Chapter 25: Psychosocial Development Notes

Theories of Late Adulthood

Self Theories

• Emphasize the core self and the search to maintain integrity and identity.
• Integrity versus despair manifests as a life review, where older adults integrate their experiences with their vision of community (Erikson).
• Accepting one's life and retaining identity despite changes is critical.

Holding on to the Self

• Personalities and attitudes remain stable despite physical changes.
• Objects and places become precious for maintaining identity.

Socioemotional Selectivity Theory

• Older people prioritize emotional regulation and seek familiar social contacts.
• These contacts reinforce generativity, pride, and joy.
• Positivity effect: Elderly people remember positive experiences more than negative ones.

Stratification Theories

• Social forces limit individual choices and affect functioning in late adulthood.
• Past stratification continues to limit life in various ways.
• Stereotypes add to stratification.

Stratification by Gender

• Irrational fear may limit women’s independence.
• Young women typically marry older men.
• Men seek medical help less than women.

Ethnic Stratification

• Factors like education, health, employment, and residence create income discrepancies.
• Immigrant elders face challenges related to cultural differences, housing, and stereotypes.

Income Stratification

• Poverty magnifies stratification of gender, ethnicity, and age.
• Employment is related to income (e.g., Social Security).
• Stress and disadvantages accumulate with age.

Age Stratification: Opposing Theories

Disengagement Theory

• Aging narrows a person’s social sphere, leading to role relinquishment, withdrawal, and passivity.

Activity Theory

• Elderly people want to remain active in social spheres and become withdrawn unwillingly due to ageism.

Technology in Late Adulthood

• Advocates envision benefits from the internet.
• No consensus on how technology affects older people's development.
• Most over 65 use the internet for connection, shopping, and information, but less than younger adults.

Activities in Late Adulthood

Working

• Older people's activities are intense and varied.
• Volunteer work provides psychological benefits.
• Work provides social support, status, and self-esteem.
• Employment allows generativity.

Retirement

• Employees over 65 stay on the job for social recognition and self-fulfillment.
• Retirement was once believed to cause illness and death, but this isn't necessarily true.

Volunteer Work

• Linked to generativity, social connections, less depression, and health.
• May reduce death rate.
• Increased by knowing someone who volunteers, encouragement, and suggestions.

Home

• Favorite activities include caring for homes and needs.
• Aging in place involves remaining in the same home and community, adjusting but not leaving.
• Interruption of social connections is harmful, especially for women.

Naturally Occurring Retirement Community (NORC)

• Neighborhood with mostly retired people who moved there as younger adults.
• Aging in place and NORCs are supported by the social convoy of close relationships.

Religious Involvement

• Correlates with physical and emotional health.
• Religious prohibitions encourage good habits.
• Faith communities promote caring relationships.
• Beliefs give meaning for life and death, reducing stress.
• Important for older members of minority groups, often stronger than national or ethnic identity.

Political Activity

• About 2% volunteer in political campaigns.
• 7% of people aged 65+ volunteer for political groups.
• They write letters, identify with parties, vote, and stay current with news more than any other age group.

Friends and Relatives

Long-Term Partnerships

• Strong marriages buffer against old age problems.
• Positive spouse portrayal facilitates discussions and integration.
• Couples achieve selective optimization with compensation.

Relationships with Younger Generations

• Adults often outlive their grandchildren.
• Families may span five generations.
• Beanpole family: multiple generations with few members in each.
• Changing close family relationships.

Intergenerational Relationships

• Familism prompts family caregiving.
• Filial responsibility varies by culture.
• Older U.S. adults value independence and provide more help than they receive.
• Conflict may be frequent in emotionally close relationships.
• Developmental age may impact ambivalence.

Parent and Adult Children Relationships

• Affected by assistance needs, ability to provide, geographical proximity (not affection), childhood interactions, sons' obligation, and daughters' affection.

Grandparents

• Most (85%) elders over 65 are grandparents.
• Factors influencing the relationship include personality, ethnicity, national background, past family interactions, age, and child’s personality.

Friendship

• Middle-aged adults may have no children.
• Elderly without spouses have friendships and social connections.
• Older adults need at least one close companion.

The Frail Elderly

Definition

• People over 65 (often over 85) who are physically infirm, ill, or cognitively disabled.
• Frailty is common preceding death (terminal decline).
• North Americans who live to 95 are mostly independent.

Activities of Daily Life (ADLs)

• Actions important to independent living:
  • Eating
  • Bathing
  • Toileting
  • Dressing
  • Transferring from bed to chair
• Inability to perform these tasks is a sign of frailty.

Instrumental Activities of Daily Life (IADLs)

• Actions important to independent living requiring intellect and forethought (e.g., paying bills, driving).

Caring for the Frail Elderly

• Cultural differences in frail elderly care.
• Family caregivers experience stress, health risks, and depression (especially with NCD).
• In the U.S., the spouse is the usual caregiver.

Risks in Caregiving

• Resentment and social isolation lead to depression, poor health, and abuse.
• Elder abuse is more likely when:
  • Caregiver has emotional problems or substance abuse.
  • Care receiver is frail, confused, and demanding.
  • Care location is isolated.

Long-Term Care

• Good nursing care is available for those who can afford it.
• Allows independence, choice, and privacy.
• Provides continuity of care from trained staff.

Alternative Care

• Assisted living combines privacy and independence with medical supervision.
• Ranges from group homes to large developments.
• Assisted-living facilities have increased as nursing homes have decreased.