Men's and women's sociocultural experiences typically led them to develop as adults via different pathways. Adult education provides the opportunity for new life choices that can lead to becoming a fully integrated person. (SK)

Describes a study conducted to develop a clear picture of this period labeled adulthood from the perspective of men and women, to look at similarities as well as differences between these groups, and to reveal their perceptions of this time of life. (CT)

Community-dwelling older adults (N=364) described their own sex roles using the Bem Sex Role Inventory and were tested with additional measures of mental and physical health and current life situation. Most elderly persons described androgynous roles. Perceived sex roles related to several dimensions of life situation and well-being. (Author)

The assumptions of influential adult development models are being questioned: that growth is linear, higher developmental levels are better, all adults want to change and grow, and models based on males apply equally to females. The extent to which knowledge of psychological development is indispensable to practice continues to be debated. (SK)

A growing body of literature is questioning whether existing models of human development apply equally to men and women. Prevailing theories of human development have been criticized for being based on research with primarily male subjects of similar ethnic, racial, or class backgrounds. Some research supports the viewpoint that women have…

A study compared the intellectual development among 118 technical college instructors aged 35-65 who had different educational backgrounds. In a 3 x 2 factor design, 3 groups of educational experience (no baccalaureate degree, baccalaureate degree, and master's degree) were represented, with 20 subjects (10 men and 10 women) in each group. The…

An interesting area of adult development is "gender shift": the transition from the traditional life patterns or ways of making meaning that are associated with stereotypically male or female roles. One may experience the wish to fulfill those parts of one's personality often associated with feminine or masculine constructs not yet explored.…

This book contains 15 papers on the following topics related to lifelong learning: lifespan development and education, capacity to learn in the lifespan, skills formation in the workplace, learning to learn in the lifespan, and implications for policy and practice. The following papers are included: "Learning for Life: New Ideas, New…

This encyclopedia contains 106 articles on adult development that were written by more than 75 specialists in such diverse fields as anthropology, communication, education, health sciences, history, and psychology. In a guide to related topics that is presented at the beginning of the encyclopedia, the 106 articles are grouped under the following…