Faculté des sciences sociales | Faculty of Social Sciences

PSY 2114 – Lifespan

Final Exam
Dr. Mary-Theresa Howard
Fall, 2021

Please answer all of the following questions using the movies, text,
slides and notes. Please use sentence point form:

1. Compare Holland’s and Super’s theories of career development. (10 marks)

 According to Holland’s personality-type theory, people find work fulfilling when the
important features of a job or profession fit their personality

 Holland identified six prototypic personalities that are relevant to the world of work, and
they are: realistic, investigative, social, conventional, enterprising, and artistic.

 While super’s theory states that identity is a primary force in an adolescent’s choice of a
career. At about age 13 or 14, adolescents use their emerging identity as a source of ideas
about careers, a process called crystallization.

 During adulthood, people progress through three developmental tasks:

– Crystallization (Specification)
– Implementation (trying out jobs)
– Stabilization (making an occupational choice)
– Consolidation (advancing up the career ladder)
 The three adult developmental tasks overlap with four
developmental stages:
– Exploratory (age 15–24)
– Establishment (age 24–44)
 – Maintenance (age 45–64)
– Decline (age 65 and beyond)
 In the video what Career personality are you, it was stated that “one’s career choice is an
expression of one’s personality”.

2. Describe the milestones in becoming an adult. (10 marks)

 The most widely used criteria for deciding whether a person has reached adulthood are
role transitions, which involve assuming new responsibilities and duties
 Going to college: a marker of the transition to adulthood is going straight to college. A lot
of developmental change occurs in college occurs through social interaction. Full-time
college students tend to be the traditional age (under 25), but a large number are older.
For them, going to college isn’t the marker of adulthood. many returning adult students,
especially middle- aged women, express a sense of self-discovery they had not
experienced before. Going to college impacts students of all ages; for traditional-aged
students (ages 18 to 25), it helps foster the transition to adulthood.

 Behavioural changes: During young adulthood, there is a significant drop in the

frequency of risky behaviors such as driving at high speed, having sex without
contraception, engaging in extreme sports, and committing antisocial acts such as
vandalism.

 Establishing Intimacy: According to Erikson, the major task for young adults is dealing
with the psychosocial conflict of intimacy versus isolation. Erikson felt that once a
person's identity is formed, he or she is ready to build a shared identity with another
person. Young adults could be fearful of committing to a long-term relationship with
another person if they don't have a clear sense of identity or might become overly
dependent on the partner for his or her identity.

 Financial Independence: For many, the key indicator of becoming an adult is establishing
financial independence. Some find their niche by working at a series of part-time jobs,
finding full-time employment, learning a trade. Eventually, even college-bound students
face the need to establish themselves as financially independent. Regardless of when it
occurs, though, reaching financial independence is a major achievement and serves as a
marker of becoming an adult

 Research in Western cultures shows clearly that living on one’s own accelerates the
achievement of adulthood, whereas living with one’s parents can slow the process of
becoming an independent adult

 In the video do I drink too much “there is a gene in about 12 percent of white men for
potential alcoholism”
3. Describe in DETAIL Sternberg’s theory of love. (10 marks)
 Sternberg believed the development of romantic relationships is a complex process
influenced by relationships in childhood and adolescence that are played out in many
contexts, including social media

 Sternberg’s three components of love are passion, intimacy, and commitment

 Early in a romantic relationship, passion is usually high, whereas intimacy and

commitment tend to be low. This is infatuation: an intense, physically based relationship
in which the two people have a high risk of misunderstanding and jealousy.

 The longer a relationship lasts, the lower its intimacy and passion, but the greater its
commitment. As passion fades, either a relationship acquires emotional intimacy, or it is
likely to end.
 Couples are happier when each feels the same types of love to a similar degree
 Trust, honesty, openness, and acceptance must be a part of any strong relationship; when
they are present, roman- tic love develops.

 In the video love, lust, marriage: why we stay “we keep going for people who look like a
perfect fit”

4. Describe a successful marriage and what factors predict it. (10 marks).
 Success in marriage defined as subjective happiness and contentment, personal
fulfillment.

 The relative maturity of the two partners at the time they are married. In general, the
younger the partners are, the lower the odds that the marriage will last especially when
the people are in their teens or early twenties.

 Homogamy: the more a couple shares similar values and interest, the better because they
can both participate in activities together and there would be less clashing of beliefs.

 feeling that the relationship is equal. According to exchange theory, marriage is based on
each partner contributing something to the relationship that the other would be hard-
pressed to provide. Marriages that are satisfying and pleasant are those in which both
parties believe there is a fair exchange, or equality, in all aspects of the relationship.
  Couples that are honest and committed, they trust and consult each other, and they make
decisions jointly
 Couples for whom religion is important also point to commonly held faith.

 According to the video love, lust, marriage “People who report the greatest satisfaction in
life are couples”

5. Describe in detail the gender bias and discrimination that women face in the
workforce. (10 marks)
 Gender discrimination is denying someone a job based on their gender
 Women are being kept out of high-status jobs by the men at the top. Pay inequity is also a
problem; women are often paid less than what men earn in similar jobs.
 women are forced to work harder than men and neither differences in job characteristics
nor family obligations account for this difference; the results clearly point to stricter job
performance standards being applied to women.

 Glass ceiling: the promotional level above which women may not go and the greatest
barrier facing them is at the boundary between lower- tier and upper-tier grades

 Despite decades of attention to the issue, little overall progress is being made in the
number of women who lead major corporations or serve on their boards of directors

 Research shows that during times of crisis in organizations, women are more likely to be
put into leadership position. Consequently, women often confront a glass cliff, a situation
in which their leadership position is precarious.

 According to the video Hollands personality types “If you do what you love, you will
never work a day in your life”

6. Explain the phenomena of the “sandwich generation”. How does work relate to
stress? (10 marks)
 The sandwich generation are middle-aged adults who are caught between the competing
demands of two generations: their parents and their children

 stress results from a person’s appraisal of an event as taxing his or her resources. Daily
hassles are viewed as the primary source of stress. Although stress is unrelated to serious
psychopathology, it is related to social isolation and distrust.
  When middle-aged women assess how well they are dealing with the challenges of
midlife, their most pressing issues relate more to their adolescent children than to their
aging parents; for middle-aged men, it is the other way around

 Stress is highest for occupations involving little direct control over the job. a person
might feel under pressure if the demands of their job are greater than they can
comfortably manage.
 Lack of job security can increase stress because one is constantly anxious and
overworking themselves
 conflict with co-workers or bosses
 in the video Sandwich Generation, “Julie feels like she was in her prime time and she
gave that up to take care of her father”.

7. Describe the gender differences of the physical changes of midlife. (10 marks).
 As women enter midlife, they experience a major biological process called the
climacteric, during which they pass from their reproductive to nonreproductive years

 Menopause is the point at which menstruation stops. The major reproductive change in
women during adulthood is the loss of the ability to bear children. This change begins in
the forties as menstrual cycles become irregular, and by age 50 to 55, it is usually
complete

 The time of transition from regular menstruation to menopause is called perimenopause,

and how long it lasts varies considerably.

 The gradual loss and eventual end of monthly periods is accompanied by decreases in
estrogen and progesterone levels, changes in the reproductive organs, and changes in
sexual functioning.

 A variety of physical and psychological symptoms may accompany perimenopause and

menopause with decreases in hormonal levels: hot flashes, night sweats, headaches, sleep
problems, mood changes, more urinary infections, pain during sex, difficulty
concentrating, vaginal dryness, less interest in sex, and an increase in body fat around the
waist.
  men do not have a clear physiological event to mark reproductive changes, although there
is a gradual decline in testosterone levels that can occur to a greater extent in men who
are obese or have diabetes

 Men do not experience a complete loss of the ability to father children, as this varies
widely from individual to individual, but men do experience a normative decline in the
quantity of sperm

 With increasing age, the prostate gland enlarges, becomes stiffer, and may obstruct the
urinary tract. Prostate cancer becomes a real threat during middle age

 By old age, men report less perceived demand to ejaculate, a need for more time and
stimulation to achieve erection and orgasm, and a much longer resolution phase during
which erection is impossible

 older men also report more frequent failures to achieve orgasm and loss of erection
during intercourse.

 According to the video nature of things, “people no longer want a longer life span, they
want a longer health span”.

8. Describe mental health in late adulthood. (10 marks).

 Depression: the rate of depression declines from young adulthood to old age for healthy
people
 However, this down- ward age trend does not hold in all cultures

 Depression in later life is usually diagnosed based on two clusters of symptoms that must
be present for at least two weeks: feelings and physical changes.

 The feeling symptom cluster: dysphoria

 cluster of symptoms includes physical changes such as loss of appetite, insomnia, and
trouble breathing

 A third cluster of symptoms concerns memory problems, which are also a common long-
term feature of depression in older adults

 anxiety disorders involve excessive, irrational dread in everyday situations and include
problems such as feelings of severe anxiety for no apparent reason, phobias with regard to
 specific things or places, and obsessions or compulsions in which thoughts or actions are
performed repeatedly

 Common in older adults, partly due to loss of health, relocation of residence, isolation,
loss of independence and can often be successfully treated with relaxation therapy
and medications
 Alzheimer’s disease is a form of dementia
–Gradual declines in memory, learning, attention, and
judgment
– Confusion as to time and place
– Difficulty communicating
– Declines in personal hygiene and self-care
– Personality changes/inappropriate social behaviors
 Diagnosis of possible Alzheimer’s Disease is based on extensive neurological,
psychological, and medical testing to rule out other causes, and interviewing the family
for their accurate reports of behavioral symptoms
 Mostly caused by genetic mutations related to beta-amyloid protein production and the
genes can be inherited.
 Parkinson’s Disease: slow hand tremors, shaking, rigidity, walking problems; difficulties
getting in/out of a chair caused by deteriorating dopamine production in the midbrain.
 Cognitive impairments and eventually dementia develop in 30–50% of sufferers
 Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy: A form of dementia caused by repeated head trauma
such as concussions
– Can occur as the result of repeated brain trauma, not only in sports but also
through other causes such as military combat
– Emerging evidence shows that, irrespective of the cause, there is structural damage to
various parts of the brain that have to do with executive functions and memory
 According to the video nature of things: Aging Suzuki style “as we get older it is hard to
multitask”.

9. What are the social issues for older and frail-older adults? (10 marks)
 Prevalence of Frailty: The number of frail older adults is growing. Frailty is defined in
terms of impairment in activities of daily living and instrumental activities of daily
living). As many as half of those over age 85 may need assistance with ADLs or IADLs.
Supportive environments are useful in optimizing the balance between competence and
environmental press.
 Housing Options: Most older adults prefer to age in place; home modification offers one
option to achieve that. Assisted living facilities offer support for ADLs and IADLs while
 providing a significant degree of independence. Nursing homes provide 24/7 medical care
for those who need continual assistance. Newer alternatives include the Eden Alternative,
the Green House Project, and cohousing options that focus on providing greater support
for people to remain in the community.
 Elder abuse and Neglect: Abuse and neglect of older adults is an increasing problem.
However, abuse and neglect are difficult to define precisely. Several categories are used,
including physical abuse, sexual abuse, emotional or psychological abuse, financial or
material exploitation, abandonment, neglect, and self-neglect. Most perpetrators are
family members, usually partners or adult children of the victims. Research indicates that
abuse results from a complex interaction of characteristics of the caregiver and care
recipient.
 Social security and Medicare: Although initially designed as an income supplement,
Social Security has become the primary source of retirement income for most U.S.
citizens. The aging of the baby boom generation will place considerable stress on the
system’s financing.
 Medicare is the principal health insurance program for adults in the United States over
age 65. Cost containment is a major concern, and there are no easy answers for ensuring
the system’s future viability.
 According to the video nature of things: aging Suzuki style, “most hospitalizations in
seniors are due to falls”.

10. Name and describe “end-of-life” issues. (10 marks)

 End-of-life issues refers to discussing and formalizing management of life’s final phases,
after-death disposition of one’s body, and lawful distribution of assets. Baby boomers are
far more proactive and matter of fact about these issues.

 Creating a final Scenario: End-of-life issues include managing the final aspects of life,
after-death disposition of the body and memorial services, and asset distribution. Making
decisions on what people want and don't want constitutes making a final scenario
 The hospice option: a hospice is: a place that assists dying people with pain management
and a dignified death. The goal of hospice is to maintain the quality of life and to manage
the pain of terminally ill patients, the Goal is to make the person comfortable and
peaceful, but not to delay an inevitable death. Family members tend to stay involved in
the care of hospice clients.

 Making your end-of-life intentions known: A living will, a health care power of attorney,
or a Do-Not-Resuscitate Order are the most common ways to make end-of-life decisions.
These decisions should be discussed with family and health-care professionals. Patients
are required to be informed of their rights under the Patient Self-Determination Act.

 In the video palliative care: palliation of systems, Steve says that “Palliative care is not
end of life care. It is care to manage symptoms of serious illness”.