Psychology of Aging Chapter 2

telomeres

repeating sequences of proteins that contain no genetic information. Primary function is to protect the chromosomes from the damage to them that accumulates over repeated cell replications

The descriptive approach to development

researchers attempted to establish the ages at which particular events occur within the individual

single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs)

small genetic variations that can occur in a person's DNA sequence- four nucleotide letters- adenine, guanine, thymine, and cytosine *used in genome-side association studies.

multiple jeopardy hypothesis

states that older individuals who fit more than one discriminated against category are affected by biases against each of these categorizations: ageism, sexism, racisms, hetersexism, etc.

concept of reciprocity in development

states that people both influence and are influenced by the events in their lives. Not only are you shaped by your experiences, but that you in turn shape many of the experiences that affect you. **People are NOT passive recipients of environmental effects

mental and physical exercise and avoiding risky behaviors

steps to take to promote plasticity:

interactionist model of development

takes the view that not only do genetics and environment interact in complex ways to produce their effects on the individual, but that individuals actively shape their own development. *Very similar to niche-picking

free radical theory

the cause of aging in the increased activity of these unstable oxygen molecules that bond to other molecules and compromise the cell's functioning

initiative vs. guilt

the child becomes able to engage in creative self-expression without fear of making a mistake

solid sense of self and engagement with others

the earliest four stages (for psychosocial theory) are central to the adult's ability to build a ____________________

chromosomes

the genome is organized into _________, which are distinct, physically separate units of coiled threads of DNA and associated protein molecules

replicative senescence

the loss of the ability of cells to reproduce

schemas

the mental structures we use to understand the world

niche-picking

the proposal that genetic and environmental factors work together to influence the direction of a child's life

mesosystem (ecological perspective)

the realm of the environment in which interactions take place among two or more microsystems. Example: you may be having difficulties at home that you carry over into your relationships with co-workers

identity

the set of schemas that the person holds about the self

activity theory

the view that older adults are most satisfied if they are able to remain involved in their social roles. Believes that older adults should be given as many opportunities as possible to be engaged in their work, families, and community

caloric restriction hypothesis

the view the key to prolonging life is ____________, because it is thought to have a beneficial impact in part because it reduces the formation of free radicals

free radicals

unstable oxygen molecules produced when cells create energy. Primary goal is to seek out and bind to other molecules so that the molecule attacked loses functioning

life span perspective

views development as continuous from childhood through old age

equilibrium

when assimilation and accommodation are perfectly balanced. It is when the individual is able to use the highest level of thought to understand and learn from experience

identity vs. role confusion stage

when individuals must decide "who" they are and what they wish to get out of life. This stage emerges in adolescents yet continues to hold importance throughout adulthood, forming a cornerstone of subsequent adult psychosocial crises. **A person who achieves a clear identity has a coherent sense of purpose regarding the future and a sense of continuity with the past **identity diffusion involves a lack of direction, vagueness about life's purposes, and an unclear sense of self

accommodation

when you change your schemas in response to new information about the world. When you change yourself in order to fit the larger culture that you're now a part of. YOU ARE THE ONE CHANGING

autonomy vs. shame and doubt

young children learn ways to act independently from their parents without feeling afraid that they will venture too far off on their own

gene

a functional unit of a DNA molecule carrying a particular set of instructions for producing a specific protein

FOXO genes

a group of genes that may operate to influence the rate of cell death

genome-wide association study

a method used in behavior genetics in which researchers search for genetic variations related to complex diseases by scanning the entire genome

genome-wide linkage study

a method where researchers study the families of people with specific psychological traits or disorders. Has successfully identified genes involved in aging-related diseases such as heart failure, Alzheimer's disease, and osteoarthritis

ageism

a set of beliefs, attitudes, social institutions, and acts that denigrate individuals or groups based on their chronological age. Occurs when an individual is assumed to possess a set of stereotyped traits **Doesn't only apply to older adults; teenagers are stereotyped as lazy, impulsive, rebellious, etc **Could be good or bad; calling old people "cute" or calling older people "senile"

John. B. Watson

behavioralist who took the extreme "nurture" position that a child's development was entirely dependent on the environment the parents provided

selective optimization with compensation model (SOC)

by shifting their priorities, adults attempt to preserve and maximize the abilities that are of central importance and put less effort into maintaining those that are not

microsystem (ecological perspective)

center of the ecological model. Setting in which people have their daily interactions and which therefore have the most direct impact on their lives

antioxidants

chemicals that prevent the formation of free radicals,. Advertised widely as an antidote to aging

developmental science

focuses on life span development continuing to encompass a broader variety of domains than a sole focus on the psychology of the individual

deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA)

genome is contained in the ____________, a molecule capable of replicating itself that encodes information needed to produce proteins

ecological perspective

identifies multiple levels of the environment as they affect the individuals over time. Has an emphasis on SOCIAL context. Has 5 levels of the environment/"systems" that interact in their influence on the individual. Each of the 5 systems influences your development in different ways. (See Macrosystem figure 2.2 pg. 24)

exosystem (ecological perspective)

includes the environments that people do not closely experience on a regular basis but still impact them. Examples include: workplace, community centers, extended family, etc.

macrosystem (ecological perspective)

includes the larger social institutions ranging from a country's economy to its laws and social norms. This influences the individual indirectly through the exosystem

contextual influences on development

incorporates the effects of sex, race, ethnicity, social class, religion, and culture

intimacy vs. isolation stage

individuals are faced with making commitments to close relationships. Attaining intimacy involves establishing a mutually satisfying close relationship with another person to whom a lifelong commitment is made

genome

inherited characteristics are found in the _________, the complete set of instructions for "building" all the cells that make up an organism

industry vs. inferiority

involves the individual's identifying with the world of work and developing a work ethic

basic trust vs. basic mistrust

involves the infant's establishing a sense of being able to rely on care from the environment (and caregivers)

geriatrics

medical speciality in aging that draws from biology, sociology, anthropology, the humanities, and other behavioral and social sciences

generativity vs. self-absorption stage

middle-aged adults focus on the psychosocial issues of procreation, productivity, and creativity. This is the motive for caring for the next generation for example parenthood, or even teaching, mentoring, or supervising younger people

life course perspective

norms, roles, and attitudes about age have an impact on the shape of each person's life. Refers to the course or progression of a person's life events, a course that is heavily shaped by society's view of what is appropriate and expected to occur in connection with particular ages

modernization hypothesis

older adults are seen negatively because they have lost their utility to society because they can no longer reproduce. the increasing urbanization and industrialization of Western society is what causes to be older adults to be devalued.

ego integrity vs. despair

older individuals who establish a strong sense of ego integrity can look back at their experiences with acceptance. Being able to look at and accept the positive and negative attributes of one's life and self, even if it may be painful for people to acknowledge their past mistakes or personal flaws

inoculation hypothesis

older minorities and women have actually become immune to the effects of ageism through years of exposure to discrimination and stereotyping. These years have helped them build a tolerance to withstand the negative attitudes applied to older adults

multiple threshold model

proposes that individuals realize that they are getting older through a stepwise process as aging-related changes occur. Each age-related change changed brings with it the potential for another threshold to be crocessed

mechanistic model of development

proposes that people's behavior changes gradually over time, shaped by the outside forces that cause them to adapt to their environments. Growth throughout life occurs through the individual's exposure to experiences that present new learning opportunities

continuity theory

proposes that whether disengagement of activity is beneficial to the older adult depends on the individual's personality. Some individuals prefer to withdraw and others are miserable the other way

self-efficacy

refers to a person's feelings of competence at a particular task

chronosystem (ecological perspective)

refers to the changes that take place over time. The interacting systems are affected by historical changes. These could include events within the family as well as events in the larger society that indirectly affect the individual by affecting the macrosystem

identity assimilation

refers to the tendency to interpret new experiences in terms of a person's existing identity. People tend to resist changing their identities in the face of criticism or disconfirming experiences

random error theories

based on the assumption that aging reflects unplanned changes in an organism over time

principle of plasticity in development

according to the ________________, the course of development may be altered, depending on the nature of the individual's specific interactions in the environment

social clock

age norms in adulthood are linked to the _________, which is the expectations for the ages at which a society associates with major life events. Sets the pace for how people think they should progress through out family and work timeline

epigenetic principle (psychosocial theory)

asserts that each stage unfolds from the previous stage according to a predestined order. These stages are set in much the same manner as the programming for biological development of the individual throughout life

error catastrophe theory

errors that accumulate with aging are ones that are vital to life itself

collagen

fibrous protein that makes up about one-quarter of all bodily proteins. Composed of three chains of amino acids wound together in a tight heliz

identity accommodation

people make changes in their identities in response to experiences that challenge their current view of themselves

wear and tear theory

people refer to when they feel that they are "falling apart" as they get older

terror management theory

people regard with panic and dread the thought of the finitude of their lives. They engage in defensive mechanisms to protect themselves from the anxiety and threats to self-esteem that this awareness produces

assimilation

people use their existing schemas as a way to understand the word around them. It refers to the situation in which individuals change their interpretation of reality to fit the schemas they already hold *Instead of changing themselves to fit the culture, they change their perception of the culture to fit their own way of understanding it

Gompertz function

plots the relationship between age and death rates for a given species

identity balance

process that refers to the dynamic equilibrium that occurs when people tend to view themselves consistently but can make changes when called for by their experiences

programmed aging theories

propose that aging and death are built into the hard-wiring of all organisms and therefore are part of the genetic code

error theories

propose that mutations acquired over the organism's lifetime lead to malfunctioning of the body's cells

disengagement theory

proposed that the normal and natural evolution of life causes older adults to purposefully loosen their social ties. Believes that this natural detachment is both inevitable and desirable, and that aging is accompanied by a mutual withdrawal profess of the individual and society. Retirement and isolation from family members are sought out by older adults and results in higher levels of well-being

cross-linking theory

proposes that aging causes deleterious changes in cells of the body that make up much of the body's connective tissue, including the skin, tendons, muscle, and cartilage. *develops in collagen

autoimmune theory

proposes that aging is due to faulty immune system functioning in which the immune system attacks the body's own cells. The heart of certain diseases prevalent in older adults, such as arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosis, and cancer

age-as-leveler view

proposes that as people become older, age overrides all other "isms." All older adults, whatever their prior status in life was, all will become victims of the same stereotypes with negative views

psychosocial theory of development

proposes that at certain points in life, a person's biological, psychological, and social changes come together to influence our personality. Each stage of development defined as a "crisis"(positive or negative) or turning point that influences how people resolve the issues they face in a subsequent period in life (see figure 2.4 page 29)

organismic model of development

proposes that heredity drives the course of development throughout life. Changes over time occur because the individual is programs to exhibit certain behaviors at certain ages with distinct differences between stages of life

identity process theory

proposes that identity continues to change in adulthood in a dynamic manner