Erikson's seventh stage of generativity vs. stagnation occurs during middle adulthood. Being generative means truly caring about the next generation (e.g., being a parent, teacher, coach, or conservationist). Modern personality theorists have backed off of the word crisis to define one of Erikson's stages because it implies a do-or-die decision point, and instead have started using terms like marker events, turning points, or passages. It has been found that it is not so much what happens to people, but how they perceive it. Adults who feel a sense of control, and perceive the events as events that can be changed, experience less stress.

Numerous longitudinal studies have shown evidence of considerable stability in personality across the adult years. It has been reported that the chief stressor for men is work, whereas for women, the top two are health and family. Further, women often feel a sense of filial obligation, or a duty to care for their parents. This care giving can be an emotional and financial burden. Adults who are raising their own children as well as caring for their aging parents are referred to as the sandwich generation. During these years, the children of middle-aged adults also start to leave the nest. The original research on the empty nest syndrome reported parental sadness when the last child left. Today, research shows that both marital and life satisfaction increases after the last child has left.

The Italian island of Sardinia has more than six times as many centenarians as the mainland and ten times as many as North America. Why? According to psychologist Susan Pinker, it's not a sunny disposition or a low-fat, gluten-free diet that keeps the islanders healthy -- it's their emphasis on close personal relationships and face-to-face interactions. Learn more about super longevity as Pinker explains what it takes to live to 100 and beyond.