Abstract:

At present, according to the changing socio-economic realities of the world, and, in particular, due to increase in the duration of professional life, the problem of predictors of professional development at a later age becomes more and more important. This topic covers factors that not only allow a person to compensate for negative age changes, but also act as a potential for further development. The key factors here are the professional and personal activity of a person.

Therefore, the present paper is focused on the theoretical analysis of the problems of activity in psychology and accumulates the modern research, where activity is considered in close connection with the specifics of the late age.

Speaking about the study of activity at a late age, the presence of two trends in current research should be noted. On the one hand, many scientists emphasize that activity at a later age is aimed at preserving what is already there: a certain level of development of higher mental functions, knowledge, abilities, skills, competencies, and to compensate for negative age-related changes. Thus, high professional activity contributes to the preservation of verbal, mnemonic and mental functions until old age, especially those that acted as the leading factor in activity. This is achieved due to the fact that the activity ensures the involvement of these functions right in the activity itself, and also takes a direct part in the formation of the best ways to overcome changes in the work of the HMF, change of life strategies.

On the other hand, according to the works of various authors, activity is one of the most important factors in human development in old age. Professional and personal activity can be transformative in nature, acting as a factor in increasing a person’s potential: its vitality, vitality, contribute to the progressive development of intelligence at a young age, finding new meanings and goals of professional activity and life in general, increasing the level of self-regulation and self-awareness.

Also, relying upon the concepts of a number of authors, we identified groups of factors that directly affect the severity of activity during late maturity. These factors include:
a) the success of the crisis of revaluation of values ​​and the crisis of professional extinction (satisfaction with one’s life, ego integration),
b) focus of activity on the present and future,
c) intrapersonal factors: developed need-motivational sphere, criticality, sustainable self-esteem,
d) social environment: the encouragement by society of activity at a late age and the creation of conditions for its application.

An analysis of scientific data on the problems of activity at a later age shows the relevance of studying this topic and at the same time demonstrates a very small number of empirical studies in this area. Obviously, the study of the specificity, structure and dynamics of activity in late maturity would serve as the basis for the development of effective technologies to increase human activity at a later age, which would allow for a long time to maintain a high level of quality of life, to carry out professional activities productively, continue to develop and find new ones opportunities for the realization of their abilities.

Keywords:

Personal activity, professional activity, “third age”, professional development.