Physical and Cognitive Development across Early, Middle, and Late Adulthood Flashcards

Flashcards covering physical, cognitive, and socioemotional development from early adulthood through late adulthood, including key theories by Erikson, Piaget, and Levinson.

Alcohol Dependence

A strong uncontrollable need to drink alcohol leading to withdrawal symptoms and a loss of control over consumption.

Binge Drinking

Heavy episodic drinking defined as $5+$ drinks for men or $4+$ drinks for women.

Caloric Restriction

The practice of reducing the number of calories eaten; a nutritious diet low in calories is associated with a longer lifespan.

Cognitive-Affective Complexity

A mature form of thinking involving emotional awareness and the ability to integrate and regulate intense emotions.

Dualistic Thinking

A way of thinking that views things as either right or wrong with no in-between.

Epistemic Cognition

The ways in which individuals understand how they arrived at their ideas, beliefs, and conclusions.

Free Radicals

Highly reactive, corrosive substances formed when cells are exposed to oxygen that destroy DNA, proteins, and other cellular materials.

Isometric Muscle Strength

The amount of force a muscle can produce without changing its length, meaning the joints do not move.

Postformal Reasoning/Thought

Thinking and problem-solving restructured in adulthood to integrate abstract reasoning with practical consideration, as discussed by Piaget.

Pragmatic Thought

A type of thinking where logic is a tool to address everyday problems and contradictions are viewed as a part of life, as discussed by Labouvie-Vief.

Reflective Judgement

A mature type of reasoning that synthesizes contradictions among different perspectives.

Relativistic Thinking

A type of reasoning where knowledge is viewed as subjective and dependent on specific situations.

Senescence

The gradual age-related declines in physical functioning.

Telomeres

Protective end-caps of chromosomes made of DNA that prevent chromosomes from deteriorating or fusing during cell division.

Wear and Tear

The theory that the body ages because it wears out from use.

Emerging Adulthood

A period between adolescence and adulthood described by Jeffery Arnet, involving identity exploration and feelings of being "caught between" life stages.

Cohabitation

A committed but unmarried couple living together; in the U.S., $2/3$ of couples live together before marriage.

Intimacy vs Isolation

Erikson’s sixth stage where individuals develop the capacity to bond and make permanent commitments to romantic partners.

Role Overload

High stress levels resulting from attempting to balance the demands of multiple conflicting roles and responsibilities.

Social Clock

Cultural expectations and an "expected timeline" for when individuals should achieve major life events.

Passion

One of the three aspects of love involving excitement, happiness, and intense physical attraction or physiological arousal.

Intimacy (Love Aspect)

One of the three aspects of love involving emotional engagement, communication, closeness, connectedness, and caring.

Commitment (Love Aspect)

One of the three aspects of love involving the decision to spend time together, share goals, and solve problems together.

Crystallized Intelligence

The accumulation of facts and information over time.

Fluid Intelligence

The ability to think quickly and solve new, novel problems.

Hardiness

A personality trait involving commitment, control, and openness to challenge that helps individuals cope with stress.

Menopause

The cessation of ovulation and menstruation, usually occurring around age $51$ (range $42-58$) and reached one year after the last period.

Perimenopause

The transition to menopause, occurring approximately $3$ years before and after the cessation of menstruation.

Osteoporosis

A condition where bones become weak, porous, and brittle, often increasing in frequency for women in their $50s$.

Selective Optimization with Compensation

A strategy where older adults focus on their strengths, practice to maintain skills, and find workarounds for age-related losses.

Presbyopia

An age-related vision change where an individual can no longer see things up close, necessitating reading glasses.

Presbycusis

Age-related hearing loss that typically starts with high-frequency sounds.

Androgyny

A gender identity characterized by scoring high on both male (instrumental) and female (expressive) traits.

Big 5 Personality Traits

A model of personality consisting of Openness, Conscientiousness, Extroversion, Agreeableness, and Neuroticism.

Generativity vs Stagnation

Erikson’s middle adulthood stage where the goal is to feel a sense of purpose by giving back to the next generation.

Possible Selves

The hoped-for and feared versions of who an individual might become, which guide and motivate choices.

Midlife Crisis

A period of self-doubt and stress in midlife contributing to a major reorganization of personality, though research shows most adults do not experience a true crisis.

Alzheimer’s Disease

A brain condition that destroys memory and thinking, marked by amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary tangles in the cerebral cortex.

Amyloid Plaques

Deposits of beta-amyloid that accumulate with clumps of dead neurons and glial cells.

Neurofibrillary Tangles

Twisted bundles of tau protein threads that occur when neurons collapse.

Cataracts

Clouding of the eye lens resulting in blurred or foggy vision.

Macular Degeneration

Loss of cells in the center area of the retina (macula) causing blurring and loss of central vision.

Cognitive Reserve

The ability to make flexible and efficient use of available brain resources, acquired through experience.

Compression of Morbidity

The goal of reducing the amount of time spent suffering at the very end of life.

Vascular Dementia

Memory loss and thinking problems occurring when the brain does not receive enough blood due to small strokes or blocked vessels.

Parkinson’s Disease

A chronic progressive brain disorder caused by the deterioration of neurons in the substantia nigra, leading to tremors and muscle rigidity.

Sarcopenia

The gradual loss of muscle mass and strength as people get older.

Ego Integrity vs Despair

The final stage of Erikson's theory where older adults conclude their life was meaningful (integrity) or feel it was disappointing (despair).

Socioemotional Selectivity Theory

The theory that as people age, they become more selective and prefer to spend time with those close to them.

Advanced Directives

Documents that allow patients to make healthcare, death, and asset decisions while they are still capable.

Hospice

End-of-life care focused on helping a patient with pain and ensuring a death with dignity.

Young-Old

Adults aged $65-74$ who are typically active, healthy, and independent.

Old-Old

Adults aged $75-84$ who live independently but experience physical or mental impairment.

Oldest-Old

Adults aged $85+$ who are most likely to depend on others for daily tasks.