6 - lifespan perspective and socioemotional processing in older age

Question 1

what is stereotype threat effect?

Answer 1

an ironic effect of underperformance on a stereotype-relevant task due to anxiety about confirming negative stereotypes

Question 2

what did the Baltimore longitudinal study of ageing find (Levy et al)?

Answer 2

people who had positive age stereotypes were less likely to experience cardiovascular events and have a steep decline of hippocampal volume compared to those with negative age stereotypes

internalising effects of stereotypes have long-term consequences

Question 3

how is the world ageing?

Answer 3

the global share of older people has increased from 9.2% (1990) to 11.7% (2013) and projected to reach 21.1% (2050)

Question 4

why study ageing?

Answer 4

understanding of lifespan development provides better understanding of human psychology and prepares us individually and societally for age-related changes

Question 5

what did Paul Baltes suggest?

Answer 5

saw development as change that lasts a lifetime - lifespan perspective

ontogenesis: development is the continuum in which changes are observed

Question 6

what are the theoretical propositions that characterise the lifespan perspective (Baltes)?

Answer 6

1. development as a life-long process
2. multidirectionality
3. gains and losses
4. plasticity
5. historical embeddedness
6. contextualism as paradigm
7. multidisciplinary
   CHGPMM (CHuG PiMM)

Question 7

lifespan perspective: lifelong process

Answer 7

• no age period holds supremacy in regulating development
• all stages of the lifespan, both continuous and discontinuous processes are at work during development

Question 8

lifespan perspective: multi directionality

Answer 8

• there is diversity in the directionality of ontogenetic change
• even within same developmental period, some behaviours show increases while others show decreases in function

e.g. mechanics (processing) vs pragmatics (intelligence)

Question 9

lifespan perspective: gains/losses

Answer 9

joint occurrence of gain (growth) and loss (decline)

people who are successfully ageing have a good balance of gains and losses

Question 10

lifespan perspective: plasticity

Answer 10

intraindividual plasticity in development

depends on life conditions and experiences

Question 11

lifespan perspective: historical context

Answer 11

ontogenetic development varies with historical-cultural context

development influenced by sociocultural conditions in given historical period and how they evolve over time

Question 12

lifespan perspective: contextualism

Answer 12

development affected by interaction between:
- age-graded (e.g. puberty, marriage)
- history-graded (e.g. war, COVID)
- non normative factors (happen to less people e.g. refugees, winning lottery)

Question 13

what is the lifespan perspective?

Answer 13

(Baltes)
emphasises a fuller view of an individual, from birth to death, and the changes that come with that

Question 13

lifespan perspective: multidisciplinary

Answer 13

anthropology, biology, and sociology in addition to psychology is concerned with human development

a ‘purist’ psychological view has an incomplete picture of behavioural development

integration of knowledge is useful

Question 14

how do social networks change with age?

Answer 14

• social network sizes tend to decrease with age
• social pruning begins in 30s-40s
• older people prefer familiar and emotionally close partners - quality over quantity

Question 15

what are the benefits of positive social networks with age?

Answer 15

• better cognitive functioning
• reduced signs of dementia
• better recovery from stroke
• lower risk of morbidity and mortality

Question 16

how do the quality of social relationships differ between younger and older adults?

Answer 16

compared to younger adults, older adults:
- experience more positive and less negative emotions when interacting with friends and family
- derive greater support from their close relationships
- report greater satisfaction with members of social network

Question 17

what is the ageing paradox?

Answer 17

despite declines in physical and cognitive health, older adults often report positive relationships & well-being

Question 18

how do social preferences differ between younger and older adults?

Answer 18

expanded time horizons - older adults have lower preference for familiar social partners

limited time horizons - both age groups prefer familiar social partners

Question 19

what is the socioemotional selectivity theory?

Answer 19

through life we have two drives: emotion and knowledge
their salience varies throughout life

YAs motivated by knowledge, time is seen as boundless

OAs motivated by emotion, time is seen as constrained

Question 20

what is the positivity bias?

Answer 20

since older adults see time as constrained they invest more in positive information

since they are so practiced at this they are better at emotional regulation

Question 21

how does positivity change with age?

Answer 21

as we grow older:
- positive affect trends increase
- negative affect trends decrease
older people report more positive and less negative emotions

Question 22

evidence that older adults have a positive bias

Answer 22

OAs faster to attend to positive stimuli and slower to attend to negative stimuli

OAs better at remembering positive images compared to neutral and negative images

Question 23

evidence that older adults are better at emotional regulation

Answer 23

when confronted by confederate about their opinions younger adults display higher negative affect and increase in pulse rate than older adults

Question 24

how does socioemotional processing change with age?

Answer 24

older adults report positive relationships with fewer close social partners and oriented towards positives stimuli compared to younger adults

SST explains these shifts according to shifting motivations to prioritise emotional goals due to changes in time horizons