Chapter 13: Biopsychosocial Challenges of Middle Adulthood

Question 1

How does appearance change in middle adulthood?

Answer 1

• Wrinkles: changes in skin structure its connective and supporting tissues as well as sunlight and smoke damage
• Hair: gray from decreased follicle pigment production and baldness from a genetic trait
• Weight: from slowed metabolism

Question 2

What changes occur in bones and joints in middle adulthood?

Answer 2

• Loss of bone mass: from point of skeletal maturity (18 F, 20 M) increasing change of breakage and slowing healing can affect height and posture (spine). Osteoporosis may be influenced by nutrient or exercise deficiencies can be detected with DXA and research is being done on medication treatments
• Arthritis: osteoarthritis (wear and tear)and rheumatoid (stiffness, aching, pain, swelling) which can be from an inherited predisposition

Question 3

What is climacteric?

Answer 3

Biological processes during which women pass from their reproductive to nonreproductive years

Question 4

What are the reproductive changes in women?

Answer 4

• Inability to bear children
• physical and psychological symptoms: pain during/decreased interest in sex, concentration, mood, sleep changes, hormone changes,
• Decrease in size and function of reproductive organs.
• Risk of osteoporosis, CV disease, urinary stress incontinence, weight gain , memory loss

Question 5

What are the reproductive changes in men?

Answer 5

Decrease in testosterone and sperm (gradual),
- when fast decrease in testosterone like menopause symptoms. Sexual difficulties but not impossible - medication help

Question 6

What makes someone an expert?

Answer 6

• One who is much better at a task because of how they address a problem
• Experts have more knowledge and therefore modes of addressing a problem they are more flexible, creative, and curious
• They do not have to follow the rules a novice does and may not be able to explain the steps they take

Question 7

What is the difference between younger and older adult learning ?

Answer 7

• Adult have a greater need to know why they should learn before beginning
• Have more and different experience to build off of
• Most willing to learn what is necessary for real-world problems not abstract,
• More motivated by internal factors (self-esteem, personal satisfaction) than external factors (job promotion, pay raise)

Question 8

How does fluid intelligence emerge in middle adulthood differently (be able to write)

Answer 8

In middle adulthood mechanics of intelligence reflects those aspects of intelligence comprising fluid intelligence
- a more direct expression of the mind’s neurophysiological architecture
- more associated with fundamental organization of central nervous system
- more closely linked with gradual loss of brain efficiency with age (middle age starts downward trajectory)

Question 9

How does crystallized intelligence emerge in middle adulthood differently (be able to write)

Answer 9

In middle adulthood pragmatics of intelligence refers to those aspects of intelligence reflecting crystallized intelligence
- associated more with the bodies of knowledge that are available from and mediated through one’s culture
- more closely associated with psychosocial (knowledge change as function of accumulation and acquisition knowledge over time) & sociocultural (structures also influences by how socialized in a historical period)
- knowledge structures influence way implement professional skills, solve everyday problems, and conduct the business of life
- continues as one ages