The process of aging is not a steady decline; there is in every individual the potential for continuous growth and maturation through adulthood well into old age. (JD)

This paper outlines a sequence of age-related developmental stages of the adult years, with a special emphasis on the preretirement period. Age-related life stages are discussed in the context of organizational behavior, the person-organization relationship, and the disengagement processes of retirement. (Author)

The impact of early life events that take place under specific historical and societal circumstances on adult development have rarely been investigated in old age. We examined whether having started a family in young adulthood was related to the contents of possible selves generated by women aged 85 to 100+ in the Berlin Aging Study (N = 129; M…

Describes a study conducted during the summer of 1982 in order to examine the personal, social, and general intellectual growth perceived by older students participating in Elderhostel programs. Discusses 12 growth themes that emerged after a theme analysis was conducted on the data. Results of the study indicated support for liberal education for…

This study examined four older adults at the time of retirement to determine the extent to which there was intraindividual variability and stability in self-concept during the retirement transition, and to see whether patterns of change were replicable across subjects. Results showed that three to four dimensions of self-concept variability…

The basic issue underlying this research is whether or not adult personality structures change after maturity is reached. Problems involved in the longitudinal study of psychological variables are discussed and 2 feasible designs applied in an effort to differentiate the effects of chronological age, secular trends, generation differences, as well…

Educational gerontology, a recently developed field of study, includes three components: (1) educational endeavors for older adults to modify attitudes and behaviors; (2) public education abut aging that will improve attitudes towards older people; (3) education training for professionals and practitioners for work in the field. Recommendations…

The author enunciates basic tenets of developmental theory and shows their application to work with adults. Counseling intervention is conceptualized as mobilizing resources to facilitate growth. Implications for the future of counseling psychology are considered. (Author)

The potential interface between human development theories and intergenerational programing is explored. Erik Erikson's division of adult development into young, middle, and later adulthood, and Butler and Lewis'"characteristics of older people," are considered. Older people can offer help and encouragement to youth while themselves…

In order to better serve the needs of people in midlife and beyond, Mt. San Antonio College (Mt. SAC), California, is considering the establishment of a Center for Longevity and Education (CLE). The CLE mission would be to foster a supportive environment for lifelong learning and life transitions for midlife and beyond, while channeling the…

This digest of a larger report with the same title uses a question-and-answer format to examine the productivity of senior faculty members at institutions of higher education. It reviews issues related to the aging of full-time faculty at a time when many institutions are undergoing major changes and restructuring. It reports data suggesting that…

Describes an undergraduate course project where students helped mentally alert senior citizens write their life stories. By assisting senior citizens to organize memories and interpret life decisions, the students experienced stages they had not yet lived through. Students evaluated the course project as a positive learning and personal growth…

This report examines issues concerned with the vitality and productivity of senior faculty at institutions of higher education. The first section reviews shifting faculty demographics and is followed by a case study of the career of one professor. Next, research on the productivity of senior faculty in teaching, research, and service is reviewed.…

In seeking to explore theorists' claims that learning, education, and development in old age are linked, this qualitative study investigated how seeking a graduate or undergraduate degree functions in late-life development. Sixteen participants, ages 70 to 84, enrolled in higher education, were interviewed with a view to exploring their major…

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…