Chapter 15: Psychosocial, Retirement, Relationship, and Societal Issues

Question 1

What is the competence-environmental press model?

Answer 1

The upper limit of ones ability to function—physical health, sensory-perceptual, motor, cognitive skills, and ego strength (integrity)—verses the physical, interpersonal, or social demands of the environment.
- Adaption level is average press for a level of competence resulting in normal behavior and affect
- A little more press produces the zone of maximum performance potential
- A little less produced the zone of maximum comfort
- Outside of these is maladaptive behavior and negative effect
- Each person has the potential for being well adapted to some but not all living situation

Question 2

How does docility and proactivity relative to the competence-environment press model?

Answer 2

• They are two major ways people respond to the competence and environment.
• People are proactive when they make choices and exhibit control and is likely to come from the high competency
• People are docile when they allow the situation to dictate their options and they exhibit lack of control such individuals have low competency

Question 3

What is integrity in late life and how it is achieved?

Answer 3

• Integrity comes as adults make sense of their life and become self-affirming and self-accepting judging that their life has been worthwhile and good.
• Those who do not consider their life this ways give way to despair

Question 4

What is well-being in late adulthood and how do people view themselves as they are?

Answer 4

• Subjective well-bring is a positive well-being assessed by satisfaction, happiness, and self-esteem.
• Young-old adults tend to have improved subjective well-bring than middle-aged adults depending on physical and social variables
• Tends to be the same across culture and gender though gender differences increase with age and women have a disadvantage
• Potentially due to less amygdala and frontal cortex activation

Question 5

What is the role of spirituality in late life?

Answer 5

Older adults deal better with physical and social stressors when they have spirituality. This is because of coping strategies that allow them to focus on the aspects of problems they can influence. Meditation may improve cognitive processes.

Question 6

What does retirement mean in late adulthood?

Answer 6

It can mean a loss of occupational identity. It is the withdrawal from full time occupational participation. Different for women who may not have a full time job.