life span cognition and emotion week 5

Question 1

Jung’s personality theory

Answer 1

Theory about the collective unconscious and the universal collective symbolism (archetypes). Cross-cultural studies about personality dimensions

Into/extraversion - more introverted with age

masculinity / femininity (yiyang) - at the peak of life, the inegration of parts of opposite gender into the own self are main aim/ anima / animus

Question 2

Erikson’s personality theory

Answer 2

Stage model

each stage has a specific age-dependent challenge that can lead to a crisis

achievement of a positive solution reinforces and empowers the self and expands the social world

positive solutions increase the likelihood of success in solving the challenges of the next stage

Question 3

Eriksons life span model of identity development

Answer 3

1. basic trust
2. autonomy vs shame n doubt (1-3)
3. Initiative vs guilt (3-6)
4. Industry vs inferiority (6-12)
5. identity vs role confusion (adolescence)
6. intimacy vs isolation (20-40)
7. generatively vs stagnation (40-65)
8. ego-integrity vs despair (65+)

Question 4

Studies re eriksons life span model

Answer 4

Hannah, Domino, Figueredo + Hendrickson (1996) tested the stage transitions from generativity vs stagnation stage to integrity vs despair stage

520 participants

generativity was highly correlated with ego-integrity

Question 5

Is there a 9th stage?

Answer 5

Joan Erikson assumes that there is a 9th spiritual stage, because of the struggle for survival you need to accept the partial decline of the force of your body

a re-occurence of previous problems about dependency occurs

early problems such as trust vs distrust become important again

Question 6

Types of memories in life reviews

Answer 6

Wong und Watt (1991) classified types of memories

1. story-telling - informative, stock-taking
2. integrative - positive and negative aspects of past problems are integrated and newly evaluated
3. intrumental - problem-focuesed, orientated towards goals and plans
4. transmissive- missionary, educational, moralistically evaluated memories
5. obsessive - past conflicts are continued
6. escapist - glorification of the past

Question 7

neuroticism

Answer 7

high untill age 21, in korea till age 29 (Mccrae, costa et al. 1999)

Question 8

extraversion

Answer 8

extraversion is high until age 21, in korea till 29

Question 9

openness

Answer 9

decreases continuously, in portugal and korea only from age 30 (mccrae, costa et al 1999)

Question 10

agreeableness

Answer 10

increases only from age 50, in kora with lower onset it increases continuously (mccrae, costa et al 1999)

Question 11

conscientiousness

Answer 11

continuously increases everywhere during the life span (mccrae, costa et al 1999)

Question 12

cross cultural developments of emotion during the life-span

Answer 12

neuroticism, extraversion and openness decrease with age

agreeableness and consciousness increases with age

Question 13

do these trends continue in older age (+90)

Answer 13

terracciano, mccrae et al 2005:

• confirmed decrease of neuroticism
• but does not decrease any futher after end of working life
• vulnerability increases from age 80
• confirms decrease in extraversion in mccrae et al
• excitment seeking and activity decrease the most
• ambition increases till age 70 and only decreases thereafter
• positive emotion and wamth constant across the life-span

-confirms decrease in openness
differences in sub-scales
-openness for values, feelings and actions decreases
-openness for ideas, aesthetics and phantasies constant across the life-span

• confirms the increase of agreeableness with age
• trust decreases from age 70, modesty remains the same

Question 14

personality changes in old age

Answer 14

not a lot of differences in longitudinal and cross sectional studies except for conscientiousness

confirms the importance of working life for this dimension

subscales of the five personality factors can develop differently

vulnerability, ambition and reflection can increase in pensioners

trust decreases

Question 15

protective measures for the self concept

Answer 15

AAI Model (Assimilation-Accommodation-Immunization)

Assimilation - intentional persuit of aim

Accommodation- flexible adjustment of aims, often without awareness

Immunisation - temporary rationalisation

Question 16

Perceptions of self and others

Answer 16

Self perception:

• people aged 85+ have the feeling of being themselves despite changes in physiology
• rating of 5 personality factors with regards to the self: dominant personality traits are seen as constant

Perception by others:
-some personality traits are seen as desirable wile others are evaluated as best to be avoided

Question 17

stereotypes: typical traits of older people (HUMMERT ET AL 1994)

Answer 17

young adults perceived older people as depressed and tired but also humorous, socially and politically engaged as well as religious and successful

middle aged adults perceived older people with all kind of traits except for being troubled by financial difficulties

old adults perceived older people as troubled by financial difficulties and by anxieties about health

general positives: similar traits as young people oks decisiveness, independence, ability to learn, well travelled and well groomed

Question 18

control belief, income and depression

Answer 18

high control beliefs eliminated effects of differences in income when predicting depressive symptoms

low control beliefs allowed income differences to correlate with depressive symptoms

Question 19

control belief, income and general health

Answer 19

income and control belief impacted on report of health symptoms

high control belief eliminated differences in income and produced reports of well being and fewer symptoms

control beliefs and income had independent effects on functional limitations

Question 20

conclusions

Answer 20

normative models of personality define age-specific personality traits

empirical studies about the development of personality show positive trends but also reactions on aging

effects of control beliefs of the self were demonstrated to have a strong psychological impact independently of age and real income