Generativity among young, midlife, and older adults
Abstract
Generativity is conceived as a configuration of psychosocial features constellated around the goal of providing for the next generation. This study used a stratified random sampling of young (ages 22-27), midlife (ages 37-42), and older (ages 67-72) adults to examine age-cohort differences in 4 generativity features: generative concern, commitments, actions, and narration. Although prevailing views on generativity (e.g., Erikson, 1963) predict a peak in midlife and decline thereafter, support for this developmental hypothesis was mixed. Midlife Ss scored higher than young and older Ss on concern and actions in a second administration of measures, but not in the first. Generative commitments and narration showed high scores for both midlife and older Ss and relatively low scores for young Ss. Generative concern, assessed with the Loyola Generativity Scale, was positively associated with life satisfaction.
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As people grow older, the limited-time perspective becomes more dominant/salient and middle-aged and older adults tend to express less concern for self-enhancement and more concern for others.
“For example, as people grow older, this limited-time perspective becomes more dominant/salient and middle-aged and older adults tend to express less concern for self-enhancement and more concern for others [140,141].”
From An Appreciative View of the Brighter Side of Terror Management Processes (2015) · cites this paper as [140]
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“Instead, as research by McAdams, Aubin, and Logan (1993) reveals, concerns above generativity are low in young adulthood, they increase in midlife, and they remain high throughout the remainder of life.”
Weikamp, J. G., & Göritz, A. S. (2016) · Human Relations · doi:10.1177/0018726716633512 · Cited by 60 · see citing works
“Furthermore, helping behaviours in the form of OCBI may fulfil the needs for emotional intimacy and generativity, which become pronounced starting in middle adulthood (Carstensen et al., 1999; Kanfer and Ackerman, 2004; McAdams et al., 1993).”
BackgroundGarcia, P., Bordia, P., Restubog, S. L. D., & Caines, V. (2017) · Journal of Organizational Behavior · doi:10.1002/job.2222 · Cited by 60 · see citing works
L'anxiété face à la mort et son influence sur le comportement du consommateur
Urien, B. (2003) · Recherche et Applications en Marketing (French Edition) · doi:10.1177/076737010301800402 · Cited by 58 · see citing works
Self‐Efficacy in Service‐Learning Community Action Research: Theory, Research, and Practice
Reeb, R. N., Folger, S. F., Langsner, S., Ryan, C. M., & Crouse, J. (2010) · American Journal of Community Psychology · doi:10.1007/s10464-010-9342-9 · Cited by 58 · see citing works
“Generativity, a construct originating from Erickson’s theory of psychosocial development, is defined by contemporary theorists (e.g., McAdams et al. 1993, p. 221; also see McAdams and de St. Aubin 1992) as follows: …a configuration of psychosocial features constellated around the goal of providing…”
BackgroundMcAdams, D. P. (2013) · Springer eBooks · doi:10.1007/978-1-4614-7282-7_13 · Cited by 59 · see citing works
Self-citationEgo Integrity in the Lives of Older Women
James, J. B., & Zarrett, N. R. (2007) · Journal of Adult Development · doi:10.1007/s10804-006-9003-2 · Cited by 56 · see citing works
“…stage-theory research in general and to the understanding of EI in particular is the extent to which it reflects a middle class bias (for a general discussion of these issues, see McAdams et al., 1993), and is more prevalent among the well-educated (see also Cantor, 2001; Fiske & Chiriboga, 1990).”
BackgroundGenerativity and Successful Parenting: An Analysis of Young Adult Outcomes
Peterson, B. E. (2006) · Journal of Personality · doi:10.1111/j.1467-6494.2006.00394.x · Cited by 57 · see citing works
Increases in Generative Concern among Older Adults following Reminders of Mortality
Maxfield, M., Greenberg, J., Pyszczynski, T., Weise, D. R., Kosloff, S., Soenke, M., Abeyta, A. A., & Blatter, J. (2014) · The International Journal of Aging and Human Development · doi:10.2190/ag.79.1.a · Cited by 55 · see citing works
“Replicating previous research (e.g., Bellizzi, 2004; McAdams et al., 1993; Pratt et al., 1999), there were no differences in generative concern between younger and older adults in the control condition; however, when reminded of mortality, older adults indicated significantly greater concern for…”
BackgroundMethodResultInfluentialGenerative Concern and Environmentalism
Jia, F., Alisat, S., Soucie, K., & Pratt, M. (2015) · Emerging Adulthood · doi:10.1177/2167696815578338 · Cited by 45 · see citing works
- Authors
- McAdams, D. P., de St. Aubin, E., & Logan, R. L.
- Affiliations
- Northwestern University (US)
- ORCID
- McAdams, Dan P.
- Venue
- Psychology and Aging
- Published
- 1993-06
- Volume
- 8
- Issue
- 2
- Pages
- 221-230
- ISSN
- 0882-7974 (ISSN-L)
- 1939-1498
- OpenAlex
- W4243999006
- Cited by
- 614
- References
- 0
- Citations by year
- 2026: 13 · 2025: 25 · 2024: 24 · 2023: 26 · 2022: 31 · 2021: 30 · 2020: 24 · 2019: 30 · 2018: 23 · 2017: 31 · 2016: 28 · 2015: 23 · 2014: 36 · 2013: 25 · 2012: 28
- FWCI
- 9.67
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Psychology and Aging (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Neuropsychology and Physiological Psychology › Aging and Gerontology Research
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Creativity in Education and Neuroscience
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Developmental and Educational Psychology › Identity, Memory, and Therapy
- Keywords
- generativity, life stages, young adults, midlife, older adults, developmental differences
- MeSH terms
- Activities of Daily Living, Adult, Aged, Aging, Aspirations, Psychological, Creativity, Cross-Sectional Studies, Female, Goals, Humans, Male, Middle Aged, Motivation, Personal Satisfaction, Personality Inventory, Cohort Studies, Intergenerational Relations
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