The Middle Ages: Change in Women’s Personalities and Social Roles | EVST 399 / SOAN 300: Research Methods & Design

The article, The Middle Ages: Change in Women’s Personalities and Social Roles examines women’s midlife personality development and its relationship to career and family commitments. Prior research suggests that the main focus on midlife personality development is generativity and that social roles influence its start and expression. The study examines development psychologist, Erik Erikson’s concepts of identity, generativity, and intimacy. This study is a longitudinal analysis from 1960 to 2005 of 100 women from Radcliffe College. General linear modeling and chi square analysis was used to evaluate responses from a questionnaire and open ended questions. The questions included: if you could do anything you wished in the next ten years, what would you do? Looking back over the last nine years what do you consider major high points or the most satisfying activities? Personal documents including letters, diaries, and autobiographical writings were also examined.

When interviewees brought up career and personal aspects, identity was coded. Identity remained high at the start of middle age and then declined by late middle age. Intimacy decreased for middle age, intimacy was coded when interviewees brought up relationships. Generativity, meaning creating a legacy and guiding the next generation increased from early to late midlife. Women committed to families with no career were more concerned with generativity at age 43 as opposed to women with career and no family.

The study concluded that career women expressed more themes of intimacy and generosity. Family women expressed higher levels of generativity compared to intimacy and identity. Generativity increases during women’s midlife from 43 to 62. Social role experiences are related to personality during this period.

Psychology of Women Quarterly, 34 (2010), 75 – 84. Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Printed in the USA.