Transcript CHAPTER 3 Affirmative Aging

CHAPTER 3
Affirmative Aging - Adulthood
Chapter Overview
Affirmative
Aging-Adulthood
Decisions--Early Adulthood
Leaving Home
Choosing a Career
Establishing Close Relationships
Starting a Family
Aging Gracefully—Late
Adulthood
Physical and Cognitive Changes
Personal and Social Adjustment
Retirement
Successful Aging
Same Old?--Middle
Adulthood
Midlife Transition or Midlife Crisis?
Physical and Cognitive Changes
Possible Career Changes
Sexual Changes
Chapter Summary
Adult Development
Decisions, Decisions, Decisions –
Early Adulthood
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Leaving Home
Choosing a Career
Establishing Close Relationships
Starting a Family
Chapter Summary cont’d
Same Old, Same Old – Middle
Adulthood
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Midlife Transition or Midlife Crisis?
Physical and Cognitive Changes
Possible Career Changes
Sexual Changes
Chapter Summary cont’d
Aging Gracefully – Late
Adulthood
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Physical and Cognitive Changes
Personal and Social Adjustment
Retirement
Successful Aging
Adult Development
Development
Our capabilities and behaviors continue to
change as we grow older not only because
of biological growth processes but also
because of our understanding of and
interactions with our environment.
Adult Development
Adulthood
The period of life from physical maturity
on, consisting of a sequence of physical
and physiological changes throughout
early, middle, and late adulthood.
Adult Development cont’d
Certain themes are important to
adult development:
 Adulthood is a period of
continued development and
personal change.
 Increased importance of
individual differences as we
age.
Adult Development cont’d
Why are individual differences so
noticeable in adulthood?
 Non-age-related changes are more
prominent: Events, influences that are
unique to each of us and may occur at
any age or not at all (e.g., illness, loss).
 Through adolescence, age-related
changes are more prominent: Changes
which occur at a given age (e.g.,
puberty, high-school graduation).
Decisions, Decisions, Decisions–
Early Adulthood
Leaving Home
 An important task in early adulthood!
 …creates perception of separation from
family.
 External aspects:
 moving out of childhood home
 being less dependent on our parents.
Decisions, Decisions, Decisions–
Early Adulthood
cont’d
Leaving Home
 Internal aspects:
 Differentiation from
parents
 More autonomous
decision-making.
 …can cause
personal adjustment
problems.
 Trends indicate
more young adults
are moving back in!
Decisions, Decisions, Decisions–
Early Adulthood
cont’d
Choosing a Career
 …more than mere selection—preparation!
 The aim: to “make something of ourselves” and to
provide stability.
 Financial security influences choices…
 …can cause problems of adjustment.
Decisions, Decisions, Decisions–
Early Adulthood
cont’d
 …another developmental
task of young adulthood.
 Young adults uncertain
about themselves may be
afraid of establishing close
ties….
 When intimate,
relationships are
noncommittal, the
relationship is unstable; the
more committed partner
may feel vulnerable.
Establishing
Close
Relationships
Decisions, Decisions, Decisions–
Early Adulthood
cont’d
Starting a Family
TRENDS:
• Young adults are
more thoughtful
about marriage,
families. RESULT:
They marry and
start families
later.
• There is more
“voluntary
childlessness” too.
• …working parents
have fewer hours a
week to spend with
their children.
• Women’s educational,
career plans are
influenced more by
family needs than are
men’s.
Same Old, Same Old?-Middle Adulthood
Middle Adulthood:
that era between the late
30s and the 60s that is
generally characterized
by fulfillment of career
and family goals.
Same Old, Same Old?Middle Adulthood
cont’d
Midlife Transition or Midlife Crisis?
The midlife transition:
a period of personal evaluation that comes
sometimes with the realization that one’s life is
about half over.
 Some people try hide the signs of middle
age…
 Transitions can cause problems of
adjustment at this stage, too.
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Children leaving home
Caring for aging parents
The death of one’s parents
Friends and neighbors retiring or moving
Same Old, Same Old?-Middle Adulthood
cont’d
Midlife Transition or Midlife Crisis?
Middle age--not
necessarily a period
of instability, crisis.
 …emotions tend to
soften.
 Middle-aged adults
report as much
happiness and
satisfaction as people
in their twenties and
thirties!
 Factors predictive of
happiness and stability
in midlife: religiosity, a
stable marriage, good
health.
Same Old, Same Old?-Middle Adulthood
cont’d
Physical and Cognitive Changes
Physical Changes
 Weight gain
 Activity level decreases, pace slows
 Recovery from illness takes longer
 Decreased susceptibility to illness because of
increased resistance
 Those who remain physically active tend to
be healthier
Same Old, Same Old?-Middle Adulthood
cont’d
Physical and Cognitive Changes
Cognitive Changes
 Around age 50, people begin to differ more
in their cognitive abilities.
 Spatial ability and abstract reasoning may
begin to decline.
 Early-onset of Alzheimer’s disease--a
dementia of old age--can produce mild
cognitive impairments (MCI).
Same Old, Same Old?-Middle Adulthood
cont’d
Possible Career
Changes
Middle-aged people may
seek new jobs or new
careers.
Changes for women
If they:
worked, they may make a
late attempt to start a
family.
stayed home, they may
return to the workforce.
Some return to school as
nontraditional students.
Same Old, Same Old?-Middle Adulthood
cont’d
Sexual Changes
Women
Menopause-the cessation of monthly
menstrual cycles; signals an end to the
childbearing years.
 Hormone replacement therapy? Has
recently been shown to cause serious
adverse side effects.
 Most women find other changes (e.g.
caring for elderly parents) to be more
distressing!
Same Old, Same Old?-Middle Adulthood
cont’d
Sexual Changes
Men
The climacteric-the loss of reproductive
capacity.
 Includes the diminution of sexual vigor,
decrease in testosterone secretion, and
reduced fertility.
 Men reach this 5 to 10 years later than women
reach menopause.
Men and women who take these changes in stride
are able to find continued sexual satisfaction in
middle age!
Aging Gracefully–Late Adulthood
Late adulthood:
The final stage of adult development, from
mid-60s to death and is characterized by
adjustment to changing health, income,
and social roles.
Aging Gracefully–Late Adulthood
cont’d
Introduction
 Older people are likely
to encounter ageismnegative attitudes and
treatment (especially of
older Americans)
because of age.
 The federal
government has agerelated protections in
place to prevent
discrimination….
Aging Gracefully–Late Adulthood
cont’d
Physical Changes
 ...distinction between the young elderly--65-74
years; the old elderly--75 years an up; latter
group experiences more infirmity.
 Aging–the biological processes that come with
advancing years, which increases the risk of
illness and death, and is usually accompanied by
appropriate psychosocial changes.
 Bodily processes slow
 Decreased visual and auditory acuity
 Sleep is less restful
 Likelihood of death due to illness increases
Aging Gracefully–Late Adulthood
cont’d
Cognitive Changes
 …decline is not inevitable!
 Fluid intelligence--the ability to process new
information based on perceptual skills and a
memory.
 Crystallized intelligence--the ability to use
accumulated knowledge to make judgments and
solve problems.
 …fluid intelligence is affected more by aging.
 Creativity may peak!
 Temporal memory (remembering things related
to time) may be affected; other forms of memory
aren’t necessarily affected.
Aging Gracefully–Late Adulthood
cont’d
Personal and Social Adjustment
Activity, involvement = integrity!
 …having an internal locus of control, the belief that
something within him- or herself controls life events,
helps!
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For example, most elderly Americans prefer to live in their
own homes….
 Older women typically outlive their husbands so have
more adjustments to make.
 Poverty can be a factor….
Aging Gracefully–Late Adulthood
cont’d
 Attitudes about and
reasons for retirement
vary from person to
person.
 …the more “voluntary”
the retirement, the better
the adjustment to it.
 Adequate income is
important to successful
retirement; Social
Security is not sufficient.
Retirement
Aging Gracefully–Late Adulthood
cont’d
Retirement
RESEARCH INDICATES THAT:
 Retirement does not
cause a decline in selfesteem.
 Older Americans value
post-retirement activities
(e.g., volunteer work or
part-time employment).
Aging Gracefully–Late Adulthood
cont’d
Successful Aging
WHAT IS THE KEY?
 The activity theory of aging--individuals who
remain active age most successfully; OR
 The disengagement theory of aging-individuals who disconnect from society as they
age, age more normally.
 … each person adopts a style of aging that best
suits his or her needs and personality.
Aging Gracefully–Late Adulthood
cont’d
Successful Aging
“Why does grandma tell so many stories about
growing up?”
 The life review--a naturally-occurring process
of self-review prompted by the realization that
life is approaching its end.
 These help the older person to assess his or her
life; leave a record of the past for others.
 Individuals who felt satisfied with their earlier
lives will likely age most successfully.