Psych 241 Exam 5 WVU

Early Middle Adulthood

40-55 years

Late Middle Adulthood

55-65

Chronological Definitions

Young-old: Ages 65-75

Old-Old: Ages 75-84

Oldest-Old: Ages 85+

Functional Age

Successful vs impaired aging

Subjective age

How old a person feels

Successful Aging

Demonstrating high levels of physical, social, and psychological well-being in advanced age

Centenarians

Individuals aged 100 years and older

Longevity

How long you actually live past the average

Life span

The longest that a human being can live - 122 years

Life Expectancy

How long a person is expected to live based on contextual factors

Vision in Middle Adulthood

The ability to see in dim light declines

Night vision is reduced

Color discrimination becomes limited

Presbyopia

Farsightedness - The cornea flattens, the lens loses flexibility, the muscle that permits the lens to change shape weakens, reading glasses are often needed

Vision in Late Adulthood

Visual acuity, color vision, and depth perception decline

Cataracts:

A clouding of the lens of the eye resulting in blurred, foggy vision

Muscular Degeneration

A substantial loss of cells in center area of the retina (the macula), causing blurring and eventual loss of central vision

Hearing in Middle Adulthood

Hearing loss becomes apparent in the 50’s

Background noise interferes with hearing

Presbycusis

“Old hearing” the loss is first limited to high-pitched sounds

Hearing in Late Adulthood

Hearing loss extends to all sound frequencies

Role of contextual factors in hearing loss

Compensation tactics

Hearing aids underused

Smell and Taste - Only in late adulthood

Declines in smell and taste

Dry mouth is common

Food perceived as bland

At risk for using too much salt

Factors related to changes in smell and taste

Cardiovascular disease

Physical Changes in middle adulthood

Skin becomes less taut

Loss of elasticity

Physical changes in late adulthood

Skin becomes thinner - loss of fat layer

Blood vessels visible

Feeling cold

Sun exposure quickens aging of skin

Smoking

Strength and muscles in middle adulthood

Declines in muscle mass in 40’s

Endurance decreases

Metabolism decreases

Sarcopenia

Age related loss of muscle mass

Strength and muscle in late adulthood

Changes in fat distribution

Further sarcopenia

Osteoporosis

Become less dense and more fragile with age, increasing risk of fractures

About half of U.S adults are affected by osteoporosis or low bone mass

Affects both men and women

Bones in Middle Adulthood

Bone density peaks in mid 30’s

Bone loss increases in 50’s (women especially)

25% loss of bone mass for women - related to menopause

Bones in late adulthood

50% loss of bone mass for women

Height decreases as disks in spinal column collapse

At risk for breaking bones

Risk factors for osteoporosis

Gender - women at greater risk

At least 15 genes contribute to osteoporosis susceptibility

Lifestyle - Sedentary lifestyle, calcium deficiency, cigarette smoking, heavy alcohol consumption

Menopause:

When a woman permanently stops ovulating and menstruating

Average age: 51 years

Perimenopause

Transition to menopause that happens 3 years before

Common symptoms of menopause

Hot flashes, irregular cycles, sexual functioning

HRT

Hormone replacement therapyused to relieve menopause symptoms by supplying estrogen and progesterone.

Male sexuality

Male reproductive ability declines gradually

Mens bodies produce less testosterone and they become less fertile gradually

Men can father children into their 80’s

Testosterone Deficiency

Occurs in about 6%-10% of men

Cancer

Leading cause of death in middle adulthood

Skin cancer is most common but not leading to death

15% of middle-aged adults will develop cancer

cardiovascular disease

Heart disease - 2nd most common cause of death in middle age

Symptoms of Cardiovascular disease

High blood pressure

High blood cholesterol

Irregular heartbeat

Risk of heart attack

Risk factors for cardiovascular disease

Lifestyle

Gender - Men more likely to have condition, women more likely to die from condition (heart attack)

Diabetes

Marked by high levels of blood glucose and inability to regulate glucose in the bloodstream

By age 65, 27% of adults have diabetes in US

Higher risk for heart attack, stroke, cognitive declines, depression

Symptoms

Fatigue

Thirst

Blurred vision

Confusion

Fainting

Arthritis

A group of painful conditions affecting the joints, characterized by inflammation, stiffness, and swelling. Not curable.

Osteoarthritis

Most common type of arthritis

Joints are injured by overuse

Cartilage wears away

Joints become less flexible and swell

Very painful

Injuries

Death from unintentional injuries increase in late adulthood

Motor vehicle accidents and falls are most common causes of injuries in late adulthood

Falls

Leading cause of injury in older adults

25% of those 65+ will have a fall each year

Brain health and dementia

Normative changes in the brain in late adulthood

Brain volume declines gradually

Loss of myelin in prefrontal cortex

Some myelination continues = plasticity

Cognitive reserve

The ability to make flexible and efficient use of available brain resources

Compensaate for losses

Permits cognitive efficiency, flexibility, and adaptability

Role of experience and environmental factors

Dementia

Progressive loss of mental abilities due to changes in the brain

Loses: Cognitive functions, ability to carry out daily activities, recognize familiar surroundings and people

Alzheimers

The most common cause of dementia

A progressive neurodegenerative disorder

Vascular Dementia

Multi-infarct dementia

the second most common form of dementia

cause by strokes, or blockages of blood vessels in the brain

Parkinsons Disease

A chronic progressive disease

Symptoms of Parkinsons

Rigidity and trembling of head

Forward tilt of truck

Reduced arm swinging

Rigidity and trembling of extremities

Shuffling gait with short steps

Lewy Body dementia

As common as vascular dementia

Visual hallucinations

Fluctuating cognitive symptoms (improves then worsens)

Sleep disorders: Sleep walking

Delirium

Reversible

Common causes: psychological factors, medications, nutrition, dehydration

Symptoms of depression and anxiety in older adults

Crystalized Intelligence

Accumulated knowledge acquired through experiences and learning

Fluid Intelligence

Basic processing abilities, such as working memory, processing speed, and discovering patterns and making inferences

Seattle longitudinal study

Peak performance in middle age overall

Verbal abilities show greatest stability

Perceptual speed and numeric abilities first to show declines

Attention in Middle and Late adulthood

Age-related declines start in middle adulthood

How much information can one attend to, ability to switch focus from one task to another, ability to selectively attend to stimuli

Memory in Middle and Late adulthood

Decreases in inhabiting distractions leads to poorer encoding

Decreases in retrieving info from long term memory

Declines in working memory begins in 20’s

Positivity Effect

An age-related shift in attention preferences prioritizing positive information in late adulthood

Older adults are more likely to recall positive things than negative information compared to younger adults

Long Term Memory

Different types of LTM show different patterns of change with age, including episodic memory decline and semantic memory stability.

Semantic Memory

Shows little age-related declines

Episodic Memory

Declines with age

“Reminiscence Bump”

Autobiographical memories show more early age memories (events during ages 10-30) among older adults

Cues of songs and words elicit more memories from adolescence and early adulthood

Processing speed

The reduction in the speed of processing is the greatest change in information processing capacity with age

Expertise

Elaborate and integrated knowledge base

Extraordinary proficiency in a given task

Support gains in practical problem solving

Peaks in middle adulthood

Encapsulation

Fluid intelligence and processing that is dedicated to specific knowledge making that knowledge easier to access and use

Wisdom

Expertise in conduct and meanings of life

Applies to working on real-world problems

Not always an outcome of age

Selective Optimisation with Compensation (SOC)

The ability to adapt to changes over time, optimize current functioning and compensate for losses in order to preserve performance despite declines in fluid abilities

Expertise allows for compensation

Adults engage in SOC automatically

Mid-life Crisis

Popular idea that people enter a time of self doubt and stress as they evaluate their lives at mid-life

Not supported by research

10-20% of adults report mid-life as a crisis

Perceived Control

Closely related to self-efficacy and the feeling or belief that you have control over your destiny or options

Erikson’s Theory: Generativity vs. Stagnation

Generativity: Guiding the next generation

Stagnation: Self-centered, self-indulgent, self-absorbed

Maturation in Personality

While mostly stable, there are some common developmental patterns of change

Agreeableness and conscientiousness increase and neuroticism declines

Openness declines in emerging adulthood, then increases across middle and late adulthood

Extroversion to experience decline in middle adulthood

Conscientiousness tied to health

Extroversion, agreeableness, and conscientiousness tied to well being

Erikson’s Theory: Ego Integrity vs. Despair

Finals stage of Erikson’s life span theory

Ego Integrity: Feel whole, complete, satisfied with achievements, serenity and contentment associated with psychological maturity

Disparity: Feel many decisions were wrong, but now time is too short, bitter and unaccepting of coming death, expressed as anger, contempt for others

Life View:

The reflection on past experiences and one’s life, permitting greater self-understanding and the assignment of meaning to their lives

Reminiscence

The process of telling stories from one’s past, to oneself or others

Activity Theory

Declines in social interaction are a function of social barriers to engagement

Older adults attempt to engage in civic and social activities to boost morale and satisfaction

Continuity Theory

Older adults work to maintain continuity and consistency in self despite changes due to aging

Desire to maintain their habits and lifestyle, adapting as needed

Effort to minimize losses and optimize strengths to maintain sense of self

Socioemotional Selectivity Theory

Increased awareness of limited time

Motivation to seek positive and pleasant activities

Selecting “out” relationships that are not as important or that are “downers”

Aging in place

Preference to age in their own home

Sense of control

Importance of support systems

Nursing Homes

Small number of older adults reside here

Poorer outcomes

Importance of sense of control and social interaction

Clinical Death

Absence of heartbeat

Whole-Brain Death

Irreversible loss of functioning in the entire brain

Both higher and lower brain areas

Resuscitation is not possible

Persistent Vegetative State (PVS)

Maintains heartbeat and respiration but no activity in the cortex

Dying Trajectory

There is variability in the rate of decline people experience before death

Differences in duration and descent

Advance Directives

Allow person to control medical care and address actions after death

Living Will

Created by the person of sound mind to describe their desires about medical care

Durable Power of Attorney

Setting up a health care proxy to make medical decisions

Euthanasia

Painlessly ending lives of individuals who are suffering from an incredible disease or severe disability

Passive

Allowed to die naturally by withdrawing life support

Active

Assisting to die more quickly by deliberately means

Physician Assisted Suicide

Type of voluntary active euthanasia, terminally ill person makes conscious decision to end life with assistance from a physician.

Non Functionality

The physical body cannot be made alive again

Irreversibility

The physical body cannot be made alive again

Inevitability

Death is universal, that all living things will someday die

Biological Causality

Death is caused by natural processes, not by bad behavior or thoughts