Late adulthood Ch Developmental Psychology Jen Wright

the aging process

what ages? Physical appearance Sense organs Muscles, joints, bones Sexual reproductive system All internal systems –cardiovascular, respiratory, etc. Immune system Brain –Sleep Attitudes

Positives –Less susceptibility to colds and allergies –Frequency of accidental deaths drops dramatically Aging can be beautiful!

Negatives –Natural aging process Increased disability Increased vulnerability to major diseases Decreased capacity to respond to life stressors –And, even in the absence of these things, death. Why is death the inevitable outcome?

how long is a normal life? –maximum life span the oldest possible age that members of a species can live under ideal circumstances for humans –approximately 122 years –average life expectancy the number of years the average newborn in a particular population group is likely to live what is the average life expectancy?

different kinds of aging Universal aging –Primary Probabilistic aging –Secondary Chronological aging Biological aging Social aging –Ageism Population aging

universal/biological aging Senesence –The universal biological processes of a living organism approaching an advanced age. Oganismal senescence Increased disability Increased vulnerability to major diseases Decreased capacity to respond to life stressors –Increasing homeostatic instability

Cellular senescence It was once believed that normal cells were in principle immortal –Environmental factors responsible for cell death Now we know that most (but not all) cells die Hayflick limit –Number of times a cell will divide before dying –52 times in 20% oxygen (normal air) –70 times in 3% oxygen (human internal conditions)

what controls cell division? Cells possess molecular clocks –Telomeres Non-coding appendix on ends of DNA –Shortened by mitosis –At certain length, cell will no longer divide –Protective mechanism against chromosome destruction, mutation, and cancer Other forms of programmed cell death –E.g. apoptosis –Triggered by mitochondria

biological theories of aging Aging clock theory Wear and tear theory Accumulated waste theory Error accumulation theory Evolutionary explanation –Late-acting deleterious mutations not selected against Passing on genes Early- acting disease Late- acting disease Middle- acting disease

centenarians People living to be 100+ years old –55,000 in US in in 50 women, 1 in 200 men –30,000 in Japan Okinawans 5x more likely –450,000 world-wide –Super-centenarians: 110+ years

Reviewing lives of different centenarians –Many differences in lifestyles Yet, they were similar in four ways… diet was moderate work continued throughout life family, friends, community ties were important exercise and relaxation were part of daily routine

aging prevention Artificial extension of telomeres –Trade-off between aging and cancer –Vitamin D naturally lengthens Increased sirtuins – repairs damage to DNA Organ/tissue repair and rejuvenation –Free-radical therapy –Stem cells Organ/tissue replacement –Artificial and cloned organs/tissue

Caloric Restriction –45-75% of required calories –Extension of life in all species tested in some cases, almost doubled –Reduction in Type2 diabetes, cancer, etc. Intermittent fasting

Healthy lifestyle Drinking! In moderation, drinking can increase lifespan –reduction in coronary heart disease alcohol increases high-density lipoprotein (HDL), the “good” cholesterol and reduces low-density lipoprotein (LDL), the “bad” cholesterol that causes clogged arteries and blood clots Heavy drinking increases risk of death –27,000 death from liver disease/year –Increased risk from many other diseases –Brain damage, decreases fertility, osteoperosis –Associated with other bad habits: overeating, smoking –Increased risk of other forms of death: suicide, homocide, accidental

Healthy lifestyle Relaxing! Leisure time -- vacations –12,338 men between 35 – 57 years 21% less likely to die over 9 years 32% less likely to die of coronary heart disease Social involvement –Engagement –Activity –Continuity

Erickson’s stages

developmental stages Adolescence: Identity achievement Young Adulthood: Developed network of intimacy Mid-life: Generativity vs. Stagnation –Creating/giving vs. “self-absorption” Late-life: Integrity vs. Despair –Life-review

generativity Productivity and effectiveness –Creative life projects Influence in community or area of interest –Feeling needed by people –Helping younger generation develop –Appreciation/awareness of older generation Broader, more global perspective –Interest in things beyond family

integrity Life-review: was one’s life meaningful or wasted? Wisdom –Acceptance of life circumstances –Finding meaning/purpose Regrets involve four major themes: Mistakes and bad decisions Hard times Social relationships Missed educational opportunities Reminiscence therapy: discussing past activities and experiences with another individual or group.

bucket lists

personality Conscientiousness predicts lower mortality risk from childhood through late adulthood. Low conscientiousness and high neuroticism predicts earlier death. Older adults characterized by negative affect do not live as long as those characterized by more positive affect.

volunteerism Older adults benefit from altruism and engaging in volunteer activities. Helping others may reduce stress hormones, which improves cardiovascular health and strengthens the immune system. Volunteering is associated with a number of positive outcomes –More satisfaction with life –Less depression and anxiety –Better physical health

social aging Unlike gender/ethnicity –Doesn’t apply for entire life. –(potentially) applies to everyone. Ageism –Negative stereotypes associated with age negatively influence performance, function, and well-being. Stereotypes against older adults are often negative Most frequent form is disrespect, followed by assumptions about ailments or frailty caused by age –Positive stereotypes associated with age positively influence performance, function, and well-being.

cognitive decline is rooted not in the older person’s body and brain but in the surrounding social context. –cultural attitudes can lead directly to age differences in cognition does most harm when individuals internalize other people’s prejudices and react with helplessness. if the elderly fear losing their minds because they have internalized the idea that old age always bring dementia, that fear may become a stereotype threat, undermining normal thinking.

Ageism among scientists –scientists measure age differences in memory in the same way they studied memory in general—in laboratories –these factors work against older adults, who tend to perform best in familiar settings

population aging Increased age of population Two causal factors –Rising life expectancy –Declining fertility Asia/Europe face severe population aging –Average age approaching 50 Economic implications –More savings/less spending –Increased health care –Less education –Retirement/social security

Population aging