Chapter 12 Flashcards
Patriarchy
A social organization marked by the supremacy of males in the clan or family
Generativity
According to Erikson, the ability to create, originate, and produce throughout adulthood
Midlife Transition
A period in middle adulthood when a person’s perspective on his or her life may change significantly
Midlife Crisis
A turning point experienced by many people between the ages of 45 to 65, when they realize that life may be half over and they feel trapped in meaningless life roles
Empty-Nest Syndrome
A sense of depression and a loss of purpose that some parents experience when the youngest child leaves home
Menopause
The cessation of menstruation; also, the biological changes that a woman experiences during the years of her declining ability to reproduce
Programmed Theories
The view that aging is the result of genetics
Cellular Damage Theories
The view that aging occurs because body cells lose the capacity to reproduce and maintains themselves as a result of damage
Free Radical
An unstable molecule present in the human body that is thought by some scientists to be the cause of aging
Cross-linking
A possible cause of aging in which proteins within a cell bind together, toughening body tissues and eventually leading to the breakdown of various bodily processes
Dementia
A serious loss of cognitive function
Senile Dementia
A decrease in mental ability that sometimes occurs after the age 65
Alzheimer’s Disease
An irreversible, progressive brain disorder characterized by the deterioration of memory, language, and eventually, physical functioning
Ego Integrity
According to Erikson, a strong sense of identity during late adulthood that is characterized by the wisdom to accept the fact that life is limited
Hospice
A type of care for terminally ill patients; an organization that provides such care
