Adulthood: Physical, Cognitive & Social Development Module 54

Physical Changes of Middle Adulthood

Adult Physical Development Genetics and lifestyle combine to determine course of physical changes Your unique genetic blueprint greatly influences the unfolding of certain physical changes during adulthood. Such changes vary significantly from one person to another. Staying mentally and physically active and eating a proper diet can both slow and minimize the degree of physical decline associated with aging.

Typical Physical Progression Physical strength typically peaks in mid twenties By middle adulthood, roughly from the forties to midsixties, physical strength and endurance gradually decline During late adulthood, from the mid-sixties on, physical stamina and reaction time tend to decline further and faster

Menopause The time of natural cessation of menstruation Referred to as the biological changes a woman experiences as her ability to reproduce declines Usually occurs between age 45 and 55 Does not usually lead to depression

Later Adulthood’s Physical Changes

Late Adulthood Old age as a time of poor health, inactivity, and decline is a myth. Activity theory of aging—life satisfaction is highest when people maintain level of activity they had in earlier years. See NBC Report (1 ½ min.) The average life expectancy for men is about 74 years; for women, it is about 79 years. The majority of older adults live healthy, active, and self-sufficient lives. Only 4.5% of those age 65 and over live in nursing homes. After 85, it is 20%

Physical Changes Immune system weakens – become more susceptible to life-threatening illness like cancer & pneuomonia Fewer short-term ailments (flu & colds) due to accumulation of antibodies Slower neural processing Brain regions for memory begin to atrophy By age 80 brain weight reduces by 5% Increased impulsivity with atrophy of frontal lobe Exercise can reduce these aging effects

Physical Changes: Vision

Physical Changes: Sense of Smell

Physical Changes: Hearing

Cognitive Changes

Aging and Memory If info is meaningless then more error will be made If info is meaningful then it will be remembered but may take longer to retrieve it. Terminal Decline - Cognitive decline accelerates in the last three to four years of life.

Intellectual Ablities Psychologist K. Warner Schaie and his colleagues have found that general intellectual abilities gradually increase until one’s early forties, then become relatively stable until about age 60, when a small but steadily increasing percentage of older adults experience slight declines on tests of general intellectual abilities. Schaie found that those who were better educated and engaged in physical and mental activities throughout older adulthood showed the smallest declines in mental abilities.

Fluid Intelligence One’s ability to reason speedily and abstractly Perceive relationships Gain new types of knowledge Can be used to solve new logic problems Declines as people get older

Crystallized Intelligence One’s accumulated knowledge and verbal skills Factual knowledge: arithmetic facts, meaning of words, naming state capitals Tends to increase with age

Age and Verbal/Nonverbal Intelligence

Social Development

Social Clock The culturally (society’s) preferred timing of social events such as marriage, parenthood, and retirement The “best” timing for certain life events The timing varies from culture to culture.

Social Development Erik Erikson described two fundamental themes that dominate adulthood: love and work According to Erikson, the primary psychosocial task of early adulthood is to form a committed, mutually enhancing, intimate relationship with another person. During middle adulthood, the primary psychosocial task becomes one of generativity, to contribute to future generations through your children, your career, and other meaningful activities.

Adult Friendships Female friends tend to confide in one another about their feelings, problems, and interpersonal relationships Male friends typically minimize discussions about relationships or personal feelings or problems; instead, male friends tend to do things together that they find mutually interesting, such as activities related to sports or hobbies

Marriage & Family Today, many young adults postpone marriage so they can finish their education and establish a career As a general rule, we tend to be attracted to and marry people who are similar to us on a variety of dimensions, including physical attractiveness, social and educational status, ethnic background, attitudes, values, and beliefs Marital satisfaction tends to decline after the birth of the first child and rise again after children leave home Becoming a parent at an older age and waiting longer after marriage to start a family helps ease the adjustment to parenthood. Successful marriages had a 5 to 1 ratio of positive to negative interactions.

Empty Nest The change married couples go through as a result of their children leaving home Not necessarily a negative event for couples Many report having a post-launch honeymoon after children leave home

A Lifetime of Well-Being

Overall Life Satisfaction Most studies show the elderly as happy and satisfied with life. People tend to mellow with age. This may be because the amygdala responds less to negative events and interacts less with the hippocampus in old age Most regrets focus on what the person didn’t do rather than mistakes they have made in life.

Overall Life Satisfaction

Death and Dying

Death and Dying In general, anxiety about dying tends to peak in middle adulthood, then to decrease in late adulthood Kubler-Ross stages of dying Denial Anger Bargain Depression Acceptance Not universally demonstrated Dying is as individual a process as is living. People cope with the prospect of dying much as they have coped with other stresses involved in living

Reactions to Death Reactions to death are different from culture to culture. Attitudes toward death and dying are changing in the United States. more openness facing death with dignity; hospice helps