"Would the childhood version of myself be proud of who I have become?"
This is a question that will make many think back to their childhood and compare it to where they are now. While some did turn into what they dreamed of as a child, others have become people that their younger version never would have imagined.
These two different outcomes are examples of what developmental psychologists look at when studying adulthood and aging.
- We will first take a look at the definitions for adolescence, adulthood, and old age.
- Next we will discuss developmental psychology and aging.
- Then, we will see the theories and factors for adulthood and aging.
- Lastly, we will view the different social developments for adulthood.
Adolescence, Adulthood, and Old Age
Developmental psychologists have categorized adolescence, adulthood, and old age into specific stages with their own unique characteristics.
Adolescence: The period when you are around 12-20.
Adulthood: The period that consists of people aged 20 to 60 years. Adulthood is broken into two subcategories: young and middle adulthood. Young adulthood consists of people aged 20 to 30 years. Middle adulthood consists of people aged 30 to 60 years.
Old Age: The period that consists of people aged 60 and older.
Developmental psychologists also use the term "Emerging Adulthood" to refer to people aged 18-24. Emerging adulthood connects adolescence and young adulthood, and highlights the transition between these two phases of development.
Adolescence
Adolescence is characterized by biological, cognitive, and social changes. Biological changes include puberty, which is seen in both males and females. Growth spurts can also occur during puberty and impact physical features, which can affect how adolescents view themselves.
Puberty is a process that takes place within the body and signals the transition from being a child to an adult.
Puberty occurs in both males and females, but they do begin at different times.
- For males, puberty can take place between the ages of 12-16.
- For females, puberty can take place between the ages of 10-14.
Puberty can come early or late, and it differs from person to person. The age ranges provided above are just estimates.
Growth spurts is a term used to describe the "quick" changes in physical appearance, height, and weight during puberty.
Young Adulthood
Young adulthood, or early adulthood, describes those aged 20-30. This period is characterized by social and emotional changes. Young adulthood involves many social changes, so we'll list a few that can be used to describe the majority of this population.
The three social changes listed above are important because they teach young adults responsibility, independence, and autonomy. These social changes encourage young adults to find their place in society and to create a foundation for the rest of their adulthood. As for emotional changes, young adults establish relationships that encourage emotional maturity and help the young adult find a community.
Middle Adulthood
Middle adulthood describes those aged 30-60. This period is exhibited by biological and social changes. Biological changes in this age group are with regard to overall health; health can decline due to wear and tear as we age. As we age, our mental and physical capacity will also decrease. As for social changes, marriage and the start of families are common during this time frame Those events can impact work, one's social life, and current state of living.
Old Age
Old age describes people aged 60 and over. This period exhibits biological and social changes. There are many illnesses associated with old age, among them Alzheimer's, arthritis, and heart disease.
Alzheimer's disease is a form of dementia. This disease is progressive and causes changes in memory and cognitive processes. There is no cure for Alzheimer's (for now).
There are 6 million people in the US currently living with Alzheimer's (2020). This number is projected to triple by the year 2050.
As for social changes, mobility also declines as we age. This impacts the social lives of older adults, as they are unable to do the social activities they enjoyed during young and middle adulthood. However, research has shown that older adults, who can stay mobile, prefer to be social and active.
Fig. 1 Social activities for older adults, pixabay.com
Developmental Psychology and Aging
Aging is the process of becoming old.
The goal of developmental psychology is to observe the growth, changes, and consistencies that take place during one's life span. Aging is an important aspect in this field; as people age, different types of developments can occur. Such developments can be seen through Eric Erikson's Psychosocial Stages of Development.
Erikson's Psychosocial Stages of Development describe eight stages that show the progression of personality development. These stages are divided by age group.
Erikson's eight stages show personality development, goals, conflicts, and important events that should occur during that age range. The stages corresponding to adolescence and older are below:
Theories of Adulthood and Aging
Daniel Levinson theorized that, in adulthood, everyone has a life structure. These life structures depend on seasons of life (i.e. moments in one's life). There are two main seasons that all adults go through, the Stable Period, and the Transitional Period.
Life Structures: An overarching term used to represent key aspects in one's life. Those aspects are social gatherings, work-life balance, romantic relationships, and personal life.
The Stable Period refers to times in adulthood when aspects of life remain the same.
Jake enjoys his current career and wants to stay in it for as long as possible.
The Transitional Period is the end of a life stage, and the beginning of a new one.
Sasha was married at 29, but filed for divorce five years later. This signals the transitional period of her life.
Levinson also talked about what we call a mid-life crisis. This is when an adult questions all aspects of their life. Questions such as "Am I where I want to be?", and "is this what I want for my life?", arise.
A Mid-life crisis occurs when an adult experiences a change in self-identity and confidence.
Factors that Influence Aging
Aging is a part of life. However, factors such as biological, social, and cognitive changes play a key role in how we age. Biological changes are usually evidenced by our health; as we age, our health declines. Our health can be felt internally and shown externally through age markers such as graying hair and wrinkles. As we age, we are more likely to be diagnosed with illnesses, but it could be simple wear and tear that causes stress to bear down on the body.
Social changes occur throughout adulthood. These changes can be caused by the different relationships we create. Humans are social creatures who rely on interaction; however, other parts of life can take over sometimes, and our social life diminishes or decreases as our focus is shifted elsewhere.
Cognitive changes also impact the aging process, as our thoughts, motivations, and mental processes do change over time. These can affect our aging process; stress, mental disorders, and our self-identity can correlate to adulthood development.
Social Processes and Development in Adulthood and Aging
In early adulthood, one's social development is starting to evolve from that of an adolescent. Transitions such as college and starting a career usually occur at this stage. In adolescence, the now-adult relied on family and friends, formed from proximity, for social interaction. However, due to changes in the environment, the adult must create a place for themselves within their new space (be it in their college classes or new workplace). They must form connections on their own. Social interaction is critical at this stage because this is also the point at which long-lasting relationships are formed. As for health, the majority within this category are healthy and active adults.
In middle adulthood, social development can be considered fully formed and is evidenced by marriage, the creation of one's own family, a stable friend group, or the formation of a small community. Marriage and kids are not in everyone's plan, but having a steady form of social interaction is crucial because it fulfills the feeling of being in a community. In terms of health, the aging process is starting to show, and physical changes in hair, weight, and facial features (e.g. wrinkles) are noticeable. Also, aches and pains are more common when compared to those in early adulthood.
Adulthood and Aging - Key takeaways
- There are three stages of adulthood; early, middle, and late adulthood. Late adulthood is "Old age".
- Early adulthood includes those aged 20-30.
- Middle adulthood includes those aged 30-60. This can also be referred to as mature adulthood.
- Late adulthood includes those aged 60 and older.
- There are two major theories of aging: disengagement theory and activity theory.
- Disengagement theory says that people withdraw from society as they age.
- Activity theory says that older people are happier when they have social interaction and partake in activities.
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