Philosophical Perspectives as a Dimension of the Psychological Modality in the Theory of Adult Development [microform] / Franklin Ross Jones

The long-held belief that a person became an adult at about 20 years of age and, henceforth, remained psychologically and physically on a plateau until old age, has recently been found unacceptable in the light of research contributed by developmental psychology. Adult development may be viewed as the function of the interaction of the psychological, sociological, and the physical. One important psychological component is an individual's perspective or philosophical view. The philosophical viewpoint undergoes some alteration during the passage through adult life. These modifications may be a result of reflections and/or other forces that give impetus to realignment of metaphysical views. Various researchers have examined the values of groups of people from adolescence through old age and have found some significant changes. According to some researchers, younger persons generally appear to value love and self-absorption, while those who are middle-aged strive for productivity and care of others. The aged tend to hold values that are less material as they face a disengagement from life; however, few adults ever actually attain a state of total disengagement. Further research needs to be done using computer simulation to test this model against the changes of adult perspective through the lifespan. (KC)