Discuss the development factors for middle-age adults.

The middle age adult’s stage ranges between 40 – 65 years of age. Adults at this stage experience age-related changes which can be grouped into;
i. Primary aging. These are biological changes which are inevitable and happen to everyone regardless of the race, culture or socioeconomic class, e.g. gray and thinning hair, wrinkles, menopause, etc.
ii. Secondary aging. This is as a result of controllable unhealthy behaviors such as lack of physical exercise, poor diet or misuse of drugs.

A. PHYSICAL.

After the age of 55, bones become less dense and ultimately women lose 2 inches and men lose 1 inch in height. Age spots and blood vessels become more apparent as the skin continues to dry and get thinner. The hair on the head becomes grey in color and also continues thinning and eventually leads to bald head. Both men and women continue to gain weight and increase of body fats which can be controlled by exercising.

Throughout middle adulthood, strength gradually decreases particularly in the back and leg muscles. By age 60, people lose about 10% of their maximum strength.

Starting at the age of 40, visual acuity of close and distant objects begins to decline. Adaptation to darkness and driving at night becomes difficult. Around the age of 60, the eyes lose the ability to adjust to objects at varying distances known as presbyopia.

They undergo gradual decline in hearing especially for sounds of high frequency / pitch a problem called presbycusis. Men are more prone to hearing loss than women. The eardrum becomes less elastic due to age. Some hearing loss is as a result of environmental factors such as loud noises. The rest are caused by aging which brings loss of hair cells in the inner ear.

Reaction time increases slightly in middle adulthood. This is due to a gradual loss of muscle in the body and slower nervous system processing due to aging. People can compensate by being more careful and practicing skills. This can be corrected by exercising.

Women experience a gradual decline in fertility as they approach the onset of menopause. Men approach andropause which is characterized by enlargement of prostate glands and decline of fluid ejaculation.

Lungs and heart capacity decrease.



B. COGNITIVE

Crystallized intelligence (storage of acquired information, skills and information) increases in middle adulthood while Fluid intelligence (ability to deal with new situations) begins to decline in middle adulthood. This explains why mathematicians and scientists produce much of their most creative work during their late twenties or early thirties while those in literature, history and philosophy tend to produce their best work in their forties, fifties and beyond.

They become better at strategizing, time management and executive functioning such as planning and organization.

They have the ability to understand complex situations since they have the experience and world knowledge. People at this stage have the ability to advice and guide the youths.

They realize they are not as sharp as they were in their 20s and 30s. Cognitive processing speed slows down during this stage.

Practical problem solving skills tends to increase. They have the ability to solve complex problems and divide attention to conflicting parties.

C. PHYSIOLOGICAL

They give up their dreams of fame and fortune and question their work and family commitments.
They realize that they are not starting out but are rather drawing closer to the end. This makes them settle into new or deepened attachments, think about completing their careers and become more compassionate and reflective.

They feel productive and competent by raising up children and undertaking a career.
Death of friends and family members makes them feel as if they are awaiting their own impending death.

Their psychological well-being is greatly contributed by a positive and meaningful relationships. Otherwise, they are subject to loneliness if they are unable to establish meaningful relationships with friends, family and community.

Ericson’s stage of generativity vs. stagnation suggests that generativity revolves around the contributions one makes to the world, finding a life career and contributing to the development of others. Those who do not master this task may experience a feeling of stagnation.

They may undergo “midlife crisis / transition” which is a time of great struggle or even of feeling struck down by life.s

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Mwalimu Bonface answered the question on April 14, 2018 at 07:34