Extends the available information base on intellectural aging by collecting self-report data from 100 psychologists between 45 and 64 years of age. Subjects rated changes in intellectual functions, related present changes with past expectations, and answered questions about health problems affecting intellectual functioning. The importance of…

Surveyed 172 male dentists to examine the extent to which they felt trapped in a one life/one career imperative. Results showed 84 percent agreed that most professionals can pursue only one career. Dentists undergoing a midlife crisis were less satisfied with their careers. (JAC)

Examined psychological differences between 25 pre- and 25 post-empty nest women on gender identity and ego mastery style. Indicated that post-empty nest women engaged in a more active ego mastery style than pre-empty nest women and also claimed more masculine traits. (Author/ABB)

Investigated the academic self-concept of 130 college students age 50 and older who were in career transition to identify their perceptions of their academic abilities and the teaching and learning environment. In general, subjects were extremely positive about themselves and their competencies. Physical changes, such as dimensional perceptual…

Midlife crises require different behavioral responses for women who have made decisions about marriage, motherhood, and career. For women experiencing midlife crises, assertiveness training has the potential to resolve conflicts. Assertiveness training (AT) consists of three components, i.e., skills training, anxiety reduction, and cognitive…

This book offers a unique and thorough look at the lives of 73 men and women in their 50s who were asked to reflect and comment on a variety of life issues. Chapter 1 explores the invisibility of the 50s, differing perspectives of men and women, why new myths are needed to give oneself form and meaning, and why one must think in terms of…

It is difficult to define mid-life career change because it varies from person to person. A wide variety of sociological, economic, technological, and psychological factors impinging on the conscious and unconscious being of individuals affects how they deal with this particular stage of life. These factors include individual needs, family and…

Indicates that women experiencing a midlife crisis pass through five recognizable stages: (1) feeling trapped, (2) the first change, (3) multiple changes, (4) rational planning, and (5) implementing the plan. (NKA)

A study of 16 middle-aged adults undergoing a career change into teaching investigated their relationships with their practicum supervisors, focusing on sources of tension arising from prior occupational identity and self-concept. A strong effect of prior occupational identity on social dynamics of the classroom supervision process was found.…

Reports a study of 20 Canadian associate professors, aged 41-59, which explored how faculty experience the mid-career and mid-life period in academic and community work, personal and family relationships, and sense of self. Identifies a variety of difficult issues for this population, but proposes that adult development theory suggests potential…

Midlife transition is a potentially problematic time for all women, but especially for those who are unmarried, relatively less well-educated, and who do not reside in urban areas. Some studies suggest that unmarried women have more difficulty in identity formation and acceptance of their role by society. Married women whose children are nearly…

A systematic review and critique of the work of midlife researchers and theorists such as Gould, Vaillant, Jung, Newman and Levinson, among others, indicates that: (1) a midlife transition period exists from approximately 35 to 55 and lasts as many as 10 years for both men and women; (2) a series of unique and fundamental biological, psychosocial,…

Career theory is not a new topic, but one with an interesting past. The theories have been developed through working with men in the early days of the study of careers, modified to add women, and then modified even more for men and women in transition. Making a career decision is not a single event that takes place only in one's early adulthood,…