Development Across The Life Span II

Question 1

Adolescence

Answer 1

A period of life from about the age 13 to the early 20s. A time when a young person is no longer a child physically, but is not yet independent.

Question 2

Physical Development

Answer 2

Puberty: the physical changes that occur in the body as sexual development reaches its peak.

Personal fable: this is when an adolescent believes that they are unique and nothing bad can happen to them.

Question 3

Cognitive development

Answer 3

-Piaget = abstract thinking becomes possible, although some egocentric thoughts remain.
= personal fable
= imaginary audience: adolescents believe that others are concerned about the same things as them.

-Kohlberg’s = moral-reasoning [reasoning about what constitutes right and wrong that underpins ethical behavior.

Question 4

Menopause

Answer 4

Women experience a physical decline in the reproductive system called climacteric. Refers to the end of ovulation and menstrual cycles, and a woman’s other reproductive capabilities.

Question 5

Andropause

Answer 5

The gradual changes in the sexual hormones and reproductive system of males.

Question 6

Physical aging

Answer 6

The peak of physical health, sharp senses, fewer insecurities, mature cognitive abilities [signs of aging begin]

Question 7

Common health problems in middle age?

Answer 7

High blood pressure, skin cancer, heart problems, arthritis, obesity.

Question 8

Challenges in memory?

Answer 8

Caused from stress and high volumes of information that has to be maintained.

In order to cope, exercising mental abilities helps [ working on challenging crossword puzzles, reading, and having an active social life]

**staying physically active helps too

Question 9

Erikson’s Intimacy vs isolation

Answer 9

Part of psychosocial development: involves emotional and psychosocial closeness that is based o the ability to trust, share, and care, while still maintaining a sense of self.

**those who fail to find intimacy face isolation [loneliness, shallow relationships with others, fear of real intimacy]

Question 10

Erikson’s Generativity vs stagnation

Answer 10

Part of psychosocial development: involves providing guidance to one’s children or the next generation, or contributing to the well being of the next generation through careers or volunteering.

**those who fail t achieve generativity are usually still dealing with issues of intimacy or identity (thus they are stagnated)

Question 11

Erikson’s Ego Integrity vs Despair

Answer 11

Part of psychosocial development: involves the sense of wholeness that comes from having lived a full life an having the ability to let go of regrets. Look back on life positively.

**Failure to experience feelings of integrity involves one reviewing life and having many regrets/ unfinished business. They feel despair from time running out an looking back on life negatively [did not accomplish what they wanted or make a change to the world]

Question 12

Theories of physical and psychological aging

Answer 12

Cellular clock theory= based on the idea that cells only have so many times that they can reproduce to repair damage.

Telomeres= structures on the ends of chromosomes that shorten each time a cell reproduces.

Wear-and-tear theory= as time goes by, repeated ye and abuse of the body’s tissues cause it to be unable to repair all the damage.

Free radical theory= involves oxygen molecules with an unstable electron moving around the cell, damaging cell structures as they go.

Activity theory= theory of adjustment to aging that assumes older people are happier if they remain active in some way [such as volunteering or developing a hobby.

**one way to age successfully and maintain a psychological health is to remain active and involved in life.

Question 13

Stages of death and dying

Answer 13

Denial
Anger
Bargaining
Depression
Acceptance 

**one will not go through all these stages in a linear manner.