INTEGRITY VS DESPAIR IN THE OLDER ADULT

Integrity versus Despair in the Older Adult

Integrity versus Despair in the Older Adult

Introduction

In the article of “Psychosocial Development”, the Integrity versus Despair in the older adult can be defined as the process by which an individual attempts to become part of a society while maintaining his or her individuality. This process does not occur with the individual being the sole actor but rather occurs through the act of socialization. Socialization is how an individual develops the values, behaviors, and knowledge about the societies in which that individual lives, and because a person lives in multiple simultaneous societies and subsocieties (communities, schools, homes, peer groups, etc.), it can be a complex task to integrate all of them (Susan, 2000).

Two types of psychosocial development exist. The first, social roles, helps the individual understand how to act appropriately in his or her social world, as social roles are the expectations of others with regard to a person's rights, obligations, and behaviors. The second, personality, is an individual process, although society still has a large effect, and combines the feelings, behaviors, intelligence, temperament, and interests of the individual. This article literature reviews the multiple examples of how the older adults develops socially throughout the life course and examines all developmental stages from infancy to adulthood. Other issues that develop throughout the life course, including language development, moral development, and gender construction, are also discussed. Lastly, a discussion of problematic psychosocial development is included (Susan, 2000).

Literature Review

Unlike Sigmund Freud, Erikson's theory describes development across the life span. His eight stages in the article cover the psychological tasks that all individuals face from infancy through old age. Erikson's theory addresses issues about how personality develops and how people acquire their identity and role as a member of society. Erikson's emphasis on the psychosocial, rather than the Freudian psychosexual, orientation reminds us that the ego aspect of personality is actively involved in developing skills and attitudes to be a productive, responsible citizen. As people age, their interest in sex does not decrease (despite students' personal beliefs). However, as people get older, certain bodily changes do occur that limit one's sexual capability. Sometime between the late 40s and early 50s, people experience climacteric, which is a midlife transition in which fertility declines. For women, this occurs in the form of menopause. During this time women experience a dramatic decrease in estrogen production by the ovaries. For men, the effects of climacteric are not as dramatic. Most men see a modest decline in hormone levels during middle and late adulthood. However, this modest decline can lead to difficulty in achieving erec tions, also known as erectile dysfunction. As a person moves into late adulthood, sexuality continues. Yet, due to decreases in body functioning, the occurrences become less frequent. Both men and women begin having trouble achieving orgasm. Still, research indicates that although sexual functioning decreases, sex ual desire remains. One study showed that nearly half of all Americans over the age of 60 ...