Erik Erikson hypothesized that generativity, that is, care and concern directed towards the well-being of others, was the central psychosocial goal of development in midlife. However, research suggest that desires to be generative, that is to contribute to the well-being of others, are evident across the adult life course and remain high in old age. However, opportunities to be generative and to derive a sense of usefulness and value to others decrease as older adults shed many of the generative roles of midlife (e.g., direct parenting, mentoring and leading in the workplace). Thus, it may be difficult for older adults to maintain a sense of usefulness and the feeling of being generative. A loss of these feelings may have profound implications for the nature of the aging process. Our research indicates that older adults with low feelings of usefulness are more likely to have less favorable trajectories of physical functioning and are at greater risk of dying as they age into their 70s, 80s and beyond.
Fostering Generativity
Our research on the mental and physical health benefits of feeling generative suggest that society may be well-served by identifying ways to promote perceptions of generativity. Such efforts might not only benefit the well-being of older adults but also those they contribute to through generative activity. One way to promote feelings of generativity in life might be to engage older adults in roles that provide an opportunity to make meaningful contributions to others. The AARP Foundation Experience Corps Program is an intergenerational civic engagement program in which the time, wisdom and energy of older adults is used to promote academic and behavioral well-being in young children. Currently operating in 20 cities across the U.S., the program aims to engage older adults as tutors and mentors to help boost the academic performance of elementary schoolchildren. This research study, funded by the National Institute on Aging, is the largest randomized controlled trial (experiment) of a civic engagement intervention ever conducted. Dr. Gruenewald is part of a team of researchers at John Hopkins University and other universities across the U.S. who are exploring the psychological and social consequences of Experience Corps participation in older adult volunteers and the potential implications of such effects for older adults’ functioning and health. Our team was the first to conduct a large-scale randomized controlled trial (experiment) of the cognitive, physical, and psychosocial health and well-being benefits for older adults of participation in an intergenerational civic engagement intervention. See highlights of our trial findings on the AARP Foundation Experience Corps impact website.