ch 19

Possible selves

Possible selves are what individuals might become, what they would like to become, and what they are afraid of becoming Acceptance of ideal and future selves decreases and acceptance of past selves increases in older adults (Ryff, 1991).

ageism,

, which is prejudice against others because of their age, especially prejudice against older adults Older adults are often perceived as incapable of thinking clearly, learning new things, enjoying sex, contributing to the community, or holding responsible jobs

Eldercare

Eldercare is the physical and emotional caretaking of older members of the family, whether that care involves day-to-day physical assistance or responsibility for arranging and overseeing such care. An important issue involving eldercare is how it can best be provided

Integrity versus despair

Integrity versus despair is Erikson's eighth and final stage of development, which individuals experience during late adulthood. This stage involves reflecting on the past and either piecing together a positive review or concluding that one's life has not been well spent. Through many different routes, the older adult may have developed a positive outlook in each of the preceding periods. If so, retrospective glances and reminiscences will reveal a picture of a life well spent, and the older adult will be satisfied (integrity). But if the older adult resolved one or more of the earlier stages in a negative way (being socially isolated in early adulthood or stagnating in middle adulthood, for example), retrospective evaluations of the total worth of his or her life might be negative (despair)

Socioemotional selectivity theory

Socioemotional selectivity theory states that adults become more selective about their social networks as they grow older. Because they place a high value on emotional satisfaction, older adults spend more time with familiar individuals with whom they have had rewarding relationships.

generational inequity

generational inequity, the view that our aging society is being unfair to its younger members because older adults pile up advantages by receiving an inequitably large allocation of resources. Some authors have argued that generational inequity produces intergenerational conflict and divisiveness in the society at large

Selective optimization with compensation theory

states that successful aging depends on three main factors: selection, optimization, and compensation (SOC). The theory describes how people can produce new resources and allocate them effectively to the tasks they want to master