Exam 1 Flashcards
(49 cards)
Lifespan Perspective- Lifelong
We continuously change from conception to birth
Multiple Causation
Development is biological & psychological
Multidirectional
Development shows both gains & losses @ every stage
Plastic
Development is flexible- growth & decline
Historical Context
Development is shaped by both cultural factors & historical timeline
Selection, Optimization, and Compensation
Seniors select & optimize there best abilities, most intact functions when compensating for decline & losses
Problem w/ measuring age chronologically
Content Validity- chronological age doesn’t capture everything about development
Always cofounded with one or two other time related variables
Age
biological, psychological, or sociocultural
Cohort
year or time period someone was born
Period
Year or time period someone was measured
Longitudinal Design (benefits, limitations, and confound)
Data gathered over a period of time from same cohort
Age is cofounded w period
Age & Period are perfectly correlated
Cross-sectional Design (benefit, limitations, and confound)
Data gathered at one time from groups of participants who represent diff age groups
Age is cofound w/ cohort
Sequential Designs - how they help eliminate the confounding of age w period/cohort
Combines aspects of cross sectional & longitudinal
Follows diff cohorts of ppl across time
If you see the same change @ a particular age, regardless of cohort/period, you can be more confident its a true developmental change
End of History Illusion
People tend to recognize change form past but mispredict future
Participants ask to full out questions apt current personality- randomly assigned again to fill out as younger or future self. Across all domains, they changed more than predictors estimated they would change
Primary vs. Secondary Aging
Normative vs non normative changes in aging.
Primary- something that happens to everyone @ some point
Secondary- disease
Difficult to discern bc some secondary aging problems are caused by same mechanisms that cause primary)
How do the “programmed cell death” and “oxidative damage” theories explain primary aging?
Suggest that as cells divide, their protective caps (telomeres) naturally shorten, eventually reaching a length that triggers a programmed cell death pathways, leading to tissue decline & aging
oxidative damage: proposed that harmful molecules (free radicals) accumulate overtime, damaging cellular components like proteins & DNA due to their high reactivity.
DNA Methlation
Measures primary aging
**Presbyopia & why its more common in older people
Farsightedness- we lose elascitiy of the lens, resulting in inability to focus sharply on nearby objects
Catarcts
Gradual clouding of the lens (extensive exposure to lights, diabetes, smoking, family history, obesity)
Glaucoma
Build-up of pressure inside the eye that can lead to blindness
Macular Degenration
Retine causing central vision loss
Making visual environments more “age friendly”
High illumination & low glare surfaces
High contrast on appliance controls
Larger fonts
Low clutter/clean paths
*** Presbycusis
Age related hearing loss that results in impaired ability to hear high pitched tones
- Sensory- destruction of receptor cells
- Neural- loss of auditory neurons in the brain
- Metabolic- Fewer nutrients reach receptor
- Mechanical- reduced vibration of inner ear structures
Analog & Digital hearing Aids
Amplify sound to make it easier to hear
Only 33% of adult w hearing loss use them bc they are expensive & medicaid doesn’t cover it
