MODULE 30 Copyright © 2005 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. Permission required for reproduction or display. Adulthood The peak of health (18 – 25) Body begins to become slightly less efficient and more susceptible to disease at age 25 Menopause –The point at which they stop menstruating and are no longer fertile Rim Light/PhotoLink/Getty Images

MODULE 30 Copyright © 2005 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. Permission required for reproduction or display. Social Development Midlife transition –People may begin to question their lives during their early forties as the idea that their life will end becomes prominent Midlife crisis –Feeling of dissatisfaction with your life in the face of physical aging Royalty-Free/CORBIS

MODULE 30 Copyright © 2005 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. Permission required for reproduction or display. Marriage, Children, and Divorce Two-fifths of children will experience the breakup of the parents’ marriage before they are 18 years old More than one quarter of all family households are now headed by one parent

MODULE 30 Copyright © 2005 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. Permission required for reproduction or display. The Later Years of Life: Physical Changes Genetic preprogramming theories of aging –Suggest that there is a built-in time limit to the reproduction of human cells, and that after a certain time cells stop dividing or become harmful to the body Wear-and-tear theories of aging –Suggest that the mechanical functions of the body simply stop working efficiently as people age –Waste by-products of energy production eventually accumulate, and mistakes are made when cells divide

MODULE 30 Copyright © 2005 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. Permission required for reproduction or display. The Later Years of Life: Cognitive Changes Fluid intelligence declines over time Crystallized intelligence remain steady and in some cases improve Ryan McVay/Getty Images

MODULE 30 Copyright © 2005 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. Permission required for reproduction or display. The Later Years of Life: Memory Changes Episodic memory versus semantic and implicit memory Senility –Broad, imprecise term typically applied to older adults who experience progressive deterioration of mental abilities Alzheimer’s disease Royalty-Free/CORBIS

MODULE 30 Copyright © 2005 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. Permission required for reproduction or display. The Social World of Late Adulthood Disengagement theory of aging –Aging produces a gradual withdrawal from the world on physical, psychological, and social levels Royalty-Free/CORBIS

MODULE 30 Copyright © 2005 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. Permission required for reproduction or display. The Social World of Late Adulthood Activity theory of aging –Suggests that the people who age most successfully are those who maintain their interests, activities, and level of social interaction they experienced during middle adulthood Karl Weatherly/Getty Images

MODULE 30 Copyright © 2005 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. Permission required for reproduction or display. Adjusting to Death Denial Anger Bargaining Depression Acceptance Karl Weatherly/Getty Images