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PSYCH 223 > Late Adulthood > Flashcards

Late Adulthood Flashcards

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1
Q

Lifespan (Longevity)

A

the maximum amount of time a person can live under optimal conditions

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2
Q

Life Expectancy

A

the amount of time a person can actually be expected to live in a given setting

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3
Q

Ageism

A

prejudice against people because of their age

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4
Q

Cataract

A

a condition characterized by clouding of the lens of the eye

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5
Q

Glaucoma

A

a condition involving abnormally high fluid pressure in the eye

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6
Q

Presbycusis

A

loss of acuteness if hearing due to age-related degenerative changes in the ear

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7
Q

Osteoporosis

A

a disorder in which bones become more porous, brittle, and subject to fracture, due to loss of calcium and other minerals

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8
Q

Sleep Apnea

A

temporary suspension of breathing while asleep

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9
Q

Cellular Clock Theory

A

a theory of aging focusing on the limits of cell division

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10
Q

Telomeres

A

protective segments of DNA located at the tips of chromosomes

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11
Q

Hormonal Stress Theory

A

a theory of aging that suggests stress hormones, left at elevated levels, make the body more vulnerable to chronic conditions

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12
Q

Immunological Theory

A

a theory of aging that holds that the immune system is pre-set to decline by an internal biological clock

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13
Q

Wear-and-Tear Theory

A

a theory of aging that suggests that over time, our bodies becomes less capable of repairing themselves

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14
Q

Free-Radical Theory

A

a theory of aging that attributes aging to damage caused by accumulation of unstable molecules called free radicals

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15
Q

Cross-Linking Theory

A

a theory of aging that holds that the stiffening of body proteins eventually breaks down bodily processes, leading to aging

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16
Q

Arthritis

A

inflammation of joints

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17
Q

Osteoporosis

A

a painful, degenerative disease characterized by wear and tear on joints

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18
Q

Rheumatoid Arthritis

A

a painful, degenerative disease characterized by chronic inflammation of the membranes that line the joints

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19
Q

Dementia

A

a condition characterized by deterioration of cognitive functioning

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20
Q

Alzheimer’s Disease

A

a severe form of dementia characterized by memory lapses, confusion, emotional instability, and progressive loss of cognitive functioning

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21
Q

Implicit Memory

A

automatic memories based on repetition and apparently not requiring any conscious effort to retrieve

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22
Q

Prospective Memory

A

memory of things one has planned for the future

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23
Q

Ego Integrity

A

maintenance of the belief that life is meaningful and worthwhile despite physical decline and the inevitability of death

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24
Q

Disengagement Theory

A

the view that older adults and society withdraw from one another as older adults approach death

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25
Q

Activity Theory

A

the view that older adults fare better when they engage in physical and social activities

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26
Q

Socio-Emotional Selectivity Theory

A

the view that people place increasing emphasis on emotional experience as they age but limit their social contacts to regulate their emotions

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27
Q

Generalized Anxiety Disorder

A

extreme and/or persistent feelings of dread, worry, foreboding, and concern that are frequent and unrealistic

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28
Q

Phobic Disorder

A

irrational, exaggerated fear of an object or situation

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29
Q

Agoraphobia

A

fear of open, crowded places

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30
Q

Selective Optimization with Compensation

A

reshaping of one’s life to concentrate on what one finds to be important and meaningful in the face of physical decline and possible cognitive impairment

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31
Q

What is gerontology?

A

specific study of aging

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32
Q

What are the three groupings in late adulthood?

A

young-old (65-74)

old-old (75-84)

oldest-old (85+)

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33
Q

What are some general characteristic of late adulthood?

A

period of tremendous individual variability rather than universal loss

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34
Q

What is senescence?

A

gradual deterioration of body system

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35
Q

What are some ageist characteristics associated with individuals in late adulthood?

A

grouchy, incapable, sluggish, forgetful, and fixed in their ways

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36
Q

What is the life expectancy for babies born in 2016?

A

men: 80 years
women: 84 years

why the sex difference?: men involved in risky behaviors, men are more susceptible to CVD

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37
Q

Why is longevity in late adulthood?

A

partially inherited + health care system

human lifespan: ~115 years

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38
Q

What are the two types of theories about aging?

A

programmed theories

cellular damage theories

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39
Q

What is cellular clock theory (Hayflick limit) of aging?

A

each species has a time limit beyond which less lose capacity to replicate themselves

in humans it is about 50 years

telomeres: strong of repetitive DNA at the tips of chromosomes, length is reduced slightly each time a cell replicates

telomerase: enzyme that restores telomere to the end of DNA, most adult cells lack capacity to produce telomerase

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40
Q

What is the hormonal stress theory of aging?

A

corticosteroids and adrenaline are left elevated after illness

increases susceptibility to chronic diseases

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41
Q

What is the immunological theory of aging?

A

pre-set to decline

production of antibodies declines with age

age-related changes increase risk for cancer

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42
Q

What is the wear-and-tear theory of aging?

A

our bodies become less capable of repairing themselves

accumulation of unrepaired breaks resulting in loss of cellular function

stem cells divide an unlimited amount of times, but we have a limited pool in our body

can become damaged over time

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43
Q

What s the free-radial theory of aging?

A

damage cell proteins, DNA, membranes

our body produces fewer antioxidants with age

44
Q

What is the cross-linking theory of aging?

A

cell proteins bind to one another

leads to stiffening of body proteins

immune system combat cross-linking but get less efficient with time

45
Q

What are the characteristics of the brain and nervous system in late adulthood?

A

decrease in efficiency, increase in compensatory functioning

reduction of brain weight

loss of gray matter: education as protective factor, less atrophy

decline in the density of dendrites

slower synaptic transmission speed

plasticity decreases

reaction time increases

46
Q

What is bone density in late adulthood?

A

more brittle and vulnerable to fracture

47
Q

What is osteoporosis?

A

loss of calcium

leads to bone fractures: exercise (weight bearing) can decrease risk

can shorten one’s stature

more common in women, due to drops in estrogen levels

smoking and excessive alcohol consumption as risk factors

48
Q

What are characteristics of vision in late adulthood?

A

presbyopia

macular degeneration: part of retina that will affect sight, vision gets blurry

cataracts (1 in 5): white spots in vision

glaucoma (6%): pressure in eyes, hard to diagnose

49
Q

What are characteristics of hearing in late adulthood?

A

gradual degeneration of every part of the auditory system, more quickly in men than in women

presbycusis

tinnitus

50
Q

What are characteristics of taste and smell in late adulthood?

A

loss of taste buds on tongue, flavor blandness, inadequate nutrition as a result

loss of sensitivity to odours

51
Q

What are characteristics of touch in late adulthood?

A

skin is less responsive to cold and heat

52
Q

What is the general slowing of movement in late adulthood?

A

everything takes longer

slowing of brain activities

arthritis and loss of muscle elasticity

loss of senses’ responsiveness

53
Q

What are motor functions in late adulthood?

A

reduction in stamina due to changes in the CVS

reduction in dexterity due to arthritis

reduction in balance due to change in muscular strength

difficulty learning new pattern of fine motor movements

54
Q

What are the characteristics of sleeping in late adulthood?

A

need 7 hours per night on average

some suffer from insomnia and sleep apnea

wake up more frequently during night

may be related to other changes of late adulthood

how to improve sleep?: set up a nightly routine

55
Q

What are eating habits in late adulthood?

A

satiety sensation pattern is impaired

risk for unhealthy eating

56
Q

What is sexual activity in late adulthood?

A

decline in physical functions: estrogen and testosterone production decline

decline in frequency but still sexually active

stereotype: not asexual

physiological capacity to respond to sexual stimulation does not disappear with age, but slows down

sexual satisfaction may remain high

57
Q

What is health in late adulthood?

A

normal aging vs. pathological aging

chronic diseases or degenerative process

can lead to disability and premature death

58
Q

What is functional status?

A

basic and instrumental activities of daily living

59
Q

What are chronic diseases in late adulthood?

A

chronic diseases as main cause of death

cancer is the leading cause for death after age 65

heart disease and respiratory diseases follow closely

60
Q

What is substance abuse in late adulthood?

A

of prescription drugs

50% of prescription are not taken properly

20% of Canadian hospitalizations: problems with medication

61
Q

What are accidents in late adulthood?

A

increased risk for unintentional injuries

house should be equipped with safety features

group with most auto accidents

62
Q

What are good health habits in late adulthood?

A

help keeping up with activities of daily life and extending life expectancy

healthy weight and healthy diet

high levels of physical activities

not smoking, limited use of alcohol and drugs

63
Q

What is suicide in late adulthood?

A

until 1980, rate of suicide was higher than national average, slightly above for 85+

men are 5 times more likely to commit suicide

women attempt more but men complete the act more often

64
Q

What are the risk factors for suicide?

A

increased age

being single, divorced, or widowed

having a substance abuse problem

poorly managed chronic pain

social isolation

hopelessness and helplessness

depression

fear of being forced to move to a nursing home

loss of health, status, social roles, self-determination, and significant relationships

65
Q

What are anxiety disorders in late adulthood?

A

3% of older adults

GAD and phobias are more common

stress releases cortisol, that suppress the functioning of the immune system

prevalence is declining in older Canadians

66
Q

What is depression in late adulthood?

A

declining prevalence for depressive disorders in older Canadians

diagnosis: can be tricky, can be confused with dementia

67
Q

What are risk factors of depression in late adulthood?

A

inadequate social support and income

emotional loss

nagging health problems

gender (more common in women)

education (might not have learned how to cope)

68
Q

What are interventions and preventions of depression in late adulthood?

A

psychotherapy and medication

exercise

social involvement

religious beliefs are protective factor

69
Q

What is Alzheimer’s disease?

A

excessive neurofibrillary tangles, clog connection between neurons

severe form of dementia

subtle memory difficulties, repetitive conversation, disorientation in unfamiliar settings, loss of memory for recent events, memory for long-ago events and well-rehearsed cognitive procedures is persevered, likely because memory can be accessed through different neural pathways

difficulty processing/regulating emotions

2/3 of dementia cases

70
Q

What is explicit memory?

A

episodic/autobiographical

semantic memory

conscious effort

71
Q

What is implicit memory?

A

more automatic

years of learning and repetition

does not require conscious effort

72
Q

What is temporal memory?

A

order in which events have happened

73
Q

What associative memory?

A

relating information

74
Q

What is long-term memory in late adulthood?

A

adults remember the second and third decade of their lives with more details and emotional intensity

reasons: when developing identity, when sex hormones have strongest effect

75
Q

What are long term memory declines in late adulthood?

A

retrospective memory: dependent on fluid intelligence

prospective memory: independent of fluid intelligence

episodic memory: Pollyanna principle (remember more new things), recall what fits self-view (in-line with who we are)

associative memory

temporal memory: confused

76
Q

What are declines in short-term memory in late adulthood?

A

become more forgetful

pronounced decline after age 70

speed processing decline

learning process takes longer

not only unrelated task, but also everyday memory

but implicit memory remains largely unaffected by age

77
Q

What is intelligence in late adulthood?

A

some people engage in high levels of mental activity during their lives and enter late adulthood with a cognitive reserve (compensate in their daily lives)

cognitive training in memory, processing speed, and reasoning can be effective and improve old-aged adults’ performance

78
Q

What is language in late adulthood?

A

decline in reading comprehension: related to working memory

difficulty to understand spoken language: related to working memory, also to hearing difficulties

deficiencies in language production: gradual decline in expressive vocabulary, related to working memory and associative memory, more likely to experience tip-of-the-tongue phenomenon, but not necessarily in receptive vocabulary

79
Q

What are problem solving skills in late adulthood?

A

decline in three areas: executive functioning (selecting strategies), working memory (holding information in mind), processing speed

abstract problem-solving ability is not related to quality of life in late-adulthood, everyday problem solving is more concerning at this point in time

tend to regulate emotions differently, focus on remaining calm, decreasing tendency of expressing anger, increased priority on emotional regulation

80
Q

What is wisdom in late adulthood?

A

distractibility enable broader attention span

knowledge blended with values and meaning systems

consider past, present, future, and context

sense of mastery and purpose in life is related to subjective well-being

more related to intelligence and professional experience rather than age

Baltes: performance on wisdom tests does not decline with age

81
Q

What is the Cohen four-stage theory of mid- to late-life creativity?

A

re-evaluation phase (~50s): reflect on past accomplishments and formulate new goals

liberation phase (~60s): freer to create, more tolerant of failures, more willing to take risks

summing-up phase (~70s): knit accomplishment together in a cohesive story

encore phase (~80s): complete unfinished works and fulfill desires

82
Q

What is Erikson’s psychosocial theory of ego integrity versus ego despair?

A

sense that one has lives a useful life

person needs to come to terms with: who she is and who she has been, how her life was lived, the choices she made, the opportunities gained and lost, death and its imminence

failure to achieve integrity leads to hopelessness and despair, too late to make changes

83
Q

What are Peck’s developmental tasks in late adulthood?

A

ego differentiation versus work-role preoccupation: those in old age must redefine themselves in ways that do not relate to their work-roles or occupations

body transcendence versus body preoccupation: people must learn to cope with and move beyond changes in physical capabilities, shifting more value to cognitive as social activities

ego transcendence versus ego preoccupation: elderly people must come to terms with their coming death, concern for wellbeing of humankind

84
Q

What is reminiscence and generativity in late adulthood?

A

self-positive reminiscence is related to better mental health

self-negative reminiscence is related to lower well-being

reminiscence bump: remember more from young adulthood stage, likely due to cultural scripts that tend to happen (getting a job, leaving home, marriage, etc.)

reminiscence is foundational for the process of life review: evaluative process of past behaviors, interventions have had positive effects, active and assisted living program

quest for generativity persists: feel that current efforts are valued and respected, interventions have had positive effects

85
Q

What is activity theory?

A

should maintain the greatest possible level of activity and involvement

psychologically and physically

it is the healthiest response in late life

86
Q

What is disengagement theory?

A

shrinkage of life space

increased individuality

acceptance of these changes

disengages from role and relationships, turns inward

87
Q

What is continuity theory?

A

keep engaging in the same kind of activities

consistency is essential for a positive aging

88
Q

What is socioemotional selectivity theory?

A

limiting of social contacts to a few important ones

focus on emotionally fulfilling experiences

89
Q

What is self-esteem in late adulthood?

A

highest in childhood, dips in adolescence, rises gradually in middle-adulthood, declines in late adulthood

less body esteem as years go by (more accentuated in men)

generally higher in men

some levels of rank stability

90
Q

What is self-determination versus dependence in late adulthood?

A

self-determined old adults think of themselves and living a “normal life”

dependent adults tend to worry more about aging and physical disabilities

91
Q

How does volunteering impact self-esteem?

A

impacts valuable knowledge and skills to younger generations

make people feel capable, confident, and useful to others

lower risks of dementia and mental health issues

promotes physical and cognitive activity

92
Q

What is elderly abuse?

A

7% report emotional or financial abuse by an adult child, spouse, or caregiver

intentionally causing harm

93
Q

What is religious coping?

A

tendency to turn to religious beliefs and institutions in troubles times

primary means to manage depression and anxiety

sex differences: more common among women

religious beliefs: linked to measures of well-being and resilience, spirituality more than particular set of doctrines/teachings

attendance at religious services: highest for seniors (4 in 10), more optimistic, physically heathier, more satisfied with their lives, longer living, opportunity to help others, intergenerational involvement

94
Q

What are living arrangements in late adulthood?

A

~6.8% (over age 65), ~30% (over age 85) reside in long-term care facilities

factors: health, income, adult children’s characteristics, social support services

can affect sense of self-determination and disrupt their social networks

95
Q

What is the partnership between heterosexual couples in late adulthood?

A

partner as most important source of emotional support

higher levels of pleasure and lower levels of conflict

martial satisfaction is higher in late adult years, higher among more egalitarian relationships

more based on loyalty, familiarity, mutual investment, less based on passion

less loneliness and better physical and mental health, even when poverty and other factors are controlled for

less likely to seek divorce, generally when involved in unacceptable negative relationship, one of the partners has taken up a relationship with an outsider

increasing likelihood to cohabit if previously married, worry about ramification of legal marriage

96
Q

What are LGBTQ2S+ long-term relationships in late adulthood?

A

similar findings: higher self-esteem, less depression, fewer suicidal urges, less alcohol and drug abuse

but, twice more likely to age alone and to face discrimination

generally do not receive same benefits as heterosexual couples

97
Q

What is widowhood in late adulthood?

A

one of most traumatic experiences in life

related to decline in physical and psychological health, increased mortality, deterioration in memory function, increased risk of depression

most will emerge as resilient individuals

but some will go through severe grief, higher risk for high blood pressure, heart problems, cancer, and thoughts of suicide

men are more likely to remarry

98
Q

What are family relationships in late adulthood?

A

relationship with family becomes more harmonious as adults get older

closeness through visits, phone calls, emails, etc.

99
Q

What are grandchildren relationships in late adulthood?

A

ties can be meaningful and deep, often act as friends and confidants

but contact can decline

100
Q

What are sibling relationships in late adulthood?

A

source of emotional support, especially after a spouse death

101
Q

What are friendships in late adulthood?

A

significant impact on overall life satisfaction, self-esteem, health, and amount of loneliness reported by older adults, particularly true for unmarried seniors

relationships are more equitable and reciprocal than with family

source of companionship, laughter, and shared activities

smaller network as a way to regulate emotions, friends are like them and enjoy same kind of activities, avoid people with whom they have had conflicts

women’s network tend to larger, closer, and more intimate, but network is just as important to old adult men

102
Q

What is retirement in late adulthood?

A

typical age: 65+

planning as key for a successful retirement

103
Q

What are times and reasons for retirement?

A

expected life history for retirement age

health

family considerations

financial support/backup

work characteristics

sex differences

104
Q

Why would someone choose not to retire?

A

bridge employment/restricted retirement

continuing in a lifelong occupation, sometimes due to low retirement income

learning new job skills and workplace functioning

105
Q

What are the effects of retirement?

A

income: non-government sources provide the largest proportion

poverty: unattached older adults are more likely to be poor

health, attitudes, emotions: can have a positive effect on life satisfaction, elderly with the least control respond least well, marriage and high SES predicted satisfaction

geographic mobility: more retirees stay close to where they were living, amenity move, compensatory (kinship) migration, institutional migration

leisure activities: essential for retirees physical and psychological health, enhance physical functioning, positive feelings, and social interactions

106
Q

What is Baltes’ selective optimization with compensation?

A

related to socioemotional selectivity theory, reshaping lives to focus on what is important and meaningful

better person-environment fit to changing conditions

maximize older people’s gains while minimizing their losses

selection: setting goals
optimization: increasing gains
compensation: avoiding losses

107
Q

What is ageism?

A

89% of Canadians associate aging with negative outcomes

being treated as if they are invisible (41%)

being treated as if they have nothing to contribute (38%)

being treated as if they are incompetent (27%)

major obstacle for life review and accomplishment of Erikson’s last stage of ego integrity versus despair

PSYCH 223 (10 decks)

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