NVCC PSY 230 Exam2

Commitment scripts

type of autobiography produced by highly-generative adults that involve childhood memories of feeling special; being unusually sensitive to other's misfortunes; having a strong, enduring mission from adolescence; and redemption sequences

Redemption sequences

examples of devastating events that turned out in a positive way

What maturity and happiness changes occur in midlife

maturity and happiness increase

What's the WAIS & what does it tell us?

Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale. Measures adult IQ, includes verbal and performance scales

What were the findings of the Seattle Longitudinal study?

showed that we reach intellectual peak in midlife. Verbal scores decline slower than timed ones.

What is the difference between crystallized and fluid intelligence and how do these change in midlife?

Crystallized- knowledge base

Fluid- ability to quickly master new intellectual abilities

midlife- fluid declines rapidly, crystallized continues until around 60, then dips in all except negotiating relationships

What are some strategies to keep mentally fit?

stay fit, mental stimulation (involving people) matters, keep learning

Postformal thought

relativistic, feeling-oriented, question-driven

a uniquely adult form of intelligence that involves being sensitive to different perspectives, making decisions based on inner feelings, and being interested in exploring new questions.

What roles do grandparents play in today's society?

family watchdog, mediators, cheerleaders, family cement, a few are caregiving grandparents

What is parent care?

adult children's care for disabled elderly parents

What is the "sandwich generation," and what are the characteristics of this role?

women pulled between care of kids and elderly parents.

Menopause

Age related process that occurs around age 50 in which ovulation and menstruation stop due to drop in estrogen.

Sexual changes with age

blood flow decreases, takes longer to produce lubrication, vaginal walls thin, shortens and narrows.

What memory changes occur in later life?

Expanding crystallized memory, becoming wise, declining ability to recognize new faces, names of new places.

Can remember if they've seen something before, word recollection much more difficult (analogous to multiple choice v fill in the blank). More attribution errors.

Especially poor at divided attention tasks.

What is the information-processing perspective on memory change?

Limited memory-bin space, but working memory gets worse. Possibly due to decline of the executive processor (turns material into memories). Deterioration of the frontal lobes.

What is the memory-systems perspective?

Procedural memory- automatically remember. E.g. ride a bike.

Semantic memory- basic factual knowledge.

Episodic memory- ongoing events of daily life.

Episodic is first to go because it requires frontal lobe use, which declines with aging. prin

Socioemotional selectivity theory

principal that in old age, we tend to make the most of every moment.

Erikson: integrity v despair

(late 60s+) to reach integrity, one must review lives and make peace with what they've done; but does not involve dwelling on the past. Should have sense of purpose.

What is the traditional retirement age? How has this changed over time? What are some cultural differences in retirement?

Traditional 65. Now 66. For people born after 1970, it's 67. Some places (eg. Bangladesh, Jamaica, Mexico) have no retirement.

What is age discrimination

illegally laying off workers or failing to hire or promote them based on age

How are the elderly "at risk"?

Lack of pension, income & other assets. Probable future cutbacks on Social Security. (1950- 16 workers to 1 retiree; soon will be 2 to 1).

Age discrimination.

What helps widows cope with their loss?

finding self-efficacy. Life traumas can promote emotional growth. Friends seem more important than children in seeing how widows adjust.

What is the socioeconomic/health gap that has been documented by researchers? What are the real implications of this gap?

Disparity between rich and poor in health. At age 55, only 5% of ppl in top quarter of income distribution reported being in poor health; bottom quarter odds were 1 in 3.

What are ethnic and gender differences in aging and disease?

Women live longer, but are more frail. Men live more health years.

Sensory impairments: vision, hearing

Vision- problems seeing in dim lighting; sensitive to glare; trouble seeing close objects. presbyopia is age-related difficulty seeing close objects

Hearing- Loss of hearing high pitched tones. presbycusis is age-related hearing loss.

What is dementia? What is the process of dementia? What are the two main causes?

Avg time from diagnosis to death is 4-10 yrs.

Vascular- impairments in vascular problems- small strokes.

Neurocognitive (Alzheimer's)- neurofibrillary tangles replace neurons; development of protein bodies (senile plaques)

How are we currently treating Alzheimer's?

mental exercise, physical exercise, trying to dissolve plaques

What options exist for elderly care?

Nursing home, assisted living, day-care programs, home health services, continuing-care retirement community (ultimate person-environment fit)

Thanatology

The study of death and dying

Cultural differences in death and dying

Kubler-Ross's stages of dying- what are the stages and what are the criticisms of the theory?

denial, anger, bargaining, depression & acceptance

What is middle knowledge

Idea that terminally ill people can know they're dying yet simultaneously not grasp or come to terms emotionally with that fact.

What is a "good death"

minimize pain & fear; be close to loved ones; enhance spirituality; feel life has meaning

Dying trajectory

fact that hospital personnel make projections about when and how someone will die, and will organize their care to the prediction

End-of-life instruction

courses for medical professionals devoted to how to provide the best palliative care.

Palliative-care

any intervention designed not to cure illness but to promote dignified dying

Hospice care

providing backup care that allows people to die with dignity at home. provide scheduled care, 24 hr help in crisis, as well as bereavement counseling

Advance directives- what are the variations

any written document spelling out instructions with regard to life-prolonging treatment at end of life.

Living will

durable power of attorney for health care

DNR- when impaired, consulting dr and family

DNHospitalize- specific to nursing homes. States mentally impaired resident not be transferred to hospital for emergency care.

What is euthanasia? Passive v active?

What are the guidelines for physician-assisted suicide in Oregon where it is legal?

1. an adult (age 18 or older), an Oregon resident, capable (able to make and communicate health care decisions), and diagnosed with a terminal illness (incurable and irreversible) that will lead to death within six months.

-if these are fulfilled, then:

1. the patient must make two oral requests to his physician, separated by at least 15 days; must provide a written, witnessed request to dr (two witnesses); confirmation of prognosis, determination of if capable by 2 dr; if either believes the patient's judgment is impaired by a psychiatric or psychological disorder, must refer the patient for a psychological examination; must inform the patient of feasible alternatives to assisted suicide, including comfort care, hospice care, and pain control; and dr must request, but may not require, the patient to notify his next-of-kin of the prescription request.

What is the "age-based rationing of care"?

controversial idea that society should not use expensive life-sustaining technologies on the very-elderly.