Transcript Chapter 14
Chapter 14 Development Development Adolescence Young and Middle Adulthood Late Adulthood Successful Aging Adolescence • Adolescence: The period of life bounded by puberty and the assumption of adult responsibilities. • Adolescence presents mixed feelings for many individuals. Physical Changes • One of the most noticeable physical developments of adolescence is a growth spurt. • The adolescent growth spurt lasts for 2 to 3 years. • In boys, the weight of muscle mass increases notably. Physical Changes • Puberty: The period of physical development during which sexual reproduction becomes possible. • Secondary sex characteristics: Characteristics that distinguish the sexes, such as distribution of body hair and depth of voice, but that are not directly involved in reproduction. • Menarche: The beginning of menstruation. Usually occurs between the ages of 11 and 14. Cognitive Development • Piaget’s Formal Operational Stage: The stage of cognitive development associated with abstract logical thought and deduction from principles. • Egocentrism: Placing oneself at the center of one’s psychological world; inability to view the world from the perspective of others. Egocentrism • Adolescent thought is marked by the sort of egocentrism in which they can understand the thoughts of others but have difficulty separating what is of concern to others versus of concern to themselves. • This gives rise to the Imaginary Audience and Personal Fable. Egocentrism • Imaginary Audience: An aspect of adolescent egocentrism: The belief that other people are as concerned with our thoughts and behaviors as we are. • Personal Fable: The belief that our feelings and ideas are special and unique and that we are invulnerable. Social and Personality Development • Adolescents typically experience stress and conflict in three areas: parents, mood and risky behavior. • Adolescents with strong traditional roots experience less stress and conflict than those who are swayed by risk-taking peers and media imagery. Social and Personality Development • Minority youths experience stress over whether or not they should (or are even able to) adopt the attitudes and behavior patterns of the dominant culture. • Each year, 1 in 10 adolescent girls becomes pregnant. Nearly 10% of teenage boys and 20% of teenage girls attempt suicide. • Adolescents also strive to become independent from their parents and often engage in quite risky behavior. Social and Personality Development • Ego Identity: Erikson’s life crisis of adolescence, which is characterized by the challenge of developing a clear commitment to a set of personal beliefs and public role. • Ego identity: Erikson’s term for a firm sense of who one I and what one stands for. • Role diffusion: Erikson’s term for lack of clarity in one’s life roles. Sexual Adjustment • Adolescents often struggle with how and when to express their awakening sexuality. • Even though young people today hold more lenient attitudes toward premarital sex, the rates of sexual intercourse among teens have been dropping in recent years. • More teens are postponing sexual relations due to fear of STDs. Emerging Adulthood • Emerging Adulthood: A hypothesized period of development found in wealthier societies that spans the ages of 18 to 25 and is characterized by prolonged role exploration. • Many 20 and 30 year olds still live with their parents. Have you reached adulthood? Physical Development in Adulthood • People are living longer than ever before and are freer than ever to choose their destiny. • Physical development peaks in young adulthood. Most people are at the height of sensory sharpness, strength, reaction time, and cardiovascular fitness. • As we enter our middle years, we are likely to lose some of our physical abilities. However, the years between 40 and 60 are relatively stable in terms of physical conditioning. Menopause • Menopause: The cessation of menstruation. Usually occurs during the late forties or early fifties. Menopause is the final stage of the climacteric. • Climacteric: The multiyear process triggered by the falloff in production of sex hormones in which menstrual periods become irregular and finally cease. • Osteoporosis: A condition characterized by porosity, and hence brittleness, of the bones. This condition is more common in women. Manopause? • Also referred to as andropause. Characterized by a drop-off in androgens that normally occurs in men starting in their early 40s. • This drop-off may lead to reduced muscle strength, reduction of sex drive, and lack of energy. • Sexual performance may be impacted. Cognitive Development • People are also at the height of their cognitive powers during early adulthood. • Some aspects of cognitive functioning (memory, for example) decline with age. • But declines in memory are not usually as large as people assume and can be reversed. Cognitive Development • Crystallized Intelligence: A person’s lifetime of intellectual attainments, as shown by vocabulary, accumulated facts about world affairs, and ability to solve problems within one’s area of expertise. • Fluid Intelligence: Mental flexibility, as shown by the ability to process information rapidly, as in learning and solving problems in new areas of endeavor. • Fluid intelligence is more susceptible to the effects of aging than crystallized intelligence. Social and Personality Development • Trying Twenties: Sheehy’s term for the third decade of life, when people are frequently occupied with advancement in the career world. • The dream: Levinson’s term for the overriding drive of youth to become someone important, to leave one’s mark on history. Social and Personality Development • Intimacy versus Isolation: Erikson’s life crisis of young adulthood, which is characterized by the task of developing abiding intimate relationships. • Individuation: The process by which one separates from others and gathers control over his or her own behavior. Social and Personality Development • Age-30 transition: Levinson’s term for the ages of 28-33, which are characterized by reassessment of the goals and values of the twenties. • Catch thirties: Sheehy’s term for the fourth decade of life, when many people undergo major reassessments of their accomplishments and goals. Developmental Tasks • According to Havinghurst, young adults have the following tasks (how many of these have changed?): • • • • • Getting started in an occupation Selecting and courting a mate Learning to live with one’s partner Starting a family Assuming responsibility of home ownership • Assuming civic responsibilities • Finding a congenial social group Children • The decision to have or not to have children is a personal one. The traditional motherhood mandate has now come under reconsideration. • In 1970, 40% of households were made up of married couples with children. Today, only 25% of households consist of married couples with children. Parenting • Baumrind suggests that parents may be able to foster instrumental competence in children. • Instrumental competence: Ability to manipulate the environment to achieve desired effects. These children are energetic and friendly, show self-reliance and independence, maturity in formation of goals, cooperation and self-assertion. • This competence is developed via authoritative parenting. Parenting Styles • Authoritative: Descriptive of parents who demand mature behavior, reason with their children, and provide love and encouragement. • Authoritarian: Descriptive of parents who demand obedience for its own sake. • Permissive: Descriptive of parents who do not make demands of, or attempt to control, their children. Becoming an Authoritative Parent • Be flexible, but not without limits. • Set high but reasonable expectations. • Explain to your children why you make certain demands. • Listen to your children’s opinions. • Show warmth. Child Abuse • Factors contributing to child abuse include: • Stress • A history of child abuse in at least one of the parents’ families of origin • Parents with poor anger management skills • Alcohol or substance abuse • Acceptance of violence as a means of coping with stress • Failure to become attached to the children • Rigid attitudes towards child rearing • Unemployment and low socioeconomic status Childhood Sexual Abuse • An estimated 500,000 children in the United States are abused each year. • In most cases, the perpetrator has a relationship either with the child or the child’s family. • Sexually abused children are more likely to develop a wide range of physical and psychological health problems. Childhood Sexual Abuse What to do? • Give the child a safe environment in which to talk to you or another trusted adult. • Reassure that child that they’ve done nothing wrong. • Seek mental health assistance for the child. • Arrange for a medical examination for the child. • Be aware of state reporting laws. Challenges of Midlife • Generativity versus Stagnation: Erikson’s term for the crisis of middle adulthood, characterized by the task of being productive and contributing to younger generations. • Midlife Transition: Levinson’s term for the ages from 40 to 45, which are characterized by a shift in psychological perspective from viewing ourselves in terms of years lived to viewing ourselves in terms of the years we have left. Challenges of Midlife • Midlife Crisis: A crisis experienced by many people during the midlife transition when they realize that life may be more than halfway over and reassess their achievements in terms of their dreams. • Middlescence: Sheehy’s term for a period of searching for identity that occurs during middle adulthood. Physical Development • During late adulthood (starting at age 65), the skins becomes less elastic, the hair grows gray and hair loss accelerates in men. • Reaction time slows, our immune system functions less effectively and or organ systems begin to deteriorate. Changes • Sensory changes: Older people see and hear less acutely. • Lung capacity decreases, metabolism slows and muscle mass diminishes. • Brittleness of bones due to osteoporosis can increase the risk of serious fractures. • While sexual functioning is impacted, physically healthy people are capable enjoying sexual experiences for a lifetime with the proper adjustments. Cognitive Development • The rate of cognitive decline tends to increase in the later 70s. • While older adults typically have problems with memory functioning (such as remembering names), tasks that require crystallized intelligence remain intact. Seattle Longitudinal Study • Factors that contribute to preserved intellectual functioning include: • • • • General health Socioeconomic status Stimulating activities Marriage to a spouse with a high level of intellectual functioning • Openness to new experience Alzheimer’s Disease • An irreversible brain disease characterized by gradual deterioration in mental processes such as memory, language use, judgment, and problem solving. • Alzheimer’s afflicts 4 million Americans and has become the fourth leading cause of death among adults in the US. Aging, Gender and Ethnicity • Women in our society typically live longer than men. One primary reason is that heart disease develops later in women than in men. • Many male deaths are due to unhealthy habits more typical of men. • Members of ethnic minority groups typically die younger due to lower socioeconomic status which leads to poorer diet and lower quality health care. Personality and Social Development • Ego Integrity versus despair: Erikson’s term for the crisis of late adulthood, characterized by the task of maintaining one’s sense of identity despite physical deterioration. • Contrary to the myths, older adults are not typically dependent upon others. The majority of heads of households 65 or older own their own homes. Retirement • 6 phases of retirement: • • • • • • The preretirement phase The honeymoon phase The disenchantment phase The reorientation phase The stability phase The termination phase Kubler-Ross: 5 Stages of Dying • Denial: “It can’t be me” • Anger: “It’s unfair! Why me?” • Bargaining: “God, just give me 6 more months” • Depression: Grief, loss, hopelessness. • Final Acceptance: Ultimately, inner peace may come…but it is not contentment as it is usually devoid of feeling. Dying with Dignity • Euthanasia: Causing a painless death of someone suffering from and incurable and painful disease or condition. • Hospice: As generally used, a house or facility providing supportive care to dying patients. • Bereavement: The saddened, lonely state of those who have experienced the death of a loved one. Components of Successful Aging • Reshaping one’s life to concentrate on what one finds to be important and meaningful. • Maintaining a positive outlook. • Seeking Challenges • Developing healthy exercise and nutrition habits.