Adult Exam 1

Front 1

What is the age span of adulthood?

Back 1

20-ish to death

Front 2

What are the 4 principles of adult development and aging?

Back 2

1. Changes are continuous over the life span: individuals remain the "same" even though they change

2. Only the survivors grow old: Aging individuals are increasly self-selected

3. Individuality matters: People vary within and between age groups

4. "Normal" aging is different from disease: Intrinsic aging processes are different from those associated with illness

Front 3

What is primary, secondary, and optimal aging?

Back 3

Primary aging or Normal aging: happens to everyone, is normal, and inveitable) ex. graying hair

Secondary Aging or impared aging: When disease/poor behaviors "speed up" aging.

Optimal Aging: Extra precautions to slow aging. ex. runners.

**skin wrinkling is an example of primary aging; the dev. of cancer in the life is an example of secondary aging.

Front 4

What is optimal aging or "successful aging"?

Back 4

the way the aging process is slowed or altered because the individual has engaged in preventative and compensatory strategies to avoid negative changes of aging.

Front 5

Life Expectancy

Back 5

The average number of years of life remaining to the people born within a similar period of time.

Front 6

Demographic trends in aging:
GENDER

Back 6

Gender:
Age 65+: 58% Female
Age 85+: 70% Female
(Compared to older MEN, older women are more likely to be: widowed, remain single after widowhood, worse health (less able to function indipendently), poorer financially, living alone)

Front 7

Demographic trends in aging:
ETHNICITY

Back 7

ETHNICITY:
65+: Becoming more diverse (1. higher birthrates for minority groups 2. Declining birthrates for white americans)
Expected 2050: 64% of poplation will be non-hispanic whites
-Aging people of ALL ethnic groups expected to grow (hispanic growing fastest)

Front 8

Demographic trends in aging:
LIVING ARRANGEMENTS

Back 8

Institutions/Nursing Homes
4.5% (US Census 2000)
Non-institutional Arrangements
30% age 65+ live alone (more women)

Front 9

Low SES

Back 9

Most at Risk (65+):
-widowed women
-people who had low SES before becoming old
-Ethnic minorities (esp. hispanics and african americans)

Front 10

What is Baltes's lifespan development psychocology (including the 5 components)?

Back 10

Development is:
1. Lifelong
2. Dependent on history and context
-Unfluenced BY environment
-WE influence environment
3. Multidimensional (the principle that there are multiple processes in development) & multidirectional (Nnot all systems develop the same rate within the person...gains and losses)
4. "Plastic" or has plasticity
5. Caused by multiple influences

Front 11

Normative age-graded event

Back 11

Events that are NORMAL to occur at specific age of a person

Front 12

Normative history-graded event

Back 12

Events/cultural changes that occur to most people in a cohort (people born around the same time in history).

Front 13

Non-normative life event

Back 13

Typical events that occur at an unusual time
-Atypical events

Front 14

Chronological Age

Back 14

How many years old a person is.

Front 15

Functional Age

Back 15

How well a person functions compared to others their chronolgical age.

Front 16

What are the 3 types of Functional Age?

Back 16

1. Biological Age: Age measured by conditions of organs and biological functions

2. Psychological age: Cognitivie abilities compare to toher individuals

3. Social age: based on socially determined norms (ex. old lady dressing young)

Front 17

What are the different age groups of adulthood?

Back 17

Young Adults: 20ish-45
Middle Aged: 45-65
Older Adults: 65+
-Younger old: 65-74
-Old-old: 75-84
-Oldest Old: 85+
-Centenarians: 100+

Front 18

Define INTER-individual differences and give an example

Back 18

Differences between people. Ex. Not all 70 year olds have the same cognitive abilities. Some fare right along with 20 year olds, etc.

Front 19

Define INTRA-individual differences and give an example

Back 19

Differences within an individual. Some gains and some losses (also referred to as multidirectionality).

Front 20

What is Gerontology?

Back 20

The study of the aging process (looks at normative and non-normative

Front 21

What is Geriatrics?

Back 21

An area of medicine dealing with older people focused on diseases

Front 22

What is Ageism?

Back 22

Prejudice or discrimination based on age
Negative consequences of ageism:
-Loss of job
-Lack of respect
-Poor self image

Front 23

What is the scientific method?

Back 23

1. Develop research question
2. Develop a hypothesis
3. Gather data
4. Test hypothesis
5. Disseminate findings
-other scientists confirm or critique the findings

Front 24

What is data?

Back 24

Information gathered in research

Front 25

What is a theory?

Back 25

Coherent set of related concepts
-seeks to organize and explain data
-Data--->New theory is referred to as BOTTOM-UP
-Existing theory--->Data is reffered to as TOP-DOWN (test existing theory with data collected)

Front 26

What is a model?

Back 26

Structural representation of theoretical relationships

Front 27

What is a Metatheory?

Back 27

the overall perspective (there are many theories within a metatheory)

Front 28

What is a Mechanistic Perspective?
What is an example of a theory that fits in this metatheory?

Back 28

based on the premis that "nurture" is the primary force in development. Growth throughout life occurs through the individuals exposure to experiences that present new learning opportunities. This is gradual. Development is smooth and continuous as the person acquires new experiences.

Ex. Memory and Info Processing Theory

Front 29

What is an Organismic Perspective?
What is an example of a theory that fits in this metatheory?

Back 29

(stage-like approach)
-Humans have internally generated patterns of development
-Development is an organized set of stages
-We go through them in the same order (maybe different timing)

Ex. Erikson's theory: Psychosocial stages

Front 30

What is an Interactionist Perspective?
What is an example of a theory that fits in this metatheory?

Back 30

-Development is ongoing in context
-Interactions are between people and environment
-No particular endpoint (circular)
-Multiple paths and directions
-Reciprocal (people <---> environment)

Ex. Ecological Perspective

Front 31

What are Erikson's final three stages of development?

Back 31

Intimacy vs Isolation (Young Adults)
-Become close w/someone, commit

Generativity vs Stagnation (Mid-adult)
-be productive, provide for others, have meaning in life

Integrity vs Despair (late life)
-People evaluate their life
-accepting the past
-accept impending death

Front 32

Life Course Perspective

Back 32

Theoretical model in social gerontology that emphasizes the imprtance of age-based norms, roles, and attitudes as influences that shape events throughout development.

Front 33

Disengagement Theory (anti-social....)

Back 33

Proposal that there is an optimal relationship between the OLDER individual and society---one in which the older person retreats from ACTIVE INVOVLVEMENT in social roles

Front 34

Activity Theory

Back 34

Proposal that it is harmful to the well-being of older adults to FORCE them out of productive social roles

Front 35

Continuity Theory

Back 35

Proposal that older adults will suffer a loss of well-being and negative effects of being excluded from social roles if this EXCLUSION goes against their will.

Front 36

Identity Process Model (Piaget)

Back 36

Theoretical perspective describing interactions between the individual and experiences.

Identity (favorable view of self)--->"Threshold" experience (Illness)---->then one of three things:
-Identity accomodation (change your view of yoruself)
-Identity Balance (Maintaining a stable sense of yourself but making some changes)
-Identity Assimilation (Not changing your sense of self...blame everything else, but yourself)

Front 37

Replicative Senescence

Back 37

The loss of the ability of cells to reproduce.
-Limited # of times a cell can divide

Hayflick Limi: humans=around 50 times

Front 38

Autoimmune Theory

Back 38

Proposes that aging is due to faulty immune system functioning. When autoimmunity occurs, the body attacks its own cells, causing damage to bodily tissues. Ex. arthritis, systemic lupus eruthematosus, and cancer.

Front 39

Random Error Theory

Back 39

Based on the assumption that aging refelcts unplanned changes in an organism over time.

Front 40

Wear and Tear Theory

Back 40

Like a machine, the body breaks down over time to the parts.

Front 41

Free-Radical Theory

Back 41

AKA Oxidative stress theory, focuses on a set of unstable compounds known as free radicals, produced when certain molecules in cells react with oxygen. Primary goal of free radicals is to seek out and bind together to other molecules. When this happens the attacked molecules lose their function.

EX. cataracts, arthritis

Front 42

Error Catastrphe Theory

Back 42

-Genes are responsible for making proteins
-When damage occurs in these processes, faulty proteins are made
-they accumulate and cause damage

Front 43

Cross-Linking Theory

Back 43

-bonds or links between proteins form over time (ex. collagen)
-this damages cells and organs, affecting body processes.

EX. Cheese...if you want soft cheese do NOT intro protein. If you want hard cheese DO intro protein

Front 44

Resveretrol

Back 44

Found to sloooooooow aging in mice (Red Wine)

Front 45

Telomeres

Back 45

Telomeres are the ends of the chromosomes.
-They're repeating sequences of proteins that contain no genetic information. Primary function is to protect the chromosome from damage

Front 46

External Validity

Back 46

results from your sample are generalizable to the rest of the population

Front 47

Random Selection

Back 47

"Drawing from a hat"
Everyone in population has equal chance of being selected.

Benefits:
-Reduce size of people needed for study
-Avoid bias

Front 48

Random Sample

Back 48

Whet you end up with after you have done a random selection

Front 49

Self-report methods

Back 49

-Qualitative (open ended) interview: "Tell me about the times you have felt depressed"
-Quantitative Questionnaire

*Self reprts may be biased

Front 50

Behavioral Methods

Back 50

Observation:
-Naturalistic observation
-observe people in natural setting
-does not manipulate environment
-records obs
-Laboratory obs:
-may or may not be a "laboratory"
-scientist manipulates the environment
-observes and records behavior
CAUTION:
-presense of observer may change person's behavior
-OBSERVER BIAS: observer interprets observatino to fit expectations
SOLUTION
-keep observer blind and use multiple observers

Front 51

Case Study

Back 51

The study of one individual.
+In-depth/lots of info
+Flexibility of research
+Works well for studying rare constructs
-Generalizability
-Can't determine causality

Front 52

Correlation

Back 52

-CORRELATION: Relationship between 2 or more variables
-We can say that two variables are correlated
-We can also say how much they're related to each other. Numerical correlations (r)

Front 53

Variable

Back 53

VARIABLE:Something that varies within people or between people (not a constant) ex. height, weight, quality of relationship w/partner)

Front 54

Correlational Study

Back 54

A study designed to test the strength of the relationship between two variables. BUT these studies do NOT demonstrate causality

Front 55

Experimental Design

Back 55

Independent Variable: the variable controlled by experimenter
Dependent Variable: The variable that may (or may not) change as a result)

Can't do them when safety is an issue

Front 56

Quasi-experimental Design

Back 56

The process of comparing groups on predetermined characteristics.
-still compares groups (treatment vs. no treatment)
-People are not randomly assigned to groups
-compare existing groups
-Used when assignment to group is unethical (ex. fast food and heart disease experiment)
-Impossible (ex. Comparing age groups)

Front 57

Cohort

Back 57

Variable in development research used to signify the general era in which a person was born

Front 58

Cross-Sectional Design

Back 58

People of different ages assessed on one occasion then the age groups are compared.

+Quick Comparison
-Can't conclude Causality from development ("Agingin causes______)
-Cohort Effects

Front 59

Longitudinal Design

Back 59

Same people studied at multiple occasions over time
-Not looking at DIFFERENCES between age groups
-Are looking at changes with age

+Great measuring development
-May get info on only one cohort
-Selective attrition (eg. mortality, death occurs first for unhealthiest older adults)
-take a long time!

Front 60

Time-Lag Design

Back 60

Measure differnt cohorts at different imes in history when they are the same age.
*measuring historical influences NOT development and aging

Front 61

Schaie's "most-efficien"t design

Back 61

A set of three designs manipulating the variables of age, cohor, and time of measurement. It is "most efficient" because it enables the most amount of information to be condensed into the most amount of information to be condensed into the most inclusive data framework.

Logitudinal AND Cross-sectional

Front 62

Changes in Physical Appearance

Back 62

SKIN: loses elasticity, paler & "splotchier", Lines and wrinkles, **Photoaging: age changes caused by radiation (sun exposure)
HAIR: Androgenic Alopeica (hair los, male pattern), thinning & graying, new places for hair (bc hormone changes over time)
POSTURE: Shorter, "hunched" (osteoperosis=non-normative)
BODY FAT: Increases

Front 63

Normative age-related changes in muscular system (Sarcopenia)

Back 63

Progressive age-related loss of muslc etissue. There is a reduction in the number and size of muscle fibers, especially the fast twiched fibers inolved in speed and strength.

After 50 yrs declines at a faster rate of 12-15% per decade

Front 64

Aerobic Capacity and Cardiac Output

Back 64

AEROBIC CAPACITY: the maximum amount of oxygen that can be delivered through the blood.

CARDIAC OUTPUT: the amount of blood that the heart pumps per minute.

RATES of DECLINE: Both indices decline consistently at a rate of about 10% per decade from age 25 and up so that the average 65-year-old has 40% lower cardiovascular efficiency than the young adult.
-decline more pronounced in males than females

Front 65

Age-related changes in respiratory changes

Back 65

respiratory muscles lose the ability to expand and contract the chest wall, and the lung tissue itself is less able to expand and contract during inspiration.
-tend to show age-related losses from about age 40
-more sever in women
-pronounced when stress due to exercise.
-Best approach to minimize effects of aging on the lungs:
1. quit smoking
2. maintain a low BMI

Front 66

Growth Hormone (GH)

Back 66

-stimulates the growth of bones and muscles and regulates the growth of most internal organs.
-When activity declines (called somatopause of aging)
-causing loss of bone mineral content, increases in fat, and decrease in muscle mass as well as losses in strength, exercise tolerance and quality of life in general

Front 67

Cortisol "Stress Hormone"

Back 67

A hormone produced by the adrenal gland.
-It provides energy to the muscles during times of stress
-increased cortisol negatively affects memory and other forms of cognitive functioning

Front 68

Thyroid hormones

Back 68

Controls the rate of metabolism (also known as BMR)
-effects cognitive impairment

Front 69

Melatonin

Back 69

Hormone manufactured by the pineal gland, located deep within the brainstem.
-Controls sleep-wake cycles

Front 70

DHEA: dehydroepiandrosterone

Back 70

Most abundant steroid in the human body
-a weak male steroid (androgen) produced by the adrenal glands located adjacent to the kidneys
-DHEA decreases 60& between the ages of 20 and 80
-termed adrenopause is greater in men, but men still have higher DHEA than women bc they have more to begin with
-Causes probs w/cardovascular disease, some forms of cancer, immune system dysfunction, obesity

Front 71

Sleep

Back 71

-people (old and young) still need sleep (7-8 hours/day).
-older people take longer time to fall asleep and lie in bed longer before rising
-Slelep apnea: sleep related breathing disturbance

Front 72

Normative age-related changes in the 5 senses, and reaction time

Back 72

Vision: PRESBYOPIA (loss of ability to focus vision on near objects...need for reading glasses), CATARACTS (a clouding that develops in the lens. results in blurred vision)
-Hearing: Presbycusis: degenerative changes occur in the cochlea or aduitory nerve leading from the cochlea to the brain. LOSS of high pitched sounds. TINNITUS: individual perceives sounds in the head or ear (ringing noises)

Front 73

Presbyopia

Back 73

-"FAR-SIGHTEDNESS: hard to focus on nearby objects (most common age related change in vision
-caused by thickening, hardening, loss of elasticity of lens
-pupil gets smaller
-loss in muscle, puple dilates less
-let less light in (on reg basis)
-need more light for reading, driving

Front 74

Visual Acuity

Back 74

-more difficult to see details

Front 75

Dynamic Visual Acuity

Back 75

-ability to see moving objects clearly

Front 76

Cataracts

Back 76

MOST common
Clouding of the lens
-blurred vision
-corrective surgery can replace lens

Front 77

Age-related macular degeneration (disease)

Back 77

2nd MOST common
-Macula (central part of retina) deteriorates
-loss of Central vision (black hole in vision)
-Causes and cures not known
-some genetic risk
-exposure to UV rays

Front 78

Glaucoma

Back 78

3rd MOST common
-Fluid build up in the eye, damaging nerves
-blurred vision
-loss of peripheral vision...eventually tunnel vision
-Rings of color
-headache, eye pain

Treatable
-medacine to try and lower pressure
-laser
-surgery

Front 79

Presbycusis (Age-related)

Back 79

-loss of hearing
-high pitched sounds lost first
-Possible causes
-lifelong exposure to loud noise
-genetics

Treatment: Cannot reverse damange, but hearing aids help symptoms

Front 80

Taste and Smell

Back 80

Both become less sensitive w/age
-reduction in olfactory receptors (smell)
-Age 80+ many lose smell entirely (smoking, dentures, meds make it worse

Front 81

Touch, Pain, Temperature

Back 81

Touch: ability to detect becomes less sensative
Pain: Less able to deterct pain, but also less able to tolerate it
Temp: Adjustment to both heat and cold is compromised (older people much more at risk)

Front 82

Reaction Time

Back 82

-older adults slower on most tasks
-loss of efficiency in nervous system
-decline in reaction doesn't always =decline in performance
-training can improve reaction time

Front 83

Sexual changes with age: Women

Back 83

Normative age changes:
-gradual decrease in estrogen/progesterone starting about mid 30s and speeds up at about 40

Front 84

Menopause

Back 84

Permanently stops ovulation
-no longer conceive child
-defined as one year after last menstrual period
-avg. age 50 (40-60 is common)
-onset earlier for smokers, thin, or malnurished women

Front 85

Perimenopause

Back 85

-transition (about a few years) leading up to menopause
-symptoms:
*hot flashes/hot sweats
*changes to vaginal tissue/secretion
*need to urinate
*headaches
*fatigue
*changes in cholesterol
*anxiety/irritability

Front 86

Climacteric

Back 86

gradual winding down of reproductive ability

Front 87

Andropause
Late-onself hypogonadism
"age-associated hypogonadism

Back 87

age-related declines in male sex hormone testosterone
-

Front 88

Erectile dysfunction

Back 88

a condition which a man is unable to achieve an erection sustainable for intercourse
-increases w/age in adulthood, from a rate of 31% amount men 57-65 to 44% of those 65 and older
-related to health probs in older men, including metabolic syndrome

Front 89

Hormone replacement therapy (HRT)

Back 89

-supplement body w/estrogen and progesterone (or just Estrogen/ERT)
-In the past HRT was used to reduce menopause symptoms, prevent osteoporosis, heart disease, colon cancer, macular degeneration
-Used less now bc researched found HRT put women at risk for cancer, dimentia, etc.