ABSTRACT

A person’s identity is, to a large extent, defined by the nature and extent of his or her life experiences. Developmental psychologists and adult educators have recognized the centrality of life experiences to one’s being, as well as the role past experiences play in continued growth and learning. How well one deals with the transition and crises of adulthood, for example, is thought to be a function of how one has handled life events and problems in the past (Neugarten, 1973). Adult developmental psychologists while seeking to identify the commonalities of human experience at the same time recognize the uniqueness of each individual. It is somewhat ironic that the past experiences of older adults lead to both increased diversity and increased commonality. The older one grows, the greater the amount and variety of experiences one has accumulated. A group of 60-year-olds will be less alike than a group of 40-year-olds, and a group of 40-year-olds will be less alike than a group of teenagers. But while adults become more diverse in interests, personality, and life style as they age, those who live the longest are typically better educated, have higher incomes and better health (Troll, 1975). Thus survivor bias—those who continue to outlive their peers—becomes a basis for increasing commonality.