Chapter 13; physical and cognitive development in middle adulthood Flashcards
pink floyd in their song “Time” described what of when people are young and when they get older
when people are young life seems longer and time passes more slowly
but
when we get older, time seems to pass much more quickly
do individuals in middle adulthood increasingly think about time left to live or time since birth
time left to live
in today, how are 50 year olds better than their 40 year old counterparts from a generation or two earlier
better in shape, more alert, and more productive
why are the boundaries of middle age being pushed upward (middle age is starting later and lasting longer)
as more lead healthier lifestyles and medical discoveries help to slow down the aging process
why is middle age starting later and lasting longer
for increasing numbers of active, healthy, and productive people
what does “60 is the new 40” imply
that many 60 year olds today are living a life that is as active, productive, and healthy as earlier generations did in their forties
what is age identity
the concept of how one feels of belonging to a certain age group, and how old they feel
as adults become older, is their age identity younger or older than their chronological age
younger
in the study, what have respondents said characterizes being middle aged
- enjoying afternoon naps
- groaning when you bend down
- preferring a quiet night in rather than a night out
some individuals consider the upper boundary of midlife as the age when they make the transition from work to retirement
what did Carl Jung refer midlife as
“the afternoon of life”
what does midlife serve as an important preparation for
late adulthood
according to Carl Jung refer late adulthood as
“the evening of life”
in the 1900 what was the average life expectancy
47
- only 3 percent of the population lived past 65
what is the average life expectancy today
79
- 12 percent is of the US population is older than 65
what happens as the percentage of the population grows greater in living to older ages regarding the midpoint of life
the midpoint of life and what constitutes middle age or middle adulthood are getting harder to pin down
is the percentage of the population made up of middle and older adults decreasing or increasing
increasing
from what to what ages is middle adulthood
40 to 45 years of age to 60 to 65 years of age
since an increasing percentage of the population is made up of middle-aged and older adults, what does it create
“rectangularization” of the age distribution (a vertical rectangle)
do physical skills and reponsiblity increase or decrease during middle adulthood
physical skills decrease
responsibility increases
why?
become more conscious of the young old polarity and the shrinking amount of time left in life
middle adulthood is a point when individuals seek to transmit something […] to the next generation; and a time when people reach and maintain […] in their careers
meaningful
satisfaction
in other words; what does middle adulthood involve balancing
work and relationship responsibilities in the midst of the physical and psychological changes associated with aging
what do gains and losses and biological and sociocultural factors do to each other
balance each other
however;
losses may begin to outweigh gains for many individuals in late midlife
from what age is late midlife considered
55 to 65
compared with earlier midlife, late midlife is more likely to be characterized by
- death of a parent
- last child leaving the parental home
- becoming a grandparent
- preparation for and actual retirement