PSYC228_Chap13 Flashcards
middle age relative to
average life expectancy at birth
varies
= 40s + 60s
life expectancy
average # of yrs a person can expect to live?
exercise + nutrition
= same benefits as earlier in life
also significantly slow normal biological aging/ senescence
by mid-life almost everyone experiences some signs of dec in key physical systems
nervous system in middle adulthood
brain volume dec
mor variation in mid-life brain health
dec brain volume = dec executive functioning skills + ability to make decision, plna, organize, + focus attention
smokers brains
shrink mor rapidly than non-smokers
brain shrinkage risks
depression
stress
high bp
obesity
diabetes
high cholesterol
executive functioning
information-processing skills involved in problem solving + strategy design + execution
even though shrinking adult brain is
capable of learning new things
why can brains demonstrate plasticity + capacity to rebuild + recover after insult
due in part to ability to produce new neurons from neural stem cells - neurogenesis
neurogenesis
process of generating new neurons from stem cells
obesity is linked to what cognitive diseases?
parkinson’s
alzheimer’s
bone resorption
process of bone cells breaking down + transforming into a fluid substance that enters blood
process thru which bone remodelling occurs
in middle adulthood, bone less
starts to outpace bone replacement
- begins conti process of skeletal dec into later adulthood yrs
women tend to lose more bone density than men partly bec of smaller bones but also
menopause-related dec in hormone estrogen causing post-menopausal women to develop fragile bones
bone loss is greater for people who
don’t engage in weight=bearing activities - activities you do on your feet that works bones + muscles against gravity
hiking, walking, yard work
muscle strength peaks in
early 30s
sarcopenia
process of skeletal muscle loss due to aging
age-related muscle loss
muscles can get more
flexible with age
concentric movement
contraction of muscles during physical activity
eccentric muscle movement
lengthening of muscles as they return to original position after stretching
2 ypes of muscle movement
concentric - contract to lfit object
eccentric - muscles lengthen/return to original position like when putting something down
as we age, concentric strength may be lost, but
eccentric strength is maintained quite well + may even inc
small spots on face, arms/exposed skin
age spots, livers pots, solar lentigines
from yrs of sun exposure
mostly not dangerous, but
can signifity skin cancer
epidermis + dermis
change due to aging
what processes cause skin to lose elasticity + become dry + wrinkled + cracks
of collagen cells dec in dermis + sebaceous glands work less efficiently
best way to slow = exercise bec sweatign keeps skin soft + elastic + diet
what pigment gives hair its colour
melanin
as we age, each new replacement of hair contains less + less melanin, resulting in hair turnign grey
sense become
less able to accurately discriminate incoming information
3 key optical changes
presbyopia
myopia
visual acuity
presbyopia
inability of the eyes to accommodate so that they can focus on objects at a normal reading distance
inability to focus on nearby objects, most likley in people who had previously excellent vision
myopia
nearsightedness, or ability to see close objects clearly but inability inability to see distance objects clearly
may dec allowing some to see objects at distance better, changes bec eye gradually getting smaller + changing focal point of retina
visual acuity
ability to discriminate detail, dec continuously as we age
hearing dec
but less noticeable in mid-life bec declines very slowly
conductive hearing loss
hearing loss resulting from conduction impairments in middle ear
common hearling loss
sensorineural hearing loss
hearing loss resulting from loss of hair cells along/on basilar membrane of inner ear
factors influencing middle-aged adults’ decisions about whether or not to use/get hearing aids
convenience
extent of hearing disbality
expected benefits
financial costs
taste + smell diminish,
salty + sweet lost first, then bitter + sour lost too
fluid intelligence
Cattell
category of intelligence that drives reasoning + logic
Cattell
analyzed how individs reason as they get older
fluid intelligence stronlgy influences cognitive ability in childhood
drives problem solving, pattern recognition, abstract reasoning
high fluid intelligence = predoctor for likelihood of successfully working thru problems of complexity, ambiguity, or uncertainty
inces thru young adulthood after which it steadies + declines
crystallized intelligence = second dimension, accumulated knowledge, skills + konwledge accumulated thru learning _ life experience
increases linearly thru middle adulthood
crystallized intelligence
category of intelligence that contains basic info that we acquire over time, like facts + figures
bec young people tend to use more fluid intelligence and older people use more crystallized intelligence based off previous experience,
young people can come up with more novel ways to approach things
most significant cognitive decline during
67-88 yrs
what have negative effects on peoples cognitive ability in mid-life?
stress + feeling a lack of control
3 processes people invoke to help maximize gains and minimize losses dur to aging on cognition
selection, optimization, compensation
selective optimization with compensation
= meta-theory
baltes
cenceptual model useful for describing, explaining, + predicting successful development thru out adulthood
theory of successful aging that ids 3 processes people use to maximize gains + minimize losses in reponse to aging
ability to succesfully apply three SOC processes direct determinant of our success + well-being
selection
= process of ids goals that are reasonable + reachable given person’s capabilities
optimization
process of investing effort + resources in a concentrated attempt to reach a selected goal
compensation
process of revixing a selected goal so that its better suited to one’s ability to reach it
young adults primarily use
selection
setting life goals to guide their investments of time + energy
as people age into mid-life, they begin to use
optimization + compensation processes more often
expertise development from least to most experienced
novice, initiate, apprentice, journeyman, expert, master
key ingredient that makes a person an expert
recognition-primed decision-making
fadde
recognition-primed decision-making
fadde
proficiency in decision-making based on ability to quickly recognize most relevant features of a situation
exertise =?
combination of
experience
competence
confidence
ability to separate relevant from irrelevant features in particular situation
how many adults are obese
1/4
canadians most likely to be obese = 35-64 yrs
obesogenic environment
aspects of the community that create barriers for physical activity + ready access to highly nutritional food
menopause
period of time where a woman’s production of hormones (estrogen + progesterone) begins to decline, causing changes in her reproductive capabilities
not abrupt - takes place oveer number of yrs
after no menstrual period for a yr due to changes in reproductive hormones
consequence of reduced production of estrogen + complete halt of progesterone
most begin in late 40s, + complete by 55, for some continues into 60s
andropause
dec in male hormone testosterone resulting in physiological reproductive cahnges such as lower sperm count + penile responsivness
doesn’t result in inability to reproduce
leading cause of death in mid-life
diseases (cancer + heart disease)
no longer unintentional injuries
men are more likely to die from
heart disease than women
bec estrogen has a protective effect on women’s cardiovascular health
so risk of heart disease inc during menopause
women also more likely than men to underestimate risk + misinterpret symptoms + delay getting health
cancers are
leading cause of death in mid-life
inc physical activity + avoiding weight gain are general protective strategies for increasing odds of good heatlh + reducing risk for cancer
functional capacity
physiological systems of the body that maintain health + life: digestive system, endocrine system, immune system, lyphatic system, muscular system, nervous system, reproductive system, respiratory system, skeletal system, urinary system
concern of health care professionals wokring from life course health perspective
ability to take care of oneself
lung capacity, muscular strength, + cardiovascular output
inces in childhood, peaks in early adulthood, decliens after
stress response
change in physiological functioning of the body’s systems when it perceives an external threat or attack
allostatic load
physiologic wear + tear on body as reuslt of repeated + longterm exposure to stress, consequence of which is an acceleration of disease processes + health problems
