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Middle Adulthood Paper

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Middle Adulthood Middle adulthood usually begins around age 40 and ends around age 65. Just like adolescence, this period of life is one that involves a lot of new changes to both the body and the mind. Because most of the changes in middle adulthood include changes in mental abilities, speed of processing, attention, and memory, the information processing theory best describes the development and behavior during these years. During middle adulthood, people tend to experience a loss of coordination and a gradual decline in speed. According to the neural network view, as neurons in the brain die, breaks in neural networks occur. In contrast, the information-loss view suggests that older adults experience greater loss of information as it moves …show more content…

Erikson’s psychoanalytic stage of integrity versus despair best explains human behavior during late adulthood. This theory involves coming to terms with one’s life. Adults who feel a sense of integrity feel whole, complete, and satisfied with their achievements (Berk, 2014, p. 479). This describes when older adults feel at peace with the lives they have led. They are not holding onto any regrets or wishing things had turned out differently for them. A feeling of integrity comes from not having any unresolved conflicts with others nor having any open wounds from relationships that have gone sour. Berk indicated that older adults who report having attained personally gratifying life goals typically express acceptance of their own death (Berk, 2014, p. 480). In contrast, some older adults experience despair when knowing that they have made bad decisions or have unresolved issues with others but feel that it is too late to fix the mistakes or to reconcile. According to Erikson, this leaves people overwhelmed with bitterness, defeat, and hopelessness, often expressing anger and resentment towards other to mask the contempt they hold for themselves (Berk, 2014, p.

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