Lecture 1

Question 1

Gerontology

Answer 1

Natural decline in bodily function and cog decline but stability and growth

Question 2

Geriatrics

Answer 2

Severe cog decline, irreversible caused by organic brain damage

Question 3

Worst stereotypes senile

Answer 3

No valid meaning
Cavanaugh (1998) mem lapses occur throughout life
7.1% 65+ have dementia so over 90% still stereotyped

Question 4

Why ageing stereotypes so pervasive

Answer 4

Encounter when young so internalised by time old (levy 2008)
Perpetuated by anti ageing media
Few examples in availability schema as low contact with healthy older people

Question 5

Chronological age

Answer 5

Poor indicator of capabilities as varying ways of normal changes

Question 6

Ageing continuum

Answer 6

Patho healthy
Move back and forth along
Goal of research to help move towards healthy

Question 7

Dychtwald 2006

Answer 7

2/3 of 65+ in history still alive today

Question 8

Ageing research

Answer 8

Ageing lagged behind child development
Freud etc believed development stop after childhood
Number of ageing development theory - Eriksons stage - little evidence to support

Question 9

Eriksons stages

Answer 9

Last stage
Older age (65+) integrity vs despair
-ego integrity - content, satisfaction with life despite imperfections, wisdom, acceptance of age and death
- positive resolution- life has meaning, consistency, coherence and purpose
- if not resolved despair and disappointment with life dwell on missed opportunities

Question 10

Anti ageing products

Answer 10

Products and surgeries go against acceptance should promote healthy ageing

Question 11

Uk by 2025

Answer 11

65+ will be more than under 25s for 1st time ever

World wide older pop increase by 800,000 per month

Question 12

Why important to study ageing

Answer 12

If increase older need to ensure quality of life

Need to tackle stereotypes and their effect need to help with how to age healthier and take into account huge wants and needs

Huge political power

Question 13

Longevity

Answer 13

Life expectancy - av when 1/2 born in certain year died - active vs dependent

Life span - max longevity upper limit

Question 14

Life expectancy in Scot

Answer 14

North rather than central live longer

Edinburgh m= 77 f=81.9

Glasgow m=69 f=76

Question 15

Country and ageing

Answer 15

Mere context with nature beneficial

Associated with decreased mental fatigue, restoration of attentional resources (kaplen and kaplen 1989) and increase life satisfaction (ulrich 1991)

Help other psychological processes such as reflection (korpela and hartig 1996)

Question 16

Factors influencing life expectancy 1)

Answer 16

1) genetic factors

Live longer if mum did (hayflick 1998)
Infl how deal with disease
If mum lives to 80, 4 Year’s added to average longevity (woodruff-Pak 1988)
Bergeman (1997) link between genetic and disease

Question 17

Factors influence life expectancy 2)

Answer 17

2) environmental
Lifestyle (smoking, exercise diet alcohol)
Toxins (in fish, pollutants, bacteria, chemicals in water)
Social class increase access to goods and services

Question 18

Factors influencing life expectancy 3)

Answer 18

3) ethnicity

Av life expectancy differs between ethnicity’s
Black lower than Europeans (6.5 years for m , 5 years for f)
Ethnic minority’s increase risk for hazards eg murder and decreased access to services
But those who live longer live longer than Europeans
Until equal access can’t tell differences solely on race

Question 19

Factors influencing life expectancy 4)

Answer 19

4) gender

F outlive m in all western countries (10 years Russia, 4 in Greece)
M rate of dying for top 15 causes significantly increase for m
M susceptible to infectious disease (stress) down to no X chromosome? Lifestyle?
Need more research

Question 20

Maximum life span

Answer 20

Jeanne calment (1875-1997) took up fencing T 85 still cycled at 100

Super centarian