Ch.15 Physical and Cognitive Development in Middle Adulthood
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Changing midlife
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-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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Middle adulthood
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40-45 years of age to about 60-65 years of age
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The Nature of Middle Adulthood
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-Declining physical skills and increasing responsibility -Awareness of the young-old polarity -Transmitting something meaningful to the next generation -Reaching and maintaining career satisfaction -Gains and losses and biological and sociocultural factors balance each other
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Late midlife (55 to 65) is likely to be characterized by
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-Death of a parent -Last child leaving the parental home -Becoming a grandparent -Preparation for and actual retirement
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Visible Physical changes
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-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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Physical changes in Height and weight
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-Individuals lose height and gain weight -Being overweight is a critical health problem in middle adulthood
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men and women height loss
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from age 50 men shrink about 1 inch, and may loose another in from about Age 50 to 70. Women may loose 2 inches from 25 to 75 years of age. body fat is about 20% of weight as compared in adolescents when body aft is about 10%
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39.5 % of adults ages 40-59 years old
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are considered obese, compared with 30.3 % of younger adults.
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Physical changes in Strength, joints, and bones
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-Cushions for bone movement become less efficient Leading to joint stiffness and more difficulty in movement -Progressive bone loss
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women loose bone mass
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twice as quickly as men do.
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Sarcopenia
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Age-related loss of muscle mass and strength
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Accommodation of the eye
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Ability to focus and maintain an image on the retina, experiences sharp declines between 40-59 years
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Physical changes in vision and hearing
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-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 in men
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at 60 years of age the retina
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only receives 1/3 the amount of light it did at age 20 mostly due to the decrease in the pupil size.
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at 40-59 years of age
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vision starts to decline
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hearing loss occurs for 50% of
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people 50 years of age and older
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Physical changes in the cardiovascular system
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-High blood pressure, high cholesterol, and cardiovascular disease -Exercise, weight control, and a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, and whole grains can often help
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too much ldl sticks to the walls of the blood vessels
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causing atherosclerosis (hardening if the arteries)
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resistant hypertension
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still a problem even though tough pt is taking 3 different BP meds. 15% have this
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Metabolic syndrome
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Hypertension, obesity, and insulin resistance
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Physical changes in lungs
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Lung tissue becomes less elastic at about age 55, decreasing the lung's capacity
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Physical changes in sleep
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-Wakeful periods become more frequent in the 40's -Sleep-disordered breathing and restless legs syndrome middle age adults who sleep six hours or sleep per night have increase risk of stroke.
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Chronic disorders
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-Slow onset and a long duration -Rare in early adulthood but increase in middle age
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number 1 chronic disease in middle age is
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arthritis then hypertension. women suffer more from arthritis than men, but men suffer more fatal diseases such as coronary heart disease and stroke and cancer
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Stress and disease
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-The immune system and stress -Stress and the cardiovascular system -Culture and health
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high levels of allostatic load (wearing down on the body system from stress)
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episodic memory and executive functioning we hampered.
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NK cells
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natural killer cells are wbc that fight bacteria and can lessen when one is under stress
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Control
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Peaks in midlife then declines in late adulthood
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Mortality rates
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Chronic diseases are the main cause of death during middle adulthood -Heart disease -Cancer
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Climacteric
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Midlife transition in which fertility declines
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Menopause average age is 51
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-Cessation of a woman's menstrual periods -During the late forties or early fifties -Hot flashes, nausea, fatigue, and rapid heartbeat production of estrogen by the ovaries declines
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Perimenopause
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Transitional period from normal menstrual periods to no menstrual periods at all, can last for 10 years
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Sexuality
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-Hormone replacement therapy (HRT)
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Hormonal changes in middle-aged men
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Decline in sexual hormone level and activity
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HRT
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hormone replacement therapy: augments the declining levels of the hormone produced by the ovaries
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male hypogonadism
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condition in middle adulthood in which the body doesnt produce enough testosterone
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Erectile dysfunction
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Inability to achieve and maintain an erection, effects 50% of men ages 40-70
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Sexual attitudes and behavior
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-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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Crystallized intelligence
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-Accumulated information and verbal skills -Continues to increase in middle adulthood
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Fluid intelligence
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-Ability to reason abstract -May begin to decline in middle adulthood
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The Seattle Longitudinal Study
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-Extensive evaluation of intellectual abilities during adulthood -Classified participants as: -Decliners, stable and gainers for: -Number ability, delayed recall , and word fluency
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seattle longitdinal study had peak performance for 4 of the 6 intellectual abilities in middle adulthood
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verbal ability, verbal memory, inductive reasoning, spatial orientation
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Speed of information processing
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-Reaction-time task -Causes for the decline in speed: Levels of analysis Cognitive Neuroanatomical Neurochemical
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Memory
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-Verbal memory declines during middle adulthood -Linked to changes in working memory and ineffective memory strategies
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Work in midlife
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-The role of work is central during middle age -In the U.S., about 80% of people aged 40-59 years of age are employed -A time of evaluation, assessment, and reflection about work
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Challenges
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-Globalization of work -Rapid developments in information technologies -Downsizing organizations -Early retirement -Pensions and health care
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Leisure
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-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
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Organized set of beliefs, practices, rituals, and symbols: Increases an individual's connection to a sacred or transcendent other
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Religiousness
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Degree to which an individual is affiliated with an organized religion: Participates in prescribed rituals and practices Feels a sense of connection with its beliefs Involved in a community of believers
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Spirituality
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Experiencing something beyond oneself in a transcendent manner: Living in a way that benefits others and society
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Meaning in life
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Emphasized each person's uniqueness and the finiteness of life
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According to Frankl, the three most distinct human qualities are:
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Spirituality Freedom Responsibility
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According to Roy Baumeister and Kathleen Vohs the four main needs are:
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Need for purpose Need for values Need for a sense of efficacy Need for self-worth
