D202 Section 3

primary aging

biological factors such as molecular and cellular changes

secondary aging

aging that occurs due to controllable factors like exercise and diet

1st signs of aging

Skin changes, sarcopenia (loss of muscle mass), and hair changes

Most common causes of death (adults)

heart disease and cancer

arthritis

painful inflammation and stiffness of the joints.

insomnia

recurring problems in falling or staying asleep; one of the most common sleep problems experienced by adults

menopause

the time of natural cessation of menstruation; also refers to the biological changes a woman experiences as her ability to reproduce declines

climacteric

The midlife transition in which fertility declines, bringing an end to reproductive capacity in women and diminished fertility in men.

Life expectancy by gender

women live longer than men; reasons are both biological and social

Baltimore Longitudinal Study Findings

heart muscles thicken with age, arteries become less flexible, lung capacity diminishes, kidneys become less efficient in removing waste from blood, bladder loses ability to store urine

and cognitive functions may decline.

Glaucoma

increased intraocular pressure results in damage to the retina and optic nerve with loss of vision

Cataracts

clouding of the lens

sarcopenia

the loss of muscle mass, strength, and function that comes with aging

Most common chronic disorders (late adulthood)

High cholesterol, hypertension, arthritis, and cancer.

post formal thought

thinking characterized by a recognition that truth varies across situations, solutions must be realistic to be reasonable, ambiguity and contradiction are the rule rather than the exception, and emotion and subjective factors play a role in thinking

Generational Trends With Employment

Millennials: Largest generation in the labor force. Research suggests that millennials are looking for something different in their place of employment. Millennials want more than a paycheck; they want a purpose. MORE LIKELY TO TRANSITION AMONG JOBS

Gen-Xers: More likely to feel engaged at work than millennials

True

Ageism

prejudice or discrimination on the basis of a person's age

bi-lateralization definition

simultaneous use of both sides of the brain

Impacts of bi-lateralization

Research has demonstrated that older adults use more of their brains than younger adults. In fact, older adults who perform the best on tasks are more likely to demonstrate bi-lateralization than those who perform worst. The amount of white matter in the brain, which is responsible for forming connections among neurons, increases into a person's fifties before it declines.

fluid intelligence

our ability to reason speedily and abstractly; tends to decrease during late adulthood

crystallized intelligence

our accumulated knowledge and verbal skills; tends to increase with age

Burnout

a state of physical, emotional, and mental exhaustion created by long-term involvement in an emotionally demanding situation and accompanied by lowered performance and motivation

Brain declines

Research has demonstrated that the brain loses 5 to 10 percent of its weight between 20 and 90 years of age.

Changes in the brain during late adulthood

• gets smaller and lighter over time

• myelin thins out

• loss in white matter

• lower # of neurons

What can support our cognitive health?

Physical activity, cognitive training, and novel activities.

scaffolding theory of aging and cognition

states that the brain adapts to neural atrophy (dying of brain cells) by building alternative connections, referred to as scaffolding

phonological loop

A component of working memory where we repeat verbal information to help us remember it

central executive

The part of working memory that is responsible for monitoring and directing attention and other mental resources.

visuospatial sketchpad

A component of working memory where we create mental images to remember visual information

explicit memory (declarative memory)

memory of facts and experiences that one can consciously know and "declare" - declines in late adulthood

implicit memory

requires little conscious effort and often involves skills or more habitual patterns of behavior; automatic; muscle-memory (declines more slowly than explicit memory)

semantic memory

a network of associated facts and concepts that make up our general knowledge

episodic memory

the collection of past personal experiences that occurred at a particular time and place

prospective memory

remembering to do something at some future time

processing speed in late adulthood

as the nervous system slows with advanced age, the ability to process information declines. This slowing of processing speed may explain age differences on many different cognitive tasks.

gender binary

the classification of sex and gender into two distinct, opposite and disconnected forms of masculine and feminine

Heteronormative

denoting or relating to a world view that promotes heterosexuality as the normal or preferred sexual orientation.

pansexuality and polysexuality

referring to attraction to all sexes/genders and attraction to multiple sexes/genders, respectively

Asexuality

a lack of sexual attraction to people of either sex

institutionalized homophobia

religious and state-sponsored homophobia

internalized homophobia

set of negative attitudes and affects toward homosexuality

same-sex parenting

No difference in child adjustment, succeed just as well

Generativity definition

the desire, in middle age, to use one's accumulated wisdom to guide future generations.

Characteristics of generativity

Care and inclusion

Open to new experiences

Tolerant

Creative/Productive

Scope of concern

Other-focused

Conscious of mentor status

Emphasis on interpersonal values

sandwich generation

the generation of adults who simultaneously try to meet the competing needs of their parents and their children

kin keeper

a family role, usually occupied by a woman, which includes responsibility for maintaining family and friendship relationships

empty nest

the time in the lives of parents when their children have left the family home to pursue their own lives; high levels of marital satisfaction is common

boomerang kids

young adults between the ages of 18 and 34 who move back home with their parents after they graduate from college

What is the effect on parents when their adult children return home?

Today's parents are more tolerant of this; more normative experience than in the past. Children who return are more likely to have had good relationships with their parents growing up, so there may be less stress between parents and their adult children who return.

Linked Lives

Lives in which the success, health, and well-being of each family member are connected to those of other members, including members of another generation, as in the relationship between parents and children.

Divorce trends

decreasing (less people are marrying)

most common within the first 5-10 years of marriage

Divorced parent gate keeping

Regulating the flow of information about their new romantic partner to their children, in an attempt to balance their own needs for romance with consideration regarding the needs and reactions of their children.

late adulthood trends

increasing numbers

largest population of elderly is Japan

Less people retiring

encore careers

work in a different field from the one in which they retired

Preretirement

a period of anticipatory socialization as the person prepares for retirement

Immediate pre-retirement phase

when the person establishes a specific departure date form his or her job

The honeymoon phase

an often euphoric period in which the person pursues activities that he or she never had time for before

The disenchantment phase

retirees feel a sense of letdown or even depression as they cope with their new lives, which may include illness or poverty

The reorientation phase

an attempt to adjust to retirement by making less hectic plans and getting into a regular routine

Five Factor Model of Personality

a trait theory of personality that identifies extraversion, neuroticism, agreeableness, conscientiousness, and openness to experience as the fundamental building blocks of personality

Neuroticism

anxiety, insecurity, emotional instability

Agreeableness

A personality dimension that describes someone who is good natured, cooperative, and trusting.

Conscientiousness

A personality dimension that describes someone who is responsible, dependable, persistent, and organized

also appears related to career choices, friendships, and stability of marriage.

Adult Attachment Styles

The different ways in which adults relate to romantic partners, based on Mary Ainsworth's infant attachment styles. (Adult attachment styles are classified as secure, or preoccupied/ambivalent insecure, or avoidant/dismissive insecure.)

Attraction Factors

Similarity, Proximity, Self-disclosure, and Exposure

Sternberg's Triangular Theory of Love

A theory that sees love as having three elements: intimacy, passion, and commitment

Decline of Marriage Causes

Delaying of first marriages until an older age

Increase in the number of people who divorce and do not remarry

Rising number of couples choosing cohabitation over marriage

Endogamy

marriage within the tribe, caste, social group, ethic group, etc

Homogamy

the tendency of people with similar characteristics to marry one another

Factors related to successful aging

Avoidance of disease, disability, and risk factors

Maintenance of high physical and cognitive functioning

Active engagement in social and productive activities

3 most common causes of death in adulthood

Heart disease, Cancer, and Accidents

Where will most people die?

Acute care hospitals

Views on Death: Children

young children- lack an understanding of death. They do not see death as permanent, assume it is temporary or reversible

older children- begin to understand the finality of death, up until 9 they may still participate in magical thinking and they can bring someone back to life

views on death: adolescents

think abstractly about death, philosophize about it, and ponder their own lack of existence

Views on death: Adulthood

early adulthood: typically expect a long life ahead of them and do not worry as much about death

middle adulthood: MORE FEAR of death than those either in their early or late adulthood. The caretaking responsibilities are a significant factor in their fears

late adulthood: report less anxiety because they have already experienced the death of loved ones and have become accustomed to the likelihood of death.

palliative care

Care designed not to treat an illness but to provide physical and emotional comfort to the patient and support and guidance to his or her family.

hospice care

holistic, compassionate care given to dying people and their families; for terminally ill

complicated grief

a type of grief that impedes a person's future life, usually because the person clings to sorrow; common following the sudden loss of a child or parent

disenfranchised grief

grief involving a deceased person that is a socially ambiguous loss that can't be openly mourned or supported; may happen following a suicide, overdose, or prenatal loss

Kuber-Ross stages of dying

Denial, Anger, Bargaining, Depression, Acceptance

dual-process model of coping with loss

effective coping requires people to oscillate between dealing with the emotional consequences of loss and attending to life changes, which- when handled successfully- have restorative or healing effects