Given today’s concerns and safeguards about health—diet, exercise, sleep—it comes as no surprise that healthy 50-year-old women will live into their 90s and that healthy males who reach age 65 will survive into their 90s. Longitudinal studies of this age group consistently reveal that both men and women report that they feel at least 10 years younger than their actual age.

Psychologically speaking, Erikson (1950, 1959) identified the major task of middle adulthood as achieving generativity and avoiding stagnation. Generativity refers to a concern for guiding the next generation, the appearance of a sense of caring for the future of family, community, and country. It brings with it greater emphasis on the welfare of children and the assumption of more community and social responsibility.

During these years, the careers of most men will peak. Some men may be forced into early retirement by a trend toward downsizing; others may shift jobs for a variety of reasons; some may even change their career paths. For example, those who have chosen careers requiring great strength, speed, or unusual motor coordination (such as professional athletes, dancers, and pilots) must face the reality of a career change. Many women reenter the work force after an absence of many years as homemakers. Frequently, these women are not overly concerned with money or prestige, but by a desire to work effectively with other adults after spending years with children.