Mar 24 Flashcards
Why is prejudice against old so important
Very salient - we can all see and recognize
We value youth and beauty in western culture
Ageism
Prejudice and discrimination directed at old people. Tendency to perceive old as frail in mind and body. Contains a grain of truth but is not accurate. An example of over generalization and oversimplification
Cultural perspective on aging
In the US during the colonial period, old held in high esteem and thought of as virtuous
In Asian societies, old venerated as having attained a special wisdom as consequence of their scope of experience.
In aboriginal cultures, old valued for wisdom
Primary aging
Unfolding of genetic blueprint. Aging that follows universal and irreversible changes as people get older due to genetic programming. Inevitable changing that all of us experience from the day we are born
Secondary aging
Changes due to illness, health habits, but not she to increased age itself and are not irreversible
Explain now the distinction bw primary and secondary aging connects to ageism
People don’t make the differentiation bw primary and secondary aging. People assume that certain changes occur due to primary aging as opposed to secondary. They believe that some forms of decline are inevitable and experienced by all old, not realizing that it could be due to disease
Physical changes in appearance in late adulthood
Hair grey and eventually white. In some people, thins out
Skin less elastic. Loss of collagen, protein tang creates fibre in body tissue, leading to wrinkles.
Thinning of bones. Getting shorter. At the max level, lose 4 inches. Osteoporosis (loss of calcium, especially in women over 60, which can be maintained through calcium intake)
Less powerful appearance (knowing you’re the victim of prejudice doesn’t make you feel good)
Double standards for men and women (men more distinguished, women disregarded as over the hill)
Physical changes in late adulthood in senses
Vision (distant objects seen less clear, more light required, longer adjustment to dark or light, eye disease frequent, cataract, glaucoma, and age related macular degeneration)
Hearing (30% of ppl 65-74 suffer from hearing loss. 50-75% suffer from some hearing loss. Many psych implications like social isolation due to being fed up asking ppl what they said, ignoring questions and being perceived as stupid, tendency for paranoia)
Taste and smell (decrease in sensitivity, less pleasure from eating, put a lot of salt in food bc unhealthy, decrease in smell has social consequences bc of embarrassing odour)
Internal changes (basal metabolic rate, max heart rate, muscle strength, bone mineral mass, maximal cardiac output, vital capacity, work capacity, resting cardiac output, etc goes down. Sharp decline starts after age 20, progressive aging process. Diastolic blood pressure, body weight, and heart volume goes up. Blood volume goes down)
Reaction time (increases with age, takes longer, indirect psych impact bc may feel incapable in terms of self efficacy, other people may think we’re incompetent, can be aware of the gap bw past and present and get frustrated at it. People around them also frustrated)
Physical-emotional changes in late adulthood
Old people are sexually active. 2/3 of people over 70 have sex once a week. As grow older, perceive sexual partner as more and more attractive.
Masturbation. 43% of men and 33% of women over 70 master are regularly.
Factors influencing sexuality are general health condition, libido, and the concept of use it or lose it.
Benefits of sexual activity for old
Emotional psychological (feeling connected to another person, touch is relaxing and reassuring in terms of self love).
Regular sex is correlated with lower risk of death
Cognitive changes in late adulthood in intelligence
Stability of cognitive performance up to age 60. After age 60, more rapid decline and real fast after age 74
Cognitive changes in late adulthood in memory
Significant decline in working memory, episodic memory, flashbulb memory, source memory, tip of the tongue phenomenon, remote memory.
None or small significant decline in semantic, procedural, implicit memory, autobiographical memory, prospective memory.
3 main lifestyle recommendations to slow down the process of primary aging
- Avoid smoking
- Exercise (cardio and weight lifting)
- Avoid obesity and eat healthy (high fibre content, high folic acid, green vegetables and some fruits for liver)
Baltes’ model of wisdom
Factor knowledge in fundamental pragmatics of life.
Procedural knowledge/strategic knowledge in fundamental pragmatics of love
Knowledge that considers relativism of values and goals
Knowledge which considers uncertainties of life
Knowledge in the contexts of life and societal change
Wisdom
Accumulation of knowledge, experience, and contemplation
What is the difference bw intelligence and wisdom
Intelligence permits humans to invent the atomic bomb. Wisdom prevents them from using it.
Wisdom is connected to the meaning of things and the wellbeing of others (future generations, justice).
Wisdom is hard to measure and intelligence is easier to measure
Another approach to wisdom, other than Baltes’ and Jung’s model
Wisdom is represented by the ability to make inferences about others’ thoughts, feelings, and intentions - their mental states. Theory of mind. Old superior to young in this regard
TS Eliot
Differentiates bw info, knowledge, and wisdom
Jung’s approach to wisdom
Collective unconscious Archetypes Causality Teleology Individuation or self realization Self Stages of development
Collective unconscious
We carry in unconscious some reminiscence of our ancestors
Archetypes
Unconscious is built by archetypes. Consist of anima/animus, persons, shadow and wise old man
Anima/animus
Feminine side in every male and masculine side in every female
Persona
Mask person wears to external world. Essential aspect of communal life. We want to get along with people do we wear a mask to facilitate social encounters. Pragmatically good to a degree but if it takes over and you can’t differentiate persons from your real self, there is a problem
Shadow
Dark side of personality. Contains all animal-like drives. Contrast of the personality, the other side
Causality
Jung’s idea that human behaviour is created by individual as well as ancestors’ history. Related to the past
Teleology
Jung’s idea that we want to achieve something in the future
Jungian integrative approach
Combined both causing and teleology. Past and actuality in future as a potential guide one’a present behaviour
Individuation or self realization
Jung’s idea of the yearning for rebirth. The fullest, most completely harmonious blending of all aspects of a human’s total personality, reaching wholeness, combining polarities in the personality
Self archetype
Represents human striving for unity. Expresses itself through the mandala or spiritual circle. Can represent striving for wholeness through integration bw polarities, the polarities in the personality such as introversion and Extraversion. With old age, introvert becomes extravert and extravert becomes introvert. The self is the midpoint of the personality around which all other systems are constellation. The self holds these systems together and provides personality with unity, equilibrium, and stability
Jung’s stages of development
Childhood - Freud’s stages
Childhood - late 30s - bw childhood and late 30s, energetic, vigorous, impulsive, and passionate, dependent on others, getting married, having children, becoming established, community life
Be late 30: and early 40s, radical change. Youthful interests and pursuits lose value and are replaced by new interests that are more cultural and less biological. More social interest, more spiritual concern.
Middle age and late adulthood - starts becoming more introverted and less impulsive. Wisdom replaces the physical and mental vigour. Values are supplemented in social, religious, civic, and philosophical symbols. Becomes more spiritual (self-realization, Individuation)
Wise old man
Jung’s archetype that directs one to path toward Individuation
