Ego Integrity vs. Despair: 60 to end of life; what does it involve?

Ego Integrity vs. Despair: 60 to end of life; what does it involve?

• A. Beginning to examine the course of life and reflect on kind of person they've been
• B. Learning to walk
• C. Forming new relationships
• D. Building wealth

Answer: (A)

In late adulthood, the main task is to review one’s life and integrate experiences, assessing the person they have become to form a sense of meaning. This life review leads to ego integrity if the reflection brings a sense of wholeness and satisfaction, or to despair if there are unresolved regrets. The description of examining the course of life and reflecting on the kind of person they've been captures this process of looking back and making peace with the life lived. The other options don’t fit this stage: learning to walk is infancy, forming new relationships can occur at various times but isn’t the central late-life task, and building wealth isn’t what this stage focuses on.

In late adulthood, the main task is to review one’s life and integrate experiences, assessing the person they have become to form a sense of meaning. This life review leads to ego integrity if the reflection brings a sense of wholeness and satisfaction, or to despair if there are unresolved regrets. The description of examining the course of life and reflecting on the kind of person they've been captures this process of looking back and making peace with the life lived. The other options don’t fit this stage: learning to walk is infancy, forming new relationships can occur at various times but isn’t the central late-life task, and building wealth isn’t what this stage focuses on.