chapters 14-15 (age 40-60)

Question 1

describe primary and secondary ageing and leisure

Answer 1

• primary ageing: normal age related changes (physical and mental)
• secondary ageing: effects of illness or disease, more vulnerable
• changes: skin, hair colour, body build, distribution of hair growth (primary and secondary factors)
• leisure: intrinsic reward, predicted by prior participation, associated with health / cognitive benefits

Question 2

describe factors that lead to poor health and climacteric

Answer 2

• poor health: prior history of depression, high neuroticism, low education, poor self rated health at midlife associated with current depression, chronic illness, obesity, sedentary lifestyle and unemployment
• female climacteric: menopause, decreased ovarian functioning / hormones, cassation of menstruation
• male climacteric: decreased fertility / testicular function, mood swings, irritability

Question 3

describe changes in intelligence / the adult learner

Answer 3

• intelligence: crystallised increases with age (around 60), fluid decreases with age
• practical: application of intellectual skills to everyday situations, may improve in middle age
• expertise: specialised experience and knowledge in specific domain, compensate for declining abilities, cannot be learnt over the age of 60
• adult learner: pattern of study, work, rest, unemployment not linear but cyclical, very beneficial
• motivations: job / occupation, managing-work-life balance, curiosity, leisure, transition, desire to improve
• benefits: self confidence, better health / cognitive development, higher income / SES / education

Question 4

describe career stages

Answer 4

• mid career age (40-55): reappraise early career and early adulthood, reaffirm or modify ‘dream’, make choices appropriate to middle adult years, remain productive at work
• later career age (55-retirement): productive in work, maintain self esteem, prepare for retirement

Question 5

describe issues in the workplace / unemployment

Answer 5

• concerns: plateauing, role conflict, ‘workaholism’, burnout, u-shape satisfaction, discrimination, glass ceiling (preventing career advancement)
• burnout: stress, physical / emotional exhaustion, doubt about personal competence, negative effects on immune, endocrine and metabolic functions, anxiety, depression, sleep disorders, cardiovascular disease
• plateauing: point of constricted occupational opportunity, boredom replaces activity, growth and change
• unemployment: grief reaction (shock, disbelief, frustration), impact physical, mental and social well being, greater impact on men (providers)

Question 6

describe midlife crisis / relief

Answer 6

• gender identity: women increase in masculine traits and vice versa, parental imperative, decline in sex hormones, demands of mid life, women experience role change
• UCLA study (gould): how an individual negotiates a midlife crisis determines ones adaptation to old age
• yale study (levinson): dream of adult accomplishment revised, emphasis shifts towards future
• harvard grant study (valiant): reassessing and reordering truth about adolescence and young adulthood

Question 7

describe personality development and the 5 characteristic traits

Answer 7

• openness to experience: welcome new experiences, imaginative, curious, decrease
• conscientiousness: organisation, scrupulousness, persistence, achievement motivation, increase
• extroversion: sociability, excitement, joy, good spirits, stays stable
• agreeableness: sympathy, listeners, discussion not arguing, trust, cooperativeness / altruism, increase
• neuroticism: experience / fluctuate in negative emotions (fear, anger, sadness), stays stable
• stability of traits: increasing (conscientiousness, agreeableness, dominance, emotional stability) and decreasing (openness to experience, normative / non-normative events)
• erikson: generativity (reach out to others, guide next generation, commitment beyond self, mentoring) and stagnation (own comfort / security above all, self centred / indulgent / absorbed)

Question 8

describe marriage, divorce and parenting

Answer 8

• midlife divorce: lack support, kin keeping skills are important, lower standard of living
• parenting: better prepared, higher expectations
• empty nest: improved well bring and marital satisfaction
• multigenerational families: children move out but remain in close contact
• caregiving: home tasks, caring roles, extended needs, workplace flexibility highly valued
• sandwich generation: caught between meeting the needs of older and younger generations in their families, caring for ageing parents at the same time that they are caring for dependent children

Question 9

describe extended family relationships

Answer 9

• grandparents: usually late 40’s, highly meaningful to most
• surrogate parenting: roles for grandchildren, more experienced / relaxed, challenges in roles, health, managing behaviour and feeling unprepared
• ageing parents: warm satisfying relationship whilst still healthy, illness causes stress, increase costs
• parental death: normative in midlife individuals, emotional setback, grief, changes in maturity, responsibility and generativity
• bereavement: recovering from loss (death, divorce, relocation), stigma of being alone / unattached / guilty (unresolved conflict, imagined wrongs, questions concerning purpose of life)