The Big Five Theory



Developmental Psychology Chapter 18 Handout

Neugarten’s Study on 70+ Personality*

1. Disintegrated & Disorganized

-unable to accept aging, despair, often end in nursing homes/hospitals

2. Passive-dependent

-lives of fear and seek too much help

3. Defended

-seek to ward off again by acting young, may have unrealistic expectations

4. Integrated

-cope comfortably with aging. Largest number of elderly

Decision to Retire

|Retire |Keep Working |

| | |

|Adequate retirement benefits |Limited or no retirement benefits |

|Compelling leisure interests |Few leisure interests |

|Low work commitment |High work commitment |

|Declining health |Good health |

|Spouse retiring |Spouse working |

|Routine, boring job |Flexible work schedule |

| |Pleasant, stimulating work |

|Erik Erikson |A. This occurs when older adults feel whole, complete, and satisfied with their achievements, having accepted their life |

| |course as something that had to be the way it was. |

|Ego integrity |B. A person calls up, reflects on, and reconsiders past experiences, contemplating their meaning with the goal of |

| |achieving greater self-understanding. |

|Despair |C. This occurs when older adults are able to look beyond their physical limitations and focus instead on their cognitive |

| |and social abilities. |

|Robert Peck |D. This theorist emphasized that the conflict of ego integrity versus despair comprises three distinct tasks. |

|Ego differentiation |E. This occurs when older adults have the ability to find various ways, outside of their occupation, to affirm their |

| |self-worth. |

|Body transcendence |F. This occurs when older adults develop the ability to invest in a longer future than their own lifespan. |

|Ego transcendence |G. This encompasses the telling of stories about people and events from their past and reporting associated thoughts and |

| |feelings. |

|Reminiscence |H. This theorist defines later adulthood as a time when individuals come to terms with their life. |

|Life review |I. This occurs when older adults feel that they have made many wrong decisions in life and are overwhelmed with feelings |

| |of bitterness, defeat, and hopelessness. |

|Disintegrated and disorganized |A. successful aging occurs when people maintain the interests, activities, and social interactions with |

| |which they were involved during middle age |

|Passive-dependent |B. come to grips with realities of retirement and feel fulfilled with this new phase of life |

|Defended |C. most successful individuals who cope comfortably with aging; accept becoming older and maintain a sense |

| |of self dignity |

|Integrated |D. engage in a variety of activities, such as travel, previously hindered by working full-time |

|Disengagement theory |E. retirement is not all that they thought it would be; may miss the stimulation of a job or may find it |

| |difficult to keep busy |

|Activity theory |F. lead lives filled with fears -- fear of falling ill, fear of the future, fear of own inability to cope, |

| |may seek out help when don't need it |

|Continuity theory |G. he process by which people concentrate on selected skill areas to compensate for losses in other areas |

|Selective optimization |H. although some people do this by going back to work, it occurs for most people because of major physical |

| |deterioration where their health becomes so bad they can no longer function independently |

|Honeymoon |I. seek to ward off aging rather than accepting it, may attempt to act young and exercise vigorously; may |

| |set up unrealistic expectations for themselves and feel disappointed as a result |

|Disenchantment |J. people need to maintain their desired level of involvement in society in order to maximize their sense of|

| |well-being and self-esteem |

|Reorientation |K. reconsider options and become engaged in new, more fulfilling activities; if successful, it leads them to|

| |the next stage |

|Retirement routine |L. unable to accept aging and experience despair as get older; often end up in nursing homes or are |

| |hospitalized |

|Termination |M. period in late adulthood that marks a gradual withdrawal from the world on physical, psychological, and |

| |social levels |

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