Module 5 Flashcards
Definition of “Adult”: Biological
…when we reach the age at which we can reproduce…
Definition of “Adult”: Legal
… when we reach the age at which the law says we can vote, get a driver’s license, marry without consent…
Definition of “Adult”: Social
… when we start performing adult roles…
Definition of “Adult”: Psychological
…when we arrive at a self-concept of being responsible for our lives, of being self-directing
Stages of adulthood
Early – 19 to 34
Middle - 35 to 64
Late – 65 +
Physical Development in Early Adulthood: Height
Height Peaks at:
Female - 18
Male - 20
Physical Development in Early Adulthood: Weight
Weight: 20-30
Female - 15 lbs
Male - 14 lbs
Physical Development in Early Adulthood:
Spinal discs settle decreasing height; fatty tissue increases, causing weight increase, muscle strength decreases, reaction time levels off, cardiac output declines Begins at age 10; results in difficulty in focusing on close objects
Physical Development in Early Adulthood: Muscle structure and internal organs
19-26 – peak
>26 – body slows down
Physical Development in Early Adulthood: Sensory function
- decreased eye lens flexibility;
- Female - can detect higher-pitched sounds than men
Physical Development in Early Adulthood: Nervous system
- continues to increase in weight
- reaches maximum potential
Health Concerns of Early Adults
Lifestyle choices affect the state of health in early adulthood
- Food choices
- Tobacco
- Alcohol
- Physical fitness
Perry’s stages of intellectual/ethical development
- Dualism
- Relativism
- Commitment
world is viewed in polar terms
Dualism
- uncertainty: exists, is acceptable and Is legitimate
- Knowledge and content are relative to context
Relativism
- Realize need to commit to an idea
- Begins to choose commitment
- Makes commitment
- Manifests commitment
Commitment
Dualism
Position 1-
- The world is viewed in such polar terms:
- right vs wrong;
- we vs they;
- good vs bad;
- absolute right;
- authorities have absolute knowledge
Relativism
Position 2:
- uncertainty exists; poorly qualified authorities; they can learn truth for themselves
Position 3:
- diversity and uncertainty are acceptable
- because authorities don’t know answers yet;
- puzzled at what standards should be
Position 4:
- uncertainty and diversity are legitimate;
- two authorities can disagree without either of them being right or wrong
Position 5
knowledge and content are relative to the context
Perry’s stages of intellectual/ethical development: Position 2
- uncertainty exists;
- poorly qualified authorities;
- they can learn truth for themselves
Perry’s stages of intellectual/ethical development: Position 3
- diversity and uncertainty are acceptable
- because authorities don’t know answers yet;
- puzzled at what standards should be
Perry’s stages of intellectual/ethical development: Position 4
- uncertainty and diversity are legitimate;
* two authorities can disagree without either of them being right or wrong
Perry’s stages of intellectual/ethical development: Position 5
- knowledge and content are relative to the context
Commitment
Position 6:
- realizes need to commit to an idea or concept rather than look for an authority to follow
Position 7:
- begins to choose commitment
Position 8:
- makes commitment: explores issues of responsibility involved
Position 9:
- person’s identity affirmed through various commitments made;
- recognizes that commitments are expressed through a daily lifestyle
Perry’s stages of intellectual/ethical development: Position 6
- realizes need to commit to an idea or concept rather than look for an authority to follow
Perry’s stages of intellectual/ethical development: Position 7
- begins to choose commitment
Perry’s stages of intellectual/ethical development: Position 8
- makes commitment: explores issues of responsibility involved
Perry’s stages of intellectual/ethical development: Position 9
- person’s identity affirmed through various commitments made;
- recognizes that commitments are expressed through a daily lifestyle
“This is how life will be. I will fight for my values yet respect others, believe my deepest values right yet be ready to learn. I see that I shall be retracing this whole journey over and over – but, I hope wisely.”
Highest intellectual stage of development in early adulthood
- The young adult undergoes transformations(Gould); three developmental stages until middle age.
- The young adult matures when he realizes that some assumptions are false.
Psychosocial development in early adulthood
Psychosocial development in early adulthood
Stage 1 (age 17-22) Stage 2 (age 22-28) Stage 3 (age 28-34)
False assumption about self vs Transformed belief about self (Stage 1: Age 17-22)
False assumption about self: I believe everything that my parents tell me.
Transformed belief about self: I don’t believe everything that my parents tell me.
False assumption about self vs Transformed belief about self (Stage 2: Age 22-28)
False assumption about self: I can always depend on my parents
Transformed belief about self: I’m on my own now.
False assumption about self vs Transformed belief about self (Stage 2: Age 28-34)
False assumption about self: I am a perfectly good person
Transformed belief about self: I have some bad traits.
(Eight Stages of Erikson’s Psychosocial Theory)
Stage 1 - Trust vs mistrust
Age: Birth to 1 year
Central Issue: Can I trust others?
(Eight Stages of Erikson’s Psychosocial Theory)
Stage 2 - Autonomy vs shame and doubt
Age: 1 to 3 years
Central Issue: Can I act on my own:
(Eight Stages of Erikson’s Psychosocial Theory)
Stage 3 - Initiative vs guilt
Age: 3 to 6 years
Central Issue: Can I carry out my plans successfully?
(Eight Stages of Erikson’s Psychosocial Theory)
Stage 4 - Industry vs inferiority
Age: 6 to 12 years
Central Issue: Am I competent compared with others?
(Eight Stages of Erikson’s Psychosocial Theory)
Stage 5 - Identity vs role confusion
Age: 12 to 20 years
Central Issue: Who am I?
(Eight Stages of Erikson’s Psychosocial Theory)
Stage 6 - Intimacy vs isolation
Age: 20 to 40 years
Central Issue: Am I ready for a relationship?
(Eight Stages of Erikson’s Psychosocial Theory)
Stage 7 - Generativity vs stagnation
Age: 40 to 65 years
Central Issue: Have I left my mark?
(Eight Stages of Erikson’s Psychosocial Theory)
Stage 8 - Integrity vs despair
Age: 65 years and older
Central Issue: Has my life been meaningful?
Erikson’s Stage Six: intimacy versus isolation
20-40 years
- Am I ready for a relationship?
- Am I ready for intimacy in a relationship?
Intimacy should include:
- Mutuality of orgasm
- With a loved partner
- Of the other sex
- With whom one is able and willing to share a mutual trust
- And with whom one is able and willing to regulate the cycles of work, recreation and procreation
- So as to secure to the offspring, too, all the stages of a satisfactory development
If not ready for intimacy,
Young adult distantiates himself/herself from others to cope with the threat of rejection.
Counterpart of intimacy: distantiation
- Readiness to distance ourselves from others when we feel threatened by their behavior
- Most young adults vacillate between intimacy and distantiation
Psychosocial Issues of the early adult
- Marriage
- Career choice
As a medical student, your life pattern does not correspond with the __.
norm of early adulthood
__ have distinctive biological, psychological and social aspects
Midlifers and the elderly
Adulthood: “Adult”
Biological: can reproduce
Legal: the law says we can vote, get a driver’s license, marry without consent…
Social: start performing adult roles
Psychological: being responsible for our lives, of being self-directing
Early Adulthood: Summary
- Peak of physical development
- A young adult’s way of thinking moves from dualism to relativism to commitment. (Perry’s stages of intellectual development)
- Young adulthood is the stage of establishing intimacy versus isolation (Erikson’s stages)
- As a young adult matures, he changes false assumptions about authorities to eventually realize false assumptions about himself. (Gould’s stages of transformation)
- Health concerns are dependent on lifestyle choices
- Psychosocial issues are marriage and career choice
Biological Dimension in Middle Adulthood
10% gradual decline in muscular strength between ages 30-60
- Most loss in back and legs
- Muscle tone and flexibility decrease
- Longer healing time
- Muscle generally replaced by fat
Biological Dimension in Middle Adulthood: Decreased adaptation to darkness or light
Decreased adaptation to darkness or light;
- less focus of nearby objects;
- less detection of colors;
- less ability to detect moving objects
Biological Dimension in Middle Adulthood: ability to smell
- Less ability to detect high frequencies
- Less ability to smell and taste
Health Concerns of the Middle Adult
- Weight management
- Substance abuse
- Climacteric
- a relatively abrupt change in the body, brought about by changes in hormonal balances;
- Menopause
- Andropause
Climacteric
Middle Adulthood: Intellectual Functions
- Short term memory declines
- Long-term memory not affected
Fluid intelligence vs Crystallized Intelligence
Fluid intelligence – related with speeded tasks;invlolves reaction time
Crystallized intelligence – verbal ability and cultural knowledge
Review of Gould’s stages of transformation: Stage one - 17-22
Stage one - 17-22
“I’ll always belong to my parents and believe in their world.”
Transformation: leaving our parent’s world
Review of Gould’s stages of transformation: Stage two- 22 – 28
Stage two- 22 – 28
“My parents will always be there to help me.
Transformation: I’m nobody’s baby now.
Review of Gould’s stages of transformation: Stage three - 28-34
Stage three - 28-34
Life is simple and controllable. There are no significant coexisting contradictory forces within me.
Transformation: Opening up to what’s inside
Stage four of Gould’s Transformations (False Assumption)
False Assumption:
There is no evil or death in the world. The sinister has been destroyed.
- “The illusions of safety can last forever.”
- “Death can’t happen to me or my loved ones.”
- “It is impossible to live without a protector.”
- “There is no life beyond this family.”
- “I am innocent.”
Stage four of Gould’s Transformations (Transformation)
Transformation: Come to terms with realities:
- Life is not what I thought it was going to be.
* Time of parents’ death; - People you love can disappoint you.
* Marriage break-ups
* Business failures - I cannot be the great person I was wishing to be.
* Unfulfilled ambitions
* Unmet expectations of self
Transformation seen in role reversals
- Taking care of parents
- Men no longer fear their bosses or mentors.
- Women realize that they can live without men.
- Express other aspects of their personality.
- New hobbies
- Career change
Transformation seen in change in focus
- From self to others
- Erikson’s generativity versus stagnation
Generativity versus Stagnation
GENERATIVITY: a desire to create things in the world that will outlive you
*Guiding the next generation, or improving society in general
Failure at generativity may lead to STAGNATION (LACK OF GROWTH/ DEVELOPMENT)
*May be self- centered, isolated and unable to participate meaningfully in the world
Psychosocial Issues for the Middle Adult
- Changing family patterns
- Divorce or estranged relationships
- Empty nest syndrome
- Midlife career change
Middle Adulthood: Summary
- Muscular and sensory abilities decline.
- Some aspects of intelligence decrease while others increase.
- The psychosocial developments center around role reversals and generativity.
- Health concerns are weight management and substance abuse and the climacterium.
- Psychosocial issues are changing family patterns and midlife career crisis.
Late adulthood (Skin and Hormonal Changes)
Skin Changes
- Wrinkling, pallor from decreased skin vascularity
Hormonal Changes
- Decreased production of growth hormone leads to increased body fat, weight loss, decreased muscle strength
Late adulthood (Sexuality and Neurological)
Sexuality
- Some decline in functioning
Neurological
- Decreased cerebral blood flow and brain weight
Late adulthood: Psychological Dimension
- Personality remains fairly stable over time (introversion-extroversion, aggressiveness, hostility)
- Majority of older persons view their lives as enjoyable and productive
- Morale is maintained through intimate social companions
Cognitive Functioning in the Late Adult
- substantial age-related declines in the range from 20 to 70 years of age…
- On the other hand, are seldom perceived to be less cognitively competent than…
- leadership positions in society
Psychosocial Formulations on Late Adulthood
Erikson’s integrity versus despair
Integrity versus Despair
- Reflecting upon one’s life and its role in the big scheme of things
- EGO INTEGRITY: satisfaction and pride in past accomplishments vs.
- DESPAIR: feelings of regret about failures and disappointments
My life has been well spent. I am sad about impending death but I find comfort in my achievements.
INTEGRITY
- I’m sorry for the wrong decisions I made.
- Why can’t I have another chance?
- I’m afraid of dying.
DESPAIR
Social Dimension (Late Adulthood)
- Longevity of life in the geriatric population is associated with continued physical and occupational activity, advanced education and presence of SOCIAL SUPPORT
- Dealing with multiple losses: Social status and worth, friends, family, health, independence- however…
- Most elderly live independently
Late Adulthood: Summary
- The physical decline noted in middle adulthood continues through late adulthood.
- Cognitive function is believed to decline in some aspects but is compensated for in other aspects.
- The psychosocial development is focused on integrity versus despair.
- Dementia is a health concern.
- Psychosocial concerns are sexuality and retirement
- A covenant, by which a man and a woman establish between themselves, a partnership of whole life, is by its nature ordered toward the good of spouses and the procreation and education of offspring.
- Unity
- Indissolubility of marriage
Marriage
- What binds the two people in the state of matrimony is the marital rights and duties exchanged by the marriage contract.
- A new structural unit: husband and wife
- Mr and Mrs.
- Invited as one
- Regarded as one by relatives and friends
- Think and act as one: conjugal properties
- Creates a new series of statuses and network of relationships: individuals and families
Marriage
(Marital Role Relationship)
– societal expectations or status
Structural-functional framework
(Marital Role Relationship)
– interaction process where one adjusts his/her behavior and reactions to what he/she thinks the other person will do.
Interactional framework
(Marital Role Relationship)
Roles
Dependent: the expected role and the role behavior are integrated and compatible
Couples relate and adjust to one another on the basis of roles: reciprocal and complimentary
- The husband’s role is better understood in terms of the wife’s role and vice-versa
- Each spouse evaluates himself/herself and the other on the basis of how well each role is performed.
(Marital Role Relationship)
Roles
- Role model of the family
- Role relations change continually throughout the life cycle of the family
boy –> young man–> husband upon marriage–> a father after the birth of a child–>a father-in-law when the child marries—> a grandfather when the child reproduces–>a widower if he survives his wife. - Roles change over time
- Need adjustments and agreements
Traditional Husband and Wife Roles
- Traditional role differentiation
- Instrumental-expressive roles
- Biological view
- Socio-cultural view