8: Middle Adulthood

Learning Objectives: Physical Development in Middle Adulthood

  • Explain the difference between primary and secondary aging
  • Describe sensory changes that occur during middle adulthood
  • Identify health concerns in middle adulthood
  • Explain what occurs during the climacteric for females and males
  • Describe sexuality during middle adulthood
  • Explain the importance of sleep and consequences of sleep deprivation
  • Describe the importance of exercise and nutrition for optimal health
  • Describe brain functioning in middle adulthood

Middle adulthood, or midlife, refers to the period of the lifespan between early adulthood and late adulthood. Although ages and tasks are culturally defined, the most common age definition is from 40-45 to 60-65. This may be the least studied time of the lifespan, and research on this developmental period is relatively new as many aspects of midlife are still being explored. In North America, the large Baby Boom cohort (those born between 1946 and 1964) are now midlife adults (and some even late adults) and this has led to increased interest in this developmental stage. We do know that this stage reflects both developmental gains and losses and that there are considerable individual differences, but there is still much to learn about this age group.

License

Icon for the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License

Lifespan Development: The Human Journey Copyright © 2024 by Humber College is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License, except where otherwise noted.

Share This Book