PSYC 2314Lifespan Development

Chapter 25

Late Adulthood:

Psychosocial Development

Theories of Late Adulthood

• Self-theories: emphasize the active part played by each person in fulfilling his or her potential

• Maslow’s: self-actualization

• Erikson’s: integrity vs. despair

• Paul Baltes: “selective optimization with compensation”

Theories of Late Adulthood

• Stratification Theories: social forces limit individual choice and direct life at every stage. Cultural forces become even more important but less supportive in old age.– Stratification by Age– Stratification by Gender and Race

Theories of Late Adulthood

• Stratification by Age: segregate their oldest citizens– Disengagement vs. activity

• Disengagement: aging makes a person’s social sphere increasingly narrow, resulting in role relinquishment, withdrawal, and passivity.

• Activity: people need to remain active in a variety of social spheres—with relatives, friends, and community groups

Theories of Late Adulthood

• Stratification by Gender and Age– Sexual Discrimination

• Feminist theory: since most social structures and economic policies have been established by men, women’s perspectives and needs are devalued.

– Money and Independence

Theories of Late Adulthood

• Stratification by Gender and Race– Racial Discrimination

• Critical race theory: decades of racial stratification resulted in poverty and frailty for minority elderly who were excluded from the economic mainstream. They have less access to senior-citizen centers, nursing homes, and other social services and amenities.

Theories of Late Adulthood

• Dynamic Theories: emphasize the diversity of development, as each person shapes his or her life within specific social contexts, which are constantly changing.– Continuity theory: focused on how selfhood is

maintained throughout social events and biological changes.

– Epigenetic: incorporate all the genetic, childhood, and cultural forces into an ever-changing but always productive system.

Keeping Active

• Retirement– Two main problems for retirees:

• Health

• Money

Keeping Active

• Alternative Sources for Achievement– Continuing Education– Volunteer Work– Political Involvement– Home, Sweet Home

Keeping Active

• Ironically, while the financial circumstances of the American elderly have improved in recent years, other age groups, notably children, have grown poorer.

• More than one American child in five now lives below the poverty line.

• Generational equity: equal contributions from, and fair benefits for, each generation.

The Social Convoy

• Collectively, the family members, friends, acquaintances, and even strangers who move through life with an individual.

• An important affirmation of who they are and what they have been.

Long-Term Marriages

• Most elders are married, and they tend to be happier, healthier, and wealthier

• The best predictor of the nature of a marriage in its latter stages is its nature early on.

• Most older married couples believe their marriage has improved over the years: children are grown and because the accumulation of shared life experiences makes husbands and wives become more compatible.

The Social Convoy

• Death of a Spouse– Loss of a friend or lover– Lower income– Reduced status– A broken social circle and daily routine– Loss of identity

The Social Convoy

• Physical and Emotional Attachment– Women generally have an easier time coping

with the loss of a spouse than do men.– Women expect to outlive their husbands and

make arrangements for some of the adjustments widowhood will require.

– Men, however, depend on their wives for the basic tasks of daily living and to provide emotional support and social interaction.

The Social Convoy

• Divorce– Very rare in late life, except with recent

marriages.– For divorced older women, life is likely to

improve with age, esp. if they have successfully raised children as single mothers or succeeded in a career.

The Social Convoy

• Divorce– As a group, older divorced men are more likely

to feel isolated from children, grandchildren, and old friends.

– Men also have a higher rate of physical and psychological problems.

The Social Convoy

• Older people’s satisfaction with life correlates significantly with the quantity and quality of their contact with friends.

• More older people are part of multigenerational families.– Beanpole families: there are more generations

than in the past, but with only a few members in each generation.

The Social Convoy

• Intensification of friendly bonds between siblings.

• Relationships with younger generations are clearly positive; it also include tension and conflict, particularly between mothers and daughters.

The Frail Elderly

• The frail elderly—the physical infirm, the very ill, or the cognitively impaired—are differentiated by their inability to perform adequately– Activities of daily life (ADLs)– Instrumental activities of daily life (IADLs)

The Frail Elderly

• In every nation the number is increasing:– More people are reaching old age

– Modern medical technology prolongs life

– Health care has largely been designed to rescue individuals from acute illnesses, such as cancer, while ignoring the longstanding, chronic complaints of the elderly.

– Measures that could prevent or reduce impairment—from adequate nutrition to safe housing—do not necessarily reach the frailest elderly.

The Frail Elderly

• Four protective factors:– Attitude– Social network– Physical setting– Financial resources