Psychology of Middle and Late Childhood, Aging, and End-of-Life

Age range

The development period begins around 40-45 years of age and extends to 60-65.

Leisure & regrets

Often focus on missed opportunities or time not spent on meaningful activities.

Religion

Organized set of beliefs, practices.

Religiousness

Degree of affiliation with religion, participation, beliefs, involvement in community.

Spirituality

Experiencing something beyond yourself in a transcendent way.

Neuromysticism

Seeks a scientific understanding of extraordinary mental states by examining people's neural activity.

Neurotheology

Uses neurological imaging techniques to study religious experiences.

Viktor Frankl's 3 most distinct human qualities

Spiritually, Freedom, and Responsibility.

Midlife crisis

Middle-aged adults are suspended between the past and the future, trying to cope with this gap that threatens life's continuity.

Prevalence of midlife crisis

Studies suggest anywhere from about 10% to 20% of people experience one, while some research finds it could be up to 25%.

Generativity v stagnation

Generativity: Caring for others, contributing to society, leaving a legacy. Stagnation: Self-absorption, feeling unproductive, lack of purpose.

Effects of stress on the body

Damage organs and cells, increase risk of hypertension, heart attack, stroke, visceral fat, insulin resistance, negative impact on digestive system, increase appetite, weaken immune cell functioning, reduce lifespan.

Fowler's stage theory of religious maturity

Intuitive-projective, Mythic-literal, Synthetic-conventional, Individuative-reflective, Conjunctive, Universal/Enlightenment.

The Big Five: Openness

Willingness to try new experiences, creativity, curiosity, imagination.

The Big Five: Conscientiousness

Organization, dependability, self-discipline, goal-oriented behavior.

The Big Five: Extraversion

Sociability, energy, positive emotions, assertiveness.

The Big Five: Agreeableness

Compassion, cooperation, trust in others, kindness.

The Big Five: Neuroticism

Tendency to experience negative emotions, emotional instability.

Biological theories of aging: Evolutionary theory

Natural selection has not eliminated many harmful conditions/nonadaptive characteristics in older adults.

Cellular clock theory

Maximum number of times human cells can divide is 75-80; as we age, our cells have less capacity to divide.

Free-radical theory

Free radicals ricochet around inside cells, damaging DNA and other cellular structures.

Mitochondrial theory

Aging is caused by the decay of the mitochondria.

Divided attention

Concentration on more than one activity at the same time.

Selective attention

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

Sustained attention

Focused and extended engagement with an object task, event, or other aspect of the environment.

Executive attention

Aspects of thinking include planning actions, allocating attention to goals, detecting and compensating for errors, monitoring progress on tasks, and dealing with novel or difficult circumstances.

Implicit Memory

Memory without conscious recollection; involves skills and routine procedures that are automatically performed

Explicit Memory

Memory of facts and experiences that individuals consciously know and can state

Episodic Memory

The retention of information about the details of life's happenings

Dementia

A global term for any neurological disorder in which the primary symptoms involve a deterioration of mental functioning

Alzheimer's Disease

A progressive, irreversible brain disorder characterized by a gradual deterioration of memory, reasoning, language, and eventually, physical functions

ApoE4

Leads to an increase in plaques and tangles associated with Alzheimer's disease

Domains of Wisdom

Expert knowledge about the practical aspects of life that permits excellent judgement about important matters

Prosocial Behaviors

Empathy, compassion, altruism, and fairness that maintain positive social connections

Integrity vs. Despair

Erikson's final stage; reflecting on the past and piecing together a positive review or concluding that one's life has not been well spent

Activity Theory

The more active and involved older adults are, the more likely they are to be satisfied with their lives

Socioemotional Selectivity Theory

Older adults are more selective about their social networks, valuing emotional satisfaction

Selective Optimization with Compensation Theory

Successful aging is related to three main factors: selection, optimization, and compensation

Reminiscence Therapy

A form of psychotherapy that prompts individuals to recall and discuss memories from their past to improve well-being

Palliative Care

The type of care emphasized in hospice, which involves reducing pain and suffering and helping individuals die with dignity

Kubler-Ross' Stages of Dying

Denial & isolation, anger, bargaining, depression, acceptance

Grief

The emotional numbness, disbelief, separation anxiety, despair, sadness, and loneliness that accompany the loss of someone we love

Prolonged Grief Disorder

Grief that involves enduring despair and remains unresolved over an extended period of time

Disenfranchised Grief

Grief that involves a socially ambiguous loss or a loss that can't be openly mourned

Euthanasia

The act of painlessly ending the lives of persons who are suffering from incurable diseases or severe disabilities

Passive Euthanasia

Withholding of available treatments such as life-sustaining devices to allow a person to die

Active Euthanasia

Death induced deliberately, as by injecting a lethal dose of a drug