Ch 20: Relationships in Adulthood
About This Chapter
Relationships in Adulthood - Chapter Summary and Learning Objectives
Now that you've studied some of the developmental and physiological changes occurring in late adulthood, use this chapter to examine how aging impacts relationships. Instructors discuss stages of parenthood, characteristics of married relationships and the experiences of widows and widowers. You can also explore issues facing reconstructed families and adults who choose to stay single or cohabit. This chapter can help you understand the following as they relate to adulthood:
- Relationships with friends and family
- Singlehood, cohabitation and marriage
- Divorce and widowhood
- Stages of parenthood
- Grandparenting
Video | Objectives |
---|---|
Relationships in Late Adulthood | Understand the characteristics of family relationships among older adults with siblings and adult children. Identify the traits of family relationships among single, childless and widowed older adults. |
Friendships in Late Adulthood | Discuss the characteristics of friendships in late adulthood and analyze the ways in which they provide intimacy and acceptance. |
Love Relationships: Their Characteristics & How They Develop | Explain how love relationships vary across cultures and develop over time. |
Abusive Relationships: Elder Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation | Recognize the indications of elder abuse, neglect and exploitation. Discuss the idea of caregiver burden. |
Singlehood & Cohabitation: Definition, Challenges & Advantages | Explore the challenges and advantages of being single through adulthood. Explain why people cohabit. |
Marriage through Adulthood: Factors that Contribute to Marital Satisfaction | Describe marriage through adulthood and examine what it's like for elderly adults who have never been married. Assess factors contributing to marriage success and martial satisfaction over the longevity of adulthood. |
Making the Decision to Have Children | Find out what's involved in a couple's decision to have children. Examine what life is like before and after having children. |
Divorce, Marriage and Cohabitation in Late Adulthood | Discuss divorce, remarriage, cohabitation and gay and lesbian partnerships in late adulthood. Examine when marital satisfaction is at its peak. |
Divorce, Remarriage & the Reconstructed Family: Definition & Related Issues | Identify the main reasons people get divorced and remarried. Explain issues surrounding the reconstructed family. |
Widowhood: The Experience of Widows and Widowers | Examine what widows and widowers experience. |
Parenthood During the Early Years: Key Issues & Parenting Forms | Describe what it's like to be a parent and discuss key issues across ethnic groups. Identify the various forms of parenting. |
Parenthood During the Middle Years: Interacting with Children | Understand how middle-aged adults interact with their children. |
Caring for Aging Parents: Psychological Impact & Coping Strategies | Explain how middle-aged adults deal with the possibility of providing care to aging parents. |
Life After Children: Changes That Happen When Children Move Out | Discuss how a couple's life changes once their children move out. |
Grandparenting: Interacting with Grandchildren, Grandparenting Styles & Key Issues | Study the ways in which grandparents interact with their grandchildren and examine the roles of grandparents as surrogate or primary caregiver. |

1. Relationships in Late Adulthood
Adults over 65 often find that their relationships with family, siblings, spouses, and life partners change as they age. Explore how relationships in late adulthood shift and how this age group is at risk of being alone.

2. Friendships in Late Adulthood
Friendships in late adulthood tend to function differently than friendships in younger adult life. Discover the functions and characteristics of late adulthood friendships and examine the differences between friendships in other stages of life.

3. Love Relationships: Their Characteristics & How They Develop
In a romantic relationship, love develops over time. Explore the characteristics of a loving relationship, how love continues to develop, and examine different approaches to love across different cultures.

4. Abusive Relationships: Elder Abuse, Neglect, and Exploitation
An abusive relationship which occurs during the care of an elderly dependent is called 'Elder Abuse.' Learn more about the different types of neglect and exploitation, caregiver burnout, and the trends in the prevalence of elder abuse.

5. Singlehood & Cohabitation: Definition, Challenges & Advantages
While singlehood is defined as the state of being unmarried, cohabitation involves partners living their lives together. Gain an understanding of the differences, challenges, and advantages of each state of life.

6. Marriage through Adulthood: Factors that Contribute to Marital Satisfaction
Marriage is defined as a legally binding relationship between two intimate partners. Learn about the different models of marriage and explore the factors that contribute to longevity and satisfaction in adulthood marriage.

7. Making the Decision to Have Children
There are several issues to consider when making the decision to have children. Explore the decision-making process involved in having children, which includes considering how a person's life changes before and after kids and the concept of the biological clock.

8. Divorce, Marriage, and Cohabitation in Late Adulthood
Romantic relationships differ from earlier stages in life to late adulthood. Explore the changes in marriage, cohabitation, and divorce dynamics during this stage of life compared to earlier stages, and understand the distinct benefits and challenges of late adulthood romantic relationships.

9. Divorce, Remarriage & the Reconstructed Family: Definition & Related Issues
In legal terms, divorce is defined as the separation and dissolving of a marriage. Learn more about the definition of divorce, a remarriage contract, reconstructing and blending families, and related issues that stem from these processes.

10. Widowhood: The Experience of Widows and Widowers
Being a widow or widower, a wife or husband who has lost their spouse, comes with challenges. Examine the statistics and expectations of widowhood and learn about what the ~'widowhood effect~' means.

11. Parenthood During The Early Years: Key Issues & Parenting Forms
Parenthood during the early years of childhood usually means that the parents are in the early stages of adulthood. Study the key issues surrounding the early years of parenting and the four general parenting styles that one might adopt.

12. Parenthood During the Middle Years: Interacting with Children
When parents reach middle age, they may find themselves going through several physical and emotional changes at the very same time that their children may be experiencing the changes during adolescence. Explore the issues of parenthood during midlife and discover how a parent's self-identity and social relationships influence interactions with their children.

13. Caring for Aging Parents: Psychological Impact & Coping Strategies
Caring for an elderly parent can be a demanding job, not only physically but also psychologically. Learn about the psychological impact caused by the demands of taking care of aging parents and explore coping strategies to avoid total burnout.

14. Life After Children: Changes That Happen When Children Move Out
When children grow up, they eventually will move out of their parents' house. Explore how's life after children and the changes that occur to a parent after their dependent children move out, including the positive and negative ones.

15. Grandparenting: Interacting with Grandchildren, Grandparenting Styles & Key Issues
Grandparents often interact with their grandchildren, but they all don't do it in the same way. Discover five different grandparenting styles and take a closer look into key issues of surrogate parenting by grandparents and supplementary roles.
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Other Chapters
Other chapters within the Psychology 108: Psychology of Adulthood and Aging course
- Introduction to Adult Development and Aging
- Personality & Aging
- Health of the Aging Population
- The Aging Brain and Nervous System
- Effects of Aging on Skin & Body Build
- Effects of Aging on the Sensory System
- Effects of Aging on the Circulatory and Respiratory Systems
- The Aging Endocrine and Reproductive Systems
- Chronic Conditions of the Aging Population
- Changes to Memory & Attention with Age
- Cognitive Development & Aging
- Overview of Intelligence, Wisdom & Creativity
- Mental Health and Lifespan Development Disorders
- Cognitive, Behavioral & Psychological Assessments
- Age-Related Anxiety Disorders
- Substance Abuse Among Aging Populations
- Cognitive Disorders Related to Aging
- Mood & Stress Disorders Affecting the Aging Population
- Treatment Methods for Psychological Disorders in Adults
- Career Changes Over the Lifespan
- Retirement and Leisure in Adulthood
- Overview of Death, Dying & Bereavement
- Studying for Psychology 108