What Does Psychology Say?

Figure 14.1 Middle adulthood is characterized by an expansion of roles and responsibilities at home, work, and in the community. (credit top left: modification of work “Grandpa” by NappyStock/nappy, Public Domain; credit top middle: modification of work “Smartphone in Hands” by Alyssa Sieb/nappy, Public Domain; credit top right: modification of work “Bangkok Traffic” by Bernard Spragg. NZ/Flickr, Public Domain; credit bottom left: modification of work “Man cooks at Home with Tablet Recipe Guide” by “Adedoyin”/nappy, Public Domain; credit bottom middle: modification of work “Woman Using Smartwatch and Tablet” by “Adedoyin”/nappy, Public Domain; credit bottom right: modification of work “Woman on phone” by NappyStock/nappy, Public Domain)

Chapter Outline

14.1 Development of Self, Personality, and Identity in Middle Adulthood

14.2 Contexts: Love and Romance in Middle Adulthood

14.3 Households and Parenting in Middle Adulthood

14.4 Transitions in Caregiving Roles in Middle Adulthood

14.5 A Successful Middle Adulthood

It’s Friday afternoon rush hour. Lisha calls her son and asks him to get dinner started. She makes a mental note to remind her daughter to check that her uniform and water bottle are clean and ready for her game tomorrow. She also sets a reminder to make a follow-up oncology appointment for her dad next week. Maybe she can reschedule that client meeting and leave work early to do that next Thursday? Life is busy, some days feel overloaded with scheduling and communication, and Lisha is tired. But Lisha is grateful that her family can pull together to get through busy weeks like this one, and the last one, and probably the next one. Maybe next year, she can afford to take her family on that big vacation she dreams about in her nonexistent free time. Like many people in middle adulthood, Lisha has a lot on her mind.

• As one of the longest stages of lifespan development, how does love and family life evolve and adapt to the changes encountered during middle adulthood?
• Are there individual, group, or environmental variables that promote health, happiness, and satisfaction amid these changes?
• What is the “sandwich generation”?
• Does all this change and responsibility lead to the dreaded “midlife crisis”?

In this chapter, you’ll learn what current research says about these questions and more.