Examined whether ego identity status transition pathways and change rates differ significantly across domains of identity development from adolescence through middle adulthood. Interviews with 100 middle-aged adults regarding development of values in vocation, religion, politics, gender roles, and relationships identified 8 subgroups which varied…

Examined commonalities of aging consciousness among 72 professional men and women between 50 and 60 years old. Found frequency and intensity of aging messages increased in the fifties, fostering a quickened sense of aging during this decade. Identified four categories of age reminders characteristic in the fifties: body, generational, contextual,…

The results showed as much variation within the groups of mature women and young women as between the two groups. Mature women found little in the academic or social life of the institution with which to identify; neither did the young women. (Author/CG)

Addresses the impact of perceived control over personal development on the perception and emotional evaluation of developmental achievements and prospects in adulthood. (Author)

The author makes a case for needed research on mid-life career change and stability. The study of those who have made career changes during the middle years would contribute to the understanding of normal development, the impact of career change on identity psychological well-being and personality. (SJL)

Surveyed 172 male dentists to examine the extent to which they felt trapped in a one life/one career imperative. Results showed 84 percent agreed that most professionals can pursue only one career. Dentists undergoing a midlife crisis were less satisfied with their careers. (JAC)

The past 15 years have brought a re-evaluation of women's adult development in light feminist thinking. However, many outdated assumptions in psychological theory remain comfortably ensconced; to challenge these ideas, some misrepresentations of women's experience are examined. The focus is on Erik Erikson's explanation of the second stage of…

Between the ages of thirty-five and fifty, adults become engrossed in questioning the meaning of work, marriage, and life itself. In the process, they must confront long-held false beliefs in their own immortality, safety, and innocence. (Author)

Relatively little research exists on the relationship between adaptability and the structural aspects of self. The research that does exist suggests that a more mature personality, i.e., a self that is differentiated and integrated, has a greater capacity to adapt to crises. To identify the empirical relationship between three structural…

Midlife crises require different behavioral responses for women who have made decisions about marriage, motherhood, and career. For women experiencing midlife crises, assertiveness training has the potential to resolve conflicts. Assertiveness training (AT) consists of three components, i.e., skills training, anxiety reduction, and cognitive…

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)

Reports a study of 20 Canadian associate professors, aged 41-59, which explored how faculty experience the mid-career and mid-life period in academic and community work, personal and family relationships, and sense of self. Identifies a variety of difficult issues for this population, but proposes that adult development theory suggests potential…

Reviews developmental stages in older adults, particularly disillusionment and individuation, and their effects on career and family. Knowledge of these changes is useful in developing motivational tools for adults who work in schools. (BJV)

Contains eight articles related to counseling women and change, including: (1) the impact of traditional values on counseling women, (2) problems of midlife women, (3) women's victimization, and (4) counseling women to be whole persons. Also focuses on women as housewives, working women, and religious women. (RC)

Midlife transition is a potentially problematic time for all women, but especially for those who are unmarried, relatively less well-educated, and who do not reside in urban areas. Some studies suggest that unmarried women have more difficulty in identity formation and acceptance of their role by society. Married women whose children are nearly…