Adulthood and Old Age

Adulthood and Old Age Chapter 10

Objectives • Describe the physical, sexual, and intellectual changes that occur during adulthood • Identify recent research related to older adults • Identify, describe, and critique the stages of dying

Key Terms • Ageism • Closed awareness • Decrementalmodel of aging • Generativity • Menopause • Mutual pretense awareness • Open awareness • Stagnation • Suspected awareness • Thanatology

Introduction • What is over the hill? • What does middle age bring? • Does everyone want to look young?

Introduction • Is middle age a time of physical and mental deterioration? • Are there stereotypes about getting older?

Adulthood • What is adulthood like? • Change • Sameness • Success • Failure • Crisis • Stability • Joy • Sadness

Adulthood • Adulthood can be a time when a person matures fully into what he or she is • OR • It can be a time when life closes in and what was once possibility is now limitation

Adulthood • Study of adulthood was not always a strength in society. Psychologists focused on childhood and adolescence • Today, a growing number of psychologists are studying adult psychology. • Focus on a period of changes and transformations • Identifying & performing well in occupation • Social & civic responsibilities • Relating to significant other • Satisfying leisure activities • Helping kids become responsible • Relating to one’s aging parents

Physical Changes • Humans peak between 18-25 • Period where they are strongest, healthiest, & quickest reflexes • Look at pro athletes • Read page 244, last paragraph

Physical Changes • Health problems • Natural process of aging • Diseases • Disuse and abuse • Someone who is 30 pounds overweight, the chance of dying during middle age increases by 40% • Smoking: Cancer of mouth, throat, and lungs, respiratory and heart problems • Cardiovascular disease leading cause of death during middle ages

Physical Changes • A person who eats sensibly, exercises, avoids cigarettes, drugs, and alcohol, and is not subjected to severe emotional stress will look and feel younger than someone who neglects his or her health

Menopause • Between ages 45-50 in a woman’s life is a stage called climacteric, which represents all of the psychological and biological changes occurring at that time • Menopause: When a woman’s production of sex hormones drops sharply • Woman stops ovulating (producing eggs) and menstruating • Cannot conceive children • Men do not go through menopause or a biological change equivalent to women

Social & Personality Development • For a long time, psychologists commonly applied theories of childhood and adolescent development to the middle years • Now only are we beginning to find out how age affects personality • An individual’s basic character-his or her style of adapting to situations- is relatively stable over the years. Researchers are also convinced, however, that personality is flexible and capable of changing as an individual confronts new tasks

Levinson’s Theory of Male Development • Daniel Levinson & Yale colleagues 1976 • Mentioned in book Passages: Predictable Crises of Adult Life • Levinson interviewed 4 groups of men between ages 35-45 • 10 executives • 10 Hourly workers in industry • 10 novelists • 10 University biologists • A life structure was developed for each man based on the interviews • Major periods of man’s life based on activities, associations, relationships

Levinson’s Theory of Male Development • See handout • Model shows the development sequence of a man’s life that Levinson proposed. The scheme emphasizes the development is an ongoing process that requires continual adjustment • Similarities between Levinson theory and last 3 stages of Erikson’s psychosocial theory

Levinson’s Theory of Male Development • Stage 1: Early Adulthood (17 to 40) • Age 22-28 • Young man is considered (by himself & society) to be a novice in the adult world. • Not fully established as a man, but no longer an adolescent • During this time, must attempt to resolve the conflict between • The need to explore the options of the adult world and need to establish a stable life • Needs to sample different kinds of relationships • Keeps choices about career and employment open • Needs to begin a career, but may not be fully committed • Establish a home and family of his own • Lacks a full sense of stability or permanence

Levinson’s Theory of Male Development • Stage 1: Early Adulthood (17 to 40) continued • Age-thirty crisis • Some years ago, the motto of the rebellious, politically oriented young people who sought to change American society was “NEVER TRUST ANYONE OVER 30” • Man feels that any parts of his life that are unsatisfying or incomplete must be attended to now, because it will soon be too late to make major changes

Levinson’s Theory of Male Development • Stage 1: Early Adulthood (17 to 40) continued • Settling down • Questioning and searching part of age-thirty crisis • Firm choices about (Making it in the adult world!!) • Career • Family • Relationships • Boom phase • 36-40 • Becoming one’s own man • Fully independent

Levinson’s Theory of Male Development • Stage 2: Middle Adulthood (40 to 60) • Mid-life transition (40-45) • Man begins to ask questions • What have I done in my life? • What have I accomplished? • What do I still have to accomplish? • Resurgence in sex interests • Husband and wife more time alone • Stagnation can occur • Stagnation: A discontinuation of development and a desire to recapture the past, characteristic of some middle-aged people • Play same sports?

Levinson’s Theory of Male Development • Stage 2: Middle Adulthood (40 to 60) • Late 40’s • True adulthood achieved • Understands and tolerates others • Displays a sensitivity and concern for other people • Balance between friends and privacy • Others are as fortunate • Extreme frustration • Unhappiness • Isolation

Levinson’s Theory of Male Development • Stage 3: Late Adulthood (beginning at about age 60) • Golden agers • Senior citizens • Decremental model of aging: Holds that progressive physical and mental decline is inevitable with age • Decremental view from society • Drivers… • Most of use know people or are 80 but act 50

Levinson’s Theory of Male Development • Stage 3: Late Adulthood • 65 and older are in reasonable good health • 80% can carry out normal activities • Senses do decline • 40% have a chronic disease

Female Development • Men experience a mid-life crisis, married women at mid-life are facing fewer demands in their traditional task as mother. • Career and family • Women now start a family after a career • Regardless of change, women still are the ones who typically are responsible for both housework and child care

Female Development • Physical attractiveness in mid-life • Tend to be more conscious of the aging process than men • Tend to be considered less attractive with age • Different image of one’s self • Empty-nest syndrome • A significant event in many women’s lives is the departure from home of the last child • Need not be traumatic, many women express happiness • New interests and activities • Not all psychologists agree • Stable marriage plays a role • Widow or divorced can make it more difficult

Female Development • Depression in mid-life • Women 2-6 times more likely than men to suffer depression • Some experience a loss of personal worth

Death and Dying • Closed awareness: The situation in which the medical staff and the family are aware of the patient’s terminal condition but the patient is not • Suspected awareness: The situation in which some patients begin to sense that their illness is terminal and endeavor to find out from a medial staff or from their families whether suspicions are true • Mutual pretense awareness: The situation in which both the medical staff and the patient pretend they do not know that the patient’s disease is terminal • Open awareness: The situation in which the medical staff and the patient publically admit to the knowledge of the patient’s terminal disease

Death and Dying • Thanatology: Study of death and dying • Stage 1: Denial • People’s most common reaction to learning that they have a terminal illness is shock and numbness, followed by denial • Stage 2: Anger • Why me? • They feel anger-at fate, at the powers that be , at every person who comes into their life • Stage 3: Bargaining • People change their attitude and attempt to bargain with fate

Death and Dying • Stage 4: Depression • Aware of the losses they are incurring • Loss of everyone and everything • Stage 5: Acceptance • The struggle is over • Experience a sense of calm • Peaceful • Read Hospices page 261

Handout • Handout

Adulthood and Old Age