week 1

Question 1

The Life-Span Perspective (Paul Baltes)

Answer 1

1. Multidirectionality
2. Plasticity
3. Historical context
4. Multiple causation

Question 2

•Human Experience is:

Answer 2

1. Long-term/life long
2. Multilevel
3. Contextual
4. Dynamic

Question 3

Human Experience/ lifespan development is Influenced by:

Answer 3

1. Macro & micro factors
2. Gains and losses
3. Risks and resiliencies

Question 4

percentage of aus pop 65 years+ (2015)

Answer 4

15%

Question 5

Conceptualisations of age

Answer 5

Chronological
Biological
Psychological
Sociocultural

Question 6

Biological Age

Answer 6

A description of an individual’s age based on bio markers – a recordable molecular or cellular event (e.g., increases and decreases in hormones, degradation of tissues)

Question 7

Psychological Age

Answer 7

How old one feels, acts, and behaves:
Experience
Logic
Emotion

Question 8

Sociocultural Age

Answer 8

Age based on the set of expectations that people in a given culture have about when life’s major events “should” occur.

Question 9

Subjective or Percieved age

Answer 9

How old one feels, acts, and behaves:

Percieved age - how old others perceive us to be?

Question 10

4 Forces Influencing Ageing and Development

Answer 10

Biological forces - genetic and health-related factors

Psychological forces - internal perceptual, cognitive, emotional, and personality factors

Sociocultural forces - interpersonal, societal, cultural, and ethnic factors

Life-cycle forces- differences in how the same event or combination of biological, psychological, and sociocultural forces

Question 11

Factors Influence Lifecycle Forces

Answer 11

Normative age-graded factors
Experiences caused by biological, psychological, and sociocultural forces that occur to most people of a particular age.

Normative history-graded & cohort-specific factors
Events that most people in a specific culture / period / locality experience at the same time.

Non-normative or Idiosyncratic factors
Random or rare events that may be important for a specific individual but are not experienced by most people

Question 12

Core Issues in Development

Answer 12

Nature-nurture
Stability-change
Continuity-discontinuity
Universal versus context-specific

Question 13

Nature-Nuture

Answer 13

Involves the degree to which genetic or hereditary influences (nature) and experiential or environmental influences (nurture) determine the kind of person you are.

Question 14

Stability - Change

Answer 14

The degree to which people remain the same over time (or not)

Development as gains and losses

Plasticity - opportunity for change and growth throughout the lifespan

• Neurobiological Plasticity
• Behavioural Plasticity
• Societal Plasticity

Question 15

Continuity - Discontinuity

Answer 15

Concerns whether a particular developmental phenomenon represents:

Smooth progressions over time (continuity/ Quantitative)

A series of abrupt shifts (discontinuity / Qualitative)

Question 16

Universal versus context-specific

Answer 16

Concerns whether there is just one path of development or several:

Differences in development are simply variations on a fundamental developmental process

Adult development and aging are inextricably intertwined with the context in which they occur.

Question 17

Positive/Healthy/Successful Ageing

Answer 17

1. Avoidance of disease & disability
2. Continuation of effective physical & psychological functioning
3. Continued social engagement with life

Question 18

Positive Ageing

Answer 18

Promoting resilience and a sense of fulfilment and control, despite the challenges that associated with growing older

Positive and constructive views of growing older which accepts aging as the continuous and normal development which occurs in human life

“In short, the positive aging movement is about striving to create a society for all ages that prepares for and celebrates the aging process.”

Question 19

Why is it important to study adult development and ageing?

Answer 19

A belief in Life span/Life course development

Demographic Changes

Necessity for psychological practice

Impacts on everyone

Question 20

What are the 4 different conceptualisations of age?

Answer 20

Chronological
Biological
Psychological
Sociocultural

Question 21

What are the 4 main forces that shape development?

Answer 21

Biological forces - genetic and health-related factors

Psychological forces - internal perceptual, cognitive, emotional, and personality factors

Sociocultural forces - interpersonal, societal, cultural, and ethnic factors

Life-cycle forces- differences in how the same event or combination of biological, psychological, and sociocultural forces

Question 22

What are the 3 main influences on ageing and development?

Answer 22

Normative age-graded factors
Experiences caused by biological, psychological, and sociocultural forces that occur to most people of a particular age.

Normative history-graded & cohort-specific factors
Events that most people in a specific culture / period / locality experience at the same time.

Non-normative or Idiosyncratic factors
Random or rare events that may be important for a specific individual but are not experienced by most people

Question 23

What are the 4 key theoretical issues in ageing and development?

Answer 23

Nature-nurture
Stability-change
Continuity-discontinuity
Universal versus context-specific