Ch. 1 Studying Adult Development and Aging

Question 1

ageism

Answer 1

the study of aging from maturity through old age

Question 2

ageism

Answer 2

discrimination based on age, whether it be old or young

Question 3

life-span perspective

Answer 3

divides human development into 2 phases:

(1) early phase - childhood y adolescence
(2) later phase - YA, middle age y old age

Question 4

features of life-span perspective

Answer 4

(1) multidirectionality
(2) plasticity
(3) historical context
(4) multiple causation

Question 5

multidirectionality

Answer 5

development that involves both growth y decline

(ie) increase vocab but rxn time slows down throughout life

Question 6

plasticity

Answer 6

no predetermined

- mind/body very adaptable

Question 7

historical context

Answer 7

development based on historical time y culture

(ie) living in Manitowoc vs living in NYC

Question 8

multiple causation

Answer 8

how people develop as a result of a wide variety of forces

- shaped by biological, psychological, sociobultural y life-cycle forces

Question 9

normative age-graded influences

Answer 9

experiences caused by biological, psychological y sociocultural forces that occur to most people of a particular age
- highly correlated w/ chronological age

(ie) puberty, menarche, menopause, parenthood, etc

Question 10

normative history-graded influences

Answer 10

events that most people in a specific culture experience @ the same time

(ie) war, stereotypes, epidemics, attitudes, etc.

Question 11

nonnormative influences

Answer 11

random or rare events that may be important for a specific individual but are not experienced by most people

(ie) winning the lottery, airplane crash, cancer, etc.

Question 12

forces of development

Answer 12

(1) biological forces
(2) psychological forces
(3) sociocultural forces
(4) life-cycle forces

Question 13

biological forces

Answer 13

(force of development) genetic y health-related factors that affect development

(ie) menopause y facial wrinkling

Question 14

psychological forces

Answer 14

(force of development) internal perceptual, cognitive, emotional y personality factors that affect development

Question 15

sociocultural forces

Answer 15

(force of development) interpersonal, societal, cultural y ethnic factors that affect development

Question 16

life-cycle forces

Answer 16

(force of development) differences in how the same event or combo of bio, psycho y socio forces affects people @ different points in their lives

Question 17

culture**

Answer 17

shared basic values, orientations, norms, beliefs y customary habits y ways of living

Question 18

ethnocentricism**

Answer 18

the belief that one’s own culture is superior to others

Question 19

ethnicity**

Answer 19

an individual y collective sense of identity based on historical y cultural group membership y related behavs/beliefs

Question 20

primary aging

Answer 20

normal, disease-free development during adulthood

(ie) menopause y loss of family/friends

Question 21

secondary aging

Answer 21

developmental changes that are related to disease, lifestyle y otro environmentally induced changes that are not inevitable

(ie) pollution y Alzheimer’s disease

Question 22

tertiary aging*

Answer 22

rapid losses that occur shortly before death

(ie) terminal drop

Question 23

terminal drop**

Answer 23

marked decline of intellectual abilities in the last few years before death

Question 24

chronological age*

Answer 24

calendar age

Question 25

perceived age*

Answer 25

the age you think of yourself as

“You’re only as old as you feel”

Question 26

biological age*

Answer 26

assessed by measuring the fcn of various vital or life-limiting organ systems (CDV system)

Question 27

psychological age

Answer 27

the fcnl level of psych abilities people use to adapt to changing environmental demands

Question 28

sociocultural age*

Answer 28

societal/cultural standards for specific age groups
- based on style of dress, customs, language

(ie) age of when to get married

Question 29

nature vs. nurture

Answer 29

the degree to which genetic or hereditary influences (nature) and experiential or environmental influences (nurture) determine the kind of person you are

Question 30

stability-change issue*

Answer 30

the degree to which people remain the same over time

Question 31

continuity-discontinuity controversy

Answer 31

concerns whether a particular developmental phenomenon represents a smooth progression over time (continuity) or a series of abrupt shifts (discontinuity)

(continuity) focus on AMOUNT of a characteristic a person has
(discontinuity) focus on the KINDS of characteristics a person has

Question 32

experimental research designs

Answer 32

created w/ independent variable (manipulated), dependent variables (what we look at) and random assignment

Question 33

naturalistic observation*

Answer 33

observe behavior spontaneously in real-life situation

Question 34

structured observation*

Answer 34

observation by researcher in a created setting that is likely to elicit behavior of interest

Question 35

correlational design*

Answer 35

examine relations between variables as they exist naturally in the world

• not cause y effect
• predictive nature

Question 36

case studies*

Answer 36

look @ individual cases

- can’t assume generalizaiton

Question 37

cross-sectional design

Answer 37

testing people of different ages at the same time

- most popular

Question 38

longitudinal design

Answer 38

same individuals observed or tested repeatedly @ diff. points in their lives

Question 39

microgenetic study**

Answer 39

a special type of longitudinal design where participants are tested repeated over a span of days or weeks
- typically w/ the aim of observing change directly as it occurs

Question 40

age effects*

Answer 40

differences caused by underlying processes (bio, psycho, social changes)

• inherent changes
• not caused by passage of time

Question 41

cohort effects

Answer 41

differences caused by experiences y circumstances unique to the generation to which one belongs
- correspond to normative history-graded influences

(ie) differences in texting in older generation vs. younger generation

Question 42

time-of-measurement effects*

Answer 42

differences stemming from socio, environmental, historical or otro events @ the time the data are obtained from participants

(ie) comfort w/ Muslims before 9/11 vs. after 9/11