56 Up Series: Lifespan Development in Middle Adulthood
This paper examines the psychological dimensions of lifespan development as depicted in the documentary 56 Up, the installment of Michael Apted's long-running series following British individuals from age seven to fifty-six. Drawing on concepts including nature versus nurture, Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs, Schaie's reintegrative stage, and Erikson's Generativity vs. Stagnation, the paper analyzes how genetic makeup and environmental influences have shaped the values, happiness, and life outcomes of the series' participants. Through close attention to individual subjects such as Neil, Simon, Sue, Paul, and Lynn, the paper demonstrates how psychological theory illuminates real patterns of adult development.
- Introduction: Overview of the Up Series and paper scope
- Nature vs. Nurture: Genetic and environmental influences on subjects' lives
- Values and Sources of Happiness: How experiences shape values and personal happiness
- Reintegrative Stage, Maslow's Hierarchy, and Generativity vs. Stagnation: Three psychological frameworks applied to age-56 subjects
- Conclusion: Nature, nurture, and unpredictable developmental outcomes
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What makes this paper effective
- Grounds abstract psychological theories in concrete, named examples from the documentary, making the analysis accessible and specific.
- Covers multiple theoretical frameworks — nature/nurture, Maslow, Schaie, and Erikson — without losing cohesion, linking each to observable behaviors in the subjects.
- Uses individual participants (Neil, Simon, Sue, Paul, Lynn) as recurring case studies, giving the argument continuity across sections.
Key academic technique demonstrated
The paper demonstrates applied theory analysis: the writer selects established developmental psychology frameworks and systematically tests them against real-world observational data (the documentary footage). Rather than simply describing the subjects, each paragraph connects a behavior or life outcome to a named theoretical concept, showing how theory explains evidence — a core skill in psychology writing.
Structure breakdown
The paper opens with a brief introduction to the Up Series and its relevance. It then dedicates a section to nature versus nurture as an overarching theme, illustrated with Simon and Sue. The third section focuses on values and happiness, using Paul and Lynn. The fourth and longest section layers three psychological frameworks — Schaie's reintegrative stage, Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs, and Erikson's Generativity vs. Stagnation — onto the same subjects. A short conclusion synthesizes the key takeaway about environmental and genetic influences on development.
Introduction
The Up Series documents the lifespan development of individuals from vastly different backgrounds, following them from age seven to fifty-six. Filming began in 1964 when seven-year-old children were selected from prep schools, primary schools, state schools, and private schools. These children spoke openly about their dreams, ambitions, and fears for the future (Damascus, 2016). The series has revisited these individuals every seven years, providing significant insight into human growth and development across the lifespan. This paper examines various aspects of the subjects' growth and development at age fifty-six, drawing on psychological concepts related to nature versus nurture, personal values, happiness, and key theoretical frameworks in developmental psychology.
Nature vs. Nurture
Nature versus nurture is one of the overarching themes in human development, enabling psychologists to draw conclusions about how individuals grow throughout their lives. The concept involves examining the influence of genetic makeup and the environment on an individual's development. At age seven, the subjects in this series held different dreams, ambitions, and fears. As they moved through successive stages of their lifespan, their growth and development was shaped by both their genetic material and their environment.
These dual influences are visible throughout the subjects' lives, and their circumstances at age fifty-six reflect both nature and nurture. Simon's development, for example, was strongly shaped by his environment. Growing up in a single-parent household, Simon went on to have several marriages and children — an outcome that reflects the lasting influence of his upbringing. His decision, together with his wife, to become foster parents to homeless adolescents also appears connected to his own childhood experiences. At the same time, nature is evident in Simon's resilience: despite losing his mother, going through a divorce at thirty-five, and having limited contact with some of his children, he has not experienced depression or serious mental health difficulties. He has maintained a positive outlook on life throughout his hardships. Similarly, Paul developed a positive perspective on life despite his parents' divorce during childhood and a period spent in foster care.
The influence of nature is further apparent in how various subjects have responded to adversity — some maintaining optimism despite hardship, while others have been more visibly affected. Nurture, meanwhile, shaped the subjects' decisions during adulthood in concrete ways. Sue, for instance, spent much of her middle years as a working single mother without a college education, yet rose to a senior administrative role at the University of London's School of Law at Queen Mary. Her determination grew from her life experiences, and she credits much of her formation to her grandmother — a clear illustration of how the environment shapes personal growth (Damascus, 2016).
Conclusion
The 56 Up series provides significant insights into human development during middle adulthood. As the film illustrates, lifespan development is shaped by a wide range of factors across the course of one's life. Nature and nurture together form the overarching framework for understanding these individuals' trajectories: their values, growth, and outcomes have been influenced by both their genetic makeup and the environments they inhabited. Some of the individuals' outcomes could not have been predicted when they were seven years old, precisely because of the powerful role the environment plays in shaping a person's development over time.
Boyd, D. R., Bee, H. L., & Johnson, P. A. (2017). Lifespan development (6th ed.). Toronto, Canada: Pearson Education.
Damascus, D. (2016, November 30). 56 Up 2012 [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qkHa1VzGb-8
McLeod, S. (2018). Erik Erikson's stages of psychosocial development. Retrieved March 30, 2019, from https://www.simplypsychology.org/Erik-Erikson.html
Wachs, T. D. (1999). The nature and nurture of child development. Food and Nutrition Bulletin, 20(1), 7–22.
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