For exam 1 Adult aging

What is the primary focus of geriatrics?

The medical care and treatment of diseases and health problems of older adults.

Define gerontology.

The study of biological, behavioral, and social phenomena from maturity to old age.

What does chronological age measure?

The time elapsed since birth, expressed in months or years.

How is biological age defined?

It relates to an individual's longevity and how old they are in terms of life expectancy.

What is functional age?

A measure of a person's competence in performing specific tasks compared to peers of the same chronological age.

What does psychological age refer to?

How well a person adapts to changing conditions using cognitive, personal, or social skills.

What is social age?

The societal expectations regarding behaviors and milestones for individuals in a specific chronological age group.

What are the three categories of older adulthood based on chronological age?

Young-old (ages 65-74), old-old (ages 75-84), and oldest-old (ages 85+).

What is ageism?

Discriminatory attitudes and negative stereotypes directed toward older adults.

Define demography.

The scientific study of populations, focusing on trends and characteristics such as size, growth, and migration.

What is a population pyramid?

A bar graph illustrating the distribution of a population by age and gender.

What are normative age-graded influences?

Biological or environmental events associated with chronological age, such as puberty and menopause.

What are normative history-graded influences?

Influences resulting from historical events or societal changes, like wars or economic shifts.

What are nonnormative life events?

Unique events that do not affect most members of society, such as a rare illness or winning the lottery.

What does the Selective Optimization with Compensation Model of Aging emphasize?

The adaptation individuals engage in throughout their lives.

What is the premise of the Ecological Model?

The interaction between a person and their environment leads to adaptation, measured by emotional well-being and behavior.

What are the characteristics of a mechanistic metamodel?

Emphasizes nurture, views the organism as passive, and studies development through quantitative differences.

What defines an organismic metamodel?

Emphasizes nature, sees the organism as active, and recognizes qualitative differences at various developmental stages.

What is the focus of a contextual metamodel?

Emphasizes both nature and nurture and the bidirectional interactions between the organism and the environment.

What is the life-span developmental perspective?

A perspective that incorporates elements from all three metamodels, with a focus on contextual interactions.

What are the three basic factors to consider in aging research?

Chronological age, cohort membership, and time of measurement.

What does cohort refer to in research?

A generation of individuals born around the same time, which can influence their experiences and opportunities.

What is meant by time of measurement in research?

The conditions prevailing at the time data is collected during a research study.

What is a cross-sectional research design?

A study design where individuals from different age groups are assessed at one point in time to delineate current status.

What is the purpose of longitudinal research design?

To follow the same individuals over time and test them on two or more occasions.

What does selective attrition refer to in research studies?

The phenomenon where higher performers are more likely to continue in a study than lower performers.

Define multidirectionality in the context of development.

The concept that development can involve growth, stability, or decline in different aspects.

What is the time-lag research design?

A design where individuals of the same age are tested at different times, allowing for cohort comparisons.

What do sequential research designs aim to disentangle?

The effects of age, cohort, and time of measurement.

What is reliability in measurement instruments?

The consistency and dependability of the instruments used to measure variables.

What is test-retest reliability?

The degree to which test scores are consistent across separate occasions.

What is inter-rater reliability?

The level of agreement among different raters or observers evaluating the same responses.

What is validity in research measurement?

The extent to which a measurement instrument accurately measures what it is intended to measure.

What does internal validity refer to?

The accurate identification and interpretation of the factors responsible for an observation.

What is external validity?

The ability to generalize findings from a study sample to the broader population.

Define ecological validity.

A type of external validity that assesses whether test results reflect real-world functioning.

What is the hallmark of the experimental method?

Random assignment of research participants to different levels of the independent variable.

What distinguishes quasi-experimental studies from true experiments?

Quasi-experimental studies do not use random assignment for participant groups.

What is a multifactor research design?

A design that includes more than one categorical variable, potentially combining experimental and quasi-experimental factors.

What is a single-factor research design?

A design where only one independent variable is manipulated.

What characterizes descriptive research?

The researcher does not manipulate variables; instead, they collect data on variables of interest.

What do correlation coefficients indicate?

The strength and direction of the relationship between two variables, ranging from -1.0 to +1.0.

What is the meta-analytic approach?

A method that synthesizes summary statistics from various studies to provide a quantitative summary of findings.

What is the mega-analytic approach?

An approach that combines actual raw data from multiple studies rather than synthesizing summary statistics.

What is heterotypic continuity?

The degree to which a measure maintains internal validity across different age groups in research.

What is the difference between mega-analytic and meta-analytic approaches?

The mega-analytic approach can include fewer studies but requires identical measures across studies, while the meta-analytic approach may include more studies with similar but not identical measures.

What are the three metatheoretical orientations in developmental research?

Mechanistic, organismic, and contextual.

Which metamodel is most closely related to the life-span developmental perspective?

The contextual metamodel.

What three factors must developmental researchers consider when studying aging?

Chronological age, cohort (generation), and time of measurement.

What are the four research designs used in developmental research?

Cross-sectional, longitudinal, time-lag, and sequential designs.

What is a limitation of cross-sectional designs?

They confound the factors of age and cohort, making it difficult to disentangle their effects.

What is the advantage of longitudinal designs?

They can detect age-related change within individuals over time (intraindividual change).

What is a drawback of longitudinal designs?

They confound age and time of measurement and may experience selective attrition.

How do time-lag designs differ from other research designs?

All participants are of the same chronological age but tested at different points in time, confounding cohort and time of measurement.

What is internal validity in research?

The accurate identification and interpretation of the factor responsible for an observation.

What does external validity refer to?

Whether findings from a sample can be generalized to the population of interest.

What is the only research approach that allows for conclusions about cause and effect?

The experimental approach.

What is morbidity?

Illness and disease.

What is mortality?

Death.

What is longevity?

The length and duration of life.

What is life expectancy?

The average number of years people in a particular cohort are expected to live.

What is the difference between life expectancy and life span?

Life expectancy is the average expected years of life for a cohort, while life span is the maximum longevity possible for members of a species.

What does the term compression of mortality refer to?

A phenomenon where a greater proportion of deaths occur during a narrow time period close to the upper limit of human life span.

What is meant by compression of morbidity?

Illness or extreme disability occurs only shortly before death, maintaining quality of life until the end.

What is primary aging?

The unavoidable biological processes that are universal and intrinsic to all members of a species.

What is secondary aging?

Processes experienced by most but not all members of a species, associated with environmental influences.

What are telomeres?

Protective caps at the ends of chromosomes that shorten with each cell division, eventually leading to senescence.

What does the immune theory of aging suggest?

The immune system is programmed to maintain efficiency for a certain time before it declines.

What is the evolutionary theory of biological aging?

Species are genetically programmed to reproduce and raise offspring, after which their role in perpetuating the species is fulfilled.

What do stochastic theories of biological aging focus on?

Random damage to vital systems that accumulates over time, leading to inefficiency and eventual failure of life functions.

What is the upper limit of the human life span?

Approximately 120 years.

What factors contribute to reduced fatigue over time in aging individuals?

Controlling stress, engaging in regular physical activity, and maintaining good nutrition.

What does stereotype embodiment theory (SET) suggest about positive self-stereotypes in older adults?

Positive self-stereotypes can promote physical and functional health, protect against stress, and lead to better recovery expectations and outcomes.

How can positive self-stereotypes influence health-promoting activities in older adults?

They can encourage engagement in activities such as adequate exercise and routine medical check-ups.

What is the impact of negative self-stereotypes on older adults?

They can reinforce responses to stress and may lead to negative physiological measures like increased blood pressure.

Define 'nature' in the context of health and aging.

Nature refers to heredity or genetic makeup.

Define 'nurture' in the context of health and aging.

Nurture refers to environmental influences such as diet, exercise habits, and stress levels.

How does marital status affect health and longevity in older adults?

Spouses can influence adherence to health-enhancing behaviors, such as maintaining a healthy diet and physical activity.

What is reserve capacity in older adults?

It refers to the ability to function under normal conditions, which decreases with age when more than normal capacity is required.

What does PASA stand for and what does it describe?

Posterior-anterior shift in aging; it describes decreased activity in posterior brain regions and increased activity in anterior regions, indicating compensatory mechanisms.

What is the Scaffolding Theory of Aging and Cognition (STAC)?

STAC accounts for both deficient and preserved cognitive performance, suggesting the brain builds alternative neural circuitry to cope with age-related decline.

What are Activities of Daily Living (ADL)?

Basic self-maintenance tasks such as eating, dressing, bathing, and toileting.

What are Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADL)?

More complex activities required for daily life, including meal preparation, shopping, and managing finances.

What do morbidity and mortality refer to?

Morbidity refers to illness and disease, while mortality refers to death.

What are programmed and stochastic theories of aging?

Programmed theories focus on genetic blueprints, while stochastic theories focus on random damage and events that occur with living.

What is fluid intelligence (Gf)?

Raw intelligence that reflects abilities like numerical reasoning and logic, thought to decline with age.

What is crystallized intelligence (Gc)?

Intelligence derived from education and experience, thought to be maintained or increase with age.

Who defined intelligence as a broad general ability factor referred to as 'g'?

Spearman (1927).

What are the seven components of intelligence according to Thurstone?

Verbal meaning, number (arithmetic), word fluency, inductive reasoning, spatial orientation, memory, and perceptual speed.

What are Gardner's eight intelligences?

Linguistic, logical-mathematical, spatial, musical, bodily-kinesthetic, interpersonal, intrapersonal, and naturalistic intelligence.

What does Sternberg's model of intelligence emphasize?

Three components: contextual, experiential, and information processing.

What is the significance of neuroimaging studies in aging?

They have found changes in the structure and functioning of the aging brain, suggesting compensatory capabilities.

What challenges do older adults face regarding medication adherence?

Many do not take medications as directed, and some pain medications can be addictive.

What is the relationship between age and limitations in daily living activities?

Limitations in ADLs and IADLs occur more frequently in individuals aged 85 and older.

What are the two main components of intelligence as conceptualized by aging researchers?

Fluid intelligence (Gf) and crystallized intelligence (Gc).

What does fluid intelligence (Gf) refer to?

Raw intelligence that is largely a function of the integrity of the central nervous system and often shows age-related decline.

What is crystallized intelligence (Gc) primarily influenced by?

Education, experience, and cultural exposure.

How do mechanics and pragmatics relate to fluid and crystallized intelligence?

Mechanics are analogous to fluid intelligence (Gf) and show gradual age-related decline; pragmatics are analogous to crystallized intelligence (Gc) and can show cognitive growth.

What is the psychometric approach to intelligence?

It uses standardized tests to assess various aspects of cognitive ability, yielding quantitative scores.

What does an individual's IQ score represent?

How an individual's score compares with scores of age peers from a standardization sample.