Report on Midlife Transitions: Exploring Intelligence Types, Eriksonian Development, Health, and Relationships

Introduction

Midlife transition is a development stage whereby an individual experiences changes that are substantial and require more resources to begin or change a career and develop one's family and business (Cosgrave & Moynihan, 1995). The essay focuses on midlife transitions to discuss the different intelligence types and relate the stage to Erikson's period of generativity vs. stagnation. It will compare and contrast generativity and stagnation in middle transitions, discuss the importance of health and lifestyle at this developmental stage, and how the relationships with both parents and children transition in middle adulthood.

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1. Discuss the different types of intelligence and why this stage in development falls into Erik Erikson's period of generativity vs. stagnation

Gardner (1983) explains nine kinds of intelligence that humans may possess, including natural, musical, interpersonal, existential, bodily-kinesthetic, linguistic, logical-mathematical, interpersonal, intrapersonal, and spatial intelligence. Natural intelligence is when a person can understand living things and read nature. Logical-mathematical is the ability to quantify things, make a hypothesis, and prove them. Existential intelligence enables an individual to tackle why we live and why we die questions. Interpersonal intelligence enables one to sense the feelings and motives of others. Bodily-kinesthetic intelligence is the capacity of a person to coordinate the mind and body. Linguistic intelligence is the capability to find the right words to express what a person means. Intrapersonal intelligence gives a person the ability to understand oneself, feelings, and wants. Spatial intelligence is all about visualizing the world. Midlife transition is a development stage that is characterized by existential intelligence. An individual change is triggered by external factors such as wanting to excel in a career, new business, and face a new life (Strenger & Ruttenberg, 2008).

The middle-life transition falls into Erik Erikson's generativity period vs. stagnation because an adult is at this stage of development between 40 and 65 years old. The adult person is psychologically developing to create and support things that will outlive them. The focus is on doing things that will benefit future generations and contributing to society, which is a primary focus for a person in the generativity vs. stagnation development stage (Ehlman & Ligon, 2012).

2. Compare and contrast generativity and stagnation in middle transitions

Generativity and stagnation in middle-life transitions are characterized by psychological conflict within the adult. The fundamental importance in life is care and a focus on contributing to the world. The two are less specific to age and can occur at any time during a middle-life transition. Major life events entail child-bearing, work, and marriage. However, significant differences define generativity and stagnation. Generativity entails making one's mark on society through caring for other people, and creating and achieving things intended to produce a better place in the world (Slater, 2003). Generativity entails getting committed to other people, generating relationships with family, mentoring other people, and supporting the next generation by raising children. Stagnation is characterized by the failure of not finding a way to contribute to society or the world. A person feels uninvolved with the community as a whole. In stagnation, a person is self-centered and not engaging with others, has no interest in improving oneself, and is not productive.

3. Discuss the importance of health and lifestyle during the middle adulthood years

The middle adulthood years are characterized by many physical changes to an individual (Tyler, 2020). The person begins to show the material transformations of aging, including less coordination, hair color growth, weight gain, and loss of vision, and hearing (Shivappa et al., 2014). That requires careful consideration of health and lifestyle to reduce the risks of developing diseases such as diabetes, hypertension, cancer, high cholesterol, and heart disease (United Health Foundation, 2016). An unhealthy lifestyle such as a lack of physical exercise and a poor diet negatively impacts a person's health in middle adulthood. It is essential to manage weight, exercise, and nutrition carefully.

4. Explain how relationships with both parents and children transition during middle adulthood

Relationships with both parents during middle adulthood become better. While the adults in middle adulthood are more affectionate with their parents, it may be challenging to raise their children. Hogerbrugge % Silverstein (2015) stated that middle adulthood people tend to have an ambivalent attachment to their parents. They promote the positive elevation of their older parents and develop negative reactivity to their adult children. One can be raising small children, teenagers, or adults. Teenagers are rebellious, and a parent in middle life may become hostile to their teenage children. A person is said to face emotional crises, and the search for generativity and fulfillment of life becomes a priority. The actual time spent or invested in and with children is shorter at this development stage (Cohen, 2015).

References

Cohen, S. (2015). Parenthood in midlife: perceived parental roles, intergenerational ambivalence, and well-being among parents of adult children. Social and Behavioral Sciences, 209, 137 – 144. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/

Cosgrave, B., & Moynihan, I. (1995). The mid-life transition. The Furrow, 46(4), 210-219. http://www.jstor.org/stable/27662895

Ehlman, K., & Ligon, M. (2012). The application of a generativity model for older adults. International Journal of Aging Human Development, 74(4), 331-44. doi: 10.2190/AG.74.4.d Gardner, H. (1983). Frames of mind: The theory of multiple intelligences. NYC: Basic Books. https://doi.org/10.1177/001698628502900212

Hogerbrugge, M., & Silverstein, M. (2015). Transitions in relationships with older parents: from the middle to later years. The Journals of Gerontology: Series B, 70(3), 481–495, https://doi.org/10.1093/geronb/gbu069

Shivappa, N., Steck, S. E., Hurley, T. G., Hussey, J. R., & Hébert, J. R. (2014). Designing and developing a literature-derived, population-based dietary inflammatory index. Public health nutrition, 17(8), 1689–1696. https://doi.org/10.1017/S1368980013002115

Slater, C. (2003). Generativity versus stagnation: An elaboration of Erikson's adult stage of human development. Journal of Adult Development, 10, 53–65. https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1020790820868

Strenger, C., & Ruttenberg, A. (2008). The existential necessity of midlife change. Harvard Business Review, https://hbr.org/2008/02/the-existential-necessity-of-midlife-change

Tyler, S. (2020). Chapter: 25 physical development in middle adulthood. Human behavior and the social environment. Creative Commons. The University of Arkansas Libraries. https://uark.pressbooks.pub/hbse1/chapter/physical-development-in-middle-adulthood_ch_25/

United Health Foundation. (2016). A new report finds significant health concerns loom for seniors in the coming years. http://www.unitedhealthfoundation.org/News/Articles/Feeds/2016/052516AHRSeniorReport.aspx?r=3