Middle Adulthood Flashcards
years between ages 40 and 65
o Middle age can be a time of decline and loss, or it can be a time of mastery, competence, and growth
o “Afternoon of Life” – Carl Jung
o Balancing work and relationship responsibilities in the midst of physical and psychological changes associated with aging
o Middle Adulthood
o Age-related visual problems occur mainly in five areas: near vision, dynamic vision, sensitivity to light, visual search, and speed of processing visual information
Physical Changes
difficulty focusing on near objects
o Presbyopia
nearsightedness
o Myopia
gradual hearing loss
o Presbycusis
Men experience hearing loss quickly than women
Noise experienced at the work site
minimum amount of energy that your body needs to maintain vital functions while resting
o Basal Metabolism
the maximum volume of air the lungs can draw in and expel – may begin to diminish at about age of 40
o Vital Capacity
when a woman permanently stop ovulating and menstruating and can no longer conceive a child
o Menopause
One year after the last menstrual period
– beginning of menopause; woman’s production of mature ova begins to decline, and the ovaries produce less estrogen
Perimenopause (Climacteric)
Hot flashes, night sweats, vaginal dryness, sleep disturbances, mood disturbances, urinary incontinence, cognitive disturbances, somatic symptoms, sexual dysfunction
high blood pressure, increasing important concern from midlife and the world’s leading preventable cause of early death
o Hypertension
mature onset, the most common type; develops after age 30; glucose levels rise because the cells lose their ability to use insulin
o Type 2 Diabetes
juvenile-onset, or insulin-dependent, in which the levels of blood sugar rises because the body does not produce enough insulin
o Type 1 Diabetes
– bones become thin and brittle as a result of calcium depletion (due to falling of estrogen levels)
o Osteoporosis
Good lifestyle habits can reduce risk, if started early in life
diagnostic x-ray of the breasts
Mammography
treatment with artificial estrogen
Hormone Therapy
the damage that occurs when perceived environmental demands or stressors exceed a person’s capacity to cope with them
o Stres
the damage that occurs when perceived environmental demands or stressors exceed a person’s capacity to cope with them
o Stress
Stress in midlife may come from role changes, career transitions, grown children leaving home, and the renegotiation of family relationships
Women experience more stress than men and to be more concerned about stress
The classic stress response – fight or flight – may be more characteristic of men, activated in part by testosterone
– ability to solve novel problems, such as problems that require little or no previous knowledge
o Fluid Intelligence
Peak in young adulthood
Many older adults perform in the real world at high levels despite declines in fluid intelligence
ability to remember and use information acquired over a lifetime, such as academics
o Crystallized Intelligence
Increase through middle age and often until the end of life
form of crystallized intelligence that is related to the process of encapsulation
Specialized Knowledge or Expertise
people reduce works hours or days, gradually moving into retirement over a number of years
o Phased Retirement
– switching to another company or new line of work
o Bridge Employment
