1. Unit II: The
Life Span

2. Chapter 5:
Adulthood
and Old Age

3. Warm up #1
Create a chart with 4 columns.
Label the columns “year,” “self,” “parents,” and “grandparents.”
In the 1st column, write the current year, then continue in 5-yr increments for 50 yrs.
Write your age in the 2nd column.
The 3rd column is for the avg age of your parents.
The 4th column is for the avg age of one set of your grandparents.

4. Create the following chart. Compare the
similarities between adolescents & adults in the
areas of physical changes, cognitive changes,
and social development tasks.
Adolescence
Adulthood/Old Age

5. Adolescence Adulthood/Old Age
Cell growth, division, multiplying
Facial, pubic, underarm hair growth
Gain weight, grow taller
Clear vision, good hearing, quick reaction times
Puberty, sexual maturation, menarche, spermarche
Adulthood/Old Age
Cells dying, cell division occurs less accurately
Hair begins to gray & thins out
Lose weight, become shorter
Vision problems, hearing loss, reactions slow
Menopause, conception ends, gradual decline of sperm production

6. Adolescence Adulthood/Old Age
Preparing for marriage
Beginning of sexual activity
Learning new skills & intellectually developing
Encounter new developmental tasks
Erikson’s Theory of Psychosocial Development
Adulthood/Old Age
Stay married or divorce
Vigorous sex life or inactive
Still acquiring information & expanding vocabulary
Learn to cope w/ problems & deal w/ new situations
Levinson’s Theory of Male Development

7. Median Age of Marriage

8. Entering the Adult World Age 22-28 Age Thirty Crisis Age 28-33
Levinson's Theory of
Male Development
Entering the Adult World Age 22-28
Age Thirty Crisis Age 28-33
Any unsatisfactory or incomplete parts must be attended to now
Settling Down Age 33-40
Firm choices about career, relationships, family have been made

9. The Midlife Transition Age 40-45
Developing the middle adulthood life structure
Activities of generativity or stagnation
Middle Adulthood Age Late 40’s-60
Reach stability & balance
Can be frustrating & unhappy time for some

10. Female Development
Evidence generally doesn’t support a midlife crisis for most women today
“Empty Nest” syndrome can be much more difficult for widowed, divorced, or single mothers
Depression most common among middle-aged women
Women in their early years may derive worth from roles of daughter, lover, wife, mother, wage earner
When relationships change, some experience sense of loss or personal worthlessness

11. Warm up #2
Write as many thoughts, beliefs, and ideas that you have concerning the elderly.

12. Levinson’s Stages of Male Development
Let’s Role Play!
Levinson’s Stages of Male Development

13. Life Expectancy Rates

14. Fear of growing old one of the most common fears in society
Attitudes about aging usually based on a decremental model: physical & mental decline is inevitable with age
Result is a climate of prejudice against the elderly
Ageism feeds on myths not facts

15. Changes in Health
Good health in adolescence & adult life carries over into old age
4 most prevalent chronic diseases:
Heart disease
Hypertension (high blood pressure)
Diabetes
Arthritis
Major causes of death among the old:
Cancer
Strokes
Quality of health care for the elderly remains inferior
Many nursing homes have inadequate facilities

16. Changes in Life Situation
Most late adult transitions (widowhood, retirement) often viewed as negative & lead to reduced responsibilities & increased isolation
By age 65, 50% of women & 20% of men are widowed
By age 80, 70% of women & 33% of men are widowed
Symptoms of depression very common in older adults

17. Changes in Sexual Activity
Healthy partners enjoy sexual activity into their 70’s & 80’s
Best predictor of future behavior is past behavior
Social stigma about older people & sex (Ewwww! WRONG!!)

18. Adjusting to Old Age
Loss of control over the environment can cause the quality of life to suffer
Disability, illness, move to a nursing home or in with a child, loss of a spouse must be adjusted to
Growth of organizations such as AARP, who lobby on behalf of older Americans

19. Changes in Mental Functioning
Crystallized intelligence (use accumulated knowledge & learning) increases w/ age & experience
Fluid intelligence (solve abstract relational problems & generate new hypotheses) declines as nervous system declines

20. Small percentage develop senile dementia
Characterized by memory loss, forgetfulness, disorientation of time & place, decline in ability to think, impaired attention, altered personality, difficulties relating to others

21. Most common form of senile dementia is Alzheimer’s disease
Neurological disease marked by gradual deterioration of cognitive functioning
Signs include frequent forgetting, poor judgment, increased irritability & social withdrawal
Eventually lose ability to comprehend simple questions & recognize family, friends
4th leading cause of death in the elderly
No cure
video

22. Work on Ch. 5 section 1 & 2 vocab and section assessments

23. Death & Dying
Elisabeth Kubler-Ross: pioneer in establishing thanatology – the study of dying & death
Interviewed 200 terminally ill patients
Identified 5 stages of psychological adjustment to death (write a brief description of each):

24. Denial Anger Bargaining
“No, it can’t be happening to me” or “I feel fine”
Anger
“Why me?” or “It’s not fair”
Bargaining
“Just let me see my kids graduate” or “I’ll do anything for a few more years”

25. Depression Acceptance
“What’s the point?” or “I’m going to die, why bother?”
Acceptance
“It’s going to be okay” or “I can’t fight it”

26. Individuals are unique & not all patients go through all stages or in that order
Most people have trouble dealing w/ thoughts of their own death or the death of others
Most Americans die in nursing homes & hospitals
Hospices designed to care for the dying w/ dignity by making patients comfortable, pleasant & improving quality of life
In-home hospice care is increasing

27. Let's Write About Death!
Do you believe in some kind of afterlife? Why or why not? If yes, what’s it like?
Why are funerals important?
If you could know the exact time & cause of your death, would you want to know? Why or why not?
Write about your funeral.
What would you want it to include?
Which 3 people would you want to speak & what would you hope they say?
What do you want written on your gravestone?