Generativity versus Stagnation Stage and the Physical and Cognitive Changes in Late Adulthood

Lifespan Development
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Lifespan Development
Human beings go through a series of stages of development throughout their life spans. The journey gets off the blocks from conception to inevitable death, which people conventionally expect to happen in the twilight years. Distinct patterns of growth, change, and stability in behavior characterize the different developmental stages of human beings (Feldman, 2018). For instance, the way people behave in their early twenties is absolutely distinguishable from the mannerisms of people in their sixties. Some of the stages, as categorized by developmentalists, include middle adulthood and late adulthood.
Part A
Comparing and Contrasting
There exist conspicuous similarities between the lives of people in Erickson’s stage of generativity versus stagnation and the ego-integrity versus despair stage. One outstanding element that characterizes people in these two stages is that they are supremely concerned about the legacy they will leave behind. They, therefore, take time to enumerate and analyze the contributions they have made or can make in society. For instance, people in generativity, usually in their middle adulthood, play a pivotal role in guiding and encouraging future generations. As such, they strive to set a positive precedent by seeking to excel in parenting or other worthwhile undertakings. They also arrogate to themselves the solemn duty of being mentors (Feldman, 2018). Similarly, people in the ego-integrity versus despair stage take their time to take stock of their contributions to their families and society at large. They evaluate their accomplishments and make appropriate adjustments since they know they do not have long to live. Much like people in middle adulthood, they desire a continuation of their lives through the younger generations. As such, they also undertake to offer mentorship at every available opportunity. However, the two stages have members who feel unworthy. These people look down upon their contributions to either their families or society. In essence, they view themselves as total failures, and they spend much of their time ruing missed opportunities. They are also obsessed with placing excessive focus on their trivialities and failings.
The most outstanding difference between people in these two stages is that people in the generativity versus stagnation stage are still quite active compared to those in the ego-integrity versus despair stage. Their physical prowess surpasses that of people in late adulthood by far. Therefore, despite making significant contributions to their families and society, they still have the energy to add the icing to the cake. Indeed, some people in this stage undertake to be creative or artistic. Such undertakings are oftentimes geared toward leaving a lasting mark once they crossover to late adulthood or die altogether. Unlike in the ego-integrity versus despair stage, people in the generativity versus stagnation stage have the opportunity and capacity to get things back on the right track.
Generativity versus Stagnation Stage
This stage usually encompasses people between the ages of 45 and 55 and is referred ...