Middle age

Question 1

What determines middle age?

Answer 1

life expectancy

Question 2

What is current life expectancy

Answer 2

85

Question 3

What is primary ageing?

Answer 3

normal age-related changes

Question 4

What is secondary ageing?

Answer 4

effects of disease or illness

Question 5

When does physical functioning peak and decline?

Answer 5

Peaks 30, plateaus, declines about 50

Question 6

What are physical changes in middle age?

Answer 6

strength, appearance, cardio-vascular system, respiratory system, sensory system [taste and smell, vision and hearing all decrease]

Question 7

What are health compromising behaviours in middle adulthood?

Answer 7

smoking, alcohol, weight [62%]

Question 8

What benefits do health promoting behaviours have?

Answer 8

physical and psychosocial

Question 9

What is most commonly diagnosed cancer in Australian women?

Answer 9

breast

Question 10

What is most commonly diagnosed cancer in Australian men?

Answer 10

prostate - causes unknown

young men more unlikely to be diagnosed but more likely to die from it

Question 11

What is indigenous life-expectancy gap?

Answer 11

11 year [male], 9.7 [female]

Question 12

What is impact of socio-economic status on health?

Answer 12

higher mortality rate, even when health risk behaviours are taking into account

Question 13

What is menopause?

Answer 13

end of reproductive phase of life - egg production and menstruation cease

Question 14

What are reproductive changes for men?

Answer 14

reduced fertility
longer and slower than for women
deterioration of prostate
mood swings, alterations in concentration span

Question 15

What is Seattle Longitudinal Study?

Answer 15

longitudinal study - mental abilities of 5000 adults; representation of upper 75& of Socio economic spectrum

Question 16

What did SLS test?

Answer 16

verbal meaning, spatial orientation, inductive reasoning, number skill, word fluency

Question 17

What did SLS data show about age related change?

Answer 17

no uniform pattern. Women have stronger verbal meaning and inductive reasoning skills; Men have better spatial oreintation and number skills

Question 18

What is only primary ability that decreases in middle adulthood?

Answer 18

word fluency

Question 19

What are conditions for good functioning?

Answer 19

absence of chronic diseases
living in favourable circumstances
substantial involvement in intellectually stimulating activities
flexible personality style
married to spouse with high cognitive function
high levels of performance speed
personal satisfaction with life

Question 20

What is crystallised intelligence?

Answer 20

learnt cognitive processes and stored responses

remains stable iwth age

Question 21

What is fluid intelligence

Answer 21

Processing of new information and reasoning
neurological development
declines from early adulthood

Question 22

What is Practical intelligence?

Answer 22

Application of intellectual skills to every day situations

- increase with age

Question 23

What is expertise?

Answer 23

Specialised experience and knowledge in specific areas
compensates for declining abilities
maintained through middle age and often beyond

Question 24

What might midlife crisis be caused by?

Answer 24

review of one’s life
awareness of mortality
- rare

Question 25

What is ego-resiliency?

Answer 25

ability to adapt, cope and grow from negative life events

Question 26

What are variable factors in perceptions of life stage?

Answer 26

SES, work role, age, gender

Question 27

What is older age identity associated with?

Answer 27

lower SES and negative health status

Question 28

How did Jung understand psyche

Answer 28

crises between collective vs personal unconscious unconscious vs conscious anima vs animus

Question 29

What did Jung believe happened at middle age?

Answer 29

unifying force of self developed

Question 30

What is Jung's process of individuation?

Answer 30

self takes over the role of ego | - most useful parts of unconscious are made conscious and channelled into productivty

Question 31

What was Helson's theory

Answer 31

social clock projects [normative and non-normative

Question 32

What was Erikson's crisis for middle adulthood?

Answer 32

generativity vs stagnation | personal legacy, virtue of care

Question 33

What is Vaillant's middle age normative crisis?

Answer 33

invincibility gives way to limitations

Question 34

What is Levinson's middle age normative crisis?

Answer 34

Emphasis moves from past to future Dream of adult accomplishment must be revised; a man comes to terms with his dream not having come to fruition, must be revised for the future and make changes in lifestyle Dream is idealised and never fully attainable

Question 35

What personality traits increase iwth age?

Answer 35

conscientiousness, agreeableness, dominance, emotional stability

Question 36

What personality traits decrease with age?

Answer 36

openness to experience

Question 37

What did Helson discover [Mills Study] increases in women in 40s?

Answer 37

independence, social assertiveness, therefore revision of social clock

Question 38

What decreases in women in 40s?

Answer 38

femininity

Question 39

What is impact of longevity on marriage?

Answer 39

more likely to report ambivalent or indifferent relationships perceptions of marital quality impact on marital stability

Question 40

What are levels of marital satisfaction through family life cycle?

Answer 40

high early, drop after birth of child, all time low when children are adolescents, increase when children leave home

Question 41

What is impact of delayed parenting?

Answer 41

better prepared and more confident | higher expectations

Question 42

What are styles of grandparent caregiving?

Answer 42

avid [grandchildren are focus of life], flexible [prioritise personal as well as family], selective [grandparenting is important but not defining], hesitant [don't anticipate caring for children]

Question 43

What is filial maturity?

Answer 43

stage of life in which middle-aged children learn to accept parent's need to depend on them

Question 44

How do perceptions of parental favouritism play out in middle age among siblings?

Answer 44

current and retrospective perceptions important

Question 45

What are tasks of grieving for middle aged person when parent dies?

Answer 45

stocktaking [exploration of changes caused by parent's death] reminiscence [harsh and meaningful memories] internalisation and passage [discussion about present without denying the past]