[The theory of developmental tasks: a pool for many things or more? (author's transl)]

According to the theory of developmental tasks the mastery of a developmental task leads to happiness and increases the probability of competence in the following tasks. This theory may be the roof under which theories of life crises, continuity, stress, learned helplessness, and socialization may be specific models to explain satisfaction and/or competence in managing developmental tasks. -- By applying the theory of developmental tasks to the process of aging this process in the negative sense may be seen as a consequence of not mastering developmental tasks.