Aging
Physical Development in Later Adulthood
• Variety of wear and tear on the body’s systems makes it less likely to be able to self- repair & regenerate.o Skin: loss of fat and collagen in underlying
tissue → wrinkleso Hair: decline in melanin production → graying
and thinningo Height: Bone loss in vertebrae → loss of
heighto vision, taste, motor speed, physical
strength
Biological Theories of Aging
• Cellular-Clock Theoryo Cells can divide approximately 100
times & then no longer able to reproduce
• Free-Radical Theoryo Unstable oxygen molecules cause
damage to DNA and other cellular structures
• Hormonal Stress Theoryo Aging lowers body’s ability to cope with
stress. Stress hormones stay around longer
Cognitive Development in Later Adulthood• Crystallized intelligence:
o Ability to use acquired knowledge, skills, and experience → increases with age
• Fluid intelligence:o Logical thinking and problem solving -
thinking about new information → decreases with age
• Processing speed: declines starting in middle adulthood
• Memory: declines in general...might take longer, but likely to be accurate
• Wisdom...INCREASES with age
Social Development in Later Adulthood• Generativity versus Stagnation
o Making a contribution to the next generation
o Usually satisfied by having children and being positively involved parenting them.
• Integrity versus Despairo Last years of life involve looking back
and evaluating one’s life...review and reminiscence!
o Strong sense of integrity = experiencing life as a meaningful and coherent whole → faces last years with sense of meaning and low fear of death.
Social Development in Later Adulthood• More selective about social relationships.
o Old view of old age: leads to loneliness and disengagement
o New view of old age: leads to enjoying life, hobbies and family
• Happiness & life satisfaction increases with age...peaking at age 65!
• Socioemotional Selectivity Theory: o awareness of limited time left → selective with social
relationships so the most important ones can be maximized.
• Embrace the moment - the present matters much more than the future or the past.
• The more active and involved → the more satisfied and healthy.