Middle Adulthood Observation

Running Head: REPORT ON OBSERVED SUBJECT 1

Four score and seven years ago

Report on Observed Subject:
One Women’s Journey Through Middle Adulthood
Christina M. Chongoushian
Felician University

REPORT ON OBSERVED SUBJECT 2

Abstract In this paper I have inferred what is happening to my subject from a developmental perspective based on my three observations. My subject

REPORT ON OBSERVED SUBJECT 3
Report on Observed Subject:
One Women’s Journey Through Middle Adulthood Over the past few months I have observed a subject whom I address by the initials of MC. MC is 52 years old, and is in the middle of the developmental stage of middle adulthood. She is a homemaker and stay at home mother of three,

Studies have shown that regular physical exercise in middle adulthood helps to prolong cognitive abilities (Guiney & Machado, 2013; Rogers, Meyer, & Mortel, 1990). “Middle-aged adults…who are more physically active…tend to score higher on tests of reasoning, reaction time, and short-term memory (Van Boxtel, Paas, Houx, Adam, Teeken, & Jolles, 1997).” This correlates to my second observation
REPORT ON OBSERVED SUBJECT 5 when MC, her other daughter JC, and I went for a walk. MC was noted to have been, “swinging her arms back and forth, putting some “pep” into her step as she walked. ‘It’s good to swing your arms when you walk as you get older,’ she informs me and my sister.” From her statement and her actions I can infer that MC is aware of the benefits of physical activity at her age, and was informing JC and I to keep up our behavior of walking in the evenings so that we too can reap such benefits one

Selective optimization with compensation is a process coined by researchers Baltes and Baltes (1990) where adults “balance the gains and losses associated with aging.” In my third observation I found MC preforming selective optimization while she was driving when she turned on the car radio during a red light, and then decides to turn it off after no less than a minute. I can infer that MC was using selective optimization to reduce as many distractions as possible while driving in the rain, a task that requires full physical and cognitive attention.
Conclusion
During my observations, I have come to the conclusion that because middle adulthood is filled with so many physical, cognitive, mental, and social changes, that my subject’s behavior on both a physical and mental level is a normal response to such changes. While researching developmental theories for middle adulthood, I kept in mind some common stereotypes that people think of for this stage of life; declining in one’s physical shape and cognitive performance, trying to gain a sense of purpose in life, etc.