Aging 1 4 16 2009 Did you know z Vast majority of people in middle age Face no chronic health difficulties Fewer accidents and infections 4 16 2009 2 4 16 2009 3 Table 7 1 continued 4 16 2009 4 Gender Differences z During middle age women experience more non life threatening illnesses than men but men experience more serious illnesses Women smoke less drink less alcohol have less dangerous jobs z Medical research has typically studied diseases of men with all male samples the medical community is only now beginning to study women s health issues 5 4 16 2009 Stress in Middle Adulthood z According to psychoneuroimmunologists who study the relationship between the brain the immune system and psychological factors stress has THREE specific consequences for health Direct physiological outcomes e g increased blood pressure and hormonal activity Harmful behaviors Indirect health related behaviors 4 16 2009 6 What are the consequences of stress in middle adulthood 7 4 16 2009 Coronary Heart Disease z More men die in middle age of diseases of the heart and circulatory system than any other cause Both genetic and experiential characteristics are involved z z z Cigarette smoking High fat and cholesterol in diet Lack of physical exercise Heart disease runs in families Men are more likely to suffer than women and risks increase with age 4 16 2009 8 TYPE A BEHAVIOR PATTERN z Characterized by Competitiveness impatience and a tendency toward frustration and hostility are more susceptible to heart disease z Evidence is only correlational so cannot say Type A behavior causes heart disease 9 4 16 2009 TYPE B BEHAVIOR PATTERN z Characterized by Non competitiveness patience and a lack of aggression z 4 16 2009 Evidence that Type B people have less than half the risk of coronary disease that Type A people have 10 The Threat of Cancer z Cancer is associated with genetic and environmental risks Poor nutrition smoking alcohol use exposure to sunlight exposure to radiation and particular occupational hazards z Early treatment is related to higher survival rate 11 4 16 2009 Cancer Treatment z Takes a variety of forms Radiation therapy involves the use of radiation to destroy a tumor Chemotherapy involves the controlled ingestion of toxic substances meant to poison the tumor z Surgery may be used to remove the tumor z Early diagnosis is crucial 4 16 2009 12 Breast Cancer z Mammography a weak X ray is used to detect breast cancer z Death rate lower for those who had a fighting spirit or those who denied they had the disease z A positive psychological outlook may boost the body s immune system 13 4 16 2009 Chapter 7 Middle Adulthood Module 7 2 Cognitive Development in Middle Adulthood 4 16 2009 14 15 4 16 2009 In middle adulthood z What happens to a person s intelligence in middle adulthood 4 16 2009 16 In middle adulthood z How does aging affect memory and how can memory be improved 17 4 16 2009 Does intelligence decline in middle adulthood z Cross sectional studies clearly showed that older subjects scored less well than younger subjects on traditional IQ tests Intelligence peaks at 18 stays steady until mid 20s and declines till end of life z Longitudinal studies revealed different developmental patterns in intelligence Stable and even increasing IQ scores until mid 30s and some to mid 50s then declined 4 16 2009 18 Difficulties in Answering the Question z Older research Cross sectional studies Cohort effect z Newer research Longitudinal studies Practice effect and participant attrition 19 4 16 2009 Testing Effects z z z Practice effect Attrition Physical performance portion Timed Reaction time slows with age Results may be due to physical changes not cognitive changes 4 16 2009 20 Kinds of Intelligence z FLUID INTELLIGENCE is the ability to deal with new problems and situations Fluid intelligence is inductive reasoning spatial orientation perceptual speed and verbal memory Fluid intelligence does decline with age z CRYSTALLIZED INTELLIGENCE is the store of information skills and strategies that people have acquired through education and prior experiences and through their previous use of fluid intelligence Crystallized intelligence includes numerical and verbal abilities such as solving a crossword puzzle or a mathematical problem 4 16 2009 21 Relationship Between Fluid and Crystal Intelligence 4 16 2009 22 Crystallized intelligence holds steady or increases with age z Even though scores on IQ tests decline with age middle aged people show no decline in general cognitive competence z Traditional tests may not tap into practical intelligence 23 4 16 2009 Continuing Competence versus Growing Decline Salthouse suggests four reasons why this discrepancy exists 1 2 3 4 4 16 2009 Typical measures of cognitive skills tap a different type of cognition than what is required to be successful in particular occupations Measures of practical intelligence rather than traditional IQ tests to assess intelligence may yield little discrepancy People can be quite successful professionally and still be on the decline in certain kinds of cognitive abilities Older people may be successful because they have developed specific kinds of expertise and particular competencies 24 Highly Successful Middle Age People Older successful people may have developed expertise in their particular occupational area 25 4 16 2009 The Development of Expertise Separating Experts from Novices z EXPERTISE the acquisition of skill or knowledge in a particular area develops as people devote attention and practice Expert rely on experience and intuition process information automatically use different neural pathways to solve problems Novice strictly follow formal rules and procedures use better strategies and better problem solving 4 16 2009 26 Memory You Must Remember This z According to research on memory changes in adulthood Most people show only minimal losses Many exhibit no memory loss in middle adulthood z Memory is viewed in terms of three sequential components Sensory memory Short term memory holds information for 15 to 25 seconds Long term memory 27 4 16 2009 Schemas in Middle Adulthood z Schemas organized bodies of information stored in memory Help people represent the way the world is organized Aid in categorization and interpretation of new information Convey cultural information 4 16 2009 28 Becoming an Informed Consumer of Development Effective Strategies for Remembering z z z z z Get organized Pay attention Use encoding specificity
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