Susan Krauss Whitbourne

In this second edition of Adult Development and Aging: Biopsychosocial Perspectives, Susan Krauss Whitbourne makes an important contribution to the educational mission of the field by providing accurate and current information and a positive perspective on the years of adulthood and old age. Whitbourne explores the art of successful aging, focusing on how individuals can take an active role in the aging process and make it a rewarding developmental period, filled with vitality and creativity. Now revised with substantially updated references and recent findings, the second edition combines both research and applied perspectives, and integrates information from the biological, cognitive, and psychosocial perspectives as they relate to the middle and later years of adulthood. The text presents a complete picture of the aging process, with enough information on both adulthood and later adulthood to allow instructors to alter their emphasis according to the needs and interests of students.

Biopsychosocial Perspectives

Adult Development and Aging

Stacey B. Whitbourne

The Fifth Edition of Adult Development and Aging: Biopsychosocial Perspectives continues to provide psychologists with a fresh and engaging approach to the field of psychology of adult development and aging. The text's main themes, explained in Chapter 1, are consistently applied throughout the text with specific examples, including maintaining a focus on identity. This approach helps readers develop a deeper and more conceptual appreciation of the material. Recent articles and updates to the information on demography, economics, and public policy are presented, and updates have been made to the statistics on demographic, health, and mortality. An "Applied Gerontology" feature shows how each topic can be used in everyday life, and sections on intelligence and personality assessment have been updated to include the most recent revisions of the WAIS, MMPI, and computerized assessment tools. Psychologists appreciate this mix of examples and discussions that make the material come to life.

For the last 5 years I have been living with 94 adults. These 94 adults made up the sample of people in a study on adult development that Dale Dannefer and I began in 1980. This book represents my efforts to condense the almost 200 hours of tape-recorded material from the 94 adults into a form that captures at least some of the diversity and also some of the commonalities in their answers to the ques tion "Who am I?" My version of their answers is based on their reflections about themselves as family members, workers, and people with a goal in life. In arriv ing at the conclusion that adults attempt to see themselves as loved, competent, and good human beings, I believe that I have done justice to these people and their answers to my interview questions. Arriving at the point of being able to write about these 94 people's identities has not been an easy process. Countless attempts at numerically based rating systems were tried and discarded progressively, until finally I decided to read all the trans cripts in sequence, person by person rather than question by question. What I found when I approached them as total individuals was surprising to me. I found a vibrant theme of certainty and self-assuredness in their identities that flew in the face of my previous ideas about developmental change in adulthood.

A Study of Adult Identity

The Me I Know

The objective of this book is to provide information that will be useful to people in a variety of disciplines who wish to learn more about normal aging processes in the human body. Although gerontologists in the biological sciences are making great strides in research on human aging and documenting this work in mono graphs, texts, and review chapters, this information is generally not easily acces sible nor is it comprehensible to nonprofessionals in these fields. This book is intended to provide a summary of this work, along with its implications for psy chological functioning of the aging individual. The majority of the book is devoted to describing the results of research on the physiological changes in the human body with aging and to seeking explana tions for these age effects. This description has been approached in such a way as to make it readable for the nonspecialist, but also to focus on research issues that will be useful reading for those who are currently working in these parti cular areas. In addition, throughout the book, I have tried to develop some themes regarding physiological and psychological adaptation during adulthood.

Physiological Changes and Psychological Consequences

The Aging Body

Sherry L. Willis

The goal of this volume is to examine development in middle age from the perspective of baby boomers -- a unique cohort in the United States defined as those individuals born from 1946 to 1962. This is the largest cohort ever to enter middle age in Western society, and they currently represent approximately one-third of the total U.S. population. The Baby Boomers Grow Up provides contemporary and comprehensive perspectives of development of the baby boomer cohort as they proceed through midlife. Baby boomers continue to exert a powerful impact on the media, fiction, movies, and even popular music, just as they were an imposing force in society from the time of their entry into youth. As these individuals enter the years normally considered to represent midlife, they are redefining how we as a society regard adults in their middle and later years. This volume features several unique aspects. First, the literature reviewed focuses specifically on research relevant to baby boomers and their development as adults, rather than a global perspective on middle age. Second, the volume takes into account the diversity within the boomer cohort, such as social class, race, and education. In addition, quantitative and qualitative developmental changes occurring from the forties to the fifties and the sixties are considered. Differences in leading and trailing edge boomers are likewise addressed. Ideal for researchers in adult development and graduate seminars on adult development, The Baby Boomers Grow Up will also appeal to adult educators, human resource personnel, health professionals and service providers, and clinical psychologists and counselors.

Contemporary Perspectives on Midlife

The Baby Boomers Grow Up

Richard P. Halgin

Clinical Perspectives on Psychological Disorders

Abnormal Psychology

Focused, fresh, and engaging, this text captures student interest and facilitates comprehension through the widespread use of current and highly relevant clinical case studies. The fully-revised fifth edition maintains the integrative approach to treatment using the biopsychosocial model, the emphasis on cases, and the succinct coverage that have been the foundations of the text's success. It now features a more focused approach than previous editions, with the goal of presenting only the most relevant research and clinical material.

In the fall of 1966, at a university in the Northeast, 350 students signed up for a psychological survey on personal development and happiness. In 1977, Susan Krauss Whitbourne, then a young psychology professor, came across the study and decided to expand it. She tracked down the study's original participants and questioned them every decade until she had forty years' worth of data. Now, in this groundbreaking book, Whitbourne reveals the findings of this extensive project, a seminal piece of research into how people change over the course of their lifetimes. The results indicate something fascinating: No matter how old or how content you might currently feel, it is never too late to steer your life toward a greater sense of purpose and satisfaction. Western society often paints a pessimistic view of aging, a "best years are behind you" attitude. But Whitbourne challenges this notion and posits that it's possible to find fulfillment at any age. Guided by her research, she identifies five different life pathways and provides a questionnaire that will help you discover which one you are currently on: • The Meandering Way You have a low sense of identity, lack priorities, and feel lost, unable to settle on a clear set of goals. • The Downward Slope You seem to have it all, until one or two poor decisions send your life into a spiral. • The Straight and Narrow Way You embrace predictability, shy away from risk, and don't enjoy shaking up your routine. • The Triumphant Trail Your inner resilience has allowed you to overcome significant challenges that could have left you despondent. • The Authentic Road You take a bold and honest look at your life, assess whether it's truly satisfying, and take the necessary risks to get back on track. Whitbourne shows how you can work yourself off a negative pathway and onto one that is more fulfilling. And if you identify yourself as being on one of the more positive pathways, you'll learn how to keep enhancing your feelings of satisfaction. Filled with insight and candid personal profiles of Whitbourne's subjects, The Search for Fulfillment offers proof that change is not only possible but ultimately rewarding. Revolutionary and inspirational, this encouraging book provides a new way of looking at our lives—and a guidepost for making changes for the better, at any age.

Susan Krauss Whitbourne

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