Module 5

Question 1

Cognitive Psychology

Answer 1

The study of mental processes

Question 2

Cognitive Impairement

Answer 2

A chronic condition that makes it difficult to learn, concentrate, and make decisions about daily life

Question 3

Factors that influence psychological functioning include:

Answer 3

health, psychosocial history, individual identity (i.e. race, gender and environmental factors)

Question 4

Creativity

Answer 4

A measure of divergent thinking; the production of alternative solutions to a problem or situation; most elusive mental process to define and measure.
*most people think creativity peaks earlier in life, but no clear association between creativity and age has been found in research
*many adults continue to engage in creative works even as they age e.g. Monet completed ‘Weaping Willlows’ in his 70s.

Question 5

Wisdom

Answer 5

The acquisition of practical expertise in everyday life
*includes ability to reason, to learn from experience, make judgements and use information.
*the ability to grasp paradoxes, reconcile contradictions, and accept compromises
*generally believed to increase over the life course
*wisdom helps people adapt to agin

Question 6

Two types of intelligence:
1)Fluid Intelligence

Answer 6

the ability to process new information. It is the ability to apply mental power to situations that require little or no prior knowledge and is large uninfluenced by prior learning. in this sense it is partly synonymous with creativity.
*abstract creativity
*involves reasoning, memory, information processing
*believed some decline with age

Question 7

Fluid Intelligence consists of two dimensions:

Answer 7

1)verbal ability and focuses on learned knowledge including comprehension, math and vocabulary
2)performance in puzzle-solving ability involving, for example, blocks or pictures

Question 8

classic aging pattern

Answer 8

An early study found that age-related declines in verbal and performance intelligence among people 60 or older.
however
HOWEVER, another study challenged this notion and found that:
*the classic aging pattern was generally confirmed BUT cognitive change in old age was more complex than a straightforward downward decline
*noticeable changes in intelligence occurred around age 70
*there is great variation among individuals in the rate of decline-lifestyle factors can slow rate of decline
-obesity in middle age and later life is associated with worse cognitive aging
*some individuals show no cognitive decline even in their 90s

Question 9

Two Types of intelligence:
Crystallized intelligence

Answer 9

the result of information, skills and strategies people have learned through experience. Reflects past experiences and socialization
*little or no decline with age. however, they do show a decline on a measure of intellectual interest
*practical expertise

Question 10

Learning

Answer 10

The process of acquiring new knowledge and skills

Question 11

Memory

Answer 11

the retention or storage of knowledge

Question 12

Encoding

Answer 12

the process through which learned information is stored in memory for later use

Question 13

Working memory

Answer 13

Ability to temporarily store and manipulate information
*declines occur with age

Question 14

Long term memory

Answer 14

permanent storage of past experiences
*generally long-term memory is fairly stable with age

Question 15

Dementias

Answer 15

mental disorders caused by severe deterioration of the brain
Key symptoms include:
*impairment of memory, intelligence, judgement, orientation and changed emotions
*may also be accompanied by depression, anxiety, delusions, and challenging or aggressive behaviour
*currently, the causes of dementia are not fully understood and there is no cure (though there are pharmacologic treatments believed to help slow the inset

Question 16

Global Impact of Dementia

Answer 16

In Canada in 2011, there were an estimated 340,200 people with Dementia and that’s expected to double to 647,000 by 2031
Globally, estimated 46.8 million people are living with Dementia

Question 17

Vascular Dementia

Answer 17

second most common dementia-usually begins around age 60-75 and is more common in men.
*unlike Alzheimer’s, we have a better understand of how vascular dementia occurs. Vascular dementia has been clearly linked to atherosclerosis and stroke (Aphasia=damage to the speech and language centers in the brain when the brain is deprived of oxygen)
*main risk factor for vascular dementia is high blood pressure. other risk factors include diabetes, obesity and smoking
*poverty is linked to a greater risk of hypertension, heart disease and stroke, all conditions that increase the risk of cognitive impairment
*traumatic head injuries also increase the risk of Parkinson’s disease, cognitive impairment and perhaps dementia

Question 18

Alzheimer’s disease

Answer 18

Severe organic deterioration of the brain that affects memory, cognitive functions, and personality to a degree sufficient to interfere with normal activities and social functioning; symptoms include impairment of memory, intellect, judgment, and orientation and excessive or shallow emotions; the most common type of dementia.
*repetition and confusion
*approx half of older adults 85+ exhibit some symptoms of AD

Question 19

Depression

Answer 19

is diagnosed on having a depressed mood and loss of interest in activities plus 3 other symptoms on this list for at least 2 weeks
1) loss of appetite
2) sleep disturbances
3) fatigue
4) feelings of worthlessness and guilt
5) difficulties in thinking and concentration
6) psychomotor difficulties
9) suicidal notions
*higher among women than men and the gender gap increases with age
*conditions such as a heart attack, stroke or hip fracture
also increase the risk of depression
*people who continue working past the age of 65 are less likely to be depressed than non-workers

Question 20

Personality

Answer 20

refers to who we are and we react to events/situations

Question 21

Personality Trait:

Answer 21

enduring dispositions of thoughts, feelings and behaviours

Question 22

Trait Theory

Answer 22

proposes that everyone has most personality traits to some degree, but everyone also has a core group of traits that define his or her personality.
5 major factors:
*neuroticism, extroversion, openness, agreeableness and conscientiousness

Question 23

self-concept

Answer 23

refers to our perceptions of self (can differ from actual personality)

Question 24

Link between personality traits and health problems?

Answer 24

people with higher levels of conscientiousness are at less risk of coronary heart disease and stroke while neuroticism is associated with a greater risk of developing a cardiovascular disease.
*people may self-medicate with alcohol, tobacco and illicit drugs which, in turn, has increase their risk of cardiovascular disease
*important point is not that specific personality traits cause health problems in and of themselves but rather that people with certain personality traits may be predisposed to engage in harmful behaviors.

Question 25

Adaptation

Answer 25

refers to specific behaviours an individual uses to meet challenges (e.g. using a walker to improve your mobility)

Question 26

Erickson’s Theory of Identity Development

Answer 26

proposes that over the life course there are eight developmental stages characterized by a series of opposing possibilities or dilemmas.
*first six stages unfold during the years between birth and young adulthood. Not until the seventh stage does a person enter the broad span of mature adulthood from 26-50. Mature adulthood requires that each individual find some way to satisfy the need to be generative and turn outward toward others. (bearing and rearing children, guiding or mentoring younger adults, or contributing to society through productive or creative activity). If the individual does not somehow nurture, he or she becomes self indulgent leading to a sense of frustration and a lack of fulfillment and ultimately to stagnation

Question 27

Erickson’s Theory of Identity Development

Answer 27

proposes that over the life course there are eight developmental stages characterized by a series of opposing possibilities or dilemmas.
*first six stages unfold during the years between birth and young adulthood. Not until the seventh stage does a person enter the broad span of mature adulthood from 26-50. Mature adulthood requires that each individual find some way to satisfy the need to be generative and turn outward toward others. (bearing and rearing children, guiding or mentoring younger adults, or contributing to society through productive or creative activity). If the individual does not somehow nurture, he or she becomes self indulgent leading to a sense of frustration and a lack of fulfillment and ultimately leading to stagnation. Old age which is the eighth and final stage imposes its own challenges. The challenge of this stage is to draw on a life path that is nearly complete, to place oneself in perspective among generations still living, and to accept one’s place in an infinite historical progression. A person who feels his or her life has been appropriate and meaningful achieves integrity. But someone who feels that his or her life has been unfulfilling, that the time remaining is too short, and that death is to be feared falls into despair.

Question 28

Erikson’s Theory Critique

Answer 28

a model like Erikson’s based upon a linear sequence does not take into account cultural variations in lifestyle decision and behaviours. Gender, race, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation as well as cohort variations can influence and developmental process in various ways that do not fir a stage theory. Further, the span of years between ages 26 and 50 is a long one; researchers have since identified several developmental stages within this quarter-century span.

Question 29

Levinson’s Transitions through Adulthood

Answer 29

built on the work by Erikson and attempted to fill the gaps that occur during adulthood. This theory also differentiates the paths experienced by men and women. He discovered that men and women shared a developmental pattern that could be divided into a sequence of eras, each with a distinctive bio-psychosocial character and each centred on a certain developmental task.

Question 30

Levinson’s Mens Transitions through adulthood:
Early Adult Transition:

Answer 30

the era when childhood draws to a close; the developmental tasks are to begin forming an adult identity and to separate from one’s family of origin by moving out of the home, becoming more financially independent, and taking on new roles.

Question 31

Levinson’s Mens Transitions through adulthood:
Age 30 Transition:

Answer 31

major tasks in this period are establishing a niche in society and developing competence in a chosen craft and then working at succeeding. Works on fixing personal flaws and limitations (others experienced wrenching conflicts as they tried to decide who they were and what they wanted out of life. In this phase many men moved, changed occupations or got divorced.

Question 32

Levinson’s Mens Transitions through adulthood:
Midlife Transition

Answer 32

early 40s. Terminates the era of early adulthood. question aspects of their lives. They struggle both within themselves and with the external world.

Question 33

Levinson’s Mens Transitions through adulthood:
Middle Adulthood:

Answer 33

Lasts from age 40 to 65 following midlife transition. Focused on generativity. Become more maturely creative, more responsible for self and other, more universal in outlook, more capable of intimacy than ever before.

Question 34

Levinson’s Women’s Transition through Adulthood:
Traditional Marriage Enterprise:

Answer 34

Describes the transition of women who lies as homemakers and who were dependent on their husbands–as they reach mid-life they become less tolerant of marital problems and less satisfied with their lives. Middle age brought a sense of loss stemming from the departure of their children and a sense of liberation

Question 35

Levinson’s Women’s Transition through Adulthood:
Career Woman

Answer 35

either do not marry or try to obtain the myth of the successful woman with successful work, family, marriage. By middle life many felt the price of “having it all” was too high

Question 36

Levinson Theory Critique

Answer 36

heavily descriptive and fails to take into account tremendous individual differences based on culture, ethnicity and socioeconomic status.

Question 37

Terry Apter

Answer 37

psychologist who focused research exclusively on the experiences of women in middle life (40-55) and identified 4 types of women in midlife: traditional, innovative, expansive, and protestors. Many of the themes developed were similar to Levinson’s. She found her subjects faced rapid social change

Question 38

Terry Apter’s 4 types of women in midlife:
Traditional:

Answer 38

role of wife/mother crucial to identity; needs of family home have priority; ambition channeled into domestic activity. As they approached midlife, however, many traditional women because increasingly frustrated by the demands of others and angry at their inability to express their own desires. Departing children often forced them to face these internal conflicts.

Question 39

Terry Apter’s 4 types of women in midlife:
Innovative:

Answer 39

Strong career ambitions; guards against distractions; works hard to minimize traditional/feminine roles. At mid-life they began to question the value of these long-held ambitions, and wondered if they have given sufficient attention to their families and personal lives. confronted with persistent inequality in the workplace, they also became unwilling to follow male rules. Many of these women resolved the contradictory pressures of career and personal life by making compromises.

Question 40

Terry Apter’s 4 types of women in midlife:
Expansive:

Answer 40

Actions guided by others’ expectations; familiar patterns and relationships sought for safety; challenges avoided because of lack of confidence. A divorce was often the catalyst that helped a woman recognize her anger at the constraints imposed by others or her frustration with her lack of skills. The challenge was to overcome the limits of their past and form new goals in midlife

Question 41

Terry Apter’s 4 types of women in midlife:
Protestors:

Answer 41

Early maturity due to traumatic experience; needed to be responsible and dependable; suppressed desires and ambitions lurked in background. In midlife, they were waging a war against age as they sought ways to develop the spontaneity that they had not enjoyed earlier.

Question 42

An Evaluation of Stage Theories

Answer 42

Both Levinson and Apter proposed that adult development occurred in predictable stages and followed identifiable patterns. One problem is that both of their sample sizes were small. Levinson’s male subjects were all white and middle or upper class.
*both Levinson and Apter’s conclusions likely reflect a cohort effect rather than a developmental path
*Stage theories cannot explain why developmental changes occur or what their impact on the life course is likely to be
*social gerontologists are critical of stage theories, which rely on an implicitly biological model of development and basically ignore historical and environmental factors.
*Individuals do not move through a fixed linear and irreversible sequence of different stages toward some ultimate end.