Related Experiment Videos
[Personality development in the elderly--a psychoanalytic paradigm of development]
1Klinik für Psychotherapie und Psychosomatik, Universitätsklinikum Essen.
Zeitschrift Fur Gerontologie
|March 1, 1994
Summary
Psychoanalytic developmental psychology often stops at adulthood. This study proposes a new life-course model for older adults, identifying key psychological, social, and somatic factors in continued development and late-life conflicts.
Area of Science:
- Developmental Psychology
- Psychoanalytic Theory
- Gerontology
Context:
- Traditional developmental psychology models cease at adulthood.
- Existing aging-specific theories lack comprehensive explanations for continued adult development.
- Psychoanalytic and cognitive-motivational theories do not fully address late-life developmental processes.
Purpose:
- To propose a simplified life-course model for development extending into late life.
- To identify core organizing principles for understanding adult and older adult development.
- To lay the groundwork for empirical investigation into developmental conflicts in later life.
Summary:
- Presents a simplified three-principle model of life-course development: psychological processes until adulthood, social relationships during adulthood, and somatic processes in late life.
- Based on qualitative interviews with older adults, the model addresses limitations in current developmental theories.
- The model is being empirically investigated in the ongoing Eldermen-study.
Impact:
- Highlights the existence of clinically relevant developmental conflicts in late life.
- Suggests that a deeper understanding of these conflicts can inform therapeutic interventions for older adults.
- Contributes to a more nuanced understanding of lifelong development and aging processes.