Developmental psychology.pdf

Human Development 81
A general warming of the earth since the mid-nineteenth century has been
cited as a possible factor. The shift from the nuclear family to close relationships with
peers of the opposite sex has been suggested as another. The finding may even be an
artifact of data collection. But a most likely contributor is improved nutrition throughout
the growth period. Comparisons of well-nourished and poorly nourished populations
clearly support this idea, showing a sharp difference in the median age of the
beginning of menstruation (Tanner, 1971). Still another possibility is the increased
stimulation and stress in developed countries, brought about by the automobile, telephone,
television, and other complexities of modern urban life (Adams, 1981).
The trend toward earlier onset of menstruation seems to be lessening, but the
overall change again demonstrates a long-term interaction effect. The "adolescent spurt"
is a universal inheritance, but the time of its occurrence depends partly on the interplay
of environmental factors.
Patterns in Adulthood
As an adult, the individual takes a firmer place in society, usually holding a job, contributing
to the community, and maintaining a family. Having struggled with the problem
of identity, which like the earlier Crises is never fully resolved, the young adult
encounters the difficult tasks of sharing this success with others.
Intimacy vs. Isolation These new responsibilities of early adulthood, according to
Erik Erikson, can create tensions and frustrations, and one solution involves an intimate
relationship with someone else, physical or psychological. This relationship can provide
relief from the strains of work and family. Especially when the offspring are in the
stages of trust and autonomy, considerable time and effort are required on the part of
the caretakers.
If this crisis of intimacy vs. isolation is adequately resolved, then the adult
feels the support of someone else, rather than feeling isolated. But a commitment to
someone else requires abandoning one's own goals to some degree, something that is
not readily undertaken. Hence Erikson emphasizes that true intimacy is not possible
without first achieving identity and gaining confidence in oneself.
It was therefore with considerable interest and some skepticism that Harold
Skeels, 25 years after his original work, began the improbable task of finding all 25 of
his former subjects, now about 30 years old. What place had they taken in society?
Were they working? How had they fared? Some of these people lived not far from the
orphanage site, whereas others had moved to the farthest corners of the country. Once
located, they were interviewed, along with the adoptive parents if possible.
If intimacy can be said to be reflected in matrimony, then the results of Skeels's
follow-up study were dramatic. Among the 13 transferred subjects, 85 percent were
married. Only 9 percent of the comparison subjects had married, and one of these two
couples was divorced. Intimacy of course is not requisite for matrimony and certainly
not absent among unmarried persons, but the very large difference in this traditional
measure of becoming partners suggests an overall group difference in interpersonal
relationships (Skeels, 1966).
Generativity vs. Stagnation An equally impressive difference is seen in the work
records for both groups. As Erikson has pointed out, the demands of work are often in
conflict with intimacy, and Sigmund Freud, who influenced much of Erikson's thinking,
even defined mental health in adulthood as the capacity to love and to work. All of the
transferred persons worked inside or outside the home, whereas only half of the
comparison group were so employed, sometimes intermittently. By these Criteria, the
transferred group had found a much firmer place in the community, providing for family
members and others, as well as for themselves (Figure 3.18).