Chapter 16 I. Psychosocial Development in Middle Adulthood A. Midlife Changes 1.

Trait Models ( the big 5) a) Slow changes in personality big five during middle and late adulthood 1) Conscientiousness tends to be highest in middle age 2) Emotional stability continues slow up cline 3) More productive at work 2. Normative-Stage Models a) Individuation - the emergence of the true self through balancing or integrating of conflicting parts of the personality b) Two necessary tasks need to be completed in middle adulthood 1) Giving up the image of youth 2) Acknowledging Mortality a. Search for meaning within self c) Generativity versus stagnation develops a concern with establishing, guiding, and influencing the next generation or else experiences stagnation. 1) Parenting, grand parenting, teaching or mentoring 3. Timing of Events a) Some believe triggered more by events than age and these have changed over time many middle aged are still raising children and starting careers these days B. Midlife Issues and Themes 1. Midlife Crisis a) Brought on by awareness of mortality b) Realize unable to fulfill dreams of youth or feel unfulfilled by what they have accomplished c) Realize time is running out to make big change 2. Identity Development a) Identity process theory - identity development based on processes of assimilation and accommodation 1) Made up of accumulated perception of the self a. Physical characteristics, cognitive abilities, and personality traits 2) Identity balance - ability to maintain a stable sense of self while adjusting the self schemas to incorporate new information, such as the effects of aging 3. Well being and Positive Mental Health a) Found to be a gradual decline in negative emotions through midlife and beyond b) Life satisfaction is strongly affected by physical health C. Midlife Relationships 1. Social Convoy Theory people move through life surrounded by concentric circles of intimate relationships on which they rely for assistance, well-being and social support

2. Socioemtotional selectivity theory people select social compacts on the basis of the changing relative importance of social interaction, as a source of information, as an aid in developing and maintaining a self-concept, and as a source of emotional well being 3. Marriage satisfaction begins to rise upward after midlife again 4. Cohabitation couples do not enjoy this upward satisfaction trend 5. Social networks become smaller and more intimate 6. Parents well being tells to hinge on how well their children turn out 7. Revolving door syndrome is becoming more frequent and can cause some intergenerational conflict 8. At some point many people in this life stage must deal with caring for an elderly parent. a) Usually a daughter is more likely to provide physical care for a parent b) Can become very stressful and community help can ease this Chapter 17 II. Physical and Cognitive Development in Late Adulthood A. Physical Development 1. Life expectancy a) A baby born in 2009 is expected to life an average of 78.8 years b) Unless changes are made the increase in life expectancy is expected to halt due to an offset from infectious disease and obesity trends c) Women tend to live longer than men 2. Why people age a) Genetic programming theories biological aging is a result of a genetically determined developmental timetable b) Variable rate theories biological aging is a result of processes that vary from person to person and are influenced by both the internal and the external environment c) Free-radical theory unstable highly reactive atoms or molecules formed during metabolism which can cause internal bodily damage d) Autoimmunity theory tendency of an aging body to mistake its own tissues for foreign invaders and to attack and destroy them 3. Physical changes a) Skin losses pigment and elasticity b) People become shorter c) Heart beats slower and more irregular d) Reserve capacity is decreased e) Brain diminishes in volume and weight f) Hearing and vision impairments increase g) Decline in muscle and strength h) Sleep and dreams lessen B. Mental development 1. Elderly people are less likely to seek medical attention for mental distress.

2. Dementia deterioration in cognitive and behavioral function due to physiological causes a) Alzheimers disease progressive irreversible degenerative brain disorder characterized by cognitive deterioration and loss of control of bodily functions leading to death b) Parkinsons disease progressive irreversible degenerative neurological disorder characterized by tremor stiffness slowed movement and unstable posture C. Cognitive development 1. To measure older adults intelligence the WAIS is generally used 2. Speed of mental processes and abstract reasoning may decline in later years 3. Defects in functioning are not inevitable and may be preventable 4. Studies show that cognitive training may enable older adults to recover lost competence and sometimes and surpass their previous attainments 5. Cognitive deterioration may actually be due to lack of use ( use it or lose it)

Chapter 18 III. Psychosocial Development in Late Adulthood A. Personality Development 1. Ego integrity versus despair - stage of psychosocial development in which people in late adulthood either achieve a sense of integrity of the self by accepting the lives they have lived and thus accept death, or yield to despair that their lives cannot be relived 2. As people get older they tend to seek out activities and people that give them gratification 3. Personality big five may help predict the outcome of well- being in old age and may influence negativity more than age B. Well being in adulthood 1. Coping and mental health a) The use of mature adaptive defenses in coping during earlier life helps to make for a positive mental health in old age b) Two main coping strategies 1) Problem focused coping directed toward eliminating, managing or improving a stressful situation 2) Emotion focused copping directed toward managing the emotional response to a stressful situation so as to lessen it physical or psychological impact c) Religion and spirituality increases likeliness to participate in healthy behaviors and also increases social support. 2. Models of successful aging a) Three main components of successful aging 1) Avoidance of disease and disability 2) Maintenance of high physical and cognitive functioning 3) Sustained active engagement in social and productive activities

b) Disengagement theory successful aging is characterized by mutual withdrawal of the older person and society c) Activity theory In order to age successfully a person must remain as active as possible d) Continuity theory in order to age successfully people must maintain a balance of continuity and change in both the internal and external structures of their lives C. Social Issues 1. Retirement is a dynamic adjustment process a) Socioeconomic status affects how retired people spend time 1) Family focused lifestyle reviles around family, home and companions. (Lower costs) 2) Balanced investment pattern of retirement activity allocated among family work and leisure (seen in people with higher education levels) b) Volunteer work helps with well-being during retirement c) Living alone does not necessarily create loneliness disability and withdrawal are greater predictors to this D. Relationships 1. Emotional and social support are needed for healthy life satisfaction and well being 2. Married people are healthier and live longer than unmarried people 3. Women are more likely to be widowed 4. Divorce in late life is rare 5. Never married people are less likely to be lonely than divorced or widowed 6. Older people enjoy time with friends more than family 7. Elderly siblings are a very important part of social network Chapter 19 IV. Dealing with Death and Bereavement A. Meanings of death and dying 1. Cultural context a) Customs surrounding disposal, remembrance, transfer of possessions and even grief vary culture to culture 2. Care of the dying a) Movements have arisen to make dying more humane 1) Hospice care - warm personal patient and family centered care for a person with terminal illness 2) Palliative care care aimed at relieving pain and suffering and allowing the terminally ill to die in peace comfort and dignity also called comfort care. B. Death and Loss 1. Physical and cognitive changes preceding death a) Terminal drop decline in cognitive abilities near the end of life 2. Dealing with ones own death

a) Five stages in coming to term with death 1) Denial 2) Anger 3) Bargaining 4) Depression 5) Acceptance b) The five stages are not set in stone and not true for everyone 3. Grieving a) Three main stages of Grief 1) Shock/disbelief 2) Preoccupation with the memory of the dead person 3) Resolution b) Surviving a spouse Can affect physical and mental health 1) Quality of the relationship matters 2) Reactions range from short and mild to extreme and long sometimes for years c) Losing a parent 1) Can push one to resolve important developmental issues 2) May lead to a greater sense of responsibility and attachment to others 3) Makes one more aware of their own mortality C. Medical and Ethical Issues 1. Right to die a) Some people choose to end their live through suicide for different reasons 1) Some due to depression or grief 2) Midlife crisis unable to cope 3) Family history increases risk of committing suicide b) Passive euthanasia - withholding of life sustaining treatment of a terminally ill person to allow death c) Active euthanasia deliberate action taken to shorten the life of a terminally ill person in order to end suffering or allow death with dignity d) Assisted suicide similar to active euthanasia except the person that wants to die performs the dead e) Physician aid in dying is legal in some states f) Active euthanasia is legal in the Netherlands D. Finding Meaning and Purpose 1. Those that have a strong sense of life purpose fear death the least 2. Life review reminiscence about ones life in order to see its significance 1) life review therapy can help focus the process of review and make it more purposeful and efficient a. autobiography b. scrapbooks/ albums and other memorabilia c. revisiting childhood and young adulthood scenes d. reuniting with family and friends