MIDDLE ADULTHOOD (40-65 YEARS): CHARACTERISTICS AND CHANGES - PSYCHOLOGY - 2024

The middle adulthood, also known as middle age, is the period between young adulthood and old age. There are certain discussions between the time of life that it covers; but in general, it is considered to range from 40 to 65 years of age.

In general, this vital stage has not been as studied as other earlier ones. Developmental psychology, for example, has typically focused on understanding childhood and the processes that occur during it.

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However, in recent times, more and more experts are concerned with better understanding the changes that arise during middle adulthood. This coincides with a growing life expectancy in developed countries; most people living in these areas will easily pass middle age.

In this article, we will study some of the most important physical characteristics shared by people in middle adulthood. Likewise, we will study the impact that these ages have on the psychology, physiology and sexuality of these individuals.

Physical and psychological characteristics

Physical changes

Between the ages of 40 and 65, the signs of aging are fully apparent in the vast majority of cases. By the time a person reaches the end of this stage, there will be many symptoms that show that they are approaching old age.

Thus, for example, the sense organs will have less acuity; In many cases, it will be necessary to use vision and hearing aids, such as glasses for tired eyes or devices to increase the volume of sounds.

The external appearance will also change to show the symptoms of aging. For example, the skin will appear less smooth, and wrinkles or age spots may appear. Hair will be gray in most cases, and for many men, alopecia will also appear.

At the energy level, middle-aged people tend to be less vigorous than those in young adulthood. It is normal for individuals in this stage to begin to notice pain in the joints, less strength in the extremities, and higher levels of accumulated fatigue.

Psychological changes

For decades, intelligence and mental abilities have been considered to peak around the age of 20 and begin to decline from this point on. However, some recent studies have disproved this belief.

The mistake came from considering only what is known as "fluid intelligence": that is, pure brainpower, which was discovered in the 1960s to be at its peak in early young adulthood. However, there is another type of intelligence, "crystallized intelligence," which continues to develop throughout life.

This ability has to do with all the knowledge that is acquired and mastery when applying them. In the case of middle age, it is evident that people in this age group tend to have more crystallized intelligence than those who are younger.

In general, in addition, middle-aged adults tend to show greater confidence and self-assurance than younger ones. This is because they have already had many more experiences and are clearer about how the world works and what their true capabilities are.

Despite everything, this stage also presents its own difficulties for some people. For example, some individuals experience the "midlife crisis," a time characterized by severe stress as the person realizes that they have not met some of their life goals.

Physiological changes

The body is the element that changes the most in middle-aged people. Due to the aging process, many of the vital functions begin to deteriorate and cause certain problems, which can be more or less serious depending on the habits and genetics of each individual.

Thus, experts differentiate between primary aging and secondary aging. The first would have to do with all those changes that are inevitable and occur the same for all people; while the other would be related to the symptoms of aging related to an unhealthy lifestyle.

Among the symptoms of primary aging, we can find certain circulatory problems, lower levels of some hormones than in the case of younger adults, and other gender-specific problems such as loss of muscle mass in men or osteoporosis and menopause in women..

In the case of secondary aging, the lack of physical exercise and the abuse of harmful substances can have very serious consequences.

Thus, among other things, someone unhealthy is much more likely to suffer from diseases with high mortality rates, such as heart problems or cancer.

For this reason, it is especially important for middle-aged people to take care of their health and lead a healthy life as much as possible.

Sexuality

Sexuality in middle adulthood presents its own rewards and challenges. For most people, sexual desire remains very high throughout this stage, although it declines as they approach old age.

In the case of both men and women, because there is greater self-confidence from their life experiences and greater maturity, it is possible to enjoy one's sexuality with greater confidence during middle age. However, there are some specific problems at this stage that need to be overcome.

Among them we can find the loss of intimacy related to an excessive workload, lack of moments of solitude for the couple or high levels of stress.

On the other hand, there are also other difficulties of a more physiological nature, which can also prevent you from enjoying a full sexual life.

In this sense, some people may suffer from problems such as lack of erections, difficulties to lubricate naturally, or even a premature loss of libido. Fortunately, most of these difficulties can be solved with the help of a professional.

References

1. "Middle age" in: Britannica. Retrieved on: July 06, 2018 from Britannica: britannica.com.
2. "Introduction to middle adulthood" in: Lumen. Retrieved on: July 06, 2018 from Lumen: courses.lumenlearning.com.
3. "Middle adulthood development" in: All Psychology Careers. Retrieved on: July 06, 2018 from All Psychology Careers: allpsychologycareers.com.
4. "Physical and Cognitive Development in Middle Adulthood" in: Human Development. Retrieved on: July 06, 2018 from Human Development: highered.mheducation.com.
5. "Middle age" in: Wikipedia. Retrieved on: July 06, 2018 from Wikipedia: en.wikipedia.org.