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Chapter 16

Socioemotional Development in Late Adulthood

PowerPoints developed by Nicholas Greco IV, College of Lake County, Grayslake, IL

(c) 2012 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

Erikson’s Final Stage

Integrity versus despair -- reflecting on the past and either piecing together a positive view (integrity) or concluding that one’s life has not been well spent (despair)

Life review is an essential piece of this final stage

Life review -- looking back at one’s life experiences, evaluating them, interpreting and reinterpreting their significance

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Activity Theory Activity theory -- the more active and

involved that older adults are, the more likely they are to be satisfied with their lives

Successful aging is associated with being active, energetic, and productive

Good experience with aging relates to continuing early adult roles or finding substitutes that keep them active and involved

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Socioemotional Selectivity Theory

Socioemotional selectivity theory -- older adults become more selective about their social networks

Spend more time with familiar individuals with whom they have rewarding relationships

Challenges the stereotype that older adults are in emotional despair and isolation

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Selective Optimization with Compensation

Theory Selective optimization with compensation theory -- successful aging is linked with three main factors: selection, optimization, and compensationselection -- older adults have a reduced

capacity and loss of functioningoptimization -- it is possible to maintain

performance in some areas through practice and use of new technologies

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Selective Optimization with Compensation

Theorycompensation -- becomes relevant when life tasks require a level of capacity beyond the current circumstances

Effective when people pursue successful outcomes

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Stereotyping of Older Adults

Ageism -- prejudice against others because of their age

Increased numbers living longer and healthier serve to debunk the stereotypes

Policy Issues -- health care costs, caring for patients with chronic disease, eldercare

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Eldercare Eldercare -- physical and emotional

caretaking of older members of the family Traditionally done by middle-aged women

in the family With so many women in the workforce,

concern arises regarding who will be the caregivers

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Lifestyle Diversity

Lifestyles of older adults are changing Married older adults are happier and live

longer than those who are single There are social, financial, and physical

consequences of divorce for older adults Divorce weakens kinship ties Negative social sanctions for elders who

remarry

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Cohabitation

Increasing numbers Goals are primarily for companionship Not marrying allows for retention of

personal assets

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Older Adult Parents and Their Adult Children

Adult children are an important part of the social network

Gender plays an important role -- adult daughters are more likely to be involved than adult sons

Adult children coordinate and monitor services

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Friendship

People choose close friends over new friends as they grow older

Friends are associated with contentment Friends may be more important than

family in predicting mental health

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Social Convoy Model

Social convoy model -- individuals go through life embedded in a social network of individuals from whom they give and receive social support

Social support enhances coping skills Being lonely and socially isolated is a

significant health risk

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Altruism and Volunteerism

Older adults “give” more frequently than they “take”

Volunteering as an older adult is associated with a number of positive outcomes higher satisfactionless depression and anxiety

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Ethnicity Minority elderly are over-represented

among the poor Double jeopardy -- they face both ageism

and racism History of less education,

underemployment, poor housing conditions, shorter life expectancy than Whites

Strong coping mechanisms (e.g., church membership, family support for elders)

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Gender

Elders -- more pronounced in males than females -- become more androgynous

Double jeopardy for older women who face ageism and sexism

Poverty increased for elderly females Minority females face triple jeopardy --

ageism, sexism, and racism

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Culture

These factors predict status of older adults in a cultureHave valuable knowledgeControl key family/community resourcesPermitted to engage in useful functionsRole changes involve more responsibility and

authorityParticipation in extended familyRespect for older adults may be greater

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Successful Aging

Even with disease, improvements in medicine mean older adults can still lead active constructive lives

Being active is especially important Success involves perceived control of the

environment (self-efficacy)