How is old age like? Helene Fung

Life expectancy is increasing.

How is old age like?

Beliefs about old age You lose your mind and body with age To be old is to be lonely Getting older means getting sadder

You lose your mind and body with age Belief #1 You lose your mind and body with age

Not all older adults are demented Only 10% of people over 65 years old are Alzheimer’s diesease patients Among those between 74 and 81 years old, 50% show no mental decline whatsoever

Practice makes perfect Declines in vision, hearing, reaction time and short-term memory But training & expertise compensates for declines Example: memory training: before training, recall fewer than 5 words; after training, recall almost 15 words Salthouse’s study of younger & older typists

Belief #2 To be old is to be lonely

Why does the belief exist? After retirement, older adults withdraw from society Family members and friends pass away Agism in society Lack of physical and social resources to make new friends

European Americans (n = 128) Peripheral Social Partners Very Close Social Partners

African Americans (n = 57) Peripheral Social Partners Very Close Social Partners

Social Preference (United States) Fung, Carstensen,& Lutz, 1999 N= 420

Getting older means getting sadder Belief #3 Getting older means getting sadder

Older adults have better emotional regulation

How is old age like? Declines in physical & cognitive areas; but declines are compensated for by expertise Social contacts do decline with age, but it appears to be the result of free choice Older people experience negative affect less frequently and regulate their emotions more effectively

Hila Colman -- a writer in her 80’s Each age has been different, and I have enjoyed them all. I am not going to waste this one by trying to skip it. Hila Colman -- a writer in her 80’s