Exam 4 Lifespan Development

Early Adulthood is ages

18-40

Emerging adulthood is ages

18-25

Emerging adulthood is characterized by

Instability, identity exploration, sense of being in-between, and a sense of optimism

Senescence

A pattern of gradual age-related declines in physical functioning (begins at age 30)

80% of skin damage is caused by

The sun

Burst activities peak in

20s

In early 30s ____ and ____ _____peaks

Endurance, Muscle development

Fertility for females

Change in quality of ova, chromosomal abnormalities occur as eggs age, irregular ovulation

Males retain reproductive capacity

Into older adulthood, number and quality of sperm decline

Models of disability

Medical and Social

Medical model of disability

Views disability as a physical condition that is problematic for the individual affected

Social model of disability

Views disability as a natural variation in the human experience

Post-formal reasoning

Integrates abstract reasoning with practical considerations; recognizing that most problems have multiple causes and solutions, some which are better than others

Dualistic thinking

Things are right or wrong there is no in-between

Relativistic thinking

Most knowledge is viewed as relative, dependent on the situation and the thinker

Pragmatic thought

Ability to use reflective judgement in real-world context (shift from idealistic to more practical realistic thinking in adulthood)

Cognitive-Affective Complexity

The capacity to integrate emotions and cognition in decision making and perspective-taking

Cognitive-Affective Complexity allows

people to have and consider contradictory perspectives at the same tiem

Success in college is influenced by

student involvement on campus

Non-traditional college students

Often share common characteristics (eg. older age, financial independence, have dependents, attend part-time or online, veterans)

Erickson’s major psychosocial task of early adulthood

Intimacy vs. Isolation

Intimacy vs Isolation

Developing capacity for intimacy; making a permanent commitment with a romantic partner

Those still in moratorium (exploring their identity) may be less likely to form

Intimate relationships

The social clock

The expected timing of age-graded normative events

Close friendships are based on

Reciprocity and closeness/support

Young adults chose friends that are

Similar to them

Women tend to have more intimate and long lasting ____ than men

Friendships

Men prefer

Younger mates

Women tend to look for

Earning potential, intelligence, height, moral character, men slightly older

Childlessness

About 16.5% of women ages 40-44 do not have children

Childfree adults are most likely to be

Less religious, more assertive, and self-reliant

Middle adulthood

Ages 40-65

Skin aging

Loss of hypodermis loosening attachments between dermis

Most adults develop

Presbyopia

Presbyopia

Farsightedness/inability to focus lens on close objects

Presbycusis

Age-related hearing loss caused by cell death

Prebycusis becomes apparent

In the 50s, trouble with background noise

Menopause

No more mentration begins around age 51

Perimenopause

Transition to menopause, extending ± 3 years before or after menopause

Perimenopause symptoms

Shorter erratic menstrual cycle, unpredictable ovulation, hot flashes

Men’s reproductive ability

gradually declines around age 30

Crystallized intelligence

Accumulation of facts and knowledge (memory for spelling, dates in history, etc)

Fluid Intelligence

Person’s capacity to make connections among ideas and draw inferences

Memory decline begins with

A decline in working memory

Expertise

Elaborate and integrated knowledge base that underlies extraordinary proficiency in a given task

Expert’s responses become

Automatic and intuitive, inherent ability and extensive knowledge

Erikson’s stage for middle adulthood

generativity us. Stagnation

Erikson’s task for middle adulthood

Adults must cultivate a sense of generativity / a concern for sense of responsibility for future generations and society as a whole

Midlife crisis

Stressful time in early to Middle 40s

Percent of people that experience a midlife crisis

10-20%

Men are more likely to experience a ____ than women

Midlife crisis

Men with Psychological problems, illness, and/or stressful life events are most likely to experience

Midlife crisis

Subjective age

How old one feels (Adults begin adopting younger subjective ages after age 30)

Personality traits are

Highly stable over time

Conscientiousness and agreeableness

Increase during midlife

Sandwich generation

Middle-aged adults with both dependent children and aging parental

figures