Prelim 3: Human Development

Emerging adulthood

the transition from adolescence to adulthood

Aerobic exercise

sustained exercise that stimulates heart and lung activity

Addiction

the overwhelming involvement with using a drug and a preoccupation with securing its supply

Binge drinking

having five or more drinks in a row at least once in the last two weeks

Extreme binge drinking

having 10 to 15 or more drinks in a row in the last two weeks

Pregaming

getting drunk before going out and socializing

Alcoholism

long-term, repeated, uncontrolled, compulsive, and excessive alcohol use impairing the user’s health and relationships

Hooking up

non-relationship sex, from kissing to intercourse

Friends-with-benefits (FWB)

a casual sex relationship that integrates friendship and sexual intimacy without an explicit commitment

Sexually transmitted infections (STIs)

 diseases primarily spread through sexual contact 

human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)

destroys the body’s immune system, leading to acquired immune deficiency syndrome

Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS)

a disease of devastating global reach 

• Worldwide, 37.9 million people were living with HIV in 2018 

• Deaths due to AIDS have begun to decline in the United States

Rape

forcible sexual intercourse with a person, female or male, who does not give consent

Date or acquaintance rape

coercive sexual activity directed at someone with whom the perpetrator is at least casually acquainted

Sexual harassment

manifestation of power of one person over another

• Forms range from inappropriate sexual remarks and physical contact to blatant propositions and sexual assaults

Postformal thought

• thinking that is: 

  • Reflective, relativistic, and contextual 

  • Provisional 

  • Realistic 

  • Recognized as being influenced by emotion 

• Wisdom and meaning are important developments

Flow

• a heightened state of pleasured experience when we are engaged in mental and physical challenges that absorbs us 

  • Everyone is capable 

  • More creative people engage in it more 

  • Important to cultivate curiosity

Self-efficacy

the belief one can master a situation to potentially produce favorable outcomes

Mindset

the cognitive view individuals develop for themselves

Fixed mindset

qualities are carved in stone

Delay of gratification

engaging in self-control by waiting until late to obtain something more valuable rather than immediately seeking satisfaction with something less valuable

Extrinsic motivation

involves doing something to obtain something else

Intrinsic motivation

doing something for its own sake; involves factors such as self-determination and opportunities to make choices

Grit

passion and persistence in achieving long-term goals

career mystique

an ingrained cultural belief that engaging in hard work for long hours through adulthood will lead to status, security, and happiness 

• This has never been a reality for many people 

• Global outsourcing, rapid technological change, and the effects of recession have increasingly limited options and security

Inhibition

less assertiveness and social support

disinhibition

predicts self- efficacy

ability to control emotions

linked with resilience

Secure attachment style

adults who have positive views of relationships, find it easy to get close to others, and are not overly concerned or stressed out about their romantic relationships 

Avoidant attachment style

adults who are hesitant about getting involved in romantic relationships and once in a relationship tend to distance themselves from their partner 

Anxious attachment style

adults who demand closeness, are less trusting, and are more emotional, jealous, and possessive 

consensual validation

Our own attitudes and behavior are supported and validated when someone else’s attitudes and behavior are similar to ours

Matching hypothesis

although we prefer a more attractive person in the abstract, in the real world we end up choosing someone who is close to our own level of attractiveness

Affectionate love

or companionate love, occurs when someone desires to have the other person near and has a deep, caring affection for the other person

consummate love

involves all three dimensions and is the fullest form of love 

• When there is only passion, it is merely infatuation 

• When there is intimacy and commitment but no passion, it is affectionate love 

• If there is passion and commitment but no intimacy, it is fatuous love

Relationship education

consists of interventions to provide individuals and couples with information and skills that produce positive romantic relationships and marriages 

• Skills include interpersonal communication, problem-solving and conflict strategies, and self-regulation

Cohabitation

refers to living together in a sexual relationship without being married 

Some characteristics of marital partners predict whether a marriage will last longer

• Education: both women and men with a bachelor’s degree are more likely to delay marriage but also more likely to get married and stay married for more than 20 years.

• Ethnicity: Asian American women are the most likely to be in a first marriage that lasted at least 20 years

Rapport talk

the language of conversation 

• A way of establishing connections and negotiating relationships 

• Women prefer rapport talk

Report talk

 a talk style designed to give information 

• This category of communication includes public speaking 

• Men prefer report talk

Transgender

individuals adopt a gender identity that differs from the one assigned to them at birth. 

• Can be straight, gay, lesbian, or bisexual

Middle adulthood

The developmental period for adults ranging 40 to 45 years of age to 60 to 65 years of age 

Sarcopenia

an age-related loss of muscle mass and strength

Accommodation of the eye

the ability to focus and maintain an image on the retina—declines most sharply between the ages of 40 and 59 

Metabolic syndrome

characterized by hypertension, obesity, and insulin resistance, and often leads to the onset of diabetes and cardiovascular disease

• Exercise, weight control, and a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, and whole grains can help

Chronic disorders

• those characterized by a slow onset and a long duration 

  • Rare in early adulthood, increase in middle adulthood, and become common in late adulthood 

Climacteric

a term that is used to describe the midlife transition—experienced by women and men—in which fertility declines 

Menopause

cessation of a woman’s menstrual periods, usually during the late forties or early fifties 

Perimenopause

 a transitional period from normal menstrual periods to no menstrual periods at all 

hormone replacement therapy (HRT)

often prescribed as treatment for menopausal side effects 

• Augments the declining levels of reproductive hormone production by the ovaries

• Consists of various forms of estrogen, usually in combination with a progestin

Testosterone replacement therapy (TRT)

can improve sexual functioning, muscle strength, and bone health; but some research indicates a link to increased risk of stroke 

Erectile dysfunction

an inability to achieve and maintain an erection, affects about 50% of men 40 to 70 years of age 

Crystallized intelligence

• the accumulation of information and verbal skills

  • Continues to increase in middle adulthood

Fluid intelligence

• the ability to reason abstractly 

  • May begin to decline in middle adulthood

The Seattle Longitudinal Study

• Initiated by K. Warner Schaie, the study involves an extensive evaluation of intellectual abilities during adulthood, assessing participants at seven- year intervals from 1956 to 2012 

Religion

an organized set of beliefs, practices, rituals, and symbols that increases an individual’s connection to a sacred or transcendent other 

Religiousness

• the degree to which an individual is affiliated with an organized religion

  • Participating in prescribed rituals and practices 

  • Feeling a sense of connection with its beliefs 

  • Involvement in a community of believers 

Spirituality

• the practice of experiencing something beyond oneself in a transcendent manner 

  • Living in a way that benefits others and society

Generativity

encompasses adults’ desire to leave legacies of themselves to the next generation

Contemporary life-events approach

• how life events influence the individual’s development depends on not only the life event but also on mediating factors, as well as on: 

  • The individual’s adaptation to the life event 

  • The life-stage context and the sociohistorical context 

• This approach offers valuable insights but does have drawbacks 

• It may place too much emphasis on change, not adequately recognizing stability 

• Rather than life’s major events, it may often be daily hassles or other factors that are the primary sources of stress

Fight-or-flight

• the more likely type of behavior for men when experiencing stress

  • Become aggressive, socially withdraw, or drink alcohol 

Tend-and-befriend

• the more likely type of behavior for women when experiencing stress 

  • Seek social alliances with others

“Big Five” factors of personality

openness to experience, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness, and neuroticism (emotional stability)

optimism

• having a positive outlook on the future and minimizing problems

midlife consciousness

Rather than being in a midlife crisis, the women studied were experiencing

cumulative personality model of personality development

with time and age, people become more adept at interacting with their environment in ways that promote increased stability of personality 

Empty nest syndrome

• the decrease in marital satisfaction after children leave the home.

  • Parents derive considerable satisfaction from their children

Life span

• the maximum number of years an individual can live 

  • Approximately 120 to 125 years

Life expectancy

• the number of years the average person born in a particular year will probably live 

  • The average life expectancy for those born in 2018 in the United States is 78.6 years

“Latino Health Paradox”

• Latinos live 3.3 years longer than non-Latino Whites despite lower educational attainment and income levels 

Centenarians

• Individuals 100 years and older 

  • Increasing at a rate of 7% each year in developed countries

Supercentenarians

Individuals who live to be 110 and older

Young-old

those aged 65 to 84

Oldest-old

those aged 85 or more

functional age

someone who is 80 years may be more biologically and psychologically fit than who is 65 years

Evolutionary theory of aging

natural selection has not eliminated many harmful conditions and nonadaptive characteristics in older adults

Cellular clock theory

• Leonard Hayflick’s theory that the maximum number of times that human cells can divide is about 75 to 80 

Telomeres

DNA sequences that cap chromosomes, become shorter each time a cell divides

Free-radical theory

People age because normal metabolic processes within cells produce unstable oxygen molecules that ricochet inside cells, damaging DNA and cellular structures 

itochondrial theory

aging is caused by mitochondrial decay 

Sirtuins

a family of proteins that have been linked to longevity and related processes; SIRT 1 has been connected to DNA repair and aging 

mTOR pathway

a cellular pathway that involves the regulation of growth and metabolism

Hormonal stress theory 

aging in the body’s hormonal system can lower resistance to stress and increase the likelihood of disease

Allostasis

the process of adaptation and adjustment to stress 

Allostatic load

a wearing down of body systems due to constant activity in response to stressors

Cataracts

the thickening of eye’s lens causes vision to become cloudy, opaque, and distorted 

Glaucoma

damage to optic nerve because of pressure created by fluid buildup in the eye

Macular degeneration

deterioration of the retina’s macula, which corresponds to focal center of the visual field

Perceptual-motor coupling

Declining perceptual-motor skills can make driving a car difficult and contributes to decreasing mobility

Arthritis

inflammation of the joints accompanied by pain, stiffness, and movement problems, is especially common in older adults.

Osteoporosis

is an extensive loss of bone tissue, that causes many older adults to walk with a stoop 

Late-onset alcoholism

is used to describe the onset of alcoholism after the age of 65 

• Related to loneliness, loss of a spouse, or a disabling condition. 

Cognitive mechanics  

the hardware of the mind, reflecting the neurophysiological architecture of the brain 

• Involve speed and accuracy of the processes

Cognitive pragmatics

the culture-based software programs of the mind

Selective attention

focusing on a specific aspect of experience that is relevant while ignoring others that are irrelevant 

Divided attention

concentrating on more than one activity at the same time 

Sustained attention

focused and extended engagement  

Executive attention

aspects of thinking that include planning, allocating attention, detecting and compensating for errors, monitoring progress, and dealing with novel or difficult circumstances

Explicit memory 

the facts and experiences that individuals consciously know and can state 

• Declines as a person ages

Implicit memory

memory without conscious recollections; skills and routine procedures

• Less likely to be adversely affected by aging