McAdams, D. P., & Logan, R. L. (2004). What is generativity? In E. de St. Aubin, D. P. McAdams, & T.-C. Kim (Eds.), The generative society: Caring for future generations (pp. 15-31). Washington, DC, US: American Psychological Association.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/10622-002
Addresses generativity as a psychological construct--a construct that is situated in the psychology of individual lives. We present what we know in terms of 10 propositions about the psychology of generativity: 1) generativity is the concern for and commitment to the well-being of future generations; 2) generativity is a developmental challenge for the middle-adult years; 3) generativity may spring from desires that are both selfless and selfish; 4) generativity is shaped by culture; 5) the strength of generativity differs across individuals; 6) individual differences in generativity are related to quality of parenting; 7) individual differences in generativity predict a range of social involvements; 8) generativity promotes psychological well-being; 9) generativity is expressed in the stories people construct to make sense of their lives; and 10) the life stories of highly generative adults affirm the power of human redemption and renewal. This chapter, then, sketches a broad-brush portrait of our current understanding of generativity, drawing from a wide range of theoretical offerings and research programs. With the psychology of generativity as our background, we can then proceed to consider, as do many of the chapters that follow, the idea of generativity in society. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved)