PY243 Exam 4

Characteristics of Emerging adulthood: The culmination of identity exploration

Resolving identity crisis (Erickson), but we have all of our 20’s to do this

Characteristics of Emerging adulthood: Life “instability” is common

New relationships, jobs, etc.

Characteristics of Emerging adulthood: Focus on the development of the “self”

Concerned with yourself, establishing your career and life

Characteristics of Emerging adulthood: Feeling “in-between” life stages

Not feeling like a true adult due to many of the personal decisions that you make (ie. full-time job, insurance, renting a car, etc.)

Characteristics of Emerging adulthood: Life “possibilities” are present

People in their 20s are positive about their future

Physical Peak

Your body has fully matured and developed as much as it will; stay at this stage

Primary aging

built into our genes; cannot be reversed

Secondary aging

aging that occurs because of health habits

Organ Reserve

The extra internal organ capacity one has to engage in physical activity; as this is depleted you can do less and less exercise

Why don’t people in their mid-20s and early 30s don’t feel like they are aging?

Because they are still able to exert themselves ; aging is very gradual

Adults who slow down secondary aging have 5 health habits they engage in (Major Health Habits)

1. Proper Nutrition - Healthy Diet
2. Maintain a Healthy Weight
3. Daily Exercise
4. Don’t Smoke
5. Moderate Alcohol Consumption

Potential Problems: Drug Use

Peaks in 20s, eases by 30s

Why? People have a job, and they may have kids

Potential Problems: Eating Disorders

Typically for women; peak during early adulthood (1 in 20 females)

Potential Problems: Violent Death

Typically for men; peak in early adulthood (1 in 100 male deaths)

Postformal Thought

Knowledge is applied

Knowledge is relative

Knowledge must integrate contradictions

Componential intelligence (analytical ability)

Ability to break things don and look at different components of things

Analyzing things (ex. Analyzing math, critiquing two things, comparing two things)

Experimental Intelligence (creative ability)

Coming up with new ideas

Contextual Intelligence (practical ability)

Ability to take the information you know and apply it in real-world settings

Gardner’s multiple Intelligence model: Verbal-linguistic intelligence

word smart; good at speaking and presenting

Gardner’s multiple Intelligence model: Logical-mathematical intelligence

Logic smart; being able to think logically and do math

Gardner’s multiple Intelligence model: Naturalistic intelligence

Nature Smart

Gardner’s multiple Intelligence model: Intrapersonal intelligence

self smart; good at understanding oneself and their experiences

Gardner’s multiple Intelligence model: Interpersonal intelligence

People smart; good at understanding and interacting with other people

Gardner’s multiple Intelligence model: Visual-spatial intelligence

Picture smart; understand spatial relationships

Gardner’s multiple Intelligence model: Musical intelligence

Music smart; understand music, can make music

Gardner’s multiple Intelligence model: Bodily-kinesthetic intelligence

body smart; to use one’s body in very sophisticated ways

Goleman’s emotional intelligence: Self Awareness

being aware of the emotions one has; recognizing when one is experiencing different emotions

Goleman’s emotional intelligence: Self Management

being able to manage one’s emotions

Goleman’s emotional intelligence: Social Awareness

being able to understand social situations

Goleman’s emotional intelligence: Social Skills

managing relationships; being able to find common ground and build rapport

Emotional intelligence is a balance between the (blank) and (blank) brain

rational and emotional

Sternberg’s Love Model: Liking

Intimacy alone

Sternberg’s Love Model: Companionate Love

Intimacy & Commitment

Sternberg’s Love Model: Empty love

Commitment alone

Sternberg’s Love Model: Fatuous Love

Passion & Commitment

Sternberg’s Love Model: Infatuation

Passion alone

Sternberg’s Love Model: Romantic Love

Intimacy & Passion

Sternberg’s Love Model: Consummate

Intimacy & Passion & Commitment

Benefits/predictors of successful marriages

Healthier lifestyle

Longer life

More satisfying sexual relationships

Increased wealth & economic assets

Better child-rearing environment

Gender Differences in Adult Friendships: Men

activities & interests are focus; relationships are more practical

Gender Differences in Adult Friendships: Women

thoughts & emotions are focus; relationships are more social

Gender differences in adult friendships: Love relationships

Marriage/cohabitation

Physical Changes in Middle Adulthood: Body Shape

The body starts to shrink 

Skin loses elasticity, hair dulls

Physical Changes in Middle Adulthood: Height (blanks) Weight (blanks)

Declines, Increases

Physical Changes in Middle Adulthood: Vision, hearing, smell & taste

Vision typically declines first

Physical Changes in Middle Adulthood: Increase risk of health concerns

Hypertension, obesity, insulin resistance

Physical Changes in Middle Adulthood: Breathing

Lung capacity declines

Sexual Changes: Climacteric

both men and women; decline in sexual interest and activity

Sexual Changes: Menopause

exclusively for women; stopping of the menstrual cycle

Menopause Characteristics

* Avg. age of onset- 51 (45-55)
* Drop in production of estrogen
* Some women may experience discomfort
* “Hot flashes” & “cold sweats”
* Vaginal dryness, burning, itching
* Vaginal/ urinary infections
* Urinary dysfunction


* Many misconceptions regarding this change

Menopause Treatment

**Estrogen replacement therapy**

Benefits of Estrogen Replacement Therapy

Relief from physical symptoms

Reduces risk of osteoporosis (thinning of the bones)

Reduced risk of heart disease (early studies)

Risks of Estrogen Replacement therapy

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INCREASED risk of heart disease

Increased risk of breast cancer, stroke

Symptoms similar to premenstrual ones

Increasing important of health habits

Increasing importance with age

* Proper nutrition
* Healthy weight
* Daily Exercise
* Not smoking
* Moderate alcohol age

Changes in Cognitive Function

Early cross-sectional studies showed an intellectual decline across the lifespan

Does intelligence decline with age?

→ It depends on how you define intelligence.

Crystallized Intelligence

stuff, the knowledge that one knows (ex. scrabble)

Fluid intelligence

how quickly and well one thinks; the speed of processing (ex. Boggle; difficulty learning a new language

Multiple intelligence

determining factor is things you don’t do anymore (will decline) and things you continue to do (won’t decline)

Practical Intelligence

Practical (applied) intelligence increases

Creative intelligence increases in the specific area that one works

Expert Knowledge

After working in an area for so long

Better problem-solving strategies

More creativity & flexibility

Expertise

accumulated experience

Automatic Processing of Information

Applying them in more sophisticated ways

Top-down Analysis

Can see the whole problem all at once in break it down from the top down

Bottom-up analysis

Can break down the problem into smaller sections

Emotional Intelligence

The ability to understand and manage your own emotions, as well as recognize and influence the emotions of those around you

Exploration stage: Exploration

Investigate potential careers

Exploration Stage: Crystallization

identify talents/skills

Work Personality Model

John Holland - if you have a job that fit your personality you will enjoy your job more

Work Personality Model: Realistic

people that work with their hands; being able to point at something and say “i did that” (ex. Construction workers, farmers)

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Work Personality Model: Investigative

Think about things and work with ideas (ex. Scientists, Teachers)

Work Personality Model: Artistic

Creative jobs, creating new things (ex. Artists, theater, musicians)

Work Personality Model: Social

working with/ helping people (ex. Teachers, counselors, salespeople)

Work Personality Model: Enterprising

working for power and money; people that like to get things (ex. Politics, entrepreneurs, bankers)

Work Personality Model: Conventional

like to organize the world (ex. Accountant, personal assistants, managers)

Choice Stage: Choice

Select potential career

Choice Stage: Clarification

assess “fit” of choice

Choice Stage: Induction

entry into career

Integration Stage: Reformation

Alter self & career role

Integration Stage: Integration

until of self and career

Models of Personality Development: Middle Adulthood; Traits

**Costa & McRae:** trait consistency (big 5)

Models of Personality Development: Middle Adulthood; Normative-crisis

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**Erikson:** “generativity vs. stagnation”

* Generativity- what you do is stop paying attention to your own personal development and start caring/ focusing on others
* Stagnation- stop developing

**Levinson:** mid-life transition

* Self-reflection; trying to figure out if the structures one has built in their life are what that want

**Models of Personality Development: Middle Adulthood; Timing-of-events**

**Neugarten:** interiority

* __*Interiority-*__ Looking at what was happening to oneself and thinking about one’s own life and what is happening to oneself; (Similar to self-reflection for Levinson)

Inferiority

looking at what was happening to oneself and thinking about one’s own life and what is happening to oneself

Mid-life marriage benefits

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Healthier lifestyle

Longer life

More satisfying sexual relationship

Increased wealth/economic assets

Better child-rearing environment

Marital Capital

A spouse’s ability to spend time and/or buy things primarily for that spouse’s benefit

Family Life-Cycle Model

The emotional and intellectual stages you pass through from childhood to your retirement years as a member of a family are called the family life cycle. In each stage, you face challenges in your family life that allow you to build or gain new skills.

The Sandwich Generation

People in midlife caring for children of their own as well as providing care for their aging parents

Being “Generative”

Stop thinking about yourself and care/think about the older generation or younger generation

Life Expectancy

Approx. 77 year

Theories of aging: Genetic Theory

Evolutionary - natural selection “aging is just a natural part of the evolutionary process”

Cellular Theories: Cellular Clock

division of cells limited (once your cells stop replicating, aging will look different)

Cellular Theories: Free Radical

Oxygen damages cells (why people believe antioxidants will slow aging)

Cellular Theories: Mitochondrial

Loss of micronutrients (when we lose micronutrients our cells stop working as well)

Variable: Rate Theories

Hormonal stress brought on by the aging process and is impacted by how well one takes care of themselves

Hormonal stress

Rate of living, autoimmune

Neurological Change

Cortex tissue loss

Sensory Change: VIsion

cataracts, muscular degeneration (part of your retina separates from the back of your eye; loss of vision in certain areas of one's visual field)

Sensory Changes: Hearing

Noticeable loss in 50% of 85+

Sensory Changes: Taste & Smell

noticeable decline

Sensory Change: Strength, Endurance, Balance, Reaction Time

Very noticeable decline