The midlife period in an individual’s lifespan can be characterized by complexities in the multiplicity of the roles that people assume. The context of some studies on midlife has been the other age periods of the specialization of the issues related to familial responsibility and work. The growing number of middle-aged adults has influenced some studies on the issue of life development. A particular segment on the phenomenology of the development of individuals during midlife present expectations and views of midlife as a period when an individual reaches his or her peak functioning, which is a provision that could be termed as a midlife crisis. In this light, it would be vital to look into the conceptual frameworks and theories used in the description of the different changes in the pattern of life during this period, as presented in several studies. The gains and losses realized by individuals during this period relate to their cognitive functioning, their social-emotional development, and their physical health. These provisions point towards the idea that individuals in the midlife stage have to balance different roles and to manage the conflicts that arise, regardless of their circumstances or lifestyles (Lachman, 2004).
The Primary Theories Surrounding the Issue of Midlife Crisis and its Relation to Physical, Cognitive, and Social-Emotional Development
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Margie E. Lachman (2004) in her study on the development of midlife applies theories put forth by Jung and Erikson. She refers to Jung’s work to posit that the primary objective of midlife is reflected in the process of individuation (Lachman, 2004). This conceptual framework provides that the goal of an individual in life involve the creation of a balance between all of his or her aspects of the psyche. In this regard, transitioning to midlife is not an easy process, which means that an individual has to come up with a different set of objectives to fulfill, which should be different from the goals that the person had to fulfill in his or her early adult life. The difficulty identified emanates from the possibility of failing to deal with the psychological and physical changes that the person in midlife encounters, consequently leading to the midlife crisis. However, the variability that characterizes the description of midlife crisis can assist in the depiction of a person’s midlife experiences, which rest upon the successful resolution of previous tasks. This resolution depicts provisions of Erikson’s epigenetic theory.
Lachman’s study focuses on the epigenetic theory as applied to the context of the eight stages of an individual's lifespan. She acknowledges that it is difficult for depict the entire midlife experience of an individual based on regular sequences as well as patterns. In this light, a successful resolution of an earlier stage in life can be considered as a turning point to the movement to another stage, with the primary theme during the transitioning being generativity versus stagnation (Lachman, 2004). In this light, every stage in the life of an adult is guided by the production and nurturing of the next stage. These tasks are associative in all the developmental stages into midlife. The concerns are not only related to the raising of an offspring, but they also relate to the transmission of values, the mentoring of the younger generation, and contributions the individuals make to their society through art or literature (Lachman, 2004). The portrayed multidimensional view remains in the domains of societal involvement and parenting, which play a critical role in the wellbeing of an individual at this stage in life.
The study reveals that midlife constitutes a period in an individual’s life that is used as a modifier for the term crisis. Even though a larger percentage of individuals are likely to relate this period as a period of crisis, it can also be associated with positive descriptions that are inclusive of responsible, powerful, competent, as well as knowledgeable (Lachman, 2004). This is a representation of the images and the expectations people have about individuals in midlife. Contrary to the belief held by a significant number of people indicating that midlife is a time of crisis, Lachman (2004) refers to several studies relaying the opposing view. Instead of being considered as a period of crisis, researchers indicate that stability characterizes this period. However, in contrast to this idea is the reasoning that clinicians present. Clinicians view this period as one that is marred by social upheavals and physical changes to the body of an individual, which are provisions that bring about the identified crisis (Lachman, 2004). However, by relying on postulations my Erikson and Jung, the researcher indicates that the conception of midlife is relative, and depends on individual differences. Some people consider this period as a time of crisis in their lives, whereas others consider it as the peak of their lives.
The other study that looks into this topic is one by Margie Lachman, Salom Teshale, and Stefan Agrigoroaei (2014). The researchers posit that midlife is pivotal in the course of the life of an individual since it not only links their lives with earlier or later period, but this point acts as a bridge between the two periods in a person’s life. For this reason, it is a representation of a balance between the person’s growth and a decline in their lifespan. The researchers heavily rely on the longitudinal data from Midlife in the United States (MIDUS). They indicate that the information presented in the finding is more positive than the data derived from other cross-sectional studies (Lachman, Teshale & Agrigoroaei, 2014). Through their study, the researchers argue that individuals in their middle age play a significant role in the lives of others that are younger or older as they interact with them in different social places such as at home, work, and in the larger society.
The study focuses on the lifespan development perspective to provide a framework through which to study midlife. They use this conceptual framework to indicate that the differences in the influences and the experiences of individuals in their midlife significantly depend on the context of their relations (Lachman, Teshale & Agrigoroaei, 2014). They use the data they derive from the longitudinal study to indicate that midlife is seemingly the best time that an individual can live in, considering the lack of knowledge regarding what the future holds. This argument refutes the misconception held by a considerable number of people that midlife is a period characterized by a life crisis, consequently claiming that such a conception is derived from the popular writings about the period in the 1960s and 70s. These writings emphasized on the idea that crisis marks this period.
The data from the longitudinal study reveals that crisis is not typical for all people that live to their midlife. Instead, they indicate that only a smaller percentage, between 10-20%, of adults in their midlife, have a crisis (Lachman, Teshale & Agrigoroaei, 2014). The authors also posit that people face a crisis in different stages of their lives, which means that the experience is not only characteristic of midlife. However, during midlife, the mechanisms of cognitive and physical performance slow down when compared to younger adults. In this case, younger individuals have higher speeds of processing memory compared to individuals in their midlife (Lachman, Teshale & Agrigoroaei, 2014). A combination of adaptive factors that include physical development and social-emotional provisions are affected by several factors that include positive health behavior, social relations, and the maintenance of healthy emotional regulation.
A study by Alexandra Freund and Johannes Ritter (2009) also focus on the different aspects of the midlife crisis. The authors indicate that this concept as the most popular one that individuals use to describe middle adulthood. Freund and Ritter (2009) use appropriate empirical evidence to provide a discussion regarding this concept. Through the evidence they gather for the study, the author compares the arguments for and against the conceptualization of midlife crisis in different levels. The levels considered relate to strict moderate and the lenient conceptualization of this concept. According to Freund and Ritter (2009), the society has different expectations for middle-aged adults, which are inclusive of settling down, having a stable career, and having a steady sense of identity. During this period, men take time to evaluate their achievements and failures in life-based on the standards set by the society. Through the different levels of the definition of midlife crisis, the authors take note of the idea that the lenient conceptualization has the capability of stimulating new studies that could exemplify the process of getting into a midlife crisis.
Regardless of the different conceptualization levels, Freund and Ritter (2009) use the lifespan theory to stress on the importance of the interplay between the expectations of society and the goals of a particular individual. In line with this reasoning is the proposition that it is possible to resolve the midlife crisis through the adoption of the lenient conceptualization. However, using the strict conceptualization, the cognitive development of an individual could be observed through evaluating the temporal distance between the goals that an individual sets as a young adult, and the achievement of these goals (Freund & Ritter, 2009). In spite of the distance, middle-aged individuals primarily experience a loss in their physical and cognitive resources, including experiencing a change in their social expectations (Freund & Ritter, 2009; Lachman, Teshale & Agrigoroaei, 2014). All these provisions could be used to form the basis upon which an individual would argue that middle-aged people are living a life in crisis.
A Reaction to the Research and Directions for Future Study
One of the strengths of the different studies considered involves the provision that they use empirical evidence and reliable sources to identify, explain, and interpret their finding on the subject of a midlife crisis. For instance, Lachman, Teshale, and Agrigoroaei (2014) rely on a longitudinal study by MIDUS to indicate that the multiplicity of factors such as social support, having a sense of control, and physical exercise constitutes the elements that middle-aged individuals could use to reduce declines in their cognitive and functional health. Even though the foundation of the studies is to tackle the issue of midlife crisis, they focus more on the linkages of this period with younger ages than they do for later life. The life that individual life after midlife could be considered as fundamental to the illumination of the nature of the individual's midlife, which is one of the aspects that should have been addressed fully in the research studies.
In line with the reasoning presented above, one of the proposals for further studies would involve the determination of the manner in which midlife affects the lives of an individual in the subsequent stages in their lives. Conversely, as suggested by Freund and Ritter (2009), the lenient conceptualization of midlife crisis paves the way for new research developments that can be used to exemplify the interaction between the goals of an individual and the social expectation of middle-aged adults. This provision is essential in the sense that it would assist in the development of regulatory mechanisms that individuals would use to avert a midlife crisis. In spite of the consideration, the researchers agree with the idea that the concept of midlife crisis is characterized by biophysical changes, an alternation in an individual’s sense of control, and changes in work/family balance, regardless of the socio-economic status of the person.
Conclusion
As stated earlier, middle-aged people go through changes that alter their cognitive functioning, social-emotional development, as well as their physical health. The developmental changes not only affect their outlook on life, but they assist individuals to develop a sense of balance about their different roles in their lives. Regardless of their situation in life, individuals in their midlife are likely to face crises, particularly when they find that the distance between their accomplishments in life does not match their predetermined goals. In this light, the outlook provided from the different studies is vital for informing further research on different aspects related to the midlife crisis.
References
Freund, A., & Ritter, J. (2009). Midlife Crisis: A Debate. Gerontology , 55 (5), 582-591. http://dx.doi.org/10.1159/000227322
Lachman, M. (2004). Development in Midlife. Annual Review of Psychology , 55 (1), 305-331. http://dx.doi.org/10.1146/annurev.psych.55.090902.141521
Lachman, M., Teshale, S., & Agrigoroaei, S. (2014). Midlife as a pivotal period in the life course. International Journal of Behavioral Development , 39 (1), 20-31. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0165025414533223
