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Related Experiment Videos

Psychosocial development in adulthood: a 22-year sequential study.

S K Whitbourne1, M K Zuschlag, L B Elliot

  • 1Department of Psychology, University of Massachusetts, Amherst 01003.

Journal of Personality and Social Psychology
|August 1, 1992
PubMed
Summary

Adult personality development shows significant change, challenging stability notions. Findings reveal favorable psychosocial stage resolutions in adults, with a recent trend toward less favorable ego integrity.

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Area of Science:

  • Psychology
  • Developmental Psychology
  • Personality Psychology

Background:

  • Traditional views suggest adult personality is largely stable.
  • Erikson's psychosocial stages provide a framework for adult development.
  • Previous research has not fully captured adult developmental trajectories.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate adult personality development and stability.
  • To examine changes in psychosocial stage resolution across adulthood.
  • To assess the influence of cultural and environmental factors on adult development.

Main Methods:

  • A sequential research design spanning ages 20-42 was employed.
  • Data were collected from three cohorts of college students and alumni.
  • Longitudinal, cross-sectional, and sequential analyses were conducted using the Inventory of Psychosocial Development (IPD).

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Main Results:

  • Findings challenge the concept of adult personality stability, demonstrating significant developmental change.
  • Increasingly favorable resolutions of early Eriksonian psychosocial stages were observed up to age 42.
  • A recent trend indicates less favorable resolutions of the ego integrity versus despair stage.

Conclusions:

  • Adult personality is dynamic and subject to developmental change.
  • Psychosocial development in adulthood is influenced by both internal processes and socio-cultural factors.
  • Long-term studies are crucial for understanding the complexities of adult personality development.