Suggests basic truths about adult behavior: (1) adult behavior is determined by transition, not age; (2) adults are motivated to learn and change by a need to control, belong, matter, master, renew, and take stock; and (3) adult readiness for change depends on situation, support, self, and strategies. (JOW)

Presents concepts of life course, life cycle, life structure, and the adult development of the life structure in early and middle adulthood. Discusses six major issues that must be dealt with by every structural approach to adult development. (PS)

The Career Development Inventory--Adult Form was used to measure career development, and three instruments were used to measure the life cycle or personal phasic development in order to seek a relationship between the adult life cycle and the professional career development cycle for women and men. Population for the study was a random sample of…

The purpose of this paper is to review and synthesize the literature on adult development and to suggest how this information can be applied to the practice of adult education. The first section discusses the nature of adult development, its definition, and key concepts. Sequential patterns of change in adulthood are examined in section 2,…

In two major articles a model is introduced for analyzing human adaptation to transition, and intervention strategies are presented for coping with transitions. Includes four reactions of other authors to the articles. Suggests adaptation to transition is influenced by characteristics of the transition, its supports, and by individual…

Adult development theorists believe that the changes that occur during the adult years are predictable and age linked. Their theories explain how change is resolved by the majority of the adult population. Three persons whose research has been influential in the field of adult development during the 1970s are Erik Erikson, Daniel Levinson, and…

Writings in the field of human development and learning in the adult years can be integrated into a simple theory. A theory is defined as a policy, hypothesis, or set of principles used or proposed as a basis for action. The adult years are defined as a time in which one makes choices with a degree of maturity and wisdom and assumes responsibility…

The volumes that make up "The Course of Life" series represent original contributions from international scientists and clinicians who have produced much current knowledge about the phases of human personality development. The chapters in Volume III discuss adulthood from various perspectives. Contributions cover the continuum of human…

Substantial evidence exists in both popular and professional literature which suggests that some adults, male and female, will experience what has been variously labeled as a "mid-life crisis" or "mid-life depression." Research provides evidence that the lifespan can be conceptualized as a series of transitions from one status or situation to…

A life-phase approach to adult career counseling is described in light of the current uncertain economic environment in which assistance in dealing with career-related issues is often sought through counseling intervention. The purpose of this paper is to state support for recent shifts in the goals and techniques of career counseling with adults…

The long-held belief that a person became an adult at about 20 years of age and, henceforth, remained psychologically and physically on a plateau until old age, has recently been found unacceptable in the light of research contributed by developmental psychology. Adult development may be viewed as the function of the interaction of the…

Information and accompanying exercises in this four-part booklet are designed to assist adults make changes in their career and personal lives. After introductory material describing career and life planning as a continual assessment process, Part I of the booklet reviews the common characteristics and problems of adults in each of five life…

Theories about adult development have been grouped into four models: biological, psychological, sociocultural, and integrative. Biological models (those that are concerned with how physical changes affect development) and psychological models (those that view development as either sequential--defined by life events-- or as a series of transitions…

The 14 chapters of this textbook chronicle adult development from youth through old age, emphasizing both research and interviews with adults at various stages in their lives. Topics covered include the following: (1) the academic field of adult development; (2) theories and research methods; (3) aging and disease prevention; (4) sexuality and…

Following a literature search of the theories of personal maturation and career development, a study was conducted to identify personality and demographic variables related to career development and career concerns. Specifically investigated was the relationship between two sets of variables with self-concept, locus of control, and age in one set…