Middle age: some early returns-a commentary.

Four papers, differing in research design and using both longitudinal and cross-sectional data, came to a number of convergent conclusions: there was little evidence for a midlife crisis; stability was most prominent during the forty-to fifty-year decade; sex differences were striking, this period being most stressful for women; stable personality characteristics show interactions with role-stage expectations. Caveats as to generalizability of conclusions and lack of cohort comparison were stated. Certain theoretical issues were discussed related to the meaning of "middle age," developmental dynamics, and sources of stability and change.