Ch. 20-22 middle adulthood
Describe how major stressors and daily hassles can affect cognitive functioning.
- as adults experience stress, cognition is crucial -some adults experience PTSD -some experience post-traumatic growth -the difference is less in the event than in coping with the event
Describe risks associated with pregnancy after age 40.
-50% infertility rate -50% complications
Stage 5: Family with Young Children
-About 70% of adults in the US have at least one child—most often within the first 5 years of marriage -Evidence shows that children, especially young ones, stabilize marriage -But increased stability doesn't necessarily equal increased marital satisfaction -Main tasks or goals during this stage include: -realigning the family system to make space for children -adopting and developing parenting roles -realigning relationships with families of origin to include parenting and grandparenting roles -facilitating peer relationships for children
Stage 3: Pre-Marriage
-Adults everywhere seek committed sexual partnerships to help meet their needs for intimacy as well as to possibly raise children, share resources, and provide care when needed -Approximately 90% of all adults will get married, or experience a marriage-like relationship at least once in their lives -Main tasks or goals during this stage include: -selecting a partner -developing a relationship -deciding to establish own home with partner (either before marriage or after)
Intimacy vs. Isolation details
-Adults seek intimacy, or a close, reciprocal connection to another. Without intimacy, there is a high risk of becoming isolated, lonely, or self-absorbed -There is a strong link between reaching identity achievement and attaining lasting intimacy with another person -Knowing who you are, and what you believe is associated with love and fidelity in marriage/committed relationships higher quality of friendships -Those still searching for their identity are more likely to cheat on a partner -often less loyal to friends -typically less comfortable with themselves and others
the aging process: Smell
-After age 60, the sense of smell starts declining due to a decrease in the number of smell receptors
infertility: Female cause
-Anything that impairs physical functioning—like certain diseases, smoking, extreme dieting, and obesity -Pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) that scars tissue and blocks fallopian tubes, preventing sperm from reaching the ovum
infertility treatments
-Assisted reproductive technology (ART) overcomes obstacles such as low sperm count and blocked fallopian tubes -In vitro fertilization (IVF) is one ART procedure that involves the help of donor sperm, ova, and wombs to help the partner that is infertile or a person with no partner of the other sex
infertility: Male cause
-Common reason: low sperm count -Anything that impairs the body over a 75-day period and reduces sperm count, shape, and motility (activity)—like fever, radiation, prescription drugs, drug abuse, alcoholism, cigarette smoking
Stage 1: Family of Origin Experience
-From birth through moving out of parents' home -Main tasks or goals of this stage include: maintaining relationships with parents, siblings, and peers -completing education (at least through high school, often through college) -developing the foundations of a model of family life
Personality through Adulthood
-Genes, parental practices, culture, and adult circumstances all contribute to personality -Of these, genes are likely the most influential -Personality tends to be stable throughout adulthood
Stage 2: Leaving Home
-Most young adults move out of their parents' home before getting married -Main tasks or goals of this stage include: -differentiating self from family of origin -developing adult-to-adult relationships with parents -developing intimate peer relationships -developing career/vocational identity -developing financial independence --> The transition to adulthood is typically easier for young adults who have been well prepared for independence and who have a secure attachment to their parents
Stage 7: Launching Adult Children
-Once called the "empty nest" stage, this is the stage when adult children leave home to begin their own adult lives -Is usually associated with an increase in marital satisfaction (although sometimes after an initial adjustment period) Main tasks or goals during this stage include: -resolving mid-life issues -negotiating adult-to-adult relationships with children -adjusting to living as a couple again -adjusting to include in-laws and grandchildren within the family circle -dealing with disabilities and death in the family of origin
the aging process: Vision
-Starts to decline around age 30 -By age 40, many will start having trouble reading fine print -By age 60, difficulty adjusting our eyes to focus on both close and far objects is common -Night vision decreases twice as fast as day vision -People over 40 are at increased risk for glaucoma -In late adulthood, as many as 50% of all people develop cataracts
the aging process: Hearing
-Starts to decline around age 30, when sensitivity to sound decreases -Hearing loss at high frequencies generally begins around age 50, then gradually extends to all frequencies -Men are more likely to lose hearing sooner and more rapidly than women
the aging process: motor performance
-Tasks that require speed, strength, and coordination peak in the early 20s -Activities that require endurance, arm/hand steadiness, and aiming tend to peak in the late 20s and early 30s -With continued practice, people are able to continue athletic activity with little decline in their performance through their 60s or 70s, after which performance tends to decline rapidly -During late adulthood, people lose a good percentage of their muscle power, they start getting tiny cracks in their bones, and the strength and flexibility at the joints and tendons diminish
Stage 4: Childless (Married or Committed Couple)
-The first six months in a childless marriage tend to be the happiest -From the end of those 6 months through year 6, happiness tends to decrease, but couples who voluntarily remain childless score higher on measures of happiness and relationship satisfaction than couples with young children -Main tasks or goals during this stage include: -developing a way to live together -practically and emotionally -adjusting families of origin to include the partner
Stage 6: Family with Adolescents
-The onset of puberty in children correlates with another decrease in marital satisfaction the challenge of parenting pre-teens and teens -dealing with mid-life issues of identity caring for aging parents Main tasks or goals during this stage include: -adjusting parent-child relationships to allow adolescents more autonomy -adjusting family relationships to focus on midlife relationship and career issues -taking on responsibility of caring for families of origin
the aging process: The Heart
-Very few age-related changes in the heart during emerging or middle adulthood -In late adulthood, the heart muscle becomes more rigid, some cells die while others enlarge, causing the walls of the left ventricle to thicken -Artery walls stiffen and develop plaque -The heart becomes less responsive to signals from the pacemaker cells that initiate contractions that make the heart pump -This leads to a weaker heart, a lower maximum heart rate, and slower blood flow throughout the body
the aging process: The Lungs
-Very few age-related changes in the lungs during emerging or middle adulthood, except during strenuous activity -The maximum vital capacity (the amount of air that can be forced in and out of the lungs) decreases with age—about 10% per decade
Stage 8: Retirement and Growing Old (Later Family Life)
-We will talk about this more next week, but main tasks or goals during this stage include: -coping with physiological decline in self and others -adjusting to children taking a more central role in family maintenance -valuing the wisdom and experience of the elderly -dealing with loss of spouse and peers preparation for death, life review, reminiscence, and integration
aging process: Reproductive Capacity
-When surveyed, most people believe that the 20s are the most optimal time for child bearing -better health -higher energy levels -less pregnancy complications -However, many women are delaying pregnancy until their 30s (and beyond) until they have finished school and/or established a career -This can lead to issues with infertility
How does expert thinking differ from that of novices?
-an expert is a specialist in some aspect of life or knowledge -expert thought is: intuitive, automatic, strategic, and fleixble -Novice follow formal procedures and rules. -Experts rely more on past experiences and immediate contexts -->their actions are therefore more intuitive and less stereotypical that those of novices
Neuroticism
-big 5 -Anxious, moody, self-punishing, critical
openness
-big 5 -Imaginative, curious, artistic, creative, open to new experiences
Agreeableness
-big 5 -Kind, helpful, easygoing, generous
extroversion
-big 5 -Outgoing, assertive, active
Conscientiousness
-big five -Organized, deliberate, conforming, self-disciplined
Characteristics of Long-Lasting Marriages: Partners
-communicate appreciation for one another—verbally and nonverbally -arrange personal schedules so they can do things together -have a high degree of commitment to promoting one another's happiness and welfare -have some spiritual orientation—not necessarily religious, but having some sense of power and purpose greater than themselves -are able to deal with crises -have positive communication patterns. They talk AND listen to each other with respect, interest, and empathy
Sternberg's Three Forms of Intelligence
-creative intelligence -analytical intelligence -practical intelligence
Describe how intellectual abilities change from high school to adulthood.
-cross sectional: IQ scores decrease over years of adulthood -longitudinal: IQ increases with vocab and general knowledge until age 60 -younger adults score higher - bc of improvements in education / health
What factors make divorce more likely? during marriage:
-divergent plans and practices regarding childbearing / childrearing -financial stress / unemployment -substance abuse -communication difficulties -lack of time together -emotional / physical abuse -relatives who do not support the relationship -high divorce rate in friends -weak religious values -laws that make divorce easier -approval of remarriage -acceptance of single parenthood
What factors make divorce more likely? Before marriage:
-divorced parents -either partner under age 21 -family opposed -cohabitation before marriage -previous divorce from other partner -large discrepancy in age, background, interests, values (heterogamy)
How do lifestyle choices impact the way we age, including brain development/loss?
-exercise protects mental and physical health. (p.570) (p. 581) -moderate drinking may be beneficial for heart health, but excessive drinking is a health problem -good health habits: not gaining too much weight / fighting obesity -those who have more education / money tend to live longer and avoid illness
How do middle aged adults describe their own age?
-feel 5-10 years younger than they actually are -"old" as significantly older than them -consider themselves, strong, capable, and healthy
Two Clusters of Intelligence
-fluid intelligence -crystalized intelligence
How do friendships change as people age?
-friends are crucial for buffering stress and sharing secrets -everyday companionship and guidance -prefer fewer, closer friendships
Although personality, in general, is relatively stable throughout adulthood, as we age, we tend to become
-more agreeable and conscientious -less open, extroverted, and neurotic
How do personality traits change or shift as we get older?
-personality traits over the years are stable -some becomes closer to their cultures ideal -the big 5, characterize personality at every age -culture and context affect everyone
Describe how most adult relationships change after children leave the home.
-physical separation does not weaken family ties -relationships are strengthened
Three of his stages cover the years after adolescence
1. intimacy vs. isolation 2. generativity vs. stagnation 3. integrity vs. despair (late adulthood)
Generativity vs. Stagnation
7th stage of Erikson's -adults seek to be productive in a caring way, often as parents -art, caregiving, and employment
analytical intelligence
A form of intelligence that involves such mental processes as abstract planning, strategy selection, focused attention, and information processing, as well as verbal and logical skills
creative intelligence
A form of intelligence that involves the capacity to be intellectually flexible and innovative.
Senescence
A gradual physical decline related to aging - the process of aging, whereby the body becomes less strong and efficient
the aging process: Taste
After about age 60, sensitivity to the four basic tastes becomes reduced
What happens to intelligence in adulthood?
Although some abilities begin to decline, most cognitive capacities seem to show improvement with age and show only small average declines after ages 55-60
Erikson's Stages
Erikson originally envisioned eight stages of development -Initially, he suggested each stage occurs in sequence from birth through old age -Later in his life, Erikson stressed that stages and ages do not occur in lockstep
expert cognition: flexible
Experts deliberately experiment and enjoy new challenges when things to do not go according to plan
expert cognition: strategic
Experts have more and better strategies, especially when problems are unexpected
expert cognition: automatic
Experts process incoming information more quickly and analyze it more efficiently than do non-experts.
Generativity and Stagnation
Generativity: Caring for the next generation of people and helping to improve society -Parenting -Social consciousness/activism -Involvement with charity/volunteer work -Employment Stagnation: An inability to contribute to the next generation or society
How does a person's appearance change through adulthood?
Height: remains steady until around age 50. Weight: gain weight through our 50's, lose weight in our 60's. Skin: the first visible signs of aging are seen here. Hair: begins to gray and thin in our mid 30's.
expert cognition: intuitive
Novices follow formal procedures. Experts rely on their past experiences and on immediate context.
Optimization and Compensation
Older adults compensate for aging by selecting certain areas of intelligence or ability to optimize and neglect the rest
the aging process: Touch
Over time, although often not until late adulthood, there is a decrease in the number of touch receptors as well—particularly at the fingertips
Describe the first visible signs of senescence
Skin: dry, rough, loses color Hair turns gray, muscles weaken -people get shorter / body shape changes
The Family Life Cycle/Milestones of Adulthood
Stage 1: Family of Origin Experiences Stage 2: Leaving Home Stage 3: Pre-Marriage Stage 4: Childless (Married or Committed) Couple Stage 5: Family with Young Children Stage 6: Family with Adolescents Stage 7: Launching Adult Children Stage 8: Retirement and Growing Old (Later Family Life) It is important to note that there are many variations in lifestyle at each of these stages, and not everyone experiences each stage
Big Five
The five basic clusters of personality traits that remain quite stable throughout adulthood. -Conscientiousness -openness -extroversion -Agreeableness -Neuroticism
practical intelligence
The intellectual skills used in everyday problem solving (tacit intelligence)
selective optimization with compensation
The theory that people try to maintain a balance in their lives by looking for the best way to compensate for physical and cognitive losses and to become more proficient in activities they can already do well. -compensate for physical / cognitive losses -become more proficient in activities they choose
fluid intelligence
The types of basic intelligence that make learning quick and thorough. Includes abilities such as short-term memory, abstract thought, and speed of thinking. -fluid intelligence declines with age
crystalized intelligence
The types of intellectual ability that reflect accumulated learning. -Vocabulary and general information are examples. -crystalized intelligence increases with age
andropause
a drop in testosterone levels in older men, which normally results in reduced sexual desire, erections, and muscle mass (also called male menopause).
vitality
a measure of health that refers to how healthy and energetic - physically, intellectually, and socially - an individual actually feels -a person can feel great, despite having a serious disease / disability
quality-adjusted life years
a measure of how many years of high-quality life a person lives -this is distinct, in that a person could have a disability and nonetheless have a high quality of life
disability-adjusted life years
a measure of the reduced quality of life caused by disability
problem-focused coping
a strategy to deal with stress by tackling a stressful situation directly -attacking stressor directly -ex: confronting a difficult boss, or by moving out of a dangerous neighborhood
According to Sternberg, analytic intelligence involves
abstract planning, focused attention, and verbal and logical skills
Which personality trait tends to increase with age?
agreeableness
stressor
any situation, event, experience / other stimulus that causes a person to feel stressed -many circumstances that seem to be stresses become stressors for some people but not for others
Janice, who is fifty-five years old, needed to get three projects done by the end of the week at work. When she was younger, she would have worked on all three projects more or less at the same time. Now that she is older, however, Janice needs to work on one project at a time. Janice's current inability to multitask is due to changes in her
brain
Major stressors and daily hassles
can impair cognitive functioning
emotion-focused coping
changing emotional reactions -changing feelings about the stressor rather than changing the stressor itself -ex: from anger acceptance, making the stressor disappear and becoming stronger and more empathetic because of it
social convoy
collectively, the family members, friends, acquaintances, and even strangers who move through the years of life with a person
Intelligence that reflects accumulated learning is referred to as
crystallized intelligence
mortality
death -as a measure of health, usually refers to the number of deaths each year per hundred thousand members of a given population
disability
difficulty in performing normal activities of daily life bc of some physical, mental, or emotional condition
morbidity
disease -as a measure of health, rate of diseases in a given population -physical and emotional -acute (sudden) -chronic (ongoing)
If he is typical, a forty-five-year-old man will probably state that he feels __________ his chronological age.
five to ten years younger than
Mel is a retired stockbroker who enjoys tutoring children at the local YMCA after school. He is demonstrating the psychosocial stage of
generativity versus stagnation
avoidant coping
ignoring a problem, either literally forgetting it or hiding it, is the worst way of coping -increases depression and the risk of suicide -ex: a person who owes back taxes throws all of the letter under his bed / unopened
In middle adulthood, a person is most apt to lose
nearly an inch in height
Samuel is moody, anxious, and self-punishing. Samuel is high in
neuroticism
fictive kin
people who become accepted as part of the family in which they are not genetically / legally members -"like a sister to me"
Which of Sternberg's three forms of intelligence is sometimes called "street smarts"?
practical
Since they are called on to help both the older and younger generations of the family, middle-aged adults have been called the
sandwich generation
Baltes and Baltes found that adults use their intellectual strengths to offset their age-related declining abilities through the process of
selective optimization with compensation
The first visible signs of senescence are usually observed in a person's
skin
Kim moved across the country to advance her career. Though she moved alone, she soon developed a group of coworkers and friends who became like family to her. They served as her
social convoy
kinkeeper
someone who becomes the gatherer and communications hub for their family -gathers everyone for holidays, spreads news about illness / et. and reminds family of birthdays / special occasions
hormone replacement therapy
taking hormones (pills, patches, injections) to compensate for hormone reduction -the most common in women at menopause / after removal of the ovaries -also used by men as their testosterone decreases -has medical uses / health risks
Intimacy vs. Isolation
the 6th of Erikson's stages of development -every adult seeks close relationships with other people in order to live a happy and healthy life
The term andropause, or "male menopause," is sometimes used to refer to
the age-related reduction in testosterone
Seattle Longitudinal Study
the first cross-sequential of adult intelligence -this study began in 1956 and is repeated every 7 years -retesting and adding a new group every 7 years -cross-sectional research shows declines, but longitudinal research shows improvements in most mental abilities during adulthood
sandwich generation
the generation of middle-aged people who are supposedly "squeezed" by the needs of the younger and older members of their families
general intelligence (g)
the idea of (g) assumes that intelligence is one basic trait, underlying all cognitive abilities -according to this concept, people have varying levels of this general ability
infertility
the inability to conceive a child after trying for at least a year
humanism
theory that stresses the potential of all humans, who have the same basic needs regardless of culture, gender, background.
religious coping
turning to faith as a method of coping with stress
menopause
when a woman's menstrual periods cease and the production of estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone drops Average age is 51 - dated one year after a woman's last menstrual period, although many months before / after that date are menopausal
