Psychology of Adulthood & Aging
DEGREE PROGRAMME IN SOCIAL EDUCATION
Academic year 2014/2015
EXTENDED SUMMARY
Lesson #1
 Thursday, Fev. 12th 2015: 09:00/12:00H
VERY IMPORTANT!
Fundamental reading materials for each topic can be found on the webpage of the curricular unit
http://w3.ualg.pt/~jfarinha/erasmus/pai/pai.htm
Supplementary reading materials are indicaded as as needed.
Theoretical basic aspects
Reading materials: - D C Kimmel:- Life Span Human Development
THE CONCEPT OF LIFE CYCLE AND LIFELINE

Lifecycle
– Central concept in psychology of human development – psychological development
is for life (life span perspective);
– Interesting analogy: Seasons;
Example in art:
Spring
Summer
Fall
Winter
Giuseppe Arcimboldo
(Milão, 1527 — 17 de Julho de 1599)
Psychology Adulthood & Aging
2014/2015
Example in literature:
All the world's a stage,
And all the men and women merely players;
They have their exits and their entrances;
And one man in his time
plays many parts,
His acts being seven ages. At first the infant,
Mewling and puking in the nurse's arms;
And then the whining school-boy, with his satchel
And shining morning face, creeping like snail
Unwillingly to school. And then the lover,
Sighing like furnace, with a woeful ballad
Made to his mistress' eyebrow. Then a soldier,
Full of strange oaths, and bearded like the pard,
Jealous in honour, sudden and quick in quarrel,
Seeking the bubble reputation
Even in the cannon's mouth. And then the justice,
In fair round belly with good capon lin'd,
With eyes severe and beard of formal cut,
Full of wise saws and modern instances;
And so he plays his part. The sixth age shifts
Into the lean and slipper'd pantaloon,
With spectacles on nose and pouch on side;
His youthful hose, well sav'd, a world too wide
For his shrunk shank; and his big manly voice,
Turning again toward childish treble, pipes
And whistles in his sound. Last scene of all,
That ends this strange eventful history,
Is second childishness and mere oblivion;
Sans teeth, sans eyes, sans taste, sans everything."
Shakespeare As You Like It (Act II, Scene VII, Lines 139-166).

Lifeline
– Life line accentuates the progressive and sequential nature of human development;
– Defines milestones along the way.
Extended summary: Lesson #1
pg.
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Psychology Adulthood & Aging
2014/2015

Relative influence of biological and social factors
– Biological factors are important primarily in the early stages and life cycle;
– Social factors are more important in the intermediate stages of the life cycle.

Types of influences:
– Normative influences:
 Related to historical events,
 Have a major impact on earlier periods of life;
– Non-normative influences:
– Happen in an impredictable way,
– Have a major impact on later periods of life.

Evolutive tasks:
– Indicated by individual preferences, expectations about the future, achievements
and personal goals;
– Each individual faces its tasks differently in accordance with their peculiarities.

Multiplicity of perspectives:
– Philosophical, social, cultural, scientific, etc. ..
Theories of Life Cycle (TLCs)
OBJECTIVES OF THE TLCS:

To explain the nature of development and patterns of change in individuals,
from birth to death;

To identify development areas generalizable to all mankind.
SCOPE OF THE TLCS:

Define a sequence of stages/phases/evolutionary tasks following a sequential
ordering;

Study the interaction of biological, psychological and social factors.
Theory of the Course of Human Life of Charlotte Bühler
BASE OF THE STUDY:
Biographies and auto-biographies (thirties in Vienna) analyzed
according to a methodology developed to reveal an orderly
progression of stages.
THEORETICAL ASPECTS:
Charlotte Bühler
(1893 - 1974)
Each stage defined according to:
Changes in terms of events, attitudes and achievements during the life
cycle;
How each individual manages his/her personal goals.
Extended summary: Lesson #1
pg.
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Psychology Adulthood & Aging
2014/2015
Two basic trends:
Expansion and contraction: it is emphasized the parallelism between: the biological
processes of stability/growth/decline and the psychological processes of
expansion/culmination/contraction in activities and achievements throughout the
lifetime of the individual.
More recently:
(Bühler, 1968, cit in Kimmel, 1980):
Emphasized the process of definition of objectives of life.
Defined 5 stages in the life cycle:
Horner (1968, cit in Kimmel. 1980)
Age
Phase
0 – 15
Child/young person living in his parents' house;
There is no self-determination of personal goals.
15 – 25
Preparatory and experimental self-determination
and expansion of personal goals.
25 – 45
Culmination: self-determination of defined and
specific personal goals.
45 – 65
Self-evaluation of the results of the attempts and
efforts to achieve personal goals.
65 e +
Achievement of the objectives or sense of failure;
probable reappearance of short-term objectives
focusing on the satisfaction of immediate needs.
Faro, February 11, 2015
Professor:
Extended summary: Lesson #1
pg.
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