Which Levinson stage corresponds to ages 45-50, described as entering middle adulthood?

• A. Entering middle adulthood
• B. Early adulthood
• C. Settling down
• D. Late adulthood

Answer: (A)

Levinson’s stages view adulthood as a sequence of periods defined by age ranges and life-structure changes. Around ages 45–50, the phase is labeled entering middle adulthood, which marks the transition into the middle‑age period. This is when people begin to reorganize their roles and priorities—career, family, and personal goals—as they move from young adulthood into a more established middle life. The label itself fits the described stage, signaling the shift into middle adulthood.

Other stage names refer to different times: early adulthood covers younger years when one is just entering adult life, settling down is typically earlier in the 30s as people establish career and family, and late adulthood is much later in life.