The marital phenomenon known as the Seven Year Itch is discussed as a marital entity and as a manifestation of a stage of individual adult development-the age 30 transition. Characteristics of couples and treatment methods are discussed. Presented at the American Psychiatric Association, Miami Beach, May 9, 1976. (Author)

Until recently marriages that endured 20 years or more have been considered long-term. And only in recent years have marriages of 50 or more years duration been plentiful enough to be studied. The course of marital satisfaction across the years was traced in the 17 surviving couples of the Berkeley Older Generation Study, a group that has been…

This article posits that in the absence of overwhelming external challenge, most individuals find the motivation to live autonomous and satisfying lives only through one or more mutually intimate dyadic relationships. Some preliminary evidence in support of this thesis is presented showing marked life stage and sex differences. (Author)

Developed and tested a causal model for degree of difficulty of the transition to parenthood using data collected from interviewing 54 White married couples whose first child was three to five months old. Found difficulty related to: parental responsibilities and restrictions, gratifications, and marital intimacy and stability. (Author/RC)

Evaluates the effects of expanding sex-role alternatives on the passage of American middle-class women through the Eriksonian model of identity achievement. Contrasts contemporary norms regarding appropriate feminine roles with the more constricted social expectations of Erikson's time. Discusses validity of Erikson's original model of female…

Examined the effects of social age status and gender on perception of control of work, home, and school situations. Adults perceived the greatest control through the ability to influence powerful others. Adult females perceived greater influence than adolescent or retired females but the same as males of any age. (Author/JA)

Explores sex differences and life span patterns in interpersonal relationships in people (N=62) from the United States and India. Found females, especially between ages 19 and 31, mentioned a higher number of relationships. American subjects mentioned parents and immediate family most often, while subjects from India mentioned extended kin.…

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…