Chapter 1:Basic concepts of adult development and aging Flashcards
What is gerontology
It is a multidisciplinary study of old age and the aging process
What are the substages of adulthood
Early adulthood (20-39 yrs)
Middle adulthood (40-58 yrs)
Late adulthood ( 60 yrs - death)
What is meant by chronological age
It is the amount of years passed since a person’s birth
Define psychological age
Refers to the ability of a person to adjust to environment and to cope with associated challenges.
What determines ones social age
Determined by the degree to which the person’s role in a society meets the expectations and perceptions of that society.
What is ones biological age
It is the physical condition of a person in comparison with his or her age group
Define functional age
It is the total ability of an individual to function effectively in the environment
State what is primary aging
Refers to ones normal aging such as gradual physical deterioration
Define secondary aging
Physical or psychological deterioration accelarated by disease
Define teriary aging
It is the process of terminal decline that occurs in the time before death.
Explain what is meant by optimal aging
Refers to age related changes that improve the individual’s functioning
Describe personal age and ageless self
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
What is the life span developmental approach
It suggests that human development takes place over the entire life span and all age groups are equally important.
What are the framework of life span developmental approach
Development is multidimensional and multidirectional
Development shows plasticity
Development is embedded in history
Development occurs in context
Development is multidisciplinary
What are the forces and influences of development
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
What are the influences affecting development
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.
State reciprocity in development
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.
What is nature Vs nurture interactionist reciprocity debate
Argument about whether human development is related to biological processes or a person’s development is dependent on the environmental influences and experience
Expand on the continuous discontinuous debate
Argues whether development occurs gradually or abruptly.
Briefly explain the universality context debate
Refers to the extent to which developmental changes are common to all humans or different across cultures subculture and individuals
Evaluate the organismic model
Proposes that people develop according to internally generated patterns of development.
Evaluate the mechanistic model
Proposes that human behaviour results from external forces upon which the person reacts passively.
Explore the interactionist model
Both genetics and the environment or context interact in complex ways towards the individual development.
What are the domains of development
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
What is quantitative research
It is a Process in which mainly statistical data are used to obtain info and to make predictions concerning a specific topic.
Define qualitative research
Attempts to provide an in-depth understanding of what people experience.
Explain the mixed method research
It is the usage of both quantitative and qualitative research methods in a single study.
Define hypothesis
Is a tentative assumption about what the result of the study will be.
Define sampling and the methods thereof
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.
Give methods of research
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.
Provide different research designs
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.
Expand on correlational research
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.
What are case studies
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
What is a meta analysis
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.
