CHAPTER 3 Affirmative Aging - Adulthood

1. CHAPTER 3Affirmative Aging - Adulthood

2. Chapter Overview • Aging Gracefully—Late Adulthood • Physical and Cognitive Changes • Personal and Social Adjustment • Retirement • Successful Aging Affirmative Aging--Adulthood • Same Old?--Middle Adulthood • Midlife Transition or Midlife Crisis? • Physical and Cognitive Changes • Possible Career Changes • Sexual Changes • Decisions--Early Adulthood • Leaving Home • Choosing a Career • Establishing Close Relationships • Starting a Family

3. Chapter Summary Adult Development Decisions, Decisions, Decisions – Early Adulthood • Leaving Home • Choosing a Career • Establishing Close Relationships • Starting a Family

4. Chapter Summary cont’d Same Old, Same Old – Middle Adulthood • Midlife Transition or Midlife Crisis? • Physical and Cognitive Changes • Possible Career Changes • Sexual Changes

5. Chapter Summary cont’d Aging Gracefully – Late Adulthood • Physical and Cognitive Changes • Personal and Social Adjustment • Retirement • Successful Aging

6. Adult Development Development Our capabilities and behaviors continue to change as we grow older not only because of biological growth processes but also because of our understanding of and interactions with our environment.

7. Adult Development Adulthood The period of life from physical maturity on, consisting of a sequence of physical and physiological changes throughout early, middle, and late adulthood.

8. Adult Developmentcont’d Certain themes are important to adult development: • Adulthood is a period of continued development and personal change. • Increased importance of individual differences as we age.

9. Adult Developmentcont’d Why are individual differences so noticeable in adulthood? • Non-age-related changes are more prominent:Events, influences that are unique to each of us and may occur at any age or not at all (e.g., illness, loss). • Through adolescence, age-related changes are more prominent: Changes which occur at a given age (e.g., puberty, high-school graduation).

10. Decisions, Decisions, Decisions–Early Adulthood Leaving Home • An important task in early adulthood! • …creates perception of separation from family. • External aspects: • moving out of childhood home • being less dependent on our parents.

11. Decisions, Decisions, Decisions–Early Adulthoodcont’d Leaving Home • Internal aspects: • Differentiation from parents • More autonomous decision-making. • …can cause personal adjustment problems. • Trends indicate more young adults are moving back in!

12. Decisions, Decisions, Decisions–Early Adulthoodcont’d Choosing a Career • …more than mere selection—preparation! • The aim: to “make something of ourselves” and to provide stability. • Financial security influences choices… • …can cause problems of adjustment.

13. Decisions, Decisions, Decisions–Early Adulthoodcont’d Establishing Close Relationships • …another developmental task of young adulthood. • Young adults uncertain about themselves may be afraid of establishing close ties…. • When intimate, relationships are noncommittal, the relationship is unstable; the more committed partner may feel vulnerable.

14. Decisions, Decisions, Decisions–Early Adulthoodcont’d Starting a Family TRENDS: • Young adults are more thoughtful about marriage, families. RESULT: They marry and start families later. • There is more “voluntary childlessness” too. • …working parents have fewer hours a week to spend with their children. • Women’s educational, career plans are influenced more by family needs than are men’s.

15. Same Old, Same Old?--Middle Adulthood Middle Adulthood: that era between the late 30s and the 60s that is generally characterized by fulfillment of career and family goals.

16. Midlife Transition or Midlife Crisis?The midlife transition: a period of personal evaluation that comes sometimes with the realization that one’s life is about half over. Same Old, Same Old?-Middle Adulthoodcont’d • Some people try hide the signs of middle age… • Transitions can cause problems of adjustment at this stage, too. • Children leaving home • Caring for aging parents • The death of one’s parents • Friends and neighbors retiring or moving

17. Midlife Transition or Midlife Crisis? Same Old, Same Old?--Middle Adulthoodcont’d Middle age--not necessarily a period of instability, crisis. • …emotions tend to soften. • Middle-aged adults report as much happiness and satisfaction as people in their twenties and thirties! • Factors predictive of happiness and stability in midlife: religiosity, a stable marriage, good health.

18. Same Old, Same Old?--Middle Adulthoodcont’d Physical and Cognitive Changes Physical Changes • Weight gain • Activity level decreases, pace slows • Recovery from illness takes longer • Decreased susceptibility to illness because of increased resistance • Those who remain physically active tend to be healthier

19. Same Old, Same Old?--Middle Adulthoodcont’d Physical and Cognitive Changes Cognitive Changes • Around age 50, people begin to differ more in their cognitive abilities. • Spatial ability and abstract reasoning may begin to decline. • Early-onset of Alzheimer’s disease--a dementia of old age--can produce mild cognitive impairments (MCI).

20. Same Old, Same Old?--Middle Adulthoodcont’d Possible Career Changes Middle-aged people may seek new jobs or new careers. Changes for women If they: • worked, they may make a late attempt to start a family. • stayed home, they may return to the workforce. • Some return to school as nontraditional students.

21. Same Old, Same Old?--Middle Adulthoodcont’d Sexual Changes Women Menopause-the cessation of monthly menstrual cycles; signals an end to the childbearing years. • Hormone replacement therapy? Has recently been shown to cause serious adverse side effects. • Most women find other changes (e.g. caring for elderly parents) to be more distressing!

22. Same Old, Same Old?--Middle Adulthoodcont’d Sexual Changes Men The climacteric-the loss of reproductive capacity. • Includes the diminution of sexual vigor, decrease in testosterone secretion, and reduced fertility. • Men reach this 5 to 10 years later than women reach menopause. Men and women who take these changes in stride are able to find continued sexual satisfaction in middle age!

23. Aging Gracefully–Late Adulthood Late adulthood: The final stage of adult development, from mid-60s to death and is characterized by adjustment to changing health, income, and social roles.

24. Introduction Aging Gracefully–Late Adulthoodcont’d • Older people are likely to encounter ageism-negative attitudes and treatment (especially of older Americans) because of age. • The federal government has age-related protections in place to prevent discrimination….

25. Physical Changes Aging Gracefully–Late Adulthoodcont’d • ...distinction between the young elderly--65-74 years; the old elderly--75 years an up; latter group experiences more infirmity. • Aging–the biological processes that come with advancing years, which increases the risk of illness and death, and is usually accompanied by appropriate psychosocial changes. • Bodily processes slow • Decreased visual and auditory acuity • Sleep is less restful • Likelihood of death due to illness increases

26. Cognitive Changes Aging Gracefully–Late Adulthoodcont’d • …decline is not inevitable! • Fluid intelligence--the ability to process new information based on perceptual skills and a memory. • Crystallized intelligence--the ability to use accumulated knowledge to make judgments and solve problems. • …fluid intelligence is affected more by aging. • Creativity may peak! • Temporal memory (remembering things related to time) may be affected; other forms of memory aren’t necessarily affected.

27. Aging Gracefully–Late Adulthoodcont’d Personal and Social Adjustment Activity, involvement = integrity! • …having an internal locus of control, the belief that something within him- or herself controls life events, helps! • For example, most elderly Americans prefer to live in their own homes…. • Older women typically outlive their husbands so have more adjustments to make. • Poverty can be a factor….

28. Aging Gracefully–Late Adulthoodcont’d Retirement • Attitudes about and reasons for retirement vary from person to person. • …the more “voluntary” the retirement, the better the adjustment to it. • Adequate income is important to successful retirement; Social Security is not sufficient.

29. Aging Gracefully–Late Adulthoodcont’d Retirement RESEARCH INDICATES THAT: • Retirement does not cause a decline in self-esteem. • Older Americans value post-retirement activities (e.g., volunteer work or part-time employment).

30. Aging Gracefully–Late Adulthoodcont’d Successful Aging WHAT IS THE KEY? • The activity theory of aging--individuals who remain active age most successfully; OR • The disengagement theory of aging--individuals who disconnect from society as they age, age more normally. • … each person adopts a style of aging that best suits his or her needs and personality.

31. Successful Aging Aging Gracefully–Late Adulthoodcont’d “Why does grandma tell so many stories about growing up?” • The life review--a naturally-occurring process of self-review prompted by the realization that life is approaching its end. • These help the older person to assess his or her life; leave a record of the past for others. • Individuals who felt satisfied with their earlier lives will likely age most successfully.