PT 23 LEC: Late Childhood to Old Age

characteristics of late childhood (parents)

- troublesome age
- sloppy age
- quarrelsome age

characteristics of late childhood (educators)

- elementary school age
- critical period in achievement drive

characteristics of late childhood (psych)

- gang age
- age of conformity
- creative/play age

new challenge of late childhood

- Power to consider multiple factors simultaneously
- the ability to evaluate for themselves & perceive the evaluation of others

central issue of late childhood

self-esteem

health development of late childhood

independence, acceptance, negotiate challenges from outside world

state in late childhood

state of disequilibrium

late childhood duration

1st grade to last 2 years (sexually mature)

key physical development in late childhood

- fat develops more rapidly than muscle
- loss of deciduous teeth
- immature sex organs

motor skills in late childhood

- girls -> fine motor
- boys -> gross motor
- self-help & social help

language in late childhood

- improved speech
- socialized speech
- less errors, more control & selection of speech

developmental skills in late childhood

- self-help
- social help
- school
- play

cognitive development in late childhood

concrete operational stage

emotional development in late childhood

- heightened emotionality
- emotional catharsis
- appropriate expression

child vs adolescent gang

- fun vs retaliation
- popular vs outcasts
- same sex vs hetero
- same age & interests vs common revenge factor

characteristics of children's gang

- play groups
- invite only w/ same sex
- "secret" meeting place
- boys socially unacceptable vs girls
- leader is superior

companions

- associates, playmates, friends
- boys: extensive
- girls: intensive

sociometric status

status enjoyed in social group

moral development in late childhood

- adjusted to specific situation
- moral relativism vs moral inflexibility
- level of conventional morality
- "white lies"
- moral codes, discipline, conscience

conscience

coordinated anxiety response to certain kinds of situations & actions which has been built by associating certain acts with punishment

guilt

negative self evaluation when an individual acknowledges his behavior is at variance with a given moral value to which he is obligated to conform

shame

an unpleasant emotional reaction of an individual to an actual or presumed negative judgment of himself by others

misdemeanors in late childhood

can be home or school

causes of misdemeanors in late childhood

- ignorance to disapproval
- attention seeking
- test authority to assert independence
- boredom
- conformity to gang behavior

sex-role typing in late childhood

influenced by environment (both people & mass media); macho vs feminism

personality development in late childhood

- self concept continues to evolve
- ideal: hero worship
- search for identity

physical hazards in late childhood

- illness
- obesity
- build inappropriate for sex
- accidents
- physical disabilities
- awkwardness
- homeliness

psych hazards in late childhood

- speech
- emotional
- social
- play
- conceptual
- moral
- interests
- sex-role typing
- family relationships
- personality development

physical growth comparison of early vs late childhood

late childhood is slower & relatively even; influenced by health, nutrition, immunization, sex, and intelligence

skills of late childhood are influenced by

handedness

areas of speech in late childhood

- pronunciations, vocab, & sentence structure improve
- but content of speech deteriorates

puberty or preadolescence duration

10-12 to 13-14 yrs

stages of adolescence

prepubescent, pubescent, postpubescent

pubertas

age of manhood

characteristics of puberty

- overlapping period
- short period
- divided into stages
- rapid growth & change
- negative phase
- occurs at variable age

prepubescent stage

- overlaps last 2 yrs of childhood
- no longer child but not yet adolescent
- 2ndary sexy characs but not fully developed sex organs

pubescent stage

- dividing line; menarche & nocturnal emissions
- continues dev of 2ndary sex characs & cells in sex organs

postpubescent stage

- overlaps first 2 yrs of adolescence
- well-developed 2ndary sex characs, sex organs more mature

causes of onset of puberty

- anterior pituitary gland secretes growth hormone & gonadotropic hormone
- gonads mature

3 hormone axes

- HPG
- HPA
- GHA

criteria of puberty

- menarche
- nocturnal emissions
- chemical analysis
- x-rays

body size in puberty

- change in ht & wt
- girls: greatets wt gain before/just after menarche
- boys: max gain 1-2 yrs later than girls

body proportions in puberty

- thin long trunk in older children; broad hips/shoulders + development of waistline

primary sex characteristics in puberty: boys

gonads or testes located in scrotum, 10% mature size at 14 yrs old -> rapid growth -> fully developed by 20-21 yrs old.

primary sex characteristics in puberty: girls

- onset of menarche
- irreg intervals & length
- adolescent sterility

gonadarche

- activation of HPG axis
- testes in men & breast budding (thelarche) in women

adrenarche

- activation of HPA axis
- pubic hair (pubarche)

deviant maturer

one whose sexual maturation deviates by a year or more from the norm for the individual's sex group, in the time at which sexual maturation occurs, or by a year or more from the norm for the individual's sex group in the time needed to complete the maturation process.

physical hazards of puberty

- accidents more than illness
- endocrine imbalance

psych hazards of puberty

- unfavorable self concept
- underachievement
- lack of preparation
- acceptance of changed bodies
- acceptance of socially approved sex roles
- deviations in sexual maturing

puberty is sometimes called

the negative phase

2 major concerns of puberty

normalcy & sex-appropriateness

adolescence duration

- female: 10-18 yrs
- male: 12-20 yrs

adolescere

to grow or to grow to maturity

3 periods of adolescence

early, middle, late

characteristics of adolescence

- important period
- transition period
- period of change
- problem age
- time of search for identity
- dreaded age
- time of unrealism
- threshold of adulthood

emotionality in adolescence

STORM & STRESS

social changes in adolescence

- increased peer grp influence
- changes in social behavior
- new social grouping
- new values in selecting friends
- new values in social acceptance
- new values in selecting leaders
- acceptance vs alienation
- interests

morality in adolescence

- FORMAL OPERATIONS STAGE
- post-conventional morality should be reached

3 major tasks to achieve adult morality

- replacing specific with general moral concepts
- moral code
- assuming inner control

sexual development in adolescence

- development of heterosexuality
- patterns of behavior & attitudes
- approved sex-roles; reinforced sex-role typing

personality changes in adolescence

- realizing good & bad traits
- realizing role of personality in social relationships
- quantitative change vs qualitative

physical hazards of adolescence

- mortality (MVA)
- suicide (#2 cause of death)
- physical defects
- clumsiness, awkwardness
- sex-inappropriate body build
- attractiveness

psychological hazards in adolescence

- sexual behavior
- social behavior
- moral behavior
- family relationships
- failure to make transitions to maturity

common obstacles to making transition to maturity

- poor foundations
- late maturing
- prolonged treatment as children
- role change
- prolonged dependency

major psychological hazard in adolescence

FAILURE to make transition to maturity

adolescence is remembered as

an unhappy age

early adulthood duration

18-40 yrs (20 in some)

adultus

grown to full size and strength

3 stages of adulthood

early, middle, late

characteristics of early adulthood

- settling down age
- reproductive age
- problem age
- period of emotional tension
- period of social isolation
- period of commitments
- period of dependency
- period of value change
- period of adjustments to new lifestyles
- creative age

interests in early adulthood

- appearance
- clothes & personal adornment
- symbols of maturity
- status symbols
- money
- religion
- recreational interests

social mobility

moving from 1 social grp to another

personal & social hazards in early adulthood

- physical
- religious
- social
- sex-role

adulthood is the ___ period of lifespan

longest

aids to mastering developmental tasks in early adulthood

- physical efficiency
- motor & mental abilities
- motivation
- good role model

greatest change in early adulthood

narrowing down range of interests

isolation crisis

time of loneliness due to isolation from social group

difficulties in mastering developmental tasks in early adulthood

- inadequate foundations
- physical handicaps
- discontinuities in training
- parental overprotectiveness
- prolongation of peer group influence
- unrealistic aspirations

most common & important physical hazard in early adulthood

physical unattractiveness

two important religious hazards in early adulthood

- adjusting to new religion
- pressure to adopt another faith

middle age duration

- 40-65 yrs (or 60)

characteristics of middle age

- dreaded period
- time of transition
- time of stress
- dangerous age
- awkward age
- time of achievement
- time of evaluation
- evaluated by a double standard
- time of the empty nest
- time of boredom

developmental tasks of middle age

- physical changes
- changed interests
- vocational adjustments
- family life

menopausal syndrome

- cessation of menstruation
- atrophy of reproductive system
- decline in feminine appearance
- physical discomforts
- weight gain
- knobbiness
- personality changes

male climacteric syndrome

- decline in sex organ function
- decline in sexual desire
- decline in masculine appearance
- anxiety about virility
- physical discomforts
- decline in strength & endurance
- personality changes

success of adjusting to physical changes is aided by

camouflaging the telltale signs of aging

important personal hazards in middle age

- acceptance of trad beliefs of middle age
- idealization of youth
- unrealistic aspirations
- changes in roles, interests, and values placed on status symbols

middle age is also called

shrinking circle stage

criteria for successful adjustment in middle age

- achievements
- emotional states
- effects of phys & psych changes on personality
- degree of satisfaction or happiness

old age duration

60 (or 65) years to death

old age subdivided into

- early/elderly (60-70)
- advance/old (70 to death)

characteristics of old age

- period of decline
- individual differences in effects of aging
- judge by diff criteria
- many stereotypes of old ppl
- social attitudes toward old age
- minority-group status
- aging requires role changes
- poor adjustment
- desire for rejuvenation

senescence

a time of growing old or of aging

senility

period during old age when more or less complete physical breakdown takes place & when there is mental disorganization

problems unique to old age

- physical dependency
- economic insecurity
- establishing living conditions
- making new friends to replace dead/disabled/gone ones
- developing new activities
- learning to treat grown children as adults
- involvement in activities planned for elderly
- being victimized/taken advantage

developmental tasks of old age

- adjustment to physical changes
- changes in mental abilities
- changes in interest
- vocational adjustments
- adjustments to changes in family life

physical hazards of old age

- disease & handicaps
- malnutrition
- dental disorders
- sexual deprivation
- accidents

psychological hazards of old age

- acceptance of cultural stereotypes
- effects of physical changes
- changes in life patterns
- tendency to "slip" mentally
- feeling of guilt about idleness; reduced income
- social disengagement

vocational hazards of old age

- prevention from working
- retirement