Lesson 10: Middle Adulthood Flashcards
meaning-mission fit
alignment between an executive’s personal intentions and their firm’s mission
social cognitive career theory (SCCT)
proposes that career choice is a result of the application of Bandura’s social cognitive theory, especially the concept of self-efficacy
vocational maturity
degree of congruence between people’s occupational behavior and what is expected of them at different ages
Holland’s theory deals with the relationship between occupation and _______
personality
Recent research has shown that job satisfaction does not increase consistently as a person ages, rather, satisfaction may be ______
cyclical
Two salient aspects of job dissatisfaction are alienation and _______.
burnout
What are the steps of vocational maturity?
- Super
1. implementation: early 20s, temporary jobs to learn work roles/explore choices
2. stabilization: mid-20s to mid-30s, select spec occupation
3. consolidation: mid-30s throughout life, advance up career ladder
glass ceiling
the level to which women may rise in an organization but beyond which they may not go
glass cliff
situation that women confront in which their leadership position is not secure
Three barriers to women’s occupational development are sex discrimination, the glass ceiling, and _______.
pay discrimination
One response to the pressures of a global economy and an aging workforce is to provide ________.
worker retraining
Which age group is most at risk for negative effects of job loss?
middle-aged adults
Explain Holland’s theories of occupational choice
- personality-type theory
- social cognitive career theory (SCCT)
- occupational choice is complex involving interactions between many factors (personal beliefs, ethic/gender/economic factors)
personality-type theory
proposed by Holland: states that people choose occupations to optimize the fit between their individual traits and their occupational interests
SCCT (basic)
Includes:
- self-efficacy (your belief in your ability)
- outcome expectations (what you think will happen)
- interests
- choice goals
SCCT (complex)
Includes:
- self-efficacy (your belief in your ability)
- outcome expectations (what you think will happen)
- interests
- choice goals
- ->adds two more - supports (environmental things that will help you)
- barriers (environmental things that will block/frustrate you)
Define and describe how mentors are helpful to mentees as they climb the occupational ladder.
part-teacher/sponsor/model/counselor that facilitates on-the-job learning to help new hire do work required in present role and prepare for future roles
Teaches them to…
-avoid trouble
-invaluable information on unwritten rules
-helps them get noticed
Four phases of mentor relationship
- initiation
- cultivation - work together
- separation
- definition - relationship ends/transforms into different type
Stressors women face in the workforce
- pressure to work longer hours
- increased commute time to work
- rising child-care costs
- limited health care options
- working mother –> pulled away from child’s needs
- -> what to do with kids during summer/winter breaks
What are two reasons why women leave the workforce?
- the workplace holds contrary/non-supportive values: idolize/reward masculine values of working
- they feel disconnected from workplace/colleagues/clients/coworkers = less meaning from work
what is the most important role that young adults can strive for?
achieving a manageable work–family balance
Stressor
environmental events or factors that tax our ability to cope
Stress
the consequence of experiencing stressors that force us to adapt to changes in our lives
Positive (Constructive) Stress Management
productive and direct ways of changing one’s environment to make it less stressful, such as discussing problems with others, problem solving, and exercising
Negative (Destructive) Stress Management
Negative coping strategies merely postpone the effects of the stressor or can even accentuate the negative effects. Examples include denial (i.e., a psychological mechanism in which people convince themselves that there is no problem) and drug use
What are the subdivisions of coping strategies?
- problem-focused
2. emotion-focused
Problem-focused coping
attempts to resolve the stressor directly
ex. payment plan to resolve debt
Emotion-focused coping
does not directly address the stressor but involves trying to alter one’s emotions to feel better about it
(ex. reassuring self that “being in debt is ok, every young person goes through this”)
Cognitive developmental changes during middle adulthood
focus on middle-aged adults’ ability to demonstrate practical intelligence and expertise
- crystallized intelligence (information and knowledge one has gained over the years) can increase
- fluid intelligence may decline
- -> not as quick/sharp, but retain practical skills
Personality developmental changes during middle adulthood
- five factor model
- generativity
Personality vs. Characteristic
Personality: consists of an individual’s characteristic way of thinking, feeling, and behaving
Characteristic: stability of feelings, thoughts, and behaviors across different situations and over time
five-factor model
- Costa and McCrae
- if one can be evaluated on each of five different personality factors, more commonly known as traits, one’s entire personality can be described
What are the five factors in the personality model by Costa and McCrae?
- extroversion
- neuroticism
- openness to experience
- agreeableness
- conscientiousness
One needs to know one’s _____ AND the ______ one is in to be able to predict how well he or she is functioning
personality/situation
generativity
become more concerned with helping the next generation grow and develop
*important task for middle-aged adults to accomplish
Family dynamics in middle adulthood
- kids moving out of house
- begin caring for elderly parents
sandwich generation
caring for own kids and elderly parents at the same time
Physical changes in middle adulthood
- metabolism slows
- wrinkles/balding
- loss of bone mass (osteoporosis)
- arthritis
skeletal maturity
when bone mass is greatest/skeleton at peak development
19 for women, 20 for men
osteoporosis
a disease in which bones become porous and extremely easy to break from severe loss of bone mass
-more common in women (white/asian) -> decrease in estrogen from menopause accelerates bone loss
dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA) test
test of bone mineral density at the hip/spine
-encouraged to women over 65
selective estrogen receptor modulators (SERMs)
compounds that are not estrogen, but that have estrogen-like effects on some tissues and estrogen-blocking effects on others
osteoarthritis
most common form of arthritis
-a disease marked by gradual onset of bone damage with progression of pain/disability together with minor signs of inflammation from wear-and-tear
rheumatoid arthritis
a more destructive disease of the joints
- develops slowly
- typically affects different joints and causes different pain than osteoarthritis
Reproductive changes in middle adulthood
- continue to have active sex lives
- menopause (women unable to bear children)
- gradual decline in testosterone levels (can still bear children, but 1/2 as fertile)
- threat of prostate cancer to men
climacteric
biological process during which women pass from their reproductive to non-reproductive years
menopause
when menstruation stops
-hot flashes, night sweats, headaches, mood changes, vaginal dryness, ches/pains
perimenopause
the individual varying time of transition from regular menstruation to menopause
menopausal hormone therapy
medication therapy in which women take low doses of estrogen, which is often combined with progestin to counter symptoms of menopause
stress and coping paradigm
the dominant framework used to study stress, which emphasizes the transactions between a person and the environment
Stress/Coping in relation to health
- chronic stress suppresses the immune system, increases risk of atherosclerosis, and hypertension
- impaired memory/cognition
- trigger for angina, arrhythmia, increased chance of blood clot, reduction in estrogen, irritable bowel syndrome, weight fluctuations, insulin resistance…..
Type A behavior pattern
a behavior pattern in which people tend to be intensely competitive, angry, hostile, restless, aggressive, and impatient
*twice as likely to develop cardiovascular disease than Type B
Type B behavior pattern
a behavior pattern opposite of Type A (non-aggressive)
aerobic exercise
places moderate stress on heart –> maintains pulse rate between 60-90% of max heart rate
Reduction in fertility in men usually occurs _______.
gradually
practical intelligence
the broad range of skills relate to how individuals shape, select, or adapt to their physical/social environments
mechanics of intelligence
those aspects of intelligence comprising fluid intelligence
pragmatics of intelligence
those aspects of intelligence reflecting crystalized intelligence
encapsulation
occurs when the processes of thinking (info processing, memory, fluid intelligence) become connected or “encapsulated” to the products of thinking (expertise)
The skills and knowledge necessary for people to function in everyday life make up ______.
practical intelligence
Neuroticism
how commonly one experiences negative emotions, such as anxiety, agitation, self-consciousness, and depression
Extraversion
trait associated with the tendency to thrive on social interaction, like to talk/take charge, readily express emotions/feelings
–> choose people-oriented jobs, have humanitarian goals
Openness to Experience
reflects a tendency to have a vivid imagination/dream life, appreciation of art, and strong desire to try anything once
–> choose ministry/counseling jobs, experience over pay
Agreeableness
associated with being accepting, willing to work with others, and caring
Conscientiousness
tend to be hard working, ambitious, energetic, scrupulous, and persevering
–> desire to make something of themselves
stagnation
- Erikson
- state in which people are unable to deal with the needs of their children or to provide mentoring to younger adults
narrative
a way in which a person derives personal meaning from being generative and by constructing a life story –> shapes identity
ego resilience
a powerful personality resource that enables people to handle midlife changes
According to McAdams, the meaning one derives from being generative happens through the process of _______.
narrative
kinkeeper
the person who gathers family members together for celebrations and keeps them in touch with each other
filial obligation
a sense of obligation to care for one’s parents if necessary
Most caregiving for aging parents is provided by ________.
daughters and daughters-in-law
