Middle and Late Adulthood Flashcards
(121 cards)
1
Q
Define
Eudaimonic happiness
A
Well-being defined as having a sense of meaning and life purpose.
2
Q
Definition
In Dan McAdams’s research, a characteristic theme of highly generative adults’ autobiographies, in which they describe tragic events that turned out for the best.
A
Redemption sequence
3
Q
What factors potentially confound intelligence studies?
A
Practice effects
Attrition
Physcial performance (timed, reaction time, physical changes)
4
Q
Define
Commitment script
A
In Dan McAdams’s research, a type of autobiography produced by highly generative adults that involves childhood memories of feeling special; being unusually sensitive to others’ misfortunes; having a strong, enduring generative mission from adolescence; and redemption sequences.
5
Q
Definition
A basic facet of intelligence, consisting of the ability to quickly master new intellectual activities.
A
Fluid intelligence
6
Q
What is the Big 5?
A
Largely genetically determined temperamental qualities that underlie personality. Including:
- Openness to experiences
- Conscientiousness
- Agreeableness
- Extraversion
- Neuroticism
7
Q
What are the two main views of personality changes dueing adulthood depending on circumstances?
A
- No changes (i.e. personality remains stable)
- Change occurs in new stage of life due to life experiences
8
Q
Social Security provides a lavish/meager income that is guaranteed by the government/depends on personal investments.
A
Social Security provides a meager income that is guaranteed by the government
9
Q
For the following “age and sexuality” statements, select the right gender: Males/Females decline the most physiologically Male/female sexuality is most affected by social issues (such as not having a partner).
A
Males decline the most physiologically; female sexuality is most affected by social issues (such as the lack of a partner).
10
Q
Definition
A uniquely adult form of intelligence that involves being sensitive to different perspectives, making decisions based on one’s inner feelings, and being interested in exploring new questions.
A
Postformal thought
11
Q
Devise some creative strategies to care for the frail elderly in their homes.
A
Here, you can use your own creativity. My suggestions: (1) Institute a program whereby people get cash incentives to care for frail elders in their homes. (2) Build small, intergenerational living communities, with a centrally located home option specifically for the frail elderly. Residents who buy houses here would commit to taking care of the older adults in their midst. (3) Set up a Craigslist-type Web site, matching older people with a room to spare with area college students in need. Young people would live rent-free in exchange for helping the older person with cooking and shopping. (4) Establish a national scholarship program (perhaps called the “Belsky Grant”!) that would pay your tuition and living expenses if you commit to caring for frail elders in the community.
12
Q
Define
Crystallised intelligence
A
A basic facet of intelligence, consisting of a person’s knowledge base, or storehouse of accumulated information.
13
Q
Agreeableness and extraversion _________ from youth into middleage in every country
A
Agreeableness and extraversion increased from youth into middleage in every country
14
Q
Define
Integrity
A
Erik Erikson’s eighth psychosocial stage, in which elderly people decide that their life missions have been fulfilled and so accept impending death.
15
Q
According to the Seattle Longitudinal Study, when does intelligence peak?
A
Late 50s
16
Q
Definition
A type of age-related neurocognitive disorder caused by multiple small strokes.
A
Vascular neurocognitive disorder
17
Q
A
18
Q
You are giving your best friend tips about growing emotionally and feeling fulfilled during midlife. Pick the item that should not be on your list:
a) Live a calm, stress-free life.
b) Live a generative life.
c) Develop prosocial goals as a young person.
d) Be conscientious and open to experience.
A
a
19
Q
Define
Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS)
A
The standard test to measure adult IQ, involving verbal and performance scales, each of which is made up of various subtests.
20
Q
True or False:
Someone who has experienced no major negative life experience is more distressed than someone who had experiencea few traumatic events
A
True
21
Q
Tim is going to his thirtieth college reunion, and he can’t wait to find out how his classmates have changed. Statistically speaking, which two changes might Tim find in his undergraduate friends?
a) They will be more conscientious and self-confident.
b) They will have different priorities than they did earlier, caring more about nurturing the next generation.
c) They will care more deeply about making money than they did before.
d) They will be more depressed and burned out than they were earlier.
A
a and b
22
Q
Mrs. Jones has just been diagnosed with early Alzheimer’s disease. Her relatives might help by:
a) taking steps to keep her safe in her home.
b) encouraging her to attend an Alzheimer’s patient support group.
c) treating her like a human being.
d) doing all of the above.
A
d
23
Q
If your favorite aunt’s husband recently died, you can expect (choose one): mixed feelings of loss and self-efficacy/just sadness that gets steadily less intense. To predict how well your relative copes, the quality of her family/friendships matters most.
A
If your favorite aunt’s husband recently died, you can expect mixed feelings of loss and self-efficacy. To predict how well your relative copes, the quality of her friendships matters most.
24
Q
IQ test scores _______ with age, in middle adulthood there is _________ in general cognitive competence
A
IQ test scores decline with age, in middle adulthood there is no decline in general cognitive competence
25
Joe, a baby boomer, is approaching an age when he might retire from his public school teaching job. Compared to a colleague who retired a decade ago, Joe (pick false statement): (a) is apt to have lower retirement assets (due to the 2008 recession); (b) will probably retire at an older age; (c) may need to work after he does retire; (d) will be unhappy if he devotes retirement to volunteering with at risk kids.
d
26
You are giving a status report to a Senate Committee on biomedical efforts to prevent Alzheimer’s disease. First, target the main research problem scientists face. Then, offer a tip to the worried elderly senators about a strategy that might help ward off the illness.
The main problem scientists face is diagnosing cognitive problems before they progress to the disease stage—so that we can develop treatments to ward off the illness. Tell the worried senators that they should start a fitness regimen now! While we don’t have definitive evidence, there are strong hints that exercise may help stave off Alzheimer’s disease.
27
# Define
Semantic memory
In the memory-systems perspective, a moderately resilient (long-lasting) type of memory; refers to our ability to recall basic facts.
28
# Definition
Age-related difficulty in hearing, particularly high-pitched tones, caused by the atrophy of the hearing receptors located in the inner ear.
Presbycusis
29
# Define
Divided-attention task
A difficult memory challenge involving memorizing material while simultaneously monitoring something else.
30
What sex difficulties are faced by older men?
Difficulties around erection and ejaculation
31
Mary, age 50, is terrified of getting a neurocognitive disorder. Which statement can you make that is both accurate and comforting? (Pick one.) a. Don’t worry. These conditions are typically illnesses of the “old-old” years. b. Don’t worry. Scientists can cure these conditions when the illnesses are caught at their earliest stages.
a
32
# Define
Socioemotional Selectivity Theory
A theory of aging (and the lifespan) put forth by Laura Carstensen, describing how the time we have left to live affects our priorities and social relationships. Specifically in later life, people focus on the present and prioritize being with their closest attachment figures.
33
# Definition
A transparent, disk-shaped structure in the eye, which bends to allow us to see close objects.
Lens
34
# Definition
A residential institution that provides shelter and intensive caregiving, primarily to older people who need help with basic ADLs.
Nursing home/long-term-care facility
35
# Definition
In the memory-systems perspective, a moderately resilient (long-lasting) type of memory; refers to our ability to recall basic facts.
Semantic memory
36
# Define
Presbycusis
Age-related difficulty in hearing, particularly high-pitched tones, caused by the atrophy of the hearing receptors located in the inner ear.
37
# Definition
A difficult memory challenge involving memorizing material while simultaneously monitoring something else.
Divided-attention task
38
What happens to working memory with age? Why?
Working memory worsens with age. This is due to problems with the executive processor related to frontal lobe deterioration; erosion of myeline and synapse loss.
39
# Define
Certified nurse assistant or aide
The main hands-on care provider in a nursing home who helps elderly residents with basic ADL problems.
40
What is the primary task of Erikson's middle adulthood phase?
Generativity vs. stagnation
41
# Define
Lens
A transparent, disk-shaped structure in the eye, which bends to allow us to see close objects.
42
# Definition
In the memory-systems perspective, the most resilient (longest-lasting) type of memory; refers to material, such as well-learned physical skills, that we automatically recall without conscious awareness.
Procedural memory
43
Joey and Jane realize that their mother needs to go a nursing home. Which two likely comments can you make about this mother’s situation—and nursing homes in general?
a) No one in the family is available to take their mom in.
b) Medicare will completely cover their mom’s expenses.
c) The quality of the facilities to which their mom will go may vary greatly.
d) The staff at their mom’s nursing home will almost always hate their jobs.
a and c
44
# Definition
The standard test to measure adult IQ, involving verbal and performance scales, each of which is made up of various subtests.
Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS)
45
# Define
Mnemonic technique
A strategy for aiding memory, often by using imagery or enhancing the emotional meaning of what needs to be learned.
46
# Definition
The definitive study of the effect of aging on intelligence, led by K. Warner Schaie, involving simultaneously conducting and comparing the results of crosssectional and longitudinal studies carried out with a group of Seattle volunteers.
Seattle Longitudinal Study
47
Which of the abilities in the previous question (1) will an older loved one retain the longest if she gets Alzheimer’s disease, and (2) will start to decline relatively early in life?
1) Bike riding, that automatic skill, is “in” procedural memory, so it can be maintained even into Alzheimer’s disease. 2) Remembering the material in this chapter, since it is in the most fragile system (episodic memory), is apt to decline at a relatively young age.
48
# Define
Neurofibrillary tangles
Long, wavy filaments that replace normal neurons and are characteristic of Alzheimer’s disease.
49
# Define
Major neurocognitive disorder (NCD)
The general term for any illness involving serious, progressive, usually irreversible cognitive decline, that interferes with a person’s ability to live independently. (A minor neurocognitive disorder is the label for a less severe impairment in memory, reasoning, and thinking which does not compromise independent living.)
50
Dr. Jones has just given a 45-year-old a diagnosis of presbycusis. All of the following predictions about this patient are accurate except (pick out the false statement):
a) The patient is likely to be a male.
b) The patient has probably been exposed to high levels of noise.
c) The patient is at risk for becoming isolated and depressed.
d) The patient will hear best in noisy environments.
d
51
# Definition
Erik Erikson’s eighth psychosocial stage, in which elderly people decide that their life missions have been fulfilled and so accept impending death.
Integrity
52
Your state legislature is considering a law to require annual eye exams for drivers over the age of 75. Explain to the lawmakers why this law may not be effective, and offer some alternate strategies that could minimize the dangers of needing to drive in old age.
Tell the lawmakers that relying just on an eye exam won’t be effective because driving is dependent on many sensory and motor skills. Suggest sponsoring bills to change roads by putting adequate lighting on exit ramps, more traffic signals at intersections (especially left-turn signals), and exploring other ways to make the driving environment more age-friendly. Most important, foster initiatives that don’t depend on driving: Invest in public transportation. Give tax incentives to developers to embed shopping in residential neighborhoods, and encourage creative alternatives to cars.
53
give three reasons why happiness should peak in later life
Older people (1) focus on enjoying the present, (2) selectively screen out negativity, and (3) live less-stressful lives.
54
# Definition
In the memory-systems perspective, the most fragile type of memory, involving the recall of the ongoing events of daily life.
Episodic memory
55
# Definition
A framework that divides memory into three types: procedural, semantic, and episodic memory.
Memory-systems perspective
56
Classify each of the following memory challenges as involving episodic memory, semantic memory, or procedural memory:
a) Someone asks you for your street address.
b) Someone asks you what you just read in this chapter.
c) You go bike riding.
a. semantic memory b. episodic memory c. procedural memory
57
Why does personality get less heritable as we age?
As we age we experience increased personality-shaping experiences
58
# Definition
Long, wavy filaments that replace normal neurons and are characteristic of Alzheimer’s disease.
Neurofibrillary tangles
59
Laura brags that her newborn is likely to live to 120. Using the points in this section, convince Laura that she is wrong.
Tell Laura that physical aging has such complex causes that finding any single life-extension intervention will be virtually impossible. Moreover, even if we can replace individual body parts, such as our heart, other vital organs such as our kidneys are programmed to wear out. The fact that only a tiny percentage of twenty-first-century babies is projected to live to 100 makes it unlikely that her child—or any child—can live to 120.
60
Kayla is contemplating breaking up with her boyfriend, Mark, because, she says, “He doesn’t give me the attention I need.” Name the advice a postformal thinker would notgive to Kayla.
a) “Leave the bum!”
b) “Think of what is going on from Mark’s perspective—for instance, is he overworked?”
c) “Whatever choice you make, look at all the angles.”
d) “There may be no ‘right decision.’ Go with your gut.”
a
61
Nico and Hiromi are arguing about men’s versus women’s health. Nico says that women are basically “healthier”; Hiromi thinks that it’s men. Explain why both Nico and Hiromi are each partly correct.
Nico and Hiromi are both correct, because although women live longer (meaning that they must be healthier), they also live “sicker” (meaning that they are more apt to be ill) throughout adulthood.
62
# Define
Procedural memory
In the memory-systems perspective, the most resilient (longest-lasting) type of memory; refers to material, such as well-learned physical skills, that we automatically recall without conscious awareness.
63
What type of memory tasks do not decrease with old age?
Recall
Ability to remember content
Recalling object locations
64
# Definition
A type of age-related neurocognitive disorder characterized by neural atrophy and abnormal by-products of that atrophy, such as senile plaques and neurofibrillary tangles.
Alzheimer's disease
65
What a characteristics of highly generative people?
* Rate their lives as more fulfilling
* Have a positive impact on their children
* Report having positive childhoods
66
Roy, who is 55, is having trouble seeing in the dark and in glare-filled environments. Roy’s problem is caused by the clouding of his *cornea/iris/lens*. At age 80, when Roy’s condition has progressed to the point where he can’t see much at all, he will have a *cataract/diabetic retinopathy/macular degeneration*, a condition that *can/cannot* be cured by surgery.
Roy, who is 55, is having trouble seeing in the dark and in glare-filled environments. Roy’s problem is caused by the clouding of his **lens**. At age 80, when Roy’s condition has progressed to the point where he can’t see much at all, he will have a **cataract**, a condition that **can** be cured by surgery.
67
What happens to fluid intelligence as we age?
It declines with age
68
Andres is an air traffic controller and Mick is a historian. Pick which man is likely to reach his career peak earlier, and explain the reasons why.
Andres will reach his career peak far earlier than Mick because his job is heavily dependent on fluid skills. A historian’s job depends almost exclusively on crystallized skills.
69
Juanita, aged 4, has two grandmothers, Karen and Louisa. Grandma Karen is much more involved with Juanita than is Grandma Louisa. List two possible reasons why this might be. As Juanita gets older you might expect her to get more/less involved with Grandma Karen.
Karen may live closer to Emma. Most likely she is a maternal grandma. As Juanita gets older you would expect her to be less involved with her grandma.
70
# Define
Vascular neurocognitive disorder
A type of age-related neurocognitive disorder caused by multiple small strokes.
71
What happens to the brain as we age?
* Brain becomes smaller and lighter
* Reduction of blood flow to the brain
* Space between skull and brain doubles from age 20 to 70
* Number of neurons declines in some brain regions
72
# Define
Alzheimer's disease
A type of age-related neurocognitive disorder characterized by neural atrophy and abnormal by-products of that atrophy, such as senile plaques and neurofibrillary tangles.
73
When she was in her late fifties, Edna’s doctor found considerable bone erosion and atherosclerosis during a checkup. At 70, Edna’s been diagnosed with osteoporosis and heart disease. Did Edna:
a) suddenly develop these diseases?
b) have normal aging changes that slowly progressed into these chronic diseases?
c) have both above events occur?
b
74
What makes parent care easier?
1. Creating redemption sequence
2. Enduring loving attachment to the parent
3. Realistic judging intensity of care needed
4. Receiving outside help and support
5. Balancing own and family's needs
75
# Define
Generativity
In Erikson’s theory, the seventh psychosocial task, in which people in midlife find meaning from nurturing the next generation, caring for others, or enriching the lives of others through their work. According to Erikson, when midlife adults have not achieved generativity, they feel stagnant and without a sense of purpose in life.
76
# Define
Redemption sequence
In Dan McAdams’s research, a characteristic theme of highly generative adults’ autobiographies, in which they describe tragic events that turned out for the best.
77
# Definition
In Dan McAdams’s research, a type of autobiography produced by highly generative adults that involves childhood memories of feeling special; being unusually sensitive to others’ misfortunes; having a strong, enduring generative mission from adolescence; and redemption sequences.
Commitment script
78
# Define
Presbyopia
Age-related midlife difficulty with near vision, caused by the inability of the lens to bend.
79
# Define
Postformal thought
A uniquely adult form of intelligence that involves being sensitive to different perspectives, making decisions based on one’s inner feelings, and being interested in exploring new questions.
80
Marjorie has problems cooking and cleaning the house. Sara cannot dress herself or get out of bed without someone’s help. Marjorie has\_\_\_\_\_ problems and Sara has\_\_\_\_\_ problems.
Marjorie has **instrumental** ADL problems, and Sara has **basic** ADL problems.
81
Less decline in intelligence is associated with which factors?
* Good health
* High SES
* Involvement in an intellectually stimulating environment
* Flexible personality type
* Married to a bright spouse
* Maitenance of good perceptual processing speed
* Feeling self-satisfied with accomplishments
82
# Define
Episodic memory
In the memory-systems perspective, the most fragile type of memory, involving the recall of the ongoing events of daily life.
83
# Define
Fluid intelligence
A basic facet of intelligence, consisting of the ability to quickly master new intellectual activities.
84
True or False:
Conscientiousness increases marriage stability
True
85
Which widowed adults are most at risk?
* Old-old men
* Those with limited options for making a new life
* Those dependent solely on spouse
* Those in male dominated cultures
86
# Definition
Well-being defined as pure pleasure
Hedonic happiness
87
What are the pros and cons of retirement?
PROS:
Physcial and mental health, leisure activities, financial stability, a new phase of life, volunteering
CONS:
Not leaving work by choice, Financial concerns, health concerns
88
Older adults have difficulties in what type of memory tasks?
Divided-attention and time sensitive
89
# Define
Memory-systems perspective
A framework that divides memory into three types: procedural, semantic, and episodic memory.
90
Why can old age considered to be the worst time of life?
* Economic cutbacks in elderly entitlements can impair quality of life
* Becoming isolated and disabled
91
You are eavesdropping on three elderly friends as they discuss their feelings about life. According to socioemotional selectivity theory, which two comments might you hear?
## Footnote
a) Frances says, “Now that I’m older, I want to meet as many new people as possible.”
b) Allen reports, “I’m enjoying life more than ever today. I’m savoring every moment—and what a pleasure it is to do just what I want!”
c) Milly mentions, “I’ve been spending as much time as possible with my family, the people who matter to me the most.”
b and c
92
# Definition
A theory of aging (and the lifespan) put forth by Laura Carstensen, describing how the time we have left to live affects our priorities and social relationships. Specifically in later life, people focus on the present and prioritize being with their closest attachment figures.
Socioemotional Selectivity Theory
93
Dwayne is planning on teaching lifespan development at the senior center. He’s excited; but since, until now, he’s taught only younger people, he’s worried about how memory changes in his older students might affect their enjoyment of his class. Based on your understanding of which memory situations give older people the most trouble, suggest some changes Dwayne might make in his teaching.
Dwayne should present concepts more slowly (but not talk down to his audience) and refrain from presenting a good deal of information in a single session. He should tie the course content into older adults’ knowledge base or crystallized skills and strive to make the material relevant personally. He might offer tips on using mnemonic techniques. He should continually work on reducing memory fears: “With your life experience, learning this stuff should be a piece of cake!”
94
What happens to crystallised intelligence as you age?
Remains consistent or increases with age
95
Your 75-year-old grandmother asks for advice about how to remodel her home to make it safer. Which modifications should you suggest?
a) Install low-pile carpeting and put grab bars in the bathroom.
b) Put fluorescent lights in the ceilings.
c) Buy appliances with larger numerals and nonreflective surfaces.
d) Put a skylight in the bathroom that allows direct sunlight to shine down on the medicine cabinet.
e) Get rid of noisy air conditioners and fans.
a, c and e
96
# Definition
Well-being defined as having a sense of meaning and life purpose.
Eudaimonic happiness
97
What are Paul Baltes' three principles for successful aging?
1. Selectively focusing on what is most important
2. Working harder to perform well in those top-ranking areas
3. Relying on external aids to cope effectively
98
# Definition
The general term for any illness involving serious, progressive, usually irreversible cognitive decline, that interferes with a person’s ability to live independently. (A minor neurocognitive disorder is the label for a less severe impairment in memory, reasoning, and thinking which does not compromise independent living.)
Major neurocognitive disorder (NCD)
99
# Definition
Age-related midlife difficulty with near vision, caused by the inability of the lens to bend.
Presbyopia
100
# Definition
Thick, bullet-like amyloid-laden structures that replace normal neurons and are characteristic of Alzheimer’s disease.
Senile plaques
101
# Definition
In Erikson’s theory, the seventh psychosocial task, in which people in midlife find meaning from nurturing the next generation, caring for others, or enriching the lives of others through their work. According to Erikson, when midlife adults have not achieved generativity, they feel stagnant and without a sense of purpose in life.
Generativity
102
# Definition
A basic facet of intelligence, consisting of a person’s knowledge base, or storehouse of accumulated information.
Crystallised intelligence
103
What type of children become conscientious adults?
Children with good executive functions
104
What eye issues may occur in old age?
Presbyopia
Glaucoma
Cataracts
Age-related macula degeneration
105
What are typical midlife roles and issues?
Grandparenthood
Parent care
Body image, sex and menopause
106
Kim is caring for her elderly mother, who just had a stroke. Each of the following should make Kim’s job feel easier except:
a) Kim views caregiving as an opportunity to repay her mom for years of love.
b) Kim’s mom has a mellow personality.
c) Kim has several siblings.
c
107
# Define
Hedonic happiness
Well-being defined as pure pleasure
108
Your author (me) is writing another textbook on lifespan development. I am also learning a new video game. Identify each type of intellectual skill involved and describe how my abilities in each of these areas are likely to change now that I am in my sixties.
Textbook writing is a crystallized skill, so I should be just as good at my life passion during my sixties—provided I don’t get ill. Playing video games depends heavily on fluid skills, so I will be far worse now than when I was young.
109
# Define
Nursing home/long-term-care facility
A residential institution that provides shelter and intensive caregiving, primarily to older people who need help with basic ADLs.
110
Why can old age considered to be the best time of life?
* Prioritising emotional states
* Live less stressful lives
111
# Define
Seattle Longitudinal Study
The definitive study of the effect of aging on intelligence, led by K. Warner Schaie, involving simultaneously conducting and comparing the results of crosssectional and longitudinal studies carried out with a group of Seattle volunteers.
112
113
What is the primary task of Erikson's late adulthood phase?
Integrity vs. dispair
114
# Definition
The main hands-on care provider in a nursing home who helps elderly residents with basic ADL problems.
Certified nurse assistant or aide
115
What ages are typically described as midlife?
40s and 50s
116
What are some issues faced by grandparents?
* Thin line between spoiling and interfering
* Criticising parents may create risk of being cut off from visits
* Divorce can impact access to grandchildren
117
# Definition
A strategy for aiding memory, often by using imagery or enhancing the emotional meaning of what needs to be learned.
Mnemonic technique
118
What are some interventions to keep the memory fine tuned in old age?
1. Use selective optimisation with compensation
2. Use mnemonic techniques or strategies to make things emotionally vivid
3. Work on person's mental state
119
# Define
Senile plaques
Thick, bullet-like amyloid-laden structures that replace normal neurons and are characteristic of Alzheimer’s disease.
120
Rick says, “I’ve got too much on my plate. I can’t do anything well.” Identify the theory discussed in this chapter that would be most helpful in addressing this problem, and explain what this theory would advise.
The theory that applies to Rick’s problem—“too much on his plate”—is Baltes’s selective optimization with compensation: He needs to (1) prioritize and shed less important jobs,(2) work harder in his top-ranking areas, and (3) use external aids to help him cope.
121
Your grandmother has just been diagnosed with a major neurocognitive disorder. Describe the two disease processes that typically cause this condition.
The illnesses are neurocognitive disorder due to Alzheimer’s disease, involving the deterioration of the neurons and their replacement with senile plaques and tangles, and vascular neurocognitive disorder, which involves small strokes. (Grandma—not infrequently—may have both illnesses.)
