Chapter 1:Basic concepts of adult development and aging

Question 1

What is gerontology

Answer 1

It is a multidisciplinary study of old age and the aging process

Question 2

What are the substages of adulthood

Answer 2

Early adulthood (20-39 yrs)

Middle adulthood (40-58 yrs)

Late adulthood ( 60 yrs - death)

Question 3

What is meant by chronological age

Answer 3

It is the amount of years passed since a person’s birth

Question 4

Define psychological age

Answer 4

Refers to the ability of a person to adjust to environment and to cope with associated challenges.

Question 5

What determines ones social age

Answer 5

Determined by the degree to which the person’s role in a society meets the expectations and perceptions of that society.

Question 6

What is ones biological age

Answer 6

It is the physical condition of a person in comparison with his or her age group

Question 7

Define functional age

Answer 7

It is the total ability of an individual to function effectively in the environment

Question 8

State what is primary aging

Answer 8

Refers to ones normal aging such as gradual physical deterioration

Question 9

Define secondary aging

Answer 9

Physical or psychological deterioration accelarated by disease

Question 10

Define teriary aging

Answer 10

It is the process of terminal decline that occurs in the time before death.

Question 11

Explain what is meant by optimal aging

Answer 11

Refers to age related changes that improve the individual’s functioning

Question 12

Describe personal age and ageless self

Answer 12

Is how a person perceives and experience own age

Ageless self : the experience by adults that the self remains basically unchanged regardless of biological and chronological aging

Question 13

What is the life span developmental approach

Answer 13

It suggests that human development takes place over the entire life span and all age groups are equally important.

Question 14

What are the framework of life span developmental approach

Answer 14

Development is multidimensional and multidirectional

Development shows plasticity

Development is embedded in history

Development occurs in context

Development is multidisciplinary

Question 15

What are the forces and influences of development

Answer 15

Biological forces: include all biological physical and physiological related factors that affect development.

Psychological forces: includes internal perceptual cognitive emotional and personality factors

Sociocultural forces: refer to interpersonal societal ethnic gender and cultural forces.

Life cycle forces: forces that affect course of development and may a combination of biological psychological and sociocultural forces

Question 16

What are the influences affecting development

Answer 16

Normative age graded influence: are experiences caused by biological psychological and sociocultural forces associated with chronological age.

Normative history graded influence: results from events that most people in a specific culture experience at the same time

Non normative influence: results from random or rare events that may affect a particular individual but are not experienced by most people.

Question 17

State reciprocity in development

Answer 17

According to this approach people both influence and are influenced by events in Thier lives which suggests that individuals take an active role in their development.

Question 18

What is nature Vs nurture interactionist reciprocity debate

Answer 18

Argument about whether human development is related to biological processes or a person’s development is dependent on the environmental influences and experience

Question 19

Expand on the continuous discontinuous debate

Answer 19

Argues whether development occurs gradually or abruptly.

Question 20

Briefly explain the universality context debate

Answer 20

Refers to the extent to which developmental changes are common to all humans or different across cultures subculture and individuals

Question 21

Evaluate the organismic model

Answer 21

Proposes that people develop according to internally generated patterns of development.

Question 22

Evaluate the mechanistic model

Answer 22

Proposes that human behaviour results from external forces upon which the person reacts passively.

Question 23

Explore the interactionist model

Answer 23

Both genetics and the environment or context interact in complex ways towards the individual development.

Question 24

What are the domains of development

Answer 24

Physical domain: concerns changes in biological systems and structures of the body like sensory capacities organ and nervous systems endocrine and immune system reproductive system and motor skills

Cognitive development: including changes in mental functioning like memory intelligence problem solving creativity and wisdom

Personality development: involves unique way in which individuals deal with the world how they view themselves and expression of thoughts and emotions

Social development: refers to changes in the person’s social world. Encompasses interpersonal relationships social roles social networks and social responsibility

Question 25

What is quantitative research

Answer 25

It is a Process in which mainly statistical data are used to obtain info and to make predictions concerning a specific topic.

Question 26

Define qualitative research

Answer 26

Attempts to provide an in-depth understanding of what people experience.

Question 27

Explain the mixed method research

Answer 27

It is the usage of both quantitative and qualitative research methods in a single study.

Question 28

Define hypothesis

Answer 28

Is a tentative assumption about what the result of the study will be.

Question 29

Define sampling and the methods thereof

Answer 29

Refers to the process in which a limited number of research participants are selected in a way that they are representative of the total group from which they are selected.

Convenience sampling means taking those that are easily available

Random sampling means selection is random unbiased.

Stratified sampling we create a sample that has same characteristics of the target population as a whole.

Question 30

Give methods of research

Answer 30

Systematic observations of behavior: involves watching others and recording what they say or do.

• Naturalistic observations is used where people are observed in natural or real life situation
• Structured observations where researchers create a setting to elicit the behavior being researched.

Self reports:
Interviews- asking participants directly regarding subject matter
Questionnaire- is a set of written questions to which people have to respond.

Psychological tests: compiled for measuring psychological quality like personality and intelligence. It consists of questions statement problems pictures to which participants respond. They are standardized where they are reliable valid and normed
Reliability refers to fact that results are consistent over time.
Validity means it measures what it’s intended to measure
A norm is a statistical number that makes it possible to compare any individual test scores with the achievement of comparable group.

Question 31

Provide different research designs

Answer 31

Experimental research: researchers control conditions in a way that it’s possible to determine to what extent a given factor influence behavior to be investigated.
This variable refers to anything that is changeable and can take on different number quantity or value.

Experimental group is exposed to a certain variable and a control group isn’t exposed to any variables.

Independent variables are any factors that the researchers expect to cause change in another variable
The dependant variables are the factors that researchers expect to be influenced by the independent variables.

Question 32

Expand on correlational research

Answer 32

The goal here is to determine whether there is a correlation or relationship between variable. It is to describe the strength of the relationship between 2 or more events characteristics.

Question 33

What are case studies

Answer 33

They are a study method of in-depth study especially of a single person but also can be a single event situation. The info can be obtained from interviews psychology test therapy sessions prolonged observations and diaries

Question 34

What is a meta analysis

Answer 34

It is a research method where a statistical analysis is made of the results of existing studies on the topic to determine whether greater clarity could be reached especially concerning role of a specific variable.