Although aging is a process that affects everyone, individuals can choose how they will behave as they become older. Some persons choose to focus on the negative, becoming more and more self-centered and driving away those around them, becoming a burden to themselves and to society. Others, often prompted by a midlife crisis or period of…

For the healthy midlife adult, the second half of life provides a balance for the first half: men become more nurturant while women become more aggressive. The definition of the midlife woman is tied to the family cycle, when her children leave home. Marital satisfaction often increases after the children are gone and relinquishing her role as…

Although it may be so subtle that it is not noticed or sudden and life altering, adult development occurs in a cycle of four inherent processes: transaction, transition, transformation, and transcendence. These processes exist in a cycle characterized by growth and development. The processes can be defined as follows: (1) transaction--personal,…

Because of the economic and cultural changes that are currently taking place in society and the workplace, many adults who had their career and personal lives planned to retirement are finding those plans no longer viable and are recognizing the need to readjust their career expectations. Many adults who had always viewed life as a linear,…

The study described in this paper was conducted to delineate the phenomenon of generativity in middle-aged adults in an attempt to identify its major characteristics, attributes, determinants, and situational or circumstantial variables. Three themes emerged from a literature survey of materials on middle adulthood: the theme of the entry…

Explored experiences of 18 women, ages 35 to 60. Diversity in the sample was achieved in marital status; presence or absence of children; education; income; age; and sexual orientation. Resulting grounded theory conceptualized an emotional process with 3 parts: assessing circumstances; clarifying personal values; and adjusting behaviors and life…

To help adults develop an awareness of midlife issues, to encourage personal acceptance of the transition, and to introduce appropriate coping skills, a speech communication course was designed that relied on river trip activities to develop insights about this passage. The vehicle for the seminar was a four-day raft trip down the Green River,…

Because new programs are being developed throughout the country to address the needs of midlife and older women, the Center for Women Policy Studies in Washington, DC, conducted a survey of selected programs and prepared a report based on the results. The Center's purpose was to establish a network through which professionals involved in issues…

Indicates that women experiencing a midlife crisis pass through five recognizable stages: (1) feeling trapped, (2) the first change, (3) multiple changes, (4) rational planning, and (5) implementing the plan. (NKA)

Discussions by 56 educators from a Canadian school district on their job satisfactions and dissatisfactions, aspirations, and life transitions in tape recorded interviews provided the primary data for this study of adult development among teachers and administrators. Secondary data were obtained from a questionnaire survey of an additional 383…

The long-held belief that a person became an adult at about 20 years of age and, henceforth, remained psychologically and physically on a plateau until old age, has recently been found unacceptable in the light of research contributed by developmental psychology. Adult development may be viewed as the function of the interaction of the…

Theories about adult development have been grouped into four models: biological, psychological, sociocultural, and integrative. Biological models (those that are concerned with how physical changes affect development) and psychological models (those that view development as either sequential--defined by life events-- or as a series of transitions…

Following a literature search of the theories of personal maturation and career development, a study was conducted to identify personality and demographic variables related to career development and career concerns. Specifically investigated was the relationship between two sets of variables with self-concept, locus of control, and age in one set…

This book identifies skills and competencies that can empower adults throughout the life cycle. Part 1 focuses on the emerging adult. Chapter 1 contrasts new opportunities for adult living with the negative belief that the United States' best days are behind. Chapter 2 makes a case for a cyclical pattern for understanding adult life. Part 2…

A 2-year study was conducted to examine the impact of Continuing Education for Women (CEW) at the University of Minnesota on women's lives. Using data from a 22-page questionnaire filled out by 1,134 women who had taken at least one continuing education course at the University, and in-depth personal interviews with selected participants, the…