PS100 Lecture Notes - Lecture 12: Semantic Memory, Head Injury, Longitudinal Study
Developmental Psychology - Lecture 11
Late Adulthood - Chapter 16 and 17
Learning Objectives
- To understand:
- Ageism and Life expectancy
- Adjusting to retirement
- Developmental changes
- Marital status, relationships, and well-being
- Housing options and choices
- Interests and activities in late adulthood
How many People are we talking about?
- Maximum lifespan is about 120 years
- Increased life expectancy means that more people are approaching that limit
- Adults over 65 years of age:
13% of population (2004)
Increasing to 27% of population (by 2051) [ABS]
- Cellular wear and tear theory
- Less people going into retirement and more part time work
Gender and Morality
Aboriginal Australians
- Life expectancy for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples-shorter by 11.5 years for males and
9.7 years for females (2005-2007).
- Aboriginals
- Intergenerational trauma (Stolen Generations)
The life expectancy of Aboriginal Australians at birth:
- Male= 67 years,
- Female= 73 years. (ABS data)
- Adults over 65yrs = 3% of population
Ageing and Ageism
- Ageism
- Treatment, stereotyping, discrimination
- May impact on treatment recommendations and expected outcomes
- Cultural
Mental Health Issues
- Mental disorders underestimated and under treated in older adults
- Stoicism limits reporting
- Most common disorder is depression
Elder Suicide
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Alzheier’s Disease
- Degeneration of brain cells affecting memory, learning, and judgement
- Symptoms worsen with disease progression
- Risk factors include:
Chronological age
Gender
Vascular conditions
Low education
Head injury
Biological susceptibility
Memory Changes
- Anticipatory dementia
- Some memory processes change more than others
Working memory – age deficits
Episodic memory – steady decline
Semantic memory – largely intact
Procedural memory – least change
Late Adulthood - Berkeley Study
- Longitudinal study of men and women over 55 years
- Changes over time
- Intellect (some decline), agreeableness (some increase), satisfaction (stable), extroversion (decline)
- Energy was least stable
- Study suggested change over time is more related to age than gender
Theory of Ageing - Erikson
- Integrity vs. despair
- Resolution of conflict produces wisdom
- Increase in agreeableness supports notion of ego integrity
- Success is predicted by resolution of earlier stages
identity > generativity > ego integrity
Theories of Successful Ageing
Theory Omissions
- Theories place burden of adjustment on individuals
- Disregard factors such as
- Reduced financial circumstances
- Range of activity and interest levels
- Social support
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
Document Summary
Increased life expectancy means that more people are approaching that limit. Increasing to 27% of population (by 2051) [abs] Less people going into retirement and more part time work. Life expectancy for aboriginal and torres strait islander peoples-shorter by 11. 5 years for males and. The life expectancy of aboriginal australians at birth: Adults over 65yrs = 3% of population. May impact on treatment recommendations and expected outcomes. Mental disorders underestimated and under treated in older adults. Degeneration of brain cells affecting memory, learning, and judgement. Some memory processes change more than others. Longitudinal study of men and women over 55 years. Intellect (some decline), agreeableness (some increase), satisfaction (stable), extroversion (decline) Study suggested change over time is more related to age than gender. Increase in agreeableness supports notion of ego integrity. Success is predicted by resolution of earlier stages. Theories place burden of adjustment on individuals. Social support identity > generativity > ego integrity.
