LATE ADULTHOOD: Physical and cognitive development

Aging: Myth and Reality n Ageism: stereotyping and judging a group of people solely on the basis of their age. n Gerontology: the study of aging and the special problems associated with it. n Geropsychology: the study of the behavior and needs of the elderly.

Older Adults: Who are They? n Future Growth: United States –In 1990: 35,808 people were 100 years old; in 1998: 66,000 –Projection: 60 million people living beyond 70 years by the year 2050.

n Increased dependency ratio n Increased demand for resources n Emergence of older people as a political force and social movement Effects

Myths n Most persons age 65 and over live in hospitals, nursing homes n The elderly are incapacitated and in bed because of illness n Most elderly people are “prisoners of fear” by virtue or their fear of crime

Myths n Most people over 65 are in serious financial straits n Most grown children live away from their elderly parents and abandon them

Gender n Women Live Longer Than Men n The ratio of women to men is 4 to 1 in people over 65

Health n Nutrition and Health Risks n Osteoporosis: a condition associated with a slow, insidious loss of calcium that results in porous bones n Drug Dosages and Absorption Effects n Health problems result from overmedication and mixing medications

Mental Health n Mental Health and Depression n Depressed elderly often do not seek treatment.

Biological Aging n Biological aging: changes that occur in the structure and functioning of the human organism over time. n Primary aging: time-related changes; a continuous process that begins at conception and ceases at death.

Physical Changes n Hair grows thinner and turns gray n Skin changes n Fat and muscle bulk decrease n Wrinkling n Collagen: a substance that constitutes a very high percentage of the total protein in the body, appears to be implicated in the aging process

Vision and Hearing n Retinal detachment: a serious condition in which the retinal layer at the back of the eyeball begins to “peel away.” n Hearing loss –Loss of memory ability linked with loss of hearing

n A condition in which body temperature falls more than 4 degrees Fahrenheit and persists for a number of hours. Hypothermia

Sleep Changes n Sleep patterns change n Sleep apnea: a disorder in which the person occasionally stops breathing during sleep

Sexuality n Many factors may influence a decline in sexual activity as individuals age.

Biological Theories of Aging n Genetic Preprogramming n Aging Effects of Hormones n Accumulation of Copying Errors n Error in DNA n Autoimmune Mechanisms n Accumulation of Metabolic Wastes n Stochastic Processes n Longevity Assurance Theory

Cognitive Functioning n The Varied Courses of Different Cognitive Abilities n Perceptual speed decreases n Depends on whether the elderly use their abilities

Cognitive Decline n Factors that reduce risk of cognitive decline in old age: –Good health: no chronic diseases –Environmental circumstances : education, interests, income and family –Stimulating lifestyle –Flexible and adaptable personality –Marriage to spouse with high cognitive capabilities

Death Drop n Overestimating the Effects of Aging n Death drop: a marked intellectual decline, or the terminal decline phenomenon, occurs just a short time before a person dies

Memory and Aging n Characteristics of older learners: –Preference for a slower pace –More errors of omission due to cautiousness –More disrupted by emotional arousal –Less attentive –Less willing to deal with irrelevant material –Less likely to use imagery

Information Processing n Phases in Information Processing n When information is remembered, three things occur –Encoding –Storage –Retrieval

Memory Failure n Decay Theory: forgetting is due to deterioration of the memory traces in the brain. n Interference theory: retrieval of a cue becomes less effective as more and newer items come in to be classed or categorized in terms of it.

Learning and Aging n Older learners benefit when given more time to learn something. n Older learners are more reluctant to venture a response. n Medications can diminish mental functions.

Senility n Senility: progressive mental deterioration, memory loss, and disorientation regarding time and place n Multiinfarcts: “little strokes” that destroy a small area of brain tissue –20-25% of all senility results from these

Alzheimer’s Disease n Alzheimer’s Disease: a progressive, degenerative disorder that involves deterioration of brain cells. –50% of all senility results from Alzheimer’s Disease.

Alzheimer’s Disease n Phases of Alzheimer’s –Forgetfulness –Confusion –Dementia

Moral Development n James Fowler’s Stages of Faith –Primal –Intuitive-Projective –Mythic-Literal –Synthetic-Conventional –Individuative-Reflective –Conjunctive Faith and the Interindividual Self –Universalizing Faith