Adult Development and Aging (chapters 1-2)

Genetic mutations

(can be inborn or occur during lifetime) may lead genes to produce abnormal proteins. Each gene contains instructions for making specific proteins that have specific jobs. When there's a mutation in one of genes, the proteins may not do their job in the way that they're supposed to. Mutations can be inherited or acquired

Outcomes of Threshold experiences

1) Identity accommodation: unhealthy or compulsive illness behavior. EX: "can't do this cuz I'm too old, too tired." Also known as over the hill syndrome. 2)identity balance: there's gradual integration and appropriate adaptation. A healthy way to deal is you can accept these threshold experiences you adapt appropriately. 3) identity assimilation: unhealthy denial of the changes. There sometimes can be a healthy denial where you decide you still want to run so you try and overcome it. Sometimes denial can be unhealthy- if you ignore how these changes impact your ability to function then it's not good.

Influences on development in 3 categories

1) Normative age-graded influences 2)Normative history-graded influences 3)Non-normative influences

Key Social Factors in adult aging & development

1) Sex and gender 2) race and ethnicity 3)Socioeconomic status (SES) 4) Religion

Sources of Ageism

1) Terror management theory 2)Modernization hypothesis 3) Multiple jeopardy hypothesis.

Erikson's psychological model of development: 8 stages

1) trust vs. mistrust 2) autonomy vs. shame & doubt 3) initiative vs guilt 4) industry vs stagnation 5) identity achievement vs identity confusion 6) intimate vs isolation 7) generativity vs stagnation 8) ego integrity vs despair (Erikson said that all these stages are distinct but progressive. Research has found that people may experience some of these issues on a different time clock- doesn't happen for everyone in the same order at the same age. There may be internal/external factors too).

four principles that form the foundation of biopsychosocial approach

1. changes are continuous over the life span (individuals remain the "same" even though they change) 2. only the survivors grow old (aging individuals are increasingly self-selected). 3. individuality matters (people vary within and between age groups) 4. "normal" aging is different from disease (intrinsic aging process are different from those associated with illness)

2 types of genetic studies

1.Genome Wide Association Study (GWAS) , 2.Genome Wide Linkage Study

Affects of aging on identity

Age related changes or illnesses have potential to affect identity, Identity accommodation tends to have more negative effects on the individual than does identity assimilation or balance, Changes occur in graduated way over time in line with the multiple threshold model.

Life course theories

Disengagement theory, Activity theory, Continuity theory

Epigenetic principle

Each stage unfolds from the previous stage in predestined order, but Individuals may confront psychosocial issues in an "off-time" fashion

Programmed Aging Theories

Gompertz function, replicative senescence, telomeres, FOXO genes

FOXO genes

Group of genes whose interaction may influence aging (discovered through SNP analysis). Little is known.

Replicative senescence

Loss of ability of cells to reproduce. Overtime, cells are less able to reproduce and that's true in our bodies and in a laboratory. And so people age and die ultimately.

Telomeres

On ends of chromosomes; as they shorten, unable to protect the chromosome so they fuse. Each time the cell reproduces, the telomere shortens and the shorter it is, the less protective the chromosomes are

Models of individual environment interaction

Organismic, Mechanistic, Interactionist

Gompertz function

Relationship between age and death rates is linear within a given species. Species are preprogrammed to live for a certain period of time so humans would be programmed to live longer.

The Baby Boomers Generation (people born post war)

Youngest of this generation- almost 50 now (2014) This is referred to the "greying of America," after the war there was a boom in childbirth which resulted in an increase of elderly people in America. 85 & over- oldest old. People age 85 & over is the fastest growing segment of society, by 2050 it's estimated that close to 20 mil people will be aged 85 & over.

Activity theory

adults who do remain in social roles are relatively healthier. Ex: volunteer work, part-time work. They are better adjusted. Even though social roles might change (mother to grandmother) if a social role is maintained they're healthier.

Multiple jeopardy hypothesis

another "ism"- if there's a group that you already categorize and they become old, then you have ageism against those people. There many be more ageism towards elderly African Americans.

individuality

as people age, they become more different from each other

Ego integrity vs. despair

as you're approaching the end of life, you look back and if you think it was a good life you have ego integrity and if not you have despair which would lead to lower levels of psychological well-being. People who have achieved this sense of ego tend to be better adjusted with acceptance of death. People in despair tend to be more fearful/have greater regret or guilt.

Life expectancy

average length of life for people born in a particular time interval. Because only survivors grow old, your life expectancy increases as you get older. If you survive to be 21, your life expectancy will get a little higher because you've survived 21 years, etc. Life expectancy Tables are broken down by age, gender and ethnicity.

social age

calculated by evaluating where people are compared to the "typical" ages expected for people to be when they occupy certain positions in life

secondary or impaired aging

changes overtime leading to impairment due to disease rather than normal aging. These changes are a function of an abnormal set of changes afflicting a segment rather than the entirety of the older population (ex. skin cancer).

Random error theories of aging

cross linking theory, free radical theory, errors catastrophe

Religion

cultures where they are more concerned about well-being of group versus their own (collectivistic vs. individualistic societies)

Socioeconomic status (SES)

cursory measure of income, education, career: a lot of older people lose income and many of them have to live in a lower socioeconomic level than they had previously. People who have higher level white collar jobs may have lower rates of cognitive decline but may experience the effects of stress. People of higher SES tend to be healthier & age better than people who have a lower SES sta-tus. Why? Less stress, can afford better food/doctors, people who are educated know how to take care of themselves. Types of jobs that people have, those with more manual labor jobs have higher risk on physical health as opposed to those who work in an office. People with higher SES have jobs that require more mental activity, better cognitive activity stimulates brain & reduces risk of dementia. Study done in England: people have diff jobs (custodians, levels of income) but all same access to medical care but had different levels of SES.

interindividual differences

differences between people

Life span perspective

emphasizes continuity of development from childhood to old age. People continue to develop.

Identity Process Theory: Threshold experiences

events that cause us to alter our identity- they may be normal or atypical changes like illness. A normal change for a woman would be something like menopause, for men would be losing hair. Physical changes and cognitive changes (like being forgetful)

Normative history-graded influences

events that occur to everyone in a certain time period (Ex: The Great Depression, The Holocaust, break in technology). This influences the way people age, physically and mentally. The availability of processed/fast food nowadays influences the physical process of aging.

Identity achievement vs. identity confusion

figuring out who you are: you may try out some things but if you successfully navigate this stage you'll achieve an identity. This will influence things like your social support network, sexuality, sexual orientation, career choices, religiosity

The age of leveler theory

for people who belong to some other stereotype group (ex: african americans) ageism is just another factor people look at negatively. The age factor levels the playing field, everyone is looked at negatively because of age no matter what group they belong to (white/black).

Ageism

form of stereotyping based on age that can have negative consequences. EX: old people are bad drivers

Race

genetic background/group you come from

normal aging is different from disease

growing older doesn't necessarily mean growing sicker

functional age

how people actually perform> could gain a better grasp of a person true characteristics and abilities

identity

how people view themselves in the biological,psychological, and social domains of life. the interaction of these domains forms an overall view of the "self".

Genetic involvement

human genome has been mapped out, some relate to aging. Learning a lot about genetic influences on physical characteristics, disease, psych.

Generativity vs. Stagnation

includes having kids or not. Generativity= refers to giving to the younger generation. This is related to the previous stage, if someone has successfully achieved partner hood then they may have children. People who don't have kids may channel that "parenting" into something else (career- teacher, doctor). They'll be involved with volunteering, have pets. They may have kids but not a good relationship Stagnation= related to lower levels of psychological adjustment.

Modernization hypothesis

industrialization has led to changes in social structure & roles, and led older adults to become obsolete. EX: they may not be tech savvy, they may have had a different educational experience

multidirectionality

intra-individual differences illustrate the fact that development can proceed in multiple directions within the same person

normative age-graded influences

lead people to choose experiences that their culture and historical period attach to certain ages or points in the life span (things/live events that happen to most people (Ex: graduating, wars/militaries). These life events may be different for different generations)

Contextual influences

life span change is a function of the environment/nurture.

Health expectancy (compression of morbidity)

likelihood of number of years a person can live in good health (a white baby born today can live on average maybe 70 years. But how many of those years would be of good health? Most people can expect to have at least one chronic illness). A problem now is the obesity problem. It's a problem for life expectancy and life span. It is believed that life expectancy is getting decreased because of obesity.The majority of older people are women. Age 65+, about 60% are women and 40% are men. (interestingly, women are more likely to seek medical health)

Schemas

mental structures we use to organize the world. It's our filing cabinet where we store info associated with particular things. A stereotype is a type of schema.

Interactionist

multi directional approach:reciprocal influences of biological

Errors catastrophe

mutations lead to deleterious changes- errors in mitochondrial DNA may be a source of harmful changes. Proposes that mutations in mitochondria DNA cause irreversible damage that accumulates over time.

Developmental science

need to look at multiple factors of development (combo of influences that affect our development.

life course perspective

our development is influenced by norms, roles, and attitudes about age. Expectations & attitudes about the elderly change from one place to another.

Identity Process Theory: Identity

our view of ourselves is typically favorable- we tend to do things that promotes a favorable self identity. As we go through life our identity might not be so stable- we may experience events that cause us to alter our identity (threshold experiences)

Free radical theory

particles that cause destructive changes in cells- mixed data on antioxidants. Antiaging substances, people believe it decreases risk of getting cancer. The attacked molecule then loses its functioning. (Unstable oxygen molecules produced when: cells create energy, They seek out and bind to other molecules, The attacked molecule then loses its functioning, Antioxidants can fend them off

supercentenarians

people 110 and older

Selective optimization with compensation (SOC)

people chose to identify areas that they really want to focus on. So maybe they pick something they can do something about & still function or they'll specialize in something especially important. Then the optimization refers to doing things that maximize our performance in a certain area. The compensation refers to making up for losses in one area with gains in others. People who use this model seem to be better adjusted.

Reciprocity principle

people influence and are influenced by the events in their lives. Ex: you influence your friends decision which in turn influences you.

centenarians

people over the age of 100

compression of morbidity (illness)

people tend to be sick toward the end, it's compressed throughout their life until they get old.

Continuity theory

personality determines whether activity or disengagement is optimal

Disengagement theory

proposed that older people disengage, lose their social ties normally. It's normal for people to withdraw & retire. As people are less healthy this happens but this isn't the typical life course pattern.

Organismic

qualitative changes which are biologically driven. Ex: menopause: there's a change from being a reproductive being to a non-reproductive being.

Mechanistic

quantitative changes, which are primarily due to environmental factors.

Non-normative influences

random life events that occur to a particular individual. they are not predictable. Ex: death of a spouse, house burring down, losing close family member to illness.

intra-individual differences

refer to the variations in performance within the same individual. not all systems develop at the same rate within the person. Some functions may increase over time, others decrease, and others stay the same.

optimal aging

refers to age-related changes that improve the individual's functioning

personal aging

refers to changes that occur within the individual and reflect the influence of time's passage on the body's structures and functions

social aging

refers to the effects of a person's exposure to a changing environment

psychological age

refers to the performance an individual achieves on measures of such qualities as reaction time, memory, learning ability, and intelligence (all of which are known to change with age).

Genome Wide Association Study (GWAS)

researchers scan the entire genome of a large number of people. Try to map out what genes are responsible for what characteristics. *good for more general characteristics.

Genome Wide Linkage Study

researchers study genomes of families with specific traits & disorders. When you have a specific disorder- useful.

Terror management theory

seeing older adults reminds us of our mortality

Inoculation hypothesis

since people have lived a long time and have been discriminated against a lot, they become immune to ageism. This applies especially to women and other minorities.

Single nucleotide polymorphisms

small genetic variations that may predispose people to certain conditions. Doesn't mean you have a specific condition but that you're more likely to develop it. A SNP is a single base change in a DNA sequence that occurs in a significant proportion (more than 1 percent) of a large population. The single base is replaced by any of the other three bases. Here is an example: in the DNA sequence TAGC, a SNP occurs when the G base changes to a C, and the sequence becomes TACC.

Bronfenbrenner's ecological perspective

starts with individual → microsystem (coworkers, family, peers, classroom) → macrosystem (school, health agencies) → exosystem→ macrosystem.

niche picking

suggests an interactive effect of nature & nurture. Refers to the fact that at some point you may have a niche for a certain activity or event that you're good at. Ex: someone who is flexible/strong/thin might be predisposed to being a good dancer. Taking dance classes will make you better- it was nature that brought you there but the enjoyment, etc made you even better at it. Or if parent takes the child to see ballet- develops a niche in child.

Piaget

talked a lot about schemas and how they influence & are influenced by various social interactions and cognitive experiences.

Geriatrics

term used to describe medical field of working with older adults. Recently a geriatric track has been developed for specializing in aging.

biological age

the age of an individuals bodily systems

continuity principle

the changes that people experience in later adulthood build on experiences they had in their earlier years

Ethnicity

the cultural background that you're brought up in/that you follow. Ex: African Americans have higher rates for hypertension & heart rates, Asian woman have a better time with menopause than other woman. Environmental influences: manual labor in different countries (influences health), stress (African American lifestyle), food preparation- Japanese grill food (higher rates of stomach cancer, high levels of mercury in fish), weather (sunny vs. cold), mode of transportation. Attitudes about old people: Chinese families/other cultures the elderly are revered.

Intimacy vs. Isolation

the major task in this stage is trying to have an intimate relationship with a partner

Life span

the maximum age for someone who's in a particular species to live. The life span is around 130 for how long a person can live.

primary aging (normal aging)

the normal changes over time that occur due to universal, intrinsic, and progressive alterations in the body's systems (ex. wrinkles)

survivor principle

the people who live to old age are the ones who managed to outlive the many threats that could have caused their deaths at earlier ages

gerontology

the scientific study of the aging process

Cross linking theory

the strands of the collagen molecule (left) start to become intertwined, causing the molecules to become increasingly more rigid and smaller overtime. (may be associated with the wrinkling of skin). Results from exposure to certain kinds of sugars which leads to glycation, causing formation of advanced glycation end-products (AGE's).

emerging adulthood

the transition prior to assuming the full responsibility associated with adulthood, normally the years of 18-29

tertiary aging

toward the very end of life, individuals experience a rapid loss of functions across multiple areas of functoining

Accommodate

we alter or change the schema in response to the new info.

Equilibration

when there's a balance when we can assimilate and accommodate as necessary.

Assimilate

when we find info we assimilate it into our schemas- we fit the new info into a category that already exists.