Theories Of Aging Flashcards
This talks about the changing roles, relationships, status, and generational cohort impact the older adult’s ability to adapt
Sociological Theories
Havighurst and Albrecht (1953)
Conceptualized activity engagement and positive adaptation to aging
Remaining occupied and involved is a necessary ingredient to satisfying late life
Associate activity as a means to prolong middle age and delay the negative effects of old-age
Activity Theory
Cumming and Henry (1961)
Contrast to activity theory
Conceptualized that aging is characterized by gradual disengagement from society and relationship
Withdrawal from society and relationship serves to maintain social equilibrium and promote internal reflection
Outcome is a new equilibrium ideally satisfying to both individual and society
Disengagement Theory
Rose (1965)
Views older adults as a unique subculture within society formed as a defensive response to society’s negative attitudes and the loss of status that accompanies aging
Conceptualized that the elderly prefer to segregate from society in an aging subculture sharing loss of status and societal negativity regarding the aged.
Health and mobility are key determinants of social status
Subcultural Theory
Havighurst, Neugarten and Tobin (1968)
Suggests that personality is well-developed by the time reaches old-age and tends to remain consistent across life span
Past coping patterns occur as adults adjust to physical, financial, and social decline and contemplate death.
Continuity Theory
Riley and Associates (1972)
Society is stratified by age groups that are the basis for acquiring resources, roles, status, and difference from others
Age cohorts are influenced by their historical contexts and share similar experiences, beliefs, attitudes, and expectations of life course transitions
Age Stratification Theory
Lawton (1982)
Introduced functional competence in relationship to the environment
Conceptualized that function is affected by ego strength, mobility, health, cognition, sensory perception, and the environment
Competency changes one’s ability to adapt to environmental needs
Person-Environment Fit Theory
Tomstam (1994)
Proposed that aging individuals undergo a cognitive transformation from a materialistic, rational perspective toward oneness with the universe
Successful transformations include a more outward or external focus, accepting impending death without fear, an emphasis of substantive relationships, intergenerational connectedness and spiritual unity with the universe
Activity and participation must be the result of one’s own choices which differs from one person to another, and control over one’s life in all situation is essential for the person’s adaptation to aging
Gerotranscendence
Explain the aging in terms of mental processes, emotions, attitudes, motivation and personality development that is characterized by life stage transitions and that development does not end but remains a dynamic process
Psychological Theories
Maslow (1954)
Five basic needs motivate human behavior in a life-long process toward need fulfillment
The needs are prioritized such that more basic needs take precedence before the complex needs
Human needs Theory
Jung (1960)
Personality consists of an ego and personal and collective unconsciousness that views life from a personal or external perspective. Older adults search for life meaning and adapt to functional and special losses
Theory of individualism
Erikson (1963)
Personality develops in 8 sequential stages with corresponding life tasks. The 8th phase, Integrity vs. Despair, is characterized by evaluating life accomplishments; struggles including letting go, accepting care, detachment, and physical and mental decline.
Stages of Personality Development
Peck (1968) refined the 8th phase into three challenges
Ego differentiation vs. work role reoccupation
body transcendence vs. body preoccupation
Ego transcendence vs. Ego preoccupation
Buhler (1933)
Blend key elements in psychological theories (life stages, tasks, and personality development) with sociological concepts (role behavior and interrelationship between individual and society)
Life course is unique to each individual
Divided into stages with predictable patterns
Structured based on one’s role, relationships, internal values and goals
Goal achievement is associated with life satisfaction
Life course (Life Span) Paradigm
Baltes (1987)
Individual copes with the functional losses of aging through activity/role selection, optimization, and compensation
Critical life points are morbidity, mortality and quality of life
Facilitates successful aging
Selective Optimization with Compensation Theory
