14 Middle Adulthood Physical and Cognitive Development Chapter

14 Middle Adulthood Physical and Cognitive Development Chapter 14 Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Middle Adulthood Physical and Cognitive Development • Development in Middle Adulthood • Physical Continuity and Change • Disease and Health • Cognitive Continuity and Change Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Development in Middle Adulthood • Middle adulthood is usually defined as the ages of 40 to 60 or 65. • People enter at different ages, depending on different cues: – social and family status – physical and biological status – psychological state – job or career path – economic and historical events Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Development in Middle Adulthood • Prime Time or the of the End? Beginning – Many realize that they are no longer young, but feel in the “prime of life” – They are the command generation, making policy decisions that affect us all – For some, middle age is a time of ambivalence Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Development in Middle Age • Midlife Crisis: Is It Real? • The crisis model of Daniel Levinson argues that men experience midlife crisis between the ages of 40 and 45. • The transition model maintains that crises are event-related, not age-related • Middle age is a time when people begin to take stock of their lives • Midlife crisis is the exception rather than the rule Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Physical Continuity and Change • The most obvious changes associated with middle years are physical • Physical abilities peak in early adulthood • Changes in capabilities include: – sensation – motor skills and reaction time – internal changes Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Physical Changes of Middle Adulthood Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Physical Changes • The Climacteric – Broad complex of physical and emotional symptoms that accompany reproductive changes in middle adulthood • In women, the most dramatic aspect is menopause. Menopause involves: – physical changes and symptoms – emotional effects Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Physical Changes—Climacteric • Menopause typically occurs between ages of 45 and 55 • Some women take hormone replacement therapy (HRT) to deal with symptoms • Male hormones decline gradually in middle age and some men experience decreased sexual desire • Men may suffer erectile dysfunction; drugs are available for treatment • Frequency of sexual activity declines, time for orgasm increases for men and women • Sexual partners place more emphasis on sensuality Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Video Clip Video on the usefulness and the risk factors related with bioidentical hormone treatments for menopause: http: //www. youtube. com/watch? v=Ity. GSbpe 0 Pk Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Disease and Health • As people age, they become more vulnerable to disease • Most deaths in middle age are from cancer and heart attacks • Women are generally more healthy than men • Education level is related to health quality • Longevity is related to good health habits • Poor habits—especially smoking and over eating —take their toll in middle age Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Causes of Death in Middle Adulthood, 2005 SOURCE: From the Statistical abstract of the United States: 2009, by the U. S. Census Bureau, 2009. Washington, DC: U. S. Government Printing Offices. Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Limitation of Activity Caused by Chronic Health Conditions, 2004 -2005 SOURCE: From National Health Interview Survey: 2007. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the National Center for Health Statistics. Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Age-adjusted Death Rates by Sex, 2005 SOURCE: From Health, United States, 2007, by the National Center for Health Statistics, 2009. Hyattsville, MD: Author. Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Death Rates From All Causes According to Educational Level, 2005 SOURCE: From Health, United States: 2007, by the National Center for Health Statistics, 2009. Hyattsville, MD: Author. Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Disease and Health • Smoking, Alcohol, and Obesity – Nearly 25% of adults smoke – Smoking is responsible for more than 25% of all deaths among people ages 35 to 64 – Alcohol consumption is the third-leading cause of preventable death in the U. S. – Today, 65% of U. S. adults are overweight or obese Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Disease and Health • Stress and Health – Stress is a normal part of life, but excessive stress plays a role in many diseases of middle adulthood – Extreme or prolonged stress weakens the immune system – Adults who live in poverty or who are members of disadvantaged minority groups have higher stress levels, poorer health and earlier death Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Stress Scale for Selected Life Events, 1967 and 2007 Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Disease and Health • Members of disadvantaged minority groups and those who live in poverty are more likely to have: – poor health habits – less access to health care – lower levels of educational attainment • All of these factors are linked to higher rates of chronic disease and early death Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Cognitive Continuity and Change • Cognitive function declines with age, though in middle adulthood it is not serious nor universal • Fluid vs. Crystallized Intelligence – Fluid – abilities involved in acquiring new knowledge and skills – Crystallized – cognitive pragmatics, accumulated knowledge – Over time, fluid intelligence generally decreases and crystallized intelligence generally increases Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Crystallized vs. Fluid Intelligence Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Cross-Sectional Comparison of Changes in Intellectual Abilities with Age Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Cognitive Continuity and Change • Experience and Expertise – If a person is intellectually active, both declarative and procedural knowledge increase and contribute to one’s expertise – There may be age-related declines in functioning, but expertise allows for compensation – As people gain experience, individuals continually restructure their knowledge system Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Video Clip Interview with AARP Workforce Issues Director discussing the changing nature of the nation’s older workforce: http: //www. youtube. com/watch? v=u. Dsx. NKxb. BOc Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Video Clip Describes a program that aims to attract and retain older workers at Scottsdale Healthcare: http: //www. youtube. com/watch? v=l. AD_y. F 4 SPe 0 Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Cognitive Continuity and Change • Today, adults have many more years to work than they did in 1900, when average life expectancy was 47. 3 years • Average life expectancy in 2000 was 77 years • Intellectual flexibility is important to employment success • Engaging in complex tasks seems to be a key in maintaining intellectual processes at their highest possible levels Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Summary • Middle adulthood constitutes a substantial portion of a person’s normal life span • People in middle age make up the command generation • Some adults experience a midlife crisis, but not all do • The most obvious changes during this period are physical ones. Physical abilities begin to decline around the age of 50 • Women experience menopause; men may face impotence, and the frequency of sexual activity declines Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Summary • Most death during this stage is from cancer and heart-attacks • Women are generally healthier than men • Poor health habits begin to take their toll here, with smoking, obesity, and excessive alcohol consumption being the three leading preventable causes of death • Some adults at this stage experience excessive stress due to life events • Cognitive functioning may decline, but age may bring with it expert knowledge Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Summary • The average life expectancy today is 77 years, increasing the time adults are on the job • Intellectual flexibility is becoming more important in this age of technology • Engaging in complex tasks will help adults maintain a high level of intellectual functioning Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.