Roger Gould

Internal Psychological Transformations in Adulthood

Roger L. Gould (1935-2007) was an American psychiatrist and psychoanalyst known for his distinctive model of adult development. Unlike some other stage theorists who focused heavily on social roles or external milestones, Gould’s work, particularly his influential 1978 book Transformations: Growth and Change in Adult Life, emphasized the internal psychological transformations that occur as adults gradually dismantle childhood illusions and confront deeper realities about themselves and the world.

Gould’s theory is rooted in his extensive clinical observations of his patients. He proposed that adult psychological growth is a continuous process of shedding the “false assumptions” or “childhood myths” that provide an illusion of safety during earlier life stages. These assumptions, deeply ingrained from childhood experiences, must be challenged and relinquished for genuine adult autonomy and maturity to emerge. This process involves a tension between the innate drive to grow and adapt, and the powerful need to preserve a sense of safety, even if it’s based on an illusion.

Gould charted a series of sequential, age-related stages, each characterized by the confrontation and resolution of specific false assumptions:

Leaving the Parents’ World (Ages 16-22): The illusion of always belonging to one’s parents and believing in their world must be challenged. Young adults begin to develop confidence in their own abilities and decision-making, moving away from parental authority.
Getting into the Adult World (Ages 22-28): The assumption that “doing things my parents’ way with willpower and perseverance will bring results” is confronted. Individuals realize that life isn’t always fair, that there isn’t one “right way,” and that parents cannot always rescue them from difficulties. They start to learn what truly “works” in the world for them.
Questioning and Reexamination (Ages 28-34): Individuals begin to question the long-held assumption that “life is simple and controllable” or that “there are no significant coexisting contradictory forces within me.” This period often involves confronting the difference between intellectual understanding and emotional reality, and recognizing that they may be more like their parents than they initially wanted to believe. This phase can involve re-evaluating choices made earlier in adulthood.
Midlife Decade (Ages 35-45): This is a critical stage where individuals confront the illusion of “no evil or death in the world” and that “the sinister has been destroyed.” Mortality becomes an emotional as well as an intellectual reality. This period is centered on vulnerability and requires coming to grips with limitations and the finite nature of life. It often involves re-evaluating career, marriage, and family based on pleasure in the task rather than the pursuit of an “ultimate prize.”
Reconciliation and Mellowing (Ages 43-50): The illusion of absolute safety and control continues to erode. Individuals begin to accept what they cannot change, find peace with their past, and reconcile with aspects of themselves and others.
Stability and Acceptance (Ages 50 and over): This final stage involves greater acceptance of one’s life, limitations, and the inevitability of aging and death. There is a focus on making satisfactory living arrangements and finding meaning in later life.

Gould believed that this process of psychological growth is essential for maturation. When individuals fail to adapt and cling to these childhood illusions, their growth can become arrested, leading to internal conflict and a constricted sense of self. His work emphasized the importance of confronting uncomfortable truths to achieve greater psychological freedom and a more authentic adult identity. Gould’s theories gained significant public attention when they were extensively referenced in Gail Sheehy’s best-selling book Passages (1976).