In Levinson's theory, women experience the midlife crisis approximately how many years earlier than men?

• A. One year
• B. Five years
• C. Ten years
• D. The same time

Answer: (B)

Levinson treats the midlife period as a time when adults consciously re-evaluate their life structure, goals, and dreams and may make significant changes as they reassess what they want from the rest of life. In his pattern, men typically enter this transition around ages 40 to 45. Women, according to his observations, tend to experience this reevaluation about five years earlier, placing the onset in the mid-to-late 30s. So the pattern is a roughly five-year difference, with midlife reconsideration starting earlier for women. Remember, ages are approximate and vary by individual, but the general trend in his theory is five years earlier for women.