unit 6

Question 1

What are some common physical changes that occur during middle adulthood?

Answer 1

Common physical changes include hair graying and thinning, new lines on the face, a fuller body shape, presbyopia (loss of ability to focus on near objects), and a decline in hearing.

Question 2

What is presbyopia and what causes it?

Answer 2

Presbyopia is the loss of ability to focus vision on near objects, often requiring reading glasses. It is caused by the thickening and hardening of the lens in the eye.

Question 3

What are some of the changes in vision besides presbyopia that occur in middle age?

Answer 3

Besides presbyopia, changes include a shrinking pupil size, yellowing of the lens, the development of opaque areas in the vitreous, reduced vision in dim light, increased sensitivity to glare, and diminished color discrimination.

Question 4

What is presbycusis?

Answer 4

Presbycusis is age-related hearing loss, which begins with a decline in the detection of high frequencies around age 50, and progresses to other tones and difficulty distinguishing sounds in close succession.

Question 5

How does skin change during middle adulthood?

Answer 5

The epidermis becomes less firmly attached to the dermis, fibers in the dermis thin and lose elasticity, cells in both layers decline in water content, and fat in the hypodermis diminishes, leading to wrinkles, loose skin, and dryness.

Question 6

How does muscle-fat composition change in middle adulthood?

Answer 6

There is a decline in muscle mass and an increase in fat deposits, with men accumulating fat on the back and upper abdomen, and women around the waist and upper arms.

Question 7

What skeletal changes occur, and what is osteoporosis?

Answer 7

Bone loss affects both men and women, but women lose bone at a greater rate as they approach menopause. Osteoporosis is when bone loss is very great, leading to increased risk of fractures.

Question 8

What is the climacteric in women, and what are its characteristics?

Answer 8

The climacteric is a midlife transition in which fertility declines, marked by a drop in estrogen, shorter and more irregular menstrual cycles, and eventually concluding with menopause (the end of menstruation and reproductive capacity).

Question 9

What are the symptoms associated with menopause?

Answer 9

Symptoms of menopause can include mood fluctuations and hot flashes, which are sudden sensations of warmth accompanied by a rise in body temperature, redness, and sweating.

Question 10

How does the male reproductive system change during middle adulthood?

Answer 10

Both the quantity and motility of sperm decrease, and the quantity of semen diminishes. Additionally, men may experience andropause, which is an age-related decline in testosterone, leading to reduced blood flow to the penis and difficulty maintaining an erection.

Question 11

What is the difference between crystallized and fluid intelligence?

Answer 11

Crystallized intelligence involves skills based on accumulated knowledge and experience, while fluid intelligence relies more on basic information processing skills.

Question 12

How do crystallized and fluid intelligence change during middle adulthood?

Answer 12

Crystallized intelligence generally increases during middle adulthood, while fluid intelligence begins to decline in the twenties.

Question 13

What did the Seattle Longitudinal Study reveal about cognitive changes in middle age?

Answer 13

The Seattle Longitudinal Study showed that while cross-sectional studies suggest a drop in cognitive abilities after the mid-thirties, longitudinal studies reveal modest gains in midlife, followed by a gradual decrease after the fifties and early sixties. This suggests that cohort effects, rather than just aging, might be responsible for some of the declines noted in cross-sectional studies.

Question 14

What happens to processing speed during middle adulthood?

Answer 14

Processing speed declines gradually from the early twenties into the nineties, affecting performance on tasks that require quick responses.

Question 15

What are some factors that contribute to the age-related slowing of cognitive processing?

Answer 15

The withering of the myelin coating on neural fibers and deterioration of neural connections in the cerebral cortex, along with greater information loss as it moves through the cognitive system, contribute to slower processing speeds.

Question 16

How does executive function change during middle adulthood?

Answer 16

Executive function declines with age, causing reduced working memory capacity, greater difficulty inhibiting irrelevant information, and challenges in flexibly shifting attention.

Question 17

What memory changes occur during middle adulthood?

Answer 17

The subjective experience of forgetfulness increases, and performance on tasks that involve remembering lists of words or passages of texts declines, typically after age 55. Recognition of words and texts appears to remain stable throughout adulthood. However, semantic and procedural memory remain unchanged or may even increase into midlife.

Question 18

What are some developmental tasks or challenges that midlife adults face?

Answer 18

Midlife adults face challenges such as losing parents, launching children, adjusting to an empty nest, dealing with adult children returning home, becoming grandparents, preparing for late adulthood, and caring for aging parents or spouses.

Question 19

What is Erikson’s stage of psychosocial development during middle adulthood?

Answer 19

Erikson’s stage for middle adulthood is generativity versus stagnation. Generativity involves an interest in establishing and guiding the next generation, whereas stagnation involves self-centeredness and a lack of interest in others.

Question 20

What are some characteristics of stagnation, according to Erikson’s theory?

Answer 20

Stagnation is characterized by a lack of interest in young people, focusing on what one can get rather than give, and little interest in being productive or bettering the world.

Question 21

What are some positive outcomes associated with generativity?

Answer 21

Generativity is associated with successful marriages, work achievements, close friendships, altruistic behaviors, and overall mental health.

Question 22

What are the four developmental tasks in Levinson’s Seasons of Life theory?

Answer 22

The four tasks are: reconciling young-old, destruction-creation, masculinity-femininity, and engagement-separateness.

Question 23

What does Vaillant mean by ‘keepers of the meaning’?

Answer 23

Vaillant’s concept of ‘keepers of the meaning’ refers to adults in their late fifties and sixties who become guardians of their culture and are concerned with passing on values, traditions, and institutions to future generations.

Question 24

What is the midlife crisis?

Answer 24

The midlife crisis refers to a period of self-scrutiny and re-evaluation of goals triggered by the individual’s entry into middle age, but is not experienced by everyone.

Question 25

What are ‘possible selves’ and how do they change in middle adulthood?

Answer 25

Possible selves are thoughts about who one could be in the future. In middle adulthood, these selves tend to become fewer in number, more modest, and more concrete.

Question 26

What are some examples of possible selves that might be common for middle-aged individuals?

Answer 26

Examples include ‘being competent at work,’ ‘being a good husband and father,’ ‘putting my children through college,’ and ‘staying healthy,’ and not being a ‘burden to my family’.

Question 27

According to the text, what is ‘empty nest’ syndrome, and how does it relate to middle adulthood?

Answer 27

Empty nest syndrome is the sense of loss that some parents, particularly mothers, experience when their children leave home. However, many couples find this to be a positive time for their relationship.

Question 28

What is the ‘sandwich generation’?

Answer 28

The ‘sandwich generation’ refers to middle-aged adults who are caught between caring for aging parents, assisting young-adult children and grandchildren, and meeting work and community responsibilities.

Question 29

What are the three common types of grandparenting relationships?

Answer 29

The three types of grandparenting relationships are remote, companionate, and involved.

Question 30

What happens to friendships during middle adulthood?

Answer 30

The total number of friends tends to decline, but friendships become more intimate and close, and they tend to endure even with less frequent contact.