Middle Adulthood (Ch. 15 & 16)

Question 1

Characterized by a slow onset and a long duration. These are rare in early adulthood, increase in middle adulthood, and become common in late adulthood.

Answer 1

Chronic Disorders

Arthritis most common followed by hypertension

Question 2

Is a term that is used to describe the midlife transition in which fertility declines, affects both men and women

Answer 2

Climateric

Question 3

An individual’s accumulated information and verbal skills, continues to increase in middle adulthood

Answer 3

Crystallized Intelligence

Question 4

One’s ability to reason abstractly, begins to decline in middle adulthood

Answer 4

Fluid Intelligence

Question 5

Often assessed through reaction time, continues to decline in middle adulthood

Answer 5

Speed of Information Processing

Question 6

Encompasses adults’ desire to leave legacies of themselves to the next generation. These legacies adults achieve a kind of immortality

Answer 6

Generativity

Part of Erikson’s 7th Stage

Question 7

Develops when individuals sense that they have done nothing for the next generation

Answer 7

Stagnation

Question 8

When men face stress, they are more likely to respond in THIS manner—to become aggressive, withdraw from social contact, or drink alcohol

Answer 8

Fight or Flight

Question 9

When women experience stress, they are more likely to engage in THIS pattern, seeking social alliances with others, especially friends.

Answer 9

Tend and Befriend

Question 10

Openness to experience, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness, and neuroticism (emotional stability)
“OCEAN”

Answer 10

Big Five Factors of Personality

Question 11

For most parents marital satisfaction does not decline after children have left home but rather increases during the years after child rearing

Answer 11

Empty Nest Syndrome

Question 12

The researchers in the Mills College Study concluded that rather than being in a midlife crisis, the women were experiencing THIS.
Commitment to the tasks of early adulthood—whether to a career or family (or both)—helped women learn to control impulses, develop interpersonal skills, become independent, and work hard to achieve goals.

Answer 12

“midlife consciousness”

Question 13

According to the Big 5 Factors, a person with high levels of THIS are more likely to die at younger age, feel more negative emotions, and experience lower sense of well-being.

Answer 13

Neuroticism

Question 14

According to the Big 5 Factors, this factor relates to better health and well-being, being more tolerant, and superior cognitive functioning accross the lifespan:

Answer 14

Openness

Question 15

In what part of lifespan do people demonstrate the greatest changes to their personality?

Answer 15

Early adulthood (20-40 years of age)

Question 16

In general the personality changes accross adulthood occur in what direction (positive or negative)?

Answer 16

Postive!
Over time, “people become more confident, warm, responsible, and calm”
Positive changes = more socially mature.

Question 17

The timetable on which individuals are expected to accomplish life’s tasks. Critics say that the adult stage theories are male-biased because they place too much emphasis on achievement and careers and do not adequately address women’s concerns about relationships. Midlife varies for women, as it does for men.

Answer 17

Social Clock

Question 18

Leading causes of death in middle adulthood:

Answer 18

Chronic diseases & cancer

Question 19

These factors play important roles in whether chronic diseases will appear and when.

Answer 19

Genetic and lifestyle factors

Question 20

A condition characterized by hypertension, obesity, and insulin resistance. Researchers have found that chronic stress exposure is linked to this.
Often leads to the development of diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

Answer 20

Metabolic Syndrome