Chapter 15 Physical and Cognitive Development in Middle

Chapter 15 Physical and Cognitive Development in Middle Adulthood 1

I. Physical Development 2

Physical Transitions Middle adulthood is the first time most people begin to become aware of the changes that their bodies are going through as a result of aging and lifestyle choices (diet, exercise, smoking, alcohol or drug use). n In most Western societies that place a high value on youthfulness, this aging process can have a psychological impact on middle-aged adults—particularly those whose self-concept depends highly on physical attractiveness. n There is a double standard in many cultures that value the mature look of a middle-aged man but view middle-aged women in unflattering terms. n 3

Height, Weight and Strength Around age 55, there is a steady loss of height—women lose about 2 inches and men about 1 inch. n Women are more prone to a loss of height due to their higher risk for osteoporosis. n 4

Height, Weight and Strength Both women and men continue to gain weight and increase their levels of body fat during middle adulthood. n People lose on average 10 percent of their maximum strength; lifestyle can influence changes in height (by working to prevent osteoporosis), weight, and strength. n 5

The Senses: Vision Visual acuity begins to decline around age 40; a loss of near vision—presbyopia 老花眼 : loss of the ability to hear sounds of high frequency--is almost universal during this Period. n Declines tend to occur in depth perception, distance perception, and the ability to see in three dimensions; adaptation to darkness also declines. n 1 to 2 percent of the population is afflicted with glaucoma 青光眼 which can lead to blindness if untreated. n 6

The Senses: Hearing acuity begins to decline in middle Adulthood. n Some hearing loss is due to environmental influences but most is due to aging as a result of loss of hair cells in the inner ear, reducing sound sensitivity. n Presbycusis, loss of sounds of high frequency, is the most common loss. n Loss in hearing is more common in men than in women. n Most people in this age period are not affected by the loss of hearing they experience (if any) during this period. n 7

Reaction Time Reaction time increases a small amount during middle adulthood as a result of small changes in the speed of processing in the nervous system. n Practice with certain skills impacts reaction time. n 8

Sexuality in Middle Adulthood Approximately half of people in their middle adulthood report having sexual intercourse once a week or more. n Age does impact sexual intercourse—some middle-aged adults feel that their lives are more flexible allowing more freedom and time to enjoy intercourse. If the female has passed through menopause, birth control is no longer necessary. n 9

Sexuality Challenges that come with aging include: – men needing more time to achieve an erection and women needing more time to reach orgasm, – in men, levels of testosterone decline as does that amount of fluid ejaculated, – in women, the walls of the vagina become thinner and less elastic and the vagina shrinks and is compressed making intercourse painful for some. 10

The Female Climacteric and Menopause is the most notable sign that females have entered the climacteric period: the period that n marks the transition from being able to bear children to being unable to do so. Menopause marks the period at which traditional pregnancy is no longer possible and during which the production of the female sex hormones decreases. n Changes in levels of female sex hormones can produce hormonerelated changes such as hot flashes; the degree to which women experience these changes varies. n 11

Psychological Consequences of Menopause was once thought to have a negative psychological impact on women. n Today, menopause is thought to be a natural part of aging that does not solely contribute to psychological difficulties. n One’s expectations about menopause and one’s culture and race all impact the nature and extent of the experience of menopause. n 12

The Male Climacteric The male climacteric period is a period of physical and psychological change relating to the male reproductive system. n The changes related to the period are so gradual, it is difficult to pinpoint a time at which the period begins. n There are progressive declines in amount of testosterone produced and the prostate gland does begin to enlarge. n As with women, the extent to which psychological changes are directly related to climacteric changes is unclear. n 13

II. Health 14

Wellness and Illness Generally, middle adulthood is defined by good health and, in some ways, middle adulthood is a healthier period than other times of life. n People in middle adulthood are susceptible to n chronic diseases such as diabetes, arthritis 關節炎 and hypertension高血壓. As a result of higher susceptibility to chronic disease, the death rate is higher than in earlier periods of life. n Some of the causes of poor health during middle adulthood are related to racial differences in SES. n Middle-aged women are more susceptible than men to minor short-term illness and chronic, but not life-threatening deseases. n 15

Stress in Middle Adulthood Stress has direct physiological effects such as causing an elevated blood pressure and decreased immune functioning. n Stress leads people to engage in harmful behaviors such as decreased levels of sleep and increased drug use. n Stress leads to indirect health-related behaviors such as increased delays in seeking medical care. n 16

Risk Factors for Heart Disease Men are more likely than women to die from heart disease in middle adulthood. n There is a genetic component to heart disease, men suffer more than women and the risk rises as people age. n Lifestyle choices like smoking and high fat diets are linked to heart disease. n Psychological factors are associated with heart disease. n 17

Type A and Type B personalities The Type A personality is characterized by competitiveness, impatience, and a tendency toward frustration and hostility. n Type A people are driven and accomplish more than others as they often take on multiple activities at once. n Type A people are at a higher risk for coronary heart disease due to their heightened levels of hostility and anger. n Type B personality is characterized by noncompetitiveness, patience, and lack of aggression, they are less urgent in their actions and rarely hostile. n 18

The Threat of Cancer n Cancer is a big threat to middle-aged adults. n Cancer is associated with genetic and environmental risk factors such as smoking, exposure to radiation and alcohol use. n There are several forms of treatment for cancer and the appropriate treatment depends upon the type of cancer: radiation, chemotherapy and surgery are all forms of treatment. n The form of treatment used tends to depend on how far along the cancer has developed. 19

How to Prevent Cancer n Mammograms are one of the most effective ways of detecting breast cancer in its earliest stages. n A positive attitude, an optimistic personality, having a support group, and therapy may all support one in recovering from cancer. n These positive influences may lead some to adhere to medical treatment and/ or may boost one’s immune system. 20

III. Cognitive Development 21

Crystallized and Fluid Intelligence When intelligence is conceived of consisting of fluid and crystallized intelligence, researchers find that whereas fluid intelligence tends to decline with age, crystallized intelligence tends to be stable and in some cases improve. 22

Competence in Middle Adulthood Competence in middle-aged people may come from having extensive practice with the skills with which they are working. n Some middle-aged adults begin the process of selective optimization : the process by which people concentrate on particular skill areas to compensate for losses in other area. n wherein they concentrate on capabilities to compensate for weaknesses. n 23

Example: A 75 year old man has been working on cars since he was a teenager. This is something that he loves to do. However, his bones don't work like they used to, so its hard for him to do certain tasks. So, he decides to work on his car one day a week instead of two days a week. He is selective, in terms of the amount of days he works. By doing this, it optimizes his energies so that he can perform more effectively. Finally he uses techniques to compensate for his frailty, such as using a power tool instead of a hand tool n 24

Memory There are minimal to no losses in memory during the middle-aged period. n There are virtually no changes in sensory or short-term memory during middle adulthood. n The long-term memory deficits are usually due to insufficient registration and storage of information and/or insufficient retrieval of information. n There are strategies that can help us to remember more effectively. n 25