Middle Adulthood Flashcards
physical changes
- changes/declines in physical functions occur gradually through 40s and 50s
- intellectual and creative peak
brain and nervous system
- more synapes are lost than are formed
- brain maturation
brain maturation: general rule
- last areas of the brain that develop, are the first to decline
- frontal lobes and parietal lobes
mental health
- some report better mental health with increase in age
-self-esteem generally peaks from 35-54
mental health: disorders
- most addictive disorders begin in adolescence and young adulthood
- frequently go undiagnosed until they become problematic in middle-adulthood
cognitive functioning
- some cognitive abilities improve, others slow down
- many adults have acquired knowledge + skills that compensate for losses
- solve problems in area of expertise = more efficiently than young adults
Nancy Denney’s theory
- proposes that changes with age follow a typical curve
- unexercised skills: lower peak performance
- exercised skills: higher peak in performance
selective optimization with compensation
process of balancing gains and losses associated with aging
memory function
- major deficits in memory and cognition do not occur until 60-65
- subjective experiences of forgetfulness increase with age
- memory demands = higher in middle-aged people than younger adults
semantic memory
- category of long-term memory
- involves recollection of ideas, concepts, facts
- supposedly does not slow with age
episodic memory
- includes info about recent or past events and experiences
- involves “where you parked your car” or “what you had for dinner last night”
- supposedly slows with age
middle-aged adults’ ability with episodic memory
- very proficient at overcoming limitations by using reminders and cues to help remember
- believe efforts will make a difference
- actively work to improve memory
expertise
helps to compensate for age-related deficits in cognitive functioning
- specialized skills and knowledge that pertain to a particular topic
experts are …
-automatic
- flexible
- intuitive
-straight
- strategic
novice
limited experiences with a particular task
intelligence
crystallized:
- use and application of learned knowledge and experience
fluid:
- the ability to process new information and develop and apply skills
tacit knowledge
- pragmatic and practical knowledge learned through experience
- increase with age
- “know-how” or “professional instinct”
flow
- mental state of being completely present and fully absorbed in a task
- helps block out distractions
- person is achieving great joy or intellectual satisfaction from accomplishing goal
new learning
outperform young adults on comprehension and remembering reading material
- younger adults focus on word-for-word
- middle-aged adults focus on themes and meaning, summarizing info
education
- older student take longer to learn material, but forget less
- have hardest time learning meaningless and unfamiliar information
- task-oriented learners
- want to organize activity around problem solving
creativity
- best work around 40
- among creatives, peak creativity may occur longer; last longer
- have divergent thinking
divergent thinking
provides multiple solutions to problems that have no clear answers
why is middle adulthood a stressful period?
deal with shifting and evolving roles
Erikson’s generativity vs stagnation
- find meaning in contributing to the development of society
generativity
- feeling of making a contribution to society
- cultures with high level of respect for older adults shows more generative acts
- cultures with high level of respect for this pop have better life quality for older adults
- fosters generativity in younger generations
Vaillant’s revision of Erikson’s theory
- argues there is a stage following generativity: keeper of the meaning
- M.A. focuses on preserving values that will benefit future generations
- indigenous elders: life teacher stage
childhood effects on generativity
- adverse experience decreases likelihood of achieving generativity
- resiliency
- effective coping and emotional regulation helps
resiliency
ability to bounce back
- maintaining healthy psychological and physical life function
- despite adversity, loss, trauma
mid-life crisis
- mid-way between birth and death
- time since birth becomes time before death
- realization of inevitable death
- studies fail to identify specific age
Whitbourne’s developmental pathways
- meandering path
- straight-narrow path
- downward slope
- triumphant trail
- authentic path
Whitbourne’s developmental pathways: meandering path
- low sense of identity
- uncommitted to goals
Whitbourne’s developmental pathways: straight-narrow path
- low risk
- reliant on routine
Whitbourne’s developmental pathways: downward slope
- started off great
- due to regrettable decisions in life, life has not been good
Whitbourne’s developmental pathways: triumphant trail
- started off bad
- due to resiliency, life got better
Whitbourne’s developmental pathways: authentic path
- honest and continuous examination of life
- leading to strong goals
life events approach
- theoretical perspective on MA
- focuses on events and adults’ responses to them
- role conflict
- role strain
role conflict
dealing with multiple, incompatible roles
role strain
difficulties keeping up with demands of a specific role
stressors in M.A.
- “sandwich generation”
- having children later in life = stress
- millenials live with parents longer
emptying the nest: feelings are shaped by ____
- ethnocultural values
- financial circumstances
- living arrangements
- relationship quality
emptying the nest: age when the last child is born and longevity
- increases likelihood of experiencing empty nest
- role parent does not end, content does
failure to launch
- adult children remain at home longer
- conflicts between parents and resident adult children are common
failure to launch: reasons
- delayed marriage
- extended post-secondary education
- rise in divorce
- unemployment
revolving door
return after living elsewhere independently
grandparenting
- 60% of M.A. become grandparents by the end of MA
- important source of stability in homes of children with unstable homes
styles of grandparenting
- compassionate relationships
- frequent contact
- warm interactions with grandchildren - remote relationships
- do not see grandchildren often - involved relationships
- directly involved in everyday care
- close emotional ties
friendships
- social network is relatively small
- relationships remain intimate
- more friendships = better psychological well-being and health
stressors
career
- involuntary career changes
- voluntary career changes
- involuntary non-mobility
planning for retirement
burnout
- lack of energy, exhaustion
- results from chronic stress
avoiding burnout
- pacing
- rely less on external sources of job satisfaction
- work satisfaction usually at its peak
job performance
- selective optimization with compesnation helps maintain productivity
job performance: slection
- narrowing range of activties
- focus only on most central tasks
- delegate more responsibilities to others
- give up/reduce peripheral job activities
job performance: optimization
deliberate exercise of crucial abilities to remain on top
job performance: compensation
- pragmatic strategies for overcoming specific obstacles
- devise way to reduce memory loads with systemic list making
older employers and negative stereotypes
older employees who hold negative stereotyppes toward aging perform worse on a range of psychomotor, memory, physiological and social measures
shift in work goal orientation
- YA = more likely to have career growth goals
- MA = more likely to aim for personal fulfillment, nature of work, job stability, financial security
career change difficulties
employer tend to favour younger people as new employees
involuntary career transition
- when person is forced out of their position
- increase in likelihood of suffering from mental health disorders and physical illness
- employment reverses these trends
voluntary career transition
- leave one position to pursue another
- variety of internal reasons
types of voluntary career transitions
maintenance transitions
- switching companies, schools
advancement transitions
- staff to manager
new career transitions
- cook to hairdresser
causes of career changes
- genetics = possibility
- product of personality
involuntary non-mobility
- worker remains in non-prefered work situation
- perception of low employability, negatively impact well-being
- associated with depressive symptoms and lower self-rating
preparing for retirement
- gradual reduction in workload
- relatively new phenomenon
- baby boomers seek bridge employment or work longer
