Santrock essentials 3e_ppt_ch13

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PHYSICAL AND COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT IN MIDDLE ADULTHOOD

13

ESSENTIALS OF LIFE-SPAN DEVELOPMENTJOHN W. SANTROCK

3e


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CHAPTER OUTLINE

• The nature of middle adulthood• Physical development• Cognitive development• Careers, work, and leisure• Religion and meaning in life


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THE NATURE OF MIDDLE ADULTHOOD

• Changing midlife• Defining middle adulthood


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• Changing midlife• As adults become older, their age identity is younger than

their chronological age• An increasing percentage of the population is made up of

middle-aged and older adults• “Rectangularization” of the age distribution


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• Defining middle adulthood• Middle adulthood: 40–45 years of age to about 60–65 years

of age• Declining physical skills and increasing responsibility• Awareness of the young-old polarity• Transmitting something meaningful to the next generation• Reaching and maintaining career satisfaction


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• Late midlife (55 to 65) is likely to be characterized by:• Death of a parent• Last child leaving the parental home• Becoming a grandparent• Preparation for and actual retirement

• Gains and losses and biological and sociocultural factors balance each other


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PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT

• Physical changes• Health and disease• Mortality rates• Sexuality


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• Physical changes• Visible signs• Wrinkling and sagging of skin• Appearance of aging spots• Hair becomes thinner and grayer• Nails become thicker and more brittle• Yellowing of teeth


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• Height and weight• Individuals lose height and gain weight• Being overweight is a critical health problem in middle

adulthood

• Strength, joints, and bones• Sarcopenia - Age-related loss of muscle mass and strength• Cushions for bone movement become less efficient

• Leading to joint stiffness and more difficulty in movement

• Progressive bone loss


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• Vision and hearing• Accommodation of the eye - Ability to focus and maintain an

image on the retina• Experiences sharp declines between 40–59 years

• Difficulty viewing close objects• Reduced blood supply decreases visual field• Hearing can start to decline by the age of 40• High-pitched sounds are typically lost first


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• Cardiovascular system• High blood pressure, high cholesterol, and cardiovascular

disease• Exercise, weight control, and a diet rich in fruits, vegetables,

and whole grains can often help• Metabolic syndrome: Hypertension, obesity, and insulin

resistance


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• Lungs• Lung tissue becomes less elastic at about age 55, decreasing

the lung’s capacity

• Sleep• Wakeful periods become more frequent in the 40’s• Sleep-disordered breathing and restless legs syndrome


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• Health and disease• Frequency of accidents declines• Individuals are less susceptible to colds and allergies

• Stress is increasingly being found to be a factor in disease• Chronic stress can interfere with immune functioning• Linked to disease through immune system and cardiovascular

factors


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• Mortality rates• Chronic diseases are the main cause of death during

middle adulthood • Heart disease• Cancer


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• Sexuality• Climacteric: Midlife transition in which fertility declines• Menopause: Cessation of a woman’s menstrual periods• During the late forties or early fifties• Hot flashes, nausea, fatigue, and rapid heartbeat

• Hormone replacement therapy (HRT)• Hormonal changes in middle-aged men• Decline in sexual hormone level and activity• Erectile dysfunction - Inability to achieve and maintain an

erection


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• Sexual attitudes and behavior• Sexual activity occurs less frequently than in early adulthood

• Middle-aged men are more interested in sex than middle-aged women

• Living with a spouse or partner makes all the difference in terms of engaging in sexual activity


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COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT

• Intelligence• Information processing


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• Intelligence• Crystallized intelligence: Accumulated information and

verbal skills• Continues to increase in middle adulthood

• Fluid intelligence: Ability to reason abstractly• May begin to decline in middle adulthood


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FIGURE 13.2 - FLUID AND CRYSTALLIZED INTELLECTUAL DEVELOPMENT ACROSS THE LIFE

SPAN


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• The Seattle Longitudinal Study - Extensive evaluation of intellectual abilities during adulthood• Main focus on individual change and stability in intelligence• Mental abilities tested

• Verbal ability• Verbal memory• Numeric ability• Spatial orientation• Inductive reasoning• Perceptual speed


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FIGURE 13.3 - LONGITUDINAL CHANGES IN SIX INTELLECTUAL ABILITIES FROM AGE 25 TO AGE 88


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FIGURE 13.4 - CROSS-SECTIONAL AND LONGITUDINAL COMPARISONS OF INTELLECTUAL

CHANGE IN MIDDLE ADULTHOOD


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• Information processing• Speed of information processing• Reaction-time task

• Memory• Verbal memory declines during middle adulthood • Linked to changes in working memory and ineffective memory

strategies• Working memory: Mental “workbench” where individuals

manipulate and assemble information when making decisions, solving problems, and comprehending written and spoken language


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• Expertise• Rely on accumulated experience• Process information automatically and analyze it more

efficiently• Have better strategies and shortcuts to solving problems• Are more creative and flexible in solving problems


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CAREERS, WORK, AND LEISURE

• Work in midlife• Career challenges and changes• Leisure


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• Work in midlife• The role of work is central during middle age• A time of evaluation, assessment, and reflection about

work


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• Career challenges and changes• Challenges• Globalization of work• Rapid developments in information technologies• Downsizing of organizations• Early retirement• Concerns about pensions and health care

• Changes• Self-motivated• Consequence of losing one’s job


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• Leisure• Pleasant times after work • When individuals are free to pursue activities and interests of

their own choosing

• Changes may produce expanded opportunities for leisure


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RELIGION AND MEANING IN LIFE

• Religion and adult lives• Religion and health• Meaning in life


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• Religion and adult lives• Important to consider the role of individual differences • A powerful influence in some adults’ lives• Whereas it plays little or no role in others’ lives

• Research suggests:• Significant increase in spirituality between late middle and late

adulthood• Females more than males participated in organized and

personal forms of religion


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FIGURE 13.5 - LEVEL OF SPIRITUALITY IN FOUR ADULT AGE PERIODS


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• Religion and health• Some cults and religious sects encourage behaviors that

are damaging to health • Researchers increasingly finding positive links between

religion and physical• Reasons why religion promotes health:• Lifestyle issues• Social networks• Coping with stress


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• Meaning in life• Emphasized each person’s uniqueness and the finiteness of

life• According to Frankl, the three most distinct human qualities

are:• Spirituality• Freedom• Responsibility

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