Adulthood and Midlife:

The Morning and Afternoon of

Life
A Report on Developmental Psychology
By: Jacqueline Fragata Simeon
MAED Major in Educational Administration

Topics
I. Becoming an Adult
A.

Transition

B.

Cognitive Development

C.

Career and Work

II. Being with Others

D.

Stability and Change

E.

Attraction, Love, and Close Relationship

F.

Gender, Relationship, and Self-Development

III. Making it in Midlife

G.

The Nature of Middle Adulthood

H.

Cognitive Development

I.

Careers, Work, Leisure

J.

Meaning in Life

Becoming an Adult:
Transition
Transition: From childhood to adolescence
begins with the onset of pubertal maturation;
from adolescence to adulthood is determined
by cultural standards and experiences
Emerging adulthood- the term given to the
transition from adolescence to adulthood; age
range: approximately 18-25 years old

Becoming an Adult:
Transition
Features of Emerging Adulthood (Jeffrey
Arnett, 2006):
Identity exploration
Instability
Self-focused
Feeling in-between
The age of possibilities and life transformation

Becoming an Adult:
Transition

Is there a specific age at

which individuals become
adults?

Becoming an Adult:
Transition

How or when can we say

an individual has reached
adulthood?

Becoming an Adult:
Transition
Different studies say that the following factors
are markers if one is already an adult:
Social Status factors
Cognitive factors
Full-time employment/ economic independence
Taking responsibility for oneself
Marriage

Becoming an Adult:
Transition

What determines an
individuals well-being in
the transition to
adulthood?

Becoming an Adult:
Transition
Intellectual
Academic success, planfulness, and good decision-making
skills

Psychological
Mental health, mastery motivation, confidence in ones
competence, identity, values, and community
contributions)

Social
Connectedness to others through friendship and positive
peer relations
Developmental tasks such as work, romantic involvement,
and citizenship

Becoming an Adult:
Transition
The Transition from High
School to College
Stress
Happiness
Education

Becoming an Adult:
Cognitive Development
Cognitive Stages
Formal Operational Thinking
Realistic and Pragmatic Thinking
Reflective and Relativistic Thinking
Post Formal Thinking

Creativity
Peaks in adulthood and then declines; peak often occurs
in the forties
Qualifying any conclusion about age and creative
accomplishments are (1) magnitude of the decline in
productivity, (2) contrasts across creative domains, and
(3) individual differences in lifetime outputs.

Becoming an Adult:
Cognitive Development
The first step toward a more creative life
is: Cultivating curiosity and interest. How
to do this?
Try to be surprised by something everyday
Try to surprise at least one person everyday
Write down each day what surprised you and how
you surprised others
When something sparks your interest, follow it
Wake up in the morning with a specific goal to
look forward to
Spend time in settings that stimulate your
creativity

Becoming an Adult:
Careers and Work
Developmental Changes
Idealization of a career as children
Less idealization in high school years
Zeroing-in on a specific career in late twenties to
early twenties
Choosing a major or specialization in college
Completion of education or training and entering
a full-time occupation in early and mid-twenties
Establishing an emerging career in a particular
field in mid-twenties through the remainder of
early adulthood

Becoming an Adult:
Careers and Work
Personality Types
Realistic
Doing/Things

Convention
al
Conforming/d
ata

Investigative
Thinking/ideas

Enterprisin
g
Managing/pe
ople

Artistic
Creating/ideas/Thi
ngs

Social
Helping/peop
le

Becoming an Adult:
Careers and Work
Values and Career
When people know what they value most- what
is important to them in life- they can refine
their career choice more effectively.

Monitoring the Occupational Outlook

It is important to be knowledgeable about
different fields and companies as you explore
the type of work you are likely to enjoy and
succeed in.

Becoming an Adult:
Careers and Work
The Impact of Work
Work During College
Unemployment
Dual-Career Couples

Diversity in the Workplace

Being with Others:

Stability and Change from
Childhood to Adulthood
Temperament
Studies show that a childs temperament shows
links or continuity to his/her adult personality
and adjustment

Attachment
Securely attached individuals may count on
their romantic partners to be a secure base to
which they can return and obtain comfort and
security in stressful times, like they were to
their parents/caregiver as a child.

Being with Others:

Attraction, Love, and Close
Relationship
Attraction
Familiarity and similarity
Physical Attractiveness

The Faces of Love

Intimacy (Intimacy vs. Isolation; Intimacy and Independence)
Friendship (Gender differences; Cross-gender friendships;
Friends and lovers)
Romantic Love
Affectionate Love
Consummate Love

Falling out of Love

Being with Others:

Attraction, Love, and Close
Relationship
Personal growth after a romantic
relationship break-up
Loneliness

Being with Others:

Gender, Relationships, and Selfdevelopment
Gender and Communication
Rapport Talk
Report Talk

Womens Development
Mens Development

Making it in Midlife:
The Nature of Middle Adulthood
Changing Midlife
Midlife is the afternoon of life. It serves as an
important preparation for late adulthood, the
evening of life.

Defining Middle Adulthood

It begins at approximately 40 to 60-65 years of
age.
Gains (growth) and losses (decline) balance each
other.

Making it in Midlife:
Cognitive Development
Intelligence
Fluid (information and verbal skills) and Crystallized
Intelligence (abstract skills; spatial orientation and
inductive reasoning)
The Seattle Longitudinal Study (focus was individual
change and stability in intelligence)

Information Processing
Speed of Information Processing
Memory
Expertise
Practical Problem Solving
Metacognition

Making it in Midlife:
Careers, Work, and Leisure
Work in Midlife
Career Challenges and Changes
Leisure

Making it in Midlife:
Meaning in Life
Four main needs for meaning that guide
how people try to make sense of their lives:
Need
Need
Need
Need

for
for
for
for

purpose
values
a sense of efficacy
self-worth

Making it in Midlife:
Meaning in Life

Why do you exist?

What do you want from life?
What is the meaning of your life?

The
End