reduced-

threat conditions. As you can see, although the younger adults performed
the same in the two conditions, the older adults’ working-memory scores
were significantly reduced in the stereotype-threat condition. The authors

interpreted these results as indicating that one reason for older adults’
reduced performance on declarative memory tasks when they are

reminded of the negative age stereotype is that such reminders consume
working-memory capacity, which in turn affects how well they can
remember the task information.
Figure 4.6 Younger and Older Adults’ Performance Under Scores on

Stereotype-Threat and Reduced-Threat Conditions
Working-memory scores for older adults decreased sharply when they

were reminded of the negative age stereotype. When this reminder was
reduced, their scores were more similar to those of the younger group.
Source: Mazerolle et al. (2012).

4.3: Intelligence
Objective: Evaluate the concept of age-related changes to
intellectual ability
Memory is just one component of intelligence. When we think of
evaluating age changes in cognitive processes, most of us think

immediately of IQ scores. The less capable we feel about ourselves, the
more we worry about losing our intellectual abilities as we age (Parisi et
al., 2017). Does IQ actually change as we get older? If so, is there a
sudden drop at a certain age, or is the change gradual? Are some types of
intelligence affected more than others? These types of questions have
long been the basis of cognitive aging studies, but let’s first say a few
words about the concept of intelligence and about IQ tests, the tools we
use to measure that concept.
Defining intelligence  is one of the more slippery tasks in psychology.
The typical definition goes something like this: “the aggregate or global
capacity of the individual to act purposefully, to think rationally and to
deal effectively with his environment” (Wechsler, 1939, p. 3). In other
words, intelligence is a visible indicator of the efficiency of various

cognitive processes that work together behind the scenes to process
information in various ways (Nisbett et al., 2012). The field of psychology
that studies the measurement of human abilities such as intelligence is
psychometrics .
Many psychologists assume that there is a central, general intellectual
capacity, often called g , which influences the way we approach a great
number of different tasks (Jensen, 1998; Spearman, 1904). The score on
an intelligence test is intended to describe this general capacity, known as
the IQ (intelligence quotient) . As you may know from previous
courses, the average IQ score is normally set at 100, with scores above
100 reflecting above-average performance and scores below 100
reflecting below-average performance.
In addition to g, some psychologists who study intelligence are interested

in the specific components of intellectual capacity. On standard IQ tests,
these capacities are measured by the various subtests that make up the
total IQ score. For example, the latest version of the Wechsler Adult
Intelligence Scale (WAIS-IV; Pearson Education, 2008) provides a Full
Scale IQ based on four separate indexes: Verbal Comprehension,
Perceptual Reasoning, Working Memory, and Processing Speed, each of
which consists of a number of different subtests (for example, vocabulary
in Verbal Comprehension; block design in Perceptual Reasoning;
backward digit span in Working Memory; and symbol search in Visual

Perception, and speed in Processing Speed).

will be able to:
4.3.1 Outline changes to intelligence over time
4.3.2 Analyze how the components of intelligence function with age
4.3.3 Determine the effectiveness of intellectual retention exercises

4.3.1: Age Changes in Overall
Intelligence
Objective: Outline changes to intelligence over time
Do IQ scores decline with age or stay constant? Most of the early

information on consistency or change in adult intelligence came from
cross-sectional studies (1920s to 1950s), which seemed to show that
declines in IQ began in early adulthood and continued steadily thereafter.
However, in the decades since then, we have learned a lot more about
adult intelligence. Researchers of cognitive aging have developed new
designs that do away with some of the problems with traditional methods
and have extended longitudinal studies to include healthy, community-
dwelling people in their 60s, 70s, 80s, and beyond. Although results
continue to show some cognitive decline with age, the news is much
more optimistic. Some aspects of adult thought processes function at very

high levels into very old age. When decline occurs, it is often much less
extreme than once thought, and we often compensate so that it is not
noticeable. Moreover, there are precautions we can take that will increase
our chances of staying bright and high functioning throughout our lives.
Figure 4.7  shows the contrast between longitudinal and cross-sectional
analyses of IQ scores in the Seattle Longitudinal Study. This study used a
sequential design that allowed for both longitudinal and cross-sectional

comparisons. The numbers are not traditional IQ scores with a mean of
100. Instead, they have been calculated to show the change in scores for
each participant over the course of the study, with the beginning score set
at 50 and a standard deviation of 10. Thus, two-thirds of all adults should
fall between scores of 40 and 60 (one standard deviation on either side of
the mean), and about 95% should fall between 30 and 70 (Schaie, 1994;
Schaie & Zanjani, 2006).
Figure 4.7 Contrast between Longitudinal and Cross-Sectional

Analyses
Age changes in total IQ based on cross-sectional data (lower line) and

longitudinal data (upper line) can show very different trajectories.
Depending on cross-sectional data in the past led to erroneous
conclusions that cognitive performance begins to decline around age 40
and that the decline is very fast.
Source: Data from Schaie (1983).
When you compare the longitudinal and cross-sectional data, you can see
that they yield very different answers to the question, “What happens to
IQ over the course of adulthood?” The cross-sectional evidence, of which
the lower curve is very typical, shows a decline in IQ starting somewhere

between ages 32 and 39. In contrast, the longitudinal information actually
suggests a slight rise in IQ through middle adulthood. Only in the period

from 67 to 74 do the total IQ scores begin to drop, although, even here,
the decline is not substantial. In fact, according to developmental

psychologist K. Warner Schaie, codirector of the Seattle Longitudinal
Project, “The average magnitude of intellectual decline . . . is quite small
during the 60s and 70s and is probably of little significance for competent
behavior of the young old” (2006, p. 601). Average declines become more
substantial, however, in the 80s (Schaie, 1996).
The Flynn Effect
One explanation for the difference between the cross-sectional and
longitudinal comparisons is that there may be differential effects of prior
test experience. Cognitive psychology researcher Timothy A. Salthouse
(2016) found that when prior test experience was controlled, the results
of longitudinal studies more closely resembled the results of cross-

sectional studies. Another explanation is that there are cohort effects at
work here. As years of education, good health, and the cognitive
complexities of life have increased over the past century, the average
scores for each successive cohort have gone up. In fact, researchers have
found that average verbal IQ scores for groups of older adults are
increasing by over four and a half points each decade (Uttl & Van Alstine,
2003). This is related to the Flynn effect , named after psychologist
James Flynn (1987), who documented that average IQ had increased
steadily over the 20th century. Flynn argues that the increase is mainly
due to changes in modern life. Advances in education, greater use of

technology, and more people being engaged in intellectually demanding
work has led to a greater proportion of people with experience
manipulating abstract concepts than was the case in decades past, and
this, in turn, is responsible for elevated IQ scores for people of all ages.
As a result, cross-sectional studies comparing people born decades apart
may show lower IQ scores for older people, but they are not accurate
predictors of what the future holds in store for young people today.
Although IQ tends to decline with advancing age (and more for some
types of abilities than others), overall, intelligence as measured by IQ is
highly stable over one’s lifetime. By stable, I’m referring to differences
among people being similar over time. For example, will the bright 10- or
20-year-old also be the bright 70- or 80-year-old, relative to other people
measured in the sample? The answer seems to be yes. Based on data from
a 76-year longitudinal study, psychologist Alan Gow and his colleagues
(2011) reported that at least 50% of IQ differences among people in late
adulthood could be accounted for by their test performance as children.
There’s still 50% of the differences to be accounted for by other factors, so

change is as much a part of the picture as stability. But IQ, from
childhood into older adulthood, is one of the most stable psychological
traits behavioral scientists have studied.
To summarize, there is good support for the optimistic view that general
intellectual ability remains fairly stable through most of adulthood. But
now let’s dissect intelligence a little and see what happens with age to
some of the specific intellectual abilities that are components of IQ.

4.3.2: Components of Intelligence
Objective: Analyze how the components of intelligence function
with age
Standardized IQ tests yield more than a single score. They also provide
subtest scores, representing different types of cognitive abilities
associated with intelligence. One distinction that is widely used by
researchers is between crystallized and fluid abilities, initially proposed
and developed by psychologists Raymond Cattell and John Horn (Cattell,

1963; Horn & Cattell, 1966). Click or tap each tab below to learn more
about this distinction.
Crystallized and Fluid Intelligence

Whatever labels we apply to these two broad categories of intellectual
ability, the results are similar. Nonverbal, fluid tasks decline earlier than
verbal, crystallized tasks (Lindenberger & Baltes, 1997). In fact, aspects of
crystallized abilities, such as world knowledge, continue to grow into the
60s and show only gradual declines into the 70s (Ackerman, 2008;
Ornstein & Light, 2010). In contrast, specific aspects of fluid abilities,

such as speed of processing and working memory, show initial declines
around 35–40 years of age (Dykiert et al., 2012; Horn & Hofer, 1992).
This pattern of change in crystallized and fluid abilities was demonstrated

in research by psychologist Shu-Chen Li and her colleagues (2004).
People from 6 to 89 years of age were given a battery of both crystallized

and fluid tasks. Performance on the fluid tasks peaked for people in their
mid-20s, with declines being obvious by the mid-30s. In comparison,

crystallized abilities did not peak until the 40s and remained stable until
about age 70, when a decline was seen.

Cognitive Retention
Older adults who “exercise” their crystallized abilities often continue to
display improvements on specific cognitive tasks well into their 70s.
Consider people who do crossword puzzles regularly. Figure 4.8  shows
the combined results of several studies in which participants of different
ages were given New York Times crossword puzzles to solve (Salthouse,
2004). As shown in the figure, the number of words participants
completed correctly increased with age. The most words were solved by
those in their 60s, whereas those in their 20s and 30s solved fewer than
those in their 70s. Doing crossword puzzles, as well as identifying
synonyms and other verbal tasks, represent components of intelligence

that depend more on accrued knowledge than on speed of processing or
learning new skills, and they fit hand-in-glove with the cognitive abilities
of healthy older adults.
Figure 4.8 Age Differences in Solving NYT Crossword Clues

The ability to correctly complete the New York Times crossword puzzle
increases with age, showing the effect of mental “exercise” on crystallized
abilities.
Source: Salthouse (2004).
Not only does intelligence decline more slowly than the experts once
thought, but we are also finding out that few rules apply to everyone
when it comes to cognitive aging. In other words, even when the mean
scores are higher for younger people than for older people, there are still
a lot of people in the old group who do better than a lot of the people in
the young group, and vice versa. Even at 80 years of age and older, 53%
of the people were performing comparably to the young people on tests
of both fluid and crystallized intelligence (Schaie, 1996). And when older
people are tested over time, most remain stable within a 7-year period,
some decline, but even in their 80s, a few individuals increase in scores
on a Verbal Meaning test (Schaie, 2013).
One interesting finding is that intelligence predicts health and longevity.
This is true when intelligence is measured by IQ-type tests (Deary et al.,
2008; Gottfredson & Deary, 2004) or by tests assessing everyday

cognitive abilities, such as those associated with medication use, financial
management, food preparation, and nutrition (Weatherbee & Allaire,

2008). The reason for this connection is not clear, although one
possibility is that people with better reasoning and problem-solving skills

make better decisions with respect to health care and avoiding accidental
injuries (Gottfredson & Deary, 2004).

4.3.3: Reversing Declines in Intellectual
Abilities
Objective: Determine the effectiveness of intellectual retention
exercises
Beginning in the 1970s, when it became apparent that intelligence did not
drop off drastically with age, researchers began asking if anything could
be done to reverse the moderate decline in IQ shown in longitudinal
studies. The answer was yes (Kramer & Willis, 2002). Many studies
showed that physical exercise brought about significant improvement in
intellectual performance (Chu et al., 2015; Colcombe & Kramer, 2003), as
did training in the components specific to the task being tested (Willis et
al., 2006) and training in nonspecific aspects of the test, such as
willingness to guess when one is not sure of the correct answer (Birkhill
& Schaie, 1975).
Sports psychologist Chen-Heng Chu and his colleagues (2015) examined
the immediate effects of exercise on executive function in older adults.
They measured the physical fitness of the participants and divided them
into a low fitness group and a high fitness group. Participants cycled for
30 minutes or read a book on exercise for 30 minutes before testing.
Participants were then given a Stroop test, in which they were shown a
list of colors, some written in the same color as the word (“RED” in red
ink) and some in different colors (“RED” in blue ink). They were told to
report the color of the ink as fast as possible. As Figure 4.9  shows,
physical exercise resulted in faster response times and greater accuracy.
Figure 4.9 Effects of Exercise on Executive Function in Older Adults
Adults who exercised were faster and more accurate with their Stroop test
responses.
Source: Chu et al. (2015).
Schaie and Willis (1986) included a training study in one wave of their
ongoing longitudinal project to determine whether training was effective
for people who were already showing a decline or just for those who had
not yet begun to decline. Participants, age 64–94, received 5 hours of
training. About half of the participants had shown a decline over the last
14 years, and about half had not. Some received training on spatial
orientation and some on inductive reasoning, both abilities that tend to
decline with age and are considered more resistant to intervention. When
the results of the training were examined for those who had declined, it
was found that about half had gained significantly, and 40% had returned
to their former levels of performance. Of those who had not yet shown
declines, one-third had increased their abilities above their previous
levels.
Seven years later, the same researchers retested about half of these
participants and compared them to others in the study who were the
same age and had not received training. The scores of the group that
received training had declined from their previous levels, but they still
performed better than the controls, even though it had been 7 years since
their training. These participants were then given an additional 5 hours of
training, which again raised their test scores significantly, but not to the
level of 7 years earlier (Willis & Schaie, 1994). Similar results have been
found for memory training in a visuomotor task over a 2-year period
(Smith et al., 2005), a perceptual-motor task over a 5-year period

(Rodrigue et al., 2005), and a strategic memory task over a 5-year period
(Gross & Rebok, 2011).
Unfortunately, cognitive training on one aspect of intelligence does not

usually seem to improve performance on other measures of intelligence.
For example, researchers conducted a meta-analysis in which they looked

at the results of 145 experiments on the training of working-memory
abilities and found a short-term increase in performance on the working-

memory tasks that were in the training but these training effects did not
transfer to other cognitive skills (Melby-Lervag et al., 2016).
4.4: Decision Making and Problem
Solving
Objective: Relate decision making and problem solving to age
Solving problems and making decisions are complex cognitive skills that
require the coordinated interplay of various types and levels of thinking.

These abilities were important for the survival of the earliest humans and
are also important today. Although the study of decision making and
problem solving is an established area of cognitive psychology, it has only
recently been applied to adulthood and aging. We are all aware that the
types of judgments and decisions people are required to make change

with age, but the question asked in the following section is whether the
quality of the judgments and decisions they make changes—that is,
whether there are age-related changes in the underlying cognitive
processes (Sanfey & Hastie, 2000).

will be able to:
4.4.1 Explain how the process of choosing changes with age
4.4.2 Compare how older and younger adults deal with problem
solving and emotional information
4.4.3 Characterize positivity bias in older adults

4.4.1: Making Choices
Objective: Explain how the process of choosing changes with age
One type of decision that adults are frequently required to make across
the lifespan is choice, or choosing among a set of alternatives that have

multiple attributes. Which university should you attend when you have
been accepted by three, all having different tuition costs, distances from
home, levels of prestige, and amounts offered in scholarships? Or which
of two treatments to choose for your illness, when each has different
risks, side effects, costs, and probabilities of success?
Many studies of this skill are done in labs using a matrix of attributes
known as a choice board. Figure 4.10  shows a car-buying dilemma. Key
factors in a decision include comparing total price, number of passengers
each car will hold, fuel efficiency, and manufacturers’ rebates offered for
each car. At the beginning, the categories are visible, but the attributes
are on cards, placed face-down on the matrix. (Some labs use computer
screens.) Participants are told to look at whatever information they need
and take the time necessary to make the decision. The cards that the
participant turns over, the pattern in which they are turned, and the time
each card is studied are all recorded. When the choice-making processes
of younger and older adults are compared, we learn something about age
differences in this type of judgment and decision making.
Figure 4.10 Example of Choice Board: Car-Buying Dilemma

Example of a choice board used in studies of decision making. This one
includes four factors for each of four car choices.
Using a choice-board technique, researchers investigated how young
adults (mean age 23) and older adults (mean age 68) chose which of six
cars to buy after having an opportunity to compare them on nine features.
A later study compared the apartment-rental choices of the two groups
when five apartments were shown on the choice board with 12 features
available for each apartment (Johnson, 1993). Another research group

examined decision-making processes of 20-year-olds versus people in
their 60s and 70s as they made complex financial decisions (Hershey &
Wilson, 1997). In a study of medical-treatment choice, young women,
middle-aged women, and older women were compared on their decision-

making processes in a simulated situation involving breast cancer
treatment (Meyer et al., 1995). Although these studies ran the gamut on
decision topics, they all had similar results. Basically, older people used
less information and took less time than younger people to make their
choices. Regardless, there was essentially no difference between the

choices made by the two groups.
One possible explanation for these findings is that older people recognize
their cognitive limitations and make decisions based on less complex

thought processes. However, the fact that their decisions are the same as
those of younger people in these studies suggests an alternative

explanation. This hypothesis is that older people are experts on making
choices such as which apartment to rent, which car to buy, or which
medical treatment to undergo. By the time most adults reach the older
stage of life, they have gone through these thought processes many times,
and they approach them much like a chess master approaching a
chessboard, using deductive reasoning and tapping their long-term store

of experiences. This explanation is supported by the accounts given by
some of the participants when asked to “think aloud” while making

choices (Johnson, 1993).
These studies affirm that when adults of any age are evaluated in the
context of their current lifestyles, interests, and areas of expertise, they
show much better cognitive capabilities than on traditional, “one-size-fits-

all” laboratory tests.
4.4.2: Problem Solving and Emotional
Information
Objective: Compare how older and younger adults deal with
problem solving and emotional information
One interesting finding about problem solving in older adults is that,
despite cognitive declines in executive function, their ability to regulate
their emotions, particularly in the context of problem solving, is often as
good as those in younger adults (Blanchard-Fields, 2007). In fact, older

adults often show better decision-making skills than younger adults,
especially when interpersonal problems are confronted. For example,
researchers gave younger and older adults problems dealing with
interpersonal issues (for instance, “Your parent or child criticizes you for
some habit you have that annoys him or her”) or nonpersonal issues (for
instance, “A complicated form you completed was returned because you

misinterpreted the instructions on how to fill it out”). Older adults were
more apt to solve the nonpersonal problems using what has been
described as a problem-focused approach (for example, “Obtain more
information on how to complete the form correctly”), but were more
likely to use an avoidant-denial strategy (for example, “Try to evaluate
realistically whether the criticism is valid”) for interpersonal problems
(Blanchard-Fields et al., 2007). When participants’ problem solving was
evaluated in terms of effectiveness, the older adults were rated as more

effective than the younger adults, especially for the interpersonal
problems. Moreover, the older adults’ use of an avoidant-denial strategy

was not due to their lack of energy to actively solve problems or the fact
that they are too emotional. Instead, “they may effectively recognize that
not all problems can be fixed immediately or can be solved without
considering the regulation of emotions” (Blanchard-Fields, 2007, p. 27).
In fact, older adults in general show better cognitive performance for
emotional than for nonemotional information, with age differences being
most apparent for positive emotions (Carstensen et al., 2006). One
example is a study by psychologists Helene Fung and Laura Carstensen
(2003) in which people ranging in age from 20 to 83 were shown

advertisements featuring three different types of appeals: emotional,
knowledge-related, or neutral. As illustrated in Figure 4.11 , the older
participants remembered more information from the emotional
advertisements than the other two types, and the younger participants
remembered more information from the knowledge-related and neutral
advertisements. Carstensen and her colleagues suggest that younger
people are interested in processing information to acquire knowledge; in
contrast, older people are interested in processing information to enhance
positive emotions. Unfortunately, most laboratory studies of memory are

devoid of emotional content, thus favoring younger participants.
Figure 4.11 Memory for Emotional, Knowlege-related, and Neutral

Advertisements in Younger and Older Adults
Older participants remember more information than younger participants
when material has emotional appeal; younger participants remember
more when material has knowledge or neutral appeal.
Source: Fung and Carstensen (2003).

4.4.3: Positivity Bias
Objective: Characterize positivity bias in older adults
In related research, young (age 19–29), middle-aged (41–53), and older
(65–85) adults were shown a series of positive, negative, and neutral

images to examine and remember for later on (Charles et al., 2003).
Although the young and middle-aged adults recalled more images overall
than the older adults, there was a significant difference in the pattern of
performance, which is shown in Figure 4.12 . As you can see, the older
adults displayed higher levels of performance for the positive images
compared to the neutral and negative images. Differences in recall
between the positive and negative images were smaller or nonexistent for
the young and middle-aged adults.
Figure 4.12 Emotion and Memory for Images

The number of positive, negative, and neutral images recalled is a
function of age, with older adults showing a distinct positivity bias.
Source: Charles et al. (2003).
This positivity bias  is not limited to memory, but has been found in a
number of situations (Carstensen & Mikels, 2005). For example, older
adults are more apt than younger adults to direct their attention away
from negative stimuli (Mather & Carstensen, 2003), have greater working
memory for positive than for negative emotional images (Mikels et al.,
2005), evaluate events in their own lives (positive, negative, and neutral
ones) more positively than younger adults (Schryer & Ross, 2012), and
are generally more satisfied with the decisions they make than younger
adults (Kim et al., 2008). In general, older adults are more emotionally
positive than younger adults.
One explanation for older peoples’ positivity bias is provided by

socioemotional selectivity theory  proposed by Laura Carstensen and
her colleagues (1999; Carstensen & Mikels, 2005). According to this
theory, younger people view time as expansive and tend to focus on the
future. As such, they invest their time in new activities with an eye to
expanding their horizons. Older people, in contrast, view time as more
limited and as a result “direct attention to emotionally meaningful aspects

of life, such as the desire to lead a meaningful life, to have emotionally
intimate social relationships, and to feel socially interconnected”
(Carstensen & Mikels, 2005, p. 118). As a result, they tend to emphasize

the positive aspects of experiences and devote more cognitive (and social)
effort to them.
4.5: Individual Differences in
Cognitive Change
Objective: Analyze factors that influence individual cognitive
change
If cognitive decline with age were the rule, we would all fade away
together in a predictable pattern, showing little variation in change from
our agemates. As you have surely observed in your family or your
community, this is not the case; chronological age is only part of the
story. Your grandmother and her best friend, Lillian, may be only a few
years apart and may have had similar cognitive abilities in early and
middle adulthood, but now, in their early 70s, Grandma may be an honor
student at the community college and know the names of all 56 people in
her water aerobics class, whereas Lillian needs help managing her
finances and making a grocery list. What factors might predict this
difference in cognitive change?

will be able to:
4.5.1 Evaluate the influence of health on cognition
4.5.2 Relate genetics to cognitive change

4.5.3 Determine the role that demographics and sociobiography have
on cognition
4.5.4 Determine how education influences cognition in later
adulthood
4.5.5 Relate physical exercise to cognitive change
4.5.6 Explain the role of self-doubt in the perception of cognitive
decline
4.5.1: Health
Objective: Evaluate the influence of health on cognition
As is well known, poor health can affect cognition, but it is important to
keep in mind that this is true for people of any age. The reason health is a
topic for discussion here is that older adults are more apt to experience
health problems that interfere with cognition. Another word of caution is
necessary; most of these factors are known only to be predictive of or
associated with cognitive change—whether or not they are causes has not
been well established. Click or tap each tab below to learn more about
these factors.
Factors Associated with Cognitive Change

4.5.2: Genetics
Objective: Relate genetics to cognitive change
A factor that undoubtedly underlies many of the health-related
differences in cognitive aging is genetics. The strength of genetic

influence on a behavior is measured by heritability scores. Studies
comparing the traits and abilities of pairs of individuals with varying
degrees of family relationship have demonstrated that cognitive abilities
are among the most heritable of behavioral traits. Meta-analyses of

studies involving over 10,000 pairs of twins show that about 50% of the
variance in individual IQ scores can be explained by genetic differences
among individuals (Plomin et al., 2008). Furthermore, researchers report
that for general cognitive ability, heritability increases with age, starting
as low as 20% in infancy and increasing to 40% in childhood, 50% in
adolescence, and 60% in adulthood (McGue et al., 1993).
To find out about the heritability of cognitive abilities in older adulthood,
behavioral geneticist Gerald McClearn and his colleagues (1997)
conducted a study of Swedish twin pairs who were 80 years of age or

older. In this study, 110 identical twin pairs and 130 same-sex fraternal
twin pairs were given tests of overall cognitive ability as well as tests of
specific components of cognition. As the graph in Figure 4.13  shows,
identical twin pairs, who have the same genes, had scores on the tests
that were significantly more similar to each other than did fraternal twin
pairs, who share only about half their genes. Because we know that genes
are implicated in many diseases and chronic conditions, these findings of
a genetic contribution to cognitive decline should come as no surprise.
Figure 4.13 Heritability of Cognitive Abilities in Older Adulthood
Correlations on tests for a number of cognitive abilities are higher for

monozygotic twin pairs (who share the same genes) than for dizygotic
twin pairs (who share about 50% of their genes), demonstrating
significant and separate genetic contributions for those abilities.
Source: McClearn et al. (1997).
Another interesting result of this study is the variation in heritability for

the different cognitive abilities, ranging from 32 to 62%. Taken together,
these findings show not only that cognitive ability is influenced by
genetics, but also that different types of cognition are influenced to

different extents.
As a final word on this subject, I must point out that even if
approximately 60% of the individual differences in general cognitive

ability in older adults can be explained by genetics, 40% must be
considered environmental in origin. In Figure 4.13 , you should note that

none of the bars reaches the 100% level. This means that even identical
twins with identical genes are not identical in cognitive abilities.

4.5.3: Demographics and
Sociobiographical History
Objective: Determine the role that demographics and
sociobiography have on cognition
Women have a slight advantage over men in several cognitive areas
(episodic memory, verbal tasks, and maintaining brain weight), and these
gender differences continue into very old age (Bäckman et al., 2001).
Another set of factors is what Paul Baltes calls sociobiographical
history , the level of professional prestige, social position, and income
experienced throughout one’s life. It was once thought that people who
had led privileged lives in these respects would be less likely to decline in
cognitive abilities as they grew older, but most of the research evidence
shows otherwise; the rate of decline is the same, regardless of what

blessings people have received or earned in their lifetime (Lindenberger
& Baltes, 1997; Salthouse et al., 1990). The only difference is that the
more privileged individuals usually attain higher levels of cognitive
ability, so that even if the rate of decline is equal, their cognitive scores
are still higher at every age (Smith & Baltes, 1999).

4.5.4: Education and Intellectual
Activity
Objective: Determine how education influences cognition in later
adulthood
Formal education predicts the rate of cognitive decline with age. All other
things being equal, people with fewer years of formal schooling will show
more cognitive decline as years go by than will their same-aged peers
with more years of formal education. This evidence comes from the
repeated finding that better-educated adults not only perform some
intellectual tasks at higher levels but also maintain their intellectual skill
longer in old age, a pattern found in studies in both the United States
(Compton et al., 2000; Schaie, 1996) and in Europe (Cullum et al., 2000;
Laursen, 1997).
There are several possible explanations of the correlation between
schooling and maintenance of intellectual skill. One possibility is that
better-educated people remain more intellectually active throughout their
adult years. It may thus be the intellectual activity (“exercise” in the sense
in which I have been using the term) that helps to maintain the mental
skills. Another possibility is that it may not be education per se that is
involved here, but underlying intellectual ability, leading both to more
years of education and to better maintenance of intellectual skills in old

age. A related explanation is that some tests used to measure cognitive
ability may actually be measuring education level instead (Ardila et al.,

2000). Studies with illiterate, nonschooled adults (Manly et al., 1999)
have shown that some types of cognitive tests reflect lack of literacy and
schooling (comprehension and verbal abstraction), whereas others reflect
true cognitive decline (delayed recall and nonverbal abstraction).
Intellectual Activity
Adults who read books, take classes, travel, attend cultural events, and
participate in clubs or other group activities seem to fare better
intellectually over time (Schaie, 1994; Wilson et al., 1999). It is the more
isolated and inactive adults (whatever their level of education) who show
the most decline in IQ. Longitudinal studies have shown that demanding
job environments (Schooler et al., 1998) and life with spouses who have
high levels of cognitive functioning (Gruber-Baldini et al., 1995) help to
ward off cognitive decline. In contrast, widows who had not worked
outside the home showed the greatest risk of cognitive decline in the
Seattle Longitudinal Study (Schaie, 1996).
A number of studies have shown that cognitive processes are preserved
in later adulthood for people who exercise those processes regularly
through such activities as playing chess (Charness, 1981) or bridge

(Clarkson-Smith & Hartley, 1990), doing crossword puzzles (Salthouse,
2004), or playing the game of Go (Masunaga & Horn, 2001). The sets of
highly exercised skills required for such activities are known as expertise,
and studies have shown that older people who have expertise in specific
areas retain their cognitive abilities in those areas to a greater extent than
agemates who do not share this expertise.
However, before you rush out to join a chess club, I must warn you that
most of these studies are correlational, which means that other factors
may be contributing to the retention of cognitive ability. These
individuals might be in better health to begin with or receive more social
stimulation and support at the gym or bridge club.
4.5.5: Physical Exercise
Objective: Relate physical exercise to cognitive change
Physical exercise has both short-term and long-term positive effects on
cognition. Exercise helps to maintain cardiovascular (and possibly neural)

fitness, which we know is linked to mental maintenance. And researchers
who compare mental performance scores for physically active and
sedentary older adults consistently find that the more active people have
higher scores.
Aerobic exercise has been targeted specifically because of its role in
promoting cell growth in the hippocampus and other brain structures
involved in memory. Most of these studies are correlational, so we face
the problem of determining whether the memory changes are caused by
the aerobic exercise or by other factors, such as higher education level,
better health, or more social support. Nonetheless, a meta-analysis of
studies that randomly assigned participants to exercise and nonexercise
conditions found that exercise has positive effects on cognitive
functioning. In fact, the greatest effects were on tasks such as inhibition

and working memory, which are directly relevant to normative age
differences in memory performance (Colcombe & Kramer, 2003).
In a follow-up study, the researchers used MRIs to compare the brain
structures of older people who exercise with those who do not. They
found that the biggest difference was in the cortical areas most affected by
aging. Although the participants in this study had not been randomly
assigned to exercise and nonexercise groups, the combination of studies
provides reasonable support for exercise having a positive impact on age-
related memory performance. Studies have shown that the effects of
physical exercise on cognition are dose dependent. The more an older
adult exercises, the better their cognitive ability (Loprinzi et al., 2018;
Zhu et al., 2016). The same is true with muscle-strengthening activities
(Loprinzi, 2016). Clearly the extent to which an individual exercises (or
doesn’t) should be considered when assessing memory abilities in later
adulthood (Colcombe et al., 2003).
A longitudinal study by psychologist Robert Rogers and his colleagues
(1990) points us in the same direction. They followed a group of 85 men
from age 65 to 69. All were in good health at the beginning of the study,
and all were highly educated. During the 4 years of the study, some of
these men chose to continue working, some retired but remained
physically active, and some retired and adopted a sedentary lifestyle.
When these three groups were compared at the end of the study on a
battery of cognitive tests, the inactive group performed significantly

worse than the two active groups.
This is by no means an exhaustive review of the research in this very
active field. I simply wanted to give some examples of work that supports
the argument of those who take the contextual perspective of cognitive
aging. Sure, no one argues with the evidence that cognitive abilities
decline with age, but there is active debate about how much the decline is
and in which areas of cognition. There are also some lessons in the
research on individual differences about steps that might be taken to
delay or slow down the inevitable decline. Certainly it seems that we
would increase the probability of maintaining our cognitive abilities as we

grow older if we engage in physically and cognitively challenging
activities throughout adulthood.

4.5.6: Subjective Evaluation of Decline
Objective: Explain the role of self-doubt in the perception of
cognitive decline
One factor that is not implicated in cognitive decline is our own opinion
of our cognitive abilities. There is a very strong relationship between age
and subjective reports of cognitive decline—the older the group is, the
more reports there are of intellectual failure. However, when reports of
cognitive decline are compared with actual tests of intellectual

functioning, there is virtually no relationship. In a very thorough
investigation of this phenomenon, researchers questioned almost 2,000
people in the Netherlands ranging in age from 24 to 86. They asked about
various components of cognitive functioning (such as memory, mental
speed, decision making) and how they rated themselves compared to
their agemates, compared to themselves 5–10 years earlier, and
compared to themselves at 25 years of age. Results showed that
participants’ perceptions of cognitive decline began about age 50 and
increased with age, covering all the cognitive domains included in the
questionnaire. However, when participants’ actual cognitive abilities were

measured, there was no relationship between their abilities and their
subjective assessments (Ponds et al., 2000). This suggests that adults
believe that cognitive decline begins around age 50 and begin to interpret
their cognitive failures and mistakes as being due to aging, whereas the
same lapses at earlier ages would have been attributed to other causes,
such as having too much on their mind or not getting enough sleep the
night before.
4.6: Cognitive Assistance
Objective: Evaluate forms of cognitive assistance
If you take notes on your laptop while your professor lectures or make a
list of things to do before your weekend trip, you are using cognitive
assistance. Here are some solutions to cognitive limitations that help

older adults to function well.

will be able to:
4.6.1 Describe strategies for dealing with cognitive challenges in
medication adherence
4.6.2 Relate social networking to cognitive retention
4.6.3 Determine effective forms of electronic stimulation for cognitive
exercise
4.6.4 Analyze the issues involved in driving by older adults

4.6.1: Medication Adherence
Objective: Describe strategies for dealing with cognitive
challenges in medication adherence
One of our biggest preventable health-care problems is medication

adherence , or the inability of patients to follow their physicians’
instructions about taking their prescribed medication in the right dosages,
at the right time, and for the right length of time. It is estimated that
about half the people in the United States who suffer from chronic
conditions such as high blood pressure and diabetes do not adhere to
their physicians’ instructions (Sabaté, 2003), leading to poor outcomes,
higher death rates, and reduced quality of life. Many reasons have been
found for this nonadherence, such as economic circumstances, side
effects of the medication, and the doctor–patient relationship quality, but
one that has been of interest to cognitive psychologists is memory ability,
specifically prospective memory, or the ability to remember to do
something at a later time. Studies have shown prospective memory
problems are linked to medication adherence in adults of various ages
suffering from a variety of diseases and chronic conditions, such as HIV,

diabetes, and rheumatoid arthritis, independent of economic factors, side
effects, and patient–doctor relationships (Zogg et al., 2012). Electronic
devices are available that can be set to signal people that it is time to take
their medication, what the proper dosage is, and any other instructions
necessary. Pharmacies are able to package multiple pills in blister packs,
clearly labeled with the date and time they should be taken. Once the
medication is taken, the empty place on the card serves as feedback.
Automated phone calls can remind people when it is time to take
medication, and there are smartphone apps that keep track of
medications and also give reminders. There is evidence that new
electronic medication packaging (EMP) devices that are embedded in the
medication’s packaging may be effective in improving compliance.
Medical researcher Kyle D. Checchi and his colleagues (2014) reviewed
37 studies of the effectiveness of these devices and found that the most
effective devices included recording when the medication was taken and
keeping a record, audiovisual reminders, digital displays, real-time
monitoring, and feedback on how well the person is adhering. Although
this doesn’t solve all the problems of nonadherence, it can help with
those cases that are caused by age-related cognitive problems.
Today, many different devices can help with medication adherence.

4.6.2: Social Networking
Objective: Relate social networking to cognitive retention
In the later years of adulthood, social groups get smaller as friends and
relatives move away or die. The high value of social support enhances
memory for social information. Both younger and older adults remember
high-value social information better than low-value social information,
but this difference is especially large for older adults (Hargis & Castel,
2017).
The use of personal computers for social networking can help older adults
stay in touch (Hogeboom et al., 2010). Facebook is the major social
networking platform for most adults, but Instagram, Pinterest, Snapchat,
LinkedIn, Twitter, and WhatsApp have all dramatically increased in use
since 2012 (Smith & Anderson, 2018). According to a 2018 Gallup poll,
Facebook use by people age 50–64 increased from 34% in 2011 to 52% in
2018 (McCarthy, 2018).
Almost all of today’s adults are long-time telephone users and have made
the switch to cell phones. Among people age 64 and older, 85% own a
cell phone and 46% have a smart phone. Older adults have more
favorable views of their smartphones than do younger adults. According
to the Pew Research Center, older adults (82%) are much more likely
than younger adults (64%) to say that their smartphone represents
“freedom,” and younger adults (36%) are much more likely than older
adults (18%) to say that their smartphone represents “a leash.” Older
adults (82%) are also more likely than younger adults (63%) to say their
smartphone is “connecting,” and younger adults (37%) are more likely
than older adults (18%) to say their smartphone is “distracting”
(Anderson, 2015).
4.6.3: E-Readers and Electronic Games
Objective: Determine effective forms of electronic stimulation for
cognitive exercise
Intellectual activity is important for cognitive function, but for older

adults, there are more barriers to keeping up with newspapers,
magazines, and books than with younger adults. Visual problems are
more prevalent as we get older, it may be difficult to travel to a bookstore
or library, and the cost of reading material may be too high. Many
middle-aged and older adults have started using e-books and find this a
solution to some of these problems. E-books allow the reader to increase
the font size and adjust the back lighting. Some have text-to-speech
features so they can be used as an audiobook. It is possible to read a
book, newspaper, or magazine at any time or place, and the cost is
usually lower than the cost of a conventional book. For avid readers, it is
much lighter to carry an e-reader than to weigh oneself down with
conventional books. I recently started reading our local newspaper on my
tablet because I could increase the size of the font for some of the small
print, such as movie theater timetables. Before that realization, I had been
one of those people who claimed they would never give up the smell of
the newsprint and the rustle of the pages as they turn. Another plus is
that the electronic “paper” arrives much earlier on my tablet than the
paper one does in the front yard.

Despite all the advantages of e-readers, they are not as popular with older
people as are computers and cell phones. In fact, some research has
shown that even though older adults read faster and comprehend just as
much when reading an e-reader as a book with paper pages, they
overwhelmingly prefer to read traditional books (Kretzschmr et al., 2013).
In a survey conducted in 2016 by the Pew Research Center, only 10% of
younger adults preferred reading newspapers in print form rather than
online, while 63% of those over age 65 preferred reading a printed
newspaper over reading the news online.
Research also shows that cognitive abilities are sustained by playing
games, preferably in a social setting. When one’s ability and motivation to
go out with friends decline, so do the bridge parties and poker nights. But
many people now play the same games using smartphones and
computers, allowing them to play chess, bridge, and Scrabble with friends
(and strangers) who live around the world. I am currently engaged in a
Scrabble tournament with my sister, Rose. We live about 250 miles apart
and have very busy lives, but we are “in touch” several times a day
through the game apps on our smartphones. My husband has several

online chess games going with our grandchildren on various devices.
There are also games to play alone, such as crossword puzzles and
Suduko.
Some video games are designed to provide both cognitive and physical
exercise, and research shows that they accomplish both. These

“exergames,” such as the ones found on PlayStation, Xbox, and Wii,
feature motion sensors that incorporate the gamers’ movements within

the game. Some of the activities available are bowling, tennis, and
dancing. The potential benefits of exergames on physical and cognitive
performance were assessed in a study with French adults between the

ages of 65 and 78 (Maillot et al., 2012). Participants received pre- and
posttest assessments of their physical fitness (for example, heart-rate

measures, ratings of perceived effort in doing everyday tasks, BMI) as
well as their cognitive performances on a series of tasks measuring
executive control, speed of processing, and visuospatial abilities. One

group then received 12 weeks of training playing Nintendo Wii games,
whereas the control group received no special training. The researchers

reported that participants in the exergame training group demonstrated
significant gains on most measures of both physical fitness and cognitive

abilities, a clear indication that playing video games can be beneficial for
older adults’ physical and cognitive health.
4.6.4: Safe Driving
Objective: Analyze the issues involved in driving by older adults
The topic of older adults and driving brings forth a variety of opinions,
most very emotional. In many parts of the United States, the ability to
drive a car is synonymous with being an adult. Emerging adults count the
days until they can drive, and older adults dread the day they must give it
up. One of the biggest problems between middle-aged adults and their
older adult parents is “the driving issue,” when and how to convince
Mom or Dad to give up the car keys. An automobile is a dangerous piece
of machinery. Auto accidents are the leading cause of death for people in
the United States for emerging adults and young adults, and the 12th
highest cause of death for all ages (National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration, 2015). The question of whether age-related cognitive
changes are detriments to driving safety is an important one, and research
has been done trying to pinpoint just what is involved in unsafe driving
and if anything can be done to retrain older drivers to make them safer.
About 19% of all drivers in the United States are 65 years of age or older
and account for 28% of all auto accident fatalities (U.S. Census Bureau,
2012a). However, these numbers don’t give us an accurate picture of
older adults’ driving records because older adults don’t drive as much as
younger adults. When the accident rates for different age groups are
adjusted for the number of miles driven per year, the results (Figure
4.14 ) gave a clearer picture of the situation (Insurance Institute for
Highway Safety, 2018).
Figure 4.14 Age of Drivers and Number of Fatal Crashes
Drivers under age 30 and over age 70 are more apt to be involved in fatal
two-car crashes, and the rate increases dramatically after the age of 80.
Source: Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (2018).
However, the number of fatalities in each age group for the number of
miles driven isn’t the most accurate picture either because older drivers
and their passengers are usually in poorer health than younger drivers
and their passengers, and also have more brittle bones and other
preexisting problems that make them more at risk for fatal injuries than
do younger drivers. Still, we must concede that age is a factor in safe
driving and it makes sense to look into the age-related cognitive changes
that may be involved.
A Useful Field of View
Older drivers have problems navigating intersections with flashing
signals or yield signs and making left turns at stop signs or traffic signals,
among other things. It has been suggested by some that although older
adult drivers have the visual acuity to pass the vision tests, they are
limited in their useful field of view (UFOV) , the area of the visual field
that can be processed in one glance. Older drivers who had a reduction in
their useful field view of 40% or more were twice as likely to be involved
in an auto crash as those with normal visual fields (Sims et al., 2000).
Research has shown that the useful field of view is not a constant
perceptual ability; it decreases in lab studies when the individual is
attending to other activities. In one study of young, healthy college
students, the time it took to detect visual stimuli in the periphery of their
visual fields was significantly reduced when a spoken word-selection task
was added to the test (Atchley & Dressel, 2004). Although this was a test
done in a lab and not on the road, it has serious implications for drivers
of all ages who multitask behind the wheel. Driving is a very demanding
and complex cognitive activity and should not be combined with
competing tasks, such as talking or texting, especially for older drivers
who may have reduced functional visual fields.
After this somber message, there is some bright news: It is possible to
train people to have larger useful fields of view. For example, in one
study, older drivers (average age of 72 years) who had reduced useful
fields of view were given either speed-of-processing training or driver-
simulator training (Roenker et al., 2003). The speed-of-processing
training involved a touch-screen computer on which targets appeared for
various durations in the periphery of the visual field. Participants were
required to respond to the targets as soon as they were detected until
they reached proficiency (about 4.5 hours of training). Two weeks later in
a driving simulation test, the speed-of-processing group made fewer
dangerous maneuvers than they had at baseline, such as ignoring traffic
signals at intersections and misgauging the space between cars when
making turns across an intersection, two behaviors that contribute

substantially to car crashes. They also had increased their reaction time
an average of 277 milliseconds. (In real-life terms, this translates into
being able to stop 22 feet sooner when going 55 miles an hour—not a
trivial improvement.) The driver-simulator group did not improve on
reaction time, but did improve on the specific skills on which they were
trained. Eighteen months later, improvements for the speed-of-processing
group were, for the most part, still present. The researchers suggest that
the training in speed of processing serves to increase the useful field of
view for older drivers, and that this increase translates to improvement in
driving ability, specifically the speed with which drivers process and act
on complex visual information.
Another study looked at older drivers’ failure to scan as effectively at

intersections as younger drivers, asking whether it was a result of
cognitive aging and physical decline or unsafe driving habits, which could
be modified. The latter was concluded when a training group who
received feedback on videos of their everyday driving and who spent time
in a driving simulator learning to scan more thoroughly at intersections
performed better than a control group who only received coaching about
the importance of scanning, but no video feedback or simulator training.

In fact, the training group performed as well as a control group of
younger drivers (Pollatsek et al., 2012). The authors concluded that a

major problem with older drivers is the failure to scan adequately for
upcoming hazards at intersections. They think that this is more of a bad
habit than a result of cognitive or physical deterioration because a short

training session involving feedback and practice in a driving simulator led
to significant improvement.
Summary: Cognitive Abilities
There is no doubt that people become slower and less accurate with age
on many types of cognitive tasks, and this is the case even for the
healthiest among us. But the best way to view these overall changes in
cognitive abilities is in terms of both losses and gains.
Dixon (2000) pointed out that there are gains in terms of abilities that
continue to grow throughout adulthood, such as new stages of
understanding (Sinnott, 1996) and increases in wisdom (Baltes &
Staudinger, 1993; Worthy et al., 2011). There are also gains in terms of
doing better than expected. For example, although Schaie (1994) found a
general trend of decline in cognitive abilities with advanced age, not all
abilities follow that trend. In fact, 90% of all the participants in his study
maintained at least two intellectual abilities over the 7-year time period
they were studied. Dixon (2000) also pointed to compensation as a gain
in the later years, when we find new ways of performing old tasks, find
improvements in one skill as the result of losses in another, and learn to
use our partners or others around us as collaborators. This viewpoint may

be overly rosy, but there is a good deal of truth in it. The process of
cognitive aging is not entirely a story of losses, and this gives us a nice
balance with which to end the chapter.
4.1 Attention
Objective: Explain how attention changes with age
Cognition begins with attention, and the ability to attend to one thing
and not another declines with age. A particular problem with older
adults is divided attention, such as talking on a cell phone while
driving. The attention task, visual search, involves finding a familiar
object in a room full of other objects. Older adults fail to find the
objects more than younger adults, and older adults who have
experienced falls in the past year have the most failures.
4.2 Memory
Objective: Compare how different forms of memory change over time
Memory consists of short-term memory and long-term memory,
which are cognitive storage areas. Working-memory processes
information in short-term memory for immediate use and also for

storage in long-term memory. Scores on tests of short-term memory,
long-term memory, and working memory, as well as speed of
processing all decline with age. Verbal knowledge increases with age.
Information in long-term memory consists of declarative (explicit)
memory, which is available to consciousness, and nondeclarative

(implicit) memory, which involves skills and automatic processes,
such as riding a bike. Declarative memory has two parts, semantic
memory, which is knowledge of language, facts, and concepts, and

episodic memory, which is knowledge of recalled events. Episodic
memory declines with age, beginning around 60, but semantic

memory stays stable over the years except for word-finding failures
and name-finding failures.

Prospective memory is remembering to do something in the future,
such as taking medication on a certain schedule or meeting a friend

tomorrow. It is stronger in younger people than older people.
Cognitive training can improve memory performance in older adults
for specific tasks, but not bring it back to that of younger adults.
Physical exercise has a bigger positive effect on cognitive ability.

Memory loss can be partially compensated for by external aids (lists,
calendars) and training (mental imagery, method of loci).

Some researchers, using the contextual perspective, show that older
people do better on memory tests if the tasks better fit the cognitive
styles they have adapted to fit their lifestyles, such as using
information with emotional content, proposing a task that involves
transmitting knowledge to the next generation, or avoiding

stereotype threat.
4.3 Intelligence
Objective: Evaluate the concept of age-related changes to intellectual
ability
Early studies of IQ scores for people of different ages showed that

intelligence began to decline in the early 30s and continued sharply
downward. Later, longitudinal studies showed that the decline didn’t

start until people reached their 60s, and the decline was moderate.
The difference is primarily due to cohort effects.

Scores of fluid intelligence abilities decline starting in the 60s.
Crystallized intelligence abilities remain stable well into the 70s or

80s.
Declines in intellectual abilities can be reversed using specific training
for various abilities, physical exercise, and general test-taking

training. This training has long-term effects.
4.4 Decision Making and Problem
Solving
Objective: Relate decision making and problem solving to age
In real-world cognition, older people are able to make good decisions
and judgments in less time and using less information than younger
people, probably drawing on their greater store of experience. In fact,
older adults often show better decision-making skills than younger
adults, especially when interpersonal problems are confronted. Older
adults tend to show a positivity bias, being more attentive to positive

than negative events and emotions and performing better on tasks
involving positive images or emotions.
4.5 Individual Differences in Cognitive

Change
Objective: Analyze factors that influence individual cognitive change
Not everyone ages in cognitive abilities at the same rate. Some of the
individual differences are in the area of health, including vision and

hearing, chronic disease, and medication. Genes play a role, as does
one’s education and income history. Mental and physical exercise can
lead to better cognitive abilities in later years.
Older people’s subjective evaluations of their cognitive abilities are
based more on their stereotypes of aging than on any actual decline.
4.6 Cognitive Assistance

Objective: Evaluate forms of cognitive assistance
Cognitive assistance involves practical solutions to age-related
cognitive decline. Examples are electronic timers and phone apps to
help people take their medications as prescribed and new pharmacy

packaging that bundles multiple pills onto cards with time- and date-
labeled windows.
Social relationships are assisted by participating in social networking
sites. The majority of people over age 65 are regular Internet users
and a third are on Facebook or other such sites.

The number of older drivers on the road is increasing, and they are
very safe drivers up until the age of 70, when their involvement in
fatal accidents begins to increase, being higher than teenagers at 80
and beyond. Because driving is essential to daily life in many areas,

researchers have identified the useful field of view as a critical factor
in safe driving. It is possible to retrain older adults to increase this
visual ability. It is also possible to reduce distractions (such as cell
phone use) that decrease the useful field of view. Other studies point
out poor driving habits that can be remedied by instruction with

feedback for older drivers.
Key Terms: Cognitive Abilities

Chapter 5
Social Roles
Newlyweds snap a quick selfie.
5.1 Analyze how social roles change over time

5.2 Characterize social roles in young adulthood
5.3 Determine how social roles impact middle adulthood
experiences
5.4 Evaluate ways of handling transitions in late adulthood
5.5 Analyze the interactions between atypical families and their
cultures
A Word From the Author: Roles and Adjustments
I teach developmental psychology courses at a university in south
Florida, and I enjoy the role of professor. I am fortunate to be at a
smaller partner campus of a large university, so I am able to get
to know the students. Many of them recognize me around
campus and stop to talk to me about the courses they are

planning to take, the graduate schools they are applying to, or
some point we covered in class. It is especially enjoyable for me
because the other part of my career, writing this textbook, is very

isolated. For that job I have an office at home where I have little
social interaction. Together, the two professional roles provide a

pleasant balance.
My husband is a professor on the main campus of the same

university, and I find myself on “his” campus from time to time.
The difference in my social roles from one campus to the other is

striking. On “my” campus, colleagues ask me about my classes,
my book, or some bit of academic intrigue; on my husband’s

campus, I’m asked about the family or our latest vacation.
Clearly, I have the role of professor on one campus and the role
of professor’s wife on the other.

However, being viewed as a professor is not my most prestigious
role. The first Friday of the month is Lunch with Family Day at
my youngest grandson’s elementary school, and after 6 years I

know the drill. I pack lunches and wait on the patio outside the
cafeteria. When the fifth-grade classes arrive, he scans the group

of waiting family members, looking for a familiar face. Then I
hear, “Grandma, Grandma!” and he comes running to give me

kisses and hugs (and to see what I brought for lunch). We eat
together under the trees, and he proudly tells passing friends and
teachers, “This is my grandmother! She came to have lunch with

me!” Although I am aware that he may not be as pleased to have
me hanging around his middle school next year, I am enjoying

the fame while I can. I don’t think the president of our university
gets such accolades—at least not on such a regular basis.
In addition to these roles, I am a wife, a mother, a stepmother, a
sister, an aunt, and a friend. Many of these roles, such as

textbook author and grandmother, are fairly new, and many of
the old ones, such as sister and mother, have changed over the
years. Reflecting on the changing roles in my life gives me a good
measure of my progress on the journey of adulthood.
This chapter is about the roles we occupy in adulthood, with an emphasis

on the adjustments we make as they change over time. I begin with a
short discussion of social roles and transitions, and then go on to the

roles that are typical in young adulthood, middle adulthood, and older
adulthood. Sprinkled among these is a discussion of gender roles and

how they change within our other roles. Finally, I talk about those who
don’t fit the broad categories—the lifelong singles, the childless, and the
divorced and remarried. And I want to emphasize, as you may know

already, that the transitions from one role to another are often as
challenging as the roles themselves.
5.1: Social Roles and Transitions
Objective: Analyze how social roles change over time
The term social roles  refers to the expected behaviors and attitudes that
come with one’s position in society. One way adult development is
studied is by examining the succession of social roles that adults typically

occupy over the years. In the early days of social role theory, adulthood
was described in terms of the number of roles an individual occupied at
different stages of life. The theory was that people acquired a large
number of roles in the early years of adulthood and then began shedding
them in the later years. In fact, “successful aging” was once measured by
how many roles an older person had relinquished and how willingly they
had been relinquished (Cumming & Henry, 1961). In the last few
decades, this viewpoint has changed to one of role transitions . This
emphasis acknowledges that, with few exceptions, roles are neither
gained nor lost; they change as the life circumstances of the individual
change (Ferraro, 2001). The emerging adult moves from the constraints of
being a high school student to the relative freedom of a college student’s
role; the young adult makes the transition from being a spouse to being a
new parent; the middle-aged adult moves from being the parent of a
dependent teenager to the parent of an independent adult; and the older
adult may lose some roles as friends and family members die, but the
remaining roles increase in richness and the satisfaction they provide
(Neugarten, 1996). Studying role transitions involves finding out how

people adjust when they change from one role to another and how the
transition affects their other roles.
In the past chapters I have talked about patterns of change over
adulthood in health and physical functioning—changes that are analogous
to the hours on a biological clock . In this chapter I talk about patterns
of change over adulthood in social roles—comparable to the hours of a
social clock . To understand the social role structure of adult life, we
need to look at the age-linked social clock and at the varying roles within
each period of adult life.

will be able to:
5.1.1 Relate life satisfaction to social timing
5.1.2 Explain the existence and impact of gender roles

5.1.1: The Effect of Variations in Timing
Objective: Relate life satisfaction to social timing
Social timing  refers to the roles we occupy, how long we occupy them,
and the order in which we occupy them. It also depends on the culture
we live in and what expectations our society has for role transitions
(Elder, 1995). For example, to become a parent at age 15 may be expected
in some societies (and may even happen frequently in our society), but it
is considered “off-time” by mainstream U.S. norms. Similarly, a 45-year-

old man who does not want to get involved in marriage or parenthood
because he values his independence is also considered off-time. Both
behaviors would be more typical, or “on-time,” at other ages. The extent
that one’s roles are on-time or off-time is hypothesized to be of prime
importance to one’s social development and well-being (McAdams,
2001).
The concept of a social clock becoming important in adulthood was first
proposed by sociologist Bernice Neugarten and her colleagues
(Neugarten et al., 1965). They viewed this as an important distinction

between children and adults in that adults were capable of viewing their
lives both in the past and in the future, comparing their past selves with
their present selves and anticipating their future selves. It also allows us
to compare our own life cycles with those of others. Neugarten believed
that we form a mental representation of the “normal, expectable life
cycle” and use this to evaluate our own lives and the lives of others.
Young adults who continue living at home with their parents, not having
a serious romantic relationship or making efforts to become financially
independent are no doubt aware of their off-time development. Middle-
aged adults are likewise aware that the time has come to either reach
their career goals or disengage. Likewise, older adults fare better when
they are able to make age-appropriate role transitions in their lives (such
as accepting care from their children). Psychologist Jette Heckhausen
(2001) theorizes that the stronger the correlation a person’s social role
sequence has with developmental norms, the less stress he or she will
have in life.
To my thinking, the idea of a social clock adds another dimension to the
roles we move into during adulthood. It’s not only important to assume
the expected roles and fulfill them well, but also to assume them at the
right time and in the right order. This is not always within our control, as
exemplified by the 27-year-old woman who is a widow because her
husband died in an auto accident, or the 75-year-old grandmother who is
raising her school-age grandchildren (and her 77-year-old husband who
has gone back to work to support them). However, it is accurate to

predict that people who are off-time with the social clock of their culture
are more apt to have difficulty in their roles and less apt to report high
levels of life satisfaction.
Here, I have pulled together the various patterns of change with age in an
overview table (Table 5.1 ) so that you can begin to build a composite
picture of the qualities and experiences of adults in different age groups.
The key point is this: Despite all the variations in timing and sequence,
the basic shape of the pattern of role transitions seems to be similar for
most adults. We move into more roles in early adulthood, renegotiate and
make transitions into different roles in middle adulthood, and make still
more transitions in late adulthood. Some roles are ruled by the biological
clock and some by the social clock, but there is a similar basic itinerary
for most adults. Click or tap to expand or collapse each characteristic
Table 5.1 Overview of Social Roles Throughout Adulthood

5.1.2: Gender Roles
Objective: Explain the existence and impact of gender roles
Woven through the topic of social roles is the concept of gender roles ,
which describe what men and women actually do in a given culture

during a particular historical era. Almost any role we take on during our
adult lives is colored by gender. For example, becoming a parent means
moving into a different role depending on whether you are becoming a
mother or a father. For example, in typical families with male–female

parents around the world, the mother is the major caregiver of the
children and does the bulk of the housework; the father is the major
breadwinner and is in charge of repairs around the house and yardwork,
although the roles of men and women have become more and more
similar in the past 50 years and many people have chosen not to be
limited to one typical gender role or another.
Why would this be? The classic answer comes from gender schema
theory , which states that children are taught to view the world and
themselves through gender-polarized lenses that make artificial or

exaggerated distinctions between what is masculine and what is
feminine. As adults, they direct their own behavior to fit these
distinctions (Bem, 1981, 1993). A similar explanation comes from social
role theory , stating that gender roles are the result of young children
observing the actual division of labor within their culture, thus learning
what society expects of them as men and women, and then following
these expectations (Eagly, 1987, 1995).
Both of these theories of the origins of gender roles deal with proximal
causes , factors that are present in the immediate environment. Other
theories explain the origins of gender roles using distal causes , factors
that were present in the past. For example, evolutionary psychology 
suggests that gender roles were solutions our primitive ancestors evolved
in response to recurrent problems they faced millions of years ago. This
theory proposes that females and males are genetically predisposed to

behave in different ways. The genes for these behaviors are present in us
today because throughout human history they have allowed men and
women in our species to survive and to select mates who help them
reproduce and protect children, who, in turn, pass along the genes for
these behaviors to the next generation (Geary, 2005). Early forms of this
theory seemed to imply that one’s genes determine one’s behavior, but
more contemporary views are that the environment in interaction with
evolved dispositions may bias men and women to behave in certain ways
that are beneficial to the species’ survival (Schmidt, 2017).

Gender Stereotypes
A related phenomenon to gender roles is gender stereotypes , which are
sets of shared beliefs of generalizations about what all men and women
in a society have in common, often extending to what members of each
gender ought to do and how they should behave. Although gender
stereotypes can be useful, they can also be inaccurate, and they are
particularly harmful when they are used to judge how well an individual
man or woman is measuring up to some standard of behavior.
Gender stereotypes are surprisingly consistent across cultures. In an
early, comprehensive study, psychologists John Williams and Deborah

Best (1990) investigated gender stereotypes in 25 countries. In each
country, college students were given a list of 300 adjectives (translated
into the local language where necessary) and asked whether the word
was more frequently associated with men, with women, or neither. The
results showed a striking degree of agreement across cultures. In 23

countries, a vast majority of the people agreed that the male stereotype is
centered around a set of qualities often labeled instrumental qualities ,
such as being competitive, adventurous, and physically strong, whereas
the female stereotype centered around qualities of affiliation and
expressiveness, often referred to as communal qualities , such as being
sympathetic, nurturing, and intuitive.
In addition, gender stereotypes are surprisingly consistent over time. I
think most of us would predict that the general view of masculine and
feminine roles has changed in the past 30 years, but some recent research
shows otherwise. Social psychologist Kay Deaux and her colleagues, who
conducted a study of gender stereotypes in the early 1980s, repeated it
again 30 years later (Deaux & Lewis, 1984; Haines et al., 2016). They
found stability in gender stereotyping over the course of three decades in
spite of all the changes that had occurred in men and women’s work and
family roles. Participants were asked whether a trait or a role referred to a
“man,” “woman,” or “person.” Table 5.2  gives some of the traits,
occupations, and roles used in these studies.
Table 5.2 Examples of Gender Stereotypes
Source: Adapted from Deaux & Lewis (1984); Haines et al. (2016).
It seems clear from these studies that there is something about gender
stereotypes that is ingrained in us and resistant to change, even in the

face of conflicting evidence. These participants are no doubt aware of
women who are leaders and men who are sources of emotional support
in real life, but in the abstract, they still tag those roles as pertaining to a
man or a woman, not a person. It is useful to remember the difference
between gender roles and gender stereotypes. We need to be aware that
these stereotypes may dwell as generalities in our minds and be watchful

that they don’t creep into our evaluations of others (or of ourselves).
That being said, there are real gender differences for most of us in the
content of our social roles, and the strength of these differ with age. The
following sections include discussions of the multiple roles people take
on in various stages of life and how gender typically affects the contents
of those roles.
5.2: Social Roles in Young
Adulthood
Objective: Characterize social roles in young adulthood
Anyone experiencing young adulthood—and anyone who has been
through it—would surely agree that there are more changes in social roles
at this time than in any other period of life. Emerging adults are searching
for the right paths in life, but their roles are still slight modifications of
their adolescent roles (Shanahan, 2000). Young adulthood, by definition,
involves leaving the role of student and beginning the role of worker. It
also can involve becoming independent of one’s parents, becoming a

spouse or committed partner, and becoming a parent. The transition to
adulthood , or the process by which young people move into their adult
roles, varies enormously. Some people complete high school, go to
college or enter some type of career training, establish themselves
economically, and move out of the parental home. Others complete high
school, move out of their parents’ home, take a series of entry-level jobs
around the country for a few years, and then move back with their
parents, ready to begin college. A few marry immediately after high
school, and others leave the parental home to enter cohabiting
relationships as they make this transition. So there are clearly a variety of
options open to young people as they navigate their way into the roles of
adulthood.
The lack of ironclad rules has its benefits; young people are not
necessarily pushed into roles that may not be right for them, such as
spending 4 years studying for a career for which they are ill-fitted or
rushing into an early marriage with someone who is not a good match.
Research suggests that this long period of transition also serves to correct
problem trajectories begun in childhood and provides a discontinuity or
turning point toward successful adulthood (Schulenberg et al., 2004).
Studies have shown that a number of young people entering adulthood
with less-than-optimal mental health outlooks, including antisocial
behavior and substance abuse, are able to turn their lives around during
the extended transition to adulthood, often after assuming the role of
member of the military (Elder, 2001) or spouse (Craig & Foster, 2013).
This time of transition between late adolescence and full-fledged
adulthood has become so common in developed countries that it is now
considered to be a new stage of adulthood. Developmental psychologist
Jeffrey Arnett (2000) proposed the term emerging adulthood  for this
time of life, roughly between the ages of 18 and 25. He described it as a
time in which young people try out different experiences and gradually
make their way toward commitments in love and work. He later
described five features that make emerging adulthood different from

either adolescence or adulthood. Emerging adulthood is (1) the age of
identity explorations, (2) the age of instability, (3) the self-focused age,
(4) the age of feeling in-between, and (5) the age of possibilities (Arnett,
2007).
Although emerging adulthood does not occur in all cultures, it has been
noted, with some variations, among American Indian youths (Van Alstine
Makomenaw, 2012) and in China (Nelson & Chen, 2007), Argentina
(Facio et al., 2007), Japan (Rosenberger, 2007), Latin America (Galambos

& Martínez, 2007; Manago, 2012), and some European countries
(Douglass, 2007; Tynkkynen et al., 2012). Most of these studies have been
conducted with university students in urban settings and suggest that the
focus on self and the exploration of individual identity may not be present
to the same extent with young people in rural areas and less-privileged
families. Adolescents in those areas are more likely to move directly into
full-time work and family responsibilities, exhibiting the traditional role

transitions found in the United States up until the 1950s.

will be able to:
5.2.1 Identify influences on young adult independence
5.2.2 Describe partnership for young adults
5.2.3 Summarize life changes associated with the role of parent

5.2.1: Leaving and Returning Home
Objective: Identify influences on young adult independence
The leaving-home process for emerging adults has a lot of variability
today, both in the timing and the destination. Take, for instance, my own
family. One of my children moved out immediately after high school into
a cohabiting relationship. Another went away to college and came home
each summer through graduate school. And my husband’s daughter, who
never lived with us on a permanent basis during childhood, moved in and

out of our “empty nest” several times during her emerging adult years as
she attended college or was “between apartments.”
What is the most accurate picture of living arrangements for young
people? As seen in Figure 5.1 , the Pew Research Center shows that 32%
of emerging and young adults in the United States between 18 and 34
years of age are living with their parents. This is the highest proportion
since 1940, and it is the first time that more young people in this age
group are living with parents than living with a spouse or romantic
partner (Fry, 2016).
Figure 5.1 Living Arrangements for Emerging and Young Adults

More 18- to 34-year-olds are living with their parents than since the
1940s
Source: Fry (2016).
Figure 5.1  shows that 62% of 18- to 34-year-olds were living with a
spouse or romantic partner in 1960, but by 2014, only 32% had chosen
this living arrangement—a drop by almost half. Another factor is that
young people are more likely to be unable to afford their own living
arrangements due to unemployment, low wages, or long education
processes. Once they graduate, many young people are burdened with
student loan debt and must fall back on the safety net of living with
parents (Fry, 2016).
There are many other reasons for young adults remaining in their family
home are many. There are more state colleges and online courses, which
make it more economical for college students to remain in their family
homes. Parents are more affluent and are better able to support their
adult children. Parents have larger homes and fewer children. Young men
are not drafted into military service as in times past. And the relationships
between parents and their adult children are often more egalitarian than
in past generations.
What do we know about young adults who remain in their parents’
homes? The stereotype is that they are loafing—sitting in their parents’

basements playing video games and avoiding adulthood. The facts are
quite different. The U.S. Census Bureau has found that about 80% of
them are either working or attending school. The others are classified as
“idle,” but many are taking care of their own young children or are
disabled (Vespa, 2017).
Many young adults leave their parents’ homes and then return. In a
number of countries surveyed, the incidence of these “boomerang kids”
has doubled in the last few decades. In the United States, it is estimated
that about half of all young people who move out of their parents’ homes
for at least 4 months will return again. The younger they are when they
move out, the more likely they are to return. The reasons young people
return to the family home are similar to the reasons for not leaving in the
first place and often are precipitated by some misfortune, such as losing a
job, filing for bankruptcy, or a relationship breakup. (Sometimes it is the
parents’ misfortunes, such as poor health or financial reversals, that cause

the adult child to return home.)
Life Transitions
What is the result of young people remaining in their parents’ homes after
the “normal” time to leave?
First, we need to remember that the timing of most life transitions is
socially created within the specific cultural and historical setting

(Hagestad & Neugarten, 1985). When over a third of 18- to 34-year-olds
are still living with their parents, the “normal” time to move out has a
different meaning.
Sociologist Thomas Leopold (2012) examined this phenomenon in

Europe to determine the effects of young adults living with their parents.
Using data from over 6,000 families from 14 countries in Europe, he
identified a group of young adults as being late leavers relative to others
in their country and birth cohort. The ages ranged from just under 20
years in Denmark to just over 26 in Italy. When Leopold investigated the

subsequent relationships between the late leavers and their parents, he
found that these young adults shared a higher level of solidarity with their
parents than their siblings who moved out at a younger age. They lived
closer to their parents, maintained more frequent contact, and provided
more help to their parents than their siblings. The solidarity went both
ways—these late-leaving adult children were also more apt to have
received support from their parents after they moved out. He concluded
that the practice of remaining in the home of one’s parents later than
others in that culture and at that time serves to promote generational
solidarity for both the adult child and their parents as they grow older.
For some young people, making the transition to adult roles means
entering a different culture. Examples of this would be American Indian
youths who have attended schools on their reservations and then entered
a state university where they are a minority (Van Alstine Makomenaw,
2012), or young people in developing countries who move out of their
parents’ rural homes to a larger city with changed values, wide choices,
and new norms for behavior and gender equality (Manago, 2012). For
some emerging adults in developing countries, the drive to be
independent is a key factor in their decisions to emigrate to countries
with greater opportunities (Azaola, 2012).

Gender Differences in Leaving Home
There are gender differences in whether one lives on one’s own or with
one’s parents, and they might not be what you would expect. Figure 5.2 
shows the proportion of men and women living at home every two
decades since 1880 (Fry, 2016). This figure shows that for the past 140
years, a larger segment of young adult men has remained in their parents’
homes than young adult women. One reason for this is that women are
usually younger when they move into a marriage or cohabitation
situation than are men. Another reason is that when a partnership fails,
and children are involved, young mothers often reside on their own with
the children while the fathers move back with their parents and
contribute to the children’s support. One last reason is that in some
cultures in the United States, sons are more “protected” than daughters
from cooking, housework, laundry, and other tasks of adulthood. Until
the sons get wives to do these tasks for them, the solution is for them to
live at home and let their mothers (or sisters) do them. In addition, some
cultures are very restrictive of their daughters who live at home,
compared to their sons who get more freedom, so the daughters feel
more compelled to move out in order to live a less constrained life.
Figure 5.2 Proportion of Men and Women Living at Home

Young men are more likely to live with a parent than young women.
Source: Fry (2016).

5.2.2: Becoming a Spouse or Partner
Objective: Describe partnership for young adults
For many young adults, moving into the role of adult has involved
forming an intimate partnership and creating a home with this partner.

Marriage remains the traditional form of intimate partnerships in the
United States and around the world, but the proportion of people who
marry is decreasing, and the age at which they marry is increasing.
According to the most recent figures from the U.S. Census Bureau, the
age at which most women marry is now 27, and the age at which most
men marry is now 29. This has increased by about 4 years over the last
three decades (Fry, 2014). When couples marry later, the result is an
overall decline in number of marriages each year and fewer married
people in the adult population at a given time. Why do young people
today delay marriage? Some of the answers are that couples want to enjoy
a higher standard of living in their marriages than couples in the past, and
there is not as much pressure as in the past for a couple to marry to have
a sexual relationship (or even children).
Another reason young adults are marrying at later ages is the increased
rate of cohabitation , or living together without marriage, which is
becoming more and more common in the United States. Although only
7% of all adults in the United States are cohabiting, it varies quite a bit by
age (Fry, 2014). Click or tap through each image to learn more about
cohabitation by age and at different time periods

Cohabitation in the United States
The National Survey of Family Growth (Copen et al., 2013) found that
60% of women and 67% of men between ages 18 and 44 agreed that
“living together before marriage may help prevent divorce.” When this
survey was originally conducted, it captured responses from

approximately 10,000 men and women from 18 to 44 years of age. How
do you think you compare? Take the survey yourself to compare your
answers with the survey participants.
Survey Trends and Attitudes about Marriage, Childbearing, and

Sexual Behavior
Source: Data from Daugherty, J., & Copen, C. (2016). National Health Statistics Report: Trends in
attitudes about marriage, childbearing, and sexual behavior: United States, 2002, 2006–2010, and 2011–
2014. Retrieved June 15, 2016, from https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nhsr/nhsr092.pdf. https://
surveys.socialexplorer.com/#/42ccdd4f-92d6-4d9b-81fd-83a067ee67ee
Gender Roles in Early Partnerships
Whether a young person cohabits first or moves directly into a marriage,
it is clear that the acquisition of this new role as partner brings profound
changes to many aspects of his or her life. One of the major hallmarks of
this time of life is in gender roles. At the beginning of a marriage or
partnership, before children are born, men and women have more
egalitarian roles , or equal roles, than at any time until late adulthood.
Financial contributions to the household are close to equal, both partners
usually work full time, and the housework is divided equally. Moving into
this new role involves working out how to share the rent, learning how to
make financial decisions together, and deciding who takes care of which
household tasks. Gender is not the major factor in these adjustments
today as it might have been for their grandparents. Work schedules,
interests, abilities, and an egalitarian ideology determine more than
traditional gender roles.

A couple shares their household chores.
5.2.3: Becoming a Parent
Objective: Summarize life changes associated with the role of
parent
One of the major transitions that most adults experience in the years of
early adulthood is becoming a parent. Roughly 85% of adults in the
United States will eventually become parents, most often in their 20s or
30s (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC], 2017b). For
most, the arrival of the first child brings deep satisfaction, an enhanced
feeling of self-worth, and perhaps (as in my case) a sense of being an
adult for the first time. It also involves a major role transition, often
accompanied by considerable changes in many aspects of one’s former
life.
Not only are young adults leaving their parents’ homes and marrying at
later ages, they are also delaying the transition to parenthood. For
teenagers and emerging adults, the childbirth rate is currently at a historic
low. This is accompanied by declines in teen pregnancy, abortions, and
fetal loss rates, and is probably due to the strong pregnancy prevention
messages directed at young people and the increased use of
contraception. On the other hand, births to women over age 40 have
increased, partly as a result of delayed childbirth at earlier ages, advances
in fertility technology, and growing acceptance of single motherhood.
These numbers include over 500 births to women over age 50 (Martin et
al., 2012).
The average age at which U.S. women give birth for the first time is now
26 years and has increased almost 4 years over the past three decades
(CDC, 2017b). The trend toward later childbearing is evident in most
developed countries, as you can see in Figure 5.4 , which shows the
average age women give birth for the first time in 30 developed countries.
The average is almost 29 years, and the range is from just under 26 years
in Bulgaria to 31 in Korea, with the United States having one of the
lowest average ages (Organization for Economic Cooperation and
Development [OECD], 2016).
Figure 5.4 Average Age Women Give Birth for the First Time in 30
Developed Countries
The average age that women give birth to their first children ranges from
almost 26 in Bulgaria to over 30 in Korea.
Source: Adapted from the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (2016).
Another trend is that when adults in the United States (and in many
countries around the world) do become parents, they often do it without
being married first. The old adage of “first comes love, then comes
marriage” has been replaced, for many, by “first comes love, then comes
the baby carriage.” According to the most recent reports, about 40% of all
births are to unmarried parents (CDC, 2017c). However, this trend seems
to have slowed down since 2008, when over 50% of all births were to
unmarried parents. This downward trend holds true for couples of all
ages and all racial-ethnic groups.
An increasing number of “nonmarital” births (58%) are actually to couples
in cohabiting relationships (Martin et al., 2012). The stereotype of
“unwed mothers” being young and alone no longer fits the reality of the
situation.
Gender Roles among Couples with Children
The transition from being single to being part of a couple brings a slight
shift toward the more traditional or stereotypical male and female roles.
The effect of the birth of the first child continues this shift, with new
mothers becoming more traditionally female and fathers becoming more
traditionally male. In other words, new mothers are more likely to

become more nurturant and communal while new fathers are more likely
to become more instrumental. The change couples make to a less
egalitarian relationship is often studied using the division of housework
as an expression of the couples’ gender roles. For example, Natalie
Nitsche and Daniela Grunow (2015) analyzed data from a longitudinal

study of over 12,000 German adults to determine how they divided
housework at different stages of life. Participants who were married or in
a different-sex cohabiting relationship were asked to rate on a scale of 1
to 5 what proportion of the housework was done by the woman in the
partnership. The left-hand side of Figure 5.5  shows the responses for
childless couples over the various waves of the study. With a score of 3
meaning that the housework was divided equally between the male and
female in the relationship, the average response (3.5) shows that women
do slightly more of the housework and that it remains stable throughout
the five waves of the panel study. In contrast, the right-hand side of
Figure 5.5  shows the division of housework before and after the birth of
the first child, which is denoted with a “0” on the horizontal axis. Before
the child is born, the division of housework is similar to that of childless

couples, but after the child is born, the woman’s share of the housework
increases, approaching a score of 4.
Figure 5.5 Proportion of Housework by Gender, With and Without

Children
Childless men and women (left) report that the woman in the
relationship does slightly more housework than the man during 5 years of
their relationship. For couples with children, the birth of the child signals
an increase in the amount of housework the woman does.
Source: Nitsche and Grunow (2015).

Examining the Gender Role Shift
What is it about becoming a parent that causes men and women to shift
their gender roles? One explanation comes from parental investment
theory , which holds that women and men evolved different gender role
behaviors and interests because they differ in how much time and
resources they invest in each child. Women, who invest 9 months of

pregnancy and several years of hands-on care for each child, devote more
to the role of caregiver for each child than men, who invest only their
sperm at time of conception and could produce a large number of
offspring in the same time it takes women to produce one (Trivers, 1972).
Another theory for gender role differences among new parents is the
economic exchange theory , which says that men and women join
together as a couple to exchange goods and services. Women bring to the
relationship the ability to bear and care for children and in exchange,
men take over the financial responsibility of paid work (Becker, 1981).
Recent research (and our own experiences) show that this “exchange” is
not absolute. The majority of women (61%) with children under age 18
are now working in paid jobs and their husbands are doing a share of the
housework and childcare (Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2017).
It is difficult to judge who does what within a private family home. It is
also difficult because “housework” is not easily defined. For example,
when yardwork and home repairs are not included, findings show that
women do much more than men. But when those typically male tasks are
included as “housework,” the workload becomes more equal between the
genders. It is also difficult because many surveys consider anyone who
works for pay, whether full time or part time, to be “employed.” Since
many women work part time, this tends to show that, on average,
“employed” women do more housework and childcare than men. Figure
5.6  gives a more accurate picture of how much time mothers and fathers
with young children report spending on family activities, based on their
paid work status.
Figure 5.6 Number of Minutes Spent on an Average Day on Family-

Related Activities by Parents With Children Under 18 Years of Age for
Different Employment Statuses
Using this figure, it is possible to compare what mothers and fathers with
full-time jobs report that they do for the family. It is also possible to
compare the time spent on household tasks by mothers who work for pay
full time, part time, and not at all.
Source: Data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (2016).
As Figure 5.6  shows, mothers with full-time paid jobs do more childcare
and housework than husbands with full-time paid jobs (168 minutes per
day for mothers vs. 116 for fathers). However, mothers with full-time paid
jobs spend less time on their jobs than fathers (318 minutes per day for
mothers vs. 372 for fathers). When these are considered together, there is
an 18-minute difference in favor of mothers. Parents with full-time paid

jobs are busy during the day, and both are doing a share of housework,
childcare, and paid labor, but the fathers are still spending more of their
time on job-related tasks and mothers are still spending more of their
time on the housework and childcare. Plus, mothers are spending about
18 more minutes a day on activities that contribute to the family instead
of personal care, leisure and sports, or socializing with friends (or sleep).
Gender Ideology
One explanation for this difference is that the division of labor among
couples depends on their gender ideology , especially the husband’s.
Couples who believe in equality between genders are more apt to divide
household tasks more fairly. One longitudinal study found that the more
egalitarian views expressed by a couple early in their relationship, the

more equally they will divide the household tasks in years to come. This
is true no matter which partner is working or not working and no matter
which partner is making the most money (Nitsche & Grunow, 2015).
One study took gender out of the equation by following lesbian couples
through pregnancy and the early months of parenthood. Because these
were same-sex couples, the researchers were interested to see how the
parental roles were divided. They found that the housework was shared
equally, but that the biological mothers did more of the primary child
care. The nonbiological mothers worked more hours of paid work after
the baby was born, and the biological mothers decreased their paid
workloads. Biological parenthood seems to affect the child-
care/breadwinner aspects of the relationship, whereas gender ideology
seems to affect the household chores (Goldberg & Perry-Jenkins, 2007).
A more recent study bypassed the biological roles by examining gay,
lesbian, and heterosexual couples who were adopting their first child.
Results showed that even among adoptive parents with no biological
tasks (pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding), housework is not shared

equally. Instead, regardless of gender, the parent who worked the most
hours outside the home did less childcare (feeding, changing diapers,
getting up at night, bathing the child). The parent who contributed the
most income to the family did less housework (cooking, cleaning, kitchen
cleanup, laundry). This study also showed that same-sex couples (both
male and female) shared household tasks more equally than heterosexual
couples (Goldberg et al., 2012).
As this field of psychology has developed over the years, I have seen the
gender gap in housework grow smaller and smaller. I think this is partly
because we have had a large number of mothers in the workforce for
several generations now. We know that boys who grow up in families
with working mothers are more apt to share the household chores when
they marry or cohabit. When they become fathers, they are more apt to
have egalitarian views and spend more time taking care of the children
than fathers whose mothers did not work outside the home (McGinn et
al., 2019). It stands to reason that girls who grow up with working
mothers may also have egalitarian expectations when establishing a
partnership. With more women involved in paid jobs each decade, this
translates into better cooperation from their husbands and partners with
childcare and household chores.
Of course most of these studies are surveys and self-reports, and that is
different than observing thousands of parents and tabulating how they
spend their time on an average day. We all have our own ideas about
how we spend our time—for example, my husband and I both believe we
do 75% of the housework!

Parenthood and Marital Happiness
Unlike the transition to marriage, which seems to be accompanied by an
increase in happiness and satisfaction for a couple, the new role of parent
seems to bring a decrease. This decrease is small, but it is reliably found
in various age and socioeconomic-status groups and other countries. The
general finding is that of a curvilinear relationship between marital

satisfaction and family stage, with the highest satisfaction being before
the birth of the first child and after all the children have left home.
The decline in new parents’ marital happiness is not new. Over 50 years
ago, social scientists identified this transition as one of the most difficult
adjustments in the family cycle (Lemasters, 1957). A good number of
studies over the years have traced this phenomenon for many couples
(Belsky & Kelly, 1994; Belsky et al., 1983; Cowan & Cowan, 1995;
Gottman et al., 2010). However, this decline is small and not all new
parents experience it. And certainly not all new parents end up unhappy
and divorced.
Studies have shown that the pregnancy and birth period is associated
with increasingly positive feelings for couples, involving joy, happiness,
fulfillment, and gratification. After the birth of the first child, there is a
decline in the couples’ relationship, associated with mood changes,
childcare tasks, financial issues, a shift of attention from the self and the
partner to the baby, and changes in relationships with friends and family.
These fluctuations in relationship quality are experienced by the couple

together, not alone by one or the other (Canário & Figueiredo, 2016). The
best advice the researchers give is to realize these changes in feelings are
common and understandable, considering the drastic changes
parenthood brings to a couple. It is also important to remember that there
are a lot of positive feelings that come from becoming a parent, too.
To wrap up this section, let me reiterate that young adulthood is the time
that the greatest number of social role transitions take place and also a
time of extremely complex and demanding adjustments. Adapting to
these changes is not simple, even when they are done gradually through
extended periods of emerging adulthood, such as living in the parental
home longer, moving into a cohabiting relationship instead of marrying,
and delaying parenthood. It is a good thing that this time of life usually
coincides with peaks in mental and physical well-being. My message for
young adults is that it gets easier, and it gets better. And my message to
those who are past this time of life is to think back and offer a little help
(or at least a few words of encouragement) to the young adults who are
navigating these important role transitions.

5.3: Social Roles in Middle
Adulthood
Objective: Determine how social roles impact middle adulthood
experiences
During the middle years, existing roles are redefined and renegotiated.
This time of life brings stable levels of physical health and increases in
self-reported quality of life (Fleeson, 2004). Between the ages of 40 and
65, the parenting role becomes less demanding as children become more
self-sufficient. Women’s childbearing years end during this time, and
most men and women become grandparents, a role that is, for most, less
demanding than parenthood and more pleasurable. Marriages and
partnerships become happier (or people end troublesome ones and either
find more agreeable partners or opt to live alone). Relationships with
one’s parents slowly change as they grow older and begin to need
assistance in their daily lives. The work role is still demanding, but most
adults have settled into their careers and are usually competent in their
jobs. Many experience a role transition from junior worker to senior
worker and mentor, taking the time to help younger colleagues learn the
ropes of the workplace. This is not to say that the biological and social
clocks have stopped, just that they are ticking less loudly than in early
adulthood.

will be able to:
5.3.1 Describe changes in how parents have adjusted to children
leaving the home
5.3.2 Relate midlife to gender roles
5.3.3 Compare grandparenting today to grandparenting in the past
5.3.4 Explain the impacts of caregiving on caregivers

5.3.1: The Departure of the Children
Objective: Describe changes in how parents have adjusted to
children leaving the home
Middle age is sometimes called “postparental,” as if the role of parent

stopped when the last child walked out the door, suitcase in hand.
Clearly, it does not. Adults who have reared children go on being parents
the rest of their lives. They often continue to give advice, provide
financial assistance, babysit with grandchildren, and provide a center for

the extended family. Many have adult children still living in their homes
with varying degrees of dependency. But on a day-to-day basis, the role
of parent clearly changes, becoming far less demanding and less time-
consuming.
A middle-aged couple whose kids have left home.

Prior to the 1950s, this time of life was considered to be a particularly sad
and stressful period, especially for women. The term “empty nest” was
used to refer to homes that had once been centered on raising children.
Whether this was a falsehood or just a cohort effect, it is not an accurate
description of today’s middle-aged parents whose roles no longer include
the day-to-day care and feeding of children. Research has found that the
results of this role transition are more positive than negative for most
(Hareven, 2001). Marriages are happier than they have been since before
the children were born, and many couples report experiencing this phase
of their marriage as a second honeymoon (Rossi, 2004). Women who

have fewer family responsibilities often take the opportunity to
restructure their lives, moving to a new career, seeking out new interests,
or returning to college for the degree they postponed when the children
came along.
5.3.2: Gender Roles at Midlife
Objective: Relate midlife to gender roles
If gender-stereotypical behavior becomes stronger when young adults
make the transition to adulthood, it stands to reason that this behavior

will decline once the children are gone, and there have been theories
based on this assumption. Psychoanalyst Carl Jung (1971) wrote that a
major task of midlife is integrating the feminine and masculine parts of
the self. Psychiatrist David Gutmann (1987) wrote that men and women,
once they had passed the “parental emergency” stage of life, are free to
explore parts of their personalities that had been closed to them, such as
traits of the other gender. He suggested that a gender crossover takes place
after the parenting years, in which women take on more masculine roles
and traits and men take on more feminine ones. As logical as this might
sound, the research evidence has been mixed, and recent studies have
shown that most men and women identify with the gender traits related
to their own gender across the lifespan, and that there is no evidence of a
gender crossover in middle age (Lemaster et al., 2017).

5.3.3: Becoming a Grandparent
Objective: Compare grandparenting today to grandparenting in
the past
For today’s adults, one of the central roles of middle adulthood is that of
grandparent. Today there are over 65 million grandparents in the United
States, and it is predicted that by 2020, one-third of the people in the
United States will be grandparents. This increase began back in 1990
when the baby boomers reached grandparenting age. Even though

people are having children at later ages, with longevity increasing, most
men and women can expect to spend over half their lives in the roles of
grandparents (Silverstein & Marenco, 2001). There are more
grandparents in the world today than at any time in history.
Today’s grandparents in the United States are healthy and wealthy. The
majority of grandparents are under 65, though that age will increase as
the baby boomers get older. In the very near future, the majority will be
65 and older. As they head for retirement, today’s grandparents have help
from Medicare for medical costs and have better pensions and retirement
savings than generations before. And they have fewer children (and
presumably fewer grandchildren) to spend all that time, energy, and
money on. In fact, about one-fourth of grandparents report spending
more than $1,000 on their grandchildren in the last year—mostly for gifts
and fun activities, but also for educational and medical expenses. Over
one-third of the grandparents reported helping out with their
grandchildren’s everyday living expenses.
A survey conducted by the AARP revealed that most grandparents live
within 10 miles of at least one grandchild and see them weekly. They
watch TV or videos together, go shopping, play sports and exercise
together, cook or bake, and go to outings like movies, museums, and
amusement parks. Most grandparents report feeling as close to their son’s
children as they do to their daughter’s children. If they are closer to some
grandchildren than others, it is because they live nearby. Even when they
do not live nearby, most grandparents reported that they communicate
with their grandchildren weekly, mostly by telephone, and they discuss
morals, safety, college plans, current events, problems the grandchildren
are dealing with, health, bullying, smoking, drugs, and alcohol use. Over
one-third of grandparents report talking with their grandchildren about
dating and sex (Lampkin, 2012). Most grandparents believe that they play
an important role in their grandchildren’s lives and that they are doing an
excellent or above-average job as a grandparent (Lampkin, 2012).

The New Grandparent
At my house, I have a “grandchild room” with books, games, a folding
crib, and about a dozen boys’ swimsuits in various sizes. (The girls prefer
to bring their own.) The garage contains skateboards, bicycles, a pogo
stick, and snorkel gear. There is a basketball hoop at the end of the
driveway, a swing in the tree by the front door, and a horseshoe pit in the
backyard. The pantry and refrigerator contain the grandchildren’s favorite
foods, and I often find their requests written on my grocery list, such as
“dubble choklot ise creem.” I buy their school supplies at the beginning of
the year, and we contribute financial help to grandchildren in college. It is
kind of comforting to know that we are not outliers in this focus on

grandchildren. (As I write this, I have a 19-year-old grandson, Brendan,
sleeping in my guest room, home from college with his dog, Karma. My
adult children complain that I don’t like them to bring their dogs over, but
this is different. He is my grandson.)
Clearly this is not the role that our grandparents or even our parents had.
We don’t have role models for being today’s type of grandparents, and
most of us are learning as we go. The role of grandparent depends so
much on the age of the grandparents and the grandchildren, the distance
between their homes, the relationship between the grandparents and
parents, the health and income of everyone concerned, and many other
factors.
To be fair, I should include evidence of the less-than-fun side of the
grandparent role. There can be problems, and the most frequent stem
from disagreements over childrearing between the grandparents and their
adult children (the parents of the grandchildren). Some grandparents
have trouble making the transition from full-time parent of dependent
children to the more egalitarian role of parent to an adult child who has
children of his or her own. (And some adult children have had problems
in their role transitions, too.)

Grandparents Raising Grandchildren
A substantial number of grandparents have taken their grandchildren into
their homes and assumed the parental role for them, forming a family
referred to sometimes as grandfamilies. Usually this takes place when the
children’s parents are unable (or unwilling) to fulfill their roles as parents
due to immaturity, drug use, imprisonment, mental illness, or even death.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau (2016), 7% of children live in
grandparent-headed homes. About one-third of those have neither parent
present in the home, amounting to about 1.5 million children, or 2% of all
U.S. children.
Who are these families? The Pew Research Center examined census data
and found that grandparents who had grandchildren living in their
homes, whether the children’s parents were present or not, were more
apt to be Hispanic, black, or Asian than white, compared to the race and
ethnicity of the general population of Americans over age 50. Figure 5.7 
shows this difference. The bottom line shows the proportion of people
over the age of 50 in the United States, divided by race or ethnic group;
the top line shows the proportion of grandparents who have
grandchildren living in their homes divided by race or ethnic group
(Krogstad, 2015).
Figure 5.7 Grandparents with Grandchildren Living at Home

Although Hispanic, black, and Asian people make up a minority of people
50 years of age or older in the United States, they constitute a majority of
grandparents who have grandchildren living in their homes.
Source: Adapted from Krogstad (2016).
Other grandchildren living with grandparents include recent immigrants,
who are more apt to live in multigenerational households, children with

unmarried mothers who have no partner present, and children whose
parents have become addicted to opioids or other drugs. When children
are removed from their parents’ custody by social services, the first choice
of placement is often the grandparents instead of a foster home. It is
understandably stressful for grandparents to reassume the role of parents,
but there are other complications for grandparents raising grandchildren.
Click or tap each tab below to learn more about some causes of this
stress.
Problems for Grandparents Assuming the Role of Parents

5.3.4: Caregiving for Aging Parents
Objective: Explain the impacts of caregiving on caregivers
As people tend to live longer, another major role for many middle-aged
adults is that of unpaid caregiver to their aging parents. The National

Alliance of Caregiving (2015) interviewed a large sample of adults in the
United States and found that 10% of those between ages 25 and 64 had
provided unpaid care for another person in the last 12 months, and most
of these were caring for parents or parents-in-law. The majority of

caregivers were women. What does the role of unpaid caregiver for one’s
parents entail? The average middle-aged person caring for an aging
parent provides about 24 hours of care a week for 4 years. The caregiver
is most likely a daughter or daughter-in-law, and they are usually assisted
by other unpaid caregivers, such as their spouse or siblings. The care
receiver is usually a mother, mainly because there are more older women
than older men, but also because adult children tend not to feel the same
obligation to fathers, especially if the parents have divorced (Antonucci et
al., 2016). The middle-aged caregiver’s role is to arrange for services, such
as doctor’s visits, and to assist with independent activities of daily living

(IADLs), such as transportation, shopping, housework, meal preparation,
finances, and management of medications.
About 40% of middle-aged caregivers work full time and report that they
have made changes in their jobs because of their caregiving
responsibilities, such as cutting back on hours or taking a leave of

absence. Most report that their supervisors are aware of their caregiver
role and have given them flexible work hours and paid sick days. Unlike
almost all countries in the world, the vast majority of workers in the
United States do not have paid family leave to help them care for aging
parents. About a quarter (26%) of unpaid caregivers have a child under
age 18 living in the home (Wolff et al., 2018). What is the result of adding
the role of caregiver to the existing roles middle-aged adults occupy? The
answer may surprise you.

Caregiving and Health
For many years it was thought that caregiving automatically brought
stress, which resulted in physical and mental health problems. Early
studies had recruited caregivers from medical settings and noncaregivers
from social groups or senior centers. These convenience samples of
noncaregivers were not representative of the general population because

they were socially connected and healthy enough to be members of these
groups. So it was no surprise to find that the caregivers had more physical
and mental health problems than the noncaregivers. More recent
research has used better control groups and has found very different
results.
Studies that use comparable groups of caregivers and noncaregivers show
that only a small number of caregivers report elevated levels of
depression and physical health problems compared to the control group
of noncaregivers. Medical researcher David L. Roth and his colleagues

reviewed data from over 43,000 people concerning their physical and
mental health, depressive symptoms, social contacts, and caregiving
status (Roth et al., 2009). These four categories were grouped together
under the term quality of life. Family caregiving responsibilities were
reported by 12% of the sample (about 5,171), and about a third of those
were taking care of a parent (about 1,700). The respondents who were
caregivers in general reported a small but significantly higher incidence of
problems with psychological health than noncaregivers, but there was no
difference in physical health between the two groups. However,

caretakers who said they had a high level of stress as a result of this role
were more apt to report more physical and psychological health
problems, especially depressive symptoms, and also report fewer social
contacts than both the low-stressed caregivers and the noncaregivers.
Interestingly, the caregivers who reported lower levels of stress (or none)
were in better physical and mental health than the noncaregivers. When
the researchers considered the hours of care provided, the relationship
between the caregiver and care-recipient, and whether the caregiver lived
with the care recipient or not, the amount of stress reported by the
caregiver was still the strongest predictor of physical and mental health.
This means that the perception a caregiver has of the stress involved in the
job is more important than the job itself when it comes to quality of life.
The factors that are related to caregivers’ perceptions of greater stress are
older age, preexisting health problems, caring for a loved one with
dementia, being forced to delay their own education or career plans,
marital problems, and financial problems (American Psychological
Association, 2017a).
Positive Caregiving Experiences
I need to mention two possible cautions before we make the direct link
from perception of caregiving to health outcomes. First is the healthy
caregiver hypothesis, the argument that family members who take on the
caregiving role and continue to give care over time are often the ones
who are in better health themselves to begin with, and also that their
prosocial behavior in caregiving may provide the caregivers with further
health benefits (Fredman et al., 2006). The second caution is that simply
having a parent who has declined to the point that they need care is very
difficult emotionally and can lead to stress and depressive symptoms
whether you are a caregiver for them or not (Amirkhanyan & Wolf,
2003). It would be nice to see a study comparing the health of middle-
aged adults who are serving as caregivers for their aging parents with
their noncaregiving siblings.
Another surprising finding about providing care for one’s aging parents is
that a large majority of caregivers (83%) report that it was a positive
experience. They felt that they had a chance to give back something to
their parents who had done so much for them. They felt good knowing
that their parents were getting excellent care. Many reported a sense of
personal growth and purpose in their lives. This doesn’t mean that they
don’t feel stressed, but that both emotional distress and positive growth
can be found in the same experience (American Psychological
Association, 2017b).
In a qualitative study, psychologist Sheung-Tak Cheng and his colleagues
(2015) asked 57 primary caregivers to make a voice recording each day of
positive events that happened during the course of caregiving for their
family members with Alzheimer’s disease. The researchers found 10
categories of positive events, which are shown in Table 5.3  along with
examples in the caregivers’ own words.
Table 5.3 Positive Aspects of Being a Caregiver for a Relative with

Alzheimer’s Disease
Source: Adapted from Cheng et al. (2015).

5.4: Social Roles in Late Adulthood
Objective: Evaluate ways of handling transitions in late
adulthood
In late adulthood, we make transitions into simplified forms of former
roles—we move into smaller homes or retirement communities; we leave

our full-time jobs and spend our time on part-time work, volunteer work,
or caregiving for our spouse, relatives, or friends; we take pride in the
development of our grandchildren and great-grandchildren; and we
watch our children mature and enjoy their success and happiness. Some
roles are not of our choosing, such as the role of living alone, usually as
widow or widower, and the role of care receiver, but they are also part of
the journey of adulthood for many older adults.
At one time, late adulthood was considered a time of role loss. Even
when the concept of role transition became popular, the normative
results of these transitions for older adults were often considered to be
stress, grief, and a sense of loss. More recently, studies have shown that
there are no typical ways that adults react to role transitions in late
adulthood. Different people experience these transitions in different

ways, and even the same person may experience extreme disruption in
his or her life during these transitions, only to recover and take on new
roles with gusto. Instead of viewing late adulthood as a time of loss,
researchers are busily investigating the wide range of outcomes possible

and the personal factors that might predict the outcomes for different
individuals.

will be able to:
5.4.1 Identify factors that lead to many older adults living alone
5.4.2 Describe challenges associated with receiving care

5.4.1: Living Alone
Objective: Identify factors that lead to many older adults living
alone
One new challenge that comes to many adults in their later years, most
frequently to women, is that of learning to live alone, a change brought
about by leaving the role of spouse due to widowhood or sometimes
divorce. Figure 5.8  shows the living arrangements for people 65 years of
age and older in the United States from 1990 to 2014, the most recent
data available from the Pew Research Center (Stepler, 2016). Click or tap
each image to explore changes in living arrangements.
Living Arrangements for People 65 Years of Age and Older in the

United States from 1990 to 2014
Other factors that determine where older adults live are health, finances,
the number of adult children they have, the location of the children, and
the relationship they have with the children (and their children’s
spouses). There has been a dramatic decline in the percentage of women
over age 65 living alone since 1990, and that can be explained by a similar
increase in the percentage who continue to have spouses and who live
with their adult children. For most older people in the United States, the
wish to live independently is very strong, and if they can afford it and are
able to take care of themselves, most without a spouse prefer to live
alone. Still, it is not an easy transition.

Aging in Place
Aging in place  refers to the ability of older people to remain in their
own homes their whole lives. This doesn’t necessarily mean the same
home, but to be independent and spend one’s later years in a place of
their own, either with a spouse or partner or by themselves. Most adults
express the wish to age in place (Bayer & Harper, 2000). Factors that
influence the ability to age in place are the person’s health, finances,
attachment to the neighborhood, security of the neighborhood, and
distance from family members (Anesensel et al., 2016).
Our family experienced this situation a few years ago when my father-in-
law died and left his wife of 64 years living alone in the house they had
shared in New England. Although she would technically be classified as
“living alone,” that was hardly the case. Three adult children lived nearby
with their spouses, and there were seven adult grandchildren within easy
driving distance. One daughter-in-law called her every morning on her

way to work, one son stopped by on his way home from work each
afternoon, another son and his wife took her out to dinner every
Wednesday and for breakfast every Sunday. A daughter had the whole
family over for dinner on Sunday nights. Each day a community volunteer
stopped by to bring her lunch, and women from her church picked her up
for activities there. My mother-in-law had not driven for years, so she
gave her car to a granddaughter who needed one. In exchange, the
granddaughter was happy to drive her grandmother on her errands and
appointments. My husband and I, who live in Florida, visited often and

would have loved for her to come and spend the winter with us, but she
always declined. I think this may be the case with many older men and
women who are listed as “living alone.”
Living alone is not synonymous with being lonely , which is defined as
the perception of social isolation. When researchers investigate the
prevalence of loneliness among people of different ages, they find that
young adults and older adults tend to be less lonely when they live alone
than when they live with others. The loneliness factors for older adults
are the loss of a spouse or partner, limited income, and functional

limitations. Because loneliness is very subjective, older people who have
lower levels of social engagement may not necessarily be lonely. It all
depends on how they perceive their social lives (Luhmann & Hawkley,
2016).
5.4.2: Becoming a Care Receiver
Objective: Describe challenges associated with receiving care
One role that few older adults plan to fill is that of care receiver. After
spending many years of one’s life as an independent adult and caregiver

to their children, their own parents, and sometimes their grandchildren,
many older adults find themselves unable to live on their own. The
solution for many is either moving into a nursing home or moving into
the home of an adult child or other family member. Although it sounds

like a long-overdue reward, most older adults feel otherwise. In a
dissertation study of almost 2,000 adults who were 65 years of age or
older, the quality of “remaining independent” was named as important by
over 93% of the respondents, second only to “having good health”
(Phelan, 2005).
The best-known type of care for older adults is the nursing home ,
which is a place for people to live when they don’t need to be in a
hospital but can’t be taken care of at home. Young adults often think that
nursing home care is inevitable if a person lives long enough. As familiar

as this arrangement is to us, it is not actually used very much. If you look
back at Figure 5.8 , you will see that only 2% of men and women
between age 65 and 84 live in nursing homes, and only 13% of women
and 8% of men who are 85 and older reside there (Stepler, 2016).
A more common living arrangement for older adults is living with their
own children. Receiving care from family members has a number of
advantages, the most obvious being economic. Nursing homes are
expensive and so are home health care services. When family members
are willing and able to provide care, it saves money for the older person
and the healthcare system. Less obvious benefits are that it gives family
members the opportunity to become closer in the time remaining, time
for mending fences and deepening feelings for each other.
Being the recipient of care also has its negative effects (Roberto, 2016).
We have all heard accounts of elder abuse , which is an intentional act
by a caregiver or other trusted person that causes harm to an older adult.
Elder abuse can be physical, psychological, sexual, or financial; it can also
be neglect. Although it is difficult to estimate the prevalence of elder
abuse because many cases are not reported, geriatric researchers Mark S.
Lachs and Karl A. Pillemer (2015) reviewed a large number of studies of
elder abuse and concluded that approximately 10% of
noninstitutionalized adults over age 60 in the United States have been
victims of elder abuse in the past 12 months. Older adults most at risk for
elder abuse are women, individuals with dementia, and those with low
levels of social support. Those most likely to abuse elders are husbands or
sons and individuals with a history of substance abuse, mental or physical
health problems, problems with the police, unemployment, or financial

problems (National Center on Elder Abuse, 2016).
Caregiving by Older Adults
Although caregiving for parents is a major role for middle-aged adults, a
number of older adults also find themselves in the role of caregiving for
their spouse or other older relatives, and this number is growing every
year. There are more and more older adults in the United States (and in
the world, in general), and many need hands-on care in their daily lives.
The Family Caregiver Alliance (2016) estimates that over 3 million adults
age 75 and older are caregivers for another person, most of them also 75
or older. About half of the care receivers are spouses, but these older
caregivers also assist siblings, friends, and neighbors. About 9% of these
caregivers over 75 provide care for their parents! The care that older
adults provide is usually different from the care middle-aged adults
provide. Since many are taking care of spouses, they are usually living in
the same home and it is a full-time job. At this age, the care needed is
with activities of daily living (ADLs), such as bathing, dressing, eating,
using the toilet, and moving around inside the house. Ironically, these
require more physical strength and more time than the typical care
provided by middle-aged adults. In fact, as shown in Figure 5.9 , the
older the caregiver, the more hours he or she spends on caregiving
responsibilities.
Figure 5.9 Hours Dedicated to Caregiving by Age

The number of hours caregivers spend on giving care increases with their
age.
Source: Family Caregiver Alliance (2016).
Researchers have compared changes in the caregiving role over the past
16 years and have found that older people who were caregivers for their
spouses are providing fewer hours of care than 16 years ago and are half
as likely to report emotional, physical, or financial difficulties. Those
caring for spouses with dementia were twice as likely to use respite care
than 16 years ago (Wolff et al., 2018). Medicaid officials are beginning to
recognize the contribution of family caregivers and there has been some
discussion about saving costs on long-term care by directing payments to
family members (Newcomer et al., 2012), which has become a reality in

France (Doty et al., 2015).
5.5: Social Roles in Atypical Families
Objective: Analyze the interactions between atypical families and
their cultures
A great many adults do not follow the life patterns of adults who move
through the social roles of single young adult, spouse (or cohabiting
partner), parent, and grandparent. Some remain single, others marry but
have no children, and many start out on the typical path and decide on an
alternative journey. So, in fairness to families like mine (and probably
yours), I cannot leave this chapter without talking about those whose
social role experience in adulthood differs from this mythical “norm.”

will be able to:
5.5.1 Describe experiences of lifelong singles
5.5.2 Relate child-free experiences to sociocultural expectations
5.5.3 Summarize experiences of divorced and remarried adults

5.5.1: Lifelong Singles
Objective: Describe experiences of lifelong singles
About 28% of households in the United States consist of just one person—
no partner, no children, no roommate. This category covers a lot of

situations—young people who have not found a partner yet, older people
who are divorced or widowed and whose children are grown, or
individuals who have chosen living alone as their preferred lifestyle. It is
estimated that about 5% of the U.S. population over age 64 has never
married, more being men than women. This number has stayed near the
same level since the 1960s (U.S. Department of Health and Human
Services, 2017).
Reasons for being a lifelong single person range from being focused on a
career to being very shy. Women who have never married tend to be
more educated and have higher incomes than men who have never
married, making it difficult for them to match up with each other. The
Pew Research Center finds that the number one quality women want in a
potential husband is a secure job. They also want someone close to their
own age who has not been married before. This may not be possible for
many women who already have secure jobs themselves. There are fewer
men in the workforce than in 1960, and the proportion of women has
increased dramatically. One solution is for a single woman to marry an
older man or one who is divorced or widowed. If that is not acceptable,
remaining unmarried is the choice for many (Luscombe, 2014).

Lifelong single people often worry (or are warned by well-meaning
friends) that when they get older and need help, there will be no one to
care for them because they lack both a partner and, usually, children.
However, research shows that most older people who have never married
have formed a network of friends and more distant relatives who offer the
instrumental and social support they need.
Being single does not always mean being alone. Single people may be
involved in various intimate relationships, live with a group of friends,
live with children they have decided to raise on their own, or be in a

long-term committed relationship but retain their own living
arrangements. The latter is a fairly new living situation (at least to
researchers), and it is called living together apart. It seems most common
among older adults who have established their own lifestyles and enjoy
their independence while still desiring to share their lives with a
significant other (Antonucci et al., 2016).

5.5.2: The Childless
Objective: Relate child-free experiences to sociocultural
expectations
Despite all the current news about advances in infertility treatment, late-
life pregnancies, and women choosing to have children without the
benefit of marriage (or even a partner in their lives), the rate of
childlessness is increasing for U.S. women. (And we assume the same is
true for men, although statistics report only women’s fertility rates.)
According to the most recent census figures, about 15% of U.S. women
end their childbearing years with no children (Livingston, 2015). This is
down from 20% in the year 2005. Figure 5.10  shows this trend from
1976 to 2014.
Figure 5.10 Percentage of Childless Women, Ages 40–44

The proportion of women who have reached the age of 40 and who are
childless increased steadily until 2006, then began falling.
Source: Livingston (2015).
The increase in childlessness has also occurred in other developed

countries, with the United Kingdom and Spain having similar rates as the
United States, and eastern European countries, Mexico, and Portugal
reporting about half the rate as the United States (OECD, 2016).
Infertility
Of course, some of the people included in the “childless” category have
just decided that being a parent is not the way they want to spend their
adult lives, whereas others would like to have children but are unable to
for some physical reason. We don’t have an accurate figure for these
childless adults because it has long been considered a private matter and
people were unwilling to disclose this information, even to close friends
and relatives. Recently, people have become more open about their
infertility and researchers have been compiling data on them. We have
some evidence that about 12% of women of childbearing age are infertile,
meaning they have tried to get pregnant for 12 months but remained
childless (CDC, 2016). About half of women experiencing infertility seek
medical treatment (Boivin et al., 2007), and about 2% of all infants born in
the United States last year were the result of artificial reproductive
technology (CDC, 2017a).
These numbers don’t reflect the psychological experience of being
infertile. And even though the technology to assist in reproduction has
advanced, the social support for people experiencing infertility has not
kept up with it. Filling the role of parent is an almost-universal goal of
both men and women, and when faced with the knowledge that this may
not be a reality in one’s life, for many it can cause feelings of loss, mistrust
of one’s own body, and absence of hope in the future. In addition,
infertility treatment can bring additional problems because it often
involves laparoscopic surgery, daily injections of hormones that bring

mood swings, seemingly endless medical appointments, high costs, and
waiting for results. Even if conception does takes place, anxiety often
continues over whether the pregnancy will result in a healthy, full-term
baby. To further complicate things, couples may not have each other to
lean on because both are experiencing the same stress (Galst, 2017).
Recently, psychotherapists have begun specializing in treatment for
patients experiencing problems related to their infertility and infertility
treatment. These difficulties include shame they can’t conceive, guilt that
they resent their friends and siblings who have children, disappointment
when treatment fails, and differences in coping from one partner to

another (Stringer, 2017).
Focuses and Concerns of Child-Free Adults
For whatever reason they are childless, women without children often
choose to focus on their roles as workers. Without children to care for,
there is far less of a barrier to a woman’s pursuit of a full-time career.
Whether women who have made a commitment to a career choose not to
have children or whether those who do not have children subsequently

make a stronger career commitment is not completely clear. Some of both
may well occur. What is clear is that childless women are more likely to
work throughout their adult lives, to have somewhat higher-level jobs,
and to earn more money.
Similar to those who have never married, a big concern of childless
people is that they will have no one to take care of them when they are
old. Research has shown that this is usually not a valid concern. Studies
of older adults who need assistance show that those who are parents
have no more assistance from social networks than those who are not
parents (Chang et al., 2010). Childless adults seem to have a strong social
network of siblings, cousins, nieces, and nephews and may also receive
support from children of neighbors and close friends. It seems clear that
childlessness is not an age-related status; older adults who are childless
were also middle-aged childless adults. Most invested in deep friendships
and nurtured ties with their siblings and other relatives. The social
networks they have in older adulthood are not much different in size and
function from older adults who are parents (Zhang & Hayward, 2001). I
think it is safe to say that the picture of adults without children is not one
of persisting sadness or regret.
One difficulty for childless people is that life in our society seems to be
shaped by family milestones. Without children, the rhythm of the family
timetable is simply not there to structure the adult’s life experiences. For
better or for worse, there is no change in relationship or roles when the
first child is born, no celebration when the first child starts school, no bar
mitzvahs or first dates or leaving home—no empty nests because the nest
has never been full (or, perhaps, has always been full).
5.5.3: Divorced (and Remarried) Adults
Objective: Summarize experiences of divorced and remarried
adults
Taking on the role of spouse does not always end up with living happily
ever after—at least not together. About 25% of today’s young adults who
marry will divorce before they reach their 10th anniversary, and most will
remarry, with an average unmarried interval of about 4 years. The rate of
remarriage is highest among white men (about 75%) and lowest among
African American women (about 32%). Remarriage rates are also linked
to age: The younger you are when you divorce and the fewer children
you have, the greater the likelihood that you will remarry. And among all
who remarry, more than half will divorce a second time. About a third of
these will remarry once again (Kreider & Ellis, 2011).
Nonetheless, it is clear that divorce brings a larger and more complex set
of roles to fill. The single parent must often fill a larger share of the adult
family roles: breadwinner, emotional supporter, housekeeper, child
caregiver, activities director, chauffeur, and the rest. And let’s not forget
the economics of it all. Divorce means that a one-family income may need
to be stretched to support two families, a fact that lowers the standard of
living for all family members. Many of the detrimental effects of divorce
for both parents and children can be traced to the economic loss rather
than the divorce itself (Sayer, 2006).

With remarriage, more new roles emerge. One becomes a spouse again
and frequently a stepparent. About 90% of men and women in a second
marriage have at least one child from a previous relationship. If the new
spouse’s children are young, one might quickly move from the role of
being a childless adult to having children in the home on a daily basis.
Although women who marry men with children may seem to have an
easier role because the children often don’t live full time with their father
(and her), in many ways, being a stepmother can be more difficult than
being a stepfather. The role of a stepmother starts out with one of the
most threatening false stereotypes found in legends and classic children’s
literature—the evil stepmother. I doubt if there is a stepmother alive who
has not said, “I don’t want to seem like a wicked stepmother!” I know I
have. Another complication is that our cultural stereotypes allow for only
one mother per child, so a stepmother must be careful not to intrude in
the special relationship the child has with his or her “real” mother. At the
same time, the traditional division of household tasks often means that
the stepmother does the extra cooking, laundry, and nurturing when the
stepchildren visit. This ambiguity in role content is no doubt also present

in the stepchild’s reaction to the stepmother.
Although the role of stepmother is hardly new, it has not been the topic
of much research. In one of few studies, family studies researchers

Shannon Weaver and Marilyn Coleman (2005) interviewed 11
stepmothers in depth and found them to describe one of three distinct

roles. The first role is “mothering, but not mother,” in which women
describe serving as a responsible and caring adult, a friend, a provider of

emotional support, or a mentor. The second is an “other-focused” role in
which the women described serving as a liaison or buffer between the
biological parents. The third role is that of “outsider,” in which the

stepmother has no direct role with the stepchildren.
Weaver and Coleman concluded their study by calling for more research
into the role of stepmother and how it relates to women’s well-being. It is
surely one area where the feelings involved in caring for a child who
belongs to one’s spouse are often in conflict with the expectations of the
spouse, the child’s biological mother, the stepchildren themselves, the

extended family, and the culture. For a role that is so prevalent in today’s
families and shows no sign of decreasing in the near future, it seems like
a much-needed line of inquiry.
Summary: Social Roles
5.1 Social Roles and Transitions

Objective: Analyze how social roles change over time
Despite many variations today in the timing and sequence of roles,
adulthood is still largely structured by the patterns of roles adults take

on and the role transitions they experience.
Although we have a lot of flexibility today in the timing of social
roles, life is still easier when the roles are moved through on-time
instead of off-time.
Gender roles are fairly diverse and describe what people really do
within their roles as men and women; gender stereotypes are shared
beliefs about what men and women have in common. The
stereotypes for women usually center around communal qualities
(being nurturing and intuitive); the stereotypes for men usually
center around instrumental qualities (being adventurous and
competitive).
Learning-schema theory states that gender roles are based on
distorted views that exaggerate gender differences. Social role theory
states that gender roles are based on observations of male and female
behavior. Evolutionary psychology states that gender roles are based
on inherited traits men and women have that were critical to survival
and reproduction for our primitive ancestors.

5.2 Social Roles in Young Adulthood
Objective: Characterize social roles in young adulthood
The transition from emerging adult to young adult is a change in roles
from dependent child to independent adult. It can include moving out

of the parental home, entering college or military service, entering
into a marriage or cohabitation relationship, becoming financially
independent, and becoming a parent. These roles are not taken on in
a single typical sequence, and many young adults move in and out of
them several times before viewing themselves as totally adult.
Adults in the United States are marrying at later ages, and a greater
percentage are cohabiting before marriage. This is true in developed
countries throughout the world. However, marriage remains the
preferred form of committed relationship.
Adults are delaying the transition to parenthood in the United States
and other developed countries. About 40% of all births in the United
States are to unmarried parents. However, almost 60% of these are

born to parents who are cohabiting at the time of the birth.
When men and women become parents, their gender roles become
more traditional. The amount of childcare and housework that fathers
do is increasing, but mothers still do more, even when they have full-
time jobs. In two-parent households, fathers usually spend more time
doing paid work than mothers.
5.3 Social Roles in Middle Adulthood

Objective: Determine how social roles impact middle adulthood
experiences
Gender roles in middle adulthood seem to remain stable. There is no
apparent “crossover” after the parenting years, despite long-held
theories to the contrary.

In the middle years of adulthood, the role of parent changes from a
day-to-day role to a more distant one as children move out of the

house and start their own families, but the role of parent does not
end. Most parents find this transition to be positive and use the new
freedom to restructure their own lives.
Middle age is the time of life when most people become
grandparents. This role can take many forms. For a growing number
of grandparents, it means returning to the role of parent or returning
to full-time work to care for their grandchildren.

Another role in the middle years is that of caregiver for aging parents.
About 10% of middle-aged adults have taken on the caregiving role,

mostly for parents or parents-in-law. Although spouses are usually
the first-line caregivers, many family members help out, especially

daughters and daughters-in-law. Many people with multigenerational
responsibilities report that their roles are important and satisfying.

When the burden of caregiving is extreme and long lasting, it can
lead to depression, marital problems, and physical illnesses.
5.4 Social Roles in Late Adulthood

Objective: Evaluate ways of handling transitions in late adulthood
Social role transitions in late life include learning to live alone, more
common for women than for men, and becoming the receiver of care,
which can be a difficult transition. However, informal care from
family, friends, and neighbors can keep older adults living in their
own homes and feeling in control of their lives. A small proportion of
older adults live in nursing homes. More live with their spouses, their
adult children, or other family members. About 10% of
noninstitutionalized adults are victims of elder abuse each year.
A large number of people 75 years of age and older have taken on the
role of caregiver themselves. Most of these care for their spouses, but
about 10% of them care for their own parents.
5.5 Social Roles in Atypical Families

Objective: Analyze the interactions between atypical families and their
cultures
Not everyone fits the preceding discussion. Some people never marry
(about 5% of people over age 65 in the United States). Those who
have close relationships with friends and relatives report being as

happy and fulfilled as their married peers with children. About 20% of
women over age 40 have not had children. Among older adults, the
childless are as happy as those with children. And among older adults
who need assistance, those without children receive as much help
from their social networks than those who have children.

About 12% of women of childbearing age are infertile and this can
sometimes cause psychological problems. About half of infertile
couples seek treatment. About 2% of babies born today are the result
of reproductive technology.
About one-fourth of couples marrying today will divorce within 10
years. Most will remarry, causing a number of role transitions, such as
ex-spouse, stepmother, and stepfather.
Click or tap through each flashcard for this chapter’s key terms and their
corresponding definitions.
Key Terms: Social Roles

Chapter 6
Social Relationships
Social relationships across the lifespan are dynamic and changing.
6.1 Compare theories of social relationships

6.2 Determine how people choose intimate partners
6.3 Evaluate the impact of intimate partnership on adulthood
experiences
6.4 Analyze the ways that family interactions influence adulthood
experiences
6.5 Evaluate the ways friendship circles affect adulthood
A Word From the Author: When Writing a Book
There are not many developmental psychology jokes, but a
student in my human development class told me one many years
ago. It goes like this:
A child psychologist was sitting in his office writing a textbook
when he heard an annoying squeaking sound. He looked outside
and saw a little child on a tricycle riding across his newly surfaced
driveway. He ran outside and yelled angrily at the boy to get off
his property and take his tricycle with him. A neighbor observed
this and said to him, “How can you call yourself a developmental
psychologist and write books on child development when you are

so intolerant of little children?” The psychologist replied,
“Because, madam, I like children in the abstract, not in the

concrete.”
Besides the bad pun, I like this joke because it helps me keep my
priorities straight. I do most of my writing in my home office, and
while I am writing this chapter on relationships, a lot of “relating”

is going on around me, especially of the family variety. It is spring
break, and I have some teenage grandchildren in the pool. In

addition, my son is bringing my 6-year-old granddaughter here
this afternoon to spend a few days at “Grandma’s house.” She
looks forward to helping me bake cookies, while the teenagers in
the pool like to eat them. Just when I am ready to say, “Please
leave me alone so I can write this section on grandparent–
grandchild relationships,” I remember the joke about the

developmental psychologist and laugh. If I sound a little
authoritative in this chapter on relationships, it is because I am

living it as I write—not in the abstract, but smack dab in the
concrete.
Social relationships  involve dynamic, recurrent patterns of interactions
with other individuals and the ways they change over the course of
adulthood. In this chapter, I discuss these relationships, particularly
changes in the give-and-take interactions among people and how such

changes affect them (and the people they give to and take from).
If you think about your own social relationships—with your parents, your
friends, your spouse or partner, your coworkers—it’s clear immediately

that they are not all the same, either in intensity or in quality. And if you
think back a few years, it should also be clear that each of your
relationships has changed somewhat over time. This is the dynamic
quality of social interactions—each give-and-take changes each
participant, which, in turn, changes the relationship. The topic is highly

personal and complex. A fairly new field, relationships are difficult to
study scientifically, but I think you will find it interesting and important
on several levels. As one set of researchers put it, social relationships are
“the wellspring from which our daily lives emerge, accumulating into our
life experiences. These relationships play a major role in how the life
course is experienced and evaluated” (Cate et al., 2002, p. 261).

I start this chapter with a discussion of some current theories about the
development of relationships, then cover what we know about specific
relationships within partnerships, families, and friendships.

6.1: Theories of Social Relationships
Objective: Compare theories of social relationships
The study of social relationship development in early childhood is a
prominent topic of research and theory, but only recently has attention
been focused on social relationships in adulthood. As you will see,

attachment theory has been extended from early childhood into
adulthood. Evolutionary psychology deals primarily with the young adult
years and intimate partnerships, though it has recently expanded into
grandparenthood. Socioemotional selectivity theory addresses older
adulthood, and the convoy model seems to apply across the life span.

will be able to:
6.1.1 Explain attachment theory
6.1.2 Characterize the convoy model of relationships
6.1.3 Explain socioemotional selectivity theory
6.1.4 Relate evolution to social relationships

6.1.1: Attachment Theory
Objective: Explain attachment theory
One of the oldest and best-known theories of social relationships is
attachment theory . The concept of attachment  is most commonly

used to describe the strong bond of affection formed by an infant to his or
her primary caregiver. These bonds are considered part of an innate
regulatory system that evolved in our primitive ancestors, presumably
because they aided survival of young children, who are born with few
abilities to care for themselves. Psychiatrist John Bowlby (1969) and
developmental psychologist Mary Ainsworth (Ainsworth et al., 1978), two
of the major theoretical figures in this area, both made a clear distinction
between the attachment itself, which is an invisible, underlying bond, and
attachment behaviors , which are the ways an underlying attachment is
expressed. Because we cannot see the attachment bond, we have to infer
it from the attachment behavior. In securely attached infants, we see it in
their smiles when their favored person enters the room, in their clinging
to the favored person when they are frightened, in their use of the
favored person as a safe base for exploring a new situation. The three key
underlying features are (1) association of the attachment figure with
feelings of security, (2) an increased likelihood of attachment behavior
when the child is under stress or threat, and (3) attempts to avoid, or to
end, any separation from the attachment figure (Weiss, 1982).

In adults, of course, many of these specific attachment behaviors are no
longer seen. Most adults do not burst into tears if their special person
leaves the room; adults maintain contact in a much wider variety of ways
than those we see in young children, including the use of phone calls, e-
mail, text messages, social networking, and imagery. But if we allow for
these changes in the attachment behavior, it does appear that the concept
of attachment is a useful way to think about many adult relationships.
First of all, we appear to form strong new attachments in adulthood,
particularly to a spouse or partner, and we usually maintain our

attachment to our parents as well. Social psychologists Mario Mikulincer
and Philip R. Shaver (2009) listed three kinds of support that people of all
ages seek from attachment figures in time of need: proximity (comfort
that comes from the close physical or psychological presence of the
attachment figure), a safe haven (help and support when a threat is
present), and a secure base (support in pursuing personal goals).

Internal Working Model of Attachment
Relationships
Attachment theorists propose that each person has formed an internal
working model  of attachment relationships—a set of beliefs and
assumptions about the nature of all relationships, such as whether others

will respond if you need them and whether others are trustworthy. Based
on early childhood experiences, this internal working model has
components of security or insecurity. The behavior that reflects the
internal working model is an attachment orientation —patterns of
expectations, needs, and emotions one exhibits in interpersonal

relationships that extend beyond early attachment figures.
Adults with secure attachment orientations believe the world is a safe
place. They welcome the challenges that life presents. They know they
can rely on others when they need protection and support. They are able
to explore the world, meet new people, and learn new things without the
fear of failure. This doesn’t mean that they never feel threatened or
discouraged, and it doesn’t mean that they will always succeed, but they
enter into interactions knowing that they are able to summon help and
encouragement from their support system—sometimes in person and
sometimes with a phone call or text message. It is also possible to receive
comfort by simply recalling the support one has received reliably in the
past.
To complement the attachment orientation, theorists believe that we have
also evolved a caregiving orientation , a system that is activated in
adults when they interact with infants and young children. Most adults
will respond to the appearance and behavior of younger members of the
species (and often other species) by providing security, comfort, and
protection. Many evolutionary psychologists believe that we also use this
caregiving orientation in our relationships with adult friends, romantic
partners, and elderly parents. Some believe it is also used by teachers in
their devotion to their students, nurses with their tender loving care of
patients, and therapists with their deep concern for clients.
Now if everyone has some degree of secure or insecure attachment
orientation and also some degree of caregiving orientation, you can see
how it plays out in social relationships in adulthood. There are individual
differences in how much support a person needs, how well they are able
to ask for support, and how clearly the person asked for help can
understand their needs and provide support. All these individual
differences have their roots, according to Bowlby (1973), in the parent–
child relationship in infancy and childhood. If we had caregivers in

infancy and childhood who were available, responsive, and supportive of
our needs, we are more apt to have secure attachment orientations and
effective caregiving orientations in adulthood. We can solicit social
support from our spouses, partners, family members, and friends with
confidence that they will provide it. We can tell when important people in
our lives need caregiving, and we are able to give that care.
Attachment theory has been backed up by empirical research showing

that an infant’s attachment classification tends to remain stable into
young adulthood (Waters et al., 1995) and studies showing that parents’
attachment classifications correspond to their children’s attachment

classifications (van IJzendoorn, 1995). Attachment theory has also been
applied to the formation of intimate relationships.

6.1.2: The Convoy Model
Objective: Characterize the convoy model of relationships
Another approach to relationships in adulthood comes from
developmental psychologist Toni Antonucci and her colleagues
(Antonucci, 1990; Kahn & Antonucci, 1980), who use the term convoy 
to describe the ever-changing network of social relationships that

surrounds each of us throughout our adult lives. “Convoy relationships
serve to both shape and protect individuals, sharing with them life
experiences, challenges, successes, and disappointments” (Antonucci et
al., 2004, p. 353). These relationships affect how the individual
experiences the world. They are reciprocal and developmental; as the
individual changes and develops through time, the nature of the

relationships and interactions is also likely to change.
In her research using the convoy model, Antonucci (1986) developed a
mapping technique. She asked respondents to report on three levels of
relationships and write the names of the people within three concentric
circles. The inner circle is for names of people who are so close and
important to the respondent that he or she could hardly imagine life
without them. The middle circle is for people who are also close, but not
as close as those in the inner circle. And the outer circle is for names of
people who are part of the respondent’s personal network but not as
close as the other two groups. The entire structure is referred to as a social
network (Figure 6.1 ).

Figure 6.1 The Convoy Model
What names would fill out your own personal convoy model?
Source: Based on Antonucci (1986).
Ongoing research is investigating the role of social networks as buffers
against stress and how the support a person perceives that they get from
their social network affects their health. Plans have been made for
longitudinal studies that may lead to better health through preventative
measures and intervention programs. Is it possible to make changes in
social networks with the goal of improving physical and mental health?
These are some of the topics being explored by researchers using the
convoy model to explore social networks (Tighe et al., 2016).
6.1.3: Socioemotional Selectivity Theory
Objective: Explain socioemotional selectivity theory
Yet another explanation of social relationship changes in adulthood
comes from psychologist Laura Carstensen (1995; Carstensen et al.,
2006). Known as socioemotional selectivity theory , it states that as we
grow older, we tend to prefer more meaningful social relationships. This

results in our social networks becoming smaller but more selective as we
devote our limited emotional and physical resources to a smaller group of
relationships that are deeply satisfying emotionally. In other words, the
quantity of social relationships declines with age, but the overall quality
remains the same (or even better).
Carstensen explains that younger adults perceive time as open-ended,
measuring it by how long they have been on this earth. They are
motivated to pursue information, knowledge, and relationships. In
contrast, older adults perceive time as constrained, measuring it in terms
of how long they have left on this earth. They are motivated to pursue
emotional satisfaction, deepen existing relationships, and weed out those
that are not satisfying. Research findings have backed this up by showing
distinct age differences in social relationships and also the topics people
are most likely to attend to and remember (Kryla-Lighthall & Mather,
2009).
6.1.4: Evolutionary Psychology
Objective: Relate evolution to social relationships
The final theory to be discussed is based on the belief that social
relationships had an important role in human evolution, perhaps the
central role in the design of the human mind (Buss & Kenrick, 1998). This
is based on the premise that our early ancestors banded together in small
social groups as an important survival strategy (Caporeal, 1997). Social
relationships provided protection from predators, access to food, and
insulation from the cold. Simply put, according to evolutionary
psychology , individuals who carried genes for cooperativeness, group
loyalty, adherence to norms, and promotion of social inclusion were more
apt to survive in the primal environment and pass on these genes to their
descendants (and ultimately to us). These genes continue to affect our
social and cognitive behavior and are reflected in the ways we form and
maintain social relationships in today’s environment.
According to this theory, today’s humans have biological systems that

foster the formation and maintenance of social relationships manifested
in a universal “need to belong.” This need drives us to engage in frequent
and pleasurable social interactions with a small number of familiar people
who care about us and depend on us to care about them. Members of all
human societies respond to distress and protest when they are separated
from their social group or when a close relationship ends (Baumeister &
Leary, 1995). The need to belong is observed in all human societies and
in many other primate social species (de Waal, 1996).

A Word about Theories of Social Relationships
You have no doubt noticed that these theories have a lot of similarities. In
fact, the proponents of convoy theory are now writing about attachment
as the “glue” that holds the convoys together. Both evolutionary

psychologists and attachment theorists refer to attachment as an evolved
mechanism to ensure the survival of infants and children. It seems pretty
clear that the theories have more similarities than differences.
Graduate student Julia Sander and her colleagues (Sander et al., 2017)
examined data from over 36,000 adults between 17 and 85 years of age
who were part of the German Socioeconomic Panel Study. The
participants were asked how often they had face-to-face contact with
family and nonfamily members in their social networks. A rating of 0 was

“never,” 1 was “seldom,” 2 was “at least once a month,” 3 was “at least
once a week,” and 4 was “daily.” You can see the results in Figure 6.2 .
Figure 6-2: Frequency of Face-to-face Contact with Social Network

Members
Family visits (the solid line) remain fairly stable between the ages of 17
and 85—somewhere between once a month and once a week. On
contrast, visits with non-family members (friends, neighbors, and
acquaintances) started out high in emerging adulthood (at least once a
week), declined sharply through young adulthood, and then declined
more gradually until late old age (at least once a month).
Source: From Sander et al. (2017).
Although this study was based on frequency of contact, and both the
convoy model and the socioemotional selectivity theory are based on the
number of people in one’s social network, the basic findings are similar:
Adolescence and young adulthood is the time that we look to the future,
seeking information and new relationships, and these results demonstrate

that our personal networks and friendship networks expand during those
years. In contrast, later adulthood is a time that we reflect back over our
lives and concentrate on fewer—but deeper—relationships. These results
demonstrate that decrease in personal and friendship relationships. The

convoy model explains that we travel along the road of life with a group
of fellow travelers, and that is exactly what happens with the family
network. The names may change over adulthood, but the size of our
family social network remains the same from adolescence to the end of
life. This study is also consistent with evolutionary psychology theory,
which emphasized the lifelong importance of kinship groups and our
lifelong concern with the survival of those with whom we share genes. It
also shows that emerging adults and young adults invest more time in
nonrelated social contacts because they are important for mating and
reproduction (Sander et al., 2017).
6.2: Establishing an Intimate
Partnership
Objective: Determine how people choose intimate partners
One social relationship that almost all adults experience is the intimate
partnership. Most research on this topic involves married couples, but I

also discuss cohabiting relationships, both with heterosexual and same-
sex partners. Although it seems like a variety of relationships, you will
likely find that romantic partners in all committed relationships share
more similarities than differences.
The process of choosing a life partner and formalizing the relationship is
found in every known culture; 90% of people in the world will marry or
enter into a formal romantic partnership at some point in their lives
(Campbell & Ellis, 2005). How such partnerships are arrived at has been
the interest of researchers for some time, and in recent studies this
process has been referred to as mate selection . The majority of people

in the world select their own mates and do it on the basis of a
combination of subjective feelings that include “euphoria, intense focused
attention on a preferred individual, obsessive thinking about him or her,
emotional dependency on and craving for emotional union with this
beloved, and increased energy” (Aron et al., 2005, p. 327). Anthropologist
Helen L. Fisher (2000, 2004) suggests that mate selection depends on
three distinct emotional systems: lust, attraction, and attachment.

Each of these systems has its own neurological wiring. The lust system
causes men and women to experience sexual desire and seek out sexual
opportunities. The attraction system directs men and women to attend to
specific potential mates and to desire an emotional relationship with
them. The attachment system drives men and women to be close to the
target of attraction (and lust) and to feel comfortable, secure, and
emotionally dependent with that person. Fisher’s theory of relationship
formation makes a good model for viewing the components of the
process of partnership formation.

will be able to:
6.2.1 Characterize lust
6.2.2 Analyze the elements of attraction
6.2.3 Differentiate the four kinds of romantic attachment

6.2.1: Lust
Objective: Characterize lust
This system should be familiar to all psychology majors, not because of
their torrid personal lives but because it was the cornerstone of Freud’s
classic psychoanalytic theory. Freud believed that libido , or sexual
desire, was the foundation of all intimate relationships, and that one’s
experience of such relationships depends on how much sexual desire one
feels for the other person, whether one is consciously aware of it or not
(Jones, 1981). Lust is certainly part of romantic love, but it can also
operate independently. Most adults are familiar with feelings of lust
toward someone they have no romantic involvement with and also the
inverse—no feelings of sexual desire toward someone they do have a
romantic involvement with. The lust system is powered by androgens in
both men and women. Using an automobile analogy, lust could be
viewed as the accelerator of mate selection.

6.2.2: Attraction
Objective: Analyze the elements of attraction
If lust is the accelerator in Fisher’s theory, then attraction is the steering
wheel, determining where the lust will be directed. The experience of
attraction is also known as romantic love, obsessive love, passion
(Sternberg, 1986), passionate love (Hatfield, 1988), and limerence, which

is described as thinking of the other person all the time, even when you
are trying to think of other things, and feeling exquisite pleasure when
the other person seems to return your feelings (Tennov, 1979). Mate-
attraction behavior is observed in every known human culture
(Jankowiak & Fischer, 1992) and in all mammals and birds (Fisher, 2000).
The attraction system is associated with increased levels of dopamine and

norepinephrine and decreased levels of serotonin, all neurotransmitters
in the brain.
In a study of brain activity, young men and women who reported being in
love for 1–7 months were shown a photo of their loved one and asked to
think about a pleasurable event that had occurred when they were
together (Aron et al., 2005). As a control, they were shown a photo of a
neutral person in their lives and asked to think about pleasurable events
with that person. Results showed that viewing a photo of their loved one
and thinking about a pleasant interaction with him or her activated
regions of the brain that are rich in dopamine receptors—regions
associated with the motivation to acquire a reward. These regions were
not activated when the participants turned their attention and thoughts to
a neutral person. Furthermore, the length of time a person had been in
love caused different activation patterns; the more recent the relationship,
the stronger the activation. The authors emphasize that the patterns of
brain activation for new romantic love are different from those associated
with the sex drive (or lust system, as Fisher calls it), indicating that they
are distinct systems. Some evidence suggests that the hormones
responsible for attachment may decrease the levels of androgen, causing
sexual desire to decline as attachment increases.
Fisher and colleagues (2016) compare this early stage of intense romance
to addiction. Both involve “euphoria, craving, tolerance, emotional and
physical dependence, withdrawal and relapse” (p. 687). She has
conducted brain imaging studies using functional magnetic resonance
imaging technology and shown that people in this stage of love show
activity in the brain’s reward system, which is also activated by drugs or
other sources of addiction.
The topic of what attracts one person to another, or two people to each
other, was traditionally explained by filter theory , which states that we

begin with a large pool of potential mates and gradually filter out those
who do not fit our specifications (Cate & Lloyd, 1992). An alternative
explanation was exchange theory , which says that we all have certain
assets to offer in a relationship, and we try to make the best deal we can.
Research has shown that people tend to have partners who match them
on physical attractiveness. However, characteristics such as education

level, pleasing personalities, and good grooming can help offset
unattractive features (Carmalt et al., 2008). Sense of humor is also

“exchanged” for physical attractiveness (McGee & Shevlin, 2009).
An Evolutionary Perspective on Attraction
Evolutionary psychologists have a somewhat different explanation of
mate selection, although their conclusions are similar. Their explanation
is based on our ancient ancestors’ need to increase their chances of
reproducing and providing for their children until they were old enough
to fend for themselves. Men, who needed someone to bear and feed their
children, looked for signs of good health and fertility—such as youth, low
waist-to-hip ratio, clear skin, lustrous hair, full lips, good muscle tone,
sprightly gait, and absence of sores or lesions. Women, who needed
someone to care for their needs during pregnancy and to provide for
them and their infants during the first few years after birth, looked for
men with qualities that signal economic resources, such as social status,
self-confidence, slightly older age, ambition, and industriousness. They
also needed someone to contribute healthy genes and protect them and
their infants, so they preferred men who were brave, were athletic, and
had a high shoulder-to-hip ratio (Buss, 2009). According to evolutionary

psychology, these preferences are genetically based, and those members
of our species who acted on these preferences were more apt to survive
and pass them on to their offspring. Those who did not were less apt to
survive or to have healthy offspring.
Psychologist Melissa R. Fales and her colleagues (Fales et al., 2016)
examined the results of a large survey—one that included over 22,000
respondents, approximately half women and half men, ranging in age
from 18 to 65 years of age. Participants were asked about traits they

wanted in a potential partner for a long-term relationship or marriage.
Among the possible traits were: is good looking, has a steady income, and
makes (or will make) a lot of money. The participants indicated their
mating market choices by rating each trait with 1 (very undesirable), 2
(undesirable), 3 (neutral), 4 (desirable but not essential), or 5 (absolutely
essential). The results are shown in Figure 6.3 .
Figure 6.3 Desirable and Essential Traits in Prospective Partners
The bars indicate the percentage of men and women who rated each trait
as either 4 (desirable but not essential) or 5 (absolutely essential). More
men consider good looks and a slender body to be desirable or essential;
more women consider having a steady income and making a lot of money
to be desirable or essential.
Source: From Fales et al. (2016).
Studies across cultures have demonstrated these same preferences in

potential mates. For example, psychologist Todd Shackelford and his
colleagues (2005) examined data from over 9,000 young adults living in
37 different cultures around the world and found sex differences on three
out of four universal dimensions of mate preference for long-term
relationships. As predicted by evolutionary psychology, women value

social status and financial resources, as well as dependability, stability,
and intelligence more than men do. Men value good looks, health, and a
desire for home and children more than women do. Studies of online
dating sites show that these preferences are present across the lifespan,
even when reproduction is not an issue, with adults age 20 to 75 and
older expressing similar preferences—men are more likely to prefer
women who are physically attractive, and women are more likely to
prefer men with status (Alterovitz & Mendelsohn, 2011).
Other research on mate selection has shown that men and women have
different preferences for mates depending on whether they are interested

in a long-term or short-term relationship. Women also show different
preferences depending on whether they are ovulating or not, their age,

their life stage, and their own value as a mate (Buss, 2009). According to
evolutionary psychology, all these preferences are explained by our

species’ drive to survive and to reproduce successfully.
Online Dating Sites
In the past few decades, adults of all ages have increasingly used social
media to seek out potential romantic partners. See Figure 6.4 .
Figure 6.4 Finding Love on Social Media
This figure shows that in 2013, 11% of people interviewed by the Pew
Research Center reported ever using this method, and it increased to 15%
just 2 years later. A major factor is the growth of mobile dating apps use
by young adults. One reason for this increase might be that more and
more U.S. adults agree that using social media is a good way to meet
people, while fewer and fewer agree that people who use social media are
desperate (Smith & Anderson, 2016).
Source: From Smith and Anderson (2016).

But how successful are online dating sites for finding long-term
relationships? In spite of glowing reports from the dating sites
themselves, only 5% of Americans who are married or in a committed
relationship met using dating sites. And even if you consider those who
have been married 5 years or less, the number only goes up to 12%. One
explanation for such low numbers is that the researchers are just
considering official online dating sites. There are other ways to meet a
potential partner online, such as Facebook and Twitter, and it is estimated
that for every couple who met through an online dating site, there is
another couple who met through other online channels (D’Angelo &
Toma, 2017).
Researchers demonstrated another problem with online dating: too many
choices. Using a term from behavioral economics, choice overload,
researchers showed that college students in a situation similar to online
dating were more satisfied with their choices a week after selecting them
for a potential date if they had been given a small number to choose from
rather than a large number (D’Angelo & Toma, 2017). It seems the very
opposite of what online dating sites intend when they offer customers
large pools of potential partners to choose from.
It is important to remember that online dating sites are usually for-profit
organizations. Many employ psychologists or researchers to set up

matching algorithms or demonstrate their value. These experts should be
taken for who they are: employees of the for-profit dating service.
Another important thing to remember is that these Internet dating sites
can serve as informal lists of single people looking for partners. Users
would be wise never to give out any personal information until they feel a
trusting relationship is formed and never to send money to anyone they
have met on these sites. Research has shown that about half of dating site
users in the United States and in England admit to lying on their dating
website profile—women about their appearances and men about their

income and status (Anderson, 2016). As with any other purchases, you
would be wise to heed this advice: “Buyer beware.”
6.2.3: Attachment
Objective: Differentiate the four kinds of romantic attachment
Fisher’s attachment system has some similarity to its namesake, Bowlby’s
attachment theory. Although Bowlby initially formulated his theory to
explain parent–infant relationships, he believed that attachment was a
lifelong process and that the quality of relationship one had with parents
was the base for later attachments, including romantic partnerships. More
recent attachment theorists have suggested that attachment between
romantic partners is a mechanism that evolved to keep parents together
long enough to raise their children. Men and women who are able to feel
secure together and lonely when apart are more apt to be committed to
each other and to the task of raising their child safely into adulthood.
Interestingly, the hormone oxytocin plays a central role in mother–infant
attachment and also in women’s romantic attachment to a mate
(Campbell & Ellis, 2005).
Another link between early childhood attachment relationships with

one’s parents and adult attachment relationships with one’s intimate
partners is the topic of a large portion of adult attachment research.
Extensions of Bowlby’s attachment theory have been used to suggest that
adult romantic relationship styles are reflections of the attachment bond
the adults had with their parents in childhood (Bartholomew, 1990;
Hazan & Shaver, 1987).

When adults were given questionnaires asking them to choose a
description that best characterized the way they felt about romantic
relationships, they fell into categories that were similar to Ainsworth’s
secure and insecure categories, and the proportion of adults falling into
each category was similar to that of infants (Feeney & Noller, 1996;
Hazan & Shaver, 1990; Mikulincer & Orbach, 1995). Later researchers
confirmed these results with participants from the ages of 15 to 54
(Michelson et al., 1997) and over a period of several years (Feeney &
Noller, 1996), suggesting that styles of adult romantic attachments reflect
internal working models of attachment established in early childhood. In

longitudinal research, 2-year-olds who showed secure attachment to their
mothers were better able, at age 20 or 21 years, to resolve and rebound
from romantic relationship conflicts than former 2-year-olds who were
insecurely attached. In addition, the partners of securely attached 20-year-
olds also rebound faster from relationship conflict regardless of their own
attachment history (Simpson et al., 2011). While attachment appears to
be relatively stable over time, it’s not set in stone. Click or tap “Next” to
explore the four adult romantic attachment styles, as well as attachment
throughout the lifespan
Attachment Across the Lifespan

6.3: Living in Intimate Partnerships
Objective: Evaluate the impact of intimate partnership on
adulthood experiences
What happens after partners select each other? As you well know, not all
couples who marry or otherwise commit to a partnership end up living

happily ever after. Some do, but others drift into empty relationships,
some divorce, and some live together in a constant war zone. What
makes the difference? This section looks at what is both an academic
question and a personal one by scrutinizing relationships—whatever form
they may take.

will be able to:
6.3.1 Identify elements that increase the chance of happiness in a
long-term marriage
6.3.2 Compare cohabitation and marriage
6.3.3 Characterize the long-term relationships of same-sex couples

6.3.1: Happy Marriages
Objective: Identify elements that increase the chance of
happiness in a long-term marriage
Almost all of us wind up in partnerships of one kind or another, and it’s

safe to say that almost all of us want them to be happy and long-lasting.
But what is the secret to a happy marriage? We have the benefit of several
longitudinal studies that provide some answers.
Psychologist Howard J. Markman and colleagues (Clements et al., 2004)
studied 100 couples from before marriage until well past their 13th
anniversaries. This study was unusual not only because of its duration,
but also because it included data from both members of the couples, it
did not rely only on self-report data, and it consisted of a group of young
couples from the general population rather than couples who were in
marriage counseling or otherwise considered at risk.
Before marriage, each couple was interviewed and participated in
discussions about problem areas in their relationship. They were given a

number of standardized tests of relationship satisfaction, interaction, and
problem solving. This was repeated 10 times in the next 13 years, and at
the end of that time, the 100 couples were divided into three categories—
those who had divorced (20 couples), those who remained happily
married (58 couples), and those who had experienced a period of distress
at several assessment points (22 couples). Groups were compared based

on the data gathered at the beginning of the study, and it was clear that
the three groups differed even before their marriages took place. For
example, the groups that experienced divorce or marital distress had
exhibited negative interactions with each other in their first interviews,
expressing insults toward each other, showing lack of emotional support,
and making negative and sarcastic comments about their partners.
Markman and his colleagues described the process as “erosion” and said
that these negative interactions before marriage and in the early years of
marriage wear down the positive aspects of the relationship and violate
the expectation that one’s partner will be a close friend and source of
support. Subsequent studies with different groups of couples have yielded
similar findings (Markman et al., 2010a, 2010b). Markman and his
colleagues concluded that there are a number of risk factors for unhappy
marriages and divorce, some of which can be changed and some of which
cannot. These risk factors include aspects of personal history that cannot
be changed (having divorced parents, different religious backgrounds,
children from previous relationships); individual personality traits (being
defensive when personal problems arise, having negative styles of
interacting with others, not being able to communicate during

disagreements); and different ideas about the future (unrealistic beliefs
about marriage, different priorities, and less than total commitment to

each other).
Positive and Negative Interactions
The eroding power of negative interactions has also been found in the
results of longitudinal studies by psychologist John Gottman and his
colleagues. For example, Gottman and Notarius (2000) found that couples
who will eventually divorce can be identified years ahead of time by
looking at the pattern of positive and negative exchanges. In fact,

Gottman (2011) claims that he is able to interview a couple for a few
hours and predict with 94% accuracy whether they will be divorced or
still together 4 years later. Gottman asks couples to tell him “the story of
us.” He listens for five key components and evaluates whether they are
positive or negative. If the positive outweighs the negative, then the

couple will almost certainly be together 4 years later. These are the key
components Gottman evaluates during the interview:
Fondness and admiration—Is the couple’s story full of love and respect?
Do they express positive emotions like warmth, humor, and affection?

Do they emphasize the good times? Do they complement each other?
“We-ness” versus “me-ness”—Does the couple express unity in beliefs,
values, and goals? Do they use “us” and “we” more than “I” and “me”?
Love maps—Does the couple describe the history of their relationship
in vivid detail and with positive energy? Are they open with personal
information about themselves and their partner?
Purpose and meaning instead of chaos—Do couples talk about their life
together in terms of pride over the hardships they have overcome?
Do they talk about shared goals and aspirations?

Satisfaction instead of disappointment—Do couples say that their
partner and their marriage have exceeded their expectations? Are
they satisfied and grateful for what they have in each other? Do they
speak positively about marriage?
Fortunately, negative patterns in marriage can be changed. Therapists
who work with couples have found that marital satisfaction can be
increased significantly by teaching couples how to understand each other
better, increase affection, attend to each other and influence each other
more, practice healthy conflict resolution, and create shared meaning

within their relationship. It is possible for couples whose relationships
have grown distant or hostile to acquire new skills or relearn earlier
patterns of interaction through relationship education courses (Markman
& Rhoades, 2012), which have been given successfully to high-risk
couples online (Loew et al., 2012).

Long-Term Marriages
Other researchers have studied couples in long-term marriages to find out
how they feel about each other and what the differences are between
couples that have positive feelings about each other and those who do
not. Although some theories suggest that passionate love occurs mostly in
the early years of a relationship and then is replaced by companionate

love, little research has been done with long-term married couples to see
if this is true. Psychologist K. Daniel O’Leary and his colleagues (2012)
surveyed almost 300 adults who had been married an average of 20 years.
The central question they asked was, “How in love are you with your
partner?” They were asked to rate their love on a scale from 1 to 7, with
“Very intensely in love” being 1 and “Not at all in love” being 7.
Unexpectedly, the researchers found that the most frequent response was
1—over 46% of the men and women in this sample reported being very
intensely in love with their partners. These findings are shown in Figure
6.7 . Those who reported intense love for each other were also apt to
report high levels of thinking positively about their partner, affectionate
behaviors and sexual intercourse with their partners, sharing novel and
challenging activities with their partners, and having a general feeling of
life happiness. Use your mouse, finger, or track pad to hover each piece of
the pie chart to know how much the long-term married couples are in
love.
Figure 6.7 Long-Term Married Couples Rate How Much in Love They
Are
Another study looked at unhappy long-term marriages. Sociologists
Daniel N. Hawkins and Alan Booth (2005) examined over 12 years of data
from couples in low-quality marriages. The study showed that people
who remain in unhappy marriages experience a reduction in life
satisfaction, self-esteem, psychological well-being, and overall health.
Furthermore, people who stay in unhappy marriages are less happy than
those who divorce and remarry, and they have lower levels of life
satisfaction, self-esteem, and overall health than those who divorced and
remained single. A similar study of middle-aged adults showed that
women (but not men) in very low-quality marriages at the beginning of

the study showed high levels of life satisfaction 10 years later if they have
divorced (Bourassa et al., 2015). For these samples of people at least,

there was no benefit to remaining in unhappy marriages instead of
divorcing.
The lesson from studying various types of marriages is that a happy

marriage is a huge plus in the partners’ lives, and that an unhappy
marriage is a huge minus. Not all beginning marriages are happy and
healthy, and not all long-term marriages are cooled down and
companionable; a lot still sizzle. So unless you view long-term
commitment to your partner primarily as a means to successfully raise

children, as evolutionary psychology emphasizes (Salmon, 2017), it might
be a good idea to follow some of the advice in this section. Unhappy

relationships can be helped with family therapy or relationship education
classes.
6.3.2: Cohabitation and Marriage
Objective: Compare cohabitation and marriage
Cohabitation has become an increasingly common choice of couples who
want to live together in an intimate relationship, and this is true of adults

of all ages, as seen in Figure 6.8 . What’s the difference between the
relationships of married partners and cohabitating partners? And what
happens when cohabiting partners marry?
Figure 6.8 Cohabitation Among Adults of All Ages
Source: Stepler, 2017b

Early research found that couples who marry and then move in together
are more likely to stay married than those who move in together and then
marry later (Hewitt & de Vaus, 2009). Why would this be true? Some
have argued that there is a selection effect—those who are more mature
and have stronger relationships follow the traditional path to marriage,
whereas those with doubts and troubled relationships opt for
cohabitation first (Woods & Emery, 2002). Others believe that the
experience of cohabiting changes the couple’s attitudes about marriage
(Magdol et al., 1998). However, studies by psychologist Howard
Markman and his colleagues (Kline et al., 2004; Rhoades et al., 2009;
Stanley et al., 2010) show that there are two distinct types of cohabitation
relationships that lead to marriage: engaged cohabitation, in which the
couple becomes engaged before moving in together, and preengaged
cohabitation, in which the couple becomes engaged after moving in
together. The former tends to lead to marriages as successful as those of
couples who did not cohabit before marriage; the latter tends to lead to
less successful marriages. Why? The authors conclude that couples who
become engaged before moving in together have made a formal
commitment to each other, and their relationships are more similar to

those of couples who marry before living together than to those of
couples who cohabit without that commitment.

Cultural Acceptance of Cohabitation
Another factor in the success of cohabitating couples is how well it is
accepted in one’s culture—their family, community, and religion.
Sociologist Kristen Schultz Lee and Hiroshi Ono (2012) investigated the
happiness of over 25,000 married and cohabiting couples in 27 countries.
They assigned scores to each country indicating the relative strength of

traditional gender beliefs (how they view mothers of young children who
work outside the home) and religious context (how important religion is
in their personal lives). These scores are shown in Table 6.2 . Results
showed that there was little difference for men’s happiness in any country
whether they were cohabiting or married, but in countries where

traditional gender beliefs and religious context is high, there is a
“happiness gap” between married women and cohabiting women. In
countries where the traditional gender beliefs and religious context is
low, there is no difference in happiness between married and cohabiting
women. Apparently, women’s relative unhappiness in more gender-

restrictive, religious countries is a reaction to the negative connotations
cohabitation has in their culture. Although these findings were for people
living in these countries today, they would also apply to people who were
cohabiting in the United States a few decades ago when the practice was
not so well accepted (Loving, 2011).
Table 6.2 Twenty-Seven Countries with Ratings for Religious Beliefs

and Gender Context
Source: Data from Lee and Ono (2012).
When couples cohabit in cultures that are not accepting of that practice,
their eventual marriages are more apt to end in divorce than cohabiting
couples in more accepting cultures. This was demonstrated in a study by
sociologist Yongjun Zhang (2017), who examined survey data from a

nationally representative sample of adults living in China. He found over
17,000 couples who married between 1980 and 2010, and he divided
them into two cohorts, those who married at a time that cohabitation was
not well tolerated (1980–1994) and those who married when cohabitation
was better tolerated (1995–2010), due to economic reforms in the
country. Zhang found that cohabitation before marriage was five times
higher in the post-reform cohort (5% versus 25%). More interesting was
that couples in the pre-reform cohort that cohabited before marriage were
more likely to divorce than couples in that cohort who did not cohabit
before marriage. This was not true of the couples in the post-reform
cohort; cohabitation had no effect on divorce rate. Zhang concluded that
when premarital cohabitation is not well tolerated in a culture, couples
who cohabit may feel pressure to eventually marry regardless of the

quality of their relationship, thus leading to unhappy marriages and
subsequent divorce. When cohabitation is better tolerated by a culture,

couples may feel free to end the relationship without marrying.
Other Issues in Cohabitation
On the topic of cohabitation, there are often more people involved in the
relationship than just the couple. In the United States today, 25% of
babies are born to cohabiting couples. Researchers have begun to look
into such matters as the differences between cohabiting families and
married families, and the effect the parents’ marital status has on the
children. Again, the difference seems to be whether the cohabiting couple
ultimately marries or not. Those who marry before the child’s fifth
birthday (when the study ended), reported the same relationship quality
as parents who were married when the child was born. Those who
continued cohabiting (and those who broke up) during that 5-year period
reported lower levels of relationship quality (McClain & Brown, 2017).
My conclusion from this is that the success of a couples’ partnership and
parenting depends more on commitment than whether they are officially
married or not, and life is easier for these couples (and families) when
they live in a culture that is accepting of their personal choices to either
marry or cohabit.
These studies are focused on young adults—the age group most likely to
cohabit—but they are not the only group in the United States to choose
living together in intimate partnerships without being married. More and
more adults who are 50 years of age and older are joining this group,
increasing from 2.3% to 4% in the past decade (Stepler, 2017a). This is
partly due to an increase in the divorce rate for this age and also an
increase in the number of people who have never married. Interestingly,
cohabiting results in a better outcome for older men than for older
women. Women over age 50 report the same amount of depressive
symptoms and perceived stress whether they are married, cohabiting,
dating, or unpartnered, while men who cohabited reported fewer
depressive symptoms than those who were dating, unpartnered, or
married. Researchers suggested that older women may not get the same
benefit from being in any kind of partnership because their gender roles
include caregiving, while men this age are more likely to be the care
recipients (Wright & Brown, 2017).

6.3.3: Same-Sex Marriages and
Partnerships
Objective: Characterize the long-term relationships of same-sex
couples
In a recent Gallup poll, 4.1% of people interviewed identified as lesbian,
gay, bisexual, or transgender (LGBT+), up from 3.5% 4 years earlier. This
increase was driven by millennials, the cohort of people born between
1980 and 1998 who make up about a third of the U.S. population. Figure
6.9  shows the proportion of each birth cohort who identify as LGBT+.
With each younger cohort, more of its members said “yes” when asked if
they personally identified as lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender. Why
the increase? One reason is that this is the first generation to grow up in a
social climate where the majority of people reported positive feelings
toward the LGBT+ community. Millennials are also more comfortable

giving out personal information on surveys.
Figure 6.9 Proportion of Population Self-Identifying as LGBT+, by

Birth Cohort
Source: Gates, 2016
Long-lasting, committed relationships between same-sex partners are

very common today, and gay and lesbian partners have been able to
legally marry throughout the United States since 2015. As of this writing,
one in 10 LGBT+ Americans is married to a same-sex partner, and the
majority (61%) of same-sex cohabiting partners are married (Masci et al.,
2017). Researchers have begun to study married and cohabiting couples
from the LGBT+ community to compare them with heterosexual couples
and also to find effective methods to use with same-sex couples who seek
counseling (Filmore et al., 2016). In a landmark longitudinal study of gay,
lesbian, and heterosexual married and cohabiting couples, psychologist

Lawrence Kurdek (2004) found that the factors that influence relationship
quality and stability for the various categories of couples was essentially
the same.
More recently, researchers at the Gottman Institute followed over 100
same-sex couples who sought relationship therapy at their institute.

Standard couple counseling increased the relationship satisfaction
measures significantly, and results were apparent in even fewer sessions

than is usually found with heterosexual couples. The researchers
suggested that one of the reasons for this difference was that same-sex
couples have less gender inequality and fewer gender role differences.
They are socialized similarly and share more similar communication
styles. They show more humor, kindness, and positivity when discussing
disagreements and use fewer hostile and controlling emotional tactics. In

addition, same-sex couples continue to keep alive play, fun, and sex in
their long-term relationships and report a greater level of satisfaction with

their sexual relations and leisure-time activities together. The researchers
concluded that although same-sex couples in this study had similar

conflict and relationship issues as heterosexual couples, it was possible to
restore relationship satisfaction in a shorter amount of time (Garanzini et
al., 2017).
Similarities and Differences between Same-
Sex and Heterosexual Couples
Same-sex couples and different-sex couples are similar in many ways.
They fall in love, worry about the long-term outcome of their
relationships, and enjoy legal status as a recognized couple. Both partners

probably work outside the home, and they divide up household chores
and financial responsibilities. Regardless of couple type, the one who
makes the most money usually does the least around the house. The
stereotypes that same-sex partners take on “male” and “female” roles have
not been supported by research (Harman, 2011). And although gay-

friendly neighborhoods or “gayborhoods” do exist, a recent poll showed
that only 12% of LGBT+ Americans report that they live in such a place
(Brown, 2017).
There are still differences in the degree of openness same-sex partners

express about being gay and being in a relationship. In one study,
researchers interviewed gay and lesbian couples about how they
presented their relationships to friends, family members, and coworkers
and how satisfied they were with their partners. Then they asked the
couples to discuss a problem area in their relationships. They found that
couples who were more open about their relationships reported greater
satisfaction with their partners and also treated each other with more
positive emotions when they discussed problem areas in their
relationships (Clausell & Roisman, 2009). This research illustrates

another way that same-sex couples differ from different-sex couples: Few
heterosexual people feel a need to hide their sexual orientation or their
intimate partnerships from others. The resulting loss of social support and
contact with important friends and family members seemingly takes a toll
on same-sex relationships in a way that it often does not affect different-
sex couples.
One more difference in same-sex relationships is contending with
physical violence. Members of the LGBT+ community are more apt to be
victims of violence, especially transgender women. One study showed
that in comparison with their heterosexual siblings, gay and lesbian

adults reported experiencing significantly more violence over their
lifetimes—more childhood psychological and physical abuse by parents,
more childhood sexual abuse, more psychological and physical
victimization in adulthood, and more sexual assault in adulthood (Balsam
et al., 2005). Social stigma and discrimination are still more common for
this group, and many face rejection from family, neighbors, and
coworkers, the source of social support for most others. These stressors
lead to high rates of health problems, as well as high levels of psychiatric
disorders, substance abuse, and suicide (U.S. Department of Health and

Human Services, 2017).
Although these studies by no means present a complete picture of gay
and lesbian partnerships, they feature creative, solid research that gives
us valuable information. Perhaps the most important finding is that
homosexual relationships are far more similar to heterosexual

relationships than they are different. Many last a lifetime. The human
urge to commit to another person in an intimate relationship (and

perhaps to raise children together) is as evident in homosexual
relationships as it is in heterosexual relationships.
6.4: Relationships with Other Family
Members
Objective: Analyze the ways that family interactions influence
adulthood experiences
Defining “family” is not an easy task. Each time I find a definition, I

realize that it doesn’t apply to my particular family group, or to the family
that lives next door to me. It’s not so much that we are unusual, but that
family is a hard concept to pin down with a definition that includes all the
people we consider family. We have biological relatives, adopted
relatives, and step- and half-relatives. Some of us have close friends who
function as family members. Then there is the situation of ex-family
members, and who knows what will happen when surrogate mothers and
sperm-donor fathers are considered! Personally, I like the solution
suggested by gerontologist Rosemary Blieszner (2000), who writes that
when it comes to researching family relationships, “It is not possible to
identify family members via external observation. Rather, individuals

must specify the members of their own families” (p. 92). Presumably, like
beauty, family is in the eye of the beholder.
My guess is that your version of “family” may be complicated too.
Unfortunately, research on family relationships in adulthood has not yet
caught up to this complexity. Most attention has been directed to parent–
child relationships, with less emphasis on sibling relationships or
grandparent–grandchild links. There is essentially no information

available on relationships between stepsiblings or in-laws (let alone
former in-laws). In the future, I hope we will see explorations of a
broader array of “family” connections and their effects on adult
development.

will be able to:
6.4.1 Identify ways that families maintain intergenerational solidarity
6.4.2 Describe common parent interactions with adult children
6.4.3 Characterize grandparent–grandchild relationships
6.4.4 Explain how sibling relationships change over time

6.4.1: General Patterns of Family
Interaction
Objective: Identify ways that families maintain intergenerational
solidarity
When my youngest child moved out of the house at age 18, I admit that I
experienced a few moments of panic. Would he ever come back to see us?
Why would he? He had a comfortable apartment, he was a good cook, he
knew how to do his own laundry, and he had a good income. But Sunday
rolled around, and there he was, sitting at the dining room table with my
husband and me, his grandparents, his sister and her husband, and his 2-
year-old nephew. And he has been there almost every Sunday since, for
over 30 years, first bringing his girlfriend (who later became his wife),
and then his children. For a number of years, he was a single dad raising
two sons, and the three of them regularly graced our dinner table.
Recently he has added a new wife to the group and her teenage son. And
I know why. Because we are family, and once a week we touch base,
catch up on the news, and recharge our batteries for the coming week.
During the 1970s and 1980s, social scientists grappled with the idea that
nuclear families  (parents and their children) in the United States were
in danger of being isolated from their extended families  (grandparents,
aunts and uncles, cousins). The reason for their concern was that young
families had become more mobile than ever before, moving across the
country to seek out job opportunities that were not available in their
hometowns. But closer examination showed that although the mobility
was a fact of family life, the isolation was not. Families find ways to
maintain intergenerational solidarity , or emotional cohesion between
the generations, even when some members live far away.
Sociologists have theorized that the quality of family relationships can be
evaluated on six dimensions of emotional cohesion (Bengtson &
Schrader, 1982). This theory of intergenerational solidarity states that
family relationships depend on:
Associational solidarity—how often family members interact with each
other and what types of activities they do together.
Affectional solidarity—how positive the sentiments are that family
members hold for each other and whether those sentiments are
returned.
Consensual solidarity—how well family members hold the same
values, attitudes, and beliefs.
Functional solidarity—how much family members do for each other in
terms of services or assistance.

Normative solidarity—how much family members feel a part of the
family group and identify with each other.

Intergenerational family structure—how many family members there
are, how they are related, and how close they live to each other.
According to this theory, family members can be very close if they have
frequent interactions, feel a great deal of affection toward each other,
share basic attitudes and opinions, help each other when help is needed,
agree with the basic beliefs of the family unit, and have the means to
interact with each other (either living close together or having access to
communication technology). To the extent that any of these factors is not

present, the relationships will be less close.
6.4.2: Parent–Child Relationships in
Adulthood
Objective: Describe common parent interactions with adult
children
One big question in the study of parent–child relationships in adulthood
is, “What happens to the attachment bond from childhood?” Does it end,
leaving independent adult children ready to form new and different
relationships with their parents? Or does it continue, with adjustments

made for the adult status of the child? Bowlby (1969) claimed that
attachment diminished during adolescence and then disappeared, except
in times of illness or extreme distress. This attachment is often transferred
to romantic partners. One attachment theorist puts it this way: “If
children are eventually to form their own households, their bonds of
attachment to the parents must become attenuated and eventually end.

Otherwise, independent living would be emotionally troubling. The
relinquishing of attachment to parents appears to be of central
importance among the individuation-achieving processes of late
adolescence and early adulthood” (Weiss, 1986, p. 100).
Other theorists have suggested that attachment between parents and
their children does not decline in adolescence, but changes slightly in
form (Cicirelli, 1991). Instead of physical proximity being the key,

communication becomes important. In adulthood, children and parents
are capable of substituting symbols of each other (memories, photos,

family heirlooms) for their physical presence and communicating through
phone calls, text messages, social media, occasional visits, and other
communications. I think my experiences and probably yours fit this
explanation, and so do the data from recent studies.
Most adult children and their parents live near each other, have frequent
contact, report feeling emotionally close, and share similar opinions.
Studies of middle-aged adults have shown that most middle-aged parents
have daily contact with their adult children and about 85% have at least
weekly contact. This frequency has increased over the past 25 years, most
likely due to the convenience and affordability of cell phones, text
messages, e-mail, and other innovations (Fingerman et al., 2016).
Population researcher Ori Rubin (2015) surveyed over 1,200 adult
children and their parents in the Netherlands and asked about how often
they saw each other face-to-face and how often they were in touch via
telecommunication. As the bar on the left in Figure 6.10  shows, the
majority of adult children surveyed saw their parents face-to-face at least
once a month, with the largest percentage seeing them weekly. The bar
on the right in Figure 6.10  shows that the majority of adult children
surveyed contacted their parents via some type of telecommunications at

least once a week.
Figure 6.10 Percentage of Adult Children Seeing Parents or

Telecommunicating Weekly
Source: Rubin, 2015
Affection
According to Bengtson’s theory of intergenerational solidarity, affection is
an important component in family relationships. Mutual expressions of
affection between family members are often seen as a measure of how
close the relationship is and how it is progressing. For example, young
children often perceive their parents’ affection as a finite resource, and

when they observe their parents expressing affection to their siblings,
they fear that there won’t be enough left for themselves. This implicit
belief is thought to fade away as the child becomes more cognitively
mature and realizes that a parent’s love is not a concrete, tangible
commodity and that the old saying is true, that “parents’ hearts expand to
hold all their children.” However, a study by communication researchers
Kory Floyd and Mark T. Morman (2005) shows that remnants of this
belief still can be found in emerging adulthood.
Middle-aged fathers (average age 51) and their adult sons (average age
23) were asked how much affection the fathers expressed for their sons
through either verbal statements (such as saying “I love you”), direct
nonverbal gestures (such as hugging or kissing), or supportive behaviors
(doing favors for them). The sons’ responses depended on how many
siblings they had—those who had no siblings reported receiving the most
affection from their fathers, and those with many siblings reported
receiving the least. In contrast, the fathers’ reports of affection expressed
toward their sons were not affected by the number of children in the
family. Does this show that parental love is spread too thin when one has
several children? Not really. What it more likely shows is that there can
be real differences between children’s perceptions of relationship quality
and that of their parents, and that adult children who have to share a
parent can believe they are being slighted when the parents’ perception is
quite different.
Another important component of intergenerational solidarity, according
to Bengtson, is consensual solidarity, agreeing on values, attitudes, and
beliefs. It is presumed that children will learn these lessons from their
parents, but there is also evidence that parents’ values, attitudes, and
beliefs can be broadened by their adult children. A longitudinal study of
older adults in the Netherlands demonstrated that the lifestyles and
experiences the adult children introduce to their parents have an effect on
the parents’ attitudes in late adulthood. Sociologists Anne Rigt-Poortman
and Theo van Tilburg (2005) surveyed 1,700 men and women who were
between 70 and 100 years of age, asking them about their beliefs
concerning gender equality and moral issues. They also asked questions
about the unconventional life experiences of their own parents (whether
their mothers had been employed outside the home or either parent had
previously been divorced) and their children (whether they had cohabited
or divorced, whether their daughters worked or their sons did not work).
Older people whose children had cohabited or divorced tended to be
more progressive in their beliefs about gender role equality and their
moral attitudes toward voluntary childlessness, abortion, and euthanasia
than those whose adult children had not cohabited or divorced.

Interestingly, the older adults were not influenced by how
unconventional their own parents had been, or else they were no longer
under the influence of childhood experiences that had occurred 70 or 80
years earlier.
The authors of this study suggested that parents whose adult children are
demonstrating unconventional behavior, such as cohabiting or divorcing,

face the decision to either change their attitudes or risk distancing
themselves from their child. In a larger sense, the authors suggested, the
influence young adults have on their parents in this respect is an

important mechanism of social change whereby younger members of
society, who are more apt to be influenced by cultural change, can pass
their attitudes on to the older members of society, thus bringing greater
progress to the overall group.

The Effects of Late-Life Divorce
Although the overall divorce rate in the United States has remained stable
or even dropped over the last 25 years, the divorce rate among couples 50
years of age and older has doubled. Many of these were remarriages,
which are more apt to end in divorce than first marriages, but one-third
were couples married 30 years or more and one in 10 were couples who
had been married 40 years or more (Stepler, 2017a). Although few, if any,
had young children living with them, most had adult children. What are
the effects of having parents divorce when you are an adult?
Communication researchers Jenna Abetz and Tiffany R. Wang (2017)
interviewed 19 adults whose parents had divorced after the participants

had moved out of the family home. The age range when they were
interviewed was 23–59 years, and their parents had divorced when they
were 18–37 years. This qualitative study brought out four problem areas.
Click or tap each tab to learn more about each of the four problem areas.
Effects of Parent’s Divorce During Adulthood

Parents of young children who are going through a divorce are usually
careful to keep the children away from their arguments and accusations
and to keep their lives as stable as possible. It seems that this
consideration should be extended to adult children. Even if they are living
away from the family home and have families of their own, the way their
divorcing parents behave toward them and the expectations their parents
have of them can change their relationships and perceptions of their
parents. It can also change their attitudes toward marriage and their own
risk of marital problems and divorce (Murray & Kardatzke, 2009).
Dealing with Adult Children in Crisis
Unfortunately, not all children outgrow their childhood problems, and
others acquire problems in adulthood. What effect does this have on
older parents? Is there an age that parents can quit feeling responsible for
their children’s problems? Apparently not, at least not for most parents. A
major cause of distress for middle-aged and older adults is the problems
their adult children are having (Fingerman et al., 2016). Children’s
problems are a primary cause for depressive symptoms and worry in
older adults, especially when those problems stem from the adult child’s
own behavior and lifestyle, such as substance abuse or incarceration
(Birditt et al., 2010).
Developmental psychologist Karen L. Fingerman and her colleagues
(2012) investigated the cumulative effects of multiple adult children on
older parents for both positive and negative events. One general question
was whether having a successful child caused an increase in well-being

that matched the distress caused by a child with problems. The answer
was that successful children did not have the same positive impact on
their parents’ lives as children with problems had in the negative
direction. In other words, parents tend to react to negative events
concerning their children more than to positive events. Another question
concerned what cumulative effect children with problems and successful
children had on their parents. The researchers found that just one child
with problems had an effect on the parents’ well-being, but that one
successful child did not have the same effect—it takes many successful
children to have an impact on parents’ well-being. Fingerman and her
colleagues concluded that the old adage is correct: Parents are only as
happy as their least happy child.

6.4.3: Grandparent–Grandchild
Relationships
Objective: Characterize grandparent–grandchild relationships
Families have fewer children today than in generations past, and more
older adults are living into late adulthood, which means that more of
today’s grandchildren and grandparents are enjoying a special
relationship that extends into the grandchild’s adult years (Antonucci et
al., 2007). However, these relationships can differ a lot depending on the
age of the grandchildren, the health of the grandparents, the distance
between their residences, and many other factors. Still, we have some
general information about these relationships.
We know that grandparents spend more time with younger
grandchildren, but discuss more personal concerns with older

grandchildren (Kemp, 2005). Grandparents report the same affection for
their granddaughters as for their grandsons (Mansson & Booth-
Butterfield, 2011). Married grandfathers have more interaction with their
grandchildren than widowed grandfathers (Knudsen, 2012). About one of
four grandparents name at least one adult grandchild in the innermost
circle of their social convoy, most often a grandchild that they had an
intense relationship with when they were a child (Geurts et al., 2012). In
recent decades, grandfathers seem to have joined grandmothers in having

nurturing relationships with their grandchildren. This can include being a
surrogate parent, financial provider, playmate, advice giver, and family

historian (Bates & Goodsell, 2013). Not only is this of benefit to the
grandchildren, but it also benefits the grandfather’s own mental health
and well-being (Bates & Taylor, 2012).
In a study that included interviews with both grandparents and adult
grandchildren, sociologist Candace Kemp (2005) found that adult
grandchildren and their grandparents view their relationships as a safety
net—a potential source of support that provides security even though it
may never be tapped. Both generations reported that they “just knew”
that if they needed help, the other would be there for them. Actual help
was common also, with grandparents providing college tuition and funds
to help adult grandchildren buy homes and grandchildren helping with
transportation and household chores. Adult grandchildren represent the
future to their grandparents and give them a feeling of accomplishment;
grandparents represent the past to their grandchildren, holding the keys
to personal history and identity. It seems clear that adult grandchildren
and their grandparents are able to build on their early years and develop
unique relationships together in adulthood.
In a study several years ago, college students were asked to rank their
grandparents according to the time they spent with them, the resources
the grandparents shared with them, and the emotional closeness they felt
to them. For all three categories, students ranked their mother’s mothers
the highest, followed by their mother’s fathers, their father’s mothers, and
their father’s fathers (DeKay, 2000). The results are shown in Figure
6.11 . The same pattern has been found in many similar studies, and I
don’t think anyone would find it very surprising—in fact, I would have
responded the same way about my grandparents at that age. However,
psychologists W. Todd DeKay and Todd Shackelford (2000) explained
these data using an evolutionary psychology perspective. They argue that

the grandparents’ rankings reflect the relative confidence each
grandparent has, although not always conscious, that the grandchild is

truly his or her biological descendant and as a result will carry their genes
into a new generation.
Figure 6.11 How College Students Rate Their Grandparents
College students rate their maternal grandmothers highest on the time

spent together, resources provided, and emotional closeness, followed by
maternal grandfathers, paternal grandmothers, and last paternal
grandfathers.
Source: From DeKay (2000).
Of course I can generate other reasons to explain why the mother’s
parents are perceived to invest more in the relationship with their

grandchildren. Perhaps the young couple settled closer to the wife’s
parents than the husband’s parents and it is due to proximity. Perhaps the
mother, as kinkeeper, is more attuned to promoting the relationship

between her children and her parents than her husband is with his
parents. Perhaps the younger family is more similar to the maternal

grandparents in traditions, social practices, and family customs because
the wife usually promotes these things. Or perhaps we do base our

emotional relationships on the probability that some grandchildren carry
our genes and others may not.

Caregiving
Increasing numbers of grandparents take over the residential care of their
grandchildren when the parents are not able to, but many grandparents
also serve as informal caregivers when their grandchildren live in single-
parent families or families in which both parents work.
This is quite common in my neighborhood, and probably in yours, too. I
often pick up my 10-year-old grandson at school, and I notice that the
“parent pickup line” can easily be taken for the “grandparent pickup line.”
Many of the cars waiting for the bell to ring are driven by people my age.
And on Lunch with Parents Day these same grandparents are there to
have lunch with their grandchildren—most because the parents are at
work some distance away and the grandparent is either retired or, in my
case, has a more flexible schedule. This is considered informal care
because the children don’t live with us full time and we don’t get paid (at
least not in money).
Recently attention has turned to the role of grandparents in times of
family crisis. Can grandparents “level the playing field” when
grandchildren are at risk for social and emotional problems due to the
divorce of their parents or subsequent remarriage? And, more timely, can
grandparents help fill the gap that occurs when their unmarried daughters
have children? In a study of over 900 grandchildren who were emerging
adults (18 to 23 years of age), researchers found that those who had lived
with a single parent or in stepparent homes had fewer depressive

symptoms when they had a strong relationship with a grandparent (Ruiz
& Silverstein, 2007). Another study of 324 emerging adults showed that
the quality of their relationships with maternal grandmothers predicted
their psychological adjustment following their parents’ divorce
(Henderson et al., 2009).
In a similar study, social work researcher Shalhevet Attar-Schwartz and
her colleagues (Attar-Schwartz et al., 2009) questioned over 1,500 high
school students in England and Wales, asking about the contact they had
with their grandparents and their family structure. Information was also
gathered about problems with school conduct and with peers. The kids in
single-parent homes had the same level of involvement with their
grandparents as kids in two-parent homes. However, when the problems
of students in single-parent homes were compared to those of students in
two-parent homes, the level of contact with the grandparents became
important. Figure 6.12  shows that adolescents in single-parent homes
with low levels of involvement with grandparents had more difficulties
with school conduct and peers than those who had high levels of
involvement with grandparents. According to this research, it is possible

for grandparents to “level the playing field,” at least for kids who are at
risk for social problems as a result of living in single-parent homes.
Figure 6.12 School and Conduct Difficulties Among Teenagers, by

Grandparental Involvement
Teenagers who live in single-parent homes have fewer difficulties and
distress with school and peers if they have a close relationship with their
grandparents. Those in two-parent homes showed few differences in
difficulties based on grandparent involvement.
Source: Attar-Schwartz et al., 2009
In the studies of at-risk grandchildren faring better when they had a close
relationship with grandparents, it is important to reiterate that there was

no difference between the grandparent–grandchild relationships for
single-parent families and two-parent families. The difference was in the
benefits of these relationships in times of trouble. Adolescents and

emerging adults from single-parent homes who had close relationships
with grandparents were more apt to have fewer social problems than kids
from those single-parent homes who were not close to their
grandparents.
The Grandmother Effect
These last studies are good illustrations of a hypothesis offered by
evolutionary psychologists and evolutionary anthropologists called the
grandmother effect  (Hawkes et al., 1997). This suggests that the
presence of grandmothers (especially maternal grandmothers) has been a
predictor of children’s survival throughout recorded history. This

hypothesis states that the trait of longevity (especially for women) has
been favored in our species by natural selection because social groups
that had more grandparents had an advantage in that the older members
of the group helped with the birthing of the babies and the childcare
(nest-tending tasks) and also provided knowledge and wisdom to the

younger members of the group, making their survival more likely (Coall
& Hertwig, 2011).
One current-day example of the grandmother effect comes from a
longitudinal study in the Netherlands that followed three generations of

families for 10 years (Kaptin et al., 2010). They found that parents who
received childcare assistance from the children’s grandparents were more
apt to have more children in the next 10 years than parents who did not
have this assistance. Because the Netherlands has such a low birthrate,
these results were of particular interest in that country, but it also shows
how older men and women, past reproductive age themselves, can have
an effect on the birthrate of their group.

Another study showed how older people impart important knowledge
and wisdom to the younger people in their cultural group. In 2004, a
tsunami struck near Thailand and Burma, and the Moken people, who
lived on islands near the coast, were able to survive because their elders
knew how to read the signs of the sea and urged the group to flee to high
ground, thus avoiding disaster (Greve & Bjorklund, 2009).
Anthropologist Sarah B. Hrdy (2011) contends that we mothers have
never raised our children alone, that we have always had help by
members of our social group, and I believe this is true. Although these
helpers are not always kin, one type of related helper who is often
available and willing to help is the children’s grandmother. Hrdy
described a grandmother as “a mother’s ace in the hole.” I know this
describes my grandmother, and I hope my daughters-in-law will say that
it describes me.
6.4.4: Relationships with Siblings
Objective: Explain how sibling relationships change over time
Our relationships with siblings are the longest-lasting relationships we
have. The great majority of adults have at least one living sibling.
Descriptions of sibling relationships in everyday conversation range from
exceptional closeness, to mutual apathy, to enduring rivalry. Although
rivalry and apathy certainly both exist, moderate emotional closeness is
the most common pattern. It is really quite unusual for a person to lose
contact completely with a sibling in adulthood. Until the late 1990s,
research on sibling relationships was limited to childhood and
adolescence, but now there is a body of research investigating the
importance of this relationship in middle and late adulthood (Suitor et al.,
2016).
Adult siblings have better relationships if they feel they have been treated
fairly by their parents, with no favoritism (Boll et al., 2005). Their
memories of childhood fairness are more important in this regard than
current fairness (Suitor et al., 2009). The strongest sibling relationships in

adulthood are enjoyed by people who are single and those who have no
children (Connidis, 2009). And, if you are a woman who is lucky enough
to have a sister (I have three!), it will be no surprise to you that two
sisters are the closest, followed by a brother-and-sister pair and then by
two brothers. Once again, it is women—mothers, wives, sisters—who are

usually the kinkeepers and who usually provide the family with
nurturance and emotional support.
Sibling relationships are important in early adulthood in that they can
help compensate for poor relationships with parents. Psychologist Avidan
Milevsky (2005) surveyed over 200 men and women between the ages of
19 and 33, asking questions about their relationships with their siblings,
their parents, and their peers. They were also given questions to measure
their loneliness, depression, self-esteem, and life satisfaction. Those who
had low support from their parents had significantly higher well-being
scores if they were compensated with high levels of social support from
their siblings. Figure 6.13  shows the well-being scores for the
participants who had low parental support. Those with high sibling
support scored significantly lower on the depression and loneliness
measures and significantly higher on the self-esteem and life-satisfaction
measures than participants who had low sibling support.
Figure 6.13 Measures of Well-Being
Young adults with low levels of parental support score better on four
measures of well-being.
Source: Data from Milevsky (2005).

Young adult siblings also provide direct support to their younger brothers
and sisters; in fact, they are the third line of defense for childrearing, after
parents and grandparents (Derby & Ayala, 2013). They demonstrate a

high degree of ability to function as surrogate parents, especially if they
have help from friends and neighbors.

Siblings as Adults
Relationships with siblings decline in importance during the childrearing
years. It is suggested that during this time, adults concentrate on their
children and their careers, leaving little time or energy to foster
relationships with siblings. But even when these relationships are not
foremost in adults’ minds, they remain positive and supportive (Neyer,

2002).
In later adulthood, siblings become central to each other again,
intensifying their bonds and offering each other support in their later
years. Sociologist Deborah Gold (1996) interviewed a group of older

adults about their relationships with their sisters and brothers over their
adult years. The respondents were 65 years of age or older, had at least
one living sibling, had been married at some point in their lives, had
children, and were living independently in the community.
Gold asked about how various life events during adulthood might have
contributed to the change in closeness between the sibling pairs. She
found that events in early adulthood, especially marriage and the arrival
of children, resulted in distance between siblings. In middle adulthood,
events tended to bring siblings closer together, especially the deaths of
their parents. Late adulthood further increased closeness. Retirement
brought more free time to spend together and reunited some siblings
whose jobs had required them to live far apart. Loss of spouse or illness
brought siblings to help “fill in the blanks.” Finally, in older adulthood,

some siblings reported being the only surviving members of their family
of origin and the only ones to share family memories.
To be fair, 18% of the respondents reported becoming more emotionally
distant from their siblings with time. Some went through the typical
distancing in early adulthood and never got back together; others had
hoped life events would bring renewed closeness and were disappointed
that they did not, especially when they had anticipated more help during
bad times such as widowhood or illness.

6.5: Friendships in Adulthood
Objective: Evaluate the ways friendship circles affect adulthood
Developmental psychologist Dorothy Field (1999) defined friendship  as
“a voluntary social relationship carried out within a social context” (p.
325). She went on to stress the discretionary aspect of friendship; unlike

other relationships, it depends not on proximity or blood ties or
institutionalized norms, but on personal reasons that vary from individual
to individual. As vague as the concept of friendship may be, it is still an
important one, and although most of the developmental attention has
been focused on friendships in childhood and adolescence, there have
been a number of studies in the last decade or so that examine this topic
in adulthood.

will be able to:
6.5.1 Explain how friendship networks change over time
6.5.2 Analyze the friendship functions of social media

6.5.1: Friendship Networks
Objective: Explain how friendship networks change over time
Family networks stay stable in size over adulthood, but friendship
networks are large in emerging adulthood and young adulthood as we

seek out friends to explore our identities, establish ourselves in the work
world, and establish a family of our own. However, once middle age
arrives and we are focused on our partners and children, the number of
people in our friendship networks starts declining, and that continues

until the end of life. Not only do older adults have smaller friendship
networks, but they also have less contact with their friends (Antonucci et
al., 2009).
Social connection with friends brings us more than just a pleasant way to
spend our time. Research in the last few decades has revealed that social
connectedness is a leading factor in our health, well-being, and longevity
(Carmichael et al., 2015). A number of studies have shown that having
poor social connections was a bigger factor in premature death than
tobacco use, obesity, and excessive alcohol use (Holt-Lunstad et al.,

2010).
Psychologist Cheryl L. Carmichael and her colleagues (2015) located 129
middle-aged adults who had been part of a research study on social
relationships when they were university undergraduates. These
participants had been assessed again when they were in their 30s.
Carmichael and her colleagues asked these participants, who were now in
their 50s, to complete an online survey about their current social network.
The questions involved the quantity of friends they had (number) and the
quality of those friendships (how close they were). Comparing the
responses to those they had given in their 20s and in their 30s, the
researchers found that both the quantity and quality of their social
relationships predicted their social relationships in their 50s and also their
psychological well-being. Those who had more friends and closer
friendships in young adulthood were more apt to be less lonely and
depressed in middle age.
Attachment theory has also been applied to friendships. Young adults
who are identified as being insecurely attached (either
preoccupied/anxious or dismissing/avoidant) reported that they felt less
close to the members of their friendship group than those who had more
secure attachment styles (preoccupied/anxious). Gallath and colleagues
(2017) concluded that those with preoccupied/anxious attachment may
perceive their friends as less close because they have a high desire for
acceptance and excessive reassurance and that they actually pushed

people away with their need for closeness. People with a
dismissing/avoidant attachment style, who worry about trust and

reliance, may strive not to depend on their friends lest they be
disappointed. These findings on friendship ties show that attachment

style not only extends into adulthood in terms of romantic relationships,
but also friendships.
In later life, friendship networks are also important to health. Older

people who have a good number of friends are better able to deal with
age-related health problems and less likely to suffer from physical health
problems and early death (Smith & Christakis, 2008). Having friends in
later adulthood brings material aid, instrumental aid, and problem-
solving help. It also provides emotional support, self-esteem, a sense of

being important to others, and a decreased risk of mental health
disorders. Physical health is also enhanced due to social contact. Studies
show that receiving social support reduces blood pressure and lowers
stress-related hormones (Cornwell & Shafer, 2016).
Friendship Factors and Influences
Factors that influence friendship networks throughout adulthood are
gender, race, and education. Women have larger friendship networks
than men at all age levels, and women are more often named as friends
by both other women and men. When asked which friends they receive
support from, women typically name a number of people; men tend to

name their wives. African American people have smaller friendship
groups that contain more family members, but they have more contact
with them than do white people. People in higher socioeconomic groups
have larger numbers of overall friends, but the same number of close
friends as people in lower socioeconomic groups. And men with

professional jobs have friends from a wider geographic area than men
who are skilled workers (Ajrouch et al., 2005).
Most of this research is based on the benefits one receives from their
friendship network, but there are also physical, emotional, and social
benefits one gets from giving support to friends. A few studies show that
the most rewarding type of giving happens when it is freely chosen and
when it is perceived to be effective (Inagaki & Orchek, 2017).
Researchers have found that friendships are not totally positive and
worry-free. Although it is not a surprise that people would feel
ambivalent about some family relationships, or even about one’s spouse
because those are generally constant members of one’s social convoy,
some people report that friends can cause mixed feelings, especially when
they give unasked-for support and unsolicited advice. These feelings are
not bad enough to end the friendship, but can be a source of stress in a
relationship that should serve as protection from stress (Krause, 2007).

6.5.2: Social Media Friends
Objective: Analyze the friendship functions of social media
Another type of friendship is through social media, which allows users to
interact with others from the comfort of their computers or smartphones.

It gives the benefit of widening our social networks to include those we
could seldom have face-to-face conversations with because of the
distance, and also those we only want a brief word with every now and
then. Click or tap “Next” to learn more about how social media,
specifically Facebook, have impacted the lives of young, middle-aged, and
older adults
Adults and Social Media

I was fortunate that my father was interested in technology and was an
early user of e-mail when he was in his 80s. He had complained that he
had no male friends left—they had either died or moved away to be with
relatives. He kept busy driving my mother and her women friends to
water aerobics and to their Red Hat luncheons, and they even made him
an honorary member, but he missed his buddies. With e-mail, he was

able to connect with his brother, who lived 60 miles away and no longer
drove. He also was in touch with a golfing friend who had moved across
the country to live with his daughter and with his brother-in-law who was
several states away taking care of his wife with dementia. Another benefit
(to me) was that his hearing difficulties did not interfere with e-mail like
they did with telephone conversations. He had lost the ability to hear
high-pitched voices, and he had four daughters. So for the last years of
his life our family felt blessed with social technology.

Social Media Around the World
It came as a surprise to me to learn that a larger proportion of people who
have Internet access in developing countries, such as Indonesia (90%),
Malaysia (85%), and Nigeria (85%), are more likely to use social media
than people in developed countries, such as the U.S. (71%), Japan (51%),
and Germany (50%). This is shown in Figure 6.16 . Foreign policy

researcher Jacob Poushter (2016) suggests that the people in developing
countries are hungry for social interaction and have limited opportunity
for face-to-face communication due to poverty, lack of transportation, and
distances between towns. There is an age gap in social media use in
countries all over the world, developed or developing, with adults under
age 35 using it significantly more than those over 35.
Figure 6.16 Social Networking Popular Among Global Internet Users
Source: Poushter, 2016
To end on a high note (because I am a big fan of social media), I’d like to
share a study done by an international team of researchers. They were

interested in whether online relationships would help reduce prejudice
between groups previously in conflict. They chose 374 university students
in Serbia, Cyprus, and Croatia, who had been in the ethnic majority
(Serbs, Greek Cypriots, and Croats, respectively) in their countries. They
were questioned about their contact with people who were in the ethnic
minorities in their countries (Albanians, Turkish Cypriots, and Serbs,
respectively), both face-to-face or online. Then they were asked questions
about anxiety they might feel in the presence of a large number of people
from the ethnic minority, how much threat they perceived from the ethnic
minority, and positive attitudes toward the ethnic minority. The results
showed that online relationships contributed to more positive feelings
toward the minority group in their countries, over and above the
contribution made by face-to-face contacts. This was true for the overall
group and, separately, for the participants in each country. The authors
agree that direct, face-to-face contact would be ideal for reaching
agreements and achieving a deep level of understanding between the two
groups who have a history of conflict, but when that is not possible, social
networking sites provide an opportunity to communicate between
opposing groups (Žeželj et al., 2017).
Many changes occur in all kinds of relationships over the adult years. We
conclude with a table of changes that occur in major types of
relationships over the adult years. Click or tap to expand or collapse each
characteristic to learn more about the changes in relationships over
adulthood.
Review of Changes in Relationships over Adulthood

Summary: Social Relationships
6.1 Theories of Social Relationships

Objective: Compare theories of social relationships
Attachment theory was originally formulated to explain the
relationship between infants and their parents. Subsequent

hypotheses suggested that the attachments formed in infancy were
relatively permanent and were reflected in other relationships later in
life.
Other theories of social relationships include the convoy model,
which considers the group of significant people who travel with us in
our lives at different points in time. Socioemotional theory states that

as people grow older, they prefer to have a few close, emotional
relationships instead of many more casual relationships. Another
explanation for the importance of social relationships is provided by
evolutionary psychology, stating that the tendency to bond together
with similar people is a genetic mechanism passed down from our

primitive ancestors because it contributed to their survival and
reproductive success.
6.2 Establishing an Intimate Partnership

Objective: Determine how people choose intimate partners
Almost all adults experience relationships with intimate partners, and
the formalization of intimate partnerships is found in all cultures.
Most people of the world select their own partners. Some social
scientists hypothesize that establishing an intimate partnership is a
process that includes the lust system, the attraction system, and the
attachment system, each involving a separate neurotransmitter
system and pattern of brain activity.
The relationship with an intimate partner is typically the most central
relationship in adulthood. The process of partner selection has been
explained traditionally by filter theory and exchange theory. More

recently, evolutionary psychology suggests that people are attracted
to others based on physical signs of good health and potential
reproductive success.
6.3 Living in Intimate Partnerships

Objective: Evaluate the impact of intimate partnership on adulthood
experiences
Attachment theory has also been used to explain success in creating

romantic relationships. People who are classified as secure in their
attachment in childhood will also have longer-lasting, happier
romantic relationships than those who are in other, less secure

categories.
Longitudinal studies of couples that begin before marriage show early

predictors of problem marriages, even during the engagement period.
These include negative interactions, insults, lack of emotional

support, and sarcasm, which result in unhappy relationships and
ultimately divorce.
Many couples cohabit before marriage, and they have higher divorce
rates and lower levels of marital happiness than couples who marry
without cohabitating. However, when couples commit to marry and
then cohabit as an engaged couple, they have marriages as happy and
long-lasting as couples who marry without cohabiting. The difference

in happiness between married and cohabiting couples often depends
on how the culture views women’s roles and religion.

About 3–4% of the population identifies themselves as gay, lesbian,
bisexual, or transgender. Recently same-sex couples have been able

to marry in the United States and other countries, and others have
participated in commitment ceremonies to formalize their intimate
partnership. Recent research on the relationships of same-sex couples

shows that there are more similarities than differences when they are
compared to heterosexual couples.
6.4 Relationships with Other Family

Members
Objective: Analyze the ways that family interactions influence adulthood
experi-ences
Interactions with adults and their parents occur at high and relatively
constant levels throughout adulthood. Most parents and adult
children have daily contact and 85% have at least weekly contact with
each other. This increase is due to the convenience and affordability
of communication technology, such as cell phones, texting, and e-

mail.
Late-life divorces are increasing, and a new issue for young and
middle-aged adults is dealing with parental divorce. The problem has
proved to be a serious one for many due to the realization that their
memories of a happy family may have been faulty, the new roles they
have to take on with their parents, the uncertainty about family
traditions and holidays, and feeling caught in the middle between
angry parents.
The problems of one’s children are always a cause for concern, even
when the children are adults. Major causes of distress for older
parents are children’s divorces, financial problems, and drug or
alcohol problems. Even one child with problems causes late-life

distress.
For the present generation, the grandparenting role is very broad and
depends on many factors, such as the ages of the grandparent and
grandchild, the distance between homes, and the relationship of the

grandparents and the children’s parents. Maternal grandparents are
usually closer than paternal grandparents, especially if parents
divorce. African American grandparents, especially grandmothers,
have a more central role in the family than white grandparents.
The relationship with maternal grandmothers is considered closest by

their grandchildren, followed by maternal grandfathers, paternal
grandmothers, and paternal grandfathers.
Studies have shown that good relationships with grandparents can
level the playing field for emerging adults who are at risk for social
problems. Evolutionary psychology suggests a grandmother effect,
pointing out that children with living grandmothers have been more
apt to survive into adulthood throughout recorded history.
In emerging adulthood and young adulthood, siblings may
compensate for low parental support. Siblings often enjoy close

relationships in adulthood, especially if they feel they have been
treated fairly by their parents in childhood. Strongest sibling
relationships are between sisters and those who are single or have no
children. Sibling relationships are strongest in late adulthood.
6.5 Friendships in Adulthood

Objective: Evaluate the ways friendship circles affect adulthood
Friendships are important in emerging adulthood and young

adulthood. Family relationships remain stable over the adult years,
but the numbers of personal friends and acquaintances decline.
Emerging adults and young adults count Facebook friends as part of
their social networks. Middle-aged adults and older adults tend to use
social media to interact with family members.
Key Terms: Social Relationships

Chapter 7
Work and Retirement
A designer works for a fashion agency.
7.1 Analyze the relationship between adulthood and work

7.2 Describe sociocultural influences on career choice
7.3 Relate age to workplace experiences
7.4 Analyze the relationship between work and personal life
7.5 Evaluate retirement practices
A Word from the Author: Work World Then and Now
My husband has worked in the same job for over 40 years. It was
the first job he took after graduate school, and he plans to retire
from it in the next few years. So you can imagine the surprise
when our daughter came home a few years ago to introduce us to
her new boyfriend, Vinnie, who at 30 was on his third job since
graduating from college. Once we got over the shock, we realized
that in all other respects, he was a great guy. He was bright and
hardworking. He was happy to meet our large extended family
and got thumbs-up ratings from all of them—young and old. He
pitched in with the dishes on Sunday night, and he was a Red Sox
fan. Best of all, he seemed to adore Heidi. As we got to know
him, we realized that his career choice, Web designer, was very
different from being a tenured professor. First, Vinnie didn’t
exactly work in an office. He worked at home and sometimes he
worked at our house on his laptop when an emergency came up

and he was visiting. Second, he didn’t exactly have one job. He
worked for an agency and had his own clients, too. His
coworkers changed frequently. Some lived in the same south
Florida town Vinnie and Heidi live in and some worked online
from distant places, like Boulder, Colorado. During their dating
era, he changed jobs again and then while they were engaged, he
started his own company. Now that they are married and have a
new baby, he has taken on some work from his original employer
to supplement the work he does for his own company. We have
become very attached to our new son-in-law and see him as a

good partner for our daughter and a good father to our new
granddaughter, Amelia, but we have learned a lot.
Vinnie is not alone in his career path. Many of today’s careers are
not linear. The old idea of finding the right job and sticking with
it doesn’t always apply to today’s young adults. It is safe to say
that not one of our grandchildren will be like my husband,

entering a job after graduation and staying there until retirement.
Their work world is different and so are they.
This chapter is about work—its importance in our lives, how we choose

careers, how careers are affected by age, how we balance career and
personal life, and how we plan for and adjust to retirement.

7.1: The Importance of Work in
Adulthood
Objective: Analyze the relationship between adulthood and work
For most of us, our jobs occupy a hefty portion of our time, our thoughts,
and our emotions. They determine in large part where we live, how well
we live, and with whom we spend time—even after working hours. On
another level, our jobs are incorporated into our identity and contribute
to our self-esteem. The role of worker is not a static one; over the years,
changes take place in the economy, technology, workforce composition,
and social climate. Individuals change too; we go from intern to full-

fledged professional as a result of attaining a degree. We go from full-
time paid worker to full-time unpaid caregiver as the result of new
parenthood. We go from work to retirement as a function of age. We go
from retirement to part-time work when we find that the days are too
long or the expenses of retirement are higher than we thought. These
various work situations over the years of adulthood can be summed up in

the term career —the patterns and sequences of occupations or related
roles held by people across their working lives and into retirement.
This chapter includes a discussion of some of the major theories of career
development, which reflect how careers have changed in the last century.
It also covers how patterns of work are different for men and women,
how the work experience changes with age, and the interaction of work
and personal life. Finally, the chapter discusses retirement, which, it may
surprise you to find out, is not simply the opposite of work.

will be able to:
7.1.1 Describe theories of career development
7.1.2 Differentiate career patterns by binary gender

7.1.1: Theories of Career Development
Objective: Describe theories of career development
Early theories of career development date back to the beginning of the
20th century when Frank Parsons (1909) first wrote about person–
environment fit , stating that people will be more successful if they
work in a field for which they are talented rather than taking a job for
other reasons, such as following parents in the family business or filling a
job that happens to be vacant at the right time. Later, David Super (1957)
introduced the life-span/life-space theory  of careers based on the
concept that individuals develop careers in stages, and that career
decisions are not isolated from other aspects of their lives. Along with a
person’s ability and talents, vocational counselors (not to mention
individuals who are evaluating their own career paths) need to consider
the relative importance of school, work, home, family, community, and
leisure. Super created a number of career-development tests to assess
individuals’ career adjustment, interests, and values (Wang & Wanberg,
2017).
Vocational interests  were the main focus of a theory by John Holland
(1958). Holland divided vocational interests into six areas—social,
investigative, realistic, enterprising, artistic, and conventional—sometimes
abbreviated as SIREAC types (Figure 7.1 ). Holland’s vocational interests
are displayed below, along with the traits for each type and the preferred
work environments. Click or tap through the figure to reveal information
for each area of vocational interest.
Figure 7.1 Holland’s Six Basic Types of Vocational Interests
Source: Adapted from Holland (1992).
Holland’s theory is the basis of numerous tests given today by guidance

counselors and vocational counselors. Most of these tests ask whether
you like, dislike, or are indifferent to a long list of school subjects,
activities, amusements, situations, types of people, and jobs. Your

answers are converted into six scores, one for each type. The top three
scores define your vocational interest type. For example, if you score
highest on social (S), investigative (I), and artistic (A) factors, your
vocational type would be identified as “SIA.” This would help you (or
your career planner) to consider a career that would be a good fit with
your vocational interests (Holland, 1973, 1997). These tests are also
available for free on the Internet by searching “career tests.” One site
recently reported that over 689,000 people had taken its test in the past
30 days, so Holland’s theory is still helping people make wise career
decisions.
The last theory I discuss here is Albert Bandura’s (1991) social-cognitive

theory , which is often applied to career development. Based on the
concept of self-efficacy , or the belief in one’s ability to succeed, this

theory suggests that there is more to career success than selecting the
type of job or career track that most closely matches your own abilities
and interests (Lent et al., 1994). You also need to be proactive, believe in
yourself, be self-regulated and self-motivated, and focus on your goals
(Bindl et al., 2012).
The 1990s and 2000s brought big changes in the workplace, including
globalization, downsizing, technological change, an increase in women
entering (or returning to) the workplace, and organization restructuring.

It became clear that employees could not depend on their employers to
give them lifelong work or to look out for their best interests. There was
more to career success than just selecting the right place to work. Now
theories of career development are protean, which means versatile and
open to change, and boundaryless, which means, of course, without

boundaries. People can develop careers that do not have to follow a
specific pathway delineated by their employers; they can consider their

own values, family responsibilities, sense of personal identity, and
optimal level of job satisfaction. Careers are not subject to cultural or

gender boundaries, and they do not have to progress, in terms of the
worker getting higher and higher on the ladder of success or income

(Briscoe & Hall, 2006).
7.1.2: Gender Differences in Career
Patterns
Objective: Differentiate career patterns by binary gender
The first big distinction in career patterns is between the work lives of
men and women. Although women are now represented in all major
fields of work, and men and women may perform their jobs equally well,
gender is still a big factor in almost all aspects of careers. Knowing a
person’s gender predicts a lot about their career pattern. There are three
major differences in the career paths of men and women. Click or tap
each tab below to learn more about these differences.
How Are the Career Paths of Men and Women Different?

One of the major impacts of men and women having different career
paths is that women’s career discontinuities result in lower salaries and

lack of job advancement. Due to these (and other) factors, women earn
less money than men even when they work full time. According to the
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (2017e), women’s salaries average only
81% of men’s salaries.
Having jobs with lower salaries, fewer benefits, and less chance for
advancement, combined with moving from full- to part-time jobs to

unpaid leaves of absence, has an obvious effect on women’s career paths
and financial security (and of course their family’s financial security).

7.2: Selecting a Career
Objective: Describe sociocultural influences on career choice
Selecting a career is not simply one big decision. As Super’s theory
suggests, careers develop over many years, and the path is not always
linear. We may ask children, “What do you want to be when you grow
up?” However, it is not that simple. Not many of us are working in the
jobs we aspired to when we were children, or even the fields we thought
of when we declared a major in college. Our careers depend on our
interests and abilities, the education and training available (and
affordable), the job market, the economy, and how welcoming certain
professions are to people of our gender, race, and age. The following is a
discussion of some of those twists, turns, and roadblocks on the career
pathway.

will be able to:
7.2.1 Summarize the effects of gender on work experiences
7.2.2 Relate family to career choices

7.2.1: The Effects of Gender
Objective: Summarize the effects of gender on work experiences
Gender is one of the major factors in career choice. Although there are
few if any occupations that are not filled by both men and women, there
is still a stereotype of “his and her” jobs, a social phenomenon known as
occupational gender segregation . This doesn’t mean that young men
and women are routinely told in so many words that they should take
certain jobs, but there is unspoken pressure to conform to what they see
around them (Eagly & Wood, 2012). This is a particular problem for
women, and it is a prime factor contributing to women’s lower earnings
(Bayard et al., 2003) and their lack of resources in the retirement years
(Costello et al., 2003). The traditional men’s jobs are typically higher in
both status and income than the traditional women’s jobs. These “his”
jobs are also more likely to offer health-care benefits and pensions.
Although women make up 47% of the labor force, they make up 60% of
low-wage workers, defined as those who make less than $11 an hour
(National Women’s Law Center, 2017).
Many of the occupations filled predominantly by women are in helping
fields, such as teachers and nurses. These require college degrees, but do
not offer the income or chances for advancement that male-dominated
professions, such as school administrators and doctors, have. Other
women-dominated jobs are in the service sector, such as hairdressers and
housekeepers (Figure 7.3 ).

Figure 7.3 Jobs Most Often Filled by Women
In these 13 jobs, women constitute 90% or more of the workers.
Source: Data from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (2017d).
Included in the male-dominated occupations are careers in the physical
sciences, technology, engineering, and mathematics—known as the STEM
areas. Twice as many men work in the physical sciences than women,
three times as many men work in mathematics and computer sciences
than women, and five times as many men work in engineering than
women (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2017d). Not only does this
contribute to salary inequities for women, but it also means that our
country (and the world) is not benefiting from the potential contributions
of over half the population in these important fields. At a time that

science and technology is being called on to solve problems such as
global climate change, food resource scarcity, and our dependence on

fossil fuel, we could use the full talents of both genders.
Gender and Work Interests
Despite laws against gender discrimination in the workplace, an increase
in the number of women graduating from college, and research showing
few gender-specific job abilities, occupational gender segregation remains
a puzzle to vocational psychologists and others. Why are young men and
women still choosing to go into “his and hers” jobs?
One answer is that, although there are not many differences in work-
related skills and abilities, there may be gender differences in work-related
interests. Vocational psychologist James Rounds and his colleagues (Su et
al., 2009) conducted a meta-analysis of the results of vocational

preference tests for over 500,000 emerging and young adults and found
that women tend to be more interested in working with people and men
tend to be more interested in working with things. Using the vocational
interest categories that Holland devised (see Figure 7.1 ), Rounds and
his colleagues found that the largest differences were that women scored
higher on the social (S) factors and men scored higher on the realistic (R)
factors. There were smaller but significant gender differences on the
artistic (A) and conventional (C) factors in favor of women and the
investigative (I) and enterprising (E) factors for men. While this could
mean that there are innate gender differences in vocational interests, it
could also be interpreted as showing that by the time young people reach
emerging adulthood and start thinking about their careers, they have
internalized the gender stereotypes presented by their families, teachers,
and friends. Rounds and his colleagues point out that if this is true,
parents, teachers, and counselors need to start addressing the topic in the
lower grades of school before children’s vocational interests stabilize.
In a similar study, psychologists Itamar Gati and Maya Perez (2014)
examined data from over 37,000 young adults (age 18–20) who
completed an in-depth Internet career-guidance session to see what
gender differences appeared in their vocational interests. They also
compared the results with a similar study done 20 years before (Gati et
al., 1995). They found continued gender differences in one-third of the
career aspects tested. Significantly more men still preferred STEM

careers; significantly more women preferred conventional working hours,
working with people, using artistic abilities, and jobs in the mental health
and community service fields. More men still preferred jobs with high
levels of income, but the gap was only half what it was in the previous
study. Several gender differences had disappeared in the 20 years
between studies. There were no longer significant differences in the
number of men and women preferring careers that offered professional
advancement and involved using negotiation and management skills,
independence, and authoritativeness. The authors concluded that gender

stereotypes still affect career preferences and career choice. While a
number of men and women in these studies express preferences for

careers that do not conform to gender stereotypes, there are still
significant gender differences in many aspects of career preferences.

These differences are more detrimental to women because, as mentioned
before, the jobs they tend to prefer pay less, have fewer job benefits, and
have less opportunity for advancement.
Anticipating Career Patterns
A second possibility for occupational gender segregation is that men and
women anticipate different career patterns. One difference between men’s
and women’s career decisions is that men usually plan to work steadily
until retirement, and women often plan to move in and out of the paid
workforce as they have children. Women also choose jobs that have
regular hours and fewer demands that would interfere with family life.
For example, even though women are graduating from medical school
and law school in record numbers, they are choosing specialties within
those fields—anesthesiology, dermatology, real estate law, family law—
that feature more regular work schedules but often lower salaries.
When people enter nontraditional occupations, it is women who are more
likely than men to cross the gender segregation line. This reminds me of
an extension of childhood gender roles when most toddler girls will play
with both stereotypical female and male toys while toddler boys stick to
stereotypical male toys (Ruble et al., 2006). A few studies have looked
into women in nontraditional careers. For example, counseling
psychologists Julia A. Ericksen and Donna E. Palladino Schultheiss (2009)
reported that women in trades (such as painters, plumbers, and
electricians) and construction jobs report having family members and
mentors who encouraged them. Others felt they had a natural ability for
this type of work and were independent enough not to be discouraged by
other people’s opinions. Not surprisingly, many of the women had a very
strong sense of self; they were confident, self-assured, and comfortable
with their career choices.
Men enter nontraditional occupations for a variety of reasons:
Men who are young adults are more apt to express egalitarian gender
attitudes and choose careers that will allow them time to spend with
their children (Pedulla & Thébaud, 2015).
Middle-aged men may have been laid off from jobs in industry and
see growth in nontraditional-gender jobs such as health care.

Other men realize that they may not be able to continue in physically
strenuous jobs after middle age, so they switch to something less
physically demanding (Semuels, 2017).
Interestingly, men who enter health care tend to gravitate toward less
patient-centric jobs, such as home health-care aides, preferring more
technical jobs, such as surgical technicians and radiology technicians (Dill
et al., 2016).
As a strong believer in personal choice, it is difficult for me to view
occupational gender segregation as a problem if men and women are

making free and informed choices. Rather, the problem arises when these
young people bow to social pressures to conform to gender stereotypes. It

seems that some good suggestions have been offered by researchers in
this area. Expose children to vocational possibilities at younger ages,

encourage parents and educators to foster children’s interests and talents
regardless of gender, and make the workplace more family-friendly so

that women (and men) don’t have to choose between being a good
parent and following their career dreams.
7.2.2: Family Influences
Objective: Relate family to career choices
Families affect career choice in several ways. First, families can openly
encourage their children to have high career aspirations, which includes

support for higher education and vocational training. Middle-class
parents are far more likely than working-class parents to encourage their
children to attend college and to be engaged in their children’s education.
This is not just an ability difference in disguise. Even when you compare
groups of high school students who are matched in terms of grades or test
scores, it is still true that the students from middle-class families are more
likely to aspire to further education and better-paying, higher-prestige
jobs than their working-class peers (Tynkkynen et al., 2012).
Families can also affect the career choices of their children through the
roles they model. This is especially true of mothers and daughters.
Economics and business researcher Kathleen L. McGinn and her
colleagues (McGinn et al., 2018) gathered survey data from adults age
18–60 from 24 countries that were part of the International Social Survey
Programme to determine the effects of maternal employment on the
gender attitudes and gender roles of their children. Respondents
answered questions about their family life, work life, roles, children,
household management, partnerships, and income in the first wave, then
again 10 years later. Results showed that women whose mothers had
worked outside the home when they were children were more apt to be
employed themselves than women whose mothers had not worked
outside the home. Furthermore, these adult daughters of working
mothers who were employed were more apt to have supervisory jobs,
work more hours, and earn more money than the daughters of
nonworking mothers. And what about the sons of working mothers? If
they are fathers, they support their wives’ careers by spending more time
caring for the children than sons of nonworking mothers.
Aside from modeling positive roles in the workplace, mothers also have a
more direct effect on their daughters when they hold stereotypical beliefs
about gender differences in abilities. For example, mothers who believe
that girls are not as good at math as boys produce daughters whose own
math performance is lowered when they are reminded of their gender
before doing math problems. This demonstration of stereotype threat was
found for girls as young as 5 years of age, whereas girls whose mothers
did not hold those beliefs were not affected by being reminded of their
gender (Tomasetto et al., 2011). Although girls this age are far from
entering careers, they seem to be old enough to be picking up attitudes
from adults around them concerning what school subjects girls are good
at and what subjects are best “left to the boys.”
7.3: Age Trends in the Workplace
Objective: Relate age to workplace experiences
We hear a lot about the world population growing older, meaning that as
more people reach older adulthood, the median age of people in your city
or country (or the world) is increasing, too. Figure 7.4  shows a

comparison of the U.S. population pyramids for 1950 and 2016. As you
can see, the proportion of middle-aged and older people has grown in
comparison to the younger groups. Similar aging patterns exist in many
other countries. Click or tap each tab to compare the data of men and
women in each group in 1950 and in 2016.
Figure 7.4 Number of Men and Women in Each Age Group in 1950
and in 2016
The labor force of a country is the number of people who are employed
plus the number of people who are looking for work. In 1996, the median
age of the U.S. labor force was 38; today, it is 42 and is expected to
increase in the next few decades (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2017b).
This reflects the increase in the median age of our population. Other
reasons for the increase in older adults in the workforce is that older
people are generally healthier than in years past, jobs are less physically
strenuous, and many older adults do not have enough resources to retire.
Older people often have valuable skills that are not available in younger
workers. The proportion of people over age 55 in the workforce has
grown from 18% in 2008 (the year of the Great Recession) to 23% today
(DeSilver, 2017). It has become a priority for researchers and employers
to learn how to best manage this mature workforce. How do we make
changes in the workplace to optimize the job performance, job training,

and job satisfaction of workers of all ages?
will be able to:
7.3.1 Explain how age influences job performance
7.3.2 Describe age-related issues associated with the stages of career

development
7.3.3 Characterize the job satisfaction curve

7.3.1: Job Performance
Objective: Explain how age influences job performance
Normal aging involves gradual loss of some physical and mental abilities,
beginning around the age of 30. Reaction time, sensory abilities, physical
strength and dexterity, and cognitive flexibility all show significant
declines over the course of adulthood, even for healthy people.
Depending on the demands of one’s job, it stands to reason that there
may be some age-related decline in job performance. Surprisingly,

research has shown minimal differences in the job performance between
older workers and younger workers. Many studies have shown that job
expertise , or the knowledge and skills a worker has accumulated after a
good number of years on the job, may compensate for age-related
changes in physical and cognitive abilities (Rudolph, 2016). This is known
as ability–expertise tradeoff , and it explains how older, experienced
workers can outperform younger, less-experienced workers in many jobs
(Salthouse & Maurer, 1996).
An example of ability–expertise tradeoff is demonstrated in a classic

study of typing ability among women who ranged in age from 19 to 72
(Salthouse, 1984). Two tasks were used: one that measured reaction time
(ability) and one that measured typing speed (experience). Not
surprisingly, reaction time decreased with age; older women took more
time to react to visual stimuli. However, typing speed was the same
regardless of age. How did this happen? Researchers explained that the
older women relied on their increased job experience to compensate for
their decreased general ability. As they typed one word, they read the
next few words and were ready to type those words sooner than their
younger colleagues, who processed the words one at a time.
Clearly, older workers in jobs that involve knowledge-based, crystallized
abilities and highly practiced skills have less job-related decline and are
able to swap expertise for some of the physical or cognitive slowdown
they experience. Workers in jobs that require manual skills and fluid
cognitive abilities may show more declines with age, but they are usually
gradual, and there is a lot of variation in the abilities of older workers.
Industrial and organizational psychologist Michael A. McDaniel and his
colleagues (McDaniel et al., 2012) caution that decisions about hiring or
retaining workers should not be based solely on chronological age. Often
the workers themselves will leave jobs that are beyond their abilities or
transfer to jobs with fewer demands, leaving older but capable workers
on the job.
If you have a job, you probably know that core performance is not the
whole story. There are many aspects of the job other than the major task
for which you were hired. How does this whole package of abilities and
attitudes change with age? Organizational behavior researchers Thomas
W. H. Ng and Daniel C. Feldman (2008) conducted a meta-analysis of

studies correlating the age of workers with job performance on a number
of dimensions, including core task performance. Like other researchers,

they found that age was not related to core task performance, but they
also found that age is not related to on-the-job creativity either.

Furthermore, older workers demonstrate more citizenship behaviors
(compliance to norms, not complaining about trivial matters, helping
fellow workers) and more on-the-job safety behaviors. Older workers

also engage in fewer counterproductive work behaviors (workplace
aggression, on-the-job substance abuse, tardiness, and voluntary
absences from work).
These findings are particularly relevant today, considering that the
average age of workers is steadily growing older throughout the world.

For example, the largest segment of the U.S. workforce in 1980 was
young adults 20–24 years of age; today, it is middle-aged adults 50–54

(U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2017a). This has brought about concern
based on the stereotypes of older workers being less able to perform the
jobs required and more difficult to get along with in the workplace.
According to the studies cited earlier, these stereotypes are not supported
by research and, in fact, for many aspects of job performance, workers get
better with age.
7.3.2: Job Training and Retraining
Objective: Describe age-related issues associated with the stages
of career development
In Super’s theory of career development he outlined 5 stages—growth,

exploration, establishment, maintenance, and disengagement. His notion
was that people may go back through some of these stages from time to
time during their careers, a process he calls career recycling . As career
paths become more flexible, this recycling process has become more
common, especially for the stages of exploration and establishment. As
things change in the workplace (businesses closing, downsizing,
automation) and in workers’ lives (young children starting school, older
children completing college, job-related stress building up), individuals
explore career options and often decide to retrain. For example, if you are
in a college classroom at the moment, there is a good chance you are a
nontraditional student , one who is over the age of 25 and probably
engaged in career recycling. If you are not in this category, there is an
excellent chance that the person seated next to you is.
Over 40% of college students today are 25 years of age or older (National
Center for Education Statistics, 2017). Most of them have been in the
workforce or have been working in the home raising their children and
are now back for retraining to take the next step in their careers. Add to
them the workers who are being retrained within their companies and the
workers picking up new skill sets using Internet courses at home, and the
total is a considerable proportion of adults of all ages who are engaged in
job retraining. Research shows that younger workers have a slight edge
when learning new job-related skills, but that some of that benefit could
be explained by the related finding that older workers lack confidence in
these learning situations. Older workers over age 55 are also slightly less
willing to participate in training and career development (Ng & Feldman,
2012), possibly because they are reaching the end of their careers and
don’t feel they will reap the benefits of additional training. Still, it might
be worthwhile for employers to help older employees gain the confidence
to participate in training or skip the retraining for valuable older workers

and reassign them to work they still do well.
7.3.3: Job Satisfaction
Objective: Characterize the job satisfaction curve
The feelings we hold about our jobs are based on the work itself, the pay
and promotion opportunities, and the feelings we have toward our

coworkers and supervisors. Job satisfaction is important to the worker
because it is closely related to life satisfaction, happiness, and positive
affect; it is important to the organization for which we work because it
predicts how well we will carry out the job requirements and how long
we will stay in that particular job (Bowling et al., 2010). Although age
changes in job satisfaction have been the topic of many research articles,
there has not been a clear consensus about what these changes are. Most
researchers agree that job satisfaction follows a “U-shaped curve,”
meaning that it is higher in the younger years and the older years and
lower in the middle (Hochwarter et al., 2001).
Why should this set of feelings be higher in young adulthood, decline in
middle age, reaching a low point around age 31, start going up again
around 40, and continue to increase until retirement? One explanation is

that the unhappy middle-aged workers leave the jobs they are not
satisfied with and go to other jobs that are better fits. Another
explanation is that younger workers start their careers with high
expectations, but become disillusioned in middle age. As they leave
middle age, they align their expectations with reality and feel more
satisfied with their jobs. A final explanation is that younger workers are
enthusiastic to be beginning their careers, but their enthusiasm declines
as they deal with family and financial issues. But as they reach their 40s,
they have usually been promoted into positions with better pay and work
conditions (Heggestad & Andrews, 2012).

7.4: Work and Personal Life
Objective: Analyze the relationship between work and personal
life
Freud said that the defining features of life were work and love, and
nowhere does this ring truer than in the intersection almost everyone
experiences as we merge our jobs and personal lives. There is a
bidirectional effect between work and the individual, work and
committed relationships, and work and family. We may be more aware of
the effects our personal lives have on our work, but our jobs also have
profound effects on our personal lives. I start with work and the
individual, then discuss work and various relationships—marriage,

children, older family members who need care. And I even cover
household labor, a frequent topic of discussion in many homes.

will be able to:
7.4.1 Identify work trends that lead to positive and negative outcomes
for individuals
7.4.2 Explain how family-related cultural expectations and workplace
options influence work experiences

7.4.1: Work and the Individual
Objective: Identify work trends that lead to positive and negative
outcomes for individuals
Our time on the job has effects on us as individuals, some good and some
bad. One good effect is that people who have jobs featuring cognitive
complexity , or higher levels of thinking and reasoning, are more apt to
have better cognitive abilities in later life (Andel et al., 2016) and lower
incidence of dementia (Potter et al., 2008). For example, one study of 70-
year-olds showed that the more complex their pre-retirement occupations
had been, the better their processing speed, general intelligence, and
working memory abilities in retirement (Smart et al., 2014). On the
negative side, job strain , which is the result of doing work that requires
high levels of psychological demands from the worker but offers them
little control, is related to lower levels of cognition at retirement and
faster cognitive decline after retirement (Andel et al., 2015). Job strain has
also been associated with higher incidence of heart disease (Backé et al.,
2015), stroke (Huang et al., 2015), and type 2 diabetes (Huth et al., 2014).
One of the most-studied effects that work may have on an individual
worker is job burnout , a combination of exhaustion, depersonalization,
and reduced effectiveness on the job (Maslach et al., 2001). This is
especially common among workers whose jobs involve expressing

emotion or being empathetic, such as nurses and social workers. Burnout
has commonalities with depression, but the symptoms of burnout are
specific to the job environment, whereas depression is more pervasive.
Job burnout has been related to anxiety disorders, musculoskeletal
disorders (such as carpal tunnel syndrome, tendonitis, lower back
problems), new cases of heart disease, and onset of type 2 diabetes
(Ahola & Hakanen, 2014). Not surprisingly, job burnout is a good
predictor of health-related absenteeism.
Not everyone in a difficult job responds to it with adverse reactions. For

example, those who have strong social support from family and friends
(Huynh et al., 2013), greater job satisfaction, better general health, and
higher levels of life satisfaction will fare better when working in a
stressful situation (Kozak et al., 2013). Several traits and coping styles
relate to job stress and burnout: low levels of hardiness (being
uninvolved in daily activities and resistant to change), external locus of
control (attributing events to chance or powerful others instead of to
one’s own abilities and efforts), and avoidant coping style (dealing with
stress in a passive and defensive way). Also, individuals who need to

validate their own self-worth by achieving on the job are more apt to
experience burnout (Blom, 2012).
In the last decade or so, industrial and organizational psychologists have

been investigating the concept of work engagement , which is an active,
positive approach to work characterized by vigor, dedication, and

absorption (Schaufeli & Bakker, 2004). This is similar to job satisfaction,
only more active and sustained, and seems like the opposite of job
burnout. Workers who are engaged in their work are more productive
and creative (Bakker, 2011). Work engagement comes from a
combination of resources from the job (social support, feedback, skill

variety, autonomy, and learning opportunities) and resources within the
worker (self-efficacy, self-esteem, and optimism). Workers with high

levels of work engagement are less likely to experience job burnout
(Hakanen et al., 2018).
Unemployment
Unemployment  is the state of being without a paid job when you are
willing to work. In 2017, 3.2% of the workforce in the United States over
the age of 25 was unemployed. Unemployment is not distributed
randomly through the population. Education is a significant factor. People
in the United States with a bachelor’s degree have a lower rate of

unemployment (2.1%) than those with only a high school diploma (4.2%).
Race and ethnicity are factors, too; white adults have lower
unemployment (2.8%) than Hispanic and Latino adults (3.9%) and black
adults (5.8%) (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2018a, 2018b, 2018c).
Unemployment figures depend on age, too, and one group of young
people is gaining particular interest among labor economists around the
world. Referred to as NEETs (neither employed nor being educated or
trained), these 16- to 29-year-olds make up about 17% of that age bracket
in the United States, which amounts to 10.3 million emerging and young
adults (Figure 7.5 ). Although this number has declined slightly, it is still
a subject of concern because without assistance, it is feared that these
young people will not gain critical job skills, join the workforce, and make
a living on their own. Some economists worry that countries with a large
proportion of NEETs put them at risk for social unrest. In the United
States, young people who fit this definition are mostly female (57%) and
have a high school education or less (67%). They are more likely to be
black or Hispanic and live in the southern or western states rather than
the Northeast or Midwest. These areas also have high rates of adult
unemployment, low levels of educational attainment, and a high degree
of racial segregation (DeSilver, 2016).
Figure 7.5 Unemployment in the United States
A substantial proportion of young adults in the United States are neither

employed nor in education or training (but the number is decreasing).
Source: DeSilver (2016).
To be fair, some of these young people, especially women, are raising

their children or caring for other family members, but others either lack
work-related skills or have skills that don’t match the jobs available.
Others lack social skills, such as the ability to work with others, or life
skills, such as literacy and numeracy. This group of young adults who are
not employed nor attending school or job training seems to be a
widespread problem. In Europe, NEETs make up about 15% of that age

bracket, or 13.4 million people. Programs are being implemented by the
European Union to track young people who leave school or jobs and to
offer alternative job training (Eurostat, 2017).
Although unemployment may occur for several reasons (relocation,

recent graduation from college), most of the research on this topic
concerns job loss —paid employment being taken away from an
individual. Job loss can be the result of a business closing, jobs being
outsourced overseas, or a slowdown in the market for some product or

service. Job loss and the subsequent period of unemployment have strong
impacts on workers’ well-being, and this decrement can last past the time
of reemployment (Daly & Delaney, 2013). Job loss also has a profound
effect on the basic personality traits of individual workers. Psychologists

Christopher J. Boyce and his colleagues examined data from the German
Socio-Economic Panel Study to determine the effects of job loss on a
representative sample of 6,769 German workers, about half men and half
women (Boyce et al., 2015). The participants had been given personality
tests at the beginning of the study and then again, 4 years later. Some had
remained employed during the 4 years of the study (6,308) whereas
others had lost their jobs during this time (461). Those who had
experienced job loss, whether they regained their jobs or not, showed
significant changes in their personalities that were not evident in those

who remained employed for the duration of the study.
The Impact of Job Loss
Workers who lose their jobs are more apt to suffer from poor physical
health and mental health problems such as anxiety, depression, and
alcoholism (Nelson et al., 2001). The negative effects increase the longer
the person has been unemployed. Surprisingly, women who have
experienced job loss have higher rates of mental health problems and
lower levels of life satisfaction than men in the same situation (McKee-
Ryan et al., 2005). This could be because women are more apt to suffer
from depression or it could reflect the fact that job loss represents a larger
financial problem for women than for men.
Losing one’s job is difficult for anyone, but there are some age
differences:
It is difficult for a young person just leaving school to be unemployed
because it interferes with establishing a career and an identity as an

adult (McKee-Ryan et al., 2005).
It is difficult for older workers because of the problems they have
finding new jobs and adjusting to new work conditions. A good
number of older people take early retirement after losing their jobs
because they have little hope of getting new ones.
However, being laid off is worst for middle-aged adults. Usually they
have reached a middle or high level in the company structure and
have problems finding a job with comparable pay and prestige, but
they are also too young to retire with a pension or benefits.

Not surprisingly, it is not only the actual job loss that causes problems but
also the threat of job loss. Take a look at some related research on the
topic. Click or tap the names of each researcher to learn more about their
findings.
Findings on Job Insecurity

7.4.2: Work and Family Life
Objective: Explain how family-related cultural expectations and
workplace options influence work experiences
There is ample evidence that work has an influence on family life.

However, it also seems that the family, in turn, has an effect on one’s job.
The effects that work and family have on each other have been called
spillover , which refers to the extent that events in one domain influence
the other. Spillover can be work–family spillover, in which events at work

influence the worker’s family life, or family–work spillover, in which family
events affect the worker’s job. According to this concept, if a worker
receives a raise and commendation for excellence on the job, he or she
can, as a result, be happier at home interacting with spouse and children.
This would be an example of work–family spillover. If a worker has a
child who has a slightly elevated temperature in the morning and he or
she takes the child to daycare, instructing the staff to call if the condition
worsens, it can lead to distraction and anxiety on the job, and this would
be an example of family–work spillover.
For a good example of research on family–work spillover, economist
Maurizio Mazzocco and his colleagues (Mazzocco, Ruiz, & Yamaguchi,
2014) examined the Panel Study of Income Dynamics and found that
married men are more apt to have jobs than unmarried men and to work
more hours on those jobs. The opposite is true of married women, who
are less apt to be in the labor force and who work fewer hours than single
women. To take things one step further, these researchers examined the
data over time and found that this difference in work engagement does
not appear suddenly when a couple ties the knot. As shown in Figure
7.6 , women begin decreasing the hours they work about a year before
the actual marriage begins and men begin increasing the hours they work
about 3–4 years before the marriage. This is an example of family-life
factors (the anticipation of marriage) affecting work-life factors (being
employed and the number of hours worked per year).
Figure 7.6 Work Engagement in Men and Women Before and After
Marriage
Women tend to start working fewer hours 2 years before marriage; men
start working more hours 4 years before marriage.
Source: From Mazzocco et al. (2014).

Adding Children to the Family
Similar results of family–work spillover are found when children are
added to the family. In the United States, approximately 61% of married
couples with children under the age of 18 are considered “dual-career”
families, meaning that both parents are employed (U.S. Census Bureau,
2017). In addition, a large number of single parents combine family and

paid work. However, it is typical for men to remain in the labor force and
for women to move into and out of employment due to family
obligations. Figure 7.7  shows the percentage of fathers and mothers
who are employed and who have children between 6–17 years and under
6 years of age (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2017c). Higher percentages

of fathers are employed than mothers in both age groups. The number of
years women spend in the workplace during their careers depends on the
number of children they have; the more children a woman has, the less
time she spends in the workplace.
Figure 7.7 Percent of Mothers and Fathers in the Labor Force and
Age of Youngest Child
Source: Data from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (2017c).
Why would men increase their time on the job when anticipating
marriage and when adding children to the family? Why would women
decrease theirs? To me, the explanation relates to Super’s (1957) theory of
career. One’s job is not the sum total of one’s career. When one marries
(or plans to marry), the career of their spouse becomes a factor in the
individual’s own life. There are now household tasks to be performed and
often the spouse who has the highest income works more hours to
compensate for the time the other spouse loses from work while
attending to those household tasks. If children arrive, the non-job-related
tasks increase. According to economists, value from creating a household

and family is entered into the “quality of life” equation for the couple,
along with the earned income. Recall how research has shown that men’s
contribution to housework stays level when they become fathers, but
women’s increases when a child is born. The result of fathers adding to

their workdays and mothers adding to their housework is that parents
working full time spend about equal numbers of hours taking care of their
families, whether it is work in the home or work in paid jobs.
Work–Family Spillover
For an example of work–family spillover, in which conditions at work
affect the worker’s home life, management researcher Remus Ilies and his
colleagues (Ilies et al., 2017) questioned 129 employees of a large bank in
northern China about their work life and home life. The unique part of
this study was that the participants were sent the surveys electronically to
their workplaces and to their homes, asking work-related questions to be
answered in the workplace and home-related questions to be answered in
the home. Surveys were sent to their offices at 9:00 A.M. and 4:30 P.M.,
and to their homes at 8:30 P.M., all on the same day. The office surveys
pertained to moods at work (positive or negative), job satisfaction, and

how immersed and energetic they felt about their daily work
assignments. The home survey asked about moods at home (positive or
negative), whether or not they had discussed their workday with their
spouse, and how satisfied they felt with their work–family balance. The
participants had also been given a test of intrinsic motivation, or how

much they enjoyed their jobs. Results showed that the workers who were
most immersed and energetic about their work assignments that day were
more apt to share these feelings with their spouses, and that this sharing
at home was related positively to family satisfaction and a feeling of
work–family balance for that day. Interestingly, these positive
relationships were stronger for workers who reported that they generally
enjoyed their jobs and found the work fun. For these workers, the
positive feelings during their workdays spilled over at home when they
shared their days with their spouses, and it further spilled over into family
satisfaction and work–family balance, at least for that day.
As you can guess, dividing spillovers into those that start with work and
those that start with the family doesn’t really capture the reality of family
life. For example, sometimes the spillover goes both ways—some event at
work affects the family, which in turn affects the workplace. The
remaining part of this section deals with those types of hybrid spillovers.
A longitudinal study followed working mothers from the time their

children were born until they were in fifth grade, surveying them five
times about the feelings they had toward their jobs and families. They
found that women had more positive feelings about both job and family if
they reported receiving more rewards at work, having more work
commitment, and perceiving that their jobs benefitted their children.
These researchers suggested that the answer to retaining women
employees was not to reduce their job demands, but to find ways to
facilitate working mothers’ positive work–family spillover. One
suggestion was to offer employment packages that not only include

health care and vacation days, but on-site childcare and paid parental
leave. Women need encouragement and support from employers and

colleagues and financial rewards for their work (Zhou & Buehler, 2016).
For the 60–70% of mothers with dependent children who also have jobs
outside the home, a major source of spillover is childcare. The increase of

mothers in the workforce has been one of the biggest social changes over
the last three generations. My grandmother was a stay-at-home mom,

even when her children were adults and living in their own homes. My
mother worked before she had children and then again after the children
had left home. I have worked (or attended school) since my youngest
started kindergarten. My daughter has worked since she was 16, taking
part-time jobs as she attended high school and college. Now she is 37 and
recently took 4 months of unpaid leave for the birth of her daughter, but
now she is back at work full time with the baby in daycare. I would guess
the same progression is true in the various generations of your family.

Unfortunately, the childcare industry and the parent-related atmosphere
of most organizations have not kept up with this social change, providing
a major source of work–home spillover that affects both mothers and
fathers.
Parental Leave
One of the biggest problems is that the U.S. does not have a national paid
parental leave policy , in which the employer and/or the state provide
time off with pay to new parents. The Pew Research Center investigated
41 developed nations and found that the U.S. was the only one that has
not mandated any paid leave when a woman gives birth or adopts a child
(Livingston, 2016). Figure 7.8  shows the duration of paid maternity
leave for those 41 countries, starting with Estonia, which provides 87
weeks of paid leave. Some countries provide this paid leave for mothers
only and some include fathers, too. In most of these countries, paid
parental leave is handled by a system similar to Social Security and is

funded by payroll taxes from all workers. In the United States, California,
New Jersey, and Rhode Island have state-mandated parental leave for
partial salary, and some businesses provide paid parental leave without
being required by law to do so. The U.S. does have the Family and
Medical Leave Act (FMLA), which guarantees workers at large companies

12 weeks of job protection after the birth of a child (or other family
caregiving event), but no pay. (This is how my daughter was able to
return to her job 4 months after her daughter was born.) As a result, the
median length of parental leave taken by new mothers in the United
States is 11 weeks, and for fathers it is 1 week. Mothers with annual
household incomes of $75,000 or more take off twice as many weeks (12)
as those with annual household incomes under $30,000 (6) (Bialik, 2017).
Figure 7.8 Duration of Paid Maternity Leave

Of 41 developed countries, only the U.S. fails to provide paid parental
leave to families.
Source: Livingston (2016).
The reality of spillover for parents is not limited to lack of parental leave.
Children are objects of concern for 18 years (or more) and even when
they are in school, the workday often begins before school starts and ends
after school is dismissed, making early-morning care and after-school
care a necessity. School holidays and teacher workdays do not

correspond to workplace holidays, again requiring parents to make
arrangements for childcare on those days. Summer vacation for
schoolchildren is much longer than most U.S. employers give their
workers. And even if a parent also attends school, like many of my

university students, the holidays and breaks do not always coincide. For
example, our university schedules a week of spring break the first full
week of classes in March; the K–12 school district has their spring break
the week before Easter. Since the earliest Easter ever recorded is March
22, it is impossible for these two breaks to coincide. There is a lot of
anxiety on our campus Easter week when the children have time off and
their parents have midterm exams!
Several experts on child development and human resource management

have offered suggestions to organizations to make their workplace more
family-friendly. These include using company communications for

parents to network about work–family issues, assigning new parents a
mentor who has older children and has successfully balanced home and
work, making days off better align with school calendars, providing
flexible work schedules, and providing onsite childcare for children of all
ages (Dowling, 2017; Halpern, 2005).
7.5: Retirement
Objective: Evaluate retirement practices
The concept of retirement , or the career stage of leaving the workforce
to pursue other interests such as part-time work, volunteer work, or
leisure interests, is relatively new. My grandfather was the first person in

his family to retire. He was the eldest son, and his father (as well as his
grandfather) had been farmers who continued working until they died.
Even if they had worked in salaried jobs, there was no Social Security
until 1935 (and then it was called “old age survivors’ insurance”). My
grandfather worked for the city water department, and when he turned 65
in 1949, he was given a gold watch and a picture of himself shaking hands
with the mayor. He began collecting Social Security, and several years
later, so did my grandmother, who had never worked outside the home.
Workers my grandfather’s age were pioneers; they had no role models for
retirement and may have felt a little sheepish about leaving the job while
they were still able-bodied and had all their wits about them.
Today retirement is quite different. Many people spend 20 years or more
in this stage, and many look forward to it. They spend these years doing a
variety of things; they travel, take college classes, do volunteer work, and
become political activists. Another difference today is that retirement is
seldom an all-or-nothing state. People retire from one career after 20
years and then begin a second one or take a part-time job. Others start
collecting a pension at age 62 and spend their days in leisure activities. It

is really difficult to divide older adults into “retired” and “working”
categories. Keeping all this in mind, I will jump in with both feet and
write about when, how, and why people retire—and also where.

will be able to:
7.5.1 Summarize financial and psychological issues in retirement

preparation
7.5.2 Explain impacts on retirement age
7.5.3 Describe typical reasons for retirement
7.5.4 Analyze the effects of retirement
7.5.5 Describe alternatives to full retirement
7.5.6 Identify important factors leading to well-being after retirement

7.5.1: Preparation for Retirement
Objective: Summarize financial and psychological issues in
retirement preparation
Retirement is not something that happens to us suddenly or arbitrarily. In

the United States most people decide when they will retire. Other
countries have mandatory retirement at a certain age, and even some
high-risk occupations in the United States require retirement, such as air
traffic controllers at age 56 and airline pilots at age 65. Although young
and middle-aged adults probably don’t know when they will choose to
retire, some of them are making preparations. They talk to financial
advisors, put money aside in bank accounts or investments, and discuss
retirement with their spouses and friends. Needless to say, this planning
increases as they get older.
One big topic of concern in retirement planning is money. No job means
no paycheck, so an important part of planning for retirement involves
saving or investing. About half of workers in the United States have
money in savings accounts for retirement. Some of the others have

investments. But even if a person has no specific fund of money labeled
“retirement,” it does not mean that they are financially unprepared.
According to economist Andrew Biggs (2016), almost everyone who has
had a job for at least 10 years (or is married to someone who has had a
job for 10 years) has been accumulating retirement benefits in his or her
Social Security accounts and will continue to do so for as long as they

have a job. A decreasing percentage (16%) of the workforce has pensions
through their jobs.
When work becomes less central to our lives, or leaves it entirely, we

need something to fill our waking hours.
That being said, psychologists remind us that there is more to retirement
preparations than money. Adults of all ages need to think ahead about
retirement and consider it as more than simply the absence of a job.
Work occupies a large part of our adult lives, providing us with a role,
status, social contacts, routines, and activity. When those aspects of work
are removed, we need something to fill them up, and that works best if
we plan ahead. People who make the transition to retirement more
successfully and experience the greatest psychological well-being once

retired are those who not only make financial plans ahead of time, but
also plan for social interactions and leisure activities (Carse et al., 2017).
The average age of retirement in the United States is coming down while
life expectancy is going up; most of us will spend several decades in

retirement, so the need for planning of all sorts becomes more important.
7.5.2: Timing of Retirement
Objective: Explain impacts on retirement age
Just as planning varies, so does the actual timing of retirement. We tend
to think of 66 as “retirement age” because that is the age at which people

in the United States are able to start receiving full Social Security benefits.
However, many people retire earlier, and many keep working past that
age. Figure 7.9  shows the proportions of adults of various ages who are
in the labor force , meaning they are either working or actively looking
for jobs. These data extend back to 1990 and are projected to 2020. If you
examine the figure, you will see that the proportion of adults in the labor
force from age 25 to 54 has remained fairly stable, while those in older
age groups have increased, with the sharpest increase for workers age
65–74 (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2017a).
Figure 7.9 Percentage of Adults of Various Ages Who are in the

Labor Force
The percentage of people in the U.S. workforce has remained about the
same since 1990 for those 24–54 years of age, but increased for older
workers.
Source: Data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (2017a).
One reason for the increase in older workers is that each year the group
of people reaching retirement age is healthier, on average, than the group
before, so more of them are able to work if they choose to. Also,
mandatory retirement was ended for most jobs in the United States in
1986, making it possible for older workers to continue in their jobs if they
so desired. The number of physically demanding jobs declined from 20%
in 1950 to 7.5% in the 1990s, making it easier for older adults to do the
work required in many jobs. In addition, as of 2000, there is no longer a
penalty for people age 66 and older who collect Social Security and
continue to receive a paycheck. Finally, women make up larger parts of
the older groups, and their workforce participation has increased steadily.
7.5.3: Reasons for Retirement
Objective: Describe typical reasons for retirement
A good number of older workers do not have a chance to retire, but find
themselves unemployed due to company layoffs, mergers, or

bankruptcies and have difficulty finding another job at the same level and
salary. A viable option for some of these individuals is to retire early.
However, for most people, the decision of when to retire is more complex
and depends on the interaction of a number of factors. Take a look at

some of the factors affecting the decision to retire. Click or tap each tab
below to learn about each factor.
Factors Affecting the Decision to Retire

7.5.4: Effects of Retirement
Objective: Analyze the effects of retirement
Once a worker has retired, what happens? Does life change totally? Does
health decline? The striking fact is that for most adults, retirement itself
has remarkably few effects on lifestyle, health, activity, or attitudes.
Retirement brings with it a few changes in terms of income, particularly
where it comes from. Click or tap Next to learn more about these
changes.
Changes in Income
The Feminization of Poverty
Like other social ills, poverty in old age is not equally distributed.
According to the Shriver Center on Poverty Law (2016), older women are
about twice as likely to live below the poverty line as older men, and
black and Hispanic elders are considerably more likely to live in poverty
than white elders. Combining these two factors, we find that the group
most likely to be poor is African American women who are age 65 and
older living alone.
This feminization of poverty , in which we find a larger proportion of
women than men among the poor, especially among older adults, has
many causes. An obvious one is that so many older women are widowed.
In the United States, the Social Security rules are such that when a
woman becomes a widow, she can be entitled to either her own Social
Security benefits or 100% of her husband’s Social Security benefits,
whichever is higher (Social Security Administration, 2017). That may

seem like a good deal, but in fact it results in a substantial drop in
household income. When the husband was still alive, both spouses
received Social Security support; after he dies, there is only one check,
and the widow’s total income will be somewhere between one-half and
two-thirds of the previous household income, even though many of her
expenses, such as housing and taxes, stay the same. This drops a great
many women into poverty.

It is too simple to attribute older women’s greater likelihood of poverty
simply to widowhood or living alone. The gendering of poverty in old age
flows from a whole string of gender differences that women have
experienced over their lifetimes and that come home to roost in their later
years. Current cohorts of older women were much less likely to work
throughout their adult years, less likely to be involved in private pension
plans if they did work, and more likely to work at lower wages than their
male peers, all of which affect their incomes at retirement. Add to this the
reality of women moving into and out of the labor force to raise children
or to care for elderly family members. The result is that women are less
likely to receive pensions and, if they do, the amounts are lower than men
receive.
Some consolation for younger women is that these figures represent a
cohort of women whose roles did not necessarily include working outside
the home or being involved in financial decisions. Hopefully, coming
cohorts of women will reach retirement age with a more equitable
distribution of personal income. It would be nice if we had a state-
supported family-leave policy and other financial help for women who
are the kinkeepers for so many, but the outlook is not optimistic. Women
who choose to limit their income and career opportunities for family
reasons, whether childcare or caregiving for adult family members, need
to look ahead and make adjustments in their financial plans so that they
will be compensated fairly in their later years. Perhaps the feminization of
poverty will be ancient history when young adults of today reach

retirement age.
Many of the statistics I’ve given you are quite discouraging and give a
very negative impression of the financial status of older adults. But let us
not lose sight of two important bits of information: On average, the

effective income of older adults declines only slightly at the time of
retirement, and older adults in the United States are better off financially
now than in the past.
Changes in Residence
Another effect of retirement for many adults is an increase in choices
about where to live. When you are no longer tied to your job, you can
choose to live nearer to one of your children or move south for sunnier
weather. Although the U.S. Census Bureau (2016) states that the rate of
moving is very low for all ages in the last decade, about 1.5 million people
over the age of 65 changed residences in 2016, and some of the top
reasons they gave were family (17%), health (13%), new or better homes
(11%), less expensive homes (8%), and climate (2%).

7.5.5: Alternatives to Full Retirement
Objective: Describe alternatives to full retirement
Sociologist Sara E. Rix (2011) tells us that most older workers now go
from full-time work to full-time retirement in stages that consist of

various types of transitional employment. Retirement isn’t always an all-
or-nothing decision. Some older workers shift away from work in a
number of different ways—if they do it at all. The following section tells
about some of these alternatives to full retirement. Click or tap each tab
below to learn more about the different ways older workers transition to
retirement.
Transitioning to Retirement
7.5.6: Retirement and Well-Being
Objective: Identify important factors leading to well-being after
retirement
Researchers have studied the career stage of retirement for about a

century now, with two major questions in mind: How does retirement
affect the workers’ overall well-being? and What can be done to enhance
the retirement experience for older adults? For the first question, several
studies have shown that about three-fourths of retired people report little
change in their psychological well-being as a result of retirement. Of the
remaining 25%, they reported either positive changes or an initial
decrease in well-being followed by significant improvement. The best
things that can be done to ensure a good adjustment to retirement is to
engage in retirement planning, be married to someone who is also
retired, and to ease into retirement with bridge employment (Wang &
Wanberg, 2017). I have reviewed changes in careers over the years of
adulthood in Table 7.1 . Click or tap each characteristic to learn more
about its role in each age group.
Table 7.1 Review of Changes in Careers over Adulthood

Summary: Work and Retirement
7.1 The Importance of Work in

Adulthood
Objective: Analyze the relationship between adulthood and work
For most adults, career is a lifelong pattern of full-time and part-time
work, time out for family responsibilities and retraining, and

ultimately retirement pursuits. It occupies a central part of our time,
thoughts, personal identity, and self-esteem.
Major theories in the field of career development and vocational
interests are Parsons’ theory of person–environment fit, Super’s
lifespan/life-space theory, Holland’s theory of vocational interests,

and Bandura’s social-cognitive theory. Recent theories present career
paths as being more open to change and self-determined.
There are gender differences in the typical career paths of men and
women. Women are less apt to work full time, more apt to move into
and out of the labor force, and more apt to work part time than men.
The result for women is lower income, less chance for advancement,
fewer benefits during the work years, and less retirement income
than men.
7.2 Selecting a Career

Objective: Describe sociocultural influences on career choice
Gender is a big factor in career selection. Both men and women tend
to select careers that are stereotypically defined as gender-
appropriate. Unfortunately, the “female” jobs usually pay less and
have fewer benefits and chances of advancement than the “male”
jobs. Although there are now laws against gender discrimination in
the workplace, men and women show different work-related
interests, with more women opting for work with people and more
men opting for work with things. There are also gender differences in
anticipated career patterns, with more women choosing careers that
have regular hours and fewer demands that would interfere with
family life and men choosing careers that are more demanding.
Women are more likely than men to cross the gender segregation
line, especially if they have the support of family and mentors and
have a strong sense of self. When men take traditionally female jobs,
their reasons depend on their ages. Young men who take traditionally
female jobs are more egalitarian and family oriented. Middle-aged
men may have been laid off from a stereotypically male job and see
opportunities in stereotypically female jobs. They may also want to
leave physically demanding jobs.

Families affect career choice by supporting higher education and
career aspirations of their children, which is done more by middle-

class families than working-class families. They also model their own
workplace roles.
7.3 Age Trends in the Workplace

Objective: Relate age to workplace experiences
Although physical, sensory, and cognitive declines accompany age,
measures of actual job performance show no age-related declines.
One explanation is that the expertise of older adults compensates for

decline in abilities.
A growing number of workers find their job skills obsolete or want to

upgrade to a more complex job, a process known as career recycling.
A common place to do this is universities, where 40% of students are

nontraditional students, which means they are over 25 years of age.
Older workers express more satisfaction with their work lives than
younger workers. Some explanations for this include attrition, cohort

effects, and types of jobs each group typically has.
7.4 Work and Personal Life

Objective: Analyze the relationship between work and personal life
Job stress can have negative effects on the individual, including
burnout, but not having a job can be even worse. Unemployment is a

serious life crisis for most adults, and even more serious for middle-
aged workers than for those of other ages. A large proportion of

young adults, about 17%, have no jobs and are not enrolled in
educational programs or job training. Even the possibility of job loss

can cause stressful reactions.
Studies show that men start increasing the number of hours that they
work about 4 years before they get married and women tend to start
decreasing the number of hours that they work about 1 year before
they get married.

Events at work can have an effect on family life, just like events at
home can have an effect on work life. This spillover can be positive or
negative. One significant incident of negative family–work spillover
happens to many couples in the United States when a new child is

born and the parents are not given paid parental leave as they are in
other developed countries.
7.5 Retirement
Objective: Evaluate retirement practices
An increasing percentage of people in the United States over age 65

are remaining in the labor force. Some reasons are that they are
healthier, there is no mandatory retirement for most workers, jobs

have become less physically demanding, and they can’t afford to
retire. The timing of retirement is largely under the control of the
worker, and it is important to look ahead and make plans for this
stage of life, which can extend another few decades.

There are many factors that influence the decision to retire. Among
them are finances, health, family, career commitment, and leisure-
time interests.
For most people, retirement brings slightly lower incomes but also
lower expenses. More women live in poverty after retirement than

men, partly due to women’s greater longevity, but also because of
lower lifetime earnings, pensions, and savings.
For some, retirement brings a change of residence. The main reasons
are to be closer to family, health, new or better homes, less expensive

homes, and climate.
Nontraditional ways to leave the labor force include shunning
retirement, returning to work after a period of retirement, bridge
retirement, working part time, self-employment, and working as a

volunteer. Phased retirement would be well accepted by workers, but
companies worry about tax and discrimination complications. It is
more common in Europe and Japan.
Key Terms: Work and Retirement

Chapter 8
Personality
Personality affects social interactions.
8.1 Apply the Five-Factor Model to concepts of personality

8.2 Analyze how personality impacts life experiences
8.3 Evaluate measures of personality change and stability
8.4 Interpret personality using theories of personality development
A Word from the Author: Growing Up Amidst a Variety of

Human Behaviors
Growing up in a large extended family is like having instant
access to longitudinal information about a variety of human

behaviors. One may not have observed all the “participants”
through all the stages of their lives, but there are always older
relatives to provide the missing “data.” For example, as children,
my sister Rose and I always enjoyed spending time with our
grandmother’s older sister, Aunt May. She was a retired teacher,
had no children, and had never married, but her home was
designed for children’s visits. She had a chess board, a Scrabble

game, and a set of dominoes tucked under her sofa. There was a
huge porch swing, an endless supply of home-baked cookies, and

a workroom complete with a potter’s wheel and kiln—the site of
many “mud parties” she hosted for the kids in the family.
After one particularly fun-filled visit to her house, we commented
to our mother that Aunt May was probably so patient and so

much fun in her old age because she missed having children
herself, but our mother laughed and said, “Oh no, Aunt May has
always been good with children and a lot of fun. Age doesn’t
change a person’s basic qualities. She was having ‘mud and

cookie’ parties when I was your age and she was in her 40s. And
your grandmother said May was like a second mother to her—

always watching out for the younger kids in the family and
making up games to amuse them.”
Although our mother was not a research psychologist, she was

voicing the basic concept of personality stability within an
individual over the lifespan. I think most of us have our own

theories about personality and age, some based on personal
experience within our own families and some based on

stereotypes. This chapter delves into the complex topic of
personality stability and change in adulthood, sometimes

supporting our personal theories and sometimes replacing them
with others.
8.1: Personality Structures
Objective: Apply the Five-Factor model to concepts of personality
Personality  consists of a relatively enduring set of characteristics that
define our individuality and affect our interactions with the environment
and other people. The study of personality psychology encompasses a

large range of interesting topics—traits, motivations, emotions, the self,
coping strategies, and the like. In fact, before you took your first
psychology course, this is probably what you thought the field was all
about. It is one of the oldest specialties in psychology and has been a very
active forum in the study of adult development. The main question is:
What happens to personality as we go through adulthood and into old

age? There appear to be only two possible answers to this question:
Either personality is continuous or it changes. However, research over
four decades has shown that the answer is not so simple. A better answer
is: “It depends.” It depends on which type of continuity or change is being
studied, it depends on which personality factor we are interested in
studying, and it depends on the age of the adults being studied, their life
experiences and genetic makeup, and the way the data are gathered (Alea
et al., 2004). So, if you like mental roller-coaster rides, hang on!

will be able to:
8.1.1 Describe the Five-Factor Model of personality

8.1.2 Explain how differential continuity predicts personality stability
8.1.3 Relate mean-level change to personality
8.1.4 Explain how individual personality factors can change
8.1.5 Describe the relationship between variability and stability in a
population
8.1.1: Personality Traits and Factors
Objective: Describe the Five-Factor Model of personality
The early formulations of personality come from people such as Freud,
Jung, and Erikson, developmental theorists whose ideas were based on

the premise that many aspects of adult life, including personality, are
dynamic and evolving throughout the life span in predictable ways. Many
of these theories were based on specific changes at specific ages brought
about by resolution of tension among competing forces in life.
About 30 years ago, a new generation of personality psychologists began
arguing that it wasn’t enough to have a popular theory that was
enthusiastically endorsed; it was also important for a personality theory
to be empirically tested and validated (McCrae & Costa, 1990). Therefore,
it was necessary to define personality more precisely. One of the biggest
problems was deciding just what the “enduring characteristics” were that
should be studied empirically. What are the basic personality traits , or
patterns of thoughts, feelings, and behaviors exhibited by our human
species?
A good example of a personality trait is how a person typically behaves in
social situations. Some people are retiring and some are outgoing. If you
think of several people you know well and consider how they usually act
around other people, you can probably arrange them along a continuum
from most outgoing to most retiring. The continuum represents a

personality trait, and the position each of your friends occupies along that
dimension between outgoing and retiring illustrates how they rate on this
trait. I use the term typically here so as not to confuse personality traits
with personality states , which are more short-term characteristics of a
person. If you go to a party after an argument with your best friend, your
usual outgoing trait may be eclipsed by your withdrawn state, but your
trait is still outgoing.
Personality traits were not new to psychology in 1990. To the contrary,
there were too many of them: “Thousands of words, hundreds of

published scales, and dozens of trait systems competed for the
researcher’s or reviewer’s attention. How could one make any
generalization about the influence of age on personality traits when there
appear to be an unlimited number of traits?” (Costa & McCrae, 1997, p.
271). The solution was to narrow down the great number of personality
traits into a small number of personality factors , groups of traits that
occur together in individuals. For example, if people who score high in
modesty also score high in compliance (and those who score low in one
also score low in the other), it stands to reason that tests that evaluate
modesty and compliance are probably tapping into the same well. The
basic question was: How many different wells (or factors) are there?
The Five-Factor Model
Personality psychologists Robert McCrae and Paul Costa (1987) started
with two dimensions that had been long agreed upon, Neuroticism (N)
and Extraversion (E). By using a procedure called factor analysis, they
found evidence for three more factors: Openness (O), Agreeableness (A),
and Conscientiousness (C). The result of this work was the Five-Factor
Model (FFM)  of personality (also known as the “Big Five Model”). Since
that time, they have devised and revised a test instrument, the latest
version of which is called the NEO Personality Inventory–3 (NEO-PI-3).
This inventory has been translated into many languages and been
administered with similar results to people representing a large number

of backgrounds. Basically, researchers have found that no matter what the
ages of the individuals tested or what their gender or cultural
background, people’s personality traits fell into patterns around these five
factors, or personality structures.
The FFM is not the only factor analysis model of personality, and the NEO
Personality Inventory is not the only test used to evaluate personality
traits. There are also the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory
(MMPI), the California Psychological Inventory (CPI; Gough, 1957/1987),
the Sixteen Personality Factor Questionnaire (16PF; Cattell et al., 1970),
and others. Currently, the FFM is the standard, and when other tests are
used, their factors are often converted to the terminology of the NEO PI.
But regardless of the test used, researchers had defined a limited set of
personality factors and the traits that fell within them to begin scientific
research on the question of what happens to personality over the course
of adulthood.
Personality Types
Some personality researchers have suggested that clusters of personality
traits form personality types. Recently Martin Gerlach and his colleagues
(2018) at Northwestern University examined data from over 1.5 million
people from personality studies. They found evidence for several
personality types. Click or tap each tab below to learn more about the
evidence for per-sonality types.
Evidence of Personality Types

8.1.2: Differential Continuity
Objective: Explain how differential continuity predicts
personality stability
Now that you know the history and methodology used to develop
personality inventories, what does the study of personality factors tell us
about personality continuity and change? One way of conceptualizing
what happens to personality over adulthood is to investigate differential
continuity , which refers to the stability of individuals’ rank order within

a group over time. In other words, do the most extraverted participants at
Time 1 (for example, age 20) remain among the most extraverted
participants at Time 2 (for example, age 50)? And do the lowest-ranked
participants still score in the lowest ranks of Extraversion 30 years later?
This type of question is usually answered by correlating the ranking order
for the group of participants at Time 1 with their rankings at Time 2. If the
correlation coefficient is positive and sufficiently high, it means the group
generally stays in the same rank order, with those higher than others in a
trait such as Extraversion remaining higher than others in Extraversion,
and those lower than others in the trait remaining lower than others in
that trait. More interesting, comparisons can be made between intervals
in young adulthood (for example, age 20–30) and in older adulthood (for
example, age 50–60), assessing whether this personality factor is more
stable at one time of life than another.

Using this method, we know that personality trait rankings remain
moderately stable throughout adulthood and that their stability increases
with age (we get “stabler and stabler”). This is even true when the time
period from childhood to early adulthood is included, which has long
been thought to be a time of life-changing roles and identity decisions.
Figure 8.1  shows the rank-order correlations from childhood to late
adulthood, reflecting data from 152 studies of personality (Roberts &
DelVecchio, 2000). As you can see, there is an increase in rank-order
stability from age 6 to age 73. Other things we know about rank-order
stability are that these patterns don’t differ much from one personality
factor to another, show no gender differences, and are very similar no
matter what type of assessment method is used (Caspi et al., 2004).
Figure 8.1 Rank-Order Correlations from Childhood to Late

Adulthood
Differential continuity is demonstrated in results from 152 studies

showing that individuals' correlations from age to age in scores on
various personality tests remain high from early childhood through late
adulthood and increase in middle adulthood. People ranking high in
some personality trait at one age tend to rank high in that trait on tests
given to them at later ages, and the same is true for people who are in the
middle or lower ranks.
Source: Roberts and DelVecchio (2000).

In summary, rankings of personality traits are surprisingly stable during
childhood and throughout adulthood, increasing steadily until about age
50 and then leveling off. Even in the oldest groups, there is a correlation
coefficient of around 0.70, which means that total stability has not been
reached (as it would if the coefficient were 1.00), showing that there are
still some changes taking place in rank order.
8.1.3: Mean-Level Change
Objective: Relate mean-level change to personality
The concept of mean-level change  refers to changes in a group’s
average scores over time. If your first-year college class were tested on
some personality measure (for example, Conscientiousness) and then
tested again in your senior year, would the averages of the group change
significantly and, if so, why? Mean-level change is attributed to such
factors as maturation (such as menopause for women at midlife) or

cultural processes shared by a population (such as the normative changes
of completing school, starting a career, and leaving the parental home).
Fifty personality researchers from around the globe, including McCrae
and Costa, found that stereotypes of changes in personality during
adulthood were relatively stable across 26 different countries (Chan et al.,
2012). In Figure 8.2 , you can see that both younger and older adults are
believed to be less neurotic than are adolescents. Extraversion is believed
to decrease from adolescence to adulthood and decrease again from
young adulthood into old age. Openness is believed to decrease even

more dramatically from adolescence to young adulthood and from young
adulthood to old age. Agreeableness is believed to increase from
adolescence to young adulthood and increase again from young
adulthood to old age, and Conscientiousness is believed to increase
dramatically from adolescence to young adulthood and then decrease

slightly from young adulthood to old age. Do these stereotypes of aging
reflect real changes in personality across age?
McCrae and colleagues (2005) gave the NEO PI to adolescents, younger
adults, and older adults in the United States. As can be seen from the
dark bars in Figure 8.2 , the responses of the participants were similar to
the stereotypes. Neuroticism, Extraversion, and Openness decreased with
age, whereas Agreeableness and Conscientiousness increased. In a cross-
sectional study of participants from five different cultures, those over age
30 showed higher mean-level scores for Agreeableness and

Conscientiousness, and those under age 30 showed higher scores for
Extraversion, Openness, and Neuroticism (McCrae et al., 1999).
Figure 8.2 Stereotypes of Change in Personality

Results of a NEO PI given to adolescents, younger adults, and older adults
in the United States.
Source: McCrae et al. (2005).

Patterns of Change
In a meta-analysis of 92 studies, researchers found that personality factors
not only changed with age, but also showed distinct patterns of change.
These patterns of change are shown in Figure 8.3 . For example,
Conscientiousness, Emotional Stability (the reverse of Neuroticism), and
Social Dominance (one component of Extraversion) showed significant

increases, especially in young adulthood. Participants increased in
Openness and Social Vitality (a second component of Extraversion) in
adolescence, but then decreased in old age. Agreeableness did not
increase much from adolescence to middle age, but did increase between
50 and 60 years of age (Roberts et al., 2006).
Figure 8.3 Patterns of Cumulative Change for Six Personality Traits

Each personality trait shows a different age-related pattern.
Source: Roberts et al. (2006).
Evidence for mean-level change in older adults is similar; personality trait
scores from a group of 74- to 84-year-old participants were compared to
an older group of participants 85–92 years of age, and researchers

reported that the older group showed higher scores for Agreeableness.
Furthermore, 14 years later, the “younger” group had shown an increase

in these traits, which brought them up to the level of the original “older”
group (Field & Millsap, 1991).
The message from these studies is that personality does change
predictably with age and continues to change at least to the age of 92. We
become more and more agreeable, more conscientious, more emotionally
stable (or less neurotic), and more socially dominant. We become more
open and socially vital in young adulthood, but then decline in old age.
These patterns seem to be independent of gender and cultural influences.

8.1.4: Intra-Individual Variability
Objective: Explain how individual personality factors can change
Another way to chart the progress of personality traits over adulthood is
to look at intra-individual variability , or in other words, find out

whether the personality traits of an individual remain stable over the
years or change. This is done by giving personality tests to individuals at
several points in time and then correlating each person’s scores from
Time 1 with the scores for Time 2, and so on. This is not the same as
differential stability because you are correlating the actual scores, not the
rank order. Personality researchers in Scotland conducted one study of
this type (Harris et al., 2016). A Scottish mental survey that measured
facets of dependability was conducted with 14-year-olds in 1947, and
these researchers followed up on the participants when they were 77
years old. They found little stability in overall dependability across the
lives of the participants, but they did find some stability in “stability of
mood” and Conscientiousness. Another study of intra-individual
variability correlated five-factor scores for men between the ages of 43
and 91, finding that most showed declines in Neuroticism and no changes
in Extraversion with age. However, this was not true for all the
participants, and many showed different patterns of individual variability
even in very late adulthood (Mroczek & Spiro, 2003). Recent studies have
shown that scores on all five factors of personality show “unmistakable
variability” in the rate and direction of change for individuals (Roberts &
Mroczek, 2008).
Scientists with the Berlin Aging Study II (Mueller et al., 2016) followed
over 1,200 people from age 65 to 88 because they wanted to know if
personality changed during old age. Neuroticism and Conscientiousness
both decreased with age during old age, Extraversion and Openness
increased, and Agreeableness did not change. Interestingly, older adults
who reported higher levels of Neuroticism also had higher levels of
illness, lower grip strength, and slower cognitive speed, suggesting
interesting links between personality and other areas of successful and
unsuccessful aging.
Manipulating Personality
Another important question addressed by researchers is: Can personality
be changed intentionally? For example, psychologist Carol Dweck (2008)
argued that personality is based on beliefs about the self and that it is
possible to change some of those beliefs and, as a result, change
personality. One set of beliefs that Dweck used in her research involved
what people believe about their own intelligence. Those who believe that
their intelligence is malleable, that it can be improved, tend to be more
open to learning, more willing to face challenges and persevere, and
more resilient after failure—all traits that are important in school and in
adult life. People who believe that their intelligence is fixed tend not to
demonstrate those characteristics. In a number of experiments, people
with fixed beliefs about their intelligence changed their way of thinking
after receiving information about the brain and how new connections can
be made when learning takes place. Once they believed that their
intelligence was malleable, they began showing traits of openness,

perseverance, and resilience similar to those who expressed malleable
beliefs at the beginning of the study (Blackwell et al., 2007).
A similar study targeted African American college students who were
entering historically white institutions. As Figure 8.4  shows, when the
students were taught that their feelings of apprehension were normal but
would not last long, and were given personal testimonies from second-
year African American students telling them about their positive
experiences, they reported better feelings of acceptance, took more

challenging courses the following semester, were more apt to reach out to
their professors for help, and made better grades than students in a
control group (Walton & Cohen, 2007).
Figure 8.4 Changing Maladaptive Personality Traits Through

Intervention
Not only do aspects of personality seem to change over time, but it is also
possible to devise methods of changing maladaptive traits using
interventions.
Source: Walton and Cohen (2007).
Certain major life events can also cause changes in personality.

Researchers Jule Specht and colleagues (2011) conducted a four-year
longitudinal study on personality in Germany. They looked at data from

close to 15,000 in 2005 and again in 2009. People who got married during
4 four years of the study scored lower on Extraversion and Openness.

People who became separated from their partner became more
Agreeable, and men (but not women) became more Open. People who
divorced became more Conscientious, as did people who had a baby or
retired from a job. Some sex differences were observed. For example,
women decreased in Conscientiousness when their spouse died, while
men increased in Conscientiousness.

8.1.5: Continuity, Change, and
Variability Coexist
Objective: Describe the relationship between variability and
stability in a population
How do human personality structures within a group show differential
continuity, mean-level change, and intra-individual variability over time?
Take exam scores, for example. I generally give three exams in my class
on adolescent psychology. The class shows differential continuity because

those who are the top students on the first exam are usually the top
students on the second and third exams too, whereas those at the bottom
of the grading scale tend to remain in that rank order. However, there is
also considerable mean-level change. The average score for the first exam
is always significantly lower than the later exams. Some students don’t
take the subject matter seriously and are shocked to see questions about
genetics, brain structures, and research findings. Others explain that they
need to take one exam in a class before they know how to study for the
next ones. Whatever the reason, almost everyone improves on the second
exam, showing mean-level change for the class alongside differential
continuity. And there is also intra-individual variability. Although most
students follow the patterns described thus far, there are exceptions each
semester. A student can start off strong with a top grade on the first exam,
then get inundated with work as the semester goes on, floundering on the
later exams as a result of trying to burn the candle at both ends. Another
can start out strong, get frazzled at midterm, and then buckle down to
pull up the grade on the final. The result is differential continuity, mean-
level change, and intra-individual variability, all in the same class. And
the same is true for personality traits across adulthood.

8.2: What Do Personality Traits Do?
Objective: Analyze how personality impacts life experiences
While researchers have identified five major personality factors and a
large number of traits associated with each factor—and they have
explained the patterns of stability and change across adulthood—recently,

work has been done on just what personality traits do other than define
our uniqueness. Three areas have been identified that are shaped by
personality: relationships, achievement, and health (Caspi et al., 2004).

will be able to:
8.2.1 Describe ways personality can influence relationships
8.2.2 Determine the relationship between personality and

achievement
8.2.3 Relate personality to health experiences

8.2.1: Personality and Relationships
Objective: Describe ways personality can influence relationships
Personality traits are important in the development of intimate
relationships in adulthood. Neuroticism and Agreeableness in particular

are strong predictors of relationship outcome. The higher a person is in
Neuroticism and the lower in Agreeableness, the more apt he or she is to
be in conflicted, dissatisfying, and abusive relationships, and the more
quickly the relationships will dissolve (Karney & Bradbury, 1995). In a

longitudinal study that followed the relationships of adolescents into
adulthood, researchers found that high levels of Neuroticism predicted
that the individual would repeat the same negative experiences from
relationship to relationship (Ehrensaft et al., 2004).
The influence of personality on intimate relationships happens in at least
three ways. Click or tap each tab below to learn more about the three
ways.
Personality and Intimate Relationships

8.2.2: Personality and Achievement
Objective: Determine the relationship between personality and
achievement
The personality traits that make up the factor of Conscientiousness are

the most important predictors of a number of work-related markers of
achievement, such as occupational attainment and job performance
(Judge et al., 1999). The traits included in this factor include competence,
order, dutifulness, and self-discipline. In fact, if you look around your

classroom, you will probably see a lot of Conscientiousness being
displayed because it also predicts academic achievement. These traits are
integral to completing work effectively, paying attention, striving toward
high standards, and inhibiting impulsive thoughts and behavior.
The traits involved in Conscientiousness could affect job achievement in
several ways. First, people choose niches (jobs) that fit their personality
traits. We feel comfortable doing things we are good at and get pleasure
from. Second, people who display these behaviors are singled out by
others to be given jobs and promotions. Third are selection processes;

people who are not conscientious leave high-achievement jobs (or are
asked to leave). And fourth is the obvious fact that people who are high
in Conscientiousness actually do the job better (Caspi et al., 2004).
Researchers have shown that all five of the personality factors predict
good job performance if the job is a good match for the personality (Judge
et al., 1999). This finding should remind you of John Holland’s theory of
career selection.
These findings about personality traits and achievement depend on
gender expectations and sociocultural contexts of the times. What is valid
for today’s adults may not have been the same for earlier cohorts of
women. Psychologist Linda K. George and her colleagues (2011)
examined longitudinal data on the Mills College women, born between
1935 and 1939 and found that women high in Conscientiousness during
the college years were not more likely to be involved in careers than their
classmates because they were adhering to their culturally defined roles of
wife and mother. In fact, women high in Conscientiousness were more
apt to report high commitment to their family roles all through their adult
years. They had lower divorce rates, and their lack of career involvement
did not handicap them financially in retirement because they had been
conscientious about selecting a spouse who was a good provider. Clearly,
the same personality trait that drives a young woman today to attend
college and excel at her chosen career might have driven her great-
grandmother to take cooking lessons and work hard to keep her marriage
strong.
Another predictor of achievement is Openness. Martin Seligman and his
colleagues (2000) have found evidence that people who are open to new
experiences are more likely to be creative. More open people can see how
information from disparate areas is connected and thus are more likely to
succeed in creative and interdisciplinary fields.
8.2.3: Personality and Health
Objective: Relate personality to health experiences
The most dramatic finding about personality is that it is closely related to
health and longevity. People who have high levels of Conscientiousness

(Hill et al., 2011) and low levels of Neuroticism (Danner et al., 2001) tend
to live longer. Other studies show that people low in Agreeableness
(having high levels of anger and hostility) are at higher risk for heart
disease (Miller et al., 1996), and those who are high in Neuroticism report
lower levels of mental and physical health (Löckenhoff et al., 2008).
This link between personality traits and health can take place in a number
of ways. First, personality can directly affect the functioning of the body,
as seems to be the case with the link between hostility and heart disease.
The physiological reactions summoned by hostility act directly as
pathogens to cause disease. Matina Luchetti and her colleagues (2014)
found that conscientious people have less inflammation, which may be
one of the reasons for the association between Conscientiousness and
health. Second, personality can lead to behaviors that either promote or

undermine health. People who are high in Agreeableness are more likely
to have close relationships with supportive people, a factor known to be a
buffer against stress-related diseases. People high in Neuroticism are
more likely to smoke and indulge in other high-risk health behaviors
(Graham et al., 2017), whereas those high in Conscientiousness are more
likely to have regular checkups, watch their diets (Caspi et al., 2004), and
follow their doctors’ orders (Hill & Roberts, 2011). It is thus not
surprising that people low in Conscientiousness are more likely to
develop diabetes (Jokela et al., 2014). And fourth, personality may be
linked with the type of coping behaviors a person chooses to use when
confronted with stress (Scheier & Carver, 1993). For example, in a recent
study, the personality traits of Openness and Agreeableness were found
to predict older adults’ use of mindfulness-based stress-reduction
techniques (Barkan et al., 2016).

Risky Behavior and Conscientiousness
In a meta-analysis of 194 studies, psychologist Brent Roberts and his
colleagues (2005) correlated scores on Conscientiousness-related traits
and nine different health behaviors, such as drug use, risky driving, and
unsafe sex practices. Conscientiousness was significantly correlated with
each of them, meaning that knowing a person’s score on

Conscientiousness would allow you to predict his or her likelihood of
engaging in these health behaviors. The results are shown in Figure 8.5 .
As you can see, drug use, violence, risky driving, and excessive alcohol
use show the largest correlations. The lower one’s Conscientiousness
score, the more likely one is to engage in those behaviors. Other

behaviors shown in Figure 8.5  had smaller correlations but were still
significantly predicted by Conscientiousness. As the authors stated,
People who are not conscientious have quite a number of ways to experience premature
mortality. They can die through car accidents, through acquisition of AIDS via risky sexual
practices, through violent activities such as fights and suicides, and through drug overdoses.
People can still suffer from an attenuated life span in middle age through not eating well, not
exercising, and smoking tobacco, which all lead to heart disease and cancer. (p. 161)
A more recent study followed over 6,000 adults for 14 years and found
that there was a 13% reduction in mortality over those 14 years for people
high in Conscientiousness in part because that personality factor was
associated with less heavy drinking, less smoking, and lower waist
circumference (Turiano et al., 2015). An additional way personality traits
can influence health was suggested by Roberts and his colleagues (2009).
Using data from over 2,000 older adults, the researchers found that
Conscientiousness contributes not only to one’s own good health, but
also to the good health of one’s spouse. Men who had wives with high
scores on Conscientiousness reported better health than those with low-
scoring wives, and the same was true for women who had husbands with
high scores in Conscientiousness. The reasons seem clear—within a long-
term marriage, conscientious persons take care of their own health and
also that of their spouse.
Figure 8.5 Correlation between Conscientiousness and Health-

Related Behavior
Conscientiousness is negatively correlated with a number of health-

related behaviors. The higher the Conscientiousness score, the less likely
a person will engage in drug use, violence, risky driving, excessive
alcohol use, and other unhealthy behaviors.
Source: Roberts et al. (2005).

Personality and Caregiving
Personality traits also contribute to one’s subjective health when in the
role of an informal caregiver, a role many people will face during late
middle age. In a study of over 500 informal caregivers, those who were
high in Conscientiousness and Extraversion and low in Neuroticism
reported better mental and physical health. In addition, Agreeableness

was associated with better mental health, and Openness was associated
with better physical health. However, the way these personality traits
worked seemed to be that they affected the person’s sense of self-efficacy
—the belief that they can achieve their goals. And if those goals were
caregiving for a family member, they did it better than those whose
personality traits were at the other ends of the scales (Löckenhoff et al.,
2011).
8.3: Explanations of Continuity and
Change
Objective: Evaluate measures of personality change and stability
We know that there is evidence of both continuity and change in various
personality traits, but what is less clear is why. What factors influence
these features of personality? The explanations may sound familiar by
now—genes and environment. There is also an explanation from
evolutionary psychology that uses the interaction of both.

will be able to:
8.3.1 Relate genetics to personality
8.3.2 Identify ways that interactions with the environment influence
personality
8.3.3 Describe ways that evolution may have influenced the
development of personality
8.3.4 Compare measures of personality by culture

8.3.1: Genetics
Objective: Relate genetics to personality
To what extent do our genes determine our personalities? The short
answer is “quite a lot.” At least 20% of the variance in personality types is

heritable. Furthermore, the five major factors are influenced by genetics
to about the same extent, and there seem to be few gender differences.
Studies comparing the personality scores of monozygotic twins and

dizygotic twins illustrate the extent of this genetic influence. Psychologist
Rainer Riemann and his colleagues (1997) compiled personality data for
nearly 1,000 pairs of adult twins in Germany and Poland to investigate
the heritability of the Five-Factor Model of personality. Each participant
completed a self-report questionnaire, and then the twins’ scores were
correlated with their cotwins’ scores. As you can see in Figure 8.6 , the
identical-twin pairs, who shared the same genetic makeup, had
significantly higher correlations than the fraternal-twin pairs, who shared
only about 50% of their genes, suggesting that all five of these personality
trait structures are moderately influenced by genetics.
In an interesting twist, Riemann and his colleagues (1997) also gave
questionnaires to two friends of each twin and asked them to rate the
twin’s personality, providing an objective rating to compare with the self-
reports. The two friends agreed with each other substantially (the
correlation coefficient was 0.63), and the means of their scores agreed
with the twins’ self-reports moderately (the correlation coefficient was
0.55), all adding evidence to the heritability of personality traits.
Figure 8.6 Personality Scores of Monozygotic Twins and Dizygotic

Twins
Monozygotic twins' scores for five personality factors show higher

correlations than scores for dizygotic twins, suggesting that there is a
genetic influence on personality traits.
Source: Based on data from Riemann et al. (1997).

8.3.2: Environmental Influences
Objective: Identify ways that interactions with the environment
influence personality
As important as genetic influences are on personality, the environment

also has an effect, both directly and in combination with genetic factors.
Although individuals’ personality measures tend to remain stable in rank-
order positions through adulthood, there is room for change, even in the
later years, presumably due to environmental influences. Longitudinal

studies of twins show that personality change is more influenced by
genetics in childhood than in adulthood, meaning that environmental
influences are more prominent in adulthood (Plomin & Nesselroade,
1997).
Changes in mean-level measures of personality are common and tend to
occur mostly in young adulthood, a time that is very dense in role
transitions (leaving home, starting careers, entering committed
partnerships, becoming parents). For example, measures of social
dominance, conscientiousness, and emotional stability all increase in

mean level during young adulthood, leading some researchers to believe
that “life experiences and life lessons centered in young adulthood are the
most likely reasons for the patterns of development we see” (Roberts et
al., 2006, p. 18). All cultures support these role transitions for young
adults and have expectations for the content of these roles. This might
explain why these traits develop universally at this time of life (Helson et
al., 2002).
In addition, different cohorts show different mean levels of personality
traits. For example, more recent cohorts show higher scores on measures
of social dominance, conscientiousness, and emotional stability, perhaps
showing the effects of changing social values and childrearing practices
(Roberts et al., 2006).
When people experience discrimination, this can lead to negative effects

on their personality. Researchers Angela Sutin and colleagues (2016)
found that people who reported being discriminated against showed an
increase in Neuroticism and a decrease in Agreeableness and
Conscientiousness over the course of 4 years compared o those who did
not report discriminination. Click or tap each figure to explore the effects
of discrimination on different elements of personality.
Discrimination and Personality

Person–Environment Transactions
We also have evidence that the environment works in combination with
genetic factors to maintain differential stability. Psychologist Avshalom
Caspi (1998; Caspi & Roberts, 1999) suggests that individuals' genetic
endowment and environmental factors combine to maintain personality
traits over the years of adulthood, a concept known as person–

environment transactions . Person–environment transactions can be
conscious or unconscious and happen in a variety of ways. Click or tap
each tab below to learn more about each transaction.
Different Ways of Person–Environment Transactions

8.3.3: Evolutionary Psychology
Explanations
Objective: Describe ways that evolution may have influenced the
development of personality
If personality structure has substantial genetic components and is similar
in many cultures, it probably evolved over generations along with our
other human traits. Evolutionary psychologist David Buss (1997) argued
that personality traits are based on the most important features of the
social groups our early ancestors lived in. It was important for our species
to have indicators of who was good company (Extraversion), who was
kind and supportive (Agreeableness), who put in sustained effort
(Conscientiousness), who was emotionally undependable (Neuroticism),
and who had good ideas (Openness). According to Buss, these differences
(and the ability to perceive them in others) have been important to the
survival of our species.
Buss also contended that personality traits have led to important
individual differences linked to status, sexuality, and survival—all
contributors to reproductive success (Buss, 2012). For example, scores on
Extraversion measures are related to access to sexual partners (Eysenck,
1976), and Conscientiousness is related to work and status (Lund et al.,
2007). The suggested mechanisms for this is reactive heritability , a

process whereby individuals use the qualities they have inherited, such as
strength or attractiveness, as a basis to determine strategies for survival

and reproduction, such as developing a personality high in Extraversion
(Lukaszewski & Rooney, 2010; Tooby & Cosmides, 1990).
Dogs have evolved alongside humans for thousands of years. Which

elements in a dog’s personality help the species live among humans?
8.3.4: Cultural Differences
Objective: Compare measures of personality by culture
Recall that the Five-Factor Model was constructed by factor analysis of
personality traits found in the U.S. population and then tested on people
in other cultures with the goal of showing universality in underlying
personality constructs, and it has been found to be stable across many
cultures (McCrae et al., 2005). However, cultural and language
differences have appeared (Cheung et al., 2008; De Raad et al., 2010;

Hofer et al., 2014), causing researchers to take a different approach and
construct alternative models of personality structures based on other
cultures and other languages. These bottom-up, indigenous psychologies
are being developed in areas of Latin America, Europe, and Asia and have
covered constructs such as the selfless-self in Eastern religions (Verma,
1999) and the concepts of “face,” harmony, reciprocity in relationships,
predestined relationships, and mother–child attachments (Cheung et al.,
2011). For example, the Chinese Personality Assessment Inventory was
developed using these methods and consists of four personality factors:
Social Potency/Expansiveness, Dependability, Accommodation, and

Interpersonal Relatedness (Cheung et al., 2008).
Studies comparing the Chinese Personality Assessment Inventory with
the NEO-Five-Factor Inventory have shown that the Chinese factor of
Interpersonal Relatedness did not correspond to any of the NEO five
factors, and that the NEO factor of Openness did not correspond with any
of the Chinese factors. The Chinese Personality Assessment Inventory has
since been translated into various languages—including Korean, Japanese,
and Vietnamese—and studies have shown that its personality constructs,
especially Interpersonal Relatedness, are found in these collectivist
cultures (Yang, 2006). The point of all this is that the Five-Factor Model
was a great start, but now researchers are developing alternative models
to learn more about what is universal about personality and what is
particular to a given culture. With globalization, it is important for all of
us—clinical psychologists, college professors, travelers, even good
neighbors—to understand better “what makes others tick.”
In this section I have covered research based on personality structures,
mainly the Five-Factor Model that was defined by Costa and McCrae in
the 1990s. Using the NEO Personality Inventory, researchers are able to
assign scores to each factor, giving each participant in the study a
numerical personality profile. These studies are usually done as self-
reports and with very large groups of people. Once the scores are
computed, the patterns can be analyzed to find out how personality
changes over time, whether there are cultural differences, and the like. It
is quick and relatively easy, and it is empirical. We have learned a lot
about human personality from these studies— that is, personality of

humans living in Western, individualistic cultures. And we are beginning
to learn about personality in Eastern, collectivist cultures. However, these

factor-analysis studies lack something in the depth and richness that we
know reside within ourselves and the people we know well.

8.4: Theories of Personality
Development
Objective: Interpret personality using theories of personality
development
Another approach to changes in personality across adulthood is to

conduct research based on some of the early theories of personality
development, most of which had their roots in Freudian psychoanalytic
theory. Full explanations of these theories comprise a whole course in
itself, so I only briefly describe them before going on to the current
research findings. Although these researchers use different terminology

and research methods, many of their findings fit well with the trait theory
findings.

will be able to:
8.4.1 Relate Erikson’s stages of psychosocial development to
personality changes over time
8.4.2 Outline Loevinger’s stages of ego development
8.4.3 Differentiate between Vaillant’s defense mechanisms
8.4.4 Analyze gender crossover for its influences

8.4.5 Summarize the approaches of positive psychology
8.4.1: Psychosocial Development
Objective: Relate Erikson’s stages of psychosocial development to
personality changes over time
One of the most influential theories of personality development is that of

psychoanalyst Erik Erikson (1950, 1959, 1982), who proposed that
psychosocial development continues over the entire lifespan and results
from the interaction of our inner instincts and drives with outer cultural
and social demands. For Erikson, a key concept is the gradual, stepwise
emergence of a sense of identity. To develop a complete, stable
personality, the person must move through and successfully resolve eight
crises or dilemmas over the course of a lifetime. Each stage, or dilemma,
emerges as the person is challenged by new relationships, tasks, or
demands. As you can see in Table 8.1 , each stage is defined by a pair of
opposing possibilities.
Erikson also talked about the potential strengths to be gained from a
healthy resolution of each dilemma, which are also listed in the table. A
healthy resolution, according to Erikson, is finding a balance between the

two possibilities. Click or tap each age group to learn more about its
corresponding stage and description.
Table 8.1 Erikson's Stages of Psychosocial Development

Erikson and Adulthood
Four dilemmas describe adulthood, beginning with Stage V, identity
versus role confusion, which is a central task of adolescence and those in
their early 20s. In achieving identity , the young person must develop a
specific ideology, a set of personal values and goals. In part, this is a shift
from the here-and-now orientation of the child to a future orientation;

teenagers must not only consider what or who they are but also what or
who they will be. Erikson believed that the teenager or young adult must
develop several linked identities: an occupational identity (What work
will I do?), a gender or gender-role identity (How do I go about being a
man or a woman?), and political and religious identities (What do I

believe in?). If these identities are not developed, the young person
suffers from a sense of confusion, a sense of not knowing what or who
one is.
Stage VI, intimacy versus isolation, builds on the newly forged identity of
adolescence. Intimacy  is the ability to fuse your identity with somebody
else’s without fear that you’re going to lose something yourself (Evans,
1969). Many young people, Erikson thought, make the mistake of
thinking they will find their identity in a relationship, but in his view, it is
only those who have already formed (or are well on the way to forming) a
clear identity who can successfully enter the fusion of identities that he
calls intimacy. For those whose identities are weak or unformed,
relationships will remain shallow, and the young person will experience a
sense of isolation or loneliness.

The next stage of personality development, Stage VII, is generativity versus
self-absorption and stagnation. Generativity  is concerned with
establishing and guiding the next generation. It encompasses procreation,
productivity, and creativity. The bearing and rearing of children is clearly
a key element in Erikson’s view of generativity, but it is not the only
element. Serving as a mentor for younger colleagues, doing charitable
work in society, and the like are also expressions of generativity. Adults
who do not find some avenue for successful expression of generativity
may become self-absorbed or experience a sense of stagnation. The
strength that can emerge from this stage, according to Erikson, is care,
which implies both taking care of and caring for or about others or
society.
Erikson’s final proposed stage, or Stage VIII, is ego integrity versus despair.
Ego integrity  is achieved when people look back over their lives and
decide whether they find meaning and integration in their life review or
meaninglessness and unproductivity. If they see that they have resolved
well the conflicts that arose in each previous stage, they are able to reap
the fruit of a well-lived life, which Erikson labels “wisdom.”

Evaluating Erikson’s Stages
Erikson was a good thinker. He had a combination of formal training in
psychoanalysis and informal training in a variety of arenas—as an art
student, in his work with Native American people, and in his studies of
the lives of a diverse group of individuals such as Mahatma Ghandi,
Martin Luther, and Adolf Hitler. His theory makes sense intuitively—it fits
the way we think about our own lives and those of others. But how does
it hold up under scientific scrutiny? A number of researchers have found
ways to test Erikson’s theory, with mixed results. Click or tap Next to
learn more about the ways to test Erikson’s theory.
Ways to Test Erikson’s Theory

In summary, empirical studies have shown that there is good evidence for
Erikson’s adult stages of psychosocial development. Although the ages do
not always match Erikson’s “optimal ages” for a stage, there is ample
evidence that young adulthood is a time of emphasis on identity
concerns. Midlife seems to be a time of forming generativity goals.
Intimacy is important in young adulthood, as Erikson stated, but is also a

concern at other ages. However, Erikson’s theory held that stages are
never “over,” but are just replaced by new dilemmas, so it is not

surprising that so important an aspect of life as intimacy is a concern
throughout adulthood.
8.4.2: Ego Development
Objective: Outline Loevinger’s stages of ego development
A second theory with Freudian roots comes from psychologist Jane
Loevinger (1976), who suggested a number of stagelike levels of ego

development. Like Erikson, Loevinger believed that each level was built
on the level that preceded it, but unlike Erikson’s theory, a person must
complete the developmental tasks in one stage before moving to the next.
Although the early stage is typically completed in childhood, the stages

have only very loose connections to ages. Thus, a wide range of stages of
ego development would be represented among a group of adults of any
given age. What Loevinger is describing, in essence, is a pathway along
which she thinks we all must move. But the rate of movement and the
final stage achieved differ widely from one person to the next, and that
difference, according to Loevinger, is the basis of different personality
types.
A number of stages have been presented over the 40 years or so this
theory has been part of the field of developmental psychology. Some

earlier stages are difficult to gather data on because they are most likely
to be found in very young children. Later stages are also difficult because
so few people have reached them. Click or tap each tab below to learn
more about the stages of ego development.
Loevinger’s Stages of Ego Development

Measuring Ego Development
Loevinger’s theory deals with the integration of new perspectives on the
self and others, and the stages, or levels, are measured by the Washington
University Sentence Completion Test of Ego Development (Hy &
Loevinger, 1996). In this test, participants are asked to complete 18
sentence stems, such as “My mother and I . . . ,” “A man’s job . . . ,” and

“Rules are . . .” Each response is scored according to guidelines, and then
a total score is computed that corresponds to a particular stage or level of
ego development.
The sentence-completion test is used to assess the ego development of

adults across the lifespan. For example, young adults’ ego development
stage was found to be a reflection of problems experienced in childhood
and adolescence. Most of those who had a history of externalizing
disorders (attention problems or aggressive behavior) were below the
conformist level at age 22, indicating that they had not reached a stage
that involves respect for rules. Many of those who had a history of
internalizing disorders (anxiety or depression) had not advanced beyond
the conformist level at age 22, indicating that although they had respect
for rules, they had not yet reached the self-aware level (Krettenauer et al.,
2003).
Psychologists Jack Bauer and Dan McAdams (2004) interviewed middle-
aged adults who had been through either a career change or a change in
religion, asking questions about personal growth. They also computed

their ego development stage according to the Washington University
sentence-completion test described earlier. Participants who were at
higher levels of ego development on the sentence-completion test were
more apt to describe their career change and religion change in terms of
integrative themes (having new perspectives on the self and others). These
adults described their personal growth as increased self-awareness, better
understanding of relationships, and a higher level of moral reasoning—all
themes that reflect more complex thinking about one’s life and
meaningful relationships.
Janet Truluck and Bradley Courtenay (2002), researchers in adult
education, gave older adults (55–85 years of age) the Washington
University sentence-completion test to assess their ego development.
There were no gender differences or age effects, but as shown in Figure
8.10 , educational level was positively related to ego development. The
proportion of people who scored in the self-aware stage was higher for
those with only a high school education and declined for people with
some college, for college graduates, and then for those with a
postgraduate education. The proportion of those in the conscientious and

individualistic stages generally increased with educational attainment.
Although some researchers have found that educational level is related to

ego development in earlier adulthood (Labouvie-Vief & Diehl, 1998),
these findings of lifelong effects of education on ego development are

interesting, especially considering that most of the older participants’
education had been attained decades earlier.
Figure 8.10 Education Attainment and Ego Development in Older

Adults
In older adults (55-85 years of age), higher education is related to higher
levels of ego development.
Source: Based on data from Truluck and Courtenay (2002).

8.4.3: Mature Adaptation
Objective: Differentiate between Vaillant’s defense mechanisms
A theory that seems to be a cross between Erikson’s and Loevinger’s
theories is that of psychiatrist George Vaillant (1977, 1993). He begins by

accepting Erikson’s stages as the basic framework of development, but
inserts an additional stage between Erikson’s stages of intimacy and
generativity at some time around the age of 30. Vaillant calls this stage
career consolidation, the stage when young adults are intent on

establishing their own competence, mastering a craft, or acquiring higher
status or a positive reputation.
Like Loevinger, Vaillant describes a direction in which personality growth
or development may occur, but he does not assume that everyone moves
the same distance in this direction. In particular, Vaillant is interested in
mature adaptation, potential progressive change in the ways adults adapt
psychologically to the trials and tribulations they face. The major form of
adaptation he discusses is the defense mechanism , Freud’s term for a
set of normal, unconscious strategies used for dealing with anxiety.

Everyone has some anxiety, so everyone uses defense mechanisms of
some kind. All of them involve some type of self-deception or distortion
of reality. We forget things that make us uncomfortable or remember
them in a way that is not so unpleasant; we give ourselves reasons for
doing something we know we shouldn’t do; we project our unacceptable
feelings onto others rather than acknowledge them in ourselves. What

Vaillant has added to Freud’s concept is the notion that some defense
mechanisms are more mature than others. In general, mature defenses
involve less distortion of reality. They reflect more graceful, less
uncomfortable ways of coping with difficulties. Vaillant’s central thesis is
that an adult’s defense mechanisms must mature if he or she is to be able
to cope effectively with the slings and arrows of normal life.
Vaillant arranged defense mechanisms into six levels, with the first level
as the most mature. The six levels, along with examples of each, are
shown in Table 8.3 . Vaillant believed that people use defense

mechanisms from several levels at any point in their lives and, at times of
stress, may regress to lower levels. However, in the course of life
maturation, adults add more and more adaptive defense mechanisms to
their psychological toolboxes and use fewer and fewer of the less mature
defense mechanisms. So instead of this being a stage theory with discreet
steps of development, Vaillant (2002) considered his theory as more of a
slope, with those who use more mature defense mechanisms having more
integrated personalities and being more successful in their lives. Review
each level in the table below. Then check your understanding by

dragging and dropping each example to its correct position in the table.
Table 8.3 Vaillant’s Six Levels of Defense Mechanisms

Source: Adapted from APA (2000).
Vaillant based many of his ideas on data from the Harvard Men’s Study, a
longitudinal study that began with 268 men of the 1922 graduating class
of Harvard College and followed them throughout their lives (Heath,

1945). Although Vaillant was not born when the study began, he joined
the research group in its 30th year and at age 85 as of this writing, he is
still gathering data on the surviving participants. (Interestingly, his father,
who died when Vaillant was 13, was an original participant in the study.)
Origins of Vaillant’s Work
Vaillant’s theory was based on data from numerous interviews,
personality tests, and other measurements that were given to the men in
the Harvard study over the years. When personality-factors research
began to take center stage in the study of personality, he and his
colleagues adapted the concept of the Five-Factor Model to fit the

longitudinal study of Harvard men. By reviewing early interviews and test
results, the researchers were able to assign scores for the five major
personality factors to the men at age 22, some 45 years earlier. Then they
gave the Five-Factor Personality Inventory (NEO PI) to the 163 surviving
participants and compared the early scores with the later scores. The
results showed low but significant intra-individual stability for three
factors—Neuroticism, Extraversion, and Openness—despite the cards
stacked against the study, such as the very long interval between tests,
the use of different tests, and Time 1 being at such a young age (Soldz &
Vaillant, 1999).
In addition to looking at individual stability over a 45-year interval, Soldz
and Vaillant (1999) also investigated other details of these men’s lives to
see if their early personality traits were related to actual events and
outcomes over the life course. Some of the results were that Extraversion
at the age of 22 predicted maximum income during one’s working years;
the higher a participant scored on this trait, the more money he made.
Openness at age 22 predicted creative accomplishments during the men’s
lifetimes, and early Conscientiousness scores predicted good adult

adjustment and low levels of depression, smoking, and alcohol abuse.
(Recall earlier in this chapter that Conscientiousness is also related to
good health.)
8.4.4: Gender Crossover
Objective: Analyze gender crossover for its influences
Psychoanalyst Carl Jung (1933) believed that the second half of life was
characterized by exploring and acknowledging the parts of oneself that

had been hidden during the first half of life. Men allowed the softer, more
nurturant parts of their personalities to emerge, whereas women became
more independent and planful. Influenced by Jung’s psychoanalytic
thought about aging, anthropologist David Gutmann (1987) proposed

that adult gender differences in personality begin in young adulthood
when both men and women accentuate their own gender characteristics
and suppress the other-gender characteristics to attract mates and
reproduce. After the parenting years are over and these roles are not
paramount in their lives, according to this theory, they are able to relax
the suppression and allow some of the “other-gender” characteristics to
emerge.
Gutmann referred to this relaxation of gender roles at midlife as gender
crossover . He believed that aging does not represent a loss at this time
but, rather, a gain in personal freedom and new roles within the “tribe.”
Gutmann also found support for his ideas in his experiences among the
Mayan, Navajo, and Druze societies, showing that men move from active
mastery, which involves making changes in external circumstances, to
accommodative mastery, which is making changes in one’s inner self, and
that women move from accommodative to active mastery.

Psychologist Ravenna Helson and her colleagues (1997) reviewed data
from three longitudinal studies of different cohorts of college students.
They found support for Gutmann’s theory in the responses of the women
participants, most of whom expressed interest in marriage and family.
The difference in cohorts was that the earlier cohorts (who were young
adults in the 1930s and 1940s) were concerned about choosing between a
career and a family, and the more recent ones (who were young adults in
the 1980s) were concerned about combining both a career and a family.
The males in the study seldom expressed those concerns.
Helson explored the reasons for change and ruled out the narrow
interpretation of stereotypical gender traits as important for parenting;
the dramatic increase in women’s competence, independence, and self-
confidence at midlife was evident whether the women were mothers or
had remained childless. Furthermore, it depended on what opportunities
were available for women at the time they were going through these age-
related changes.
There seems to be evidence of men’s and women’s personalities blending

in middle and late adulthood, but this does not constitute a true
“crossover,” in which women become more masculine than men and men
become more feminine than women. What the research findings show is
best described as an increased openness to the expression of previously

unexpressed parts of the self. The cause for this blending does not strictly
seem to be parenthood because it is not limited to those who have had

children. The change seems to be stronger for women than for men.
Helson suggests that we are viewing a complex biosocial phenomenon

that involves hormones, social roles, historical changes, and economic
climate.
8.4.5: Positive Well-Being
Objective: Summarize the approaches of positive psychology
Another approach that has its roots in psychoanalytic theory comes from
psychologist Abraham Maslow (1968/1998), who traced his theoretical

roots to Freud and offered some highly original insights. As a humanistic
psychologist, Maslow’s most central concern was with the development
of motives or needs, which he divided into two main groups: deficiency
motives and being motives. Deficiency motives involve instincts or drives

to correct an imbalance or to maintain physical or emotional homeostasis,
such as getting enough to eat, satisfying thirst, or obtaining enough love
and respect from others. Deficiency motives are found in all animals.
Being motives, in contrast, are distinctly human. Maslow argued that
humans have unique desires to discover and understand, to give love to
others, and to push for the optimum fulfillment of their inner potentials.
In general, Maslow believed that the satisfaction of deficiency motives
prevents or cures illness, and re-creates homeostasis (inner balance). In
contrast, the satisfaction of being motives produces positive health. The

distinction is like the “difference between fending off threat or attack, and
positive triumph and achievement” (Maslow, 1968/1998, p. 32). But being
motives are quite fragile and do not typically emerge until well into
adulthood, and then only under supportive circumstances. Maslow’s well-
known needs hierarchy (shown in Figure 8.11 ) reflects this aspect of his
thinking. The lowest four levels all describe different deficiency motives,
whereas only the highest level, the need for self-actualization , is a
being motive. Furthermore, Maslow proposed that these five levels
emerge sequentially in development and tend to dominate the system
from the bottom up. That is, if you are starving, the physiological needs
dominate. If you are being physically battered, the safety needs dominate.
The need for self-actualization emerges only when all four types of
deficiency needs are largely satisfied.
Instead of studying people with mental health problems, Maslow sought
to understand the personalities and characteristics of those few adults

who seemed to have risen to the top of the needs hierarchy and achieved
significant levels of self-understanding and expression, people such as
Eleanor Roosevelt, Albert Schweitzer, and Albert Einstein. Some of the
key characteristics of self-actualized people, as Maslow saw them, are
having an accurate perception of reality, being involved in deep personal
relationships, being creative, and having a good-natured sense of humor.
He described self-actualized individuals as having peak experiences —
feelings of perfection and momentary separation from the self when one
feels in unity with the universe.
Figure 8.11 Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs

Maslow’s hierarchy of needs proposes that lower needs dominate the
individual’s motivations and that higher needs become prominent only
late in life and when the lower needs are satisfied.
Source: Maslow (1968/1998).

Adaptations and Applications of Positive
Well-Being
Maslow and other humanistic psychologists such as Carl Rogers (1959)
had their major influence in clinical psychology and self-help movements.
In some of the later adaptations and applications of these ideas by others,

the need for self-actualization has become more self-centered and less
centered on the collective well-being of humankind than Maslow had
envisioned. One reason is that Maslow’s theory had little empirical
testing; it was not stated very scientifically, and there were no means
developed for assessing the dominance of the various motives he

proposed. For some reason this theory did not attract the attention of
research psychologists who might have picked up the ball and advanced
it further down the field. However, there is something about Maslow’s
theory that is appealing to us; it fits our gut-level feeling of what life is all
about. We can experience its truth in our lives almost every day. When
we feel endangered by terrorist attacks, we are not too concerned about
whether we will be graduating next year with two gold braids on our
shoulders or just one.
There has been a renewed interest in humanistic psychology and new
attempts to use it as a basis for empirical studies. Foremost among this
movement has been the appeal by psychologists Martin Seligman and
Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi (2000) for a new focus that turns away from a
disease model of human behavior that is fixated on curing or preventing

negative conditions such as mental illness, crime, failure, victimization,
abuse, brain damage, negative effects of stress, and poverty. Instead, they
offered the following focus on positive psychology :
The field of positive psychology at the subjective level is about valued subjective experiences:
well-being, contentment, and satisfaction (in the past); hope and optimism (for the future);
and flow and happiness (in the present). At the individual level, it is about positive individual
traits: the capacity for love and vocation, courage, interpersonal skill, aesthetic sensibility,
perseverance, forgiveness, originality, future mindedness, spirituality, high talent, and
wisdom. At the group level, it is about the civic virtues and the institutions that move
individuals toward better citizenship: responsibility, nurturance, altruism, civility, moderation,
tolerance, and work ethic. (p. 5)

Self-Determination Theory
One result of this movement is a personality theory that has some
components of Maslow’s theory of self-actualization. This theory,
formulated by psychologists Richard Ryan and Edward Deci (2000; Deci
& Ryan, 2008b), is known as self-determination theory . It holds that
personality is based on individuals’ evolved inner resources for growth

and integration. Ryan and Deci believe that the need for personal growth
and personality development is an essential part of human nature. The
extent to which we succeed in this endeavor is the basis of our
personalities. They stress how important it is for individuals to experience
what they call eudaimonia—a sense of integrity and well-being similar to

Maslow’s concept of self-actualization. They believe that too much
emphasis is placed on hedonia—happiness that involves the presence of
positive feelings and the absence of negative feelings (Deci & Ryan,
2008a). In contrast, they say that eudaimonia entails the basic needs for
competence, autonomy, and relatedness. Ryan and Deci (2000) theorize

that individuals cannot thrive without satisfying all three of these needs—
and thus an environment that fosters competence and autonomy but not
relatedness, for example, will result in a compromised sense of well-
being. Click or tap each tab below to learn more about the needs.
Three Basic Needs of Self-Determination Theory

Psychologist Christopher P. Niemiec and his colleagues (2009) applied
the concepts of self-determination theory to recent college graduates to
see if the types of goals and aspirations they had attained 2 years after
graduation were related to their psychological well-being. They found
that the graduates who expressed intrinsic goals (personal growth, close
relationships, and community involvement) and had attained those goals

2 years after graduation showed better psychological well-being than
those who had expressed extrinsic goals (money, fame, and image) and
who had attained those goals. In fact, those who had attained extrinsic
goals showed more indicators of psychological ill-being. The authors

summed up their study with a quotation from Aristotle (around 350 BCE):
“[Happiness] belongs more to those who have cultivated their character

and mind to the uttermost, and kept acquisition of external goods within
moderate limits, than it does to those who have managed to acquire more
external goods than they can possibly use, and are lacking goods of the
soul. . . . Any excessive amount of such things must either cause its
possessor some injury, or, at any rate, bring him no benefit” (Aristotle,
1946, pp. 280–281).
Summary: Personality
8.1 Personality Structures

Objective: Apply the Five-Factor Model to concepts of personality
Early ideas about adult personality were based on grand theories of
development that were popular and enthusiastically endorsed but not

empirically tested and validated.
One of the first methods of testing and validating ideas about
personality was the trait structure approach, in which a small number
of trait structures were identified through factor analysis. The most
prominent of these models is Costa and McCrae’s Five-Factor Model
(FFM), which identifies Neuroticism, Extraversion, Openness to

experience, Agreeableness, and Conscientiousness as the basic
factors of human personality.
Differential continuity has been found for the major five factors of
personality through childhood and adulthood. People tend to keep
their rank orders within groups regardless of gender. The level of

stability increases with age through the 70s, but never becomes
totally stable, showing that personality can change throughout life.
What happens to personality traits as people get older? We become
more agreeable and conscientious, less neurotic and open.
Personality trait structures can be stable in some ways (differential
continuity) and change in others (mean-level changes). The former is

relative to others in your age group, the latter is your group in
comparison to a different age group. You can be the most
conscientious person in your age group throughout your life, but the
average level of scores for that trait may increase as you (and your
agemates) get older.
8.2 What Do Personality Traits Do?

Objective: Analyze how personality impacts life experiences
Personality traits are related to the development of intimate
relationships, career success, and health in adulthood. People who
are high in Agreeableness and low in Neuroticism have relationships
that last longer and are more satisfying than those who are lower in
these traits. Those who have high levels of Conscientiousness are

more apt to do their jobs well and advance quickly in their careers
than those who are lower in these traits. High levels of
Conscientiousness and low levels of Neuroticism predict better health
and longevity.
8.3: Explanations of Continuity and

Change
Objective: Evaluate measures of personality change and stability
The five major personality structures have a significant genetic

component, but there are mixed findings about the primary factors.
The genetic influence is found to be greater in childhood than in

adulthood, when environmental influences are stronger.
People work together with their environments to keep their
personalities stable by the way they interpret events, the way they act
toward others that elicits responses compatible with their

personalities, the way they select situations that fit and reinforce their
personalities, and the way they make changes in surroundings that

are incompatible with their personalities.
Evolutionary psychologists argue that personality traits give us

important survival cues about the people in our environment and, as
a result, have been selected for throughout our evolutionary history.
Furthermore, personality traits may develop to complement inherited

physical characteristics to ensure survival and reproductive success.
Researchers have been finding subtle cultural differences in

personality traits and factors among Chinese, Korean, and
Vietnamese groups and are developing alternative models and scales

to measure personality traits in collectivist cultures.
8.4: Theories of Personality

Development
Objective: Interpret personality using theories of personality
development
Erikson’s theory of psychosocial development states that personality
development takes place in distinct stages over the lifespan. Each

stage represents a conflict the individual must try to resolve. Each
resolution attempt brings the potential for a new strength gained.

Four stages take place in adulthood as individuals attempt to establish
identities, form intimate partnerships, tend to the next generation,

and find meaning at the end of their lives. Although Erikson’s theory
was not data based or scientifically tested before it was presented,
recent research has shown that establishing an identity is a concern

for most younger adults but not for most middle-aged adults and that
this is true for intimacy also. Other studies have shown that middle-
aged adults are more concerned with generativity goals than younger
adults.
Loevinger’s theory of ego development parted with Erikson’s theory
on the concept of stages. She believed that adults make their way
along the incline from one stage to the other, but don’t have to
complete the whole progression. Personality depends on which stage
a person ultimately attains. The stages represent movement toward
interdependence, values, attitudes toward rules, and evaluations of

the self. Recent research has shown that Loevinger’s test of ego
development predicts how people will describe personal outcomes of
life events, and that ego development increases with education.
Vaillant’s theory of mature adaptation is based on levels of defense
mechanisms—normal, unconscious strategies we use for dealing with

anxiety. He posed six levels, beginning with the most mature and
proceeding on to those that involve more and more self-deception,
suggesting that we use several levels, but the ones we use the most
determine the maturity of our adaptations. Recent research has

incorporated trait-theory tests with more traditional personality
evaluations on a group of older Harvard men who have been studied
longitudinally since they were undergraduates. Vaillant has found
stability in rank for Neuroticism, Extraversion, and Openness over a
45-year period; some factors at the age of 22 predicted later outcomes

in health and career.
Gutmann’s theory of gender crossover explains that young adults
strive to display accentuated gender traits to attract mates and raise
children. After the parenting years are over, they are able to express
the hidden sides of their personalities by displaying the gender traits
of the opposite sex. Studies show that there is a tendency for both
men and women to incorporate characteristics of the other gender,
but it’s more of a blending than a true crossover, and it seems to be
independent of being a parent.
Maslow’s theory of self-actualization consists of stages of a sort, in the

form of a needs hierarchy, with the most-pressing biological needs
coming first; once they are satisfied, the individual turns his or her
attention to higher-level needs. The highest is self-actualization,
which Maslow believed was seldom achieved. A recent reformulation
of this theory is found in self-determination theory, which states our

basic needs as being competence, autonomy, and relatedness.
Research based on this idea has shown that fulfilling all three needs is
necessary for high scores on a number of indicators of well-being,
such as career success, good health, and life satisfaction.
Key Terms: Personality

Chapter 9
The Quest for Meaning
The quest for meaning can take many forms.
9.1 Explain why we study the search for meaning

9.2 Analyze how interaction with meaning systems changes over
time
9.3 Apply theories of spiritual development
9.4 Compare theories of meaning and personality
9.5 Analyze how individuals develop through transitions
9.6 Assess common metaphors used to make sense of the
development of adult meaning systems
A Word from the Author: Seeking Spirituality
My grandparents lived next door throughout my childhood, and
their search for meaning began and ended at the Presbyterian
church. It was the center of their lives and the answer to all their
questions. My grandfather began Sunday mornings teaching
Sunday School to a group of teenage boys—most of whom were

in the Boy Scout troop he led. Then he attended morning church
service, where my grandmother played the organ. Wednesday

nights were for Prayer Meeting. During the week, at least during
their retirement years, they visited the sick and helped out in the
food and clothing bank the church ran. Most of their friends and
neighbors attended the same church. Ten percent of their income

went to the church, and they did not drink alcohol, use tobacco,
or dance. The Holy Bible (King James version) was part of their
home decor, and it was well read. Before every meal around their
table, we expressed appreciation for our food with a prayer

beginning, “God is great, God is good. Let us thank Him for our
food.”
Today life is more complicated, and the search for meaning in our
family has gone in new directions. I no longer attend church
services, and only one of my three sisters does—and it is not the

Presbyterian church of our childhood. We contribute to our
community through civic donations and volunteer work, not

through the church. Our talk about spiritual matters takes place
in book clubs, at Sunday dinner, or at cocktail parties (where we

drink alcohol and sometimes dance!). Around our dining room
table are family members who seek meaning through yoga,
psychotherapy, mindfulness, meditation, and science. Frequent

guests include a friend who is a devout Catholic, a colleague who
is Muslim, and a neighbor who believes that the answer to

everything can be found in the teachings of Alcoholics
Anonymous. Two young adult grandchildren are currently vocal

atheists. Instead of a prayer, meals around our dinner table begin
with “Bon appétit!”
Sometimes I think that my late grandparents would be horrified
to see what kind of family I have created. But then I realize that
we are all searching for the same thing. We are trying to find out
why we are here, what is the best way to spend this lifetime, and
how to prepare for what happens next (if anything does).
Spirituality is a common characteristic of our species. Burial sites that date
back 30,000 years reveal bodies buried with food, pots, and weapons,
seemingly provisions for the afterlife. Today, 80% of people in the United
States say they believe in God and an additional 9% believe in some

higher power or spiritual force. Almost half of Americans agree with the
statement that “God or a higher power directly determines what happens
in their lives all or most of the time” (Pew Research Center, 2018).
This quest for meaning , also known as spirituality , is the self’s search
for ultimate knowledge of life through an individualized understanding of
the sacred (Wink & Dillon, 2002). Whether through the practice of
traditional religion or a personal quest to find self-enlightenment, the

search for meaning is an integral part of the human experience. This
chapter addresses that quest and how it unfolds over the adult years.
9.1: Why We Study the Quest for
Meaning
Objective: Explain why we study the search for meaning
While age-related changes in personality and the progression toward self-
actualization are certainly aspects of inner growth in adulthood, there is

another aspect to inner
development—perhaps more speculative, but certainly no less vital to
most of us—that touches on questions of meaning. As we move through
adulthood, do we interpret our experiences differently? Do we attach
different meanings to or understand our world in new ways? Do we

become wiser, less worldly, or more spiritual?
Certainly, a link between advancing age and increasing wisdom has been
part of the folk tradition in virtually every culture in the world, as
evidenced by fairy tales, myths, and religious teachings (Campbell,
1949/1990). Adult development, according to these sources, brings an

increased storehouse of worldly knowledge and experience. It also brings
a different perspective on life, a different set of values, and a different
worldview, a process often described as self-transcendence , or coming
to know oneself as part of a larger whole that exists beyond the physical
body and personal history. What I am interested in knowing is whether
this process is part of—or potentially part of—the normal process of adult
development.
will be able to:
9.1.1 Differentiate meaning from experience
9.1.2 Relate the quest for meaning to life as a human being
9.1.3 Describe ways that cultural traditions and psychological theorists
have supported the concept of gerotranscendence

9.1.1: Meaning Matters
Objective: Differentiate meaning from experience
Why talk about meaning? There are three major reasons that the
discussion of meaning is interesting. First, different people attach

different meanings to the same experience. Second, the quest for
meaning is a basic human characteristic, and third, most cultures believe
that spirituality and wisdom increase with age. I discuss all three of these
reasons in the following sections.
It is the meaning we attach to experience that matters, rather than the
experience itself.
Most fundamentally, psychologists have come to understand that
individual experiences do not affect us in some uniform, automatic way;
rather, it is the way we interpret an experience, the meaning we give it,
that is really critical. There are certain basic assumptions individuals
make about the world and their place in it, about themselves and their
capacities that affect their interpretations of experiences. Such a system of

meanings is sometimes referred to as an internal working model that
determines how we experience the world. For example, according to
attachment theory, we form internal working models of the attachment
relationships we had with our parents, and these models influence the
way we approach relationships with other people. If my internal model
includes the assumption that “people are basically helpful and

trustworthy,” that assumption is clearly going to affect not only the
experiences I will seek out, but also my interpretation of those
experiences. The objective experiences each of us have are thus filtered
through various internal working models before they convey meaning to
us. I would argue that the ultimate consequence of any given experience
is largely (if not wholly) determined by the meaning we attach and not
the experience itself. To the extent that this is true, then, it is obviously
important for us to try to understand the meaning systems that adults
create.
9.1.2: The Quest for Meaning is Human
Objective: Relate the quest for meaning to life as a human being
The quest for meaning is a basic human characteristic.
A second reason for exploring this rather slippery area of adult
development is that the quest for meaning is a central theme in the lives
of most adults. This is echoed in the writings of many clinicians and
theorists. Psychoanalyst Erich Fromm (1956) listed the need for meaning
as one of the five central existential needs of human beings. Psychiatrist
Viktor Frankl (1984) argued that the “will to meaning” is a basic human
motive. Theologian and psychologist James Fowler has made a similar
point: “One characteristic all human beings have in common is that we
can’t live without some sense that life is meaningful” (1981, p. 58). Thus,
not only do we interpret our experiences and in this way “make
meaning,” but it may also be true that the need or motive to create
meaningfulness is a vital one in our lives. More recently, evolutionary
psychologist Jesse Bering (2006) wrote that a sense of spirituality is an
important component of our species’ social cognitive system.

9.1.3: Cultures Support
Gerotranscendence
Objective: Describe ways that cultural traditions and
psychological theorists have supported the concept of
gerotranscendence
Most cultures support the tradition that spirituality and wisdom increase with
age.
There has always been anecdotal evidence of gerotranscendence , the
idea that meaning systems increase in quality as we age, beginning with
myths and fairy tales about wise elders (Tornstam, 1996). Early theorists
in psychology explained the development of meaning as a growth
process. For example, psychoanalyst Carl Jung (1964) proposed that
young adulthood was a time of turning outward, a time to establish

relationships, start families, and concentrate on careers. But at midlife,
when adults become aware of their own mortality, they turn inward and
strive to expand their sense of self. In this way, the outward focus of the
first half of life is balanced by the inward focus of the second half,
completing the process of self-realization. Similarly, psychologist Klaus
Riegel (1973) proposed that cognitive development extends to postformal
stages  that appear in midlife when adults are able to go beyond the
linear and logical ways of thinking described in Piaget’s formal operations

stage. In this postformal stage, adults are able to view the world in a way
that adds feelings and context to the logic and reason proposed by Piaget
and use their cognitive abilities in a quest for meaning (Sinnott, 1994).
Regardless of whether changes in meaning systems over age are a
function of normal development or the result of lifetime experience, it is
generally agreed that the development of meaning systems in adulthood
is a real phenomenon and worthy of scientific attention.

9.2: The Study of Age-Related
Changes in Meaning Systems
Objective: Analyze how interaction with meaning systems
changes over time
We now come to a difficult question: how do we explore something so

apparently fuzzy as changes in meaning systems? An obvious idea is to
look at religiosity , the outward signs of spirituality, such as
participation in religious services or being a member of a religious
organization. Quantitative studies of such matters attempt to answer
questions like: Do adults attend religious services more (or less) as they
get older? Is there some kind of age-linked pattern?
Some theologians and psychologists believe that we need to dig deeper
than observable behavior and use a measure of personal, individualized
spirituality to answer questions about age-related changes in meaning
systems. We all know of people who go through the motions of religiosity

but cannot be described as spiritual. Some researchers use questionnaires
asking about personal beliefs, and others use personal interviews, asking
open-ended questions that give more depth but are more difficult to
analyze. These studies of individualized spirituality are very fruitful
because they have shown that personal beliefs about the quest for
meaning are not necessarily related to religiosity.

Yet another approach is to use a qualitative method, such as reviewing
case studies drawn from biographies or autobiographies, personal reports
by well-known adults (politicians, saints, philosophers, mystics) about the
steps and processes of their own inner development. Collections of such
data have been analyzed, perhaps most impressively by William James (a
distinguished early American psychologist) in his book The Varieties of
Religious Experience (1902/1958) and by theologian and philosopher
Evelyn Underhill in her book Mysticism (1911/1961). Of course, personal
reports do not fit with our usual notion of “scientific evidence.” The
participants being studied are not representative of the general

population, and the “data” may not be objectively gathered. Still,
information from such sources makes a valuable contribution to theories
of age-related changes in meaning systems. They tell us something about
what may be possible or about the qualities, meaning systems, or
capacities of a few extraordinary adults who appear to have explored the
depths of the human spirit. Yet, even if we accept such descriptions as
valid reports of inner processes, it is a very large leap to apply the
described steps or processes to the experiences of ordinary folks. It is
surely obvious (but nonetheless worth stating explicitly) that I bring my

own meaning system to this discussion. I approach this subject with a
strong hypothesis that there are “higher” levels of human potential than
most of us have yet reached, whether they are expressed in Maslow’s
terms as self-actualization, in Loevinger’s concept of the integrated

personality, or in any other terms that express advanced progress in the
quest for meaning. When I describe the various models of the

development of meaning systems, I am inevitably filtering the theories
and the evidence through this hypothesis.
I begin with some empirical research on the search for meaning in
adulthood and then add some discussion of the development of moral

thinking, which is a manifestation of spirituality. And finally, I discuss
some qualitative work, namely case studies of the quest for meaning by
prominent writers and historical figures.

will be able to:
9.2.1 Describe changes in spirituality over time in the United States
9.2.2 Relate spirituality to health

9.2.1: Changes in the Quest for
Meaning
Objective: Describe changes in spirituality over time in the
United States
Let us begin with the empirical research on religion and spirituality.
There has been a surge of research on these two topics in the last few
decades. Out of curiosity, I checked the listings in the PsycINFO database
for empirical journal articles with the keywords “religion” or “spirituality”

since 1973. The number of articles has increased from zero in the first 10
years to over 7,000 in the most recent year. And one of the most-studied
topics within this area has been age-related changes in religion and
spirituality.
Overall attendance and membership in religious organizations have

dropped in the United States over the last 50 years, but as you can see in
Figure 9.1 , attendance at religious services is higher for adults age 65
and older than for younger adults (Pew Research Center, 2014). Religious
affiliation is also higher for older than younger adults in most other
countries (Pew Research Center, 2018). The few longitudinal studies on
this topic show a decline in religious participation in very late life, but this
decline is related to declining health and functional ability (Benjamins et
al., 2003). In general, the consensus seems to be that there is an increase

in religiosity over the life course, with a short period of health-related
dropoff at the end of life (Idler, 2006). In addition, data show that women
attend religious services at higher rates than men for all ages and in all
religions and countries studied (Miller & Stark, 2002). Religious
participation is higher in the United States than in most European
countries but lower than in most countries in Africa, the Middle East,
South Asia, and Latin America (Pew Research Center, 2018).
When it comes to religious beliefs and private religious activities such as
engaging in prayers, meditating, or reading sacred texts, cross-sectional
studies show that older adults participate in private religious behavior
more than younger people (Pew Research Center, 2018). And a

longitudinal study that showed a dropoff in attendance at religious
services in very late adulthood also showed stable or even increased
levels of private religious practices for this age group at the same time
(Idler et al., 2001).
Figure 9.1 Participation in Religious Activities in the United States

The conclusion from these studies is that there is an increase in religious
beliefs and private religious activities over adulthood, with a period of
stability at the end of life (Idler, 2006).
Source: Pew Research Center (2014).

Spirituality by Gender and Cohort
In a longitudinal study that spanned 40 years, psychologist Paul Wink and
sociologist Michele Dillon (2002) analyzed data from the Institute for
Human Development longitudinal study to evaluate participants on their
level of spirituality over the course of the study. The study included over
200 men and women, and most were interviewed four times between the
ages of 31 and 78. In addition, the participants represented two cohorts,
the younger born in 1927 and the older in 1920. The results are shown in
Figure 9.2 . As you can see, there was an increase in spirituality for
women from middle to late-middle to older adulthood and an increase for
men from late-middle to older adulthood.
Figure 9.2 Spirituality by Sex and Stage of Adulthood

Spirituality increases with age, but there are different patterns for men
and women. Both men and women are stable in their spirituality until
middle adulthood. Women begin an increase in middle adulthood, and
this continues into late adulthood. In comparison, men don’t begin an
increase until late-middle adulthood.
Source: Wink and Dillon (2002).
When the younger and older cohorts were compared, Wink and Dillon
(2002) found different patterns of spiritual development, as shown in

Figure 9.3 . The spirituality of the younger cohort increased significantly
throughout their adult lives, whereas the spirituality of the older cohort,
only increased in the last stage, between late-middle and older adulthood
(although the older cohort was significantly more spiritual when they
were young than the younger cohort). Wink and Dillon concluded that
there is a tendency for men and women to increase in spirituality
between the mid-50s and mid-70s. They become more involved with the
quest for meaning as they become increasingly aware that their lives will
end at some point in the future. The years from early to middle adulthood
were more varied, depending on the gender and the cohort being studied.
Women typically begin their quest for meaning in their 40s. In addition,
people born less than a decade apart may show the same general increase
in spirituality over adulthood, but they may show different patterns of

spirituality. Wink and Dillon speculated that the younger cohort, who
showed greater spirituality in their 30s, were living in the 60s when the
“Age of Aquarius” was in its prime, and they were at an age that was
more responsive to cultural changes than the older cohort, who were in
their 40s at the time. So to answer the question of whether there is an

increase in spirituality during adulthood, the answer is yes, but the timing
depends on age, gender, and also the cultural conditions that prevail
when adults are at certain critical ages.
Figure 9.3 Spirituality by Age and Stage of Adulthood

The age-related increase in spirituality is different for two cohorts born 7
years apart. The older cohort (born in 1920) did not show an increase in
spirituality until late-middle adulthood. In comparison, the younger
cohort (born in 1927) showed an increase in spirituality throughout
adulthood, from early adulthood until late adulthood.
Source: Wink and Dillon (2002).
Psychologist Padmaprabha Dalby (2006) performed a meta-analysis on

studies of changes in spirituality over the adult years and found an age-
related increase in certain aspects of spirituality, such as integrity,

humanistic concern, positive relationships with others, concern for the
younger generations, relationship with a higher power, self-

transcendence, and acceptance of death. However, these increases
seemed to be responses to the adversities of later adulthood, such as poor

health, disability, one’s own impending death, and the loss of loved ones,
rather than related to age itself. This has been suggested as an alternative
to the idea that an accumulation of general life experience brings forth

self-transcendence, but as Dalby pointed out, there are no studies
comparing people of the same ages who differ in health and other
measures of adversity.
9.2.2: Religion, Spirituality, and Health
Objective: Relate spirituality to health
In the past decade, a large number of studies in a variety of scientific
fields, including psychology, epidemiology, and medicine, have explored

the relationship religion and spirituality have with health. In general,
consistent and robust findings have shown that people who attend
religious services live longer than people who do not (Chida et al., 2009),
and that this result is stronger for women than for men (Tartaro et al.,
2005). Other studies have shown that religious involvement serves a
protective role regarding mental health for European Americans, African
Americans, and Asian Americans (Ai et al., 2013). Spirituality and
religiosity are related to lower levels of anxiety and depression (Brown et
al., 2013). A meta-analysis showed that attendance at religious services
was associated with lower levels of cardiovascular deaths (Chida et al.,
2009). Even when studies are controlled for healthy behaviors,
socioeconomic factors, and health factors, religious practices and
spirituality remain significant factors (Masters & Hooker, 2012).
In addition, meditation has been linked to both lower cortisol levels and
lower blood pressure levels (Seeman et al., 2003). It has been
demonstrated that people who possess the personality trait of hardiness
and who are committed to finding meaning in their lives are more
resilient to the effects of stress than those who have lower levels of this
trait. These people have confidence that they will be able to cope with
whatever situations life hands them and will find meaning in the process
(Maddi, 2005).
What is it about religiosity and spirituality that affects health? A number
of mechanisms have been suggested, including the fact that most
religions promote healthy behavior, provide social support, teach coping
skills, and promote positive emotions (McCullough et al., 2000). One
reason that spirituality is linked with better health is that spirituality is
associated with a reduction in loneliness (Gallegos & Segrin, 2018).
Religiosity and spirituality can have a number of effects on our physical

health. Click or tap Next to learn more about the relationship between
religiosity and stress.
Religious Participation and Stress

9.3: Theories of Spiritual
Development
Objective: Apply theories of spiritual development
For several reasons, it helps to begin an exploration of theories of
spiritual development with a look at psychologist Lawrence Kohlberg’s

theory of the development of moral reasoning —reasoning about what
is right and wrong. Although the questions Kohlberg addressed touch on
only a corner of the subject, his basic theoretical model is the foundation
of much of the current thinking about adults’ evolving worldviews or
meaning systems. Kohlberg’s theory has been tested extensively with

empirical research and is widely accepted by developmental
psychologists, so it provides a relatively noncontroversial jumping-off
point.

will be able to:
9.3.1 Outline the stages of moral reasoning according to Kohlberg
9.3.2 Describe how faith changes over time according to Fowler

9.3.1: Development of Moral Reasoning
Objective: Outline the stages of moral reasoning according to
Kohlberg
Faced with a conflict between different values, on what basis do we

decide what is morally right, fair, or just? Kohlberg argued, as an
extension of Jean Piaget’s theory of cognitive development, that we move
through a sequence of stages in our moral reasoning, each stage growing
out of, but superseding, the one that came before. In this view, each stage
reflects a meaning system or model, an internally consistent and
pervasive set of assumptions of right and wrong (Kohlberg, 1981, 1984).
Kohlberg made an important distinction between the decision one makes
and the reason behind that decision. The issue is not whether a person
thinks, for example, that stealing is wrong, but why he or she thinks it is
wrong. Kohlberg searched for developmental changes in the reasoning
about moral questions, just as Piaget searched for developmental changes
in broader forms of logic.
The Measurement Procedure

Kohlberg assessed a person’s level or stage of moral reasoning by means
of a moral judgment interview in which the participant is asked to

respond to a series of hypothetical moral dilemmas. In each dilemma, two
different principles are in conflict.

The Stages
Based on many participants’ responses to such dilemmas, Kohlberg
concluded that there are three basic levels of moral reasoning, each of
which can be divided further into two stages, resulting in six stages in all.
The preconventional level is typical of most children under age 9 but is also
found in some adolescents and in some adults, especially in criminal
offenders. At both stages of this level, one sees rules as something outside
oneself. In Stage 1, the punishment-and-obedience orientation, what is right
is what is rewarded or what is not punished; in Stage 2, right is defined in
terms of what brings pleasure or serves one’s own needs. Stage 2 is

sometimes described as the naive hedonism orientation, a phrase that
captures some of the flavor of this stage.
At the conventional level, which is characteristic of most adolescents and
most adults in Western culture, one internalizes the rules and

expectations of one’s family or peer group (at Stage 3) or of society (at
Stage 4). Stage 3 is sometimes called the good-boy or good-girl orientation,
whereas Stage 4 is sometimes labeled as the social order–maintaining
orientation.
The postconventional (or principled) level, which is found in only a minority
of adults, involves a search for the underlying reasons behind society’s
rules. At Stage 5, which Kohlberg calls the social contract orientation, laws
and regulations are seen as important ways of ensuring fairness, but they
are not perceived as immutable, nor do they necessarily perfectly reflect
more fundamental moral principles. Because laws and contracts are
usually in accord with such underlying principles, obeying society’s laws
is reasonable nearly all the time. But when the underlying principles or
reasons are at variance with some specific social custom or rule, the Stage
5 adult argues on the basis of the fundamental principle, even if it means
disobeying or disagreeing with a law. Civil rights protesters in the early
1960s, for example, typically supported their civil disobedience with Stage
5 reasoning. In addition, Stage 5 moral reasoning is related to concerns
for the environment in college students, presumably because it is

necessary to be able to consider the perspective of the other when
dealing with competing interests and rights (Karpiak & Baril, 2008). Stage
6, known as the individual principles of conscience orientation, is simply a
further extension of the same pattern, with the person searching for and
then living in a way that is consistent with the deepest set of moral
principles possible.
Kohlberg’s theory of moral development was based on responses about
moral dilemmas. In the now-famous Heinz dilemma, presented in this

interactive, the participant must grapple with the question of whether a
man named Heinz ought to steal a drug to save his dying wife if the only
druggist who can provide it is demanding a higher price than he can pay.
In this instance, the conflicting principles are the value of preserving life
and the value of respecting property and upholding the law. Click or tap
Next to learn more about the events that took shape.
Table 9.2 Kohlberg’s Stages of Moral Development

In his early work Kohlberg suggested that a fair number of college
students reached Stage 6. In his later writings, however, he changed his
mind and concluded that this universalistic stage is extremely uncommon

(Colby & Kohlberg, 1987). The longitudinal data suggest that Stage 5 may
be the typical “endpoint” of the developmental progression. Adults who

reach Stage 6 (about 15% of those in their 30s in Kohlberg’s samples) do
indeed operate on some broad, general principles. What they lack,

however, is “that which is critical for our theoretical notion of Stage 6,
namely, the organization of moral judgment around a clearly formulated
moral principle of justice and respect for persons that provides a rationale
for the primacy of this principle” (Kohlberg, 1984, p. 271). In other words,
at Stage 5 one develops some broad principles that go beyond (or

“behind”) the social system; at Stage 6, the rare person develops a still
broader and more general ethical system in which these basic principles
are embedded. Among those Kohlberg listed as Stage 6 thinkers were
Martin Luther King, Jr. and Mahatma Gandhi.

According to Kohlberg’s theory, only a few individuals, such as Martin
Luther King, Jr. (left) and Mahatma Gandhi (right), reach the highest level
of moral reasoning.
Kohlberg and his colleagues also speculated about the existence of a still
higher stage, Stage 7, a unity orientation, which they thought might
emerge only toward the end of life, after an adult has spent some years
living within a principled moral system. It is the confrontation of one’s
own death that can bring about this transition. As they ask the
fundamental questions, “Why live?” and “How do I face death?” some
people transcend the type of logical analysis that typifies all the earlier
forms of moral reasoning and arrive at a still deeper or broader
decentering. It is a sense of unity with being, with life, and/or with God
(Kohlberg et al., 1983).
Another way to look at the shifts from preconventional to conventional to

postconventional levels of reasoning is to see them as a process of
decentering, a term Piaget used to describe cognitive development more

generally as a movement outward from the self. At the preconventional
level, the children’s reference points are themselves—the consequences of
their own actions, the rewards they may gain. At the conventional level,
the reference point has moved outward away from the center of the self
to the family or society. Finally, at the postconventional level, the adult
searches for a still broader reference point, some set of underlying
principles that lies behind or beyond social systems. Such a movement
outward from the self is one of the constant themes in writings on the
growth or development of meaning systems in adult life.
The Data
Only longitudinal data can tell us whether Kohlberg’s model is valid. If it
is, not only should children and adults move from one step to the next in
the order he proposes, but they should also not show regression to earlier
stages. Kohlberg and his colleagues tested these hypotheses in three
samples, all interviewed repeatedly, and each time asked to discuss a

series of moral dilemmas: (1) 84 boys from the Chicago area first
interviewed when they were between ages 10 and 16 in 1956, and some
of whom were reinterviewed up to five more times (the final interview
was in 1976–1977, when they were in their 30s) (Colby et al., 1983); (2) a
group of 23 boys and young men in Turkey (some from a rural village and
some from large cities), followed over periods of up to 10 years into early
adulthood (Nisan & Kohlberg, 1982); and (3) 64 male and female
participants from kibbutzim (collective communities) in Israel, who were
first tested as teenagers and then retested once or twice more over
periods of up to 10 years (Snarey et al., 1985).
Figure 9.5  gives two kinds of information about the findings from these
three studies. In the top half of the figure are total “moral maturity scores”
derived from the interviews. These scores reflect each person’s stage of
moral reasoning and can range from 100 to 500. As you can see, in all
three studies the average score went up steadily with age, although there
are some interesting cultural differences in speed of movement through
the stages. In the bottom half of the figure are the percent of answers to
the moral dilemmas that reflected each stage of moral reasoning for the
participants at each age. These data are for the Chicago sample only
because it was studied over the longest period of time. As we would
expect, the number of Stage 1 responses drops out quite early, whereas
conventional morality (Stages 3 and 4) rises rapidly in the teenage years
and remains high in adulthood. Only a very small percent of answers,
even of respondents in their 30s, shows Stage 5 reasoning
(postconventional reasoning), and none show Stage 6 reasoning.
Figure 9.5 Scores of Moral Reasoning Test and Percentage of

Different Stages of Moral Development
The upper panel shows that scores of four diverse samples of boys on a
moral reasoning test show a general increase from middle childhood
through young adulthood. The lower panel shows the percent of
responses given that reflect the different stages of moral development. It
is clear that Stage 4 responses increase with age and that Stage 2
responses decrease.
Sources: Data from Colby et al. (1983); Nisan and Kohlberg (1982); Snarey et al. (1985).
Both analyses show the stages to be strongly sequential. The sequential
pattern is supported by the fact that in none of these three studies was
there a single participant who skipped a stage, and only about 5% showed
regression. Each participant also showed a good deal of internal

consistency at any one testing, using similar logic in analyzing each of
several quite different moral problems. The same patterns were found in
both shorter-term longitudinal studies (Walker, 1989) and in studies
using a questionnaire method of measuring moral judgment rather than
the more open-ended interview (Rest & Thoma, 1985).
Unfortunately, no equivalent longitudinal data exist for any adults past

midlife. Cross-sectional results show no age differences in overall level of
moral judgment between young, middle-aged, and older adults (Lonky et

al., 1984; Pratt et al., 1983). Such findings might be taken to mean that
the level of reasoning achieved in early adulthood remains relatively

stable throughout adulthood. But the longitudinal data do not support
such an assertion, at least not through the middle 30s. Among Kohlberg’s
sample were quite a few people who shifted from Stage 3 to Stage 4 while
in their 20s and a few who moved to Stage 5 while in their 30s. At least
some adults may thus continue to develop through Kohlberg’s stages

throughout adulthood. The only way to know this for sure would be to
assess moral reasoning longitudinally over the full years of adult life.
Evaluation and Comment
The body of evidence that has accumulated concerning the development
of moral reasoning provides strong support for several aspects of
Kohlberg’s theory:
There do appear to be stages that children and adults move through

in developing concepts of fairness and morality.
At least up to Stage 5, these stages appear to meet the tests of a
hierarchical stage system. They occur in a fixed order, each emerging
from and replacing the one that preceded it, and together forming a
structural whole.
The stage sequence appears to be universal. The specific content of
moral decisions may differ from one culture to the next, but the
overall form of logic seems to move through the same steps in every
culture in which this has been studied—a list that includes 27 different
countries, Western and non-Western, industrialized and

nonindustrialized (Snarey, 1985).
The stages have relevance for real life as well as theory. For example,
researchers in one study found that adults who reason at the principled
level are more able than are those at the conventional level to deal
positively and constructively with significant losses in their lives, such as
the death of a family member or the breakup of a relationship (Lonky et
al., 1984).
At the same time, a number of critics have pointed out that Kohlberg’s
theory is relatively narrow, focusing almost exclusively on the
development of concepts of justice or fairness. Other aspects of
moral/ethical reasoning, other facets of meaning systems, are omitted.
The most eloquent of the critics is psychologist Carol Gilligan (1982). She
argued that Kohlberg was interested in concepts of justice and not
concepts of care, so his theory and research largely ignore an
ethical/moral system based on caring for others, on responsibility, on
altruism or compassion. In particular, Gilligan proposed that women

more often than men approach moral and ethical dilemmas from the
point of view of responsibilities and caring, searching not for the “just”
solution, but for the solution that best deals with the social relationships
involved. She argues that men, in contrast, use a morality of justice more
often than women.
Gilligan’s argument that women are less likely to use a morality of justice
and thus would score lower on Kohlberg’s measures is not strongly
supported by research findings. Studies comparing boys and girls on

stage of moral reasoning using Kohlberg’s revised scoring system have
typically found no gender differences (Smetana et al., 1991), although

several studies of adults do show the difference that Gilligan hypothesizes
(Lyons, 1983). What is clear from the research to date is that girls and
women can and do use moral reasoning based on principles of justice
when they are presented with dilemmas in which that is a central issue.
9.3.2: Development of Faith
Objective: Describe how faith changes over time according to
Fowler
Faith  is a set of assumptions or understandings about the nature of our

connections with others and the world in which we live. Using this
definition, it follows that each of us has a faith, whether or not we belong
to a church or religious organization. Moral reasoning is a part of faith,
but faith is broader.
Theologian and developmental psychologist James Fowler (1981) goes
beyond questions of moral reasoning with his theory of faith
development. At any point in our lives, he argues, each of us has a master
story, which is “the answer you give to the questions of what life is about,
or who’s really in charge here, or how do I live to make my life a worthy,
good one. It’s a stance you take toward life” (1983, p. 60).
Like Kohlberg, Fowler is interested not in the specific content of one’s
faith, but in its structure or form. A Christian, a Hindu, a Jew, a Buddhist,

a Muslim, and a Secular Humanist may all have faiths that are structurally
similar but sharply different in content. And like Kohlberg, Fowler
hypothesizes that each of us develops through a shared series of faith
structures (or worldviews, broad internal working models, meaning
systems, or whatever we choose to call them) over the course of
childhood and adulthood. Like Piaget, Fowler believes that “the structural
stage sequence is sequential, invariant, and hierarchical” (2001, p. 171).
Two of the six stages Fowler proposed occur primarily in childhood and
are not described here; the remaining four can be found among adults.
Click or tap Next to learn more about the four stages of faith found in
adults.
Stages of Faith
Some Basic Points about Fowler’s Stages
Some key points need emphasis.
Like Kohlberg, Fowler assumes that these stages occur in a sequence,
but that the sequence is only very roughly associated with age,
especially in adulthood. Some adults remain within the same

meaning system, the same faith structure, their entire lives; others
make one or more transitions in their understanding of themselves
and their relationships with others.
Fowler contends that each stage has its “proper time” of ascendancy
in a person’s lifetime, a period at which that particular form of faith is

most consistent with the demands of life. Most typically, the stage of
conventional faith is in its ascendance in adolescence or early
adulthood, and the stage of individuative-reflective faith in the years
of the late 20s and 30s, whereas a transition to the stage of
conjunctive faith, if it occurs at all, may occur around midlife. Finally,

the stage of universalizing faith, if one can reach it, would be the
optimal form of faith in old age, when issues of integrity and meaning
become still more dominant.
Fowler conceives of each stage as wider or more encompassing than
the one that preceded it. And this greater breadth helps to foster both
a greater capacity for a sense of sureness and serenity and a greater
capacity for intimacy—with the self as well as with others.

Research Findings
I am not aware of any longitudinal studies that have tested the sequential
aspect of Fowler’s theory. However, Fowler (1981) has reported some
cross-sectional data that show the incidence of the stages of faith at each
of several ages. He asked over 300 adolescents and adults open-ended
questions about their faith and had raters assign a stage to each person
based on these interviews. The results fit the theory relatively well,
showing that conventional faith is most common in the teenage years,
individuative-reflective faith among people in their 20s, and conjunctive
faith emerging only in the 30s. Furthermore, only one person fit the
category of universalizing faith, a man in his 60s.
Another study that offers consistent evidence comes from psychologist
Gary Reker, who has developed a very similar model of the emergence of
meaning systems over the years of adulthood. Reker (1991) argued that
an adult can find meaning in life through any of a variety of sources, such
as leisure activities, personal relationships, personal achievement,
traditions and culture, altruism or service to others, or enduring values
and ideals. Reker suggested that these various sources of meaning can be
organized into four levels: self-preoccupation, in which meaning is found
primarily through financial security or meeting basic needs; individualism,
in which meaning is found in personal growth or achievement or through
creative and leisure activities; collectivism, which includes meaning from
traditions and culture and from societal causes; and self-transcendence, in

which meaning is found through enduring values and ideals, religious
activities, and altruism.
Reker’s work does not provide a direct test of Fowler’s model, but it is
consistent with the basic idea that there may be systematic changes over
the years of adulthood in the framework that adults use to define
themselves and find meaning in their lives.
A Preliminary Assessment
Theories like Fowler’s and research like Reker’s supplement our thinking
about adulthood in important ways, if only to help us focus on the
importance of meaning systems and their possible sequential change with

age. But it is still very early in our empirical exploration of this and
related theories. The greatest immediate need is for good longitudinal
data, perhaps initially covering the years that are thought to be
transitional for many adults, but ultimately covering the entire adult age
range.
9.4: Integrating Meaning and
Personality
Objective: Compare theories of meaning and personality
There are some clear parallels between theories of moral and faith
development and theories of personality development. In fact, the surface

similarities are obvious, as you can see in Table 9.3 .
Table 9.3 Review of Stages of Personality, Morality, and Faith

Development
This table compares four major theories of development. As you can see,
all of these theories show an individual moving from concrete rules to a
more abstract understanding of themselves and others.
Loevinger’s conformist stage in her theory of ego development certainly
sounds like both Kohlberg’s conventional morality and Fowler’s
conventional faith. There seems to be agreement that in adolescence and

early adulthood, people tend to be focused on adapting to the demands of
the roles and relationships society imposes on them and assume that the
source of authority is external.
Loevinger’s conscientious and individualistic stages are a great deal like
Maslow’s layer of esteem needs, Kohlberg’s social contract orientation,
and Fowler’s individuative-reflective faith. All four theorists agree that the
next step involves a shift in the central source of meaning or self-
definition from external to internal, accompanied by a preoccupation with
the self and one’s own abilities, skills, and potentials.
Loevinger’s autonomous and integrated stages are similar to Fowler’s
conjunctive faith, possibly related to self-actualization needs as described

by Maslow. All speak of a shift away from self-preoccupation toward a
search for balance, a shift toward greater tolerance toward both self and
others.
Finally, there seems to be agreement about a still higher stage that

involves some form of self-transcendence: Kohlberg’s unity orientation,
Fowler’s stage of universalizing faith, or Maslow’s peak experiences.
Of course, we are not dealing with four independent visions here.

Loevinger, Maslow, Kohlberg, and Fowler all knew of each other’s work
and were influenced by each other’s ideas. This is particularly true in the
case of Fowler and Kohlberg because Fowler’s theory is quite explicitly an
extension of Kohlberg’s model. So the fact that they all seem to agree
does not mean that we have uncovered “truth” here. However, my
confidence in the validity of the basic sequence these theorists describe is

bolstered by three additional arguments. Click or tap each tab below to
learn more about these arguments.
Three Arguments for Validity

will be able to:
9.4.1 Explain the relationship between connection and independence
according to Kegan
9.4.2 Outline the stages of mystical experience according to Underhill

9.4.1: A Synthesizing Model
Objective: Explain the relationship between connection and
independence according to Kegan
Psychologist Robert Kegan (1982) proposes that each of us has two

enormously powerful and equal desires or motives built in. On the one
hand, we deeply desire connection, the state of being joined or integrated
with others. On the other hand, we equally desire independence, the
state of being differentiated from others. No accommodation between

these two is really in balance, so whatever evolutionary truce (as Kegan
calls each stage) we arrive at, it will lean further toward one than toward
the other. Eventually, the unmet need becomes so strong that we are
forced to change the system, to change our understanding. In the end,
what this creates is a fundamental alternation, a moving back and forth of
the pendulum, between perspectives or meaning systems centered on
inclusion or union and perspectives centered on independence or
separateness.
The child begins life in a symbiotic relationship with the parent, so the
pendulum begins on the side of connection and union. By age 2 the child
has pulled away and seeks independence, a separate identity. The
conformist or conventional meaning system that we see in adolescence
and early adulthood (if not later) is a move back toward connection with
the group, while the transition to the individualistic meaning system is a
return to separation and independence. The term detribalization fits nicely

with Kegan’s basic model (Levinson, 1978). In shifting the source of
authority from external sources to one’s own resources, there is at least
initially a pushing-away of the tribe and all its rituals and rules.
If the model is correct, the step after this ought to be another return
toward connection, which seems to me to be precisely what is proposed
by most of the theorists I have described. As I see it, most of them talk
about two substeps in this shift of the pendulum, with Fowler’s
conjunctive faith or Kohlberg’s individual principles of conscience
orientation being intermediate steps on the way toward the more

complete position of union or community represented by Fowler’s
universalizing faith or Kohlberg’s unity orientation.
Although my explanation here describes the process with the image of a
pendulum moving back and forth, clearly Kegan is not proposing that
movement is simply back and forth in a single groove. Instead, he sees
the process as more like that of a spiral in which each shift to the other
side of the polarity is at a more integrated level than the one before.
If such a basic alternation, such a spiral movement, really does form the
underlying rhythm of development, why should we assume that it stops

even at so lofty a point as Kohlberg’s unity orientation? When I first
understood this aspect of Kegan’s theory, I had one of those startling “a-
ha” experiences, for I realized that the stages of the mystical journey
described in case studies by Underhill and by James could be linked

seamlessly with the sequence Kegan was describing.
I am well aware that a discussion of such subjective mystical experiences

here will seem to some to be going very far afield, perhaps totally outside
the realm of psychology. But to me the risk is worth it, not only because
in this way perhaps I can make a case for my own basic assumptions
regarding the immense potential of the individual human spirit, but also
because the pattern that emerges fits so remarkably well with the
research evidence and the theories I have discussed thus far.
9.4.2: Stages of Mystical Experience
Objective: Outline the stages of mystical experience according to
Underhill
The stages I am describing here were suggested by theologian and

philosopher Evelyn Underhill (1911/1961), based on her reading of
autobiographies, biographies, and other writings of the lives of hundreds
of people from many religious traditions, all of whom described some
form of mysticism , or self-transcendent experience, in which they know

that they are part of a larger whole and that they have an existence
beyond their own physical body and personal history. The individuals
Underhill studied did not describe all the steps or stages listed, but there
was a remarkable degree of unanimity about the basic process, despite
huge differences in historical period and religious background. Click or
tap each tab below to learn more about the stages of mystical experience.
From Awakening to Unity

I cannot say, of course, whether this sequence, this spiral of inner human
progress, reflects the inevitable or ultimate path for us all. I can say only
that the developmental analyses of stages of morality, or stages of faith or
personality, that have been offered by many psychologists, for which we
have at least some preliminary supporting evidence, appear to form a
connected whole with the descriptions of stages of mystical illumination.

For example, Jung (1917/1966) described similar stages in his journey to
discover his own inner world through psychoanalysis. At the very least,
we know that a pathway similar to this has been trod by a long series of
remarkable individuals, whose descriptions of their inner journeys bear

striking similarities. There may be many other paths or journeys. But the
reflections of these remarkable few point the way toward the possibility
of a far vaster potential of the human spirit than is apparent to most of us
in our daily lives.

9.5: The Process of Transition
Objective: Analyze how individuals develop through transitions
Coming down a bit from these lofty heights, but still assuming for the
moment that there is some basic rhythm, some developmental sequence,
in the forms of meaning we create, let me turn to a question that may be

of special personal importance: What is the process by which transitions
or transformations from one stage to the next take place? What triggers
them? What are the common features of transitions? How are they
traversed?

will be able to:
9.5.1 Describe transition theory
9.5.2 Explain how stimuli may trigger transitions
9.5.3 Contextualize ways that people respond to triggers

9.5.1: Transition Theory
Objective: Describe transition theory
Most developmental psychologists who propose stages of adult
development have focused more on the stages than on the transition

processes. But some common themes are repeated in the ways transitions
are described.
A number of theorists have described transitions in parallel terms, with

each shift from one level or stage to the next seen as a kind of death and
rebirth—a death of the earlier sense of self, of the earlier faith, of the
earlier equilibrium (James, 1902/1958; Kegan, 1980). The process
typically involves first some glimpses or precursors or premonitions of
another stage or view, which are then followed by a period (which may
be brief or prolonged) in which the person struggles to deal with the two
“selves” within. Sometimes the process is aborted and the person returns
to the earlier equilibrium. Sometimes the person moves instead toward a
new understanding, a new equilibrium.
The middle part of this process, when the old meaning system has been
partially given up but a new equilibrium has not yet been reached, is
often experienced as profoundly dislocating. Statements such as “I am
beside myself” or “I was out of my mind” may be used (Kegan, 1980). The
process of equilibration may be accompanied by an increase in physical

or psychological symptoms of various kinds, including anxiety and
depression.
Kegan perhaps best summarized the potential pain of the process:
“Development is costly—for everyone, the developing person and those
around him or her. Growth involves a separation from an old system of
meaning. In practical terms this can involve both the agony of felt
meaninglessness and the repudiation of commitments and investment. . .
. Developmental theory gives us a way of thinking about such pain that
does not pathologize it” (1980, p. 439).

9.5.2: Triggering a Transition
Objective: Explain how stimuli may trigger transitions
Transitions may emerge slowly or may occur rapidly; they may be the
result of self-chosen activities such as therapy or exercise, the

happenstances of ordinary life, or unexpected experiences. In Table 9.4 
I have suggested some of the stimuli for such transitions, organized
around what appear to be the three most frequent adult transitions: (1)
from conformity to individuality, (2) from individuality to integration or

conjunctive faith, and (3) from integration to self-transcendence. I offer
this list quite tentatively. We clearly lack the longitudinal evidence that
might allow us to say more fully what experiences may or may not
stimulate a transition.
Table 9.4 Transitions from One Stage to Another: Some Possible

Triggering Situations or Experiences That May Assist in Passing
Through a Transition
You can see in the table that I am suggesting that somewhat different
experiences may be involved in each of these three transitions. Attending
college or moving away from home into a quite different community
seem to be particularly influential in promoting aspects of the transition
to individuality. For example, in longitudinal studies, both Kohlberg
(1973) and Rest and Thoma (1985) have found a correlation between the
amount of college education completed and the level of moral reasoning.
Principled reasoning was found only in those who had attended at least
some college. This transition, then, seems to be precipitated by exposure

to other assumptions, other faiths, other perspectives. Such a
confrontation can produce disequilibrium, which may be dealt with by

searching for a new, independent, self-chosen model.
I have also suggested that therapy may play some role in triggering or
assisting with either of the first two transitions. In fact, helping a client to
achieve full integration is the highest goal of many humanistically
oriented therapies, such as those based on the work of Carl Rogers

(1961/1995) or Fritz Perls (1973). But my hypothesis is that traditional
forms of therapy do little to assist the transition from integrated person to
a level of self-transcendence. This transition, I think, requires or is

assisted by a different form of active process, such as meditation, yoga, or
systematic prayer.
Both painful experiences and transcendent ones can also be the occasion
for a new transition. The death of a child or of a parent may reawaken our
concern with ultimate questions of life and death. A failed marriage or
discouragement at work may lead to questioning or to a loss of the sense

of stability of one’s present model. Peak experiences, too, by giving
glimpses of something not readily comprehensible within a current view,

may create a disequilibrium. Most adults who have had a near-death
experience, for example, report that their lives are never again the same.
Many change jobs or devote their lives to service in one way or another.
Other forms of peak experiences or religious rebirth may have the same
effect. In fact, the development of wisdom in old age is associated with
exploring the meaning of difficult experiences in one’s life (Weststrate &

Gluck, 2017).
9.5.3: The Impact of Life Changes
Objective: Contextualize ways that people respond to triggers
I have been consistently using the word may in the last few paragraphs to
convey the fact that such life changes do not invariably result in
significant reflection or decentering. In an argument reminiscent of the
concept of scheduled and unscheduled changes, psychologists Patricia
Gurin and Orville Brim (1984) have offered an interesting hypothesis to
explain such differences in the impact of major life changes. In essence,

they argued that widely shared, age-linked changes are not likely to
trigger significant reassessments of the sense of self precisely because
expected changes are interpreted differently than unexpected ones.
Shared changes are most often attributed to causes outside oneself, for
which one is not personally responsible. In contrast, unique or off-time
life changes are more likely to lead to significant inner reappraisals
precisely because it is difficult to attribute such experiences to outward
causes. If everyone at your job has been laid off because the company has
gone out of business during a recession, you need not reassess your own
sense of self-worth. But if you are the only one fired during a time of
expanding economy, it is much more difficult to maintain your sense of
worth.
Some shared experiences, such as college, may commonly trigger
reappraisals or restructuring of personality, moral judgment, or faith. But
most age-graded experiences can be absorbed fairly readily into existing

systems. It may then be the unique or mistimed experiences that are
particularly significant for changes in meaning systems. This hypothesis
remains to be tested but raises some intriguing issues.

9.6: Shapes of the Quest
Objective: Assess common metaphors used to make sense of the
It seems fair to say that most adults are engaged in some process of
creating or searching for meaning in their lives. But this is not necessarily
—perhaps not commonly—a conscious, deliberate process. The quest,
however it happens, takes many shapes.
Our theories of the quest for meaning—the ways we try to make sense of
the quest—are based in part on metaphors. We begin our search for
understanding of adult development with a metaphor, and it colors all of

what we choose to examine and all of what we see.

will be able to:
9.6.1 Discuss the strengths and limitations of the idea of life as

journey
9.6.2 Examine the shortcomings of existing metaphors for meaning
making
9.6.1: Life as Journey
Objective: Discuss the strengths and limitations of the idea of life
as journey
Some adults spend many years of adulthood in a conscious search for

meaning, and their descriptions of the process are remarkably similar. But
this may or may not mean that such a search, or even a nonconscious, or
nonintentional, sequence of faiths, is a “natural” or essential part of adult
development. A good number of equally spiritual adults, such as my

grandparents, find meaning in their lives in quiet, conventional ways.
They follow their childhood religions and find great richness in meaning
as they delve deeper into the teachings and then teach it to young people
themselves, never feeling the need to search alternative pathways. For
some, the well-trodden path became that way for a reason.
It is important to realize that what many theorists have said is based on a
single metaphor of development, the metaphor of “life as a journey.” We
imagine the adult walking up some hill or along some road, passing
through steps or stages as he or she moves along. Implicit in this

metaphor is the concept of a goal, an endpoint or telos (a Greek word
from which our word teleological comes, meaning “having purpose or
moving toward a goal”). This is a journey going somewhere. And if the
purpose of the journey is thought of as personal growth, we must have
some concept of an endpoint, of some highest level of personal growth.

Philosopher and television producer Sam Keen (1983) has suggested
several ways other than “as journey” we might think of the process of
development of adult meaning systems, two of which I find particularly
appealing:
“When we think of this eternal dimension of our being, the circle is
more appropriate than the line. If life is a journey, then, it is not a
pilgrimage but an odyssey in which one leaves and returns home
again” (p. 31). Each step may be a circling back, a remembering of the
“still point” within (to use poet T. S. Eliot’s phrase). Progressively, we

understand or know ourselves and our world differently with each
movement of the circle, but there is no necessary endpoint.
We can also think of the entire process as “musical themes that weave
together to form a symphony; the themes that are central to each
stage are anticipated in the previous stage and remain as resonant
subthemes in subsequent stages” (p. 32). Another metaphor for this is
that of life as a tapestry in which one weaves many colors. A person
who creates many different meaning systems or faiths is weaving a
tapestry with more colors, but it may be no more beautiful or pleasing

than a tapestry woven intricately of fewer colors.
While the journey metaphor has dominated most of the current thinking,
it is not the only way to think about the process. In fact, the linearity and
teleology of the journey metaphor may well limit our thinking about
changes in adult meaning systems.

9.6.2: Choosing a Metaphor
Objective: Examine the shortcomings of existing metaphors for
meaning making
If we are to understand the process of meaning making further, if we are

to choose among several metaphors, what we need is a great deal more
empirical information to answer questions like the following.
First, is there a longitudinal progression through Fowler’s stages of faith

or through equivalent sequences proposed by others, such as Loevinger’s
stages of ego development? A number of cross-sectional studies and
several longitudinal studies suggest that some indicators of spiritual
growth increase with age. But age alone does not cause much of anything
except the number of candles on one’s cake. We need to ask: Is it due to
the collected wisdom that comes from experience, from some kind of
biological change in the nervous system, from facing the adversities of
late adulthood, or something else? There has been a very large increase in
research in this area, and I am confident that answers to this question are
forthcoming.
Second, what are the connections, if any, between movement through the
several sequences described by the various theorists? If we measure a
given person’s moral reasoning, the stage of ego development in
Loevinger’s model, and the type of faith he or she holds, will that person
be at the same stage in all three? And when a person shifts in one area,
does the shift occur across the board? Alternatively, might integration
occur only at the final steps, at the level of what Loevinger calls the
“integrated person”? These questions have been explored for many years
in children’s stages of cognitive development and should be explored
within the context of the quest for meaning in adulthood.
Third, assuming that longitudinal data confirm that there are stages of
meaning making, we need to know what prompts a shift from one to the
next. What supports a transition? What delays it? Finally, we need to
know more about the possible connection between stages of faith (or
models of meaning, or constructions of the self) and a sense of well-
being, or greater physical health, or greater peace of mind. My own
hypothesis is that one experiences greater happiness or satisfaction with
one’s life when it exists within a meaning system that lies at the “union”
end of the dichotomy than when it is embedded in any of the more self-
oriented stages.
Answers to some of these questions may be forthcoming in the next
decades because researchers have begun to devise measuring scales for

spirituality and to explore various components of the quest for meaning.
The recent evidence of a connection between health and religious

practices is a promising start to further investigations that include other
forms of spirituality. And the work on genetic coding for spirituality

(Anderson et al., 2017) brings its own intrigue to the mix.
Summary: The Quest for Meaning
One of the striking things about the information in this chapter is that it is
possible to find such similar descriptions emerging from such different

traditions. But the fact that there is a great deal of apparent unanimity in
the theoretical (and personal) descriptions of the development of moral
judgment, meaning systems, motive hierarchies, and spiritual evolution
does not make this shared view true. For now, much of what I have said
in this chapter remains tantalizing and intriguing speculation—but
speculation that nonetheless points toward the potential for wisdom,
compassion, even illumination within each adult.
9.1 Why We Study the Quest for

Meaning
Objective: Explain why we study the search for meaning
The quest for meaning, or spirituality, is an integral part of the human
experience, with signs of its existence found in archaeological sites, in

all cultures today, and even as a genetic trait in humans.
Psychology has long held that it is the meaning we attach to our
experiences rather than the experiences themselves that defines
reality for us. We filter experience through a set of basic assumptions
we have each created, known as internal working models or meaning
systems.
9.2 The Study of Age-Related Changes
in Meaning Systems
Objective: Analyze how interaction with meaning systems changes over
time
The idea of gerotranscendence, or the growth of meaning systems as
we go through adulthood, is well known in literature, mythology, and
psychological theories, although there is no agreement on what
experiences in life cause the changes in meaning systems.
Empirical study of religion and spirituality has increased dramatically
in the last four decades, and most of the studies address the question
of whether this trait changes as we age. Religious participation is
greater in older adults than in younger adults, but there is a dropoff in
late adulthood, possibly due to poor health. More women attend
religious services and belong to religious organizations than men,
and this gender difference is even greater for African Americans and
Mexican Americans.
Rates of private religious practices, such as prayer and reading sacred
texts, also increase with age, but remain steady into late adulthood,
when participation in religious services drops off. It is suggested that
people in late adulthood retain their spiritual beliefs and private

practices, even though they are no longer able to attend services.
Two groups that were followed longitudinally show an increase in

spirituality during the adult years, but women begin the increase
earlier in adulthood than men. Those in a younger cohort showed a

different pattern of increase than those in an older cohort, indicating
that events we experience during our lifetimes also have an impact on

changes in spirituality over time.
It is as yet uncertain whether the experience of living for many years
causes changes in spirituality, or whether the changes are due to the

adversity older adults have to cope with. This will be an important
topic of future research.
People, especially women, who attend religious services live longer

than those who do not. One reason is that spirituality is related to
lower levels of cortisol response during stressful situations. Cortisol

has been implicated in many of the negative physiological effects of
stress reactions, such as lowered immune function. This finding has

been replicated in a number of populations and for a number of
measures of spirituality, especially forgiveness and frequency of
prayer.
9.3 Theories of Spiritual Development

Objective: Apply theories of spiritual development
One theory of the development of meaning systems is Kohlberg’s

theory of the development of moral reasoning. Based on Piaget’s
theory of cognitive development, this theory consists of six stages of

moral reasoning, evaluating the level of moral reasoning by the
explanations people give for their responses to moral dilemmas. At

the first level, preconventional, reasoning reflects the punishment and
obedience orientation in which what is moral is simply behavior that

is rewarded, and the naive hedonism orientation in which the moral
choice is the one that brings pleasure. At the second level,

conventional, moral decisions are explained by following rules of the
family or society. The third level, postconventional, chooses moral
responses based on a search for underlying reasons for rules and

laws.
Kohlberg’s theory has been evaluated and refined over the years. For
example, Carol Gilligan has pointed out that Kohlberg based his
theory on interviews with boys, who use a system of justice, whereas

girls may base their moral decisions on a system of caring.
A second theory of spiritual development is Fowler’s theory of faith
development. Like Kohlberg, Fowler was interested in the individual
search for meaning, not in specific beliefs. In Fowler’s first stage,

synthetic-conventional faith, meaning comes from an authority
outside oneself. In the second stage, individuative-reflective faith, the
individual takes responsibility for his or her own meaning system. In

the third stage, conjunctive faith, an individual opens up to others’
beliefs and welfare. Finally, there is universalizing faith, the full
opening of a person to disregard personal concerns.
9.4 Integrating Meaning and Personality

Objective: Compare theories of meaning and personality
There are similarities among the theories that seek to explain the
development of spirituality over the adult years. There are also
similarities among the theories of spiritual development and the
personality theories discussed in previous chapters. One theory that
seems to encompass all of them is Kegan’s synthesizing model, which

proposes that we move between the need to be part of the group and
the need to be individuals.
Autobiographies, biographies, and case histories offer valuable
information about individuals’ search for meaning and thoughts

about spiritualism. Underhill studied the accounts of many diverse
individuals who described their quests for meaning, and she found
commonalities in these quests that made up five possible stages. The
first stage is awakening to a self-transcendence experience. This is

followed by purification, in which the person is made aware of his or
her faults and imperfections. The third stage is illumination, in which
the person is made even more aware of the presence of a higher
power. In the fourth stage, the person undergoes the dark night of the
soul, turning inward for more critical self-examination. Stage 5 is
unity, in which the individual feels one with the universe.
This process described by Underhill has been described similarly by

many people from different eras and fields of interest, for example,
American psychologist William James in the early 20th century,
Spanish nun St. Teresa of Ávila in the 16th century, and Swiss-born
American psychoanalyst Carl Jung in the mid-20th century.
9.5 The Process of Transition

Objective: Analyze how individuals develop through transitions
The question of what factors lead to changes in meaning systems over

adulthood is a relatively new topic of research. It is known that these
changes may be triggered by unique life changes, by adversity, by
peak experiences, and by intentionally pursuing self-knowledge and

spiritual growth.
9.6 Shapes of the Quest

Objective: Assess common metaphors used to make sense of the
Often, we try to make sense of the quest for meaning by using

metaphors. Whatever metaphor we choose becomes the lens through
which we see the development of adult meaning systems, possibly
blinding us to alternative explanations.
A great deal more empirical information is needed for us to make
more sense of our many quests for meaning making.

Key Terms: The Quest for Meaning

Chapter 10
Stress, Coping, and Resilience
Practicing yoga and spending time in nature are both great ways to
reduce stress.
10.1 Determine the origins of stress
10.2 Relate stress to health outcomes
10.3 Evaluate coping techniques for stress
10.4 Analyze how resilience functions
A Word from the Author: Miguel’s Journey
Miguel left Cuba for Miami in an unusual way; he took a boat
west to Mexico and then bought his way across the border into
Texas. He was only 15. The other people in the group were eight
pregnant women who were trying to have their babies in
American hospitals—not so much for the medical care but so the
babies would have U.S. citizenship. Despite being promised a
safe journey across the border, Miguel and the women were left
on the Mexican side of the shallow river to make their own ways
across. Suddenly, gunshots rang out from somewhere. Miguel
helped woman after woman cross the shallow river and finally
made it to safety himself before realizing he had been shot in the
thigh. He ended up in the hospital with two of the women who

had gone into labor during the river crossing.
This is an exciting story, and to the best of my knowledge it is

true. I heard it from Miguel himself and saw the scar from the
bullet wound in his thigh. He showed me photos of the two

Mexican American teenagers, now living in Texas, whose
mothers he had helped cross the river. They were named Miguel,
after him, and he keeps in touch with their families. The amazing
part of the story, to me, is that today he is so similar to my
younger son, Derek. They are both American citizens, and they
work together as civil engineers. They drive their trucks to work,
go out in the field together, go home at night to their wives and
children, and plan their vacations to Disney World or Las Vegas

or the Bahamas. You would not notice any difference between
Miguel and Derek except that Miguel has a touch of a Cuban

accent (and a scar on his thigh). And yet my son grew up in a
middle-class home and was riding a skateboard and playing

Senior League baseball when he was 15. When I think about
Miguel, I look around at the students in my classes, the people
who work in my neighborhood grocery store, the woman who

delivers my mail, and I wonder what their stories are. The more I
get to know my fellow south Floridians, the more stories I hear

like Miguel’s. We have people who have come to our state on
rafts made out of inner tubes and styrofoam coolers, people who
have fled their country one step ahead of rebel troops, people
who survived concentration camps and people who liberated

concentration camps after World War II, people who have seen
their relatives and neighbors killed, people who have survived

earthquakes and hurricanes, and people who have been in prison
for their political and religious beliefs. Adversity is not just in
history books in our part of the country, and I’m sure the same is
true of yours.
The main theme of this chapter is how people face the adversities of life,
whether crossing a river to freedom, hiding in a classroom during a

school shooting, or being caught in a traffic jam on the interstate with a
crying baby buckled into the car seat behind you. How does stress affect
us? What resources do we have to deal with it on a daily basis? And how
do we cope with large-scale adversity and then get on with our lives? I
begin with some of the leading theories and research on the effects of
stress. Then I present some information on social support and other

coping mechanisms. Finally, I turn to an examination of the most
common response to stressful events, resilience.
10.1: Stress, Stressors, and Stress
Reactions
Objective: Determine the origins of stress
Stress  is a set of physical, cognitive, and emotional responses that
humans (and other organisms) display in reaction to demands from the

environment. These environmental demands are known as stressors .
The scientific study of stress (and stressors) is a very old field, going back
to the early 1900s, and has been “claimed” by medical researchers and
social scientists alike (Dougall & Baum, 2001). More than a century of
research in many fields of enquiry have resulted in a large field of

knowledge about stress and its antidote, coping .

will be able to:
10.1.1 Compare theoretical explanations of stress
10.1.2 Differentiate types of stress

10.1.1: Stressors and Stress Reactions
Objective: Compare theoretical explanations of stress
The best-known explanation of the stress response is that of medical
researcher Hans Selye (1936), who first coined the term stress and then
developed the concept of the general adaptation syndrome . According
to Selye, there are three stages to general adaptation syndrome. The body
begins in homeostasis, which is an organism’s state of stability and
optimal functioning. Click or tap Next below to learn more about each
stage.
Selye’s General Adaptation Syndrome

Selye postulated that the “return to rest” is never complete even after the
stressor has stopped and the general adaptation syndrome is terminated.
One almost gets back to one’s former state, but not quite, leading some to
suggest that the process of aging may thus simply be the accumulation of
the effects of many years of stress.
Selye’s theory was one of the earliest demonstrations of the link between
psychological reactions and physical illnesses. He was careful not to claim
that stress itself caused physical changes, but that our reaction to stress
(which he called “distress”) was the culprit, leaving the door open for
others to suggest preventative measures, such as coping mechanisms and
social support, which are discussed later in this chapter.
It has been almost a century since Selye’s theory was published, and
hundreds of studies have been done on the effects stress reactions have
on the human immune system. Selye’s idea of stress leading to a general
suppression of the immune system has been refined to postulate two
separate types of immune responses: a natural immunity, which is a quick
defense against pathogens in general, and a specific immunity, which is

slower and requires more energy because the body needs to identify
specific pathogens and form matching lymphocytes to combat them.

Ordinarily the two systems work in balance, but a stress reaction results
in the natural immune system going quickly into overdrive and the
specific immune system being suppressed to conserve energy. Stressful
events of longer duration, such as bereavement, lead to a decline in the

natural immune system over time and an increase in the specific immune
system. And when stress is chronic—such as caregiving for a relative with

dementia, being a refugee, or being unemployed for a long period of time
—both immune systems eventually decline in function (Segerstrom &
Miller, 2004).
Theories of Stress
Evolutionary psychologists suggest that the reaction to acute stress (the
fight-or-flight response) is an adaptive mechanism that enabled our
primitive ancestors to summon optimal levels of energy (increased
adrenaline and increased blood supply to the heart and large muscles)
while at the same time preparing the body for accelerated healing of
wounds and prevention of infection from whatever antigens entered
through them (natural immunity). Modern humans seldom need this set
of responses because the types of stressors we encounter do not often
have physical consequences, nor do they require us to defend ourselves
physically. However, as with many other evolved mechanisms, the stress

response reflects the demands of more primitive environments, resulting
in a mismatch of physical responses to psychological events (Flinn et al.,
2005).
Selye’s theory took a response-oriented viewpoint , meaning that it was

focused on the physiological reactions within the individual that resulted
from exposure to stressors. Other researchers have focused on the
stressors themselves. To do this, it is necessary to evaluate events in the
environment to determine whether they are stressors and, if they are, the
relative magnitude of the stress they cause. The earliest evaluation
method came from psychiatrists Thomas Holmes and Richard Rahe
(1967), who devised a checklist to rate the level of a person’s stressors
based on life-change events . This rating scale consists of 43 events with
points assigned to each event depending on how much stress it causes.

For example, death of a spouse is the most stressful at 100 points, being
fired is 47 points, and getting a speeding ticket is 11 points. The
researchers focused on life changes, not just negative events, and included
some positive events, such as pregnancy (40 points), outstanding
personal achievement (28 points), and vacation (13 points). Holmes and
Rahe hypothesized that the more points a person had accumulated in the
recent past, the higher the stress level and the greater the chances of
illness in the near future.
Holmes and Rahe approached the topic of stress from a stimulus-

oriented viewpoint , meaning that their focus was on the stressors
themselves, the stimuli that trigger the stress reactions, or more
specifically, life events. Their rating scale, along with similar measures of
life stressors, proved to be a fairly accurate predictor of physical illness
and psychological symptoms. Most of the research today on stress
reactions uses some form of a life-event rating scale. At the same time,
serious questions have been raised about this definition of stress and this
method of measurement. First of all, it is not so obvious that life changes
all produce stress in the same way. Are positive life changes and negative
life changes really equally stressful? And even among life changes that
may be classed as negative, perhaps some subvarieties are more stress

producing or more likely to lead to illness than others. And what about
events that can be positive in one situation (pregnancy to a long-married

couple who have been trying to conceive for years) and negative in
another (pregnancy to an unprepared teenage girl)?

10.1.2: Types of Stress
Objective: Differentiate types of stress
Several researchers have suggested subcategories of stressors or life-
change events that may help answer some related questions. For
example, sociologist Leonard Pearlin (1980) made a distinction between
short-term life events, which are stressors that may cause immediate
problems but have a definite beginning and end, and chronic life strains,
which are continuous and ongoing. He explained that chronic life strains
were the type of stressors that caused the most health problems and also
eroded social relationships (ironically, the very interactions that help
alleviate stress).
Another distinction is made between types of job-related stressors. Work
stress is what a worker experiences on a job with high demands but a
good amount of control and sense of personal accomplishment. Work
strain results from situations in which a worker is faced with high
demands but low control, no sense of personal accomplishment, and low
reward (Nelson & Burke, 2002).
Lifespan developmental psychologist David Almeida (2005) distinguishes
between major life events, such as divorce and death of a loved one, and
daily stressors, the routine challenges of day-to-day living, such as work
deadlines, malfunctioning computers, and arguments with children. Daily
stressors also include more chronic challenges such as caring for an

elderly parent or balancing the roles of a spouse, parent, and worker.
Although he acknowledges that major life events may be associated with
prolonged physiological reactions, he believes that daily stressors, which
occur far more frequently, also have serious effects on one’s well-being.
Almeida contends that the daily stressors not only have direct and
immediate effects on emotional and physical functioning, but also
accumulate over time to create persistent problems that may result in
more serious stress reactions.
Daily stressors are difficult to measure because they are small issues that
are not easily recalled over time, so Almeida used a diary method to
follow the daily stressors of about 1,500 adults, part of a nationally
representative sample of people in the United States participating in the
National Study of Daily Experiences (NSDE). Instead of requiring
participants to keep their own diaries (and perhaps fail to fill them out on
a regular basis), he had telephone interviewers call each person in the
study each evening during an 8-day period. And instead of using a
checklist, the interviewers asked semistructured questions that allowed
the participants to tell about their daily stressors and their subjective
appraisals of the events (Almeida, 2005).
Almeida and his colleagues found that adults in the United States
typically experienced at least one stressor on 40% of the days studied and
more than one on 10% of the days. The most common stressors were
interpersonal arguments and tensions, which accounted for half of the

reported stressful events. The types of stressors are shown in Figure
10.2 , along with the frequency with which they were reported.
Interestingly, the subjective appraisal of the severity of stressful events
overall was “average,” whereas the objective appraisals, given by expert
coders, were “low.” In other words, we tend to perceive our own stressful
events as more severe than they are perceived by a noninvolved rater
(Almeida & Horn, 2004).

Figure 10.2 Types of Stressors
U.S. adults from age 25 to 74 report that the largest proportion of their
daily stressors arise from interpersonal tensions, followed by stressful
events that happen to other people in their networks and events that
happen at work or school.
Source: Data from Almeida (2005).

10.2: Effects of Stress
Objective: Relate stress to health outcomes
If you recall Selye’s theory, stressors cause physiological stress reactions
that lead to lowered immune function and ultimately may cause physical
disease and mental health disorders. Early studies showed a significant

relationship between self-rated life-change events and a number of health
problems, but the effects were very small and it was difficult to know
which came first, the stressors or the health problems. Also, there is the
problem of stress causing an increase in unhealthy behaviors, such as
tobacco and alcohol use and overeating, and certain common factors,
such as poverty, causing both a high number of stressors and poor health.
Recent researchers have controlled many of these confounds to
concentrate on the areas that have the most promise for unwrapping the
stress/disease package and finding effective treatment and prevention
measures.

will be able to:
10.2.1 Describe links between stress and disease
10.2.2 Summarize ways that stress can lead to mental health disorders
10.2.3 Identify factors that impact individual stress outcomes

10.2.4 Explain how stress can lead to growth
10.2.1: Physical Disease
Objective: Describe links between stress and disease
Stressors have been found to be related to mortality risk —the chance
that an individual will die within a certain period of time. Health

psychology researcher Jessica J. Chiang and her colleagues (Chiang et al.,
2018), examined data from the Midlife Development in the United States
(MIDUS) study. Over 1,300 middle-aged adults had been called by
researchers for eight consecutive nights and asked about stressful events
they encountered that day. The stressors they were asked about included
having an argument, avoiding an argument, and experiencing a work-
related stressor, a home-related stressor, or discrimination. They were
also asked about their positive and negative emotional reactions to the
stressors. During the next 20 years, 310 of the participants died.
Researchers compared the data of the deceased participants with those of
the surviving participants and found a positive relationship between the
total number of stressors reported by participants during that 8-day
period and their risk of dying in the next 20 years. They also found a
positive relationship between the increase in negative emotions in

response to stressors and the risk of dying in the next 20 years. They
concluded that participants who reported high numbers of daily stressful
events and negative reactions to those events were more apt to have died
the 20 years following the initial study.

The number of stressors a person reports has been found to contribute to
the progression of heart disease, the risk of diabetes, and the onset of
some cancers. For example, a longitudinal study of over 10,000 women in
Finland showed that accumulation of stressful life events, such as divorce
or separation, death of a husband, personal illness or injury, job loss, or
death of a close friend or relative, was associated with an increased risk of
breast cancer. Women were surveyed in the initial stage of the study and
asked to report stressful life events they had experienced in the last 5
years. Fifteen years later, 180 incidents of breast cancer had been
reported for women in the study (doctors are required to report all cancer
diagnoses to the Finnish Cancer Registry). Grouping the women by how
many stressful life events they reported (none, one, two, or three or
more), researchers found a linear relationship, as shown in Figure 10.3 ,
between the number of stressful events and the incidence of breast cancer
in the subsequent 15 years (Lillberg et al., 2003). The greater the number
of stressful events they reported, the greater the women’s chance of
having breast cancer, and because the surveys had been done years
before the cancer appeared and not after the fact, this is very strong
support that stressors are related to subsequent physical illness.
Figure 10.3 Relationship Between Breast Cancer and the Number of

Stressful Events
Women who reported one, two, or three or more major life events in the
previous 5 years were significantly more likely to be diagnosed with
breast cancer during the next 15 years than those who reported no major
life events. The more events reported, the greater incidence of breast
cancer.
Source: Adapted from Lillberg, Verkasalo, Kaprio, et al. (2003).

Stress and Disease
Other studies have shown a link between stress and heart disease.
Researchers followed almost 13,000 men for 15 years and demonstrated
that work-related stress (such as being fired or laid off, not being able to
work because of a disability, failure of a business) was related to an
increased risk of death from heart disease. Men were given physical
examinations and surveys annually for 6 years. Nine years after the study
was completed, death records were examined along with causes of death.
When the men were grouped according to the number of job stressors
they had reported during the study, researchers found a linear
relationship between the number of stressful events and the incidence of

death due to heart disease in the 9 years since the study ended. The
greater the number of stressful events, the higher the risk of death from
heart disease (Matthews & Gump, 2002).
Watch the following video to learn more about the impact stress can have
on your physical health.
Watch Stress and Your Health

Another group of researchers examined the relationship between stressful
life events and subsequent risk for heart disease and diabetes. The 149
male participants filled out the Holmes and Rahe questionnaire

(described earlier in this chapter), reporting the life-change events they
had experienced in the previous 5 years. Then they were tested for
various markers of risk for cardiovascular disease and diabetes (high
blood pressure, high HDL cholesterol, obesity, high levels of glucose in
the blood). Men who were at the highest risk for cardiovascular disease
and diabetes had significantly higher scores on their life-change events
questionnaires than those at low risk (Fabre et al., 2013). These studies,
and many more, provide support that life stressors and a variety of
physical illnesses are strongly related.

10.2.2: Mental Health Disorders
Objective: Summarize ways that stress can lead to mental health
disorders
Stressful life events are associated with the onset of various mental
disorders, such as depression and anxiety, and this relationship has been
demonstrated in a number of studies, though the effect is relatively small,
showing that many factors other than exposure to stressors are at work.
However, one’s reaction to those stressors seems to have a more

substantial effect on which of us will develop a mental health disorder
and which will not. For example, you probably know someone who has
broken up with their girlfriend or boyfriend, spent a few sad days moping
around in their pajamas, and then was back to their usual demeanor,
perhaps even telling you that it was a learning experience never to date
someone so self-centered or so much older than they are. And you
probably know another person who had a similar breakup but was
incapacitated the rest of the semester. The difference is how they reacted
to the stressful event.
In the diary study described earlier, in which 1,500 adults of all ages were
called every evening for 8 consecutive days to report on the stressors in
their day, they were also asked to report on their overall moods (Almeida,
2005). Ten years after the study was completed, over half of the original
participants were contacted again to find out about their current
emotional health. Participants who had reported high levels of negativity

on days they had no stressors were more apt to have symptoms of mood
disorders 10 years later than those with lower levels of negativity on days
with no stressors (Charles et al., 2013). It seems that these participants’
long-term reactivity to earlier stressors was a predictor of subsequent
mood disorders; those who had long-lasting negative reactions to
stressors that occurred days before were those who were most apt to
report symptoms of depression, anxiety, or bipolar disorder.
One type of mental health disorder linked directly to stressful events is
posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) , the psychological response to

trauma, such as military combat, rape, terrorist attacks, natural disasters,
or automobile accidents. This disorder was first identified by the
American Psychiatric Association (APA) in 1980, although it has been
described throughout history as battle fatigue, shell shock, nervous
breakdown, and other nonscientific terms. Symptoms of PTSD include
reexperiencing the event in intrusive thoughts and dreams, numbing of
general responses, avoiding stimuli associated with the event, and
increased arousal of physiological stress mechanisms. Acute stress
disorder  is the term used for reactions to trauma that are similar to
PTSD, but diminish within a month. About half of PTSD cases begin with
acute stress disorder (American Psychiatric Association, 2013).
Lifetime risk for PTSD in the United States is about 9%; it is much lower
in Europe and most Asian, African, and Latin American countries, which
are around 1%. Not surprisingly, PTSD occurs at higher rates among
people who are in jobs that entail more trauma exposure, such as
veterans, police, firefighters, and emergency medical personnel. It is

estimated that 33–50% of those who have survived rape, military combat
and captivity, or persecution from ethnic or political genocide develop
PTSD. Women are more apt to develop PTSD. U.S. Latinos, African
Americans, and American Indians have higher rates of PTSD than the
U.S. non-Latino white population; U.S. Asian Americans have the lowest
rates. Older adults are less likely to develop PTSD, but they may develop
long-lasting symptoms that do not fit the full definition of PTSD but still
are considered mental health disorders due to trauma. One of the best
predictors that a person will develop PTSD is having a history of trauma,
especially physical violence (American Psychiatric Association, 2013).

Treating PTSD
Recommended treatment for PTSD includes cognitive-behavioral therapy
and prolonged exposure therapy, in which the therapist guides the
patient back through memories of the traumatic event and helps him or
her to engage with reminders of the event rather than avoiding them
(American Psychological Association, 2017). Other techniques, such as

mindfulness training and equine assisted therapy, may also help reduce
PTSD symptoms (Earles et al., 2015). In a World Health Organization
survey of PTSD patients from 28 countries, researchers found that about a
third of all cases were in full remission within 1 year, many in 6 months
(Kessler et al., 2017). The remission rates for specific traumas are shown
in Figure 10.4 .
Figure 10.4 Remission Rates for Specific Traumas
Speed of recovery for PTSD patients in 29 countries by trauma type.

(Recovery is defined as length of time until all symptoms are in
remission.)
Source: Kessler et al. (2017).

Researchers often accompany first responders after traumatic incidents—
such as the terrorist bombing at the Ariana Grande concert in
Manchester, England, the aftermaths of Hurricane Harvey in Texas and
Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico, the Las Vegas massacre, and the
Parkland school shooting—ready to gather data on the victims, the
bystanders, and the rescue workers. Around the world, researchers have
tagged along with rescuers in war zones, at the sites of genocide and
mass rape, in areas where famine has occurred, and in refugee camps.
Although it may seem cold-hearted to be using victims as research
participants during these difficult times, a lot of the knowledge conveyed

in this chapter is the result of such projects.
For example, because of this research, we know that about one-third of
people will show symptoms of PTSD within a week of a traumatic event,
and about 10% will continue showing those symptoms a year later
(Gorman, 2005). We also know that the most valuable help mental health
providers can give to people exposed to trauma is to promote feelings of
safety, calmness, self-efficacy, community connectedness, and hope.
Survivors need their practical needs attended to first, such as medical

care, information about family members, food, clothing, and shelter. The
time for therapy comes later, if at all. For most survivors, symptoms of
PTSD are short-lived and resilience is the norm (Watson et al., 2011).
Mental health problems due to stress can be passed down in families, as
has been demonstrated by studies of Holocaust survivors and their adult

children, who, although they did not experience the Holocaust
themselves, are more apt to develop depression and anxiety disorders

than other adults their ages (Yehuda et al., 2008). They are also more apt
to develop PTSD if exposed to trauma in their own lives (Yehuda et al.,
2001). Psychologist Yael Danieli and her colleagues (Danieli et al., 2017)
were interested in finding out which adult children of Holocaust survivors
were at risk for mental health problems. They conducted clinical

interviews with almost 200 adult children of Holocaust survivors, asking
them about their parents’ posttraumatic adaptation, their own
relationship with and feelings about their parents, and their own mental
health in the last 12 months. Those who expressed the highest level of
reparative adaptational impacts regarding their parents, that is, feeling that
their job as children was to undo the past and heal their parents, were
most likely to develop psychological disorders. Some 46% of adult

children who expressed the need to repair the past for their parents
reported that they had suffered from mood disorders or anxiety disorders
in the past 12 months (the average in the United States is about 15%). In
contrast, only 8% of adult children who did not express this need to undo
the past and heal their parents had experienced mood disorders or
anxiety disorders. This study emphasizes that the most important factor
in the mental health problems of adult children of Holocaust survivors is

the adult children’s perceptions of the impact the Holocaust had on their
parents and what their role is to remedy it. (One bright note in this study
is that over half of the adult children who had high levels of reparative
adaptational impact had reported no symptoms of anxiety or depression

in the past 12 months.)
10.2.3: Individual Differences in Stress-
Related Disorders
Objective: Identify factors that impact individual stress outcomes
Everyone is exposed to stressors on a daily basis, and everyone meets

these stressors with stress reactions, but not everyone suffers from
physical disease and mental disorders as a result. In fact, the majority of
people handle stress very well. Of course, the type of stress and the
amount of stress can make a difference, but researchers have found that
factors such as gender, age, racial discrimination, and environment–gene
interactions affect an individual’s susceptibility to stress-related health
problems.
Gender
When it comes to daily stressors, women report more days with at least
one stressor than do men. Women and men also report different sources
of stress. Men are more apt than women to report daily stressors related
to work or school, whereas women are more apt than men to report
experiencing daily stressors as a result of things that happened to people

in their social or family networks. Men are more apt to report stressors
that threaten them financially; women are more apt to report stressors
that threaten the ways others feel about them (Almeida, 2005).
Some researchers argue that Selye’s theory of fight or flight applies only
to men, and that women have a totally different reaction to stressors.
Social psychologist Shelley Taylor (2002) argued that males and females
have evolved different survival and reproductive behaviors, and that
women may have developed a response to stress that differs from the one
typically seen in studies of men. Instead of fight or flight, Taylor

suggested that women have a genetic response to stress that involves
“tend and befriend.” Instead of being based on either fleeing the
dangerous situation or defeating an aggressor, as is the case with men,
this response in women is aimed at tending to one’s immature offspring
and seeking support from others, especially other women. These
researchers believe that female responses to stress are based on the
attachment–caregiving process and may be regulated, in part, by sex
hormones (Taylor et al., 2006). The effects of age-related decline in these
hormones needs to be examined (Almeida et al., 2011).

This research fits well with other findings on gender differences in social
behavior. Women tend to have larger social networks, have deeper and
more emotional friendships, and are more apt to respond to emotional
events by seeking out friends and talking. They tend to be the kinkeepers
and caregivers in families. It has been well demonstrated that men and
women do not react with the same intensity to stress. Why not
differences in the role of stressors in their lives?
There are also gender differences in PTSD. Men are exposed to more
trauma than women during their lifetimes, but women are more likely to
experience PTSD as a result of trauma. Figure 10.5  shows the number of
traumatic events men and women report and the incidence of PTSD for
both genders. However, this does not tell the whole story. Some events
are more apt to lead to PTSD for one gender than another. For example,
women are much more likely to experience rape than men (9% vs. 1%),
but men are more likely to suffer from PTSD as a result (65% vs. 46%).
Men have a higher rate of experiencing physical assault than women
(11% vs. 6%), but women’s rates of developing PTSD as a result are
higher than men’s (21% vs. 2%). Clearly the likelihood of developing
PTSD as the result of a traumatic experience depends on more factors
than just the objective severity of the event (Yehuda, 2002).
Figure 10.5 Lifetime Prevalence of PTSD

Men experience more trauma in their lifetimes, but women are more
likely to develop PTSD.
Source: Data from Yehuda (2002).

Age
In general, the number of daily stressors reported decreases with age. The
highest number of stressors is reported by young adults, and the lowest is
reported by older adults (Almeida et al., 2011). There are several reasons
for this. First, younger people have more complex lives than older people,
thus more potential sources of stressors. Older people have more

experience with stressful events and, presumably, have developed some
expertise in avoiding or coping with situations that might become
stressors. Although older people often have more chronic health
problems and experience more loss in their lives, they often compare
their own situation with that of others their age and consider themselves
to be doing well. A large number of older adults consider themselves to
be in excellent or very good health, but at the same time report a number
of chronic health conditions. The question of how people of different ages
react to stressors is not easily answered. Click or tap Next below to learn
more about how much we experience and how we deal with stress at
different ages.
Stressors and Age

Perceived Discrimination
It has long been known that women and members of minority groups
face overt discrimination in the workplace, the education system, the
justice system, and the health care industry, leading to worse life
outcomes and more stress than men and those in majority groups, which
in turn lead to low levels of physical and psychological health (Paradies,

2006). However, a second factor, perceived discrimination , occurs
when an individual realizes or believes themselves to be the target of
discrimination. This type of subtle, subjective discrimination has been
linked to both psychological and physical health through two pathways,
increased stress and unhealthy behaviors (Pascoe & Smart Richman,

2009).
Psychologist Michael T. Schmitt and his colleagues evaluated the data
from 43 cross-sectional studies and 54 longitudinal studies and
determined that perceived discrimination was negatively correlated with

psychological well-being (Schmitt et al., 2014). Furthermore, because the
longitudinal studies showed the same negative correlation, the
researchers could hypothesize that the perceived discrimination had a
causal effect on psychological well-being. The strongest effects of
perceived discrimination on well-being were found for sexual orientation,
mental illness, physical disabilities, HIV+ status, and weight. Race and
gender had weaker effects. Children experienced stronger effects of
perceived discrimination than adults, and disadvantaged people

experienced stronger effects of perceived discrimination than advantaged
people.
Studies have been done of various groups with results that show
perceived discrimination has a negative effect on well-being. For
example, in a study of 110 African American college women, a
relationship was found between perceived racism and changes in blood
pressure following a public-speaking task. The higher the women’s
reports of perceived racism, the more their systolic blood pressure was
elevated as a result of giving a short talk before an audience (Clark,

2006). Some researchers have studied discrimination against older people
and found that those who reported being discriminated against showed
lower levels of recall and gait speed (Shankar & Hinds, 2017). Other
researchers studied Asian American adults and found that higher rates of
perceived discrimination were associated with greater depressive
symptoms (Chau et al., 2018). Health-related effects of perceived
discrimination have been demonstrated in groups of U.S. citizens of Irish,
Jewish, Polish, and Italian descent. Those who perceive chronic
discrimination against their groups were two to six times more likely to
show high-risk markers for cardiovascular disease than people in those
same groups who do not perceive discrimination (Hunte & Williams,

2009). Sexual and gender minority individuals were given diaries to
record their daily episodes of perceived discrimination and their nicotine,

alcohol, and drug use. Their experience of perceived discrimination was
positively associated with their nicotine, alcohol, and drug use,

suggesting that perceived discrimination may trigger negative health
behaviors (Livingston et al., 2017).
It seems that perceived discrimination is almost a universal response by
individuals who believe that their membership in a group is causing them

to be treated unfairly. This subjective feeling may lead to a variety of
physical and psychological health problems, independent of any

detrimental treatment they actually experience as a member of that
group.
Environment–Gene Interactions
In the last decade, researchers have become aware that the differences in
genetic expression between two people are due more to the environment
they lived in than their gender and ancestry (Slavich & Cole, 2013). In
other words, the expression of our genes can be influenced by the
external social conditions we experience, especially how we subjectively

perceive those conditions. This emerging field of research is known as
human social genomics , the study of changes in gene expression due to
subjective perceptions of the social environment.
One of the first studies to show the effect of social environment on gene
expression was conducted by biopsychologist Steve W. Cole and his
colleagues (Cole et al., 2007), using a group of socially isolated
individuals and a control group who were more socially integrated.
Earlier research had shown that people who are socially isolated have
more incidences of illness and die at earlier ages than those who are more
socially integrated in their communities. The researchers discovered
immune response genes that differentiated the groups. When the
genomes of the participants were examined, it was found that the altered
genes were those involved in regulating inflammation, a key symptom of
many of the diseases socially isolated individuals develop. Figure 10.8 
shows the activity of the pro-inflammatory genes for the socially
integrated group is significantly lower than the socially isolated group. In
contrast, the anti-inflammatory gene activity is significantly lower for the
socially integrated group. The researchers suggest that the social

experiences of older people can alter their genes, and these altered genes
can lead to physical illness by producing pro-inflammatory or anti-
inflammatory elements.
Figure 10.8 Inflammation and Social Isolation
Participants who were socially integrated showed more activity in anti-

inflammatory genes and less activity in pro-inflammatory genes. The
isolated group showed less activity in anti-inflammatory gene activity and
more in pro-inflammatory activity. This suggests that social experiences
can alter genes.
Source: Cole et al. (2007).
Similar genetic changes have been found in groups experiencing other

types of stress, such as ongoing interpersonal difficulties (Murphy et al.,
2013), low socioeconomic status (Chen et al., 2011), and posttraumatic

stress disorder (Knight et al., 2016). This is also an explanation of how
discrimination might affect health, as discussed in the previous section.

These studies show the inaccuracy of our long-standing beliefs that one’s
biological makeup is set at conception (or at birth) and is not affected by
the social environment. Individual differences in adulthood have been
shaped by our perceptions of the social environment, and those

differences have altered the way our genes are expressed on an individual
basis.
10.2.4: Stress-Related Growth
Objective: Explain how stress can lead to growth
Popular folk wisdom holds that the Chinese word for “crisis” is made up
of two characters—one meaning “danger” and one meaning

“opportunity.” Other cultures have equivalent words of wisdom to
express the idea that “what doesn’t kill us makes us stronger.” The same
idea is what has motivated a wave of research examining stress-related
growth —the positive changes that follow the experience of stressful life
events. Indeed, this idea is not a new one. Many theories of development,
such as Erikson’s, discussed in the chapter on personality, include the
concept that crisis, or stress, can make useful changes in the individual
and that personal growth may result from facing difficult life events.
Some studies examining the negative effects of stress also found some
positive effects. One early study of middle-aged adults whose parents had
recently died showed that although the participants reported typical
symptoms of emotional distress, many also reported that they had
experienced personal growth as a result of the loss, in that they finally felt
they were complete adults with increased self-confidence and a sense of
maturity. They also reported that they had learned to value personal
relationships more (Scharlach & Fredrickson, 1993). Similar results were
noted in studies of divorce (Helson & Roberts, 1994) and widowhood
(Lieberman, 1996). Studies of the aftermath of the terrorist attacks on
September 11, 2001, revealed positive and prosocial reactions to the

tragedy, including reports of interpersonal closeness and an increase in
blood donations, charitable giving, and volunteerism (Morgan et al.,
2011).
More recently, a study of stress-related growth in veterans of the Korean
War and World War II involved surveys of over 1,000 men who served
during that time and whose average age at the time of the survey was
65.5 years. Researchers found that those who had been exposed to
combat were more apt to believe that there had been positive aspects of
their service. Furthermore, those combat veterans who reported more

positive aspects to their service were more apt to report positive well-
being in later life. Researchers concluded that combat veterans who focus
on the positive aspects of their military experience have better chances
for optimal aging (Lee et al., 2017).
Stress-related growth has also been studied in breast cancer survivors
(Connerty & Knott, 2013), Palestinian adults living in Gaza (Kira et al.,
2012), Israeli ex-prisoners of war (Dekel et al., 2012), and low-income
mothers who survived Hurricane Katrina (Lowe et al., 2013), among

other groups. The findings generally agree that, depending on the
stressful event itself, the personal beliefs of the individual, and the
support available, people in dire circumstances are able to later report
personal growth, increased wisdom, growth in relationships with others,

a new appreciation for life, a new sense of maturity, a stronger religious
belief, or a greater sense of self-efficacy and self-confidence.

10.3: Coping with Stress
Objective: Evaluate coping techniques for stress
There has been a shift recently in psychology from the “illness” model of
stress, which catalogues symptoms, probabilities, and groups more prone
to stress-related disorders, to a “wellness” approach, which involves

prevention, preparation, and early intervention immediately after trauma
occurs (Friedman, 2005). These priorities emphasize the importance of
resistance resources , the personal and social resources that may buffer
a person from the impact of stress. Central among these are individual
coping responses, a sense of personal control, and the availability of
social support.

will be able to:
10.3.1 Compare coping behaviors
10.3.2 Relate social support to stress outcomes

10.3.1: Types of Coping Behaviors
Objective: Compare coping behaviors
At the top of the list of protections against the effects of stressors in our
lives are coping behaviors , an all-purpose term that refers to anything

you might think, feel, and do to reduce the effects of stressful events.
Suppose that you received a rejection letter from a graduate program you
had been working hard to get into. Or suppose that your apartment was
damaged by a fire and most of your belongings were lost. How would you
cope with these stressors? There are a number of behaviors you might
employ, and some of them are found in Table 10.1 , which lists styles of
coping and examples of each from the Brief COPE Inventory (Carver,
1997).
Table 10.1 Styles of Coping and Examples from the Brief COPE
Inventory
These are not the only ways of coping. Many theorists and investigators
have made their own lists and organized them into useful subcategories.
One way of doing this is to divide coping mechanisms into four
categories: problem focused, emotion focused, meaning focused, and
social coping (Folkman & Moskowitz, 2004). Click or tap each tab below
to learn more about other subcategories of ways of coping.
Other Subcategories of Ways of Coping

Evaluating the Effectiveness of Coping
Which coping mechanisms are the best in a given situation? Sometimes it
depends on whether you feel that you are in control of the problem or
not. If you feel in control, then problem-focused coping is usually the
most effective. An example would be a student who has an exam coming
up and feels stressed. Problem-focused coping would include reviewing

notes or meeting with a study group. But in a situation that offers little
feeling of control, such as dealing with chronic illness, emotion-focused
coping gives greater stress relief. Some examples would be distancing and
finding other activities to keep one’s mind occupied.
Two abilities are important in dealing with the stressors one encounters
in life. First is the ability to use a variety of coping skills, depending on
the situation, known as coping flexibility. The other is the ability to match
the appropriate coping skill with the situation at hand, known as goodness
of fit (Folkman & Moskowitz, 2004).

10.3.2: Social Support
Objective: Relate social support to stress outcomes
Social support  (sometimes known as social relatedness), refers to the
actual affect, affirmation, and aid received from others and also the
perception that one is cared for and that social support is available if
needed. Numerous studies have established that social support provides
major protection for both physical and mental health (Uchino et al.,
2012). The lack of social support is loneliness, and adults who are lonelier
have a higher risk of disease, death, and depression than adults with
stronger social support (Holt -Lunstad et al., 2010). Similar patterns have
been found in other countries, including Sweden (Rosengren et al., 1993),
China (Williams et al., 2017), and South Korea (Choi et al., 2018),
showing that the link between social support and well-being is not
restricted to the United States or even to Western cultures.

The Buffering Effect of Social Support
The beneficial effect of social support is even clearer when a person is
under high stress. That is, the negative effect of stress on health and
happiness is smaller for those who have adequate social support than for
those whose social support is weak. This pattern of results is usually
described as the buffering effect  of social support, meaning that it won’t

keep stressors from entering one’s life, but it will provide some protection
against the harm they do. It may not be a coincidence that many of the
top-rated life changes on the Holmes and Rahe list involve losses in one’s
social support system, such as divorce, separation, death of a loved one,
and loss of a job.
In a study of veterans who had been exposed to war-zone stress 10 years
earlier (during the Gulf War of 1990–1991), the amount of
encouragement and assistance they perceived from other unit members,
unit leaders, and the military in general was related to the amount of
depression they reported since their return from the war. For both men
and women, the less social support they perceived receiving, the higher
level of depression they reported. These findings indicate that social
support in a high-stress situation may serve as a buffer against later stress
reactions such as depression and that social support is an important
buffer against negative mental health consequences of stress and trauma
(Vogt et al., 2005).

Psychologist Adam W. Fingerhut (2018) investigated the role of social
support for gay men when faced with minority stress, which he defined as
discrimination based on one’s sexual orientation. He asked 89 gay men to
provide baseline information about their social support from friends and
family, their feelings of connectedness to the gay community, and their
mental health. The participants were asked to keep a diary for 14 days,
recording their experiences with minority stress and their daily affect, or
emotional state. The 89 participants recorded over 1,000 episodes of
minority stress over the 14 days of the study. Daily minority stress was
associated with negative affect; that is, on days participants experienced

more minority stress, they reported more negative affect. As shown in
Figure 10.10 , those with stronger support from friends (red line) had
less negative affect overall than those with less support from friends (blue
line). Furthermore, when faced with higher levels of minority stress,
participants with stronger support from friends did not increase their
negative affect as much as those who had less support from friends.
Moods for participants with higher levels of social support from friends
were fairly stable regardless of the daily discrimination they faced for
being gay. This protection was not present for support from family or
feelings of connectedness to the gay community.
Figure 10.10 Social Support and Minority Stress

Gay men with higher levels of social support display lower and more
stable affect when faced with daily minority stress.
Source: Fingerhut (2018).

Some Negative Effects of Social Networks
Lest I give the impression that there is nothing but sweetness and light in
the world of social relationships, let me quickly add that there are also
associated costs. Network systems are generally reciprocal. Not only do
you receive support, but you give it as well. At some points in the life
course, such as the early parenting years, the giving side of the equation
seems to be more heavily weighted than the receiving side, a situation
that may increase stress.
Everyday social interactions can also be a significant source of hassles.
Most of us have at least some regular interactions with people we do not

like or who irritate us to distraction. When these negative social
interactions involve anger, dislike, criticism, or undermining, especially
when the negative feelings come from people who are central to our
social convoy, they have a substantial negative effect on one’s overall
feeling of well-being. Studies of African American and black Caribbean

families show that while positive family support is associated with low
rates of depression, negative family interactions are associated with
higher rates of depression (Taylor et al., 2015). Researchers have found
that the success of homeless people in a program to provide homes and
health care is related to a decrease in former social support networks,
usually shedding burdensome and abusive relationships (Golembiewski
et al., 2017).
Social support can operate in a negative way even if it is well intentioned
—for example, when the support given is not what is needed, or the offer
of support is perceived as criticism, or intrusion, or an insult to our
independence. When this occurs, instead of buffering, the misdirected
social support can result in our losing the desire to cope, reducing our
efforts to cope, or making our coping efforts less effective (DeLongis &
Holtzman, 2005).
Social support at a time of chronic strain, such as financial problems or
long-term caregiving, can also have negative effects, especially in the late
years of adulthood. Support providers may not have the resources to
sustain their support over the long periods of time required and may
begin to feel resentful and frustrated as a result. In addition, the care
receivers may not have the wherewithal to reciprocate and may feel as
though they are losing what little independence they have left (Krause,
2006).
10.4: Resilience
Objective: Analyze how resilience functions
I have covered various stressors and stress reactions, ways that people
can cope with stress once it sets in, and how people may gain personal
growth from their stressful experiences, but as you can tell from the
statistics, not everyone who is exposed to stress, even traumatic stress,
suffers its effects. Recently, in an effort to emphasize the positive
outcomes in psychology, researchers have been investigating resilience ,
the maintenance of healthy functioning following exposure to potential
trauma.
Resilience is not the same as recovery and is quite different from chronic
and delayed posttraumatic stress reactions and recovery. Figure 10.11 
shows the trajectories of resilience compared to these three other
outcomes. As you can see, chronic stress symptoms, which 10–30% of
people exposed to trauma experience, are severe reactions immediately
after the traumatic event and remain severe 2 years afterward. Delayed-
stress reactions, which account for 5–10% of reactions, begin moderate
but have increased to severe 2 years after the trauma. Recovery, reported
by 15–35%, begins with moderate-to-severe reactions but has become
mild 2 years after trauma. Resilience is a reaction that may involve
slightly increased disruption at the time of the trauma, but never leaves
the mild range. According to psychologist George Bonanno (2005),

resilience is the most common response to traumatic stress, found in 35–
55% of people who are exposed to a traumatic event.
Figure 10.11 Stress Reactions Over Time by Severity of Event
Of four outcomes people can have after exposure to trauma, the most
prevalent is resilience. Others, such as chronic stress reaction, delayed
stress reaction, and recovery, are not as typical as resilience.
Source: Bonanno (2005).

will be able to:
10.4.1 Relate trauma reactions to resilience
10.4.2 Identify personality traits associated with resilience
10.4.3 Explain how positive psychology is used to build resilience in

military veterans
10.4.1: Reactions to Trauma
Objective: Relate trauma reactions to resilience
In studies of a variety of traumatic events, resilience is the most common
long-term outcome, not recovery or PTSD. Studies that investigate the

responses of widows or widowers after the death of their spouses show
that reactions of resilience are near 50% (Mancini et al., 2009). Contrary
to popular belief, there is no evidence that these individuals will later
suffer from “delayed grief,” or that they were only superficially attached to
their spouses. In a longitudinal study of older married couples, those who
became widowed in the course of the study were followed for 18 months
after the deaths of their spouses, and almost half the survivors showed
only low levels of depression and had relatively few sustained symptoms
of grief. When the marital histories of these resilient widowed individuals
were examined, there were no signs of marital problems or of cold,
distant personalities. They did have high scores on acceptance of death,
belief in a just world, and having a strong support network. And they did
have moments of intense sadness and yearning for their spouses, but
these grief symptoms did not interfere with their ability to continue with
their lives, including their ability to feel positive emotions (Bonanno et
al., 2002).
Studies of the aftermath of the September 11 terrorist attacks show that
about 13% of those who had direct exposure to the World Trade Center
attack had PTSD 2 years later, along with about 4% of those who lived in
the vicinity. Rescue workers reported 12%, whereas Pentagon staff and
people who were evacuated from the World Trade Center after the attack
reported about 15% PTSD prevalence (Neria et al., 2011). For military
personnel serving in Iraq and Afghanistan (or both), it is estimated that
most have personally experienced traumatic events and that around 10%
will eventually develop PTSD or related disorders (Hoge et al., 2004).
Although these rates are disturbing, they support the findings that
resilience is the most common response to trauma of many kinds.
Intervention is important for those who will sustain or eventually develop

extreme levels of chronic stress, but the current practice of giving all
exposed individuals psychological treatment may actually undermine
their natural resilience processes and impede their recovery (Mayou et
al., 2000). Some researchers are proposing that first-response personnel
develop a screening device that would quickly identify people at high risk
of PTSD (such as those who have experienced prior trauma and have low
social support), and not interfere with anyone who is responding with
genuine resilience (Mancini & Bonanno, 2009).

10.4.2: Personality Traits and Resilience
Objective: Identify personality traits associated with resilience
We know a little about people who are prone to PTSD, but what about
the people who are prone to resilience? A few factors have been
identified, such as perceived control, self-identity, and optimism. Click or
tap each tab below to learn more about each factor.
Predicting Resilience
10.4.3: Resilience in Military
Deployment
Objective: Explain how positive psychology is used to build
resilience in military veterans
The National Center for Veterans Affairs (2016) reports that around 15%
of U.S. veterans have experienced PTSD within the last 12 months. The
average for the civilian population during this time period is 3.5%. Most
of the traumatic incidents are from combat situations, and the prevalence
depends on the duties the soldier is assigned, the politics surrounding the
war, where the war is fought, and the enemy faced. Other PTSD is the
result of military sexual assault and harassment. Among veterans who use
VA health care, 23% of women report sexual assault while in the military.
Fifty-five percent of women and 38% of men who are veterans report
sexual harassment.
One of the problems in treating veterans with PTSD is that many are
unwilling to report the symptoms. Each veteran returning from
deployment is surveyed about various health symptoms using the Post-
Deployment Health Assessment (PDHA) and is told that the responses
will be included on their official service records. Fearing stigma and
discrimination, many veterans are unwilling to admit mental health
symptoms and are afraid that their answers will affect future deployment.
One solution for this that is being tested is using a virtual therapist who
asks questions about various health symptoms and responds with

appropriate, reassuring answers (Lucas et al., 2017). This virtual therapist
appears on a video screen in a digital representation of a human
interviewer who can portray humanlike facial expressions and natural
conversation. This system “reads” 66 facial points on the veteran’s face
and analyzes speech patterns. Most importantly, the veteran is assured
that his or her responses will not be recorded.
Tests of this virtual therapist (named “Ellie” in this study) compared
veterans’ responses to questions about PTSD symptoms with the usual
PDHA (which would be included in their official service record), a

computer-administered version of the PDHA (which would remain
anonymous), and PDHA questions about PTSD symptoms administered
by the virtual therapist, Ellie. Figure 10.13  shows the results. Ellie was
able to elicit more positive answers about PTSD symptoms than both the
official PDHA and the anonymous PDHA for this group of returning
veterans. The researchers suggest that virtual therapists, such as Ellie, are
able to provide a good combination of privacy and rapport—both
necessary for optimal reporting of information that might bring
stigmatization and discrimination to the individuals who are being

questioned.
Figure 10.13 PTSD Symptom Reporting

Returning soldiers who are asked about PTSD symptoms by a virtual
therapist report more symptoms than when asked on standard or
anonymous surveys.
Source: Lucas et al. (2017).
Proponents of positive psychology, working with the U.S. Army, have

proposed a way to identify individual soldiers who are susceptible to
PTSD and provide special interventions as part of their training procedure

(Cornum et al., 2011; Vie et al., 2016). Treating mental fitness similarly to
physical fitness, these researchers devised the General Assessment Tool

(GAT) that compares each soldier with the Army norms for emotional,
social, family, and spiritual fitness (Peterson et al., 2011). Over 40,000
soldiers have been trained to teach the resilience skills and hundreds of
thousands of soldiers have participated in the training (Positive
Psychology Center, 2018).

Summary: Stress, Coping, and
Resilience
Our lives are full of stressors, and they tend to increase as we move
through adulthood and take on more and more roles. In the best of all
possible worlds there would be no hostile drivers on the road, no natural
disasters, no terrorist attacks, and no demanding bosses. But here in
reality, those things exist. The secret to a happy and productive life seems
to be three-pronged: managing our reactions to stressors before they
affect our health, strengthening effective coping skills, and building up
resilience. This seems to be one area in which we gain expertise with age,
and it might be wise to take some cues from the elders in our lives and
how they handle stressors.
10.1 Stress, Stressors, and Stress

Reactions
Objective: Determine the origins of stress
The best-known theory of stress response is Selye’s general
adaptation syndrome, in which we meet stressors with alarm
reactions, followed by resistance and exhaustion if the stressor is still

present. This sequence of events has an effect on the body’s immune
system and can lead to an increase in natural immunity at the

expense of specific immunity, resulting in a lowered defense against
specific diseases.
Types of stressors have been studied, and scoring systems have been
proposed to rate the number and intensity of stressors in a person’s
life. Early studies showed that there was a relationship between the
number and intensity of stressors and some health outcomes.
The most common types of stressors are interpersonal tensions,
followed by things that happen to other people in one’s family or
social network and things that happen at work or at school.
10.2 Effects of Stress

Objective: Relate stress to health outcomes
Longitudinal studies have linked stress with higher overall mortality
risk and higher incidence of breast cancer, cardiovascular disease,

and diabetes. Stress, especially long-lasting negative reactions to
stressors, has also been shown to be linked to depression, anxiety,
and bipolar disorder.
Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), a long-lasting, extreme reaction

to acute stress, is a mental health disorder strongly related to stress.
Similar reactions that last a month or less are known as acute stress
disorder. PTSD is treated with cognitive-behavioral therapy and
prolonged exposure therapy. Worldwide surveys of individuals with
PTSD show that about one-third were in full remission within 1 year,
many within 6 months.
Men and women may have different sources of stress and different
reactions. Evolutionary psychologists suggest that the response
systems of men developed differently from those of women due to

the types of threats each gender was exposed to in our primitive
ancestors’ time. Men respond with “fight or flight,” women with “tend
and befriend.” Men are exposed to more trauma, but women are
more likely to develop PTSD.
Daily stressors decline over the adult years, and older people react
less to them. Older people may be more affected by trauma initially,
but they recover more quickly.

Overt discrimination can lead to increased stress and decreased life
for women and minority groups, but some researchers have

suggested that perceived discrimination can also be linked to
psychological and physical health. The strongest effects seem to be
for people who perceive discrimination due to their sexual

orientation, mental illness, physical disabilities, HIV+ status, and
weight. Similar effects are seen for racial and gender discrimination,
including U.S. citizens of Irish, Jewish, Polish, and Italian descent and
those who perceive sexual and gender discrimination.

Stress, such as social isolation, can change our biological makeup by
altering specific genes that affect our immune responses.

Along with the negative effects of stress, there is evidence that some
people experience personal growth, increased wisdom, new

appreciation for life, and a stronger religious belief.
10.3 Coping with Stress

Objective: Evaluate coping techniques for stress
The measures we take to reduce stress are known as coping.

Problem-focused coping directly addresses the source of the stress.
Emotion-focused coping is an attempt to reduce the emotional

reactions. Meaning-focused coping is used to help us make sense of
the situation, and social-focused coping is seeking help from others

close to you.
All categories of coping skills are useful if implemented at the right

time. It is important to have a wide repertoire of coping skills and to
know when to use which one.
New ideas in coping research involve proactive coping, or coping
with something before it happens, and religious coping, which is

using one’s religious or spiritual beliefs to cope.
Social support is an important antidote for stress because it serves as
a buffer to provide some protection against the negative effects of

stress. Social networks can also be a source of stress, if the
interactions are difficult or the support offered is not welcome or
what is needed.
10.4 Resilience
Objective: Analyze how resilience functions
The most common reaction to stress is resilience, maintaining healthy

functioning. Even with extreme trauma such as the September 11
terrorist attacks, most of the people involved did not suffer disruption
of their normal functioning.
Resilience has been misdiagnosed as “delayed PTSD” in trauma

victims and “denial” in bereaved spouses. The popular idea that it is
necessary for a person to experience debilitating stress reactions to
trauma or the death of a loved one is not supported by research.
Engaging these people in “grief work” may undermine their

resilience.
One feature of resilient people is the personality trait of perceived
control. Other features are a strong sense of self-identity and
optimism. A group of polystrengths have been identified that are

associated with resilience in the face of extreme victimization and
poverty—emotional regulation, emotional awareness, a sense of
purpose, optimism, and psychological endurance.
The 12-month prevalence for PTSD rates is higher among veterans
(15%) than civilians (3.5%). Most is the result of combat situations,

but 23% of women report sexual assault while in the military and 55%
report sexual harassment; 38% of men report sexual harassment.
Veterans are reluctant to report adverse effects of military service. A

group of researchers have attacked this problem by creating a virtual
therapist who asks questions about symptoms of PTSD, combining
privacy and rapport, and encouraging returning soldiers to be more
open about the effects of their service than the standard survey (that
becomes part of their official record) or anonymous surveys (that do

not become part of their official records).
Psychology researchers and military leaders have devised a way to
assess the mental fitness of soldiers with the intent of fostering
resilience and preventing PTSD. The attributes being evaluated are

emotional, social, family, and spiritual fitness.
corresponding definitions
Key Terms: Stress, Coping and Resilience

Chapter 11
Death and Bereavement
Meditation is one of many ways to cope with the grief of loss.
11.1 Analyze how death changes social systems

11.2 Evaluate the ways individuals adapt to death
11.3 Analyze practices associated with bereavement
A Word from the Author: Dying, A Journey in Itself
David Tasma was a young man with inoperable cancer. He was
dying in an English hospital, alone with no family. His native
language was Polish, and he did not fully understand the
conversations that surrounded him. He was Jewish and did not
feel comforted by the Anglican priests who visited the ward.
Although his medical care was skilled and efficient, he faced
death feeling frustrated and distressed. His only consolation was
a young woman—a social worker who visited him and patiently
listened as he struggled to speak about his childhood, his family,
and his thoughts about death. For 2 months she sat with him
daily as he went through the physical and mental process of
dying. His greatest fear, he told her, was that he would leave this
earth without making a mark on it. He was young and had no

children. He had never written a book or built a house or planted
a field of corn. Perhaps they fell in love; we don’t know. When he

died, he left her all that he had, about 500 pounds, and the seed
of an idea: that dying involves much more than physical pain;
there is also the social pain of leaving loved ones, the mental pain
of trying to know the unknowable, the spiritual pain of finding
meaning in the life-and-death process, and the emotional pain of

fear, disappointment, frustration, and regret. The medical
community had nothing to offer the dying.
The young social worker was Cicely Saunders, founder of the
modern hospice movement. The event recounted took place in

1948, and as a tribute to David Tasma, Saunders dedicated her
life to finding ways for society to minister to its members at the
end of their lives. She was one of the few women to become a
medical doctor in England in the 1950s, and the first medical
doctor of either gender to specialize in the treatment of dying

patients. Ten years later, she opened St. Christopher’s Hospice in
London in memory of her friend, showing that he had indeed

made his mark on the world—inspiring over 8,000 hospice
centers in more than 100 countries. These centers all give the
same message—one that defined Saunders’s long career: “You

matter because you are you, and you matter to the last moment
of your life.” Dame Cicely died at the age of 82 at the hospice she
had founded (Field, 2005).
This chapter is about death—how we think about it at different ages, how
we cope with the death of loved ones, and how we face the reality of our
own. This has long been a central topic in psychoanalytic theory and
clinical psychology, but recently it has become a topic of interest for

researchers in many other fields. I begin by discussing how we think
about death, then explore the process of death, and finally consider how
we cope with the death of a loved one. This is a difficult topic, but a
universal one—one that must be included in a course on adulthood and
aging.
11.1: Understanding Death
Objective: Analyze how death changes social systems
Death has a significant impact on individuals, families, and the
community. The meaning of death changes with age and goes well
beyond the simple understanding of inevitability and universality. Most

broadly, death has important social meaning. The death of any one
person changes the roles and relationships of everyone else in a family.
When an elder dies, everyone else in that particular lineage moves up one
step in the generational system. Beyond the family, death also affects
other roles; for instance, it makes opportunities for younger adults to take
on significant tasks. Retirement serves some of the same functions

because the older adult “steps aside” for the younger, but death brings
many permanent changes in social systems.

will be able to:
11.1.1 Compare interpretations of the meaning of death
11.1.2 Identify factors related to death anxiety
11.1.3 Describe ways that people signal death acceptance

11.1.1: Meanings of Death
Objective: Compare interpretations of the meaning of death
Four meanings that death may have for adults have been identified.
Typically, all four meanings of death are present in any person’s meaning
system. Click or tap each tab below to learn more about the various
meanings of death.
Interpretations of Death
11.1.2: Death Anxiety
Objective: Identify factors related to death anxiety
The most studied aspect of attitudes toward death is death anxiety , or
fear of death. This fear is strongly linked to the view of death as a loss. If
we fear death, it is, in part, because we fear the loss of experience,
sensation, and relationships. Fear of death may also include fear of the
pain or suffering or indignity often involved in the process of death, fear
that one will not be able to cope well with such pain or suffering, fear of
whatever punishment may come after death, and a fundamental fear of
loss of the self. Adults’ attitudes toward death, and their approaches to it,
are influenced by many of the same qualities that affect the way they
approach other life changes or dilemmas. Click or tap through these
images to see the various elements involved in fear of death.
Elements in Fear of Death

In some sense, all adult life is a process of moving toward death.
11.1.3: Accepting the Reality of One’s
Eventual Death
Objective: Describe ways that people signal death acceptance
Coming to grips with one’s eventual death is known as finitude . It is a

process that occurs over time and at many levels (Johnson, 2009). At a
practical level, for example, you can make out a will or obtain life
insurance. Such preparations become more common with increasing age,
especially in late middle age and thereafter. For example, older people are
more apt to have life insurance than younger people. They are also more
likely to prepare for death by making a will; according to a recent Gallup
Poll, only 41% of all adults in the United States have done so, but among
adults who are 65 years of age or older, 68% have done so (Jones, 2016).
At a somewhat deeper level, adults may start making preparations for

death through some process of reminiscence , or reviewing their
memories. This is often done by writing a memoir or autobiography or
seeking out old friends and relatives to talk with about the past. A study
of reminiscence activities with patients who have mild Alzheimer’s
disease showed that this activity helped them realize they have lived a full
life and are better able to accept death more calmly (El Haj & Antoine,
2016). Researchers suggest using photos of old cars as a stimulus for
eliciting memories (Anderson & Weber, 2015) or accounts of professional

baseball games of the past (Wingbermuehle et al, 2014). Other
researchers have found good results with a virtual partner asking
questions and providing attention and guidance (Lancioni et al., 2015).
One type of planning for eventual death that has become increasingly
popular recently is the living will , a document that takes effect if you
are no longer able to express your wishes about end-of-life decisions.
These documents (which may differ from state to state) give people the
opportunity to decide, while they are still healthy, which specific
treatments they would accept or refuse if they had a terminal illness or
permanent disability and were not able to communicate their wishes.

Living wills can be prepared with the assistance of an attorney or by using
forms available on the Internet. For adults of all ages in the United States,
about 35% have a living will, but for adults age 65 and over, 54% do
(Lipka, 2014).
Living wills help alleviate the fear that dying will be a long and painful
process. A person writing one can take responsibility for his or her own
end-of-life decisions and not burden family members. And they help
avoid situations in which various family members hold different strong

beliefs about end-of-life decisions.
Another way people accept the reality of their eventual death is to
become an organ transplant donor , agreeing that at the time of death,

their usable organs and other tissue can be transplanted to people who
have been approved to receive them. The technology of organ

transplantation has advanced faster than the concept of being a donor has
been accepted by the public. At the moment thousands of patients are

waiting for donated organs, but only 45% of people in the United States
are registered organ donors (Wen, 2014). The process of becoming an
organ donor varies by area, but in many states it can be done quickly
when you renew your driver’s license. Facebook allows members to
display their organ donor status on their timelines under Life Events -
Health and Fitness.
Who chooses to be an organ transplant donor? Review of studies on
organ donations finds that religiosity is negatively related to the

willingness to be an organ donor, probably because some religions
promote the integrity of the body as necessary for eternal life. Individuals
with spiritual beliefs that involve universalism and benevolence are more
apt to be donors, as are those with high levels of self-esteem, prosocial
attitudes, and self-efficacy (Falomir-Pichastor et al., 2011).

11.2: The Process of Death
Objective: Evaluate the ways individuals adapt to death
Death and mourning have always been part of the human experience, but
the thoughts people have about death and the way mourning is expressed
differ from culture to culture and era to era. Fifty years ago, no textbook
about adult development or gerontology would have included a chapter
like this one. Science and medicine have long been fixated on life and
lifesaving treatment. Death was viewed as a failure of science; dying
people were isolated in hospital wards, and every attempt was made to
“cure” them. The idea of welcoming death or even accepting it was not
discussed. This mindset was changed largely through the writings of

physician Elisabeth Kübler-Ross (1969), whose book On Death and Dying
was acclaimed for having “brought death out of the darkness.”

will be able to:
11.2.1 Outline the stages of reactions to death
11.2.2 Explain why farewells are important in the dying process
11.2.3 Relate diagnosis pessimism to death
11.2.4 Compare experiences of dying in different settings
11.2.5 Analyze values and options in choosing the time of death

11.2.1: Stages of Reactions to Death
Objective: Outline the stages of reactions to death
Kübler-Ross’s (1974) book was based on her work with terminally ill
adults and children and is probably best known for describing five stages
of dying: denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance (Table
11.1 ). Although she later wrote that these stages are not experienced by
all people and do not necessarily occur in this order, her terminology is
still used to describe the reactions to impending death of both the person
who is dying and those who are bereaved. I describe these stages because
they are often used to describe the constellation of reactions to
impending death. Click or tap each tab to learn more about the five stages
of dying.
Table 11.1 Reactions to Death

Since the publication of Kübler-Ross’s On Death and Dying in 1969, the
way we treat the process of dying has changed in many ways. Patients
with terminal conditions are considered to be whole people with wishes
and needs, not just failures of medical science. The vast majority do not
want to die in a hospital ward, but prefer to be at home in their familiar
surroundings. Most reach a point when they choose not to continue with
heroic measures that might give them a few more days or weeks of life at
the expense of their comfort and dignity. But refusing medical treatment
does not mean that they don’t need professional care (Balk, 2016). There
is still a need for pain management, spiritual counseling, and accurate

information about their condition and the time they have left. From loved
ones there is a need for social support, listening, forgiving, and even
laughter.
Perhaps more important than her stage theory, Kübler-Ross identified
three key issues: (1) the dying are still alive and have unfinished needs
they may want to address, (2) we need to listen actively to the dying and
identify with their needs to provide effectively for them, and (3) we need
to learn from the dying to know ourselves better and our potential for
living (Corr, 1993).
11.2.2: The Importance of Farewells
Objective: Explain why farewells are important in the dying
process
One aspect of the process of dying that is not reflected in Kübler-Ross’s

stages or in most research on dying, but that is clearly a significant feature
for the dying person and his or her family, is the process of saying
farewell (Seale et al., 2015). A study in Australia by sociologists Allan
Kellehear and Terry Lewin (1988–1989) gave us a first exploration of such

goodbyes. They interviewed 90 terminally ill cancer patients, all of whom
had been told they were within a year of death, and a smaller group of 10
patients, who were in hospice care and thought to be within 3 months of
death. Most had known they had cancer for over a year before the
interview but had only recently been given a specific short-term
prognosis. Subjects were asked whether they had already said some
goodbyes or intended future farewells to family or friends and, if so,
when and under what circumstances. The minority (19 of the 100) said
they did not plan any farewells at all. The rest had either already begun to
say goodbye (22 of the 100) or had planned their farewells for the final
days of their lives—deathbed goodbyes, if you will.
The early farewells had often been in the form of a letter or a gift, such as
giving money to a child or grandchild or passing on personal treasures to
a member of the family who might especially cherish them. One woman
made dolls that she gave to friends, relatives, and hospital staff. Another
knit baby clothes to give to each of her daughters for babies they planned
to have someday.
More commonly, both planned and completed farewells were in the form
of conversations. One subject asked her brother to come for a visit so that
she could see and talk to him one last time; others arranged with friends
for one last get-together, saying goodbye quite explicitly on these
occasions. Those who anticipated saying farewell only in the last hours of
their conscious life imagined these occasions to be times when loving
words would be spoken or a goodbye look would be exchanged.
All such farewells, whether spoken or not, can be thought of as forms of
gifts. By saying goodbye to someone, the dying person signals that that
person matters enough to warrant a farewell. Saying goodbye also serves
to make the death real, to force the imminent death out of the realm of
denial into acceptance by others as well as by the dying person. Finally,
farewells may make the dying easier, especially if they are completed
before the final moments of life. They may make it easier for the dying
person to disengage and to reach a point of acceptance.

11.2.3: Individual Adaptations to Dying
Objective: Relate diagnosis pessimism to death
The process of dying varies hugely from one person to the next, not only
in the emotions expressed (or not expressed), but also in the physical
process. Some experience a long, slow decline; others die instantly, with
no “stages” or phases at all. Some experience great pain; others little or
none. Similarly, the way each person handles the process also varies.
Some fight hard against dying; others appear to accept it early in the
process and struggle no further. Some remain calm; others fall into deep
depression. The question that researchers have begun to ask is whether
such variations in the emotional response to impending or probable
death have any effect at all on the physical process of dying.
In an early study, psychiatrist Steven Greer and his colleagues (Greer,
1991; Pettingale et al., 1985) followed a group of 62 women diagnosed
with early stages of breast cancer. Three months after the original
diagnosis, each woman was interviewed at some length, and her reaction
to the diagnosis and to her treatment was classed in one of five groups:
1. Positive avoidance (denial). Patient rejects the diagnosis and the
evidence presented to her.
2. Fighting spirit. Patient shows optimism and actively searches for
more information about her diagnosis. Expresses the desire to
fight the disease in any way possible.

3. Stoic acceptance (fatalism). Patient acknowledges the diagnosis, but
does not seek further information and continues with her normal
life.
4. Helplessness/hopelessness. Patient is overwhelmed by the diagnosis
and considers themselves gravely ill and without hope.
5. Anxious preoccupation. Patient responds to the diagnosis with
extreme anxiety and interprets additional information
pessimistically. She interprets all body sensations as possible
recurrence.
Greer checked on the survival rates of these five groups 15 years later.
Only 35% of those whose initial reaction had been either positive
avoidance (denial) or fighting spirit had died of cancer, compared to 76%
of those whose initial reaction had been stoic acceptance, anxious
preoccupation, or helplessness/hopelessness. Because the five groups had
not differed initially in the stage of their disease or in treatment, these
results support the hypothesis that psychological response contributes to
disease progress, just as coping strategies more generally affect the
likelihood of disease in the first place.

Coping Styles
In a more recent study, researchers gave coping-strategy tests to patients
after having a heart attack. The test gave patients scores for task-oriented
coping, emotion-oriented coping, and avoidant coping. Over the next 5
years, patients were followed and those who had high scores on task-
oriented coping were less apt to have died or had another heart attack
than those who had low scores. Task-oriented coping involves purposeful
attempts to solve the problem at hand, change the situation, or think
about the situation in a more productive way. Neither emotion-oriented
coping nor avoidant coping showed any effect (Messerli-Bürgy et al.,
2015).
Another study of coping styles involved almost 300 patients who had
experienced heart attacks and were admitted to the hospital. After they
were stabilized, they were given a test that evaluated their optimism,
asking them whether they agree or disagree with statements such as “In
uncertain times, I usually expect the best.” A year after their heart attacks,
those with higher optimism scores had better physical and mental health
than those with lower scores. Furthermore, those higher in optimism
were more apt to have quit smoking and modified their diets to include
more fruits and vegetables.
These results show individual differences in the ways we react to the
diagnosis of a potentially fatal disease. The way we cope with this news
can affect how we comply with the treatment and medical advice and
may also affect the course of the disease. The good news is that there are
ways we can change our coping strategies and personality traits to those
that promote better health outcomes (Magidson et al., 2014; Meevissen et
al., 2011; Renner et al., 2014).

11.2.4: Choosing Where to Die
Objective: Compare experiences of dying in different settings
In the United States and other industrialized countries today, the majority
of adults report that they would prefer to die in their homes, but the fact
is that the great majority die in hospitals and nursing homes (Balk, 2016).
For example, patients’ preferences for place of terminal care and place of
death were gathered for 96 end-stage cancer patients in Denmark. More
than three-fourths of them (84%) wished to be cared for at home, and

71% wished to die at home. Of those who expressed these wishes, only
half were cared for and died at home. What made the difference? Two
major factors were having a spouse or partner at home and being in
contact with a palliative care team (Brogaard et al., 2012).
In a large study that surveyed family members of individuals who had
died of chronic disease, physician Joan Teno and her colleagues (2004)
asked about the details of the deaths. The sample, which consisted of
over 1,500 families, was selected to be representative of the 1.97 million
deaths from chronic illnesses that occurred that year in the United States.
Respondents were asked about their deceased family members’ last place
of care; the results showed that one-third died at home, and two-thirds
died in an institution, either a hospital or a nursing home. However, the
critical difference in quality of care was not whether they died at home or
not, but whether they received home-care nursing services, or hospice
care , which is care focused on pain relief, emotional support, and

spiritual comfort for the dying person and his or her family. When asked
about the quality of care the deceased family member had received at the
end of life, the responses indicated that there was little difference
between dying at home with nursing services, dying in a nursing home,
and dying in a hospital—fewer than half of the respondents reported that
their family members who had spent their last days in these situations
received “excellent” care. In contrast, over 70% of the respondents whose
family members had died at home with hospice care evaluated this care
as “excellent.” Unfortunately, the number of people whose family
members died at home with hospice care represented only about 16% of
the total survey respondents.
Figure 11.1  shows some of the problem areas survey respondents
reported in this study, divided by whether their loved ones died at home
with home-care nursing services, at home with hospice care, in a nursing
home, or in a hospital. Family members of a deceased loved one report
fewer problem areas with hospice care in the home than other end-of-life
care situations. Click or tap each tab to compare the data report about the
last place of care. As you can see, the biggest concern was lack of
emotional support for the patient, which was reported by twice as many
respondents whose family members had their final care at home with
home nursing care (70%) than at home with hospice care (35%). The
same ratio is shown for lack of emotional support for the family, with
families of those dying at home with home health nursing reporting this
problem twice as often (45%) as those at home with hospice care (21%).
Figure 11.1 Problem Areas Reported by Family Members After Death

of a Loved One
Teno and colleagues (2004) concluded that although the study only
tapped the respondents’ perceptions of their family members’ care and, at
that, only after some time had passed, it is still appropriate to be alarmed
about the problems associated with end-of-life care in the United States.
The authors were especially concerned about the problems reported with
nursing homes, which are more apt to be the last places of care for the
very old. We will have more and more elderly people requiring end-of-
life care in the years to come, at a time when nursing homes are receiving
less and less federal support. In addition, hospitals are unable to keep
terminally ill patients, so are increasingly transferring them to nursing

homes.
Hospice Care
What exactly does hospice care consist of today, and why is it so
successful in providing “excellent” services to dying people and their
families?
The hospice movement was given a good deal of impetus by Kübler-

Ross’s writings because she emphasized the importance of a good
death , meaning a death with dignity, with maximum consciousness and
minimum pain, and with the patient and the patient’s family having full
information and control over the process. Hospice care began in England
in the 1960s. It started in the 1970s in the United States as a grassroots

movement to give terminal cancer patients an alternative to continued
aggressive treatment. By 1982, the idea had gained so much support that
Congress was persuaded to add hospice care to the list of benefits paid
for by Medicare. Today there are more than 4,000 hospice programs in
the United States, serving over a million terminally ill patients and their
families each year (National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization,
2017).
The philosophy that underlies the hospice approach  has several
aspects:
Control over the care and the care-receiving setting should belong to
the patient and family.

Medical care provided should be palliative, not curative, meaning that
pain should be alleviated and comfort maximized, but a minimum of
invasive or life-prolonging measures should be undertaken.
Death should be viewed as a normal, inevitable part of life, not to be
avoided but to be faced and accepted.
A multidisciplinary team is involved, which can include a physician,
nurses, social workers, therapists, and chaplains or other spiritual
leaders (Torpy et al., 2012).
In real terms, this philosophy translates into a constellation of services

available to the dying person and his or her family and friends. These
services are:
An interdisciplinary team of physicians, nurses, social workers,
counselors, home health aides, clergy, therapists, and trained
volunteers who care for the patient based on their areas of expertise
to relieve symptoms and provide support to the patient and his or her
family.
Pain and symptom control that helps the patient be comfortable yet
in control of his or her life.
Spiritual care for the patient and his or her family, based on their
individual beliefs, to help the patient find meaning, say goodbye, or
perform religious rituals.

Home care for those who are able to stay in their own homes, but
also inpatient care in hospitals or nursing homes when needed.

Respite care for family caregivers.
Family conferences to enable family members to learn about the

patient’s condition and to share feelings, talk about expectations,
learn about dying, and ask questions.
Bereavement care from counselors and clergy to help family members

through the grieving process with visits, phone calls, and support
groups.
Coordinated care provided by the interdisciplinary team to
communicate with the physicians, home-care agency, and community
professionals such as pharmacists, clergy, and funeral directors.
Over 44% of deaths in the United States currently take place under the
care of a hospice program. The most common condition patients seek
hospice care for is terminal cancer (28%). Although hospice is designed to

provide care during the last 6 months of a person’s life, the average length
of care is just over 2 months, primarily because of the difficulty of
predicting the course of many terminal illnesses (National Hospice and

Palliative Care Association, 2017). The reason families don’t use hospice
services is because of the increasing number of patients dying of heart

disease and Alzheimer’s disease (which are not as predictable), the
psychological blocks patients and family have against accepting death as

imminent, and the difficulty some physicians (and family members) have
in ceasing aggressive treatment. The result is that although hospice care is

a positive move toward allowing people to have a “good death,” it is still
used by a small number of people and for a short period of time.

11.2.5: Choosing When to Die
Objective: Analyze values and options in choosing the time of
death
Another way of looking at the advances of modern medicine is that

instead of extending life, it prolongs death. Today about 90% of the
people who die each year do so after experiencing prolonged illnesses
and steady decline. Many believe that there is a fundamental right to die
a good death and to choose when, how, and where it will occur.
In 1976, California passed the first law in the United States concerning
living wills, documents which allow individuals to legally express the
wish that if they are in a condition with no hope of recovery, no heroic
measures should be taken to extend their lives. Living wills are now valid
in all 50 states of the United States and in many other countries. In 1990
the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that Americans have the right to refuse
medical treatment, even if refusing it will result in death.
In 1997 voters in Oregon passed the Death with Dignity Act, which
allows for physician-assisted suicide , meaning that under certain
circumstances, physicians are allowed to assist patients to obtain
medication that will end their lives. Among other requirements, the
patient must request the medication voluntarily, be terminally ill, and be
mentally competent, and these points must be confirmed by a second
physician. There is a waiting period of 15 days, and the prescription must

be registered with the state. Despite the warnings by opponents of this
law, not many terminally ill patients have requested physician-assisted
deaths. The first year this option was available, 24 people received
prescriptions, and 16 used them to end their lives. In 2017, 218 people
received prescriptions, and 143 used them to end their lives (Oregon
Health Authority, 2018a). Figure 11.2  shows the number of patients in
Oregon who sought and received prescriptions to end their lives and the
number who used the medication to end their lives since the program
began.
Figure 11.2 Prescriptions Received under Oregon’s Death with

Dignity Act versus Prescriptions Used to End One'd Life
Since 1998, more terminally ill patients in Oregon are requesting

prescriptions to end their lives, but a smaller percentage actually use
them.
Source: Oregon Health Authority (2018a).
Oregon keeps careful records of requests and prescriptions for physician-
assisted suicides. In 2017, 218 prescriptions were written by 92 different

doctors, and the median age of the patient was 74 years. The large
majority were white (94%), had at least a bachelor’s degree (49%), had
cancer (77%), died at home (90%), and were in hospice care (91%).
Almost all (99%) had some form of health insurance, meaning that they
were not choosing this outcome because of the inability to pay for further
treatment of their diseases. The most frequent reasons given for the
decisions to end their lives were first, decreasing ability to participate in
activities that made life enjoyable for them, followed by loss of autonomy
and loss of dignity (Oregon Health Authority, 2018b). As of this writing,
the states of Washington, Montana, Vermont, and California also have

physician-assisted suicide provisions, as do the countries of Canada,
Belgium, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, and Switzerland.

Attitudes Toward Assisted Suicide
The Harris Poll found that the majority of adults (72%) in the United
States support physician-assisted suicide, and these respondents
represented a variety of age groups, education levels, and political
affiliations. However, some religious groups still strongly oppose this
practice because they feel there is a purpose to one’s final days

(Thompson, 2014).
Physician and bioethicist Ezekial Emanuel and his colleagues (2000)
surveyed almost 1,000 terminally ill patients about their attitudes toward
physician-assisted suicide. Although a majority (60%) of the patients

supported it hypothetically, only about 10% seriously considered it for
themselves. Those who were more likely to consider physician-assisted
suicide had depressive symptoms, had substantial caregiving needs, and
were in pain. Those who were less likely to consider it felt appreciated,
were 65 years of age or older, and were African American. Interestingly,

about 4 months later, the surviving patients were interviewed again, and
about half of each group had changed their minds. Those who now
favored physician-assisted suicide were more likely to have developed
depressive symptoms or breathing difficulties.
This is an interesting study for several reasons. It is the first study that
actually interviewed terminally ill patients about physician-assisted
suicide, making a distinction between the hypothetical construct and the
actual application to oneself. It is also interesting because it showed that

the key indicators in this decision were more social than medical. It
followed up on the patients and showed that the wish to be assisted in
suicide was not consistent over time for about half of the patients. These
findings show the importance of evaluating patients for depression,
unrelieved pain and breathing difficulties, and the feeling that they are a
burden or unappreciated when considering physician-assisted suicide.
And it also reinforces the idea of having a waiting period between
requesting the medication and receiving it.
Certainly the advances we have made in medicine and health care have
given us a whole host of blessings. It is very unusual for a woman to die
in childbirth or a toddler not to live to adulthood. Many of us reach
middle age with all our siblings and our parents still in our lives. Our
children often have four grandparents and probably a few great-
grandparents, too. But there is a downside, and that is our diminished
opportunity to die a “good death,” as described this way:
Humans have faced all manner of challenges over time. As things go, the challenge of having
the opportunity to grow old and die slowly is not such a bad thing. However, it is a challenge.
Society has simply never been in this position before. We have to work on language,
categories, framing, meanings, rituals, habits, social organization, service delivery, financing,
and community commitment. Much remains to be learned and done. The burgeoning
numbers of persons living into old age and coming to the end of life makes the need for that
learning and implementing all the more urgent. (Wilkinson & Lynn, 2001, p. 457)
11.3: Rituals and Grieving
Objective: Analyze practices associated with bereavement
Whether a death is sudden or prolonged, anticipated or unexpected, it
leaves survivors who must somehow come to terms with the loss and
eventually pick up the pieces of their lives. The form these rituals take
depends on where one lives, their culture, their religious practices, and
the personal preferences of the deceased and the family.

will be able to:
11.3.1 Explain the role of ritual in bereavement
11.3.2 Describe the various ways people grieve

11.3.1: Funerals and Ceremonies
Objective: Explain the role of ritual in bereavement
All human cultures participate in ritual mourning , a set of symbolic
rites and ceremonies associated with death. Far from being empty
gestures, these rituals have clear and important functions. As sociologists
Victor Marshall and Judith Levy put it, “Rituals provide a . . . means
through which societies simultaneously seek to control the disruptiveness
of death and to make it meaningful. . . . The funeral exists as a formal

means to accomplish the work of completing a biography, managing
grief, and building new social relationships after the death” (1990, pp.
246, 253).
One way rituals accomplish these goals is by giving the bereaved a
specific role to play. The content of the role differs markedly from one
culture to the next, but the clarity of the role in most cases provides a
shape to the days or weeks immediately following the death of a loved
person. In the United States these rituals prescribe what one should wear,
who should be notified, who should be fed, what demeanor one should
show, and far more. Depending on one’s religious background, one may
need to arrange to sit shiva, or gather friends and family for a wake, or
arrange a memorial service. One may be expected to respond stoically or
to wail and tear one’s hair. Whatever the social rules, there is a role to be
filled that provides shape to the first numbing hours and days following
the death of someone important to us.

Rituals can also give some meaning to death by emphasizing the meaning
of the life of the person who has died. It is not accidental that most death
rituals include testimonials, photographs, biographies, and witnessing. By
telling the story of the person’s life, by describing that life’s value and
meaning, the death can be accepted more readily. And of course,
ceremonies can also provide meaning by placing the death in a larger
philosophical or religious context.
The United States, which is known as a nation of immigrants, has a very
diverse collection of funeral and mourning rituals. There are many

subgroups, and Table 11.2  shows the practices of some of the major
ones. As you can see below, there are very large differences in the ways
people express their loss and pay tribute to their loved ones. Click or tap
each tab to learn about the diverse collection of funeral and mourning
rituals
Table 11.2 Funeral Rituals and Practices among U.S. Cultural Groups
11.3.2: The Process of Grieving
Objective: Describe the various ways people grieve
When the funeral or memorial service is over, what do you do then? How
does a person handle the grief of this kind of loss, whether it be of a

spouse, a parent, a child, a friend, or a lover? The topic of grief was
dominated for many years by stage theories of various kinds, such as the
ones proposed by Kübler-Ross (described earlier in the chapter) and John
Bowlby, who is no doubt familiar to you from the discussion of his

attachment theory in an earlier chapter. Although Kübler-Ross softened
the stagelike progression in her theory, Bowlby and others did not. These
neo-Freudian theories describe the reaction to the death of a loved one as
a series of stages and state that everyone must go through all the stages in
a fixed order. At any given moment in the process, the bereaved person is
either in one stage or another, never in two at once. According to these
theories, one cannot skip stages or return to a stage once one has left it.
The result of this “grief work” is that at the end of the stages, the bereaved
have adjusted to the loss and regained their normal lives.
Bowlby’s (1982) theory has four stages—numbness, yearning,
disorganization, and despair—followed by a time of reorganization, while
Kübler-Ross’s (1974) has five (denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and
acceptance). Research does not support the claim that these stages are
experienced in the stated order or even experienced by all bereaved
individuals. For example, one critic wrote:

We are discovering that just as there are multitudinous ways of living, there are numerous
ways of dying and grieving. . . . The hard data do not support the existence of any procrustean
stages or schedules that characterize terminal illness or mourning. This does not mean that,
for example, Kübler-Ross’s “stages of dying” and Bowlby’s “phases of mourning” cannot
provide us with implications and insights into the dynamics and process of dying and grief,
but they are very far from being inexorable hoops through which most terminally ill
individuals and mourners inevitably pass. We should beware of promulgating a coercive
orthodoxy of how to die or mourn. (Feifel, 1990, p. 540)
Some argue that it would be better to think in terms of themes or aspects
rather than stages, such as themes of numbness, yearning, anger,
disorganization, and despair. In the first few days or weeks after the death
of a loved one, the dominant theme is likely to be numbness, with
yearning coming later but perhaps not replacing numbness totally.
Exhaustion may be a later theme, although yearning could also occur at

that time. Like Kübler-Ross’s stages of death acceptance, Bowlby’s stages
of mourning are perhaps best viewed as descriptors of human emotions
that many people experience in bereavement, but not in totality and not
in this specific order.
However, for many decades Bowlby’s theory was the basis for
professional understanding of grief by psychologists, counselors, health-

care professionals, and clergy. In fact, as I discussed in the chapter on
stress and resilience, the dominant belief was that failure to experience
trauma and the proper stages of grief was a sign that normal, healthy
grieving had not taken place and that some pathology was present, such
as repression or denial (Rando, 1993). In these cases, clinical intervention
was recommended to help the person work through hidden, unresolved

grief feelings (Jacobs, 1993). The obvious alternative was that the loved
one must not have been truly “loved.” More recently, researchers have
found that many bereaved people do not follow any particular set of
stages. In fact, the most common reaction to grief is resilience, the
maintenance of healthy functioning after a potentially traumatic event.

Positive Grief
In an early study of participants who had recently experienced the death
of their spouses, almost half failed to show even mild symptoms of
depression following the loss (Zisook et al., 1997). Similar studies showed
that positive emotions, including genuine smiling and laughter, are not
only present when the bereaved discuss their recent losses, but seem to
promote well-being (Bonanno & Kaltman,1999; Bonanno & Keltner,
1997).
In a longitudinal study, gay men who had been caregivers for their
partners with AIDS were interviewed shortly after their partners’ deaths.
The bereaved partners’ appraisals of the experience were more positive
than negative; many said that they had experienced feelings of personal
strength and self-growth, and that their relationships had become
stronger. Twelve months later, the individuals who had been the most
positive in their appraisals of the caregiving experience were more likely

to show high levels of psychological well-being (Moskowitz et al., 2003).
These studies and others with similar findings show that the experiences
of actual bereaved people do not follow traditional theory; the typical
reaction to the death of a spouse or partner was not all-encompassing
negative thoughts and feelings occurring in predictable stages.
Furthermore, the participants who did not follow the theory were not
maladjusted or in need of clinical intervention. To the contrary, those
who showed the most positive thoughts and affect were the best adjusted
a year later. One problem remained—how genuine was their grief? Did
they truly have a close and loving relationship with the deceased person,
or did the lack of negative grief simply indicate that there wasn’t much to
mourn? Asking a person about a relationship with a recently deceased
partner may not bring forth an honest answer.
To investigate this possibility, psychologist George Bonanno and his
colleagues (2002) conducted a longitudinal study that covered the time
before bereavement. They recruited 1,500 older married couples and
interviewed them over the course of several years about their
relationships, attachment styles, coping mechanisms, and personal

adjustment. During this time 205 participants experienced the death of
their spouse. Using the preloss data, researchers were able to evaluate the
quality of the marriage before the death occurred along with the
adjustment of the widowed spouse for 18 months afterward. The
researchers were able to distinguish five patterns of adjustment and the
preloss factors that predicted each pattern. Click or tap Next to learn
more about the results of this study
Adjusting to the Death of a Loved One

In summary, recent research has shown that the stage theories of
bereavement, such as those proposed by Bowlby and Kübler-Ross, are
helpful in defining possible reactions people may have to the death of a

loved one, but do not describe the common path that grief takes for the
majority of bereaved individuals. Grief is highly personal and

individualized. It is also complex. No doubt bereaved individuals run the
gamut of reactions described by theorists, but most are not overwhelmed

by their grief or unable to function in their usual roles. They have
moments of yearning and despair, but they also have moments of positive
feelings—of appreciation to those who offer support, words of comfort for

others who share their loss, fond memories of their loved one, and even
some funny stories and jokes. Grief is not an altered state of

consciousness to be feared. The death of a loved one is painful, and a
departed loved one will never be forgotten, but for most people, death
becomes part of life, and life goes on.
Helping the Widowed
How do you help someone who has become widowed cope? It depends.
For those who are deeply distressed or depressed, you could suggest a
support group or counseling. Don’t tell them to cheer up or push them to
get back into “life as usual.” But if they seem to be coping well and not
showing high levels of grief, consider that it might be a normal, healthy

reaction, and don’t be shocked if they host a dinner party for a small
group of friends 2 months after the funeral. Or if a widower begins to
date before the traditional year of mourning is over, don’t automatically
think that his marriage must not have been a good one. When people are
coping well, don’t suggest that they need to “let it all out” or “take time to
grieve.” As usual, the best way to be helpful to a person dealing with such
a loss is to be highly attentive to the signals you are receiving, rather than
to impose your own ideas of what is normal or expected.
Finally, let us not lose sight of the fact that loss can also lead to growth.
Indeed, many of the widows report that they changed as a result of their
husband’s death, and that the change was in the direction of greater
independence and greater skill. Like all crises and all major life changes,
bereavement can be an opportunity as well as, or instead of, a disabling
experience. How we respond is likely to depend very heavily on the
patterns we have established from early childhood: our temperament or
personality, our internal working models of attachment and self, our
intellectual skills, and the social networks we have created.

Summary: Death and Bereavement
Our understanding of death and its meaning, our attitude toward the
inevitability of death, and the way we come to terms with that

inevitability affect not only the way we die but also the way we choose to
live our lives throughout adulthood. David Steindl-Rast, a Benedictine
monk, made this point: “Death . . . is an event that puts the whole
meaning of life into question. We may be occupied with purposeful

activities, with getting tasks accomplished, works completed, and then
along comes the phenomenon of death—whether it is our final death or
one of those many deaths through which we go day by day. And death
confronts us with the fact that purpose is not enough. We live by
meaning” (1977, p. 22).
An awareness of death is thus not something we can put off until one day
we hear a diagnosis of our own impending demise. It can, instead, help to
define and give meaning to daily life. My grandmother’s funeral was
ended with the invitation: “Let us go forth and celebrate life!” It is a good
ending for any discussion of death.
11.1 Understanding Death

Objective: Analyze how death changes social systems
Death is an inevitable fact of life, and the way we think about it, how
we cope with the deaths of loved ones, and how we come to terms
with the reality of our own ultimate deaths are topics of interest for
those concerned with adult development.
Death has various meanings. To some it is an organizer of time, to
others it is punishment (and long life is a reward). Most believe that
death is a transition either to an afterlife or to a new life through
reincarnation. The most pervasive meaning of death is loss—of
opportunity, of relationships, of time.
Death anxiety has been studied extensively. We know that it occurs
most strongly in middle-aged adults and people of midlevel
religiosity. Middle age is a time when the effects of aging become

noticeable. Older adults think more about death, but have less fear.
Those who are midlevel in religious beliefs seem to fear death more
because presumably they believe there may be an afterlife but have
not prepared for it. Women express more death anxiety than men,
but that might reflect higher rates of anxiety in general. Those who
feel a sense of purpose in life and few regrets are less likely to fear
death.
People accept the reality of their own eventual death by purchasing
life insurance, making wills, collecting memories, and reminiscing

about their lives. In recent years, as medical technology has become
able to extend life, many people have come to fear the dying process
more than they fear death itself. They also have concerns about
leaving family members to make the difficult decisions about such

matters. A good number of adults have drawn living wills that
express the limits they want in end-of-life care. Another way people
accept the eventuality of their own death is by becoming an organ
transplant donor.
11.2 The Process of Death

Objective: Evaluate the ways individuals adapt to death
Physician Elisabeth Kübler-Ross was the first to write about the
personal acceptance of death some 40 years ago. Before that time, the
focus was on extending life, not accepting death. She described five
stages of death reactions, and although not everyone goes through
these stages, and they do not always occur in the same sequence, her
descriptions are accurate, and her terminology is used in every field
that deals with death. The stages are denial, anger, bargaining,
depression, and acceptance.
Kübler-Ross identified three key issues about the dying process:
Those who are dying are still alive and have unfinished needs, we
need to listen to them to be able to provide the care they need, and
we need to learn from the dying how to live ourselves.

Dying people can accept the reality of their death by giving farewell
messages to their loved ones. These can be conversations, letters, or

gifts.
Psychological responses to disease seem to have an effect on the

course of the illness. Those who react to a diagnosis of a potentially
terminal disease with positive avoidance (denial), with a fighting

spirit are more apt to survive than those who show anxiety,
depression, or fatalism.
Most people express the wish to die at home in familiar surroundings,

but the majority die in hospitals and nursing homes. An alternative
for those who have predictable terminal conditions, such as cancer, is

hospice care. A hospice provides a team of professionals and
volunteers who focus on pain relief, emotional support, and spiritual

comfort for the patient and family, usually in their own home. The
goal of hospice is not to cure the patient but to provide a good death.
Families of people who have died in hospice care report significantly
fewer concerns about their care than those whose family members
died in hospitals, nursing homes, or at home with home nursing care.
A good number of people believe that they have the right to control
when they die, and several countries, along with the states of Oregon,
Washington, Montana, California, and Vermont, have enacted laws
that allow physicians, under certain conditions, to assist dying
patients in ending their lives. In 2017 this option was used by 92

people in Oregon to end their lives; they tended to be younger, more
educated, and more apt to have cancer than other people who died in
that state in 2017.
11.3: Rituals and Grieving

Objective: Analyze practices associated with bereavement
A defining characteristic of our species is that we have ritual ways of

dealing with the death of a member of our community. The earliest
evidence of human habitations usually consists of ancient graves with

decorative objects placed around the remains. Each culture has its
own traditions, and in the United States, a nation of immigrants from
many cultures, there are many ways of expressing loss and grief. The
only common bond is that we feel loss and grief when someone dies
who has touched our lives, either directly or as a public figure.

There are also many ways of feeling personal grief. There is no set of
stages or processes that everyone experiences, and the way one feels
grief does not reflect one’s bond with the deceased.
The most common reaction to the death of a loved one is resilience.

Most people are able to function in a healthy way despite their
genuine feelings of loss and sorrow. These feelings are accompanied
by fond memories, concern for others, appreciation of social support,
and even laughter. The pattern of bereavement is not related to the

quality of the relationship before death in most cases. It is related to
the quality of the bereaved person’s overall adjustment.
The death of a loved one can lead to gains, and bereavement can lead
to personal growth.
Key Terms: Death and Bereavement

Chapter 12
The Successful Journey
Successful aging journeys can take many forms.
12.1 Summarize major themes in adult development

12.2 Evaluate measures of life success
12.3 Analyze adulthood according to models of growth and
development
12.4 Determine the elements of successful aging
A Word from the Author: Ah, This is the Life!
Hank wakes up every morning and makes himself a glass of
fresh-squeezed orange juice, commenting to the world in

general, “Ah, this is the life!” He is just short of his 80th birthday
and has not had an easy life. He has scars on his chin and upper
lip from having an incoming shell blow up in his face as he and
his regiment of Marines stormed Peleliu Island in World War II.
He has scars on his chest from coronary-bypass surgery and
discolored places on his arms and legs due to the blood thinner
he takes to ward off more heart trouble. He has a pacemaker and

defibrillator implanted in his chest and needs surgery to have his
batteries changed from time to time. He tells his great-grandsons

that Grandma B. has a remote control device in her handbag, and
if he gets “out of line,” she will turn it on and make him behave.
They think this is the funniest thing they have ever heard.
Hank and his wife raised five kids and supported them by always
working at least two jobs. He married after the war and lived in
his in-laws’ house while he and his father built a house next door
for the new family. Two years after they moved in, his father-in-
law lost his eyesight (and his job), and the in-laws moved in with
the new family, who now had three sons—a 2-year-old and a new
pair of twins. Within 3 years of leaving the Marines, he was 26

and the head of a household of seven people.
When I first met Hank, he was a 60-year-old police officer—a job
he did not like, but that had good pay and medical insurance,
plus a chance for overtime. On Saturday nights he would turn on

the TV a little before 8:00 and wait for the lottery drawing. He
would pat the phone on the table next to him and say, “If I win,
the first thing I will do is call the chief and put in my two-weeks’
notice.” Then he would talk about what he would do with the

winnings—buy a mansion on the hill for his wife, take a cruise
around the world, send all his grandchildren to college, buy a
vacation home on the beach in Florida.
Well, Hank never won the lottery, but he did leave his job when
he retired a few years later, and he did buy a new house for his
wife, smaller and newer than the family homestead. He started a

lawn service and gave the college-aged grandkids jobs in the
summer to help with their tuition. He bought a condo in Florida.
He took a cruise to the Bahamas. He lives on a budget, watches

his diet carefully, follows his doctor’s orders strictly, and gets
plenty of exercise on the small golf course near his condo. He and
his wife go to concerts at the community center on Friday nights
and out for pizza on Wednesdays (coupon night). He attends

church and plays cards with the neighbors. He has a new cell
phone with unlimited long-distance calls, so he talks to all his

children and grandchildren every Sunday evening, wherever they
are.
By most yardsticks, Hank’s journey of adulthood has been a good
one. He served his country, took care of his family, parented

successful children, nurtured grandchildren, sustained a happy
marriage for over 60 years, and is loved and respected by

everyone who knows him. But by his own yardstick, he is the
luckiest guy in the world. Hank happens to be my father-in-law,
but over the years I have met many men and women like him.
Despite the headlines in the papers and the lead stories on the
nightly news, the vast majority of people in this country and in
developed countries all over the world are satisfied with their
lives and view themselves as successful adults. This chapter is
about the journeys of people like Hank and the millions of other
adults of every age who greet the world each morning saying,
“Ah, this is the life!”
I plan to start this chapter with a summary of the major themes of
development that describe the typical person’s experience on the journey

of adulthood. Our lives are not neatly sliced up in separate topics. As you
have no doubt sensed, the topics merge into each other. I’d like to present
whole lives in this chapter and how we evaluate our progress on the
journey of adulthood.
12.1: Themes of Adult Development
Objective: Summarize major themes in adult development
In this last chapter, we include a mega-table (Table 12.1 ) showing a
chronological review that spans from emerging adulthood (18–24 years)
to late adulthood (75 years and over).
As always, these ages are approximate. Also note that the table describes
the typical sequence of events for an adult who follows the culturally
defined order of role transitions at the appropriate ages. I’ll have more to
say about individual pathways later in this chapter. For now, though, it is
important to think about the typical or average. The normative pattern is

to marry and have one’s first child in the 20s. The children then typically
leave home by the time one is about 50. Most people make major career
changes in their mid-60s when they retire, change to part-time work, or
become volunteer workers. Each row of the table represents a highly
condensed version of one facet of the change that we might see over the
lifetime of a person who follows such a modal pattern. Click or tap each
characteristic to learn more about its role in each age-group.
Table 12.1 Review of Changes in Eight Different Domains of Adult

Functioning
Of the seven horizontal rows in the table, four seem to describe genuinely
maturational or developmental sequences. Clearly, the physical and
mental changes described in the first two rows are strongly related to
highly predictable and widely shared physical processes. Although the
rate of change is affected by lifestyle and habits, the sequences appear to
be maturational. More tentatively, I have argued that the sequences of

change in personality and in systems of meaning may also be
developmental in the sense I have used that term throughout the text.
These are not strongly age-linked changes, but there is at least some
evidence that they are sequential and not merely a function of particular
or culture-specific changes in roles or life experiences. The remaining
three rows, covering roles, tasks, and relationships, seem to describe

sequences that are common insofar as they are shared by many adults in
a given cohort and a given culture. If the timing or the sequence of these
roles or tasks changes in any particular culture, however, the pattern
described in the table will change as well.

A second way to look at the table is to read down the columns rather than
across the rows. This gives some sense of the various patterns that may
occur simultaneously.

will be able to:
12.1.1 Identify major influences on emerging adults
12.1.2 Characterize adulthood from age 25 to 39
12.1.3 Contextualize issues in middle adulthood
12.1.4 Explain how role changes impact older adulthood
12.1.5 Describe adulthood after age 75

12.1.1: Emerging Adulthood (Ages 18–
24)
Objective: Identify major influences on emerging adults
Although we have always had adults in this age group, of course, they
have become a distinct group, sufficiently different from the 25- to 39-
year-old group to merit their own category—emerging adults.
Developmental psychologists attribute this phenomenon to the increased
time it takes adolescents to become full-fledged adults. No longer do

young people graduate from high school and move directly into adult
roles in the workforce, the military, or as stay-at-home mothers as they
did several generations ago. Slowly this transition has increased until
what we consider “full adulthood”, doesn’t occur until the mid-20s for
most. Developmental psychologist Jeffrey Arnett (1994, 2000, 2007)
began to write about this group in the 1990s, coining the term “emerging
adults” a few years later. Researchers who worked with young people this
age held their first conference in 2003, and since then, the stage of
emerging adulthood has been included in journals, textbooks, classroom
curricula, and the popular press. According to Arnett (2004), there are
five major tasks of this period. Click or tap each tab below to learn more
about these tasks.
What is involved in the stage of emerging adulthood?

The years of emerging adulthood feature peak physical condition. All
systems are at their best, and top athletes will never perform better.
Neuronal development is finally complete. Death and disease rates are
both low. All cognitive processes are at peak except crystallized
intelligence, which depends on education and experience. Yet with all
this good health and top thinking skills, there are the harbingers of later
problems. A significant proportion of emerging adults are overweight and
obese; they do not eat healthy or exercise at the recommended level for
continued good health. They smoke, and they subject their hearing
apparatus to loud noises at sports events and concerts. Those of us who

are past this age are of two minds—first, we want to lecture about valuing
good health and youth, and second, we remember our own emerging
adulthood years with great pleasure and remember our own reactions to
advice from our elders.
Emerging adults move into young adulthood at different rates of

development. They also enter some areas (such as starting a career) and
not others (such as finding a partner or starting a family). But the social
clock is ticking.
12.1.2: Young Adulthood (Ages 25–39)
Objective: Characterize adulthood from age 25 to 39
Anyone who has been this age has probably been told by older people to
enjoy it, that it is “the prime of life.” This can be a frightening thought for
the typical young adult, who is struggling to balance school, work, and
family obligations. The truth is that although young adulthood may be a
time of top performances in physical and cognitive abilities, it is also the
period of adult life with the most changes. Consider that during these
years, most young adults:
Move into more major roles than at any other time in their lives: a
work role, marriage, and parenthood.
Have jobs that are the most physically demanding, least interesting,
least challenging, and lowest paying than at any other time in their
careers.
Form romantic partnerships and select long-term partners for
marriage or cohabitation relationships.
Become parents of one or more children, participating in marathon

childcare during the early years.
Fortunately, young adults have a number of valuable assets to help them
deal with these high levels of demand. Most obviously, like emerging
adulthood, these are years in which body and mind are at top
performance. Neurological speed is at maximum, so physical and mental

reaction time is swift; new information is learned easily and recalled
easily; the immune system is highly efficient, so one recovers quickly
from disease or injury; and the cardiovascular system is similarly at its
best, so sports can be played with speed and endurance.
Young adults deal with the changes by creating a network of friendships
and other close relationships—part of what Erik Erikson talks about as the
stage of intimacy versus isolation. Friendships are not only numerous but
also particularly important in these years; those who have small
friendship networks report more loneliness and depressive symptoms

than socially isolated people at other stages of adulthood.
Close friendships are particularly important during young adulthood.

Dependence and Individuation
Perhaps because the role demands are so powerful, the young adult’s
sense of him- or herself, the meaning system with which he or she
interprets all these experiences, seems to be dominated by rules, by
conformity, by a sense that authority is external to the self. We think of
these years as a time when the young person is becoming independent,

but in becoming independent of their parents, most young adults are not
becoming individualized in their search for meaning. Most are still locked
into a conformist view, seeing things in black-and-white terms, looking to
outside authority to tell them the rules. The years of young adulthood are
a time of maximal tribalization. We define ourselves by our tribe and our

place in the tribe.
The years of emerging adulthood are typically spent on periods of
dependence and searching (for the right career, the right major in school,
the right girlfriend or boyfriend), but young adulthood is spent in

overdrive. Once the course of the journey of adulthood is set, young
adults usually waste no time settling into their myriad roles and working
at being successful spouses, workers, and parents.
At the same time, the conventional worldview they entered adulthood
with slowly begins to give way to a more individualistic outlook. This
change comes over time and seems to happen for several reasons. Among
other things, we discover that following the rules doesn’t always lead to
reward, a realization that causes us to question the system itself. Neither

marriage nor having children, for example, leads to unmitigated bliss, as
evidenced by the well-replicated drop in marital satisfaction after the
birth of the first child and during the period when the children are young.
For those who married in their early or middle 20s, this drop in
satisfaction occurs in their late 20s and 30s, contributing to a kind of
disillusionment with the entire role system. A second reason for the
change in perspective, I think, is that this is the time in which we develop
highly individualized skills. In conforming to the external role demand
that we find work and pursuing it, we also discover our own talents and
capacities, a discovery that helps to turn our focus inward. We become

more aware of our own individuality, more aware of the parts of
ourselves that existing roles do not allow us to express.
But although the individualization process begins in our 30s, it is
nonetheless true that this period of young adulthood, like the period from
18 to 25, is dominated by the social clock. In our 30s we may begin to
chafe at the strictures of the roles in which we find ourselves; we may be
less and less likely to define ourselves solely or largely in terms of the
roles we occupy, but the role demands are still extremely powerful in this
period. This fact tends to make the lives of those in young adulthood
more like one another than will be true at any later point. To be sure,
some adults do not follow the normative pattern, and their lives are less
predictable. But the vast majority of adults do enter into the broad river of
family and work roles in their mid-20s and are moved along with the
common flow as their children grow older and their work status
progresses. One of the key changes as we move into middle adult life is
that the power of these roles declines; the social clock begins to be less
audible, less compelling.
12.1.3: Middle Adulthood (Ages 40–64)
Objective: Contextualize issues in middle adulthood
Although the change is usually gradual rather than abrupt, the period of
middle adulthood is really quite distinctly different from the years that
come before.
Biological and Social Clocks

Most obviously, the biological clock begins to be audible because it is
during these years that the first signs of physical aging become apparent—
the changes in the eyes that mean most adults require glasses for reading;
loss of elasticity in the skin that makes wrinkles more noticeable; the
diminished reproductive capacity, most noticeable for women but present
for men as well; the heightened risk for major diseases, such as heart
disease or cancer; the slight but measurable slowing in reaction time or
physical stamina; perhaps some slowing in the speed of bringing names
or other specific information out of long-term memory.
The early stages of this physical aging process normally don’t involve
much functional loss. Mental skills may be a trifle slower but not enough
slower that you can’t do your job well or learn something new, such as
using social media. In fact, the expertise gained from experience

compensates for the physical and cognitive slowing. Achieving and
maintaining fitness may take more work, but it’s still quite possible. If
you’ve been out of shape, you can even improve significantly by running
faster or doing more pushups than you could when you were 30. But as
you move through these middle years toward older adulthood, the signs
of aging become more and more apparent and less and less easy to
overcome.
At the same time, the social clock becomes much less significant. If you
had your children in your 20s, then by your late 40s or early 50s they are
likely to be on their way to independence. And in your work life you are
likely to have reached the highest level that you will achieve. You know
the role well, and the drive to achieve may peak and then decline. You
may find satisfaction in the achievement of young colleagues you have
mentored rather than in your own accomplishments.
If young adulthood is a time of tribalization, the middle years bring
detribalization, perhaps part of a deeper shift in personality or meaning
systems toward a more individualistic view. The greater openness to self
that emerges at this time includes an openness to unexpressed parts of
the self, parts that are likely to be outside the prescribed roles. The
change is thus both external and internal.
If you think about the relationship of these two clocks over the years of
adulthood, you might visualize them as something like the pattern in
Figure 12.1 . The specific point of crossover of these two chronologies is

obviously going to differ from one adult to another, but it is most likely to
occur sometime in this middle-adulthood period.
Figure 12.1 Relative Potency or Importance of Biological and Social

Clocks
One way to think about the different phases or stages of adulthood is in
terms of the relative potency or importance of the biological and social
clocks. Except for the issue of childbearing for women, the biological
clock is relatively unimportant until sometime in midlife, after which it
becomes increasingly important. The social clock follows an opposite
pattern.
Work and Marriage
One of the ironies is that the decline in the centrality of work and
relationship roles in midlife is often accompanied by greater satisfaction
with both work and relationships. You'll recall that both marital and work
satisfaction rise in the years of middle adulthood. As always, there are
undoubtedly many reasons for the rise, including the fact that the actual
work one is doing in these years is likely to be less physically demanding,
more interesting, and more rewarded than was true in young adulthood,
and that once the children are older and require less hands-on parenting,
one of the major strains on a marriage declines. But the improvement in
satisfaction with both work and relationships may also be a reflection of

the inner shift of perspective I have been talking about. Adults who
experience the world from a more individualist or conscientious
perspective take responsibility for their own actions, so they may find
ways to make their work and relationships more pleasant. Or they may
choose to change jobs or partners.
This sense of choice is a key aspect of this age period. There are certainly
still roles to be filled; one does not stop being a parent just because the
children have been launched; one still has work roles to fill, relationships
with one’s own parents, with friends, with the community. But adults in
middle life have more choices about how they will fill these roles, both
because the roles of this age have more leeway and because we now
perceive roles differently, as being less compellingly prescriptive.

Is this picture too rosy? For those who have not been there yet, midlife
sounds like the best of all worlds. And as someone who is there already, I
tend to agree. In midlife we have more choices; our work and marital
satisfaction is likely to rise, and there is a likelihood of some inner growth
or transformation as well. To be sure, there is also the growing awareness
of physical aging, but for most of us such an awareness is not dominant.
We still feel fit and capable. It sounds as if these years, when both the
biological and the social clocks are ticking away quietly in the
background, are the best of all worlds.
But isn't this also the time when the infamous midlife crisis is supposed to
hit? In this more negative view, large numbers of middle-aged adults are
seen as anxious, unsure, dissatisfied with earlier life choices, unhappy
with their biological decline, and frantically searching for solutions,
whether it is a job change, a new spouse, or a facelift. Can these two
views be reconciled?
The Myth of the Midlife Crisis
An interesting part of our popular culture involves the midlife crisis ,
portrayed as a time when the responsible middle-aged person makes a
180-degree turn on the road of life and suddenly becomes irresponsible.
Movies, novels, and TV shows have entertained us with stories of staid
bankers who suddenly trade in their gray sedans for red sports cars and
start coloring their hair. Often these crises involve leaving one’s long-
term spouse and becoming involved with a younger person who has a
more carefree lifestyle. We may even know of middle-aged people who
have had a “breakdown" of some kind and made drastic lifestyle changes
as a result. But is this something that happens to a great number of

people in middle age? Is it something of a typical developmental stage in
adulthood? Is the midlife crisis predictable?
The early accounts of midlife crises come from psychoanalyst Elliott
Jacques (1965), who based his ideas on clinical samples, and journalist
Gail Sheehy (1976), who based her ideas on in-depth interviews with 40
people. Because these books were focused on problems and negative-
biased information, the concept of midlife being a time of stress and crisis
has not been substantiated by research on more representative groups.
More recent research in peer-reviewed journals, including the following,
has used nonclinical participants and less biased questioning. These show
a little different picture of midlife development. Click or tap Next to learn
more about these midlife crises.

Studying Midlife
In summary, the midlife crisis (along with its cousin, the empty-nest
syndrome) is, to some extent, an aspect of individual personality rather

than a characteristic of this particular age period. And, as sociologist Glen
Elder, Jr. (1979) would remind us, it can also be a product of the cultural
and historical events we experienced at earlier stages of our lives.

12.1.4: Older Adulthood (Ages 65–74)
Objective: Explain how role changes impact older adulthood
In many ways people in this group are more like middle-aged adults than
like those in late adulthood. So why make a division at age 65? From a
physical point of view there is nothing notable about age 65 that would
suggest that some new stage or phase has begun. Certainly, some adults
in this age range experience significant disease or chronic disability. But
the norm is rather that small—albeit noticeable—physical changes or

declines continue to accumulate at roughly the same rate as was true in
one’s middle years. Hearing loss is now more likely to become a problem,
as is arthritis; one is likely to have an increased sense of being a bit
slower. But for most adults (in developed countries at least) the rate of
physical or mental change does not appear to accelerate in these years.
What makes this 10-year period unique is the rapid drop in role demands
that accompanies retirement, a drop that once again changes the balance
between the social clock and the biological clock.
There is certainly little evidence that this change is marked by any kind of
crisis. Research on retirement shows no increase in illness, depression, or
other distress that can be linked causally to the retirement itself. For those
who must retire because of ill health, the picture is rather different; for
this subgroup retirement is linked with further declines in health and
perhaps depression. But for the majority, every indication is that mental
health is as good—or perhaps better—in this age group than at younger

ages. Figure 12.4  shows that high satisfaction with retirement decreases
with age.
Figure 12.4 Satisfaction with Retirement Over Time
The proportion of retirees who report being “very satisfied" with

retirement decreases with age, probably due to health problems and
other losses.
Source: Banerjee (2016).
What does mark this change is the loss of the work role, which is of
course accompanied by a continuing decline in the centrality of other
roles. Spousal roles continue, of course, for those whose spouse is still
living; there is still some parental role, although that too is less
demanding and less clearly defined; the roles of friend and of brother or
sister to one’s aging siblings may actually become more central. But even
more than was true in middle life, these roles are flexible and full of
choices.
12.1.5: Late Adulthood (Age 75 and
Older)
Objective: Describe adulthood after age 75
The fastest-growing segment of the U.S. population is the group in late

adulthood. As life expectancy increases, more and more of us are living
well past what we once considered “old age.” And as health has
improved, it is often not until these years that the processes of physical
and mental aging begin to accelerate. It is at this point that the functional
reserve of many physical systems is likely to fall below the level required
for everyday activities, creating a new level of dependence or disability.
I do not want to make too big a deal of the age of 75. The demarcation
point between the period of older adulthood and late adulthood is more a
function of health than of age. Some adults may be frail at 60; others may
still be robust and active at 85. But if you look at the norms, as I have
been doing in this chapter, it appears that age 75 is roughly where the
shift begins to take place, at least in today’s cohorts in the United States
and other developed countries.
Our knowledge of late adulthood is growing. Only in recent years have
there been large numbers of adults in this group; only quite recently has
the Census Bureau begun to divide some of its statistics for older adults
into decades rather than merely lumping everyone over age 65 into a
single category. But we do have some information that points to a
qualitative change that takes place at roughly this time.
Longitudinal studies of cognitive abilities show that the acceleration in
the decline in total mental ability scores starts at about 70 or 75. There is
decline before that, but the rate of decline increases in late adulthood.
And as one moves into the 80s and beyond, the incidence of physical and
mental frailty rises rapidly. Psychologist Edwin Shneidman (1989),
writing about the decade of one’s 70s, puts it this way: “Consider that
when one is a septuagenarian, one’s parents are gone, children are

grown, mandatory work is done; health is not too bad, and
responsibilities are relatively light, with time, at long last, for focus on the
self. These can be sunset years, golden years, an Indian Summer, a period
of relatively mild weather for both soma and psyche in the late autumn or
early winter of life, a decade of greater independence and increased
opportunities for further self-development” (p. 684). But what is it that
adults in this period of early old age choose to do with their lives? Do
they remain active and involved, or do they begin to withdraw, to turn
inward toward self-development or reminiscence? If there is controversy

about this age period, it has centered on some variant of this question.
The issue is usually framed in the terms of disengagement in old age. In

the following video, a woman in late adulthood talks about her
relationships.
Disengagement
Over 50 years ago, the term disengagement  was proposed by
gerontologists Elaine Cumming and William Henry (1961) to describe
what they saw as a key psychological process in old age. This process was
seen as having three features or aspects:
1. Adults' social “life space" shrinks with age, a change especially
noticeable in the period from age 75 on when we interact with
fewer and fewer others and fill fewer and fewer roles as we move
through late adulthood.
2. In the roles and relationships that remain, the aging person

becomes more individualized, less governed by rules and norms.
3. The aging person anticipates this set of changes and actively
embraces them, disengaging more and more from roles and
relationships (Cumming, 1975).
Few would disagree with the first two of these points. In late adulthood,
most people do show a decline in the number of social activities they
engage in, they occupy fewer roles, and their roles have fewer clear
prescriptions. Adults of this age participate in fewer clubs or
organizations, go to religious services less often, and have a smaller
network of friends.
But the third of Cumming and Henry’s points about disengagement is in
considerable dispute. They argued that disengagement is not only natural

but also optimally healthy in late adulthood, so that those who show the
most disengagement are going to be the happiest and healthiest. And this
is simply not supported by the research. There is no indication that those
who show the greatest decline in social activity (who “disengage" the
most) are happier or healthier. On the contrary, the common finding is
that the least disengaged adults (or the most engaged adults) report
greater satisfaction with themselves and their lives, are healthiest, and
have the highest morale.
The picture is not totally one-sided. On the other side of the ledger is a
significant body of work pointing to the conclusion that solitude is quite a
comfortable state for many older adults. Note, for example, that among
all age groups, loneliness is least common among the elderly. Indeed,
some older adults clearly find considerable satisfaction in an
independent, socially isolated (highly disengaged) life pattern. Clearly it
is possible to choose and to find contentment in a largely disengaged
lifestyle in these older years. But does this mean that disengagement is
necessary for mental health? On the contrary, most of the evidence says
exactly the opposite. For most older adults, social involvement is both a
sign of, and probably a cause of, higher levels of satisfaction. Those who
do not have satisfactory contact with others, particularly with friends, are
typically less satisfied with their lives.
Reserve Capacity and Adapting to
Limitations
Psychologists Paul Baltes and Margaret Baltes (1990) suggested that one
of the key features of late adulthood is that the person operates much
closer to the edge of reserve capacity than is the case for younger or
middle-aged adults. To cope with this fact, and with the fact of various
physical declines, one must use a process that they call selective
optimization with compensation  (Table 12.2 ). Older adults select the
range of activities or arenas in which they will operate, concentrating
energy and time on needs or demands that are truly central. They
optimize their reserves by learning new strategies and keeping old skills
well practiced. And when needed, they compensate for losses.
The very fact that such selection, optimization, and compensation are
necessary in later adulthood is a crucial point. Reserve capacities are

reduced, but it is also crucial to realize that many adults in this age group
can and do compensate and adjust their lives to their changing
circumstances.
Review each process in the context of its corresponding example. Check
your understanding in the Challenge mode. Drag and drop each process
to match it to its corresponding example.
Table 12.2 Process of Late Adulthood and Examples

Life Review
Recall that the stage Erikson proposes for late adulthood is ego integrity
versus despair. One of Erikson’s notions was that to achieve wisdom,
which is the potential strength to be gained at this stage, older adults
must think back over their lives and try to come to terms with the person
they once were and the one they are now.
Over 50 years ago, Robert Butler (1963), a professor of geriatric medicine,
expanded on Erikson’s idea. In one article, which has become one of the
classics in the study of aging, Butler proposed that in old age, all of us go
through a process he called life review , in which there is a “progressive

return to consciousness of past experience, and particularly, the
resurgence of unresolved conflicts" (p. 53). Butler argued that in this final
stage of life, as preparation for our now clearly impending deaths, we
engage in reminiscence, which is an analytic and evaluative review of our
earlier life. According to Butler, such a review is a necessary part of

achieving ego integrity, and the wisdom that results from it, at the end of
life.
This is an attractive hypothesis, and Butler’s ideas have inspired hundreds
of scientific studies of reminiscence and life review, yielding a number of
practical applications. The usefulness of reminiscence for older adults can
be grouped into seven functions (Westerhof & Bohlmeijer, 2014), as
shown in Table 12.3 .

Table 12.3 Functions of Reminiscence for Older Adults
Source: Based on Westerhof and Bohlmeijer (2014).
This idea of life review is found in many activities. Clinical psychologists
use life review to establish rapport with older patients and to support
their mental health. Community groups have classes to instruct adults of
all ages in writing memoirs. Veterans talk to schoolchildren about their

service, older craft workers keep their traditions alive by teaching
younger people, Holocaust survivors talk to high school kids about their
experiences, and grandparents make photo albums of their lives to share
with their grandchildren. Museums around the country welcome letters,

collections, and photos from older adults who had firsthand experiences
to share.
Is life review solely an activity of the elderly? Probably not. We know that
people of all ages talk about their memories and enjoy looking over
photos and other memorabilia of times past. Do all older adults engage in
life review? Does storytelling count or does it have to involve self-

reflection? Is it necessary for older adults to engage in reminiscence to
achieve some form of ego integrity in late life? These are interesting
questions and good topics for future research.
On the whole, I think there is good reason to doubt the validity of Butler’s
hypothesis that life review is a necessary part of late adulthood. At the
same time, it is clear that some kind of preparation for death is an

inevitable, or even central, part of life in these last years. Although death
certainly comes to adults of all ages, most younger adults can continue to
push the idea of death away: that’s something for later. But in the years
past age 75, the imminence of death is inescapable and must be faced by
each of us. Life review may be one of the ways this is done.
12.2: Variations in Successful
Development
Objective: Evaluate measures of life success
The study of adult development is based on the means of large groups of
people. It gives us information on the typical person’s life changes and

the average type of behavior. It is important information and very useful
to professionals and to the layperson who wants to learn some general
truths about the development of adults in general. But for the individual
reflecting on his or her own life, it is less useful. Few of us fit the average;
few of us are on the typical journey of adulthood.
Personally, I have not practiced what I preach as typical adult
development. I married early and had three children before I was 25. I
spent my young adulthood as a stay-at-home mom, tending to the
children and volunteering at the neighborhood library. Once they were
all in school, I enrolled at the local community college, and by the time
the kids were in middle school, I was writing magazine articles on
parenting and teaching part time at the university where I had received
my master’s degree in developmental psychology. This is certainly not the
typical career path (and not the typical career). I was off-time—younger
than the parents of my children’s friends and older than my fellow
students.
I became a divorced mother when my youngest was still at home, and
then within one wonderful year I remarried and became a grandmother
for the first time. What a combination of new roles! Fortunately, my new
husband, a professor of child development, saw instant grandfatherhood
as a bonus. At 50, I enrolled in a PhD program and 3 years later marched
down the aisle to Elgar’s Pomp and Circumstance at the University of
Georgia to be hooded in red and black, with four generations of relatives
applauding.
Since that time I have taught a variety of developmental psychology

courses at a satellite campus of our local state university. For several
summers I taught a group of advanced high school students from all over
our state who wanted to come live in the dorms for 2 weeks and take a
highly condensed college course. And I have switched roles a bit and
become a student in our university’s lifelong learning program, attending
lectures in a variety of subjects from oceanography to neuroscience to
Renaissance art. Most people my age are retired, but since I started my
career so late in life, I want to keep going. On the other hand, I realize
that the young professors I interact with are no longer my peer group, but
the age of my children (and sometimes my grandchildren).
My own version of the journey of adulthood has been interesting, but it
was not easy. I am tempted to add the warning: Do not try this
yourselves! But few of us have master plans for our lives. Most of us make
one small decision at a time, and sometimes we are a bit surprised when
we look back and see what the big picture looks like.
No doubt your own journey of adulthood has aspects that do not fit the
typical. Knowing all about the means and the norms of adult
development still leaves some questions. To fully understand the process

of adult development and change, we also have to understand the ways
in which individuals' lives are likely to differ, the variations in their

reactions to the stresses and challenges they will encounter, and the
eventual satisfaction or inner growth they may achieve.

will be able to:
12.2.1 Identify major influences on quality of life
12.2.2 Determine factors relevant to life satisfaction

12.2.1: Individual Differences in Quality
of Life
Objective: Identify major influences on quality of life
What factors are responsible for one person’s high level of life satisfaction
on the journey of adulthood and another person’s lower level? Click or
tap each tab below to learn more about these factors.
Six Major Factors Responsible for Satisfaction of Life
In summary, quality of life in adulthood is determined largely by health,
income, education, and the people we choose to compare ourselves with.

Another contributing factor is having a sense of control, meaning, or
purpose in one’s life. It is probably more informative to list the factors
that don't matter much: age, race and ethnicity, and living in a country
with a healthy economy. And factors that matter somewhat (but are
probably part of health, income, and education) are gender, marital
status, activities, and religious participation. I look forward to a
comprehensive study that will take all these factors into account and give
us a model showing the proximal and distal effects of quality of life in
adulthood.
12.2.2: Other Measures of Life Success
Objective: Determine factors relevant to life satisfaction
The quality of life that individuals report is one of the best measures of
success in the adult years. But there are other ways of defining successful
adulthood that rely on professional assessments of psychological health
or on objective measures of life success. Two approaches, both involving
analyses of rich longitudinal data, are particularly interesting.
In 1928, pioneer developmental psychologists began a study with
newborns in Berkeley, California, and followed these participants and
their families until they were 36 years of age, collecting data on their
health, cognitive development, social situation, family life, personality,
behavior, and parents' childrearing practices and personalities. In
adulthood, they were interviewed about their education, marital status,
employment, residence, offspring, and relationship with parents (Eichorn,
1973). Researchers working with the Berkeley Growth Study data
developed a measure of ideal adult adjustment that they call
psychological health. In this research, psychotherapists and theorists

agreed that the pattern of qualities of an optimally healthy person
includes the capacity for work and satisfying relationships, a sense of
moral purpose, and a realistic perception of self and society. According to
this view, adults who are psychologically healthy show a great deal of
warmth, compassion, dependability and responsibility, insight,
productivity, candor, and calmness. They value their independence and

autonomy as well as their intellectual skill and behave in a sympathetic
and considerate manner, consistent with their personal standards and
ethics (Peskin & Livson, 1981).
A second longitudinal study that has been used to identify the factors that
lead to success in life was the Grant Study, which was most recently
directed by psychiatrist George Vaillant (1977). This study began in 1939
and included male Harvard students. The study continued to collect data
on these participants until the end of their lives, some 70 years later.
Vaillant was interested in finding a set of objective criteria reflecting

psychosocial adjustment and then determining what factors in the men’s
childhood or adult lives predict good or poor psychosocial adjustment.

Study Results
Despite their quite different strategies for measuring successful aging, the
findings from the Berkeley and Grant studies are reasonably consistent
and lead to some intriguing suggestions about the ingredients of a
healthy or successful adult life. Both studies show that the most successful
and well-adjusted middle-aged adults had grown up in warm, supportive,

intellectually stimulating families (Vaillant & Vaillant, 1990). In the
Berkeley study, researchers found that those who were higher in
psychological health at age 30 or 40 had grown up with parents who were
rated as more open-minded and more intellectually competent, with good
marital relationships. Their mothers had been warmer, more giving and
nondefensive, more pleasant and poised (Peskin & Livson, 1981).
Similarly, the men who were rated as having the best adjustment at
midlife had come from warmer families and had had better relationships
with both their fathers and mothers in childhood than had the least well-
adjusted men (Vaillant, 1974).
Both studies also show that well-adjusted or successful middle-aged
adults began adulthood with more personal resources, including better-
rated psychological and physical health at college age, a practical, well-
organized approach in college, and greater intellectual competence. Both
of these sets of findings are pretty much what we might expect. To put it
most directly, those who age well are those who start out well. To be
sure, none of the correlations is terribly large, so even among the midlife
participants there were some who began with two strikes against them
but nonetheless looked healthy and successful at age 45 or 50 and some
who started out with many advantages but did not turn out well. But in
general, the findings point to a kind of consistency up until midlife.
Yet when the researchers looked at their participants again at retirement
age, a very different picture appeared. Among these 173 men, no measure
of early family environment remained a significant predictor of
psychosocial adjustment at 63, nor did any measure of early-adult
intellectual competence. Those who turned out to be “successful" 63-year-
olds had been rated as slightly more personally integrated when they
were in college, and they had had slightly better relationships with their
siblings. But other than that, there were simply no childhood or early-
adulthood characteristics that differentiated those who had turned out
well and those who had turned out less well.
What does predict health and adjustment at age 63 among these men is
health and adjustment at midlife. The least successful 63-year-olds were
those who had used mood-altering drugs at midlife (primarily prescribed
drugs intended to deal with depression or anxiety), abused alcohol or

smoked heavily, and used mostly immature defense mechanisms in their
30s and 40s.

Many long-term studies show that the best predictor of successful aging is
good health and adjustment in middle age.
Study Considerations
These findings come from only a single study, one that only included
men, and only very well-educated professional men at that. So we
shouldn’t make too many huge theoretical leaps from this empirical
platform. Still, the pattern of results suggests one (or both) of two
possibilities:
1. It may be that each era in adult life simply calls for different skills
and qualities, so that what predicts success or healthy adjustment
at one age is simply not the same as what predicts it at another
age. As one example, college-aged intellectual competence may

be a better predictor of psychosocial health at midlife simply
because at midlife adults are still in the midst of their most
productive working years, when intellectual skill is more central.
By retirement age, this may not be so critical an ingredient.
2. Alternatively, we might think of a successful adult life not as

something preordained by one’s childhood or early-adult
qualities, but as something created from the resources and
opportunities available over the course of the decades. Those
who start out with certain familial and personal advantages have
a greater chance of encountering still further advantages, but it is
what one does with the experiences—stressful as well as
constructive—that determines the long-term success or
psychosocial health one achieves. The choices we make in early
adulthood help to shape the people we become in midlife; our

midlife qualities in turn help to shape the kind of older people we
become—a process I might describe as cumulative continuity.
Early-childhood environment or personal qualities such as
personality or intellectual competence are not unimportant, but
by age 65 their influence is indirect rather than direct.
It seems likely that both of these options are at least partially true, but it is
the second possibility that I find especially compelling. It helps to make
sense of a series of other facts and findings.
How might advantages, resources, and opportunities over a lifetime differ

for a trans woman of color than for the men of the Grant study? How
might these impact her life satisfaction as she grows older?
Childless Men in Older Adulthood
One relevant fragment comes from yet another longitudinal study in
which George Vaillant has been involved, in this case of a group of 343
Boston men, all white, and nearly all from lower-class or working-class
families. As teenagers, these men had been part of a nondelinquent
comparison group in a major study of delinquency originated by

criminologists Sheldon Glueck and Eleanor Glueck (1950, 1968). They
had been interviewed at length when they were in early adolescence and
were then reinterviewed by the Gluecks when they were age 25 and 31
and by Vaillant and his colleagues when they were in their late 40s. In
one analysis by the Vaillant group (Snarey et al., 1987), the researchers
looked at the outcomes for those men who had not had children at the
normative time to see how they had handled their childlessness.
Of the group of childless men, those independently rated at age 47 as
clearly generative in Erikson’s terms were likely to have responded by

finding someone else’s child to parent, such as by adopting a child,
joining an organization like Big Brothers/Big Sisters, or becoming an
active uncle. Those childless men who were rated low in generativity at
47 were much less likely to have adopted a child; if they had chosen a
substitute it was more likely a pet. Among the childless men, the
generative and the nongenerative had not differed at the beginning of
adult life in either social class or level of industry, so the eventual
differences in psychosocial maturity do not seem to be the result of
differences that existed at age 20. Rather, they seem to be a result of the
way the men responded to or coped with an unexpected or nonnormative
event in early adult life, namely childlessness.
The central point is that there are many pathways through adulthood.
The pathway each of us follows is affected by the departure point, but it is
the choices we make as we go along, and our ability to learn from the
experiences that confront us, that shape the people we become 50 or 60
years later. If we are going to understand the journey of adulthood, we
need a model that will allow us to make some order of the diversity of
lifetimes that results from such choices and such learning or lack of it.
12.3: A Model of Adult Growth and
Development
Objective: Analyze adulthood according to models of growth and
development
I am sure it is clear to you already that the model I have sketched in this
chapter, complex as it is, is nonetheless too simplistic. It is doubtless also
too culture specific, although I have tried to state the elements of the
model broadly enough to encompass patterns across cultures. It may also
be quite wrong in a number of respects.
Despite these obvious limitations, however, the model may give you
some sense of the rules or laws that seem to govern the richness and
variety of adult life. In the midst of a bewildering array of adult patterns
there does appear to be order, but the order is not so much in fixed, age-
related sequences of events as in process. To understand adult
development, it is useful to uncover the ways in which all the pathways,

all the gullies, are alike. But it is equally important to understand the
factors and processes that affect the choices adults will have and the way
they will respond to those choices as individuals.
With that in mind, let me offer a set of four propositions.

will be able to:
12.3.1 Explain the concept of a sequential process of adulthood
12.3.2 Identify the elements that impact a life trajectory
12.3.3 Compare the roles of stability and instability on a life trajectory
12.3.4 Differentiate the impacts of positive and negative variables on
adult development
12.3.1: Proposition 1
Objective: Explain the concept of a sequential process of
adulthood
There are shared, basic sequential physical and psychological

developments occurring during adulthood, roughly (but not precisely)
age linked.
Whatever other processes may influence adult life, it is clear that the
entire journey occurs along a road with certain common features. The
body and the mind change in predictable ways with age. These changes,
in turn, affect the way adults define themselves and the way they
experience the world around them. I place the sequence of changes in
self-definition or meaning system in the same category. The difference is
that unlike physical and mental changes, the process of ego development
or spiritual change is not an inevitable accompaniment of aging, but a
possibility or potentiality.
Within the general confines of these basic processes and sequences of

development, however, there are many individual pathways—many
possible sequences of roles and relationships, many different levels of
growth or life satisfaction or “success.”

What are some sequential features common to adulthood in your culture?
Objective: Identify the elements that impact a life trajectory
Each adult’s development occurs primarily within a specific pathway or
trajectory, strongly influenced by the starting conditions of education,

family background, ethnicity, intelligence, and personality.
I can best depict this individuality by borrowing biologist Conrad
Waddington’s (1957) image of the epigenetic landscape, a variation of

which is shown in Figure 12.5 . Waddington introduced this idea in a
discussion of the strongly “canalized” development of embryos, but the
same concept can serve for a discussion of adult development. The
original Waddington image was of a mountain with a series of gullies
running down it. He demonstrated how a marble placed at the top had an
almost infinite number of possibilities for its final destination at the
bottom of the mountain, due to the many possible intersections of gullies
and ravines. However, because some of the gullies are deeper than
others, some outcomes have a greater probability than others. In my
version of this metaphor, the bottom of the mountain represents late

adulthood, and the top of the mountain represents young adulthood. In
our adult years, each of us must somehow make our way down the
mountain. Because we are all going down the same mountain (following
the same basic path of physical, mental, and spiritual development), all
journeys will have some features in common. But this metaphor also
allows for wide variations in the specific events and outcomes of the
journey.
Figure 12.5 Journey of Adulthood and the Quality of Outcome
One way to illustrate the journey of adulthood is with the image of a

mountain landscape. One begins the journey at the top and follows along
in the ravines and gullies toward the bottom. There are many options and
alternative paths, and the landscape changes as cultural and social
changes occur.
Source: Adapted from Waddington (1957).
Imagine a marble placed in one of the gullies at the top of the mountain.
The pathway it follows to the bottom of the mountain will be heavily

influenced by the gully in which it starts. If I also assume that the main
pathways are deeper than the side tracks, then shifting from the track in
which one starts is less probable than continuing along the same track.
Nonetheless, the presence of choice points or junctions makes it possible

for marbles starting in the same gully to end up in widely varying places
at the bottom of the mountain. From any given starting point, some
pathways and some outcomes are much more likely than others. But
many possible pathways diverge from any one gully. In addition, the
landscape is constantly shifting in response to environmental changes,
such as cultural or historical influences and changes in health.
This model or metaphor certainly fits with the general findings from
Vaillant’s long-term study of the Grant study men. The gully one starts in
certainly does have an effect on where you are likely to be on the
mountain at midlife. But the eventual endpoint is much more strongly

linked to where you were at midlife than where you started out. One
might depict this idea using the mountain-and-gully model by showing
the main gullies becoming deeper and deeper (harder to get out of) as
you trace them down the mountain.
The model also fits with another finding I mentioned earlier in this
chapter that there is an increase in the variability of scores on various

measures of health, mental skills, personality, and attitudes with
increasing age. In early adulthood, the various alternative gullies are

more like each other (closer together) than is true 40 or 60 years later.
Still another feature implicit in Figure 12.5  as I have drawn it is

significant enough to state as a separate proposition.
Objective: Compare the roles of stability and instability on a life
trajectory
Each pathway is made up of a series of alternating episodes of stable life

structure and disequilibrium.
In the mountain-and-gully metaphor, the stable life structures are
reflected in the long, straight stretches between junction points; the

junctions represent the disequilibria. I conceive of each stable life
structure as the balance one achieves among the collection of role
demands one is then facing, given the skills and temperamental qualities
at one’s command. This balance is normally reflected in a stable,
externally observable life pattern: getting up at a particular time every day
to get the kids off to school, going off to your job, doing the grocery
shopping on Saturday, having dinner with your mother every Sunday,
going out to dinner with your spouse every Valentine’s Day. It is also
reflected in the quality and specific features of relationships and in the
meaning system through which we filter all these experiences. These

patterns are not totally fixed, of course. We all make small adjustments
regularly, as demands or opportunities change. But there do appear to be
times in each adult’s life when a temporary balance is achieved.
The Relationship of Stable Periods and Age

These alternating periods of stability and disequilibrium or transition
appear to be related to age. I have suggested a rough age linkage in
Figure 12.5  by showing more choice points at some levels of the
mountain than at others. It seems to me that the content of the stable
structures at each approximate age, and the issues dealt with during each
transition, are somewhat predictable. After all, we are going down/along
the same mountain. There is a set of tasks or issues that confront most
adults in a particular sequence as they age, as I outlined in Table 12.1 .
In early adulthood this includes separating from one’s family of origin,
creating a stable central partnership, bearing and beginning to rear

children, and establishing satisfying work.
In middle adulthood the tasks include launching one’s children into
independence, caring for aging parents, redefining parental and spousal
roles, exploring one’s own inner nature, and coming to terms with the
aging of one’s body and with the death of one’s parents. An adult who
follows the modal “social clock” will thus be likely to encounter
transitions at certain ages and to deal with shared issues at each
transition. But I am not persuaded that there is only one order, or only
one set of ages, at which these tasks are or can be confronted. In this
respect the mountain-and-gully model is misleading because it does not

convey the variability in the timing of major choice points, such as what
happens when an adult does not marry, does not have children until his
or her 30s or 40s, becomes physically disabled or widowed or ill in the
early adult years, or the like. But whatever the variations in timing, it still
appears to me to be valid to describe adult life as alternating between
periods of stability and transition.

Turning Points
The periods of disequilibrium, which we might think of as turning points
in individual lives, may be triggered by any one or more of a whole series
of events. There is no way to depict these in the mountain-and-gully
model, so I have to turn to a more common kind of two-dimensional
diagram, the (very complicated!) flowchart or path diagram as shown in

Figure 12.6 .
Figure 12.6 Sources of Disequilibrium
I know this is complicated, but take a crack at it anyway. This is a model

of disequilibrium and its resolution. I am suggesting that such a process
occurs repeatedly during adulthood, with the effects of these transitions
accumulating over time. Each such transition affects the pathway (the
gully) along which the adult then moves.
Let’s discuss the major sources of disequilibrium listed on the left-hand
side of Figure 12.6 . Click or tap each tab below to learn more about the
sources of disequilibrium
Major Sources of Disequilibrium
Whether a person will experience a disequilibrium period as a crisis or

merely as a rather transitory phase seems to depend on at least two
things: the number of different sources of disequilibrium and the
individual’s own personality and coping skills. When there is a pileup of

disequilibrium-producing events within a narrow span of years—such as
changes in roles, major relationship losses, and asynchronous physical

changes—anyone is likely to experience a major transition. But the
tendency to respond to this pileup as a crisis may also reflect relatively

high levels of neuroticism, low levels of extraversion, or the lack of
effective coping skills.

In the model I am proposing here, it is our response to these
disequilibrium periods that determines our pathway down the mountain,
which leads me to the fourth basic proposition.

Objective: Differentiate the impacts of positive and negative
variables on adult development
The outcome of periods of disequilibrium may be either positive

(psychological growth, maturity, improved health), neutral, or negative
(regression or immaturity, ill health).
What kind of outcome occurs at any choice point—which channel one

follows—is determined or affected by a wide range of variables.
Intellectual flexibility or skill seems to be an especially critical ingredient
in leading to the “higher” stages of maturity and growth that Vaillant and
Loevinger describe. Our adult intellectual flexibility, in turn, is influenced
by the complexity of the environments in which we live, particularly
complexity on the job (either a job outside the home or even housework).
Sociologist Janet Giele (1982) put it well:
It is the degree of social complexity on the job or in other aspects of everyday life that appears
critical. Those who must learn a great deal and adapt to many different roles seem to be the
most concerned with trying to evolve an abstract self, conscience, or life structure that can
integrate all these discrete events. By contrast, those with a simple job, limited by meager
education and narrow contacts, are less apt to experience aging as a process that enhances
autonomy or elaborates one’s mental powers. (p. 8)
And, of course, job complexity is itself partially determined by the level of
education we have attained. Well-educated adults are more likely to find
complex jobs and are thus more likely to maintain or increase their
intellectual flexibility. Linkages such as these help create the pattern of
predictability between early adulthood and midlife, but because none of
these relationships is anywhere near a perfect correlation, there is a good
deal of room for shifts from one gully to another. Some blue-collar jobs,
for example, are quite complex, whereas some white-collar jobs are not,
and such variations may tend to push people out of the groove in which
they started.
Underlying temperamental tendencies are another key ingredient. Adults
who are high in what Costa and McCrae call Neuroticism appear to be
more likely to respond to disequilibrium by increases in substance abuse,
illness, depression, or regressive patterns of defense. Adults with less
neurotic or more extraverted temperaments, in contrast, respond to
disequilibrium by reaching out to others and by searching for constructive
solutions.
The availability of close supportive confidants is also a significant factor,
clearly not independent of temperament. Adults who lack close friends or
the supportive intimacy of a good marriage are more likely to have

serious physical ailments in midlife or to have significant emotional
disturbances, to drink or use drugs, and to use more immature forms of

defense. Friendless or lonely adults more often come from unloving and
unsupportive families, but a poor early environment can be overcome

more readily if the adult manages to form at least one close, intimate
relationship. Vaillant described several men in the Grant study who had
grown up in unloving or highly stressful families and were withdrawn or
even fairly neurotic as college students, but nonetheless went on to

become successful and emotionally mature adults. One of the common
ingredients in the lives of these men, especially compared to those with
similar backgrounds who had poorer outcomes, was the presence of a

“healing” relationship with a spouse. Similarly, sociologist David Quinton
and his colleagues (1993) looked at the adult lives of several groups of
young people in England, some of whom had had teenage histories of
delinquency. They found that a continuation of problem behavior (such
as criminality) was far less likely when the person had a nondeviant,
supportive partner than when the problem teen later joined up with a
nonsupportive or problem partner. Thus, early maladaptive behavior can

be redirected, or “healed,” through an appropriately supportive partner
relationship. Health may also make some difference in the way an adult
responds to a period of disequilibrium. Poor health reduces options; it
also reduces your level of energy, which affects the range of coping
strategies open to you or the eventual life structures you can create.
Cumulative Effects of Transitions
As a final point, I would argue that the effects of these several
disequilibrium periods are cumulative, a process that sociologist Gunhild
Hagestad and psychologist Bernice Neugarten (1985) described as the
“transition domino effect.” The cumulative effect of earlier stages or
transitions is a key element in Erikson’s theory of development.

Unresolved conflicts and dilemmas remain as unfinished business—
excess emotional baggage that makes each succeeding stage more
difficult to resolve successfully. Vaillant and others who have studied
adults from childhood through midlife have found some support for this
notion. Harvard men in the Grant study who could reasonably be

described as having failed to develop trust in their early childhood did
have many more difficulties in the first few decades of adulthood. They
were more pessimistic, self-doubting, passive, and dependent as adults
and showed many more maladaptive or unsuccessful outcomes compared
to those with more trusting childhoods.
Other forms of cumulative effect operate as well. One major off-time
experience early in life, for example, may trigger a whole series of
subsequent off-time or stressful experiences. The most obvious example
is the impact of adolescent parenthood, which often leads to early school
departure, which in turn affects the complexity of the job one is likely to
find, which affects intellectual flexibility, and so on through the years.

Adaptive or Maladaptive Outcomes versus
Happiness
It is important to emphasize that the range of possible outcomes I have
labeled adaptive and maladaptive changes are not identical to happiness
and unhappiness. Maladaptive changes such as illness, substance abuse,

suicide attempts, or depression are obviously correlated with
unhappiness. But such adaptive changes as improved health habits,
increased social activity, or movement along the sequence of stages of
ego or spiritual development are not uniformly associated with increases
in happiness. For example, McCrae and Costa (1983) did not find that
adults at the conscientious or higher levels of ego development reported
any higher life satisfaction than did adults at the conformist stage. Thus,
profound changes can result from a disequilibrium period without being
reflected in alterations of overall happiness or life satisfaction. Instead, a
change in the ego-development stage may alter the criteria of happiness

one applies to one’s life. As McCrae and Costa say:
We suggest that the quality and quantity of happiness do not vary with levels of maturity, but
that the circumstances that occasion happiness or unhappiness, the criteria of satisfaction or
dissatisfaction with life, may vary with ego level. The needs and concerns, aspirations and
irritations of more mature individuals will doubtless be different—more subtle, more
individualistic, less egocentric. The less psychologically mature person may evaluate his or her
life in terms of money, status, and sex; the more mature, in terms of achievement, altruism,
and love. (p. 247)
Maturing does not automatically make an adult happy, as demonstrated
by (among other things) the lack of correlation between age and

happiness. Maturing and other adaptive changes alter the agenda and
thus alter the life structures we create and the way we evaluate those life
structures.
12.4: Successful Aging
Objective: Determine the elements of successful aging
A generation ago, college students taking a course in adulthood and aging
would have a far different text book than this one. Chances are it would
catalog various categories of physical health that decline with age and
numerous abilities that are lost when individuals reach certain
milestones. As you have undoubtedly noticed, things have changed, and I
hope you are taking away a different picture of adulthood development
and aging that has a more positive message. If so, you can thank
proponents of a school of thought called “successful aging.”
First, Paul Baltes and his colleagues (1980) were the forerunners of
successful aging with their lifespan developmental psychology approach, in
which they told us that there are interesting things going on after
adolescence that are worth studying; it is not just overall loss and decline.
There are interesting changes that can be measured, and they are not all
deterioration; there are gains in many areas. Development takes place in
the context of our lives. Many types of decline can be modified,
prevented, or delayed. We can compensate for many types of losses, and

these changes are topics of study in many disciplines besides psychology.
Second, Urie Bronfenbrenner (1979) told us with his ecological systems
approach that we can’t learn much just studying the individuals’
developmental process. We have to consider the ecology surrounding
them. Adult development does not take place in a vacuum, but is

influenced by family, social group, workplace, neighborhood, racial-
ethnic group, and even the political system that operates in one’s country.
In 1998, gerontologist John W. Rowe and psychologist Robert L. Kahn
published the results of the MacArthur Foundation Study in a popular
book titled Successful Aging. Instead of following the downhill path older
people take from age 60 on, they concentrated on the many older adults
that remain physically and mentally strong throughout their lives. They
found that although genetics provide the blueprint for our early
development, they become less and less important as we grow older and
the environment takes center stage. The good news is that many aspects
of the environment are under our own control, such as what we eat, how
often we exercise, and how we spend our leisure time. This book gave
adults of all ages a better view of what aging is for many people and what
it may be for them if they made modifications in their lifestyles and
attitudes.
Following the concept of successful aging, researchers concentrated on
five strategies to help adults of all ages improve their quality of life in the
present and help ensure their successful aging in older and late adulthood
(Depp et al., 2014).

will be able to:
12.4.1 Relate physical and mental exercise to successful aging
12.4.2 Explain the role of social engagement on successful aging
12.4.3 Summarize data on the role of diet on successful aging
12.4.4 Describe the benefits of meditation and yoga

12.4.1: Physical and Mental Exercise
Objective: Relate physical and mental exercise to successful aging
The American College of Sports Medicine has recommended at least 150
minutes of moderate physical exercise a week, or 30 minutes five times a

week (Chodzko-Zajko et al., 2009). Adults of all ages who manage to do
this have lower levels of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and
osteoarthritis. Adults who are physically active have lower levels of
cognitive decline, depression, and anxiety. Table 12.4  highlights some

recommendations for adult exercise.
Table 12.4 Exercise Recommendations for All Adults

Source: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (2018).
Exercising the mind, too, has its benefits. A review of 21 studies have
shown that cognitive training in a controlled setting may improve specific
mental functions, such as memory performance, processing speed,

executive function, attention, and fluid intelligence, although it is not
clear whether these improvements will generalize to memory tasks of

everyday living (Reijnders et al., 2013). Casual gaming, which involves
commercially produced apps of “brain games,” are used by 200 million

people in the world. These apps have been advertised as products that
improve cognitive abilities in older adults and prevent dementia.

Numerous studies of these casual games have shown there is no evidence
that playing these games improves cognitive abilities and, more

importantly, no mental exercise has been shown to prevent or cure
dementias such as Alzheimer’s disease (Willis & Belleville, 2016). A

better idea is to join a bridge club or chess club where you will get a
mental workout along with social engagement.
12.4.2: Social Engagement
Objective: Explain the role of social engagement on successful
aging
People of any age who have regular social contact with family and friends
enjoy better health and well-being than those who are more isolated, but
it is especially true in later adulthood (Cherry et al., 2013). Various
studies have shown the physical and mental health benefits of number of
friends, number of hours spent outside the home, and number of types of
relationships, such as family, friends, neighbors, social club members, and
golf buddies. Figure 12.7  shows that the greater the number of social
roles an older adult has, the better their score on cognitive tests (Ellwardt
et al., 2015). Interventions aimed at improving social skills and increasing
chances for social contact have been successful in adults of all ages (Masi
et al., 2011).
Figure 12.7 Social Roles and Cognition

The more social roles, the better the cognition, at least for older adults.
Source: Ellwardt et al. (2015).

12.4.3: Diet and Nutrition
Objective: Summarize data on the role of diet on successful aging
Caloric restriction is related to greater longevity in laboratory animals and
also, in early clinical trials, humans. Many studies of the effectiveness of

supplements, such as ginkgo biloba and vitamin D have not shown that
they provide any benefits to memory or other cognitive processes.
However, following the Mediterranean diet has been found to lower the
risk for cognitive decline and to reduce rates of cardiovascular disease

and depression (Scarmeas et al., 2009). This diet is a plant-based diet that
replaces saturated fats (butter) with polyunsaturated fats (olive oil),
replaces salt with herbs and spices, limits red meat to once or twice a
month, and includes fish and/or poultry at least twice a week.

12.4.4: Complementary and Alternative
Medicine
Objective: Describe the benefits of meditation and yoga
The practice of yoga is very old, but the research exploring its
effectiveness is fairly recent. In one study of women age 45–80 who
practiced yoga, those who did it regularly reported more positive
attitudes, mental mastery, and feelings of vitality than those who practices
it less regularly (Moliver et al., 2013). In another study, older men and
women who had sleep problems participated in yoga classes twice a week
for 12 weeks. At the end of that time, they reported significant
improvements in sleep quality and general well-being, with lower levels
of fatigue, depression, anxiety, and stress (Halpern et al., 2014).

Practicing yoga is just one of many practices that may increase overall
well-being.
Another practice that has become popular is meditation. Older adults

who had meditated for more than 10 years performed better on tests of
cognitive skills than those who did not meditate at all (Prakash et al.,
2012).
Perhaps the most remarkable thing about this journey is that, with all its
potential pitfalls and dilemmas, most adults pass through it with

reasonable happiness and satisfaction, acquiring a modicum of wisdom
on the way to pass along to those who travel behind them. May your
journey be successful!
Summary: The Successful Journey
12.1 Themes of Adult Development

Objective: Summarize major themes in adult development
To understand adult development, it is important to divide it into
topics, as is done in the earlier chapters of this book. But it is also
important to put it back together again and view people as wholes.
Emerging adulthood is the time of peak physical and cognitive

abilities. This is a newly identified stage of adulthood defined by
identity exploration, positive instability, focusing on the self, feeling
in-between, and imagining possibilities.
Young adulthood is the time of continued high levels of physical and
cognitive abilities. Some decline begins as early as age 30, but it is not
noticeable except for top-performing athletes. This period is the time
of peak role transitions, relationship formation, and tribalization (a
sense of belonging to a group).
Middle adulthood is the time in which the biological clock begins to

tick noticeably. The first signs of physical aging appear and the first
signs of cognitive decline, though it is slight. Reproductive ability
declines for both men and women, and then ends for women. The
social clock becomes less loud. There is more flexibility in family
roles and careers. There is time to question the rules and actions of
the tribe and to become more of an individual.

Although middle adulthood is known as a time of crisis, this myth
does not stand up to empirical research.
The hallmark of older adulthood is retirement. There is little
biological difference between this group and those in middle
adulthood, but the social differences can be significant if retirement is
considered. The end of one’s regular work life can have major
financial and social effects, although there is no evidence that
retirement has an effect on physical or mental health. Most older
adults spend this stage adapting to a new lifestyle and finding new
roles to fill now that the role of worker is finished.

Late adulthood is the fastest-growing age group in the United States
and in all developed countries. As a result, we know more about this
age than ever before. The slow decline in physical and cognitive
abilities that began back in early adulthood speeds up in late
adulthood. This is accompanied by a decrease in social activities and
social networks. However, most people this age enjoy fewer but
closer relationships. The hypothesis that those who disengage from
the world are mentally healthier has not held up to close
examination.
Late adulthood is a time for reviewing one’s life and perhaps coming
to grips with one’s eventual death. Some adults in this time of life
write memoirs or mend fences with former friends and family
members.
12.2 Variations in Successful

Development
Objective: Evaluate measures of life success
Although this book emphasizes the typical pathways through
adulthood, there are many variations that can lead to success and
well-being.
Quality of life for adulthood in the United States depends highly on
socioeconomic status and health. These two factors explain many of

the more distal predictors, such as race and gender. Another factor is
age, with older adults reporting greater quality of life than middle-
aged or young adults. Those who are happily married, participate in
physical and social activities, feel they have control over their lives,
and base their comparisons on others their age also report higher
quality of life.
12.3 A Model of Adult Growth and

Development
Objective: Analyze adulthood according to models of growth and
development
Despite the variability in adult development, most of us have

similarities in our journeys of adulthood, and these journeys are
strongly influenced by our education, family background, intelligence,

and personality.
The developmental pathways we travel along are made up of
alternating stable times and times of disequilibrium. The periods of

disequilibrium can result in positive change, negative change, or
neutral outcomes.
12.4 Successful Aging

Objective: Determine the elements of successful aging
Most adults pass through adulthood with reasonable happiness and

satisfaction, picking up some wisdom along the way and passing it
along to those who come behind them.
Key Terms: The Successful Journey

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can inform each other. Frontiers in Psychology, 7, 687. ; Figure 06-03 
Fales, M. R., Frederick, D. A., Garcia, J. R., et al. (2016). Mating markets
and bargaining hands: Mate preferences for attractiveness and resources
in two national U.S. studies. Personality and Individual Differences, 88,
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about-online-dating/; Table 06-01 Bartholomew, K., & Horowitz, L. M.
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Hazan, C., & Shaver, P. (1990). Love and work: An attachment
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270–280; Figure 06-05 Chopik, W. J., Edelstein, R. S., & Grimm, K. J.

(2017). Longitudinal changes in attachment orientation over a 59-year
period. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology; Figure 06-06
Chopik, W. J., Edelstein, R. S., & Grimm, K. J. (2017). Longitudinal
changes in attachment orientation over a 59-year period. Journal of
Personality and Social Psychology; Figure 06-07  K. Daniel O'Leary,

Bianca P. Acevedo, Arthur Aron, Leonie Huddy, and Debra Mashek, "Is
Long-Term Love More Than A Rare Phenomenon? If So, What Are Its
Correlates?," Social Psychological and Personality Science, pages 240-249,
Sage Publications 2012; Table 06-02  Lee, K. S., & Ono, H. (2012).
Marriage, cohabitation and happiness: A cross-national analysis of 27

countries. Journal of Marriage and Family, 74, 953-972.; Figure 06-08 
Renee Stepler, "Number of U.S. adults cohabiting with a partner
continues to rise, especially among those 50 and older: Pew Research

Center April 6, 2017 http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-
tank/2017/04/06/number-of-u-s-adults-cohabiting-with-a-partner-
continues-to-rise-especially-among-those-50-and-older/; Figure 06-09 
Gates, G. J. (2016). In U.S., more adults identifying as LGBT: Gallup Poll.
Re-trieved on November 18, 2017 from

http://news.gallup.com/poll/201731/lgbt-identification-rises.aspx;
Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Incorporated: W. W. Hartup, Z. Rubin,

Relationships and Development (Lawrence Erlbaum Associates,
Incorporated, 1986), p. 100; Taylor & Francis: Abetz, J., & Wang, T. R.
(2017). “Were they ever really happy the way that I remember?”:
Exploring sources of uncertainty for adult children of divorce. Journal of
Divorce and Remarriage, 58, 194-211; Figure 06-10  Rubin, O. (2015).
Contact between parents and adult children: the role of time constraints,
commuting and automobility. Journal of transport geography, 49, 76-84;
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happy the way that I remember?”: Exploring sources of uncertainty for

adult children of divorce. Journal of Divorce and Remarriage, 58, 194-211;

Figure 06-11  DeKay, W. T., & Shackelford, T. K. (2000). Toward an
evolutionary approach to social cognition. Evolution and Cognition, 6,

185–195.; Figure 06-12  Shalhevet Attar-Schwartz, Jo-Pei Tan, Ann
Buchanan, et al., "Grandparenting and Adolescent Adjustment in Two-
Parent Biological, Lone-Parent, and Step-Families," Journal of Family

Psychology 2009, 23(1), 67-75.; Figure 06-13  Milevsky, A. (2005).
Compensatory patterns of sibling support in emerging adulthood:
Variations in loneliness, self-esteem, depression, and life satisfaction.

Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 22, 743–755; Figure 06-14
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http://www.pewinternet.org/fact-sheet/social-media/; Figure 06-15
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2016. Retrieved on October 27, 2017 from
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Usage Continues to Climb in Emerging Economies, " Pew Research
Center, FEBRUARY 22, 2016. http://www.pewresearch.org/wp-content/

uploads/sites/2/2016/02/
pew_research_center_global_technology_report_final_february_22__2016.
pdf;
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Figure 07-01  Holland, J.L. (1992) Making vocational choice: A theory of
personalities and work environments, 2/e. Copyright © 1992 by
Psychological Assessment Resources. Reprinted by permission; Figure 07-
02 U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (2017a). Women in the labor force: A

data book. Retrieved on December 5, 2017 from
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Figure 07-03  U. S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (2017c). Labor force
statistics from the Current Population Sur-vey. Retrieved on Dec. 13, 2017
from https://www.bls.gov/cps/cpsaat11.htm; Figure 07-04  CIA World
Factbook (2018). Retrieved on January 4, 2019 from
https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-
factbook/geos/us.html; Figure 07-05  DeSilver, D. (2016). Millions of
young people in U.S. and EU are neither working or learning. Retrieved
on January 11, 2018 from http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-

tank/2016/01/28/us-eu-neet-population/; Figure 07-06  Mazzocco, M.,
Ruiz, C., & Yamaguchi, S. (2014). Labor supply and household dynamics.
American Economic Review: Papers and Proceedings, 104, 354-359.;

Figure 07-07  U. S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (2017). Employment status
of the population by sex, marital sta-tus, and presence and age of own
children under 18. Retrieved on January 24, 2018 from
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Livingston, G. (2016). Among 41 nations, U. S. is the outlier when it
comes to paid parental leave. Retrieved on January 15th, 2018 from
http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2016/09/26/u-s-lacks-mandated-
paid-parental-leave/; Figure 07-09  U. S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
(2017). Employment status of the population by sex, marital sta-tus, and
presence and age of own children under 18. Retrieved on January 24,
2018 from https://www.bls.gov/news.release/famee.t05.htm; Figure 07-
10 Federal Interagency Forum on Aging-Related Statistics (2017). Older
Americans: Key indicators of well-being. Retrieved on February 5, 2018

from https://agingstats.gov/docs/LatestReport/Older-Americans-2016-
Key-Indicators-of-WellBeing.pdf; Figure 07-11 Federal Interagency Forum
on Aging-Related Statistics (2017). Older Americans: Key indicators of
well-being. Retrieved on February 5, 2018 from

https://agingstats.gov/docs/LatestReport/Older-Americans-2016-Key-
Indicators-of-WellBeing.pdf
Chapter 8
Elsevier: Costa, P. T., Jr., & McCrae, R. R. (1997). Longitudinal stability of
adult personality. In R. Hogan, J. Johnson, & S. Briggs (Eds.), Handbook
of personality psychology (pp. 269–290). San Diego, CA: Academic Press;

Figure 08-01  Roberts B. W., & DelVecchio, W. F. (2000). The rank-order
consistency of personality traits from childhood to old age: A quantitative
review of longitudinal studies. Psychological Bulletin, 126, 3–25.; Figure
08-02  McCrae, R. R., Terracciano, A., & 78 members of the Personality

Profiles of Cultures Project. (2005). Universal features of personality traits
from the observer’s perspective: Data from 50 cultures. Journal of
Personality and Social Psychology, 88, 547–561.; Figure 08-03  Roberts,

B. W., Walton, K. E., & Viechtbauer, W. (2006). Patterns of mean-level
change in personality traits across the life course: A meta- analysis of
longitudinal studies. Psychological Bulletin, 132, 1–25.; American

Psychological Association: Roberts, B. W., Walton, K. E., & Bogg, T.
(2005). Conscientiousness and health across the life course. Review of
General Psychology, 9, 156–168.; Figure 08-04  Walton, G. M., & Cohen,
G. L. (2007). A question of belonging: Race, fit, and achievement. Journal

of Personality and Social Psychology, 92, 82–96; Figure 08-05  Roberts,
B. W., Walton, K. E., & Bogg, T. (2005). Conscientiousness and health
across the life course. Review of General Psychology, 9, 156–168.; Figure

08-06  Riemann, R., Angleitner, A., & Strelau, J. (1997). Genetic and
environmental influences on personality: A study of twins reared together
using the self- and peer-report NEO-FFI scales. Journal of Personality, 65,
449–475.; Figure 08-07 Sutin, A. R., Stephan, Y., & Terracciano, A.
(2016). Perceived discrimination and personality development in
adulthood. Developmental Psychology, 52(1), 155.Table 08-01  Adapted

from Erikson (1950, 1959, 1982); W. W. Norton & Company, Inc.:
Erikson, E. H. (1950). Childhood and society. New York: Norton.; W. W.
Norton & Company, Inc.: Erikson, E. H. (1959). Identity and the life cycle.
New York: Norton. (Reissued 1980.); W. W. Norton & Company, Inc.:

Erikson, E. H. (1982). The life cycle completed. New York: Norton.;
Figure 08-08 Whitbourne, S. K., Zuschlag, M. K., Elliot, L. B., et al. (1992).
Psychosocial development in adulthood: A 22-year sequential study.

Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 63, 260–271.; Table 08-02
McAdams, D. P., & de St. Aubin, E. (1992). A theory of generativity and
its assessment through self-report, behavioral acts, and narrative themes

in autobiography. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 62, 1003–
1015.; Figure 08-09 McAdams, D. P., Hart, H. M., & Maruna, S. (1998).
The anatomy of generativity. In D. P. McAdams & E. de St. Aubin (Eds.),

Generativity and adult development: How and why we care for the next
generation (pp. 7–43). Washington, DC: American Psychological
Association.; Elsevier: Loevinger, J. (1997). Stages of personality
development. In R. Hogan, J. Johnson, & S. Briggs (Eds.), Handbook of

personality psychology (pp. 199–208). San Diego, CA: Academic Press.;
Figure 08-10  Truluck, J. E., & Courtenay, B. C. (2002). Ego development
and the influence of gender, age, and educational levels among older
adults. Educational Gerontology, 28, 325–336. Table 08-03 American
Psychiatric Association. (2000). Diagnostic and statistical manual of
mental disorders (4th ed.). Washington, DC: American Psychiatric

Association.; Figure 08-11  Maslow, A. H. (1968/1998). Toward a
psychology of being (3rd ed.). New York: Wiley.; American Psychological
Association: Seligman, M. E. P., & Csikszentmihalyi, M. (2000). Positive

psychology: An introduction. American Psychologist, 55, 5–14.; U.S.
Army: Slogan for U.S. Army; Oxford University Press: Aristotle. (1946).
The politics of Aristotle (E. Barker, Trans.). London, England: Oxford
University Press. (Original work written around 350 BCE.);

Chapter 9
Pew Research Center: Pew Research Center, 2018; Harper Collins:
Fowler(1981)Stages of Faith, pages 171–172. HarperCollins Publishers,
1981; Figure 09-01  Pew Research Center, 2014; Figure 09-02  Wink &
Dillon (2002) Spiritual development across the adult life course: Findings
from a longitudinal study JOURNAL OF ADULT DEVELOPMENT, 9,
Springer Science+Business Media; Figure 09-03  Wink & Dillon (2002)

Spiritual development across the adult life course: Findings from a
longitudinal study JOURNAL OF ADULT DEVELOPMENT, 9; Table 09-01
Adapted from Underwood (2008).; Figure 09-04 Data from Tartaro, J.,
Leucken, L.J. & Gunn, H.E. (2005) Exploring heart and soul: Effects of
religiousity/spirituality and gender on blood pressure and cortisol stress
response. JOURNAL OF HEALTH PSYCHOLOGY, 10, pg 760 fig. 2; Table

09-02 Kohlberg, L. (1984). Essays on moral development: Vol. 2. The
psychology of moral development. San Francisco, CA: Harper &Row.;
Sussex Publishers, LLC: Fowler, J. (1983). Stages of faith: PT conversation
with James Fowler. Psychology Today, 17, 55–62.; Harper Collins:

1981; Harvard University Press: R. Kegan (1982) The Evolving Self.
Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press; Harper Collins:

1981;KNOPF DOUBLEDAY PUBLISHING GROUP: Teresa of Ávila, St.
(1562/1960). Interior castle. Garden City, NJ: Image Books.; Figure 09-
05  Colby, A., Kohlberg, L., Gibbs, J., et al. (1983). A longitudinal study
of moral judgment. Monographs of the Society for Research in Child
Development, 48(1–2, Serial No. 200), Nisan, M., & Kohlberg, L. (1982).
Universality and variation in moral judgment: A longitudinal and cross-
sectional study in Turkey. Child Development, 53, 865–876 and Snarey, J.
R., Reimer, J., & Kohlberg, L. (1985). Development of social-moral
reasoning among kibbutz adolescents: A longitudinal cross-sectional

study. Developmental Psychology, 21, 3–17; Table 09-04 R. Kegan(1980)
There the dance is: Religious dimensions of development theory. In J.
Fowler & A. Vergote. Toward Moral & Religious Maturity (pp 403–440)
1980 Silver Burdette.; Harper Collins: Sam Keen, The Passionate Life.
(New York: HarperCollins Publishers).; Harper Collins: Sam Keen, The
Passionate Life. (New York: HarperCollins Publishers)

Chapter 10
Figure 10-02  Data from Almeida, D. M. (2005). Resilience and
vulnerability to daily stressors assessed via diary methods. Current

Directions in Psychological Sciences, 14, 64–68; Figure 10-03  Lillberg,
K., Verkasalo, P. K., Kaprio, J., et al. (2003). Stressful life events and risk
of breast cancer in 10,808 women: A cohort study. American Journal of

Epidemiology, 157, 415–423; Figure 10-04  Kessler, R. C., Aguilar-
Gaxiola, S., Alonso, J., et al. (2017) Trauma and OTSD in the WHO World
Mental Health Surveys, European Journal of Psychotraumatology, 8,

1353-1383.; Figure 10-05  Yehuda, R., (2002). Current concepts: Post-
traumatic stress disorder. New England Journal of Medicine, 346, 108–
114; Figure 10-06 Almeida, D. M., & Horn, M. C. (2004). Is daily life more
stressful during middle adulthood? In O. G. Brim, C. D. Ryff, & R. C.
Kessler (Eds.), How healthy are we? A national study of well-being at
midlife (pp. 425–451). Chicago: University of Chicago Press; Figure 10-07
Scott, S. B., Poulin, M. J., & Silver, R. C. (2013). A lifespam perspective on

terrorism: Age differences in trajectories of response to 9/11.
Developmental Psychology, 49, 986-998.; Figure 10-08  Cole, S. W.,
Hawkley, L. C., Arevalo, J. M., et al. (2007). Social regulation of gene

expression in human leukocytes. Genome Biology, 8, R189. Table 10-01 
Carver, C. S. (1997). You want to measure coping by your protocol's too
long: Consider the brief COPE. International Journal of Behavioral

Medicine, 4, 92–100; Figure 10-09 Zivotofsky, A. Z., & Koslowsky, M.
(2005). Short communication: Gender differences in coping with the
major external stress of the Washington, DC, sniper. Stress and Health,
21, 27–31. Figure 10-10 Fingerhut, A. W. (2018). The role of social
support and gay identity in the stress processes of a sample of Caucasian
gay men. Psychology of Sexual Orientation and Gender Diversity, 5, 294–
302.; Figure 10-11  Bonanno, G. A. (2005). Resilience in the face of

potential trauma. Current Directions in Psychological Sciences, 14, 135–
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Lifetime trauma, perceived control, and al-cause mortality: Results from
the Midlife in the United States Study. Health Psychology, 262-270.;
Figure 10-13  Lucas, G. M., Rizzo, A., Gratch, J., et al., (2017). Reporting
mental health symptoms: Breaking down barriers to care with virtual

human interviewers. Frontiers in Robotics and AI, 4, 51
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Elsevier: Neugarten, B. L. (1970). Dynamics of transition of middle age to
old age. Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, 4, 71–87; Taylor and Francis:
Corr, C. A. (1993). Coping with dying: Lessons we should and should not
learn from the work of Elisabeth Kubler-Ross. Death Studies, 17, 69–83.;
Table 11-01  Alsop, S. (1973). Stay ofexecution. New York: Lippincott.;
Figure 11-01  Data from Teno, J. M., Clarridge, B. R., Casey, V., et al.
(2004). Family perspectives on end-of-life care at the last place of care.

Jour-nal of the American Medical Association, 291, 88–93. American
Medical Association, 2004; Figure 11-02  Oregon Health Authority
(2018). Oregon Death With Dignity Act: 2017 data summary, Retrieved
on March 18, 2018 from http://www.oregon.gov/oha/PH/
PROVIDERPARTNERRESOURCES/EVALUATIONRESEARCH/
DEATHWITHDIGNITYACT/Documents/year20.pdf; Elsevier: Wilkinson,
A. M. & Lynn, J. (2001). The end of life. In R. H. Binstock & L. K. George

(Eds.), Handbook of aging and the social sciences (pp. 441-461. San
Diego, CA: Academic Press; Elsevier: Victor W. Marshall and Judith A.
Levy (1990) Aging and dying. In Handbook of Aging and the Social
Sciences, 3rd Edition (invited but reviewed). Robert Binstock and Linda
George (Eds.). San Francisco: Academic Press, pp. 245-260.; American
Psychological Association: Feifel, H. (1990). Psychology and death:

Meaningful rediscovery. American Psychologist, 45, 537-543; Table 11-02
Adapted from Hazell, L. V. (1997). Cross-cultural funeral rites. Director,
69, 53–55, Lobar, S. L. (2006). Cross-cultural beliefs, ceremonies, and
rituals surrounding death of a loved one. Pediatric Nursing, 32, 44–50 and
Techner, D. (1997). The Jewish funeral—A celebration of life. Director, 69,
18–20; Figure 11-03 Bonanno, G. A., Wortman, C. B., Lehman, D. R., et
al. (2002). Resilience to loss and chronic grief: A prospective study from
pre-loss to 18 months post-loss. Journal of Personality and Social
Psychology, 83, 1150–1164.; PARABOLA MAGAZINE: Steindl-Rast, 1977,
p. 22 Steindl-Rast, B. D. (1977). Learning to die. Parabola, 2, 22–31

Chapter 12
Figure 12-02 Wethington, E. (2000). Expecting stress: Americans and the
“midlife crisis.” Motivation and Emotion, 24, 85–103; Elsevier:
Blanchflower, D. G., & Oswald, A. J. (2008). Is well-being U-shaped over

the life cycle?. Social science & medicine, 66(8), 1733-1749.; Figure 12-03
Lachman, M. E., Teshale, S., & Agrigoroaei, S. (2015). Midlife as a pivotal
period in the life course: Balancing growth and decline at the crossroads
of youth and old age. International journal of behavioral development,

39(1), 20-31.; Figure 12-04 Shneidman, E. S. (1989). The Indian summer
of life: A preliminary study of septuagenarians. American Psychologist,
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Cumming, E. (1975). Engagement with an old theory. International
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Butler, R. N. (1993). The importance of basic research in gerontology. Age

and Ageing, 22, S53–S55.; John Wiley & Sons, Inc: Giele, J. Z. (1982).
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Extraversion, and Openness to Experience. Personality and Individual
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E. T. (2014). Celebrating 50 years of research and applications in

reminiscence and life review: State of the art and new directions. Journal
of Aging Studies, 29, 107–114.; Table 12-04  American College of Sports
Medicine, 2011. https://greatist.com/fitness/acsm-releases-new-exercise-

guidelines; Figure 12-05  Waddington, C. H. (1957). The strategy of the
genes. London: Allen & Son.; Figure 12-07  Ellwardt, L., Van Tilburg, T.
G., Aartsen, M. J. (2015). The mix matters: Complex personal networks

relate to higher cognitive functioning in old age. Social Science and
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Image Credits
FM
Lindsey Smith.
Chapter 1
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Chapter 2
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Chapter 3
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Photo 03-04  Africa Studio/Shutterstock
Chapter 4
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Chapter 5
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Chapter6
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Chapter 7
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Chapter 8
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Chapter 9
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Chapter 10
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Chapter 11
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Jaggat Rashidi/Shutterstock; Photo 11-05 Budimir Jevtic/Shutterstock
Chapter 12
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Glossary
ability–expertise tradeoff
observation that as general ability declines with age, job expertise
increases.
accommodate
ability of the lens of the eye to change shape to focus on near or far
objects, or small print.
acute conditions
short-term health disorders.
acute stress disorder
reactions to trauma that are similar to PTSD, but diminish within a
month.
adaptive nature of cognition
how cognitive abilities adapt to life changes across a lifetime.
addictive disorders
disorders typified by intense desire for and compulsion to use a substance
or complete an action, such as gambling, when any related triggers are

present
ADLs (activities of daily living)
basic self-care activities.
adult development
changes that take place within individuals as they progress from
emerging adulthood to the end of life.
ageism
discrimination against those who are in a later (or earlier) period of
adulthood.
age-related macular degeneration
visual disorder of the retina, causing central vision loss.
aging in place
the ability of older people to remain in their own homes their whole lives.
Alzheimer’s disease
progressive, incurable deterioration of key areas of the brain.
antibodies
proteins that react to foreign organisms such as viruses and other
infectious agents.
antioxidants
substances that protect against oxidative damage from free radicals.
anxiety disorders
category of mental health disorders that involves feelings of fear, threat,

and dread when no obvious danger is present.
atherosclerosis
process by which fat-laden deposits called plaques form in the artery
walls.
attachment behaviors
outward expressions of attachment.
attachment orientation
patterns of expectations, needs, and emotions one exhibits in
interpersonal relationships that extend beyond the early attachment

figures.
attachment theory
Bowlby’s theory that infants form strong affectional bonds with their
caregivers that provide basic security and understanding of the world and
serve as a foundation for later relationships.
attachment
strong affectional bond an infant forms with his or her caregivers.
attrition
dropout rate of participants during a study.
atypical
not typical; unique to the individual.
average lifespan
the number that comes from adding up the ages at which everyone in a
certain population dies and then dividing by the number of people in that
population.
B cells
cells of the immune system produced in the bone marrow that
manufacture antibodies.
balance
ability to adapt one’s body position to change.

behavioral genetics
study of the contributions genes make to individual behavior.
bioecological model
model of development proposed by Bronfenbrenner that points out that
we must consider the developing person within the context of multiple

environments.
biological age
measure of an individual’s physical condition.
biological clock
patterns of change over adulthood in health and physical functioning.
body mass index (BMI)

number derived from a person’s weight and height; a standard indicator
of body composition.
bone mass density (BMD)

measurement of bone density used to diagnose osteoporosis.
bridge employment
part-time job or less stressful full-time job usually taken after retirement.
buffering effect
pattern of results that cushion the outcomes of a distressing situation.
caloric restriction (CR)

diet in which calories are severely reduced, but containing essential
nutrients; found to slow down aging in animal studies.
cancer
disease in which abnormal cells undergo rapidly accelerated,
uncontrolled division and later move into adjacent normal tissues.
cardiovascular disease
disorder of the heart and blood vessels that occurs more frequently with
age.
career commitment
factor that plays a role in how long an individual remains in his or her
job.
career recycling
in vocational psychology, the notion that people may go back and revisit
earlier stages of career development.
career
patterns and sequences of occupations or related roles held by people

across their working lives and into retirement.
caregiving orientation
system that is activated in adults when they interact with infants and
young children, causing them to respond to the appearance and behavior
of younger members of the species (and often other species) by providing
security, comfort, and protection.
cataracts
visual disorder characterized by gradual clouding of the lens of the eye.
change
slow and gradual movement in a predictable direction.
chronic conditions
long-term health disorders.
chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE)

type of dementia that has increased prevalence for individuals who have
suffered traumatic brain injury (TBI).
chronological age
number of years that have passed since birth.
climacteric
time of life for men and women that involves the reduction of sex
hormone production resulting in the loss of reproductive ability.
cochlea
small shell-shaped structure in the inner ear containing auditory receptor
cells.
cognitive complexity
higher levels of thinking and reasoning.
cohabitation
living together in an intimate partnership without marriage.
cohort
group of people who share a common historical experience at the same
stage of life.
commonalities
aspects that are typical of adult life.
communal qualities
personal characteristics that nurture and bring people together, such as
being expressive and affectionate; stereotypical female qualities.
community dwelling
living in one’s own home either with a spouse or alone.
comparison of means
statistical analysis that allows researchers to determine whether the
difference in measurements taken on two groups are large enough to be
considered statistically significant.
complementary and alternative medicine providers

healthcare providers whose treatments are not supported by scientific
data.
contextual perspective
approach to cognition that considers the context within which thought
processes take place.
continuous
property of development that is slow and gradual, taking us in a
predictable direction.
convoy
ever-changing network of social relationships that surrounds each of us

throughout our lives.
coping behaviors
thoughts, feelings, and actions that serve to reduce the effects of stressful
events.
coping
ways to reduce the effects of stress reactions.
correlational analysis
statistical analysis that tells us the extent to which two sets of scores on
the same individuals vary together.
cross-sectional study
in the study of development, research method in which data is gathered

at one time from groups of participants who represent different age
groups.
crystallized intelligence
learned abilities based on education and experience, measured by

vocabulary and by verbal comprehension.
cultures
large social environment in which development takes place.
cyclic GMP
substance released by the brain during sexual arousal.
dark adaptation
ability of the pupil of the eye to adjust to changes in the amount of
available light.
death anxiety
fear of death.
decentering
cognitive movement outward from the self.
declarative memory
knowledge that is available to conscious awareness and can be assessed
by recall or recognition tests.
defense mechanism
in Vaillant’s theory of mature adaptation, the set of normal, unconscious
strategies used for dealing with anxiety.
dementia
category of various types of brain damage and disease that involve

significant impairment of memory, judgment, social functioning, and
control of emotions.
descriptive research
type of data gathering that defines the current state of participants on

some measure of interest.
developmental psychology
field of study that deals with changes that take place in behavior,
thoughts, and emotions of individuals as they go from conception to the

end of life.
developmental-origins hypothesis
explanation that events during the fetal period, infancy, and the early
years of childhood are significant factors in subsequent adult health.
dexterity
skill and grace in physical movement, especially in the use of the hands.
DHEA (dehydroepiandrosterone)
hormone involved in the production of sex hormones for both males and
females.
diabetes
disease in which the body is not able to metabolize insulin.
differential continuity
stability of individuals’ rank order within a group over time.
digit-span task
test in which the participant hears a list of digits and is asked to recall
them in exact order.
discrimination
prejudicial treatment
disengagement
early hypothesis that held that late adulthood is a time when people
withdraw from activities and relationships in preparation for the end of
life.
distal causes
factors that were present in the distant past.
divided attention
attending to more than one task at a time.
DNA methylation
chemical process by which genes are modified in epigenetic inheritance.
economic exchange theory

explanation of gender roles stating that men and women form intimate
partnerships based on an exchange of goods and services.
egalitarian roles
roles based on equality between genders.
ego integrity
in Erikson’s theory of psychosocial development, the tendency older
adults develop to review their life for meaning and integration.
elder abuse
an intentional act by a caregiver or other trusted person that causes harm

to an older adult.
emerging adulthood
period of transition from adolescence to young adulthood (approximately
18–25 years of age).
emotion-focused coping
stress-reducing technique that directly addresses the emotions causing
stress.
empirical research
scientific studies of observable events that are measured and evaluated
statistically.
epigenetic inheritance
process in which the genes one receives at conception are modified by
subsequent environmental events that occur during the prenatal period
and throughout the lifespan.
episodic memory
in information processing, the segment of the long-term store that
contains information about sequences of events.
erectile dysfunction (ED)

the inability for a man to have an erection adequate for satisfactory sexual
performance.
estrogen
female sex hormone.
evolutionary psychology
field of psychology that explains human behavior in terms of genetic

patterns that were useful in our primitive ancestors for survival and
reproduction success.
exchange theory
theory that we select mates by evaluating the assets we have to offer in a
relationship and the assets the potential mates have to offer, and try to
make the best deal.
executive function
in cognition, the process involved in regulating attention and
coordinating new and old information.
experimental design
empirical study that has a high level of experimental control.
extended families
grandparents, aunts and uncles, cousins, and other relatives beyond the
nuclear family of parents and children.
external changes
changes that are visible and apparent to those we encounter.
faith
a set of assumptions or understandings about the nature of our
connections with others and the world in which we live.
feminization of poverty
term used to describe the trend that an increasingly larger proportion of
people living in poverty are women.
filter theory
theory that we select mates by using finer and finer filtering mechanisms.
finitude
process of coming to grips with one’s eventual death.
Five-factor model (FFM)

inventory of five basic personality factors first demonstrated by Costa and
McCrae.
fluid intelligence
basic adaptive abilities, measured by tests of digit span, response speed,

and abstract reasoning.
Flynn effect
term for the increase shown in IQ scores over the last century, due mainly
to changes of modern life.
free radicals
molecules or atoms that possess an unpaired electron; by-products of cell
metabolism.
friendship
voluntary interpersonal relationship carried out within a social context.

functional age
measure of how well an individual is functioning in various aspects of
adulthood.
g
general intellectual capacity, which influences the way we approach many
different tasks.
gender crossover
relaxation of gender roles that is hypothesized to occur in men and
women when the parenting years are over.
gender ideology
attitudes and beliefs about the roles and equality of men and women.
gender roles
actual behaviors and attitudes of men and women in a given culture
during a given historical era.
gender schema theory
theory that states children are taught to view the world and themselves
through gender-polarized lenses that make artificial or exaggerated
distinctions between what is masculine and what is feminine.
gender stereotypes
sets of shared beliefs or generalizations about how men and women in a
society ought to behave.
general adaptation syndrome

in Selye’s theory, three stages of symptoms that occur in response to
stress: alarm reaction, resistance, and exhaustion.

generativity
in Erikson’s theory of psychosocial development, the tendency middle-
aged adults develop to help establish and guide the next generation.
genotype
individual’s complement of genes.
gerotranscendence
idea that meaning systems increase in quality as we age.
GH
synthetic version of human growth hormone that is prescribed for a
limited number of conditions but widely used as an antiaging drug.
glaucoma
visual disorder characterized by a buildup of pressure inside the eye that
can lead to blindness if not treated.
good death
death with dignity, with maximum consciousness and minimum pain.
grandmother effect
suggestion that the presence of grandmothers (especially maternal
grandmothers) has ensured children’s survival through recorded history.
Hayflick limit
maximum number of times cells are programmed to divide for a species.
hormone replacement therapy (HRT)
therapy in which women take estrogen and progestin at menopause to

replace hormones once produced by the ovaries; relieves menopause
symptoms.
hospice approach
philosophy that underlies hospice care. Specifically that death is an
inevitable part of life, that the dying person and the family should be
involved in as much of the care as possible and have control over the
setting, and that no life-prolonging measures should be taken.
hospice care
end-of-life care focused on pain relief, emotional support, and spiritual
comfort for dying patients and their families.
hostility
negative cognitive set against others.
human social genomics

study of changes in gene expression that result from subjective
perceptions of the environment.
IADLs (instrumental activities of daily living)

complex everyday tasks.
identity
in Erikson’s theory of psychosocial development, the set of personal
values and goals a young adult develops pertaining to gender,

occupation, and religious beliefs.
individual differences
aspects that are unique to the individual, not part of the whole group.
insomnia
inability to have normal sleep patterns.
instrumental qualities
personal characteristics that have an active impact, such as being
competitive, adventurous, and physically strong; stereotypical male
qualities.
intelligence
visible indicator of the efficiency of various cognitive processes that work

together behind the scenes to process information.
interactionist view
idea that genetics influence how one interacts with the environment and
the environment one chooses.
intergenerational effects
prenatal experiences that affect the female fetus in adulthood and also her
subsequent offspring.
intergenerational solidarity
extent to which family members of different generations are close to each
other.
internal changes
changes to ourselves that are not immediately apparent to the casual
observer.
internal working model
in Bowlby’s attachment theory, the set of beliefs and assumptions a

person has about the nature of all relationships based on specific
experiences in childhood.
intimacy
in Erikson’s theory of psychosocial development, the ability young adults
develop that allows them to enter into intimate relationships without
losing their own sense of self.
intra-individual variability
stability or instability of personality traits within an individual over time.
IQ (intelligence quotient)
score on an intelligence test that reflects general intellectual capacity.
job burnout
job-related condition that is a combination of exhaustion,
depersonalization, and reduced effectiveness.
job expertise
high level of skill that results from years of experience at a certain job.
job insecurity
anticipation of job loss by currently employed workers.
job loss
having paid employment taken away from an individual.
job strain
the result of doing work that requires high levels of psychological
demands from the worker but offers him or her little control.
labor force
those who are officially working at paid jobs.
lens
transparent structure in the eye that focuses light rays on receptors in the
retina.
libido
sexual desire.
life review
an analytic and evaluative review of our earlier life.
life-change events
in Holmes and Rahe’s theory, events that alter the status quo of an
individual’s life; when accumulated can lead to stress reactions.
life-span developmental psychology approach
idea that development is lifelong, multidimensional, plastic, contextual,

and has multiple causes.
life-span/life-space theory
concept that individuals develop careers in stages, and that career
decisions are not isolated from other aspects of their lives.
living will
legal document that states a person’s end-of-life decisions.
lonely
the perception of social isolation.
longitudinal study
research method in which data is gathered over a period of time from the
same group of people as they age.
long-term memory
component of memory where information can be stored for many years
or even forever.
major depressive disorder
disorder typified by a long-term, pervasive sense of sadness and

hopelessness
mate selection
process of choosing a long-term partner for an intimate relationship.
maximum lifespan
the longest an individual from a species can live; for humans it is about
120 years.
meaning-focused coping
stress-reducing technique that refers to anything you might think, feel,
and do to give a positive meaning to a stressful situation.
mean-level change
changes in a group’s average scores over time.
medication adherence
ability of patients to follow their physicians’ instructions about taking
their prescribed medication in the right dosages, at the right time, and for
the right length of time.
memory
ability to retain or store information and retrieve it when needed.
menopause
cessation of women’s menstrual periods, occurring 12 months after the

final menstrual period; climacteric.
meta-analysis
analysis of data from a large number of studies that deal with the same
research question, yielding more powerful results.
midlife crisis
popular myth that portrays middle age as a time of unstable and

unpredictable behavior.
mild cognitive impairment (MCI)

condition in which patients show some cognitive symptoms, but not all
those necessary for a diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease.
moral reasoning
analyzing what is right and wrong, judging the rightness or wrongness of
an act.
morbidity rate
illness rate.
mortality rate
probability of dying in any one year.
mortality risk
the chance that an individual will die within a certain period of time.
mysticism
self-transcendent experience.
name-retrieval failures
failure to come up with a name, known or celebrity, as in “the name of
that actor who used to be on Star Trek and now does hotel commercials.”
neurofibrillary tangles
webs of degenerating neurons found in the brains of Alzheimer's
patients.
neurogenesis
growth of new neurons.
neurons
cells in the brain and nervous system.
nondeclarative (implicit) memory
memory system responsible for learning and retaining new skills.
nonnormative life events
aspects that influence one’s life that are unique to the individual.
nontraditional student
in college, a student who is older than age 25.
normative age-graded influences
common effects of age that are experienced by most adults.
normative history-graded influences

effects connected to historical events and conditions that are experienced
by everyone within a culture at that time.
nuclear families
parents and their children.
nursing home
a place for people to live when they don’t need to be in a hospital but
can’t be taken care of at home.
obesity
condition in which one’s weight-to-height ratio increases to a point that
has an adverse effect on health; usually measured in terms of body mass
index.
occupational gender segregation
separation of jobs into stereotypical male and female categories.
olfactory membrane
specialized part of the nasal membrane that contains olfactory receptor

cells.
optimism
positive outlook on life.
organ transplant donor
individual who agrees to the transplantation, at the time of death, of his

or her usable organs and other tissue to approved recipients.
osteoarthritis
condition caused by loss of cartilage that protects the bones at the joints;
can involve pain, swelling, and loss of motion.
osteoporosis
severe loss of bone mass.
paid parental leave policy

program in which the employer and/or the state provide time off with
pay to new parents.
parental investment theory

in evolutionary psychology, the explanation that men and women
evolved different behaviors and interests because the women have more
invested in each child than the men.
peak experiences
in Maslow’s theory of positive well-being, the feeling of perfection and

momentary separation from the self when one feels in unity with the
universe.
perceived control
belief that one can influence his or her circumstances and attain his or her
goals.
perceived discrimination
realization or belief that one is the target of discrimination.
personal interview
research method in which the experimenter meets with the participant
and gathers data directly, often through open-ended and follow-up

questions.
personality factors
groups of personality traits that occur together in most individuals.
personality states
short-term patterns of thoughts, feelings, and behaviors.
personality traits
stable patterns of thoughts, feelings, and behaviors.
personality
enduring set of characteristics that define our individuality and affect our
interactions with the environment and other people.
person–environment fit
idea that people will be more successful if they work in a field for which
they are talented rather than taking a job for other reasons.
person–environment transactions
combinations of genetic endowment and environmental factors that

maintain the stability of personality traits over time.
phased retirement
situation in which an older person continues to work for an employer part
time as a transition to retirement.
phobias
anxiety disorders that involve fears and avoidance out of proportion to
the danger presented.
physician-assisted suicide
situation in which physicians are legally allowed to assist patients, under
certain circumstances, to obtain medication that will end their lives.
plaques
fat-laden deposits formed in the coronary artery walls as a result of
inflammation.
plasticity
in neurons, the ability to form new connections or grow new extensions.
polystrength
clusters or personality traits that may provide protection and resilience in
the face of adversity.
positive psychology
emphasis of psychology research to turn away from negative outcomes,
such as mental illness and crime, and toward positive outcomes, such as
well-being, optimism, and spiritual growth.
positivity bias
tendency for older adults to remember emotionally positive stimuli over

emotionally negative stimuli.
postformal stages
adult stage of cognitive development that involves thinking beyond the
linear and logical ways.
posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD)

psychological response to a traumatic experience. Symptoms include
reexperiencing the event in intrusive thoughts and dreams, numbing of
general responses, avoiding stimuli associated with the event, and
increased arousal of the physiological stress mechanisms.
presbyopia
visual condition caused by loss of elasticity in the lens, resulting in the
inability to focus sharply on nearby objects.
prevalence
proportion of people experiencing a certain disorder at a given time.
primary aging
physical changes that are gradual, shared, and largely inevitable as people
grow older.
problem-focused coping
stress-reducing techniques that directly address the problem causing
stress.
progesterone
female sex hormone.
prospective memory
ability to remember to do something later on or at a specific time in the
future.
proximal causes
factors present in the immediate environment.
psychological age
measure of an individual’s ability to deal effectively with the
environment.
psychometrics
field of psychology that studies the measurement of human abilities.
pupil
opening in the eye that changes in diameter in response to available light.
qualitative research
research without numerical data, such as case studies, interviews,

participant observations, direct observations, and exploring documents,
artifacts, and archival records.
quantitative research
research with numerical data.
quest for meaning
search for ultimate knowledge of life through an individualized
understanding of the sacred.
reactive heritability
process whereby individuals use the qualities they have inherited as a
basis to determine strategies for survival and reproduction.
reliability
extent to which a test instrument gives the same results repeatedly under
the same conditions.
religiosity
outward expression of spiritual beliefs.
reminiscence
review of one’s personal memories.
replicative senescence
state in which older cells stop dividing.
resilience
ability to maintain healthy functioning following exposure to potential

trauma.
resistance resources
personal and social resources that may buffer a person from the impact of
stress.
response-oriented viewpoint
explanations of stress that focus on the physiological reactions within an
individual.
retina
structure at the back of the eye that contains receptor cells.
retirement
career stage in which an older worker leaves the full-time workforce to
pursue other interests, such as part-time work, volunteer work, or leisure

interests.
retirement-related value
in retirement decisions, the amount of personal wealth one has, plus
Social Security and pension benefits, salary from part-time jobs, and
health insurance benefits available if one retires; can be weighed against

work-related value.
ritual mourning
set of symbolic rites and ceremonies associated with death and
bereavement.
role transitions
changes in roles due to changes in the individual or in his or her life
circumstances.
secondary aging
physical changes that are sudden, not shared, and often caused by
disease, poor health habits, and environmental events as people grow

older.
selective optimization with compensation

process described by Baltes and Baltes in which older people cope with
limitations by selecting their activities, optimizing their strategies, and
compensating for their losses.
self-actualization
in Maslow’s theory, the drive to become everything that one is capable of

being. It is reached when more basic needs are met.
self-determination theory
explanation of personality based on individuals’ evolved inner resources
for growth and integration.
self-efficacy
the belief in one’s ability to succeed.
self-identity
strong sense of self.
self-transcendence
knowing the self as part of a larger whole that exists beyond the physical
body and personal history.
semantic memory
in information processing, the segment of the long-term store that
contains factual information.
senile plaques
small, circular deposits of a dense protein, beta-amyloid
sense of purpose in life

discovery of satisfying personal goals and the belief that one’s life has
been worthwhile.
sensorineural hearing loss

inability to discriminate between loud and soft sounds caused by damage
to receptors in the inner ear.
sequential study
series of several longitudinal studies begun at different points in time.
short-term memory
memory component involved in holding information for several seconds

and then either discarding or processing it.
sleep apnea
pause in breathing during sleep due to constriction of the airway.
social age
measure of the number and type of roles an individual has taken on at a
specific point in his or her life.
social anxiety
feeling fear and anxiety about social situations, such as meeting new
people or performing before an audience
social clock
patterns of change over adulthood in social roles; time schedule of the
normal sequence of adult life experiences.
social relationships
dynamic, recurrent patterns of interactions with other individuals.
social role theory

explanation of gender roles based on children viewing the gender
divisions around them and then modeling their behavior on those
divisions.
social roles
expected behaviors and attitudes that come with one’s position in society.
social support
positive affect, affirmation, and aid received from others at stressful times.
social timing
pattern of when we occupy certain roles, how long we occupy them, and
the order in which we move from one to another.
social-cognitive theory
theory that suggests that career success involves being proactive,
believing in yourself, being self-regulated and self-motivated, and
focusing on your goals.
social-focused coping
coping that involves seeking both instrumental and emotional support

from others.
sociobiographical history
level of professional prestige, social position, and income that one
experiences throughout one’s life.
socioeconomic level
combined rating of income level and educational attainment.
socioemotional selectivity theory

according to Carstensen, the explanation that people emphasize more
meaningful, emotionally satisfying social relationships as they become
older because they are more aware of the end of life than younger people.
spillover
the extent that events in one domain influence the another.
spirituality
an individual’s personal quest for meaning; an inner process often
distinguished from religiosity, which involves outward signs of a quest for
meaning.
stability
having little or no change for significant periods of time.
stages
parts of the lifespan when there seems to be no progress for some time,
followed by an abrupt change.
stamina
ability to sustain moderate or strenuous activity.
standardized tests
established instruments that measure a specific trait or behavior.
stem cells
immature undifferentiated cells that can multiply easily and mature into
many different kinds of cells.
stereotype threat
anxiety that arises when members of a group are put in positions that
might confirm widely held, negative stereotypes about themselves; this
anxiety often results in confirmation of that stereotype.
stimulus-oriented viewpoint
explanations of stress that are focused on the stressors themselves, the
stimuli or life events, that trigger the stress reactions.
stress
set of physical, cognitive, and emotional responses that humans (and
other organisms) display in reaction to stressors or demands from the
environment.
stressors
environmental demands that lead to stress reactions.
stress-related growth
positive changes that follow the experience of stressful life events.
substance-related disorders
disorders typified by intense desire for and compulsion to use a substance
when any related triggers are present
survey questionnaire
written form that participants can fill out on their own consisting of
structured and focused questions.
T cells
cells of the immune system produced in the thymus gland that reject and
consume harmful or foreign cells.
taste buds
receptor cells for taste found on the tongue, mouth, and throat.
telomeres
lengths of repeating DNA that chromosomes have at their tips.
testosterone
major male sex hormone.
transition to adulthood
period during which young people take on the social roles of early
adulthood.
traumatic brain injury (TBI)

head injury severe enough to result in loss of consciousness; increases
risk of dementia, especially chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE).
twin studies
studies that compare similarities of monozygotic twin pairs with dizygotic

twin pairs on some behavior or trait of interest; results can give
information on the extent of genetic contribution to that behavior or trait.
type A behavior pattern

state of being achievement-striving, competitive, and involved in one’s
job to excess.
typical
common to most people.
unemployment
state of being without a paid job when you are willing to work.
useful field of view (UFOV)

area of the visual field that can be processed in one glance.
validity
extent to which a test instrument measures what it claims to measure.
visual acuity
ability to perceive detail in a visual pattern.
visual search
the process of searching your environment in an attempt to locate a
particular item.
vocational interests
in vocational psychology, personal attitudes, competencies, and values a
person has relating to his or her career; basis of Holland’s theory of career
selection.
word-finding failures
feeling many middle-aged and older adults get when they know the word
they want to use but just can’t locate it at the moment; often referred to as
the tip-of-the-tongue phenomenon.
work engagement
approach to work that is active, positive, and characterized by vigor,
dedication, and absorption.
working memory
the part of short-term memory in information processing, the segment of

the short-term store that performs cognitive operations on information.
work-related value
in retirement decisions, the amount of salary, pension, and Social Security
benefits a worker will receive later if he or she continues working; can be
weighed against retirement-related value.

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ISBN-13: 9780134796987
The left side of the screen shows the text “Audio: Listen and learn as you
go with full audio of your text (available for most courses).” The image
below shows a smartphone displaying course content, with a button

labeled “Listen to the Audio,” and audio controls at the bottom of the
screen indicating that the audio is playing. The right side of the screen
shows the text “Notifications: Set your own notifications so you never
miss a deadline again.” The image below shows a smartphone displaying
a Revel notification for an assignment that is due in one day.

The horizontal axis plots birth years from 1900 to Present in gap of 10
years. The vertical axis plots the primary cohorts such as Traditionalists,
Baby boomers, Gen Z. The data from the table is as follows.

Traditionalists: 19 45 and before. Baby boomers: 19 46 to 19 64.
Generation X: 19 65 to 19 80. Millennials: 19 81 to 19 95. Gen Z, i Gen,
Centennials: 19 96 to present.
The diagram consists of ever widening concentric circles. The inner circle
is labelled microsystem: individual with biological and psychological
characteristics. Just inside this circle are 4 other small circles labelled
home, peer group, school, and religious setting. Arrows points from each
of these to the other smaller circles. The circle around the microsystem
circle is labelled mesosystem. Arrows points from the smaller circles into
this circle. The circle around mesosystem is labelled exosystem, which
includes workplace, neighbourhood, media, local government, and social
networks. Arrows point from the mesosystem circle into the exosystem
circle. The circle around exosystem is labelled macrosystem, which
includes economy, political system, broader culture, and social
conditions. Arrows point from the ecosystem circle to the macrosystem
circle. Outside the circle is a scale labelled time, chronosystem: patterning

of events over time.
Age is plotted on the horizontal axis and percentage on the vertical axis.
The line labelled women passes through the following points: (60, 8.6),
(66, 10.3), (72, 17.9), (78, 29.2), (81, 43.8), (84, 36.8), (87, 53.7), and (90,
66.2). The line labelled men passes through the following points: (60,
14.6), (66, 19.8), (72, 28.8), (78, 48.5), (81, 45.8), (84, 58.1), (87, 75), and
(90, 66.7). The line labelled all participants passes through the following
points: (60, 11.2), (66, 14.3), (72, 22.3), (78, 35.4), (81, 44.5), (84, 44.5),
(87, 60.3), and (90, 66.3). All values estimated.

The horizontal axis plots the Age and the vertical axis plots the Weight
in Pounds.
The curves for men and women are approximately the same shape, with
the curve for men shift about 25 pounds up from the curve for women.
Both curves experience a small increase from twenties to thirties and then
stay relatively constant until age 70, when they both experience a small
decrease.
The horizontal axis plots the 3 catergories All, Men, and Women and
vertical axis plots the percentage. The data for both men and women is
as follows. 20 and over: 35. 20 to 39: 30. 40 to 59: 38. 60 and over: 35.
The data for men is as follows. 20 and over: 33. 20 to 39: 28. 40 to 59: 37.
60 and over: 34. The data for women is as follows. 20 and over: 36. 20 to
39: 32. 40 to 59: 40. 60 and over: 37. All values are estimated.
The stages are normal, beginning, second stage, and final. There are 4
types: A, O, M, and O M. In type A, a man’s hairline gradually recedes
farther and farther back, until the top of his head is bald. In type O, a
balding patch starts in the top middle and gradually widens until the top
of his head is bald. In type M, his hairline starts to recede on the sides,
giving the hair a wavelike curve, and continues to recede until the top of
his head is bald. Type O M is a mix of both patterns in O and M.

The cornea is all over the front part of the eye. In the center is the pupil,
which is surrounded by the iris. Behind the pupil is the lens and at the
back of the eye is the retina. From the retina, sight signals travel along the
optic nerve to the brain. Light enters the eye through the cornea, passing
through the lens to the retina.
The horizontal axis of both graphs plots Age range and vertical axis plots
percentage with hearing impairment. The first graph is labelled A, 1999
through 2004. The data is as follows, with women listed first and men
listed second. 20 to 29: 0 and 1. 30 to 39: 1 and 3. 40 to 49: 5 and 9. 50 to
59: 9 and 20. 60 to 69: 19 and 41. The second graph is labelled B, 20 11 to
20 12. The data is as follows, with women listed first and men listed
second. 20 to 29: 0 and 1. 30 to 39: 1 and 2. 40 to 49: 2 and 6. 50 to 59: 9
and 16. 60 to 60: 19 and 32. All values are estimated.

The horizontal axis plots age and vertical axis plots the percentages.
The graph for Women steadily increases over the age but starts below
men intersects and then goes above it. The graph for Men increases till
age 65-74 then flaten post that. The data for men is as follows. 20 to
34: 11. 35 to 44: 26. 45 to 54: 38. 55 to 64: 54. 65 to 74: 65. 75 plus:
67. The data for women is as follows. 20 to 34: 7. 35 to 44: 20. 45 to 54:
37. 55 to 64: 54. 65 to 74: 70. 75 plus: 80. All values are estimated.
The horizontal axis plots type of training and vertical axis plots Oxygen
utilization. The data is as follows. Endurance trained. 20 to 39: 4,000. 40
to 59: 3,500. 60 to 79: 2,750. 80 plus: 2,250. Speed power trained. 20 to

39: 3,250. 40 to 59: 3,000. 60 to 79: 2,250. 80 plus: 1,800. Non-Athletes. 20
to 39: 2,000. 40 to 59: 1,500. 60 to 79: 1,300. 80 plus: 800. All values are
estimated.
All of Alaska is shaded, with dense concentrations of shading as follows:
the northwest corner of the country, the four corners region, the southern
tip of Texas, various isolated regions throughout the great plains, the
western Great Lakes region. Most of the south eastern quarter of the
country has much smaller concentrations or even single counties shaded
in a random distribution. The New England region has the least shading.
The graph shows mortality, in thousands, for a total of 58 million, by 19
different risk factors. Each risk factor is divided by low, middle, and high
income brackets. The data is described as follows, with high income listed
first, then middle, then low, according to each risk factor. Iron deficiency:
0, 50, 250. Unsafe health care injections: 0, 300, 500. Zinc deficiency: 0,
25, 500. Vitamin A deficiency: 0, 50, 800. Occupational risks: 50, 800,
1050. Urban outdoor air pollution: 100, 950, 1200. Suboptimal
breastfeeding: 0, 250, 1300. Low fruit and vegetable intake: 200, 1150,
1900. Unsafe water, sanitation, hygiene: 0, 250, 2100. Indoor smoke from
solid fuels: 0, 850, 2150. Childhood underweight: 0, 100, 2350. Alcohol
use: 50, 1800, 2350. Unsafe sex: 25, 800, 2400. High cholesterol: 350,
1800, 2800. Overweight and obesity: 600, 2600, 2900. Physical inactivity:
550, 2500, 3100. High blood glucose: 525, 2300, 3400. Tobacco use: 1600,
4050, 5100. High blood pressure: 1550, 5600, 7800. All values are
approximated.
The horizontal axis plots the age groups range from 15-24 years to 85+ in
intervals of 10 years. The vertical axis plots the Deaths per 100,00 from 2
to 14 in intervals of 2. The data is as follows, with age group listed first

followed by deaths per 100,000. 15 to 24: less than 0.25. 25 to 34: less
than 0.25. 35 to 44: 0.25. 45 to 54: 0.5. 55 to 64: 1.25. 65 to 74: 2.25. 75 to
84: 5.5. 85 plus: 13. All values are approximated.

The horizontal axis plots the Age Groups and vertical axis plots the
percentage. The data is as follows, with age group listed first followed by
percentage. 16 to 20: 5.9. 21 to 64: 10.7. 65 to 74: 25.4. 75 plus: 49.8.

The horizontal axis plots Age Groups and vertical axis plots the
percentage. The data is as follows, with age group listed first, then the
percentage for men, and then the percentage for women. Birth to 49: 4, 6.
50 to 59: 7, 6. 60 to 69: 15, 10. 70 plus: 35, 26. Lifetime: 42, 37. All values
are approximated.
The graph shows four lines, each representing a different age group. The
curves consist of data points at each year from 1980 to 2014, connected by
line segments. The curve representing 0 to 44 starts at (1980, 0.5) and

stays almost constant with very slight increases in 2006 and 2009. The
curve representing 45 to 64 starts at (1980, 5), staying almost constant
until 1985, increases slightly to 5.5 in 1986, then decreases back to 5,
staying almost constant again until 1995. From there, it decreases slightly
in 1996, then increases fairly steadily through (2004, 9) to (2014, 11). The
curve representing 65 to 74 starts at (1980, 9) and from there experiences

various peaks and troughs, with a general upward trend, as follows:
(1983, 7.5), (1986, 11), (1990, 8), (1993, 10.5), (1995, 11.5), (1996, 9.5),
(2004, 14), (2010, 21), and (2014, 19). The curve representing 75 plus
starts at (1980, 10) and also experience various peaks and troughs, with a
general upward trend, as follows: (1983, 7.5), (1985, 11), (1989, 9), (1992,
11.5), (1993, 10), (1995, 13), (1996, 9.5), (1997, 14), (2004, 19), (2009, 20),
(2011, 22), and (2014, 21). All values are approximated.

The horizontal axis plots seven Racial Ethic Groups and vertical axis plots
the percentage. The data is as follows. Native Americans: 12 percent.
Alaskan Natives: 12 percent. White: 9 percent. Hispanic: 8 percent.

African Americans: 7 percent. Asian Americans: 5 percent. Pacific
Islanders: 5 percent.
The horizontal axis plots the life expectancy in years and vertical axis
plots the countries. The data is as follows, with male life expectancy listed
first, followed by female life expectancy. Switzerland: 81, 86. Iceland: 81,
85. Israel: 80, 83. Italy: 81, 86. Japan: 81, 87. Spain: 81, 86. Sweden: 81,
85. Australia: 81, 85. Luxembourg: 80, 84. Norway: 80, 84. Netherlands:
80, 83. New Zealand: 80, 83. United Kingdom: 80, 82. France: 79, 87.
Ireland: 79, 83. Greece: 79, 84. Austria: 79, 84. Germany: 79, 83. Korea:
78, 85. Denmark: 78, 82. Belgium: 78, 83. Finland: 78, 85. Portugal: 78, 85.
Slovenia: 78, 84. United States: 77, 81. Czech Republic: 76, 81. Poland:
73, 81. Slovak Republic: 73, 80. Estonia: 73, 82. Hungary: 72, 79. Mexico:
71, 78. All values are approximated.

The horizontal axis plots the household income percentile and vertical
axis plots the life expectancy at Age 40. The data points for men form a
general upward trend that passes through approximately (2, 76), (20,
77.5), (40, 81), (60, 82), (80, 84), and (100, 87). The data points for
women form a general upward trend that passes through approximately
(3, 82), (20, 83), (40, 84), (60, 86), (80, 87), and (100, 88).
The horizontal axis plots the Years of expected life remaining at Age 25
and vertical axis plots the education level. The data is as follows, with
years remaining for men listed first and women second. Bachelor’s degree
or higher: 56, 60. Some college: 53, 58. High school graduate or G E D:
51, 57. No high school diploma: 48, 52. All values are approximated.
The horizontal axis plots the percent with Depression and vertical Age in
Years. The data is as follows, with age listed first, followed by percentages
for below 100 percent, 100 to 199 percent, 200 to 399 percent, and 400
plus percent. All adults: 17, 10, 5, 4. 20 to 24: 15, 10, 5, 3. 45 to 64: 24, 15,
7, 5. 65: 12, 7, 3, 2. All values are approximated.
The horizontal axis Calls to Psychotherapists and vertical axis plots
Results of calls. The data is as follows. Voicemail message left: 640 calls,
100 percent. Returned calls from therapists: 287 calls, 44 percent.

Appointment offered at any time: 91, calls, 15 percent. Appointment
offered at requested time: 57 calls, 9 percent.
The horizontal axis plots the Percent correct and the vertical axis plots
age groups for younger and older group. The data for the older age group
is as follows. Single speech, focused attention: 97. Single speech, divided

attention: 95. Multi speech, focused attention: 71. Multi speech, divided
attention: 64. The data for the younger age group is as follows. Single
speech, focused attention: 94. Single speech, divided attention: 95. Multi
speech, focused attention: 78. Multi speech, divided attention: 78. All
values are estimated.

The horizontal axis plots the age group and the vertical axis plots
percentage errors. The data is as follows. 6 years: 10. 8 years: 5. 22 years:
2. Healthy 75 years: 5. Fallers 73 years: 10. All values are estimated.

The horizontal axis plots the age group and the vertical axis plots Z
scores. The curve for verbal memory starts at about negative 0.4 in the
twenties age group and rises fairly steadily to 0.25 in the seventies, and
then decreases slightly to 0.1 in the eighties. The curve for short term
memory starts at about 0.7 in the twenties age group and falls fairly
steadily to negative 0.2 in the sixties, then to negative 0.25 in the
seventies, and then to negative 0.8 in the eighties. The curve for long
term memory starts at about 0.9 in the twenties age group, falls to 0.6 in
the thirties, then to 0.4 in the forties, then steadily to negative 0.3 in the
sixties, then to negative 0.55 in the seventies, and then sharply to
negative 1.2 in the eighties. The curve for speed of processing starts at
about 1.1 in the twenties age group, then falls fairly steadily to negative
0.3 in the forties, then less sharply to 0.25 in the fifties, then fairly steadily
again to negative 1.25 in the eighties. The curve for working memory
starts at about 1.1 in the twenties age group, then falls sharply to 0.55 in
the thirties, then more gradually to 0.2 in the fifties, then sharply against
to negative 0.25 in the sixties, then more gradually again to negative 0.4
in the seventies, and then more sharply again to negative 1.1 in the
eighties. All values are estimated.

The horizontal axis plots the age in interval on 5 years and the vertical
axis plots estimated memory change. Both curves are downward opening
parabolic like curves. The curve labelled episodic memory starts at about
negative 0.05 at age 30, peaks at about 0.1 at ages 45 and 50, then falls
through negative 0.3 at 70 and negative 19 at 85. The curve labelled
semantic memory starts at about negative 0.25 at age 30, peaks at 5 at
ages 55 and 60, and then falls through 2 at age 75 and negative 3 at 85.
All values are estimated.

The horizontal axis plots two age groups, younger & older and the
vertical axis plots proportion correct. The data for the young age group,
labelled event, is as follows. Self initiated: 0.9. Experimenter initiated:

0.95. No reminder cue: 0.75. The data for young age group, labelled time,
is as follows. Self initiated: 0.7. Experimenter initiated: 0.65. No reminder
cue: 0.45. The data for the older age group, labelled event, is as follows.
Self initiated: 0.4. Experimenter initiated: 0.38. No reminder cue: 0.3. The
data for the older age group, labelled time, is as follows. Self initiated:
0.35. Experimenter initiated: 0.38. No reminder cue: 0.15. All values are
estimated.
The horizontal axis plots working memory scores and the vertical axis
plots test instruction for 2 age groups. The data is as follows. Threat,
older participants: 0.73. Threat, younger participants: 0.78. Reduced

threat, older participants: 0.77. Reduced threat, younger participants:
0.78. All values are estimated.
The horizontal axis plots the age in interval on 7 years and the vertical
axis plots total intellectual ability. The curve labelled projected
longitudinal change starts at about 56 at age 25, increases steadily to 59 at

46 and remains almost constant through age 60, then falls steadily to 44 at
age 88. The curve labelled 19 77 cross sectional data starts at about 55 at
age 25, increases slightly to 56 at age 32, then falls to 51 at 46, rises to 53
at 53, then falls to 48 to 67, and then 37 at age 81. All values are
estimated.
The horizontal axis plots chronological age and the vertical axis plots
number of words correctly completed. The curve passes through the
following points: (25, 20), (35, 32), (45, 41), (55, 48), (65, 51), and (75,
52). All values are estimated.
The table has 4 rows labelled Car A, Car B, Car C, and Car D, from top to
bottom. The table has 4 columns labelled total price, number of
passengers, fuel efficiency, and dealer rates, from left to right. All of the
cells are blank, except for the following. Car A, number of passengers: 5.
Car B, total price: 25,000 dollars. Car C, fuel efficiency: 35 miles per
gallon. Car D, dealer rebates: 1,000 dollars.

The horizontal axis plots material content for 2 age groups and the
vertical axis plots percent remembered. The data is as follows. Emotion.
Younger: 0.33. Older: 0.41. Knowledge. Younger: 0.35. Older: 0.25.

Neutral. Younger: 0.31. Older: 0.25. All values are estimated.
The horizontal axis plots age by 3 groups and the vertical axis plots
number of images recalled. The data is as follows. Young age group.
Positive images: 3.7. Negative images: 3.75. Neutral images: 2.5. Middle
age group. Positive images: 4.1. Negative images: 3.6. Neutral images:
2.8. Old age group. Positive images: 3.0. Negative images: 1.8. Neutral
images: 1.4. All values are estimated.

The horizontal axis plots cognitive ability for 2 types of twins and the
vertical axis plots their correlations. The data is as follows with
monozygotic twins represented as M and dizygotic twins represented by

D. Overall. M: 0.75. D: 0.0.38. W A I S. M: 0.68. D: 0.4. Verbal. M: 0.75.
D: 0.48. Spatial. M: 0.49. D: 0.39. Speed. M: 0.75. D: 0.25. Memory. M:
0.42. D: 0.28. All values are estimated.

The horizontal axis plots age of the driver and the vertical axis plots
number of fatalities per million miles driven. The data is as follows. 16 to
19: 4.7. 20 to 24: 3.8. 25 to 29: 3.7. 30 to 59: 1.3. 60 to 69: 1.3. 70 to 79:
2.5. 80 plus: 5.5. All values are estimated.
The graph gives the percent of 18 to 34 years old by living arrangement at
4 points in history. The data is as follows. 1880. Living in parents’ home:
30 percent. Married or cohabitating in own household: 45. Living alone,

single parents, and other heads: 3. Other living arrangement: 22. 1940.
Living in parents’ home: 35. Married or cohabitating in own household:
46. Living alone, single parents, and other heads: 3. Other living
arrangement: 16. 1960. Living in parents’ home: 20 percent. Married or
cohabitating in own household: 62. Living alone, single parents, and
other heads: 5. Other living arrangement: 13. 2014. Living in parents’

home: 32.1 percent. Married or cohabitating in own household: 31.6.
Living alone, single parents, and other heads: 14. Other living
arrangement: 22.
The graph representing men passes through the following points: (1880,
32), (1900, 35), (1910, 31), (1920, 35), (1930, 36), (1940, 41), (1950, 28),
(1960, 23), (1970, 25), (1980, 26), (1990, 27), (2000, 26), (2010, 32), and
(2014, 34). The graph representing women passes through the following
points: (1880, 26), (1900, 29), (1910, 28), (1920, 27.5), (1930, 27), (1940,
29), (1950, 20), (1960, 16), (1970, 20), (1980, 19.5), (1990, 21), (2000, 20),
(2010, 26), and (2014, 29). All values are approximated.

The Horizontal axis plots the countries and the vertical axis plots the
Mean Age. The data is as follows. Bulgaria: 25.9. Romania: 26.0. United
States: 26.1. Latvia: 26.1. Estonia: 26.6. Poland: 27.0. Slovak Republic:
27.1. Lithuania: 27.1. Iceland: 27.6. Israel: 27.6. Hungary: 27.8. Czech
Republic: 28.1. Croatia: 28.1. France: 28.2. Canada: 28.4. Belgium: 28.5.
Finland: 28.5. Slovenia: 28.5. United Kingdom: 28.5. Malta: 28.5. Austria:
28.9. Norway: 29.0. Denmark: 29.2. Portugal: 29.2. Sweden: 29.2. Cyprus:
29.2. Germany: 29.5. Netherlands: 29.7. Ireland: 29.8. Greece: 30.0.
Luxembourg: 30.2. Japan: 30.7. Spain: 30.7. Switzerland: 30.7. Italy: 30.8.
Korea: 31.1. All values are approximated.
The first graph shows women’s share of housework by relationship
duration, in years. The graph shows an almost horizontal line at just
above half with a very slight uptick between years 4 and 5. The second
graph shows women’s share of housework by relationship duration, in
years, where 0 equals a transition to parenthood. The graph shows a line
at just above half with a very low position slope between negative 3 and
0. From 0 to 1, there is a higher rate of increase, Between 1 and 3, there is
a lower rate of increase, but still an overall increase. From 3 to 4, there is
a slight decrease, but the decrease does not reach the original level at
negative 3.
"The data for mothers is as follows. Employed fulltime. Housework: 9
percent. Food prep and clean up: 10 percent. Lawn and garden care: 1
percent. Grocery shopping: 1 percent. Other shopping for family: 3

percent. Physical care of household members: 6 percent. Homework and
educational activities: less than 1 percent. Reading to children: less than 1
percent. Playing with children and doing hobbies: 3 percent. Travel for
children’s school or activities: 2 percent. Working in paid job: 62 percent.
Employed part time. Housework: 17 percent. Food prep and clean up: 14
percent. Lawn and garden care: 1 percent. Grocery shopping: 2 percent.

Other shopping for family: 4 percent. Physical care of household
members: 8 percent. Homework and educational activities: 1 percent.
Reading to children: less than 1 percent. Playing with children or doing
hobbies: 4 percent. Travel for children’s school or activities: 4 percent.

Working in paid job: 39 percent. Not employed. Housework: 27 percent.
Food prep and clean up: 25 percent. Lawn and garden care: 1 percent.
Grocery shopping: 2 percent. Other shopping for family: 5 percent.
Physical care of household members: 16 percent. Homework and
educational activities: 6 percent. Ready to children: 2 percent. Playing
with children or doing hobbies: 9 percent. Travel for children’s school or

activities: 5 percent. Working in paid job: 1 percent.
The data for fathers is as follows. Employed fulltime. Housework: 2
percent. Food prep and clean up: 5 percent. Lawn and garden care: 2
percent. Grocery shopping: 1 percent. Other shopping for family: 2

percent. Physical care of household members: 3 percent. Homework and
educational activities: less than 1 percent. Reading to children: less than 1
percent. Playing with children or doing hobbies: 4 percent. Travel for
children’s school or activities: 1 percent. Working in paid job: 78 percent.
Unemployed. Housework: 19 percent. Food prep and clean up: 18
percent. Lawn and garden care: 9 percent. Grocery shopping: 5 percent.

Other shopping for family: 9 percent. Physical care of household
members: 11 percent. Homework and educational activities: 5 percent.
Reading to children: 1 percent. Playing with children or doing hobbies:
10 percent. Travel for children’s school or activities: 7 percent. Working
in paid job: 3 percent.
All values are approximated. The following note appears at the bottom of
the graph: Insufficient number of fathers working part time to be
analysed."
The data presented in the graph is as follows. 15 to 24: 14.8. 25 to 44:
19.3. 45 to 54: 25.8. 55 to 64: 25.3. 65 to 74: 30.7. 75 plus: 34.5.

The graph passes through the following points: (1976, 10.5), (1979, 9.5),
(1980, 10), (1983, 11), (1984, 11.5), (1985, 12), (1986, 13), (1988, 14.5),
(1990, 16), (1992, 15), (1994, 17), (1995, 16.5), (1998, 18), (2000, 18),
(2002, 17.5), (2004, 18.5), (2006, 20.5), (2007, 17), (2009, 18), (2012, 15),
(2014, 15). All values are approximated.
The circles are labelled from inner to outer as follows. You. Inner circle:
closest friends of family members, can’t imagine life without them.
Middle circle: not quite as close, but still important. Outer circle: people
who are less close, but still part of your life.
The horizontal axis plots age from 20-80 in intervals of 10. The vertical
axis plots the Frequency of visits, 0 indicates never and 4 indicates daily.
The curve for family visits starts at about age 20, with a visit frequency of
2.25. The curve remains relatively constant with a slight increase around
30 and a slight decrease around 55, increasing again from 70 onward. The
curve for non-family visits starts at about age 20, with a visit frequency of
3.1. The curve drops steeply to about age 40, frequency 2.25, the drops
more gradually to about age 80, frequency 1.8. From there, it starts to
drop more steeply. The two curves intersect at about age 35, frequency
2.3.
The horizontal axis plots the 4 traits namely Good Looking, Slender Body,
Steady Income, and Makes a lot of Money and vertical axis plots the
Percentage Responding 'Desirable' or 'Essential'. The data presented in

the graph is as follows. Good looking. Men: 92. Women: 84. Slender
body. Men: 80. Women: 58. Steady income. 76. Women: 97. Makes a lot
of money. Men: 45. Women: 68. All values are approximated.

The horizontal axis plots the Percentage and the vertical axis plots age
groups for years 2013 and 2015. The data presented in the graph is as
follows. Total. 2013: 11. 2015: 15. 18 to 24. 2013: 10. 2015: 27. 25 to 34.
2013: 22. 2015: 22. 35 to 44. 2013: 17. 2015: 21. 45 to 54. 2013: 8. 2015:
13. 55 to 64. 2013: 6. 2015: 12. 65 plus. 2013: 3. 2015: 3.
The data is as follows. Very intensely in love: 48 percent. Intensely in
love: 12 percent. Very in love: 24 percent. In love: 9 percent. Somewhat
in love: 3 percent. A little in love: 3 percent. Not at all in love: 1 percent.

The horizontal axis plots the years 2007 and 2016 for age 18-34, 34-49,
and 50 plus. The vertical axis plots the percentage cohobiting. The data is
as follows. 18 to 34 years. 2007: 7.2 million. 2016: 8.9 million, plus 24

percent change. 35 to 49 years. 2007: 3.9 million. 2016: 4.7 million, plus
20 percent change. 50 plus years. 2007: 2.3 million. 2016: 4.0 million, plus
75 percent change.
The horizontal axis plots the Birth Cohort and the vertical plots the
Percentage Who identify a L G B T. The data is as follows. Millennials,
1980 to 1998: 7.3 percent. Generation X, 1945 to 1979: 3.2 percent. Baby
boomers, 1946 to 1964: 2.4 percent. Traditionalists, 1913 to 1945: 1.4
percent.
The horizontal axis plots the frequency of the contact and the vertical axis
plots the percentage. The data is as follows. Never. Face to face: 2.5.
Telecommunication: 6. Once. Face to face: 1. Telecommunication: 2. A

few times. Face to face: 13. Telecommunication: 9.5. Monthly. Face to
face: 29. Telecommunication: 17. Weekly. Face to face: 32.
Telecommunication: 32. 2 to 3 times per week. Face to face: 18.
Telecommunication: 24.5. Daily. Face to face: 5. Telecommunication: 9.
All values are approximated.

The horizontal axis plots type of investment and the vertical axis plots the
mean rank. The data is as follows. Time. Mother’s mother: 3.2. Mother’s
father: 2.8. Father’s mother: 2.2. Father’s father: 1.9. Resources. Mother’s
mother: 3.1. Mother’s father: 2.8. Father’s mother: 2.2. Father’s father:
2.15. Emotional closeness. Mother’s mother: 3.1. Mother’s father: 3.0.
Father’s mother: 2.2. Father’s father: 1.9. All values are approximated.
The line representing lone parent extends from low on the involvement
scale and 13.9 on the difficulties score to high on the involvement scale
and 10.7 on the difficulties score. The line representing two parent
extends from low on the involvement scale and 13.65 on the difficulties
score to high on the involvement scale and 12.0 on the difficulties score.
The lines intersect at medium on the involvement scale and 12.4 on the
difficulties score. All values are approximated.

The horizontal axis plots the Well-Being measure and vertical plots the
percentage. The data is as follows, with high sibling support values listed
first and low sibling support values listed second. Self-esteem: 82, 78. Life
satisfaction: 77, 71. Loneliness: 47, 53. Depression: 41, 46. All values are
approximated.
The horizontal axis plots the Countries and the vertical plots the
Percentage. The data is as follows. Jordan: 90. Indonesia: 89. Philippines:
88. Venezuela: 88. Turkey: 87. Palestine: 86. Chile: 85. Malaysia: 85.
Nigeria: 85. Russia: 85. Argentina: 83. Kenya: 82. Ukraine: 82. Mexico:
81. Peru: 80. Brazil: 79. Tanzania: 78. Ghana: 77. Israel: 76. Uganda: 76.
Lebanon: 75. Senegal: 75. Vietnam: 75. Canada: 73. South Africa: 73.
Ethiopia: 72. U S: 71. Australia: 69. Poland: 66. U K: 66. Burkina Faso: 65.
Italy: 65. Spain: 65. China: 63. India: 62. France: 57. South Korea: 54.
Japan: 51. Germany: 50. Pakistan: 50.

The horizontal axis plots percentage of Women in Selected Occupation
and vertical axis lists the selected occupations. The data is approximately
as follows. Preschool and kindergarten teachers: 98. Speech and language

pathologists: 98. Dental hygienists: 97. Secretaries and administrative
assistants: 95. Nurse practitioners: 93. Dental assistants: 92. Medical
assistants: 92. Hairdressers, hair stylists, and cosmetologists: 91. Medical
records and health information technologists: 91. Licensed practical and
licensed vocational nurses: 90. Maid and housekeeping cleaners: 90.
Receptionists and information clerks: 90. Registered nurses: 90.

The horizontal axis shows years 2013, 2014, and 2015 and the vertical
axis on the left plots the population numbers in millions and on right
plots the percentage of total 16-29 population. The population is as

follows. 2013: 11 million. 2014: 10.5 million. 2015: 10.2 million. The line
graph shows a steady decline over the years. The percent of total 16 to 29
population is as follows. 2013: 18.5 percent. 2014: 17.75 percent. 2015: 17
percent. All values are approximated.

The graphs plot annual work hours by years relative to marriage from
negative 5 to 5. The data for women is as follows. The transition sample
starts at about 1,650 and then starts to decrease steady at negative 1

years, reaching about 1,200 in year 5. The not married sample stays
relatively constant at 1,650. The married, weighted sample starts at about
1,025 and increases steadily but slowly to about 1,200 in year 5. The data
for men is as follows. The transition sample starts at about 2,000 and
increases fairly steadily to about 2,300 in year 5. The not married sample
stays relatively constant at about 2,000. The married, weighted sample

also stays relatively constant at about 2,275.
The horizontal axis shows the age range on child (6-17 and Under 6) and
vertical axis shows the percentage employed fulltime for Men and
Women. The data for youngest child at 6 to 17 years is as follows.

Fathers: 89 percent. Mothers: 72 percent. The data for youngest child
under 6 years is as follows. Fathers: 91 percent. Mothers: 61 percent.
The horizontal axis plots the 41 countries and vertical axis shows the
Weeks of Paid leaves. The data is approximately as follows. Estonia: 87.
Bulgaria: 76. Hungary: 72. Japan: 67. Lithuania: 67. Austria: 59. Czech
Republic: 58. Latvia: 57. Norway: 57. Romania: 54. Slovakia: 54. Slovenia:
52. Finland: 50. Germany: 50. Sweden: 48. Poland: 45. Croatia: 42. Korea:
42. Luxembourg: 36. Portugal: 30. Chile: 30. Denmark: 28. Canada: 27.
Italy: 26. Iceland: 26. France: 26. Greece: 26. Belgium: 20. Spain: 18.
Netherlands: 16. Malta: 16. Israel: 15. Mexico: 12. Cyprus: 12. U K: 12.
Turkey: 10. Ireland: 8. Australia: 8. Switzerland: 8. New Zealand: 8.

The horizontal axis plots years starting from 1990 to 2020 in intervals of
10 years and vertical axis plots the percentage in Work force for age
groups 25-54, 55-64, 66-74, and 75+ years. The data points for 25 to 54
years are approximately as follows: (1990, 82), (2000, 85), (2010, 81),
(2020, 80). The data points for 55 to 64 years are approximately as
follows: (1990, 57), (2000, 59), (2010, 65), (2020, 69). The data points for
65 to 74 years are approximately as follows: (1990, 18), (2000, 19), (2010,
27), (2020, 34). The data points for 75 plus years are approximately as
follows: (1990, 4), (2000, 6), (2010, 9), (2020, 10). Data values for 2020 are
projected.
The horizontal axis plots the age period and vertical plots the Rank-Order
Trait Consistency from 0.1 to 1 in intervals of 0.1. The data is as follows. 6
to 11: 0.45. 12 to 17: 0.48. 18 to 21: 0.51. 22 to 29: 0.57. 30 to 39: 0.63. 40
to 49: 0.59. 50 to 59: 0.75. 60 to 73: 0.72. All values are estimated.
(a) The data for form S is as follows. 14 to 15: 52. 16 to 17: 53. 18: 53. 19:
53. 20: 53.5. 21 to 25: 50.5. 26 to 30: 49. 31 to 40: 49.5. 41 to 50: 47. 51 to
60: 46. 61 plus: 47. The data for form R is as follows. 14 to 15: 53.5. 16 to
17: 53.5. 18: 52. 19: 53.5. 20: 54. 21 to 25: 50. 26 to 30: 48. 31 to 40: 51. 41
to 50: 46.5. 51 to 60: 45.5. 61 plus: 45. All values are estimated.
(b) The data for form S is as follows. 14 to 15: 53. 16 to 17: 54. 18: 54. 19:
54. 20: 51. 21 to 25: 51. 26 to 30: 52. 31 to 40: 48. 41 to 50: 47. 51 to 60:
44. 61 plus: 43. The data for form R is as follows. 14 to 15: 48. 16 to 17:
53.5. 18: 52.5. 19: 52. 20: 52.5. 21 to 25: 52. 26 to 30: 52. 31 to 40: 46.5. 41
to 50: 47.5. 51 to 60: 47. 61 plus: 46. All values are estimated.
(c) The data for form S is as follows. 14 to 15: 50.5. 16 to 17: 53. 18: 52.
19: 54. 20: 53.5. 21 to 25: 48.5. 26 to 30: 50.5. 31 to 40: 46.5. 41 to 50: 47.
51 to 60: 47. 61 plus: 43. The data for form R is as follows. 14 to 15: 49. 16
to 17: 52.5. 18: 52. 19: 53.5. 20: 53. 21 to 25: 52. 26 to 30: 51. 31 to 40:
46.5. 41 to 50: 47.5. 51 to 60: 47.5. 61 plus: 45.5. All values are estimated.
(d) The data for form S is as follows. 14 to 15: 46.5. 16 to 17: 47. 18: 47.
19: 47.5. 20: 46. 21 to 25: 47.5. 26 to 30: 48.5. 31 to 40: 50.5. 41 to 50:
54.5. 51 to 60: 55.5. 61 plus: 51.5. The data for form R is as follows. 14 to
15: 45. 16 to 17: 46.5. 18: 46. 19: 47.5. 20: 47.5. 21 to 25: 49. 26 to 30:
50.5. 31 to 40: 50.5. 41 to 50: 53. 51 to 60: 54. 61 plus: 55. All values are
estimated.
The horizontal axis on the graphs plots Age in intervals of 10 and the
vertical axis plots the Cumulative d Value from minus 0.2 to 1.2 in
intervals of 0.2. All 6 graphs shows a dotted horizontal line at y equals 0.

The data for social vitality is as follows: (12, 0.15), (20, 0.2), (25, 0.05),
(35, 0.1), (45, 0.1), (55, 0.1), (65, negative 0.1), and (75, negative 0.1). The
data for social dominance is as follows: (12, 0.2), (20, 0.6), (25, 0.85), (35,
1), (45, 1), and (55, 1). The data for agreeableness is as follows: (12, 0),
(20, 0.05), (25, 0.25), (35, 0.3), (45, 0.35), (55, 0.65), and (65, 0.65). The
data for conscientiousness is as follows: (12, 0.05), (20, 0.05), (25, 0.3),
(35, 0.55), (45, 0.6), (55, 0.65), (65, 0.9), and (75, 0.9). The data for
emotional stability is as follows: (12, 0.15), (20, 0.3), (25, 0.45), (35, 0.75),
(45, 0.8), (55, 0.85), (65, (0.85), and (75, 0.75). The data for openness to
experience is as follows: (12, 0.25), (20, 0.6), (25, 0.55), (35, 0.6), (45, 0.6),
(55, 0.75), (65, 0.5), and (75, 0.45). All values are estimated.
The horizontal axis plots the Types of days and vertical axis plots Self-
pereption of Academic Fit. The line labelled black students, control
condition, increases slightly then dereases. It yields the following data.

Days of low adversity: 0.15. Days of moderate adversity: 0.05. Days of
high adversity: negative 0.35. The line labelled black students, treatment
condition, initially slowly declines then sees a decline at a faster rate. It
yields the following data. Days of low aversity: 0.35. Days of moderate
adversity: 0.4. Days of high adversity: 0.25. All values are estimated.
The horizontal axis plots Health-Related Behavior and vertical axis plots
Correlation. The data is as follows. Inactivity: negative 0.05. Suicide:
negative 0.125. Risky sex: negative 0.135. Unhealthy eating: negative

0.135. Tobacco use: negative 0.15. Excessive alcohol use: negative 0.265.
Risky driving: negative 0.265. Violence: negative 0.265. Drug use:
negative 0.29. All values are estimated.

The horizontal axis plots the correlation cooeffiencts and vertical plots
the personality factors -- Neuroticism, Extraversion, Openness,
Agreeableness, Consciencetiousness, and All Traits. The two groups are

M Z twins and D Z twins. The data is as follows. All traits. M Z: 0.3. D Z:
0.23. Conscientiousness. M Z: 0.55. D Z: 0.19. Agreeableness. M Z: 0.43.
D Z: 0.2. Openness. M Z: 0.55. D Z: 0.34. Extraversion. M Z: 0.57. D Z:
0.29. Neuroticism. M Z: 0.54. D Z: 0.14. All values are estimated.

The horizontal axis plots the educational attainment and vertical axis
plots the percent. The data is as follows. High school graduate. Self aware
stage, level 5: 70. Conscientious stage, level 6: 18. Individualistic stage,

level 7: 13. Small college. Self aware: 61. Conscientious: 33.
Individualistic: 7. College graduate. Self aware: 47. Conscientious: 23.
Individualistic: 29. Post graduate. Self aware: 31. Conscientious: 53.
Individualistic: 17. All values are estimated.

From bottom to top, the pyramid is labelled as follows: physiological
needs, safety and security needs, love and belongingness, self esteem,
and self actualization.

The data is as follows. Age 18 to 29. At least once a week: 27 percent.
Once or twice a month or a few times a year: 37 percent. Seldom or
never: 35 percent. Age 30 to 49. At least once a week: 33 percent. Once or

twice a month or a few times a year: 35 percent. Seldom or never: 32
percent. Age 50 to 64. At least once a week: 38 percent. Once or twice a
month or a few times a year: 34 percent. Seldom or never: 28 percent.
Don’t know: less than 1 percent. Age 65 plus. At least once a week: 48
percent. Once or twice a month or a few times a year: 25 percent. Seldom
or never: 26 percent. Don’t know: 1 percent.

The horizontal axis plots the stages of Adulthood and the vertical axis
plots the spirituality measure from 0 to 3 in intervals of 0.5. The graph for
Women slowly increases from early to late-middle adulthood and then

see a sharp increase in older adulthood. The graph for Men sees slight
increase from early to middle adulthood followed by slight decrease from
middle to Late-middle stage and then sharp increase from late-middle to
older. The data for women is as follows. Early: 1.3. Middle: 1.4. Late
middle: 1.55. Older: 2.2. The data for men is as follows. Early: 1.15.
Middle: 1.25. Late middle: 1.25. Older: 1.5. All values are estimated.
The horizontal axis plots the stages of Adulthood and the vertical axis
plots the spirituality measure from 0 to 3. The graph for Older decreases
from Early to Late-Middle Adulthood and then increases for Older stage
of Adulthood. The graph for Younger steadily increases from Early
adulthood to Older Adulthood. The data for younger is as follows. Early:
1.15. Middle: 1.4. Late middle: 1.6. Older: 2.1. The data for older is as
follows. Early: 1.45. Middle: 1.4. Late middle: 1.25. Older: 1.9. All values
are estimated.
The first line graph shows average moral maturity scores by age for 4
samples, Turkish village, Turkish city, Chicago, and Israeli Kibbutz, from
lowest starting score to highest. All four samples increase drastically as

age increases.
The second line graph shows percent showing each stage of moral
reasoning by age for 4 stages. The curve for stage 4 starts at 0, increases
drastically, dips slightly, then increases sharply again. The curve for stage
3 starts at about (10, 15), increases sharply, then decreases almost as

much, then increases slightly, then decreases again, but not to the curve’s
original level. The curve for stage 2 starts high at about (10, 55) and
decreases sharply and then more gradually. The curve for Stage 1, which
is labelled stage 5 at the end of the curve, starts at about (10, 25),
decreases sharply, increases slightly, and then remains almost constant,
with a slight decrease at the end.

The pie chart plots the different types of stressors for Adults from age 25-
74. The data is as follows. Interpersonal tensions: 54 percent. Network:
17 percent. Work or school: 14 percent. Home: 9 percent. Health care: 2

percent. Other: 4 percent.
The horizontal axis shows the number of major life events and the
vertical axis show the Risk Ratio for breast cancer. The data is
approximately as follows. None: 0. One: 0.3. Two: 1. Three or more: 1.2.

The Graphs plots 6 types of traumas namely, War-Related trauma,
Physical Violence, Intimate Partner or Sexual Violence, Accident, Other
Traumas of Loved ones or Witnessed, and Other traumas. The horizontal

axis shows 0 to 20 years and vertical axis shows the Percentage Still in
episodes. All traumas except war related trauma follow roughly the same
curve, just at different values. They all start at (0, 100) and fall rapidly at
first, and then more slowly. The curves, ranked from lowest percent to
highest are as follows: accident, other traumas of loved ones or
witnessed, other traumas, intimate partner or sexual violence, and

physical violence. For war related trauma, it also starts at (0, 100), drops
to about (5, 80) and then drops steely to about (7, 20), and then follows
the other curves.

The horizontal axis plots the Lifetime prevalence. The data is as follows.
Experience trauma. Men: 60. Women: 50. Develop P T S D. Men: 8.
Women: 20. All values are approximated.

Horizontal axis shows Groups namely Integrated and Isolated and the
vertical axis gene activity from 0.00 to .50 in intervals of 0.10. The first
graph is labelled pro inflammatory genes. The data is as follows.

Integrated: 0.12. Isolated: 0.39. The second graph is labelled anti-
inflammatory genes. The data is as follows. Integrated: 0.26. Isolated:
0.09. All values are approximated.

The horizontal axis plots the Average and Above-Average Minority Stress
Days and vertical Axis shows the Daily Negative affect for line graph
plotting Higher and Lower Social Support from Friends. The data is as
follows. Average minority stress days. Lower social support: 1.35. Higher
social support: 1.7. Above average minority stress days. Lower social
support: 1.45. Higher social support: 2. All values are approximated.

The graph plots time since event on the horizontal axis and disruption in
normal functioning from mild to severe on the vertical axis. The curve
labelled chronic, 10 to 30 percent, starts in the severe range at 0 years

since event and stays in the severe range at 2 years. The curve labelled
delayed, 5 to 10 percent starts in the moderate range at 0 years and ends
in the severe range at 2 years. The curve labelled recovery, 15 to 35
percent starts in the moderate range, above the delayed curve at 0 years
and falls into the mild range at 2 years. The curve labelled resilience, 35
to 55 percent starts in the mild to moderate range at 0 years and falls to

the lower mild range below the recovery curve at 2 years.
The horizontal axis plots 3 means of reporting PTSD namely, PDHA,
Anonymous PDHA, and Virtual Therapist and vertical axis plots the
Number of PTSD Symptoms reported. The data is approximately as

follows. P D H A, official: 0.25. Anonymous P D H A: 0.3. Virtual
therapist: 0.8.
The graph shows the percent reporting each problem, categorized by
their living arrangement. The data is as follows. Lack of pain relief. At
home with home care nursing: 42.6. In hospital: 19.3. In nursing home:
31.8. At home with hospice care: 18.3. Lack of help with breathing. At
home with home care nursing: 38.0. In hospital: 18.9. In nursing home:
23.7. At home with hospice care: 25.6. Lack of emotional support for
patient. At home with home care nursing: 70. In hospital: 51.7. In nursing
home: 56.2. At home with hospice care: 34.6. Lack of contact with
physician. At home with home care nursing: 22.5. In hospital: 51.3. In

nursing home: 31.3. At home with hospice care: 14.0. Lack of
communication with physician. At home with home care nursing: 26.6. In
hospital: 27.0. In nursing home: 17.7. At home with hospice care: 17.6.
Lack of respect for patient. At home with home care nursing: 15.5. In
hospital: 20.4. In nursing home: 31.8. At home with hospice care: 3.8.
Lack of emotional support for family. At home with home care nursing:
45.4. In hospital: 38.4. In nursing home: 36.4. At home with hospice care:
21.1. Lack of information about what to expect while patient was dying.
At home with home care nursing: 31.5. In hospital: 50.0. In nursing
home: 44.3. At home with hospice care: 29.2. Did not know enough
about patient’s history to provide best care. At home with home care
nursing: 7.5. In hospital: 15.4. In nursing home: 19.6. At home with
hospice care: 7.9.

The horizontal axis plots the years from 1998 to 2017 and the vertical axis
plots the numbers. The graph for DWDA prescription receipts steadily
increases from 98 to 2003, sees slight dip between 2003 to 2007 and then
increases again from 2007 to 2017, except for year 2016 where it sees a
dip. The data for D W D A prescription recipients is as follows. 19 98: 25.
19 99: 40. 2000: 45. 2001: 50. 2002: 55. 2003: 65. 2004: 55. 2005: 60. 2006:
60. 2007: 80. 2008: 85. 2009: 95. 2010: 100. 2011: 115. 2012: 120. 2013:
125. 2014: 150. 2015: 220. 2016: 205. 2017: 220.
The graph for DWDA deaths sees smooth increase between 1998 - 2017
except for dips in years 2001 and 2013 followed by a steep increase in the
years 2013-2015. The data for D W D A deaths is as follows. 19 98: 20. 19
99: 25. 2000: 25. 2001: 20. 2002: 40. 2003: 45. 2004: 40. 2005: 40. 2006:
50. 2007: 50. 2008: 60. 2009: 55. 2010: 65. 2011: 70. 2012: 80. 2013: 70.
2014: 105. 2015: 135. 2016: 135. 2017: 145. All values are estimated.
The horizontal axis plots the Age and the vertical axis plots the Potency
or Degree of Influence. The curve labelled social clock starts high at age
18, stays roughly level until age 25, then steeply declines to age 65, where
there is an almost vertical drop to age 68 and then a more gradual drop to
the x axis at age 85. The curve labelled biological clock starts low at age
18, stays roughly level until age 25, then steeply increases to age 75 and
then increases even more steadily through age 85. A dotted curve labelled
childbearing for women extends just above this curve in the beginning,
then bubbles up between ages 28 and 40 and then rejoins the curve.
The horizontal axis plots the Years and vertical axis plots the percentage
"Very Satisfied" with Retirement. The graph for line '55 to 64' slightly
increases then steadily deaclines to eventually increase in the last year

point. The data for the 55 to 64 age group is as follows. 19 98: 56. 2000:
57. 2002: 56. 2004: 52. 2006: 49. 2008: 47. 2010: 43. 2012: 39. 2014: 40.
The graph for '65 to 74' is initially flat, then sees a steady decline with
slight improvement between 2006 and 2008 and eventually rises in 2014.
The data for the 65 to 74 age group is as follows. 19 98: 62. 2000: 62.
2002: 62. 2004: 57. 2006: 55. 2008: 47. 2010: 42. 2012: 38. 2014: 40.
The graph for '75 to 84' mirrors previous line graph. It starts as a flat line,
then declines to see a slight improvement in 2006 and 2008 and

eventually rises in 2014. The data for the 75 to 84 age group is as follows.
19 98: 63. 2000: 63. 2002: 63. 2004: 58. 2006: 56. 2008: 56. 2010: 54. 2012:
53. 2014: 54.
The graph for '85 plus' rises for the first 3 years, then declines for a year
then impoves for 2 years to eventually see a slow decline. The data for the
85 plus age group is as follows. 19 98: 64. 2000: 65. 2002: 67. 2004: 58.
2006: 58. 2008: 60. 2010: 59. 2012: 59. 2014: 58. All values are estimated.
The mountain is mostly symmetrical on the graph. The x axis moves from
poor health, low maturity, and low satisfaction at the left side of the
mountain to success, good health, and high satisfaction on the right side.
The y axis moves from late adult at the bottom of the mountain to young
adult at the top.
The major sources of disequilibrium are as follows: asynchrony of
developmental patterns, role changes especially if unanticipated, poor
match between personality and role requirements, movement along the

sequence of personality or spiritual development, and major life changes.
These all point to disequilibrium, which point to the following factors.
Factors or qualities affecting the resolution of disequilibrium are as
follows. Intelligence and education points to job complexity. Both of
these point to intellectual flexibility and skill; good coping skills. Exercise
and health habits point to perception of health. Outcome of previous

disequilibrium periods point to stage of personality development or faith.
Personality or temperament (extraversion, neuroticism, sense of internal
or external control) points both to perception of health and availability of
intimate confidants. All of these factors point to the quality of resolution

as follows. Adaptive changes (improved health or health habits, increased
psychological health or maturation), and maladaptive changes (illness,
self-destructive behavior, psychological regression, substance abuse).
These point to new life structure.

The graph shows number of social roles on the x axis and M M S E on the
y axis. The data points are as follows: (0, 26.4), (1, 26.7), (2, 26.8), (3,
26.9), (4, 27), (5, 27.1), (6, 27.3), (7, 27.4), (8, 27.6), (9, 27.8), and (10,
27.9). All values are estimated.
(a) The horizontal axis plots treatment condition for 2 fitness levels and
the vertical axis plots response time, in milliseconds. The data is as
follows. Control, low fitness: 675. Control, high fitness: 650. Exercise, low
fitness: 640. Exercise, high fitness: 585. All values are estimated; (b) The
horizontal axis plots treatment condition for 2 fitness levels and the
vertical axis plots stroop differences, in milliseconds. The data is as
follows. Control: 63. Exercise: 46. All values are estimated.

A stacked bar graph shows percentages of adults with grandchildren at
home, by race, compared against all adults aged 50 plus. The data
presented in the graph is as follows. Adults with grandchildren at home.

White: 48 percent. Hispanic: 23 percent. Black: 17 percent. Asian: 10
percent. All adults 50 plus. White: 75 percent. Hispanic: 9 percent. Black:
10 percent. Asian: 5 percent.

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About Revel and This Course

About This Course

 Listen to the Audio

dynamic process of adult development from early adulthood to the end of

diverse groups, showing the influences of gender, culture, ethnicity, race,

and socioeconomic background on this journey. I have balanced new

research with classic studies from pioneers in the field of adult

development. And I have sweetened this sometimes medicinal taste with

a spoonful of honey—a little personal warmth and humor. After all, I am

this edition, we have 14 grandchildren—seven of whom are beginning

their own journeys of adulthood either as college students or starting

Earles, a long-time friend and colleague at the Wilkes Honors College of

The ninth edition of The Journey of Adulthood features a comprehensive

development is changing quickly, and this edition of The Journey of

development, The Journey of Adulthood has itself developed through

several types of change; some reflect change in the field of adult

development and some reflect change in the world around us,

specifically, the academic settings in which this text is used.

Changes in the Field of Adult Development

exponentially from year to year. It began as a field of psychology, but

cellular biologists, biogerontologists, and many more. The terminology

many researchers publish in the journals of a variety of fields. This

and the richness of a number of multidisciplinary projects. It is an exciting

To emphasize these collaborations, we have identified each major

development literature. We want this text to reflect that diversity. When

groups of researchers in settings all over the developed world. We are no

research being done by Swedish, Japanese, and Egyptian scientists using

similar to studies done in the United States, we can be more confident

the human experience and not something particular to people in the

aspects of our academic community and, as seasoned travelers ourselves,

We include full names of major researchers and theorists when we

researchers more real to the students than conventional citations of “last

tried to capture this inclusion by choosing topics, examples, opening

Changes in the World Around Us

underemployed in fields that have lower wages. Many students are

threaten our environment and our planet’s future. There is a large

Single-parent families and dual-earner families in the United States (and

Other changes in the world around us are more positive. Health

rate of cancer deaths continues to decline as advances are made in early

children leaving home and widowhood. Communication technology has

Changes in the Classroom

their parents. The students at the Wilkes Honors College at Florida

bilingual and about one-third speak English as a second language. The

methods, and basic details of major theories. We meet the readers

 Listen to the Audio

through 8  cover traditional developmental topics, featuring recent

research, classic studies, current theories, new directions, and practical

applications. Chapters 9 , 10 , and 11  cover topics not traditionally

takes a chronological look at adult development, in contrast to the topical

theme in the earlier chapters, and also suggests a model of adult

New to This Edition

beginning with the concept of development being both stable and

Two guiding perspectives are introduced: Baltes’s lifespan developmental

approach and Bronfenbrenner’s bioecological model. The next section

covers developmental research. We don’t assume that all students have

taken a research methods class, so we limit the methods, measures,

New in this chapter:

Studies comparing Eastern and Western cultures on their attitudes

toward aging adults.