摘要：Originally formulated by Erik Erikson, generativity is today wide concept which involves creating and caring for children, material products, and ideas that will outlive the self, and that contribute to well-being and to maintaining the continuity of the society. One of the aims of this article was to bring in more clarity in various explanations of generativity by systematic review of the most influential theoretical approaches and models. The review begins with Erikson's description of generativity, and then Vaillant's approach. Further conceptualizations of generativity in terms of agency and communion orientations, and the newest models of generativity (Bradley, 1997; McAdams & de St. Aubin, 1992; Stewart & Vandewater, 1998) were also presented. The other aim of this article was to present different methodological approaches present in research on generativity. Cross-sectional, longitudinal and case studies of generativity were presented and compared. Finally, different methods and instruments used for examining the construct of generativity were described, with the special emphasis on their use in studies of Croatian subject samples. Guidelines for future research were also presented.
