Exam 4

Question 1

What is a developmental testing ground?

Answer 1

a time for devoting full attention to exploring alternative values, roles, and behaviors

Question 2

Crisis during early adulthood

Answer 2

intimacy vs. isolation

Question 3

what is the idea behind intimacy vs. isolation?

Answer 3

idea that at this time in a persons life, they begin to become more intimate/close with others and see more long term relationships outside the family. Successfully doing this results in commitment, comfort, and safety within the relationship. Failure to do she leads to isolation which could cause depression and loneliness

Question 4

Describe the social clock

Answer 4

idea of age-grades expectations for major life events such as beginning a first job, getting married, birth of kids, etc. ring off-time causes people to feel inadequately grounded and unsure of what others expect and what to expect of themselves. Being ‘on-time’ fosters confidence and social stability

Question 5

Describe Sternberg’s triangular theory of love.

Answer 5

Has three components: passion, intimacy, and commitment. The more components that a relationship has the stronger that it will be

Question 6

What age range does “middle adulthood” refer to?

Answer 6

40-65

Question 7

Changes to vision during middle adulthood

Answer 7

structural changes, loss of rods and cones, increased risk of glaucoma and presbyopia

Question 8

Glaucoma

Answer 8

pressure build-up

Question 9

Presbyopia

Answer 9

trouble adjusting focus

Question 10

Changes to hearing during middle adulthood

Answer 10

around 50 years old: hearing loss @ high frequency

Question 11

Changes to skin during middle adulthood

Answer 11

wrinkles start @ 30, skin looses elasticity and begins to sag, age spots increase after 50

Question 12

Muscle and fat changes during middle adulthood

Answer 12

more body fat, less muscle and bone. Size of abdomen increases, differences in fat distribution between males and females

Question 13

Changes in bone during middle adulthood

Answer 13

gradual loss in bone mass

Question 14

What is climacteric?

Answer 14

transition in which fertility decreases

Question 15

Reproductive changes in men and women

Answer 15

females: decline occurs over 10 year period, menopause marks end of fertility
males: reduced sperm and semen over age 40, gradual testosterone reduction, but sexual activity stimulates production

Question 16

What are the leading causes of death in middle adulthood?

Answer 16

cancer and cardiovascular disease

Question 17

Osteoporosis

Answer 17

severe bone loss

Question 18

Be able to name/describe 2 of the 9 ways the book lists to manage stress.

Answer 18

exercise and picking priorities

Question 19

Why is accurate diagnosis of cardiovascular disease a concern in women?

Answer 19

Its considered a men’s disease so women are overlooked all the time

Question 20

Crystallized intelligence

Answer 20

knowledge. skills that depend on: accumulated knowledge, experience, good judgement, mystery of social conventions

Question 21

Fluid intelligence

Answer 21

(speed of recall/knowledge)

depends on basic info processing skills, detecting relationships among stimuli, analytical speed, working memory

Question 22

what are cognitive losses as we age?

Answer 22

speed of processing declines.

working memory capacity declines.

attention-related processes decline

Question 23

Neural Network View

Answer 23

idea that you’re losing synapses between neurons in the brain and the brain is created adaptations between other neurons causing brain processing to slow down

Question 24

Information-Loss View

Answer 24

information dropping out of memory information processing stages

Question 25

What is practical problem solving?

Answer 25

common sense problem solving, increases as we age

Question 26

What is expertise?

Answer 26

huge knowledge in ONE subject, leads to better problem solving, increases as we age

Question 27

conflict of middle adulthood

Answer 27

generatively vs. stagnation

Question 28

what is generatively vs. stagnation?

Answer 28

sense of going back vs. becoming isolated, selfish, and not sharing knowledge

Question 29

Describe the four developmental tasks of middle adulthood, according to Levinson (page 425).

Answer 29

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Question 30

Midlife crisis

Answer 30

re-evalation of life goals, happens but isn't a crisis like seen on tv

Question 31

What is the sandwich generation?

Answer 31

adults who are taking care of their aging parents while still taking care of their kids that are at home

Question 32

How is caring for chronically ill parent or disabled parent different from caring for a child?

Answer 32

awkward gap between being authoritative figure and still being a child

Question 33

• How does the self-concept and possible selves change in middle adulthood?

Answer 33

self concept reflects knowledge that life doesn't last forever, possible selves: feel more self acceptance, possible selves decrease and become more realistic

Question 34

What are skipped-generation families? Make sure to read that box in the book.

Answer 34

grandparents take care of grandchildren

Question 35

What is the current life expectancy of our generation?

Answer 35

78.5

Question 36

What is a maximum lifespan?

Answer 36

How long (genetically) a human can sustain life

Question 37

What is average healthy life expectancy?

Answer 37

How long you live WHILE you are healthy (free of disease and injury)

Question 38

Describe the basic changes in vision, hearing, skin, muscles, cardiovascular, senses, and immune systems, and sleep during late adulthood.

Answer 38

- vision: development of cataracts and molecular degeneration - hearing: high frequency loss, stiffening of membranes - taste & smell decrease - height and weight decrease - sleep requirements lessen slightly, troubles falling asleep and staying asleep

Question 39

Cataracts

Answer 39

cloudy lense

Question 40

Molecular Degeneration

Answer 40

loss of central vision

Question 41

Assistive Technologies

Answer 41

anything that helps you adjust to physical changes due to aging ex) the machine that allows people to put on and take off socks without bending over

Question 42

Primary Aging

Answer 42

genetically influenced decline

Question 43

Secondary Aging

Answer 43

declines due to heredity and environment

Question 44

Alzheimer's Disease

Answer 44

Progressive disease that destroys memory and other important mental functions Symptoms: mental decline, confusion toward evening hours, aggression, meaningless repetition of words, anger, mood swings, depression, hallucinations Leads to nerve cell death and tissue loss in brain Risk Factors: age, family history Protective Factors: Nutrition, health care

Question 45

Crisis during late adulthood

Answer 45

Ego Integrity vs. Despair

Question 46

Ego Integrity vs. Despair

Answer 46

Ego Integrity: feel whole, complete, satisfied with achievements, serenity and contentment, associated with psychosocial maturity Despair: feel many decisions were wrong, but now time is too short. Bitter and unaccepting of coming death. Expressed as anger and contempt for others

Question 47

What is reminiscence?

Answer 47

telling stories about people, events, thoughts, and feelings of past

Question 48

How can reminiscence and life review be positive and/or negative?

Answer 48

self focused: can deepen despair other-focused: solidifies relationship knowledge based: helps solve problems

Question 49

What types of factors do people consider when deciding to retire or to continue working?

Answer 49

money, disabilities, health

Question 50

How do people adjust to retirement?

Answer 50

People who retire adjust better if it was their choice, not so well if they were forced into it

Question 51

The book discusses social theories of aging that explain changes in aging adults’ social activity: disengagement theory, activity theory, continuity theory, and socioemotional selectivity theory. Describe all four theories.

Answer 51

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