The challenge of eco-generativity. Embracing a positive mindset beyond eco-anxiety: a research agenda.

Climate change has emerged as a tough challenge affecting the world's society and economy in the twenty-first century. Furthermore, it has been determined that global warming and climate change have detrimental effects on human health both physical and psychological. In this framework, eco-anxiety has emerged as a new construct to assess the distress in relation to climate change and its effects. In the current article, after a study of the literature regarding both eco-anxiety and generativity related to environmental issues, in the search for a healthy response to eco-anxiety, we propose the construct of eco-generativity as a sustainable development-related concept for the health of planet earth and people in the present and in the future. Accordingly, we explore the definitions of generativity in relation to the ecological environment, examining the development of the concept in accordance with the most recent research. Subsequently, according to the lens of psychology of sustainability and sustainable development, we propose key elements of eco-generativity in terms of construct and measures. Finally, a research agenda for future research and intervention on eco-generativity is provided.

A Long Parents' Journey After Children's Coming Out: Obstacles, Relationships, Generativity, and Life Balance.

Parents' perspective on their child's coming out (CO) remains an under-researched area, especially the investigation of parents adapting to their role post-CO years. The study qualitatively explored parents' recollections of their children's CO, spanning over 15 years. The study involved 15 parents (9 mothers, 6 fathers) of 4 lesbian daughters (Mage = 20.7; SDage = 7.8) and 11 gay sons (Mage = 23.0; SDage = 6.2). A semi-structured interview was employed to probe parents' responses to their child's CO and the long-term evolution of their CO experiences (M = 20.1; SD = 4.8). A thematic analysis was conducted through the software ATLAS.ti. Four themes were observed: (1) risk and protective factors; (2) effects of CO on relationships; (3) parents' generativity; (4) life balance. Acceptance challenges included a lack of LGBQ+ awareness and difficulties in sharing the disclosure with extended family, particularly grandparents. Parents reported numerous strategies, some involving parental generativity, like LGBQ+ activism. Milestones like marriage and the arrival of grandchildren reinforced parents' protective role as they aged, with the child's LGBQ+ disclosure marking a transformative moment leading to a more authentic relationship.

"I want to lift my people up": Exploring the psychological correlates of racial themes within the life stories of midlife Black Americans.

OBJECTIVE: This study explores how middle-aged Black Americans talk about race, without prompting, while telling their life stories. METHOD: Drawing upon a dataset of lengthy Life Story Interviews (N = 70), we first employed a keyword search to identify race-relevant interview scenes for each participant. Next, we conducted a thematic analysis of these scenes to identify salient racial narrative themes. Finally, we coded race-relevant scenes to examine the psychological correlates of racial narrative themes. RESULTS: We identified 460 total racially themed Life Story Interview scenes, with the number of racially themed scenes ranging from 1 to 17 across participants' interviews. Racial narrative themes included Community of Care, Black Cultural Identity, Multiculturalism, Activism, Encounter with Racism, Systemic Racism, and Racial Reckoning. Quantitative analyses highlight a relationship between racial narrative themes and psychological measures of wisdom and generativity. CONCLUSION: This study offers insight into the ways that race manifests in the life stories of Black Americans and highlights the importance of considering race in the study of narrative identity, and personality, more broadly.

Generativity as a Traditional Way of Life: Successful aging among Unangan Elders in the Aleutian Pribilof Islands.

Predominantly Western-based biomedical models of successful aging have been used to research, understand, and explain successful aging among diverse populations. With an increasingly heterogeneous older adult population nationwide, scholars have been exploring Indigenous understandings of successful aging. To add to the accumulation of knowledge of diverse Alaska Native populations, this study involved semi-structured qualitative interviews with 20 Unangan Elders from the Aleutian and Pribilof Islands. This community-based participatory research study explores the aging experiences and conceptualization of successful aging of these Elders from this remote and culturally distinct region of Alaska. Thematic analysis was employed to identify themes related to successful aging within this specific region, which supported our previous four themes, or characteristics, of Alaska Native successful aging: physical health, social support and emotional well-being, generativity as a traditional way of life, and community engagement and Inidgenous cultural generativity. Each of these themes or characteristics of Eldership is intertwined and together support successful aging within two remote communities in the Bering Sea. The findings of this study illuminate how Alaska Native Elders can live in geographically diverse regions of the State, yet the values and teachings they possess on successful aging possess the same cultural values and teachings. This study highlighted two new emerging constructs that influence Alaska Native Elders' successful aging based on geographical location. Findings contribute to the thematic saturation of the four main successful aging domains while outlining the importance of future research to conduct deeper investigations into the role of environment and history on Elders' perceptions and understanding of aging.

Letters from Queer Elders: Transmitting Intergenerational Wisdom in LGBTQ+ Communities.

Intergenerational relationships have been established as a critical locus of psychosocial development, meeting needs of identity development for youth, generativity for elders, and connection and belonging for both. However, intergenerational relationships are both rare in the LGBTQ+ community and sorely needed as a buffer to the discrimination and harm that those within the community experience from systemic and structural oppression. Focusing on sexual identity, and employing a letter writing paradigm, we investigated the content of wisdom that LGB elders have to share with youth. In a descriptive, exploratory, mixed-methods, and pre-registered study, 94 adults ranging in age 50 to 79 years (M = 55.98; SD = 6.30) wrote letters to a fictional youth, Sam, as well as completed surveys of psychosocial development and well-being. Letters were content coded for themes, as well as for emotional tone and subjective perspective. The most common themes of wisdom shared included knowing and celebrating oneself, negotiating an oppressive society, and finding one's community. Those who wrote more emotionally positive letters scored higher on measures of wisdom and generativity, and lower on embitterment. Results are discussed in terms of the importance of cultivating opportunities for wisdom-sharing within LGBTQ+ communities to promote flourishing across the lifespan.

Psychoanalytic Contributions to Psychodynamic Psychiatry and Psychotherapy: Erik Erikson's Psychosocial Developmental Theory.

Erik Erikson gives us a comprehensive psychosocial schema encompassing the life cycle from birth to death. In elucidating key issues at each life stage-the epigenetic crises-he defines important parameters of development that distinguish between the normative and the pathologic. Individuals at any developmental stage can be evaluated with respect to these fundamental milestones.

The Design and Early Results of a Structured Longitudinal Training Program for Undergraduate Students to Increase Diversity in Aging-Research.

Background: The Cultivating Health and Aging Researchers by Integrating Science, Medicine, and Aging (CHARISMA) program at the University of Chicago (UC), is an NIA-funded longitudinal clinical research training program for undergraduate students from groups underrepresented in the sciences and medicine. CHARISMA students participate in an aging-focused: 1) realistic research career experience, 2) didactic curriculum, and 3) multi-tiered mentorship program. This manuscript describes CHARISMA and early quantitative data demonstrating its success. Methods: Students apply for and are accepted into CHARISMA in year-long intervals, with programming lasting from June to May. Short-term outcomes are measured using student surveys, including an adapted 23-question version of the critical research appraisal inventory (CRAI), the Geriatrics Attitude Scale for Primary Care Residents, and questions rating the overall program, mentor, importance of aging research, and career interests. Results: Twenty-two students have completed CHARISMA. After completing CHARISMA, student aggregate CRAI scores increased (6.8 to 7.5, p = 0.04). Additionally, the substantial majority of students completing CHARISMA were definitely, very or somewhat Additionally, 87% (19/22), 73% (16/22), and 82% (18/22) of students were definitely, very, or somewhat interested in pursuing a career in medicine that serves older adults, pursuing a career in clinical research, or pursuing a career focused on aging-related research. Conclusion: Early data demonstrates that CHARISMA increases undergraduate student knowledge of and interest in aging-related clinical research.

Basic or Adaptation: The Assessment and Heritability of a Brief Measure of Agency.

The interpersonal circumplex describes two major axes of personality that guide much of social behavior. Agency, one half of the interpersonal circumplex, refers to relatively stable behavioral patterns that center on self-focused dominance and assertiveness. Past empirical work on agency tends to treat the dimension as a characteristic adaptation, rather than a basic component of personality, in part due to the relatively large gender difference in agency with masculine individuals tending to behave more agentic. However, the psychometric overlap between agency and the most closely linked big five dimension, extraversion, is not well-established, and no behavior genetic work has documented evidence concerning the role of genetic and environmental influences. It is unclear whether agency is more similar to a personality trait, with no evidence of shared environmental influence and moderate heritability, or a characteristic adaptation, with some evidence for shared environmental influence and possibly lower heritability. We used the Midlife Development in the United States study to examine agency, big five, and generativity with replication and robustness check (Nnon-twins = 5,194; Ntwins = 1,914; NMilwaukee = 592). Results indicated that agency was higher in men (d = -.24), moderately heritable (44.4%), strongly correlated with extraversion (r = .51), moderately correlated with generativity (r = .36), and that approximately 40% of the variance in agency was shared with the big five. Agency also changed strongly with extraversion and openness, but less so generativity. Altogether, these results indicate that agency functions similar to other basic personality dimensions but is not clearly a dispositional trait.

Thwarted Belonging and Perceived Burdensomeness During Middle and Older Adulthood: The Role of Generativity.

Using a sample of middle-aged and older adults, this research explores associations between generativity and two key risk factors for suicide: thwarted belonging (T.B.) and perceived burdensomeness (P.B.). These variables are typically studied as predictors of suicide; the current study is unique in examining their psychosocial correlates. Erikson described, generativity as a psychosocial construct that characterizes adult well-being in mid-life, conceptualized as the sense one has successfully guided and contributed to the younger generation through mentoring. Using the Midlife in the United States Survey (MIDUS), the current analyses indicate that generativity is associated with lower levels of P.B. and T.B., even after accounting for measures of hopelessness, depressive symptoms, financial stability, perceived neighborhood quality, chronic health conditions, and respondent's demographic characteristics including gender and age. Results are discussed in terms of applications for suicide-risk prevention, and with regard to the promotion of positive psychosocial development across the lifespan.

Generativity in Later-Life: The Interplay Between Retirement Status and Human, Social, and Financial Capital.

Generativity has been increasingly recognized as an important component of healthy aging. Although the desire to be generative is influenced by societal and cultural expectations, the relative influence of its driving factors by retirement status, a significant life-course transition, is underexplored. This study examined how later-life generativity is driven by the interplay between retirement status and financial, human and social capital. An online survey targeting Hong Kong adults aged 45+ was conducted. Linear regression models were stratified by retirement status (working and retired) to examine the effects of financial (income, assets, and financial satisfaction), human (education and health-related measures), and social capitals (productive and social engagement) on generativity. Among those working, higher generativity was associated with financial, human, and social capitals that facilitated material provision. Among those retired, human and social capitals that supported the transmission of knowledge and experience were more important for generativity. For both groups, support from close social networks was the strongest predictor. Different cultural demands, dictated by retirement status, play a crucial role in determining how older adults feel like they can contribute to subsequent generations. These findings can inform policies and programs that seek to support healthy transitions into retirement.

Associations Between Generativity and Social Asymmetry Among Older Adults in Japan.

OBJECTIVES: Loneliness and social isolation are major public health concerns among older adults in Japan. Generativity, the concern for and commitment to future generations, may buffer older adults from loneliness. This study examined the cross-sectional and longitudinal associations between generativity and social asymmetry (the discrepancy between social isolation and loneliness) among older adults in Japan. METHODS: Data were from 2 waves (2008 and 2012) of the Midlife in Japan survey, a nationally representative longitudinal study of 645 adults aged 30-79 residing in the Tokyo metropolitan area. Generativity was measured using the 6-item Loyola Generativity Scale. Social asymmetry was computed as the residual score from regressing loneliness onto social isolation. RESULTS: Higher generativity levels were associated with lower social asymmetry scores (B=-0.21, SE=0.04), but generativity change across waves did not predict social asymmetry 4 years later (B=-0.04, SE=0.06). DISCUSSION: Generativity may play a protective role in buffering older adults from the adverse effects of social isolation on loneliness. Promoting generativity among older adults may be a potential intervention strategy to reduce loneliness and improve well-being in aging populations in Japan.

Does Perceived Generativity Mediate the Association Between Optimism and Cognitive Function Over Time? Findings from Midlife in the United States Study.

Cognitive function is a vital component of healthy aging. However, whether a persistently high optimism benefits late-life cognitive function is debatable. The current study examined associations between high optimism status, perceived generativity, and cognitive functions across adulthood. Data were from waves 2 and 3 (2004-14) of the Midlife in the United States study. We used structural equation modeling to examine whether participants' (N = 2,205; Mage = 65 ± 11) persistent high optimism predicts better cognitive functions over time, compared to high optimism at only one time-point or not at all while controlling for covariates; we also examined whether individuals' perceived generativity mediates the above association. The findings revealed that persistent high optimism was significantly associated with better episodic memory and executive function. Further, perceived generativity positively mediated the association between persistent high optimism and episodic memory. Future research should examine mechanisms for potential aspects of high optimism and perceived generativity on late-life cognitive performances.

Mismatch Between Older Persons' Generative Concern and Internalized Generative Capacities: Leveraging on Generative Ambivalence to Enhance Intergenerational Cohesion.

Studies have shown how generativity, the concern for establishing and guiding the next generation and safeguarding its wellbeing, functions as an intergenerational conduit, bridging the developmental stages of older individuals with those younger. Yet, applications of generativity, as a means to bridge generational gaps within rapid social change, remain underexplored in the intergenerational field. Using Singapore as a case study, and through focus group discussions with 103 older persons, this paper examines how older Singaporeans express their generative concern and internalize their generative capacities across different social settings and rapid socioeconomic transformation. Mismatch between older Singaporeans' generative concern and capacity contributes to ambivalence - mixed feelings about guiding younger generations - which emerges out of older Singaporeans' struggles with cultural change prompted by economic progress, as well as concerns about their place and value in a technologically advanced global city-state. The concept of generative ambivalence can add value to policy perspectives on intergenerational cohesion, as it considers people's attempts to forge commonalities and mutual reciprocity despite differences (e.g. gender, age, race, skills), as well as highlights intergenerational complexities beyond superficial binaries. Policies aimed at bringing generations together must be intentional in creating opportunity structures that go beyond categorical differences, where multiple generations can thrive interdependently.

Identity and Community: Erikson Reconsidered.

In this paper, I present a new reading of Erik Erikson's theory of epigenetic stages of development, with particular attention to the concept of identity. I show that Erikson's psychosocial approach requires close attention to the role of the community in the formation of individual identity and to the importance of the stage of generativity as an often overlooked component in understanding both identity and the whole Eriksonian life cycle.

Civic Activities and Mental Health in Later Life: The Moderating Role of Generative Concerns.

This study examined the moderating mechanisms of generative concerns (perception of making contributions to others) between generative civic activities and mental health among middle-aged and older adults. A total of 1,109 community-dwelling adults aged over 45 were recruited through an online survey. Generative civic activities (political participation and volunteering), generative concerns (the Loyola Generativity Scale), and two outcomes of mental health (depressive symptoms and mental wellbeing) were measured. Linear regression models and simple slope analyses were used to probe the moderating effects of generative concerns, stratified by age (45-64 years and 65+). Generative activities, but not concerns, were associated with lower depressive symptoms among middle-aged and older adults. Generative concerns and activities were related to better mental wellbeing among middle-aged adults. Generative concerns moderated the associations between civic activities and depressive symptoms. Those with higher generative concerns but lower civic activities had higher depression scores. Conversely, a stronger reduction in depressive symptoms by engaging in civic activities was found only when individuals had greater concerns. No moderating effect was found on mental wellbeing. The positive effect of civic engagement on reducing depressive symptoms depends on generative concerns, particularly among older people and those with greater concerns. Bridging the gap between perceived generative concerns and actual civic actions may improve later-life mental health.

The Eco-Generativity Scale (EGS): A New Resource to Protect the Environment and Promote Health.

(1) Background: Environmental issues are among society's most pressing concerns as they can significantly impact the environment and human health. The Eco Generativity Scale (EGS), a 28-item four-factor scale has been introduced to promote a constructive outlook on the matter. It encompasses two types of generativity, namely ecological and social generativity, as well as environmental identity and agency/pathways. The aim of the current study was to examine the EGS's psychometric properties among 375 Italian university students. (2) Methods: To evaluate the scale's factor structure, both exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses were conducted. Internal consistency was evaluated via Cronbach's alphas and McDonald's omega. Concurrent validity was analyzed with the Positive and Negative Affect Scale (PANAS), Satisfaction with life Scale (SWLS), Meaningful Life Measure (MLM), and Flourishing Scale (FS). (3) Results: The exploratory factor analysis showed the best fit for a four-factor solution. Confirmatory factor analysis revealed that a four-factor higher-order model provided the best fit to the data with good internal consistency. Furthermore, each factor and the total score showed a good concurrent validity with the PANAS, SWLS, MLM, and FS. (4) Conclusions: The Eco-Generativity Scale (EGS) showed good psychometric properties for its use in research and intervention as a promising tool to measure eco-generativity.

The Impact of Generativity on Maintaining Higher-Level Functional Capacity of Older Adults: A Longitudinal Study in Japan.

Generativity is defined as an individual's concern for and actions dedicated toward the well-being of others, especially youth and subsequent generations. It is a key stage of psychological development from midlife to older age and can be a guiding concept for promoting engagement of older adults in productive and contributive activities, which benefit their well-being. This study examined the longitudinal association between generativity and higher-level functional capacity (HLFC) decline in older Japanese adults. The two-year longitudinal data of 879 older adults aged 65-84 years were analyzed. Participants' HLFC and generativity were assessed using the Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Gerontology Index of Competence and the Revised Japanese version of the Generativity Scale, respectively. The binary logistic regression analysis results showed that a higher generativity score was negatively associated with HLFC decline, indicating that generativity effectively prevents HLFC decline over 2 years. On adding the interaction term between generativity and sex to examine whether the protective effect of generativity differed by sex, we found that generativity was especially effective in protecting the HLFC decline in men with higher generativity. The study results highlight the importance of promoting engagement of older adults in generative activities to maintain their HLFC.

Generatividad y autocuidado en personas mayores en diálisis / Generativity and self-care in older adults on dialysis

Introducción: La cantidad de personas mayores en trata-miento crónico de diálisis, ya sea en hemodiálisis o diálisis peritoneal está aumentando considerablemente. Vincular el estudio de la generatividad y autocuidado con el envejeci-miento en diálisis propicia una mirada positiva sobre la vejez y la vivencia de la cronicidad en diálisis. Este abordaje ayuda no sólo a promover y facilitar específicamente el autocuidado de las personas mayores en diálisis, sino que visibiliza el impacto positivo que tiene en la sociedad la actitud generativa de las personas mayores.Objetivos: Describir la vivencia del autocuidado en la cronici-dad en personas mayores en diálisis. Explorar cómo la gene-ratividad puede influir y dar sentido a la experiencia de vivir con diálisis.Material y Método: Investigación narrativa-biográfica que utiliza el registro de Historias de Vida de las personas inves-tigadas.Resultados: En las Historias de Vida de las personas mayo-res, la generatividad ha sido practicada en el pasado: cuidado de hijos, de familiares enfermos, estando implicados cívica-mente en el cambio político y social y desean preservar ese pasado como un legado generativo. Pero también se expresa en el presente por su voluntad y determinación para el pro-pio autocuidado. La actitud generativa durante esta etapa de vivir con diálisis está enfocada de una forma directa hacia su propio autocuidado. Conclusiones: El autocuidado personal se convierte en un acto generativo que hace que las personas mayores en diáli-sis afronten las diferentes pérdidas experimentadas durante la vivencia de la cronicidad en diálisis con un sentimiento de autonomía.(AU)

Introduction: The number of older adults undergoing chronic dialysis treatment, either hemodialysis or peritoneal dialysis, is increasing considerably. Linking the study of generativity and self-care with aging in dialysis promotes a positive outlook on old age and the experience of living with chronic illness on dialysis. This approach not only helps to promote and facilitate specific self-care practices among older adults on dialysis but also highlights the positive impact that the generative attitude of older individuals has on society.Objectives: To describe the experience of self-care in chronic illness among older adults on dialysis. To explore how generativity can influence and give meaning to the experience of living with dialysis. Materials and Method: Narrative-biographical research utilizing the Life Stories of the individuals under investigation.Results:In the Life Stories of older adults, generativity has been practiced in the past through caring for children, and sick relatives, and civic involvement in political and social change, and they wish to preserve that past as a generative legacy. However, it is also expressed in the present through their will and determination for self-care. The generative attitude during this stage of living with dialysis is directly focused on their self-care.Conclusions:Personal self-care becomes a generative act that enables older adults on dialysis to confront the various losses experienced during the journey of chronic illness on dialysis with a sense of autonomy.(AU)

Process and Time.

In regards to the nature of time, it has become commonplace to hear physicists state that time does not exist and that the perception of time passing and of events occurring in time is an illusion. In this paper, I argue that physics is actually agnostic on the question of the nature of time. The standard arguments against its existence all suffer from implicit biases and hidden assumptions, rendering many of them circular in nature. An alternative viewpoint to that of Newtonian materialism is the process view of Whitehead. I will show that the process perspective supports the reality of becoming, of happening, and of change. At the fundamental level, time is an expression of the action of process generating the elements of reality. Metrical space-time is an emergent aspect of relations between process-generated entities. Such a view is compatible with existing physics. The situation of time in physics is reminiscent of that of the continuum hypothesis in mathematical logic. It may be an independent assumption, not provable within physics proper (though it may someday be amenable to experimental exploration).

Generative cultural learning in children and adults: the role of compositionality and generativity in cultural evolution.

Are human cultures distinctively cumulative because they are uniquely compositional? We addressed this question using a summative learning paradigm where participants saw different models build different tower elements, consisting of discrete actions and objects: stacking cubes (tower base) and linking squares (tower apex). These elements could be combined to form a tower that was optimal in terms of height and structural soundness. In addition to measuring copying fidelity, we explored whether children and adults (i) extended the knowledge demonstrated to additional tower elements and (ii) productively combined them. Results showed that children and adults copied observed demonstrations and applied them to novel exemplars. However, only adults in the imitation condition combined the two newly derived base and apex, relative to adults in a control group. Nonetheless, there were remarkable similarities between children's and adults' performance across measures. Composite measures capturing errors and overall generativity in children's and adults' performance produced few population by condition interactions. Results suggest that early in development, humans possess a suite of cognitive skills-compositionality and generativity-that transforms phylogenetically widespread social learning competencies into something that may be unique to our species, cultural learning; allowing human cultures to evolve towards greater complexity.