12: Myths of Midlife: Is there a Midlife Crisis? Flashcards
According to McCrae & Costa, how common is a midlife crisis?
Only a handful of men experiences it between 30 & 60 years of age
According to Freund & Ritter (2009) and Lachman (2004), is there any support behind the concept of a ‘midlife crisis’?
Not particularly - found that ppl who have ‘crises’ at midlife also have upheavals at other parts and are higher in NEUROTICISM
Are women likelier to have a midlife crisis?
no - women tend to have continuous struggles with balancing career/family - not a ‘midlife crisis’ (Mercer et al., 1989)
Does menopause increase the likelihood of experiencing a midlife crisis?
No - there is a false assumption that it does but menopause is subject to individual differences. Some experience emotional upheaval. Really dependent on individual factors
Double caregiver burden
The process where one has to look after 2 individuals from different generations (eg. children and parents)
Risk factors
personal characteristics that increase someone’s vulnerability to stress
Resilience factors
personal characteristics that decrease someone’s vulnerability to stress
Describe the study on the impact of different life events by Burns & Leonards (2005)
- Asked middle aged women to describe their lives as though it were a book and mark chapters as transitions in their lives
- results –> rarely mentioned normative developmental events as milestones and more likely to view unexpected events as crises
What does the study by Burns & Leonards tell us?
People view unexpected, off-time events as crises
According to the ABS, which age groups are most/least satisfied with their lives? Explain.
= 65-74 were most likely to be satisfied
= 45-54 were least likely to be satisfied possibly because they are a ‘sandwich group’
The wellbeing in adults under 70 years old is relatively _______
stable
How does the burden of caregiving impact middle aged adults?
- caregiver stress negatively impacts wellbeing (Gillett & Crisp, 2017)
- even providing routine support increases cortisol output and negative affect (Savla, Zarit & Almeida, 2018)
Crisis
When resources are overwhelmed by developmental tasks
Does the midlife crisis exist?
- Not a nortmative event
- midlife is not more or less traumatic than other periods according to data
What does Lachman’s research indicate about the midlife?
There are gains (competence, control) and losses (physical abilities, speed) but there is also stability (personality)
