What is aging? Flashcards
What is the biopsychosocial framework of aging?
Aging is influenced by biological, psychological, socio-cultural, and life-cycle factors
Biological influence
Genetic and health related factors that affect development
examples: predisposed conditions, diabetes, puberty, menopause, declines in vision, declines in any sensory system
Psychological Influence
Internal perceptual, cognitive, emotional, and personality factors that affect development
examples: declines in memory, shifts in agreeableness
Socio-cultural Influence
Interpersonal, societal, cultural, and ethnic factors that affect development
examples: language development (influence how we talk and view people), agism (societal attitudes that affect older adults self-esteem and opportunities), older adults from higher ethnic backgrounds
Life-cycle Influence
Differences in how the same event or combination of biological, psychological, and sociocultural forces affect people at different points in their lives
example: offers different challenges for different people
Normative age-graded influences:
experiences from the biopsychosocial forces that occur to most people at specific age
E.g., puberty, menopause
Normative history-graded influences:
events that most people in a specific culture experience at the same time
E.g., epidemics, stereotypes
Nonnormative influences:
random or rare events that may be important for a specific person but are not experienced by most people
E.g., winning the lottery, experiencing an accident
What are the four definitions of age?
◦ Chronological age: Based on the passage of time
◦ Biological age: Based on changes that occur in the body
◦ Psychological age: Based on functional level of psychological abilities
◦ Sociocultural age: Based on the set of roles adopted in relation to society and culture
Young-old (60 – 74 yrs of age):
- Often have fewer responsibilities, can pursue leisure activities
- Evidence of cognitive and emotional stability
- High levels of emotional and personal well-being
Old-old (75 – 84 yrs of age):
- Increased risk of health conditions like hypertension and arthritis
- Slight changes in cognition often occur
- May require adjustments in social networks due to death of family and friends
Oldest-old (85+ yrs of age):
- Typically, at the limits of their functioning with increased rates of diseases increasing
- Evidence of cognitive deficits are often apparent
- Problems arise with quality of life and dying with dignity
Primary Aging:
normal, disease-free development during adulthood (e.g., menopause)
Secondary Aging:
developmental changes that are related to disease, lifestyle, and other environmentally induced changes that are not inevitable (e.g., pollution)
Tertiary Aging:
rapid losses that occur shortly before death
Changes in Older Adulthood
- Biological
- Psychological
- Cognitive
- Social
- Health
Changes in Older Adulthood: Biological
- Hormones
- Genetic predispositions
- Cellular aging
Changes in Older Adulthood: Psychological
- Personality
- Reasoning
- Resilience
Changes in Older Adulthood: Cognitive
- Memory
- Executive functions
- Attention
- Language
Changes in Older Adulthood: Social
- Relationships
- Social networks
- Retirement
- Caregiving
Changes in Older Adulthood: Health
- Arthritis
- Dementia
- Cardiovascular
- Sensory
