1 / 35

MIDDLE ADULTHOOD: Physical and cognitive development

Chapter 15. MIDDLE ADULTHOOD: Physical and cognitive development. Defining (or Defying) Middle Age. Middle Age: Life expectancy: 76 Mid-life: 38. Sensory and Physical Changes. Vision

theo
Télécharger la présentation

MIDDLE ADULTHOOD: Physical and cognitive development

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. Chapter 15 MIDDLE ADULTHOOD: Physical and cognitive development

  2. Defining (or Defying) Middle Age • Middle Age: • Life expectancy: 76 Mid-life: 38

  3. Sensory and Physical Changes • Vision • Presbyopia: normal condition in which the lens of the eye starts to harden, losing its ability to accommodate as quickly as it did in youth

  4. Vision • Glaucoma: increased pressure caused by fluid buildup in the eye, can damage the optic nerve and lead to blindness if untreated • Cataracts: clouding of the lens, typically occur in 30-50% of people over 65 • Floaters: Annoying floating spots; particles suspended in the gel-like fluid that fills the eyeball and generally do not impair vision

  5. Vision • Dry eye: stemming from diminished tear production can be uncomfortable and can be eased with drops • Macular degeneration: first signs are faded, distorted or blurred central vision

  6. Hearing • Decline in prebycusis: the ability to hear high-pitched sounds such as speech • Cochlear damage due to prolonged exposure to loud noises: hearing loss

  7. Taste and Smell • Reduction of taste buds • Decline in sense of smell after 50

  8. Appearance • Periodontal disease: loss of teeth • Skin becomes dryer thinner and less elastic • Carcinomas • Double-standard of aging: Men more “sophisticated”: women, less kind expressions • Cosmetics, cosmetic surgery • Hair color, loss of hair

  9. Body Composition • Muscles begin to atrophy • Weight • Exercise and nutrition • Osteoporosis: a disorder of thinning bone mass and microarchitectural deterioration of bone tissue

  10. Rheumatoid Arthritis • An inflammatory disease that causes pain, swelling, stiffness, and loss of function of the joints

  11. Hormones • Human Growth Hormone: powerful hormone used to treat children afflicted by dwarfism has become a trendy anti-aging potion

  12. Menopause and Female Midlife Change • Menopause: a process culminating in the cessation of menstrual activity • Perimenopause: The time period preceding menopause • Climacteric: Changes in the ovaries and hormonal processes

  13. Menopause and Female Midlife Change • 45-55; average 51 • Estrogen Replacement Therapy: a regimen often recommended to menopausal women by physicians to maintain cardiovascular fitness, low bone loss and slow memory loss • May increase incidence of breast cancer

  14. Menopause and Female Midlife Change • Reproduction After Menopause • Medical procedure makes it possible

  15. Male Midlife Change • Prostate gland: enlargement of this gland located at the base of the urethra. • 10% of men over 40 • Universal in men at 60 • Cancer of the prostate: Most common malignant cancer in North America • Impotence: the inability to have or sustain an erection

  16. Health Changes • Sleep • Certain drugs interfere with sleep patterns • Cardiovascular Fitness • Blood Pressure: 1in 4 American adults has high blood pressure • Can lead to arteriosclerosis, heart attack, enlarged heart, kidney damage or stroke

  17. Health Changes • Who is at Risk? • African Americans, middle aged adult men, post-menopausal women

  18. Lifestyle changes to reduce risks • Healthy weight • Eat food high in starch and fiber • Increase activity level • Choose foods lower in salt • Drink alcohol in moderation • Learn stress management skills

  19. Cholesterol • A waxy fat that occurs naturally in the body and is used to build the cell walls and make certain hormones • How to reduce: • Reduce fats in diet • Increase activity level • Stop smoking

  20. Cancer • 80% of all cancers are caused by environmental factors • Smoking is the number one controllable cause of cancer

  21. The Brain • Stroke: or “brain attack” occurs when blood circulation to the brain fails • Parkinson’s disease: motor system disorder

  22. Alzheimer’s Disease • Alzheimer’s disease: develops in middle adulthood but shows up after age 65 • Alcohol consumption: slows down brain activity, alertness, judgment, coordination and reaction time; increased risk of accident

  23. HIV/AIDS • Number of cases in midlife has been increasing • Risk factors: • Childhood sexual abuse • Adolescent or adult sexual assault • Female-to-Male transmission of HIV/AIDS • Women higher risk to become infected

  24. HIV/AIDS • Female-to-Female Transmission of HIV/AIDS • Of 85,500 women with HIV/AIDS, 1,648 were infected by other women • Prevention: condoms

  25. Stress and Depression • 2.2% of midlife adults experience major depression • Associated with increased mortality and suicide

  26. Sexual Functioning • Stereotype: erotic interest by older adults: unnatural and undignified • Age does not eliminate sexual desire • Changes: • Longer to achieve erection for men • Frequency of sexual activity declines • Same level of sexual activity from 20s

  27. Laumann Survey • Findings in Laumann survey: • Marrieds had most sex • 2.7% of men and 1.3% of women had homosexual sex in past year • 20% of men and 31% of women had only 1 sex partner since age 18 • Extramarital sex is the exception, not the rule. 75% of men and 85% of women say never unfaithful

  28. Cognitive Functioning • Research Findings: A Methodological Problem • IQ reaches peak in 20’s, remains stable for 20 years, then drops • The Varied Courses of Cognitive Abilities • No decline in verbal abilities • Decline in performance abilities

  29. Cognitive Functioning • Fluid versus Crystallized Intelligence • Fluid intelligence: the ability to make original adaptations in novel situations • Crystallized intelligence: the ability to reuse earlier adaptations on later occasions • Fluid intelligence declines, but crystallized intelligence increases (Gilinsky & Judd)

  30. Cognitive Functioning • Maximizing Cognitive Abilities • Maintaining Expert Performance • Length of time and duration committed to practicing their skill • The Role of Deliberate Practice • Ability to retain superior performance in sports: maintaining practice during adulthood

  31. Cognition and Dialectical Thinking • Dialectical thinking: organized approach to analyzing and making sense of the world one experiences that differs fundamentally from formal analysis • Convergent thinking: the application of logic and reasoning to arrive at a single correct answer to a problem.

  32. Dialectical Thinking • More open-ended, multiple solutions are sought, examined and probed, thereby leading to what are deemed creative responses on measures of creativity

  33. Moral Commitments • Moral exemplars • Moral ideals that respect humanity • Consistency between ideals and actions • Willingness to risk self interest for sake of moral values • Being inspirational force for others • Humility; unconcerned with ego

More Related