Adult Development and Aging

Author: S. L. Willis
Publisher:
Publication Date: 2003-03-01
Features: This book encourages students to consider adult development and aging from a behavioralist perspective through a clear, accessible, and scientifically well-supported approach. We introduce theories and research related to major psychological issues of the present day and provide social and physiological contexts for individual growth, which are crucial for understanding how behavior changes with age. The most significant demographic change in the 20th and 21st centuries has been the rapid growth of the elderly population. During this period, effective public health measures have controlled infectious diseases, and infant mortality has been greatly reduced, leading to a significant increase in life expectancy. These trends first emerged in industrialized countries and have now become a notable global phenomenon. We are finally beginning to address the problems associated with the rapid growth of the elderly population. Particularly over the past four decades, the increasing lifespan of individuals and the need to understand the issues arising from this have spurred a great deal of scientific research. Higher education institutions and research organizations have increasingly recognized the need to offer courses focused on longer adult life spans. In the context of rapidly changing societies, the development and changes in individuals' careers, marriages, family lives, and psychological functioning have become extremely important issues. This textbook aims to encourage students to think about adult development and aging from a behavioral perspective in a readable, comprehensive, and scientifically rigorous way. We introduce major theories and research on current psychological issues and provide social and biological backgrounds for individual development, which are essential for understanding how behavior changes with age. We believe that a combination of chronological and thematic approaches is the best way to present research on adult development. The first chapter provides an introduction, establishing the context for our research. This chapter examines demographic changes in our society and the current state of research in the field. As a review, the next three chronological chapters discuss broad issues in adult development: adolescence, middle age, and old age. The following chapter focuses on research methods, emphasizing quasi-experimental designs prominent in developmental research, while also briefly describing relevant experimental designs. Our experience teaching with previous editions of this textbook has shown that placing research methods in a separate chapter before substantive material often hinders students' understanding. Therefore, we have now placed the methods chapter before the thematic chapters, as understanding methodology is essential for comprehending these chapters. The thematic chapters are generally arranged in the order of life stages, highlighting specific developmental processes in human life. We first examine key themes in adolescence: family, gender issues, and career. The chapter on gender follows the family chapter because some issues arising from family structures are further explored in the gender chapter. The second set of themes includes personality development, motivation, learning, memory, and intellectual development. As people transition from middle age to old age, changes in these areas become increasingly important. The final three chapters cover prominent life processes in old age: physiological aging, age-related mental disorders, and the loss of loved ones. However, the content covered in the thematic chapters is not limited to life stages that appear internally connected. Human life is a continuous and fluid process and cannot be simply divided. For example, initial career choices may be particularly important for young people, while career-related issues persist throughout most of adulthood. Although the chapter on "career" is placed early in the book, it also covers career development in middle age, reevaluation and changes in career in old age, and the experience of retirement. We hope to integrate the psychological processes involved in adult development and all stages of human experience. Therefore, where appropriate, we adopt a life-span approach to describe the psychological processes experienced from adolescence to the end of life. The methods chapter covers design issues important for descriptive research on human aging, while also summarizing the basic principles of experimental research. A complete understanding of human development requires longitudinal research, which involves tracking the same individuals over time to collect data. Therefore, we have provided data from at least short-term longitudinal studies. We also strive to provide a thorough and appropriate review of scientific research methods. We have avoided overly technical terminology and unnecessary details while providing students with essential information needed to understand the research discussed in this chapter and related literature. We are delighted that this book is now being introduced to students in China. Readers should note that the original edition of this book was primarily intended for North America and Europe. Therefore, in this edition, we have removed much content that is too specific to the U.S. context. At the same time, we have included relevant data from China. Nevertheless, we regret not giving enough attention to the developing Chinese society and research in behavioral sciences. We hope that Chinese educators can supplement this information through other means. There are still many unanswered questions about adult development and aging, but with the accumulation of scientific research, a clearer picture is beginning to emerge. We have done our best to make this book comprehensive, thorough, and accurate for the present. The content may differ from common perceptions of adult development and aging. Our interpretation of the research literature is somewhat more optimistic than many common but often incorrect views, but we also provide a realistic evaluation of the many challenges faced by the elderly in today's society. This is our perspective: the life process from adolescence to old age is not just a series of "life crises," but a developmental process full of gains and losses, challenges, and opportunities. We hope to make you aware that even in the final years of life, there can be so much personal creativity and satisfaction. If this book helps you see the potential wealth in your future life and enhances your understanding of the lives of the elderly you care about, we will be immensely gratified. We sincerely hope that you will find this book thought-provoking and inspiring.