Final answer:
During middle adulthood, adapting to life changes primarily involves the adaptive functioning of d. regulation of loss. It is a period focused on maintaining skills, health, and minimizing the impact of aging, while engaging in generativity to avoid stagnation.
Step-by-step explanation:
Adapting to life changes during middle adulthood primarily involves the kind of adaptive functioning known as regulation of loss. This is the period in an individual's life, ranging from the 40s to mid-60s, where the focus is often on maintaining and sustaining one's established lifestyle, skills, and health. Unlike earlier stages that might center on growth and development, middle adulthood is typically about adapting to changes in a way that minimizes loss and maximizes the quality of life.
During this stage, people face the social task of generativity versus stagnation, a concept introduced by psychologist Erik Erikson. Generativity is the process of contributing to the development of subsequent generations, which can include parenting, mentoring, volunteering, or other forms of community involvement. Those who struggle to find ways to contribute may experience stagnation and a sense of disconnect from societal or communal progress.
In the biological sense, despite the onset of physical decline, cognitive decline typically does not begin until later. The human body's processes, which include organization, metabolism, responsiveness, movement, and growth, operate continuously to maintain and sustain life. These processes become regulated more to offset potential losses during middle adulthood.