Physical and Cognitive Development in Middle Adulthood

1. Chapter 13 Physical and Cognitive Development in Middle Adulthood PowerPoints developed by Nicholas Greco IV, College of Lake County, Grayslake, IL (c) 2012 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

2. Changing Midlife • Today, many 50-year-olds are in better shape, more alert, and more productive than 40-year-olds a generation or two ago • Middle age is starting later and lasting longer • Jung -- “Midlife is the afternoon of life” • Increasing percentage of population is made up of middle-aged and older adults • Best-educated and most affluent cohort (c) 2012 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

3. Defining Middle Adulthood • Middle adulthood -- developmental period beginning about 40 and extending to 60–65 years • period of declining physical skills and increasing responsibility • shrinking time left in life • reach and maintain satisfaction in career • individuals make choices (c) 2012 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

4. Gains and Losses • Late midlife may be characterized by the loss of a parent, the last child leaving the home, becoming a grandparent, preparation for retirement, and actual retirement • Overall, gains and losses may balance each other in midlife • losses may begin to dominate gains for many individuals in late midlife • Midlife is characterized by individual variations (c) 2012 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

5. Physical Changes • Some of the visible signs • Skin begins to wrinkle and sag • Areas of pigmentation in skin produce age spots • Thinning and graying hair • Interest in plastic surgery, Botox, weight control, and vitamins may reflect the desire to take control of the aging process (c) 2012 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

6. Height and Weight • Individuals lose height in middle age • Many gain weight • body fat makes up 20 percent or more of weight in midlife as compared to 10 percent in adolescence • almost 1/3 of adults 40–59 years are classified as obese • obesity increases probability of other health issues (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2006) (c) 2012 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

7. Strength, Joints, Bones • Sarcopenia -- age-related loss of muscle mass and strength • exercise can reduce the decline • Cartilage and connective tissue becomes less efficient • joint stiffness and difficulty in movement • Women experience twice the rate of bone loss • Bones break more easily and heal more slowly (c) 2012 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

8. Vision and Hearing • Accommodation of the eye -- ability to focus and maintain image on the retina declines between 40 and 59 years • more need for glasses and/or bifocals • Hearing also declines after age 40 • sensitivity to pitches decreases • men lose sensitivity earlier than women • resulting from exposure to occupational noise (c) 2012 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

9. Cardiovascular System • High blood pressure and cholesterol issues become problematic • Women’s blood pressure rises at menopause and typically remains higher than men’s • Exercise, weight control, proper dietary patterns can help decrease problems • Metabolic syndrome is an increasing problem • Characterized by hypertension, obesity, and insulin resistance (c) 2012 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

10. Lungs • Little change in lung capacity through most of middle adulthood • In late 50s, proteins in lung tissue become less elastic, decreasing lung capacity • Smokers experience most significant changes • lung capacity improves with quitting smoking (c) 2012 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

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12. Sleep • Beginning in 40s, more wakeful periods are more frequent, and there is less of the deepest sleep • More time lying awake results in feeling less rested • Sleep problems are more common for those who use a higher number of prescription and nonprescription medications, are obese, are depressed, or have cardiovascular disease (c) 2012 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

13. Health and Disease • Frequency of accidents declines • Individuals are less susceptible to colds and allergies • Stress is found to be a factor in disease (c) 2012 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

14. Chronic Disorders • Chronic disorders are rare in early adulthood • Chronic disorders -- slow onset and long duration • Stress is found to be a factor in disease • Culture affects cardiovascular disease (Hertz, Unger, & Ferrano, 2006) (c) 2012 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

15. Mortality Rates • In middle age, many deaths are caused by a single, readily identifiable cause • Leading causes • heart disease • cancer • cardiovascular disease • Men have higher mortality rates than women for all of the leading causes of death (National Center for Health Statistics, 2008) (c) 2012 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

16. Sexuality • Climacteric -- midlife transition in which fertility declines • Menopause • women’s menstrual periods completely cease • side effects of menopause vary • cross-cultural studies reveal wide variations (c) 2012 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

17. Treating Effects of Menopause • Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) -- augments declining levels of reproductive hormone production by the ovaries • usually estrogen and progestin • negative side effects for HRT • increased risk of stroke and cardiovascular disease • Decreased use of HRT has shown a related decline in the incidence of breast cancer (c) 2012 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

18. Hormonal Changes in Middle-Aged Men • Most men do not lose capacity to father children • Modest decline in sexual hormone level and activity • “Male menopause” probably has less to do with hormonal change than with psychological adjustment to overall decline • Testosterone levels decline and can reduce sexual drive • Most erectile dysfunctions stem from physiological problems • treatment has focused on drug therapy (c) 2012 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

19. Fluid and Crystallized Intelligence • Crystallized intelligence -- individual’s accumulated information and verbal skills • Fluid intelligence -- ability to reason abstractly; begins to decline in middle adulthood • When studying intelligence, whether data is collected cross-sectionally or longitudinally makes a difference in results (c) 2012 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

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21. Speed of Information Processing • Perceptual speed begins declining in early adulthood and continues declining in middle age (c) 2012 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

22. Memory • Controversy about whether memory declines in the middle years -- most experts agree there is some decline, at least in late middle age • More time is needed to learn new information • The slowdown has been linked to working memory -- the mental “workbench” where individuals manipulate and assemble information when making decisions, solving problems, and comprehending written and spoken language • Memory decline is more likely to occur when individuals do not use effective memory strategies (c) 2012 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

23. Expertise • Expertise shows up more in middle adulthood • Expertise involves having extensive, highly organized knowledge and understanding of a particular domain • result of many years of experience, learning, and effort (c) 2012 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

24. Work in Midlife • Central during the middle years • Reach peak of position and earnings • Middle-aged adults may experience age discrimination • May have multiple financial burdens • Time of evaluation, assessment, rebalance, and reflection (c) 2012 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

25. Career Challenges and Changes • Globalization of work • Developments in information technologies • Downsizing of organizations • Early retirement • Concerns about pensions and health care • Some career changes are self-motivated; others are the result of job loss (c) 2012 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

26. Leisure • Leisure -- pleasant times after work when individuals are free to pursue activities and interests of their own choosing • midlife changes may produce more time for leisure • Adults in midlife need to begin preparing for retirement • leisure can be a part of this preparation (c) 2012 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

27. Religion and Adult Lives • Majority of middle-aged adults profess religious beliefs and consider spirituality a major part of their lives • For some, religion is a major influence to some adults but may play little or no role in others’ lives • Females show stronger interest and participate more (c) 2012 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

28. Religion and Health • Researchers have found that religious attendance is linked to • a reduction of blood pressure and hypertension • increased longevity • Religion promotes health • lifestyle issues • social networks • coping with stress (c) 2012 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

29. Level of Spirituality in Four Adult Age Periods • INSERT FIGURE 13.5 HERE (c) 2012 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

30. Meaning in Life • Frankl said that the three most distinct human qualities are: • Spirituality • Freedom • Responsibility (c) 2012 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.