Exam 1 Flashcards
Lifespan Perspective- Lifelong
We continuously change from conception to birth
Multiple Causation
Development is biological & psychological
Multidirectional
Development shows both gains & losses @ every stage
Plastic
Development is flexible- growth & decline
Historical Context
Development is shaped by both cultural factors & historical timeline
Selection, Optimization, and Compensation
Seniors select & optimize there best abilities, most intact functions when compensating for decline & losses
Problem w/ measuring age chronologically
Content Validity- chronological age doesn’t capture everything about development
Always cofounded with one or two other time related variables
Age
biological, psychological, or sociocultural
Cohort
year or time period someone was born
Period
Year or time period someone was measured
Longitudinal Design (benefits, limitations, and confound)
Data gathered over a period of time from same cohort
Age is cofounded w period
Age & Period are perfectly correlated
Cross-sectional Design (benefit, limitations, and confound)
Data gathered at one time from groups of participants who represent diff age groups
Age is cofound w/ cohort
Sequential Designs - how they help eliminate the confounding of age w period/cohort
Combines aspects of cross sectional & longitudinal
Follows diff cohorts of ppl across time
If you see the same change @ a particular age, regardless of cohort/period, you can be more confident its a true developmental change
End of History Illusion
People tend to recognize change form past but mispredict future
Participants ask to full out questions apt current personality- randomly assigned again to fill out as younger or future self. Across all domains, they changed more than predictors estimated they would change
Primary vs. Secondary Aging
Normative vs non normative changes in aging.
Primary- something that happens to everyone @ some point
Secondary- disease
Difficult to discern bc some secondary aging problems are caused by same mechanisms that cause primary)
How do the “programmed cell death” and “oxidative damage” theories explain primary aging?
Suggest that as cells divide, their protective caps (telomeres) naturally shorten, eventually reaching a length that triggers a programmed cell death pathways, leading to tissue decline & aging
oxidative damage: proposed that harmful molecules (free radicals) accumulate overtime, damaging cellular components like proteins & DNA due to their high reactivity.
DNA Methlation
Measures primary aging
**Presbyopia & why its more common in older people
Farsightedness- we lose elascitiy of the lens, resulting in inability to focus sharply on nearby objects
Catarcts
Gradual clouding of the lens (extensive exposure to lights, diabetes, smoking, family history, obesity)
Glaucoma
Build-up of pressure inside the eye that can lead to blindness
Macular Degenration
Retine causing central vision loss
Making visual environments more “age friendly”
High illumination & low glare surfaces
High contrast on appliance controls
Larger fonts
Low clutter/clean paths
*** Presbycusis
Age related hearing loss that results in impaired ability to hear high pitched tones
- Sensory- destruction of receptor cells
- Neural- loss of auditory neurons in the brain
- Metabolic- Fewer nutrients reach receptor
- Mechanical- reduced vibration of inner ear structures
Analog & Digital hearing Aids
Amplify sound to make it easier to hear
Only 33% of adult w hearing loss use them bc they are expensive & medicaid doesn’t cover it
Making listening enviroements more age friendly
Reducing background noise
Including more visual cues
Technological adaptations
Bone growth & loss across childhood to adulthood
Begins in late 30s, accelerates in 50s, slows in 70s
Men tend to start adulthood w more bone mass
Females bone loss can accelerate after menopause
** Osteoporosis
Bone density is more than 2.5 SD lower than the young adult average
Women 4x more at risk
Can cause bones to easily break- hard to heal, and loss in height- curvature of spine
** Osteoarthritis
Caused by cartilage that protects bones at the joint
Can cause swelling, pain, loss of motion, depressions, anxiety, and a feeling of helplessness
Treatments- antiinflammatory & pain relief meds; balance of exercise, rest, & managing weight
Primary differences between osteoarthritis & rheumatoid arthritis
The cause behind the joint systems
Osteoarthritis: mechanical wear & tear on joints
Rheumatoid: autoimmune disease where immune system attacks joints
Age related changes in muscle mass & strength
Gradual decrease overal
of fibers decrease & muscles lose ability to contract as quickly
Exercise like resistance training & stretching can help
ADLs vs. IADLS
ADL- Activity of Daily Living (basic self care tasks like bathing/dressing)
IADLS- More complex tasks like planning a meal or managing finances
** Climacteric
Period of declining fertility & hormone production
Perimenopause vs Menopause
Perimoenopause- when period becomes irregular (sign of menopause)
Menopause- 1 year after last menstruation
How hormonal changes during the climacteric impact men & women
Begins earlier in women (35) than men (40s)
Changes are more significant for women than men
Menopausal Hormone Therapy
Explains how bodys production of progesterone & estrogen declines during menopause
Maximum Longevity
Oldest age to which any species can live (120)
**Average Longevity
Life expectancy- age half of individuals born in specific year will have died
Current life expectancy at birth- 77; but current life expectancy at 65- 18.9 (83 years old)
Factors that increase/decrease expected longevity
Genetics, environmental factors like access to healthcare/food, average life expectancy
Active vs. Dependent life expectancy
Active: old age still healthy, independent
Dependent: dependent on other or healthcare for significant assistance
** Top 3 causes of death in US**
2023: 1. heart disease, 2. cancer, 3. accidents,,, 10. COVID
2020-2022: 1. heart disease, 2. cancer, 3. COVID
Why does maximum heart rate decrease as we age?
- Heart muscles become thicker & less supple
- Accumulation of plaque in blood vessels (atherosclerosis)
** Secondary aging problems that arise in circulatory system & risk factors
Congestive heart failure
Hypertension
Heart Attack
Stroke
Risk factors: tabbacco, older than 50, obesity, sedentary lifestyles, high blood pressure or cholestorol & diabetes
Warning signs of heart attack
pain in chest, lightheadedness, pain in a jaw back or neck, pain in arm/shoulder, shortness of breathe
Warning signs of stroke
BEFASt
B- Balance
E- Eyes- seeing double
F- face- drooping
A- arms- drooping
S- speech- slurred
** Type II Diabetes
Inability to metabolize insulin
Increased risk for heart attack or stroke
Can cause blindness, kidney disease, amputation, & complications during pregnancy
Risk factors- increasing age, obesity, family history, sedentary lifestyle, high blood pressure or cholesterol
How has th eprevalcne of type II diabetes changed over the years
1990-2008- increased for adults > 45
2008- showing sings of decline
Cancer
Abnormal cells undergo rapid accelerated uncontrolled division
Increase with women <50, Increase with men >50
Leading causes of cancer deaths in men and women in US
Male- lung, prostate, pancreas & liver
Female- Lung, breast, pancreas & ovarian
Screening recommendations for different age groups
20-24: Cervical
40-49- Breast, cervical, colorectal, & prostate
50+ : Breast, cervical, colorectal, lung, and prostate
