Mar 17 Flashcards
Name some overvalued ideas in our culture
Money
Physical beauty and youth
Overvalued ideas
Term connected with famous theorist named Alfred Adler. In some unconscious ways, we establish ideas that have the power to push and pull us forward. Most of the time, they are not rational. Most of the time, they pull us to things that are overvalued and temporary (eg. Being the fastest runner)
Physical changes with age
Height - get shorter
Weight - get fatter
Strength - declines
Less visual acuity, hearing impairment, slower reaction time (20% slower for 20-60 year olds)
Anti-aging
Most people don’t embrace aging bc youth is an overvalued idea. Aging is seen as though there is something wrong with an individual. You need to look young. Many anti-aging products on the market. Obsession with youth and physical appearance
Health enhancement
Contrasts with anti-aging. Healthy lifestyle can counteract some effects of aging. We should focus on being healthier rather than being prettier
Importance of exercise
On muscles - increases speed of movement and blood supply to the muscles, slow deterioration of bones, slows soreness in muscles
On nervous system - slows down impulses
On circulatory system - decreases bad cholesterol, lowers the chance of developing hypertension
On skeletal system - decreases osteoporosis or chances of developing osteoporosis
On psych state - decreases depression or chances of developing depression
Middle adulthood sexuality
Decline in frequency. Having grown kids that don’t live in the house leads to more opportunity for sex. Impact of menopause is less concern about getting pregnant. For men, harder to achieve erection and less volume of some. For women, find it painful sometimes
Female climacteric
Asian women have less symptoms, or maybe just report their symptoms less bc their social values don’t allow them to complain as much.
African American women report more hot flashes.
Caucasian women report more symptoms in general
Women associate menopause with dread. In other cultures, menopause means you are wiser.
Hormone replacement therapy (HMT) is very helpful in slowing down symptoms but is danger bc increases risk of cancer, heart attacks and stroke.
For menopause, expectation may play a huge role in symptomology, leading to a self fulfilling prophecy.
Male climacteric
Occurs in late middle age. A very gradual decline. Prostate enlargements causes problems with urination
Health in middle adulthood
Younger adults may deny and repress deteriorating health as time goes on. Increasing concern.
During 45-65, health is overall not that bad. There is a smaller chance of being affected by problems that are not chronic. Vast majority doesn’t suffer from chronic problems
Compare death rates among different races and sexes
African Americans have worse health than Caucasians. Could be socioeconomic factor.
Women tend to get more sick but less likely to die.
Life events model
Universal stages tied to a sequence of age-related crisis. Development is influenced by particular events of timing rather than aging per se. For example, a 50 year old man being an empty nester vs a 50 year old man having a 4 year old daughter. Both men are the same age but are going through different stages of life.
Normative crisis model
Universal stage tied to a sequence of age related crises
Which model is more accurate? The life events model or the normative crisis model?
It depends. When a woman becomes a widow, for example, the life events model is more appropriate
Generativity vs stagnation
Ages 30-65 approximately.
The longest stage
Generativity involved being productive, being active, and raising children
Stagnation involves not really doing much, just caring for themselves
Roger Gould’s model of transformations
Related to normative crisis.
In late 30s and early 40s, urgency attaining life goals, awareness that time is limited.
By 43-53, settling down, accepting one’s life
By 53-60, more tolerance, acceptance of past, less negativism
Levinson’s seasons of life
20s - the dream
30s - settling down
40s - midlife transition
Midlife crisis: one realizes they can’t achieve everything they want to with the given amount of time left in their lives.
Realization that life is not finite
How does marriage follow a u shaped configuration
Top of u is early years of satisfaction
Base of u is middle years of distraction with the birth of children
Too of u is later years of tenderness
6 Factors influencing marital satisfaction in middle adulthood
- Spouse as best friend
- Liking the spouse as a person
- Viewing marriage as long term commitment
- Agreement on aims and goals
- Agreement on sexual activity
- Relationship grows more interesting
7 Divorce factors
- Individualistic society
- Less time together
- More concern about own personal happiness
- More socially acceptable to get divorced now than before
- In the west, legally simple but very expensive
- Missing companionship
- Men react more severely than women
5 Sex differences in divorce
- Men react more severely than women
- Men have less social support than women
- Higher rates of suicide in divorced men
- Reluctant to seek help
- Act out more impulsively than women
Discuss remarriage
Usually successful. 75-80% of divorced people marry the second time around. More mature. Know what they want. Partners more cautious. Less romantic idealization. More flexibility and tolerance in the partnership. Divorce rate higher in second marriages. Most common is a divorced person marrying another divorced person. Less common for men to remarry women older than 40. Men remarry more than women
Discuss the empty near
Stay at home moms are especially vulnerable. Healthy coping through enrichment, such as going back to school or being active in the community
Discuss boomerang children
Usually due to unemployment. Stress can occur bw parent and child. Single mothers usually happy when child returns home. Always better when child contributes to household expenses
Discuss the sandwich generation
Have the role of taking care of both parents and offspring. Can be very stressful. Some people take their parents home and this is a strain mosh on women. It is also a growing opportunity for increased attachment with parents, fostering satisfaction, acceptance, and love
Midlife crisis
One realizes that one can’t achieve everything they want to with the given amount of time left in their lives. Realization that life is not infinite
