Handbook of Midlife Development

THE DEFINITIVE RESOURCE ON MIDLIFE DEVELOPMENT

Edited by Margie Lachman, a leader in the field, Handbook of Midlife Development provides an up–to–date portrayal of human development during the middle years of the life span. Featuring contributions from well–established, highly regarded experts, this exhaustive reference fills the gap for a compilation of research on this increasingly important topic.

Divided into four comprehensive sections, the book addresses the theoretical, biomedical, psychological, and social aspects of midlife development. Each chapter includes coverage of unifying themes such as gender differences, ethnic and cultural diversity, historical changes, and socioeconomic differences from a life–span developmental perspective. Readers will discover what can be learned from individuals’ subjective conceptions of midlife; explore various "cultural" fictions of middle age; examine the resources individuals have at their disposal to negotiate midlife; consider mechanisms for balancing work and family; and other topics as presented in the latest research from the social, behavioral, and medical sciences.

Handbook of Midlife Development is an indispensable resource for professionals and practitioners who work with adults and for researchers and students who study adult development and related topics.

Some of the midlife topics discussed:

Cultural perspectives Physical changes Stress, coping, and health Intellectual functioning Memory Personality and the self Adaptation and resilience Emotional development Families and intergenerational relationships Social relationships The role of work Planning for retirement

FRAMEWORKS AND CONTEXTS.

A View on Midlife Development from Life–Span Theory (U. Staudinger & S. Bluck).

Middle Adulthood in Cultural Perspectives: The Imagined and the Experienced in Three Cultures (U. Menon).

BIOMEDICAL ASPECTS.

Towards a Biology of Middle Age (C. Finch).

The Physical Aging Process in Midlife: Interactions with Psychological and Sociocultural Factors (S. Whitbourne).

Health in Midlife: Toward a Life–Span View (A. Spiro).

Stress, Coping, and Health at Midlife: A Developmental Perspective (C. Aldwin & M. Levenson).

PSYCHOLOGICAL PROCESSES.

The Development of Intelligence at Midlife (R. Sternberg, et al.).

Memory in Midlife (R. Dixon, et al.).

Personality and the Self in Midlife (M. Lachman & R. Bertrand).

Emotional Development During the Middle Years (C. Magai & B. Halpern).

Adaptation and Resilience in Midlife (J. Heckhausen).

Generativity in Midlife (D. McAdams).

SOCIAL FACTORS.

The Role of Work in Midlife (H. Sterns & M. Huyck).

Moving into Retirement: Preparation and Transitions in Late Midlife (J. Kim & P. Moen).

Families, Intergenerational Relationships, and Kinkeeping in Midlife (N. Putney & V. Bengtson).

Dynamics of Social Relationships in Midlife (T. Antonucci, et al.).

Author Index.

Subject Index.

MARGIE E. LACHMAN, PhD, is Professor of Psychology and Director of the Life–span Developmental Psychology Laboratory at Brandeis University. She was a member of the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation Research Network on Successful Midlife Development, which conducted a large–scale survey of Americans in midlife. Lachman is a fellow of the American Psychological Association, Division on Adult Development and Aging and the Gerontological Society of America. Lachman is also currently the editor of the Journal of Gerontology: Psychological Sciences. Her research program examines personality, cognitive changes, and health in midlife and old age.