Chapter 7 Psych 376

senescene

natural physical decline brought by increasing age

disability

condition that substantially limits a major life activity such as walking or vision

osteoporosis

thinning of bones

secondary aging

physical decline brought by environmental factors/behavioral choices

stress

physical and emotional response to events that threaten or challenge us

stressors

events & circumstances that can cause stress

psychoneuroimmunology

study of the relationship among the brain, immune system, and psychological factors

acute stressors

sudden, 1 time events

chronic stressors

long-term and continuous events

primary appraisal

individual’s assessment of an event to determine if the implications are positive, negative, or neutral.

If seen as negative, the person asses the amount of harm caused in the past, how threatening, and how much you can resist the challenge.

secondary appraisal

“Can I handle it?”

• assesses coping abilities and resources on hand; if lacking, stress increases

immune system

organs, glands, and cells that are the body’s line of defense against disease

coping

effort to control or tolerate threats that lead to stress

problem-focused coping

managing a threatening situation by directly changing it to make it less stressful

emotion focused coping

consciously regulating emotion

social support

assistance & comfort supplied by others

defensive coping

unconscious strategies that distort/deny the true nature of a situation

postformal thought (Gisela)

• acknowledges that adult predicaments need to be realistic; there isn’t a black and white in all situations

• past Piaget’s formal operations

dualistic thinking (Perry)

black and white thinking

relativistic

acknowledging that a situation can have multiple sides to it and that there isn’t a right or wrong answer

What did Schaie propose?

adult thinking follows set of patterns

• focused on ways in which info is used during adulthood rather than understanding new info like Piaget

acquisitive stage

Info gathered before we grow up is pushed away for further use

achieving stage

young adults must confront/resolve major issues and the decisions they make can have implications for the rest of their lives

responsible stage

concern with protecting and nourishing spouses, families, and careers

executive stage

become more concerned about the larger world & put energy into sustaining societal institutions

reintegrative stage

focus on tasks that have personal meaning

Componential (Sternberg)

mental components to solve problems (using formulas)

Experiential (Sternberg)

ability to cope with new situations

Contextual (Sternberg)

demands of everyday, real world environments (like adapting to on-the-job demands)

practical intelligence

contextual component

• learned by observing others and modeling their behavior

emotional intelligence

helps people get along with others

creativity

combining responses/ideas in novel ways

maturation reform

change in attitude can reduce risk-taking behavior and cause more focus on acquiring the ability to support their family

hostile sexism

people treat women in a way that is very harmful

benevolent sexism

women are placed in stereotypical roles that appear to be positive

stereotype threat

obstacles to performance that come from awareness of stereotypes held by society about academic abilities

first-year adjustment reaction

symptoms of loneliness, anxiety, and depression in relation to college experiences

identity exploration

learning to make important decisions about love, work, and one’s core beliefs and values

instability

things can fluctuate a LOT

self-focus

focus on self and not really your parents

Intimacy vs Isolation stage

period of post adolescence

• focus on developing close, intimate relationships with others

passionate/romantic love

physiological interest and arousal and want to care for another’s needs

companionate love

strong affection for whom our lives are deeply involved

labeling theory of passionate love (Hatfield & Berscheid)

intense physiological arousal + situational cues indicate when love is the appropriate label

Intimacy component (Sternberg)

feelings of closeness, affection, and connectedness

Passion component (Sternberg)

motivational drives relating to sex, physical closeness, and romance

Decision/Commitment component (Sternberg)

initial cognition that one loves another person and the longer-term determination to maintain that love

nonlove

people who have only causal relationships

liking

only when intimacy is present

infatuated love

when only passion is felt

empty love

exists when only decision/commitment is present

romantic love

only when intimacy and passion are present

companionate love

only intimacy & decision/commit are present

fatuous love

when there is passion and decision/commitment but no intimacy

consummate love

all three components of love are present

filter explanation

people seeking a mate screen potential candidates through successively finer-grained filters

homogamy

tendency to marry someone who is similar in age, race, education, religion, and other basic demographic characteristics

marriage gradient

men tend to marry younger, smaller, and lower in status women while women tend to marry older, larger, and higher in status men

avoidant attachment style

less invested in relationships, have higher break-up rates, and often feel lonely

ambivalent attachment style

become overly invested in relationships and have low self-esteem

cohabitation

living together before marriage

singlehood

living alone w/o an intimate partner

career consolidation

bt/wn ages 20-40, focus on careers

extrinsic motivation

ppl want to obtain tangible rewards such as money

intrinsic motivation

people work for their own enjoyment

status

the evaluation by society of the role a person plays

fantasy period

people make choices without any regard to skills, abilities, or available job opportunities

tentative period

people think more practically about the requirements