Chapter 10: Physical, Cognitive, and

Socio-emotional Development in Middle

Adulthood

Physical Development

Defining Middle Adulthood

• Begins about 40-45 and extends

to about 60-65
• Balancing work and relationships
while dealing with physical and
psychological changes associated
with aging
– Some biological functioning
declines in middle adulthood
– Sociocultural supports such as
education, career, and
relationships may peak

Physical Changes

• Changes are mostly gradual

• Genes and lifestyle play
important roles in chronic – Difficulty viewing close objects
disease and when it will appear – Hearing may start to decline by
age 40
• Most visible signs involve
physical appearance – High blood pressure and high
cholesterol may appear
• Wrinkles, age spots, hair
thinner and grayer, nails may – Exercise, weight control and
have ridges diet rich in fruits, vegetables,
and whole grains can often help
• Often looking for ways slow down
with cardiovascular problems
the aging process
– Advances in drug medication
– May lose height (may be due to
factor in reducing deaths to
bone loss in vertebrae)
cardiovascular disease
– May gain weight (increasing
other health risks) Metabolic Syndrome
– Some age related loss of muscle
mass and strength (Sarcopenia or • A condition characterized by
age-related loss of muscle hypertension, obesity, and
tissue) insulin resistance
– Weight management and resistance • Often leads to onset of diabetes
training - best strategies to and cardiovascular disease
slow down the decline of muscles
– Women lose bone mass twice as Lungs
fast as men do
• Little change in Lung capacity
(exercise helps)
 • Research-Low cognitive ability Perimenopause
in early adulthood is linked to
reduced lung functioning in • Transitional period from
middle age menstrual periods to no
menstrual periods
• May cause depressed feelings,
headaches, moodiness, and
Sleep
palpitations
• Average US adult gets under 7 Menopause
hours of sleep
• 8 is needed for optimal ▪ Estrogen produced by ovaries
performance next day declines
• Habitual sleep deprivation is ▪ Producing 'hot flashes', nausea,
linked to morbidity, especially fatigue and rapid heartbeat
if they also have cardiovascular ▪ HRT-Hormone Replacement Therapy
disease – Augments the declining levels of
• Wakeful periods are more reproductive hormone production
frequent at night by ovaries
• Sleep-disordered breathing and – Usually helpful for other health
restless leg syndrome may conditions such as
increase cardiovascular disease, quality
• Sleep less than 6 hours is of life and lung cancer
associated with stroke symptoms
Hormonal Changes in Middle Aged
• Sleep deprivation associated
Men
with less effective immune
system • Decline in sexual hormone level
and activity
Stress and Disease
• But many still can father
• Cumulative effect of stress can children
take a toll • Testosterone production declines
• Physical and mental health slowly
• Immune systems and memory • TRT - Testosterone Replacement
function Therapy-may improve sexual
• Aerobic fitness was related to function, muscle strength and
presence of a lower level bone health, mood, memory
• Having a 'sense of control' Erectile Dysfunction (ED)
linked to delaying the onset of
diseases • Inability to adequately achieve
and maintain an erection to
Sexuality
attain satisfactory sexual
performance
• Climacteric-Term that is used to
describe the midlife transition • Affects approximately 50% of men
when fertility declines 40-70
• Menopause-cessation of woman's • Low testosterone level can
menstrual periods, usually contribute to ED
during the late forties or early • Smoking, diabetes, hypertension,
fifties cholesterol level, obesity, lack
 of exercise, also associated to Working memory-where one manipulates
ED information when making decisions,
• Viagra, Levitra, Cialis- solving problems, and comprehending
treatment for ED, but not written and spoken language
focused onTRT
– Viagra increases blood flow into • Capacity for working memory may
the penis be limited
– 60-85% success rate Declining memory may be caused by
information overload and ineffective
Sexual Attitudes and Behavior
memory strategies, such as
• Ability to function sexually organization and imagery
shows little decline
• Sexual activity occurs less
frequently ➢ Expertise- often shows up more
• Middle-aged men want sex, think in middle adulthood (because it
about it more, and masturbate takes longer to attain)
more often than women ➢ Practical Problem Solving- may
• Living with a spouse or partner improve
impacts frequency ➢ No significant changes in
• Health is a key factor everyday cognition, may be
helped with accumulated
knowledge as they grow older

Cognitive Development in Middle ➢ Middle age is a time of

Adulthood evaluation, assessment and
reflection of....

o What they are doing now...

Crystallized Intelligence And what they want to do in
the future
• Accumulated information and
verbal skills, which increase in o Thoughts of planning
middle adulthood retirement
Fluid intelligence ➢ Economic downturn and recession-
can cause premature retirement,
• The Ability to reason insufficient financial resources
abstractly, begins to decline
➢ Meaning in Life
Information Processing
o "Man's Search for Meaning",
• Perceptual speed and reaction Viktor Frankl
time, begins decline, but is not
dramatic o Says.... 3 most distinct
human qualities are
Memory decline is minimal, but does spirituality, freedom, and
occur in the latter part of middle age responsibility
Some slowdown in learning new ➢ In middle adulthood one begins
information to be faced with death more
 often, and faced with less time • Through generativity, adults
in their life promote and guide those who
follow by parenting, teaching,
Socio Development in Middle Adulthood leading, doing things to benefit
the community.
Socioemotional Development
in Middle Adulthood
How to Develop Generativity
Personality Theories and Stability and Close
Development in Middle Change Relationships • Biological Generativity
Adulthood

• Parental Generativity

• Work Generativity

Personality Theories and • Cultural Generativity

Development in Middle
Adulthood
Generativity and Identity

Adult Stage Life-Events Contexts • One study showed that middle-

Theories Approach aged adults especially were
concerned about generativity and
guiding younger adults.

• Another showed that having a

Adult Stage Theories positive identity was linked
with generativity in middle age.
• Generativity Versus Stagnation
• A modification of Erikson’s
• Seasons of a Man’s Life
theory proposed that his three
• How Pervasive Are Midlife adult stages—intimacy,
Crises? generativity, and integrity—are
best viewed as developmental
• Individual Variations phases within identity.

• Thus identity remains the

central core of the self’s
Generativity vs. Stagnation development across all of the
adult years.
• Erikson believes generativity
encompasses adults’ desire to The Four Major Conflicts
leave a legacy to the next
generation. • Levinson claimed that middle
adulthood is the time for men to
• Through generativity, adults come to grips with four
achieve a kind of immortality by conflicts that have existed
leaving their legacy. since adolescence:
• Stagnation or self-absorption – Being young versus being
develops when individuals sense old
that they have done nothing for
the next generation.
 – Being destructive
being constructive
– Being masculine versus
being feminine
– Being attached to others
versus
separated from them
How Pervasive Are Midlife Crises?
• Levinson views midlife as a
crisis—a time when the adult is
suspended between the past and
the future, trying to cope with
this gap that threatens life’s
continuity.
• A recent study has indicated
that the idea of midlife crises
have been exaggerated.
• Many studies have shown that
middle-aged adults have
greater sense of control in
their work, greater sense of
environmental mastery, more
autonomy, more power, and
greater financial security.
Stability and Change
• Humans are adaptive beings.
• We are resilient throughout our
adult lives.
• We do not develop entirely new
personalities.
• Amid change is some underlying
coherence and stability.
• Some people change more
others.
versus Chapter 11: Physical, Cognitive, and
Socioemotional Development in Late
Adulthood
Physical Development in Late Adulthood
Longevity
being Life Expectancy and Life Span
Life Span: the maximum number of years
an individual can live; has remained
between 120–125 years
Life Expectancy: the number of years
that the average person born in a
particular year will probably live
Has increased an average of 30 years
since 1900
Average life expectancy today is 77.6
years
Differences in Life Expectancy
a Japan has highest life expectancy (82
years)
Differences in life expectancy across
countries are due to factors such as
health conditions and medical care
Ethnic Differences
Life expectancy for African Americans
is 7 years lower than that of non-
Latino Whites
Female life expectancy 80.7 years,
males 75.4 years
Centenarians
than
Increasing by approximately 7% each
year
Explanations:
Diet
Low-stress lifestyle
Caring community Neurogenesis: the generation of new
brain cells
Activity
Dendritic growth can occur in human
Spirituality adults
The Young-Old, the Old-Old, and the Older brains rewire to compensate for
Oldest-Old losses
Some developmentalists divide late Hemispheric lateralization can
adulthood: decrease; may improve cognitive
functioning
Young-old are aged 65 to 74
Physical Appearance and Movement
Old-old are aged 75 or more
Wrinkles and age spots are the most
Oldest-old are aged 85 or more
noticeable changes
- Important to consider functional
People get shorter with aging due to
age, the person’s actual ability to
bone loss in their vertebrae
function, rather than age
Weight typically drops after we reach
The Course of Physical Development in
age 60; likely because we lose muscle
Late Adulthood
Adequate mobility is an important
The Aging Brain
aspect of maintaining an independent
The Shrinking, Slowing Brain and active lifestyle in late adulthood

On average, the brain loses 5% to 10%

of its weight between the ages of 20
and 90 years; brain volume also
decreases

May result from a decrease in

dendrites, damage to myelin sheath, or
the death of brain cells

A general slowing of function in the

brain and spinal cord begins in middle
adulthood and accelerates in late
adulthood affecting physical
coordination and intellectual
performance

Aging has been linked to a reduction

in the production of certain
neurotransmitters

The Adapting Brain

As the brain ages, it adapts in

Sensory Development
several ways:
Vision
Decline in vision becomes more Sexuality
pronounced
Orgasm becomes less frequent in males
Adaptation to dark and driving at with age
night becomes especially difficult
Many older adults are sexually active
Color vision and depth perception also as long as they are healthy
decline
Various therapies have been effective
Diseases of the Eye for older adults who report sexual
difficulties
Cataracts: a thickening of the lens of
the eye that causes vision to become
cloudy, opaque, and distorted

Glaucoma: damage to the optic nerve

because of the pressure created by a
buildup of fluid in the eye

Macular Degeneration: deterioration of

the macula of the retina, which
corresponds to the focal center of the
visual field

Hearing:
Hearing impairments are typical in
late adulthood

Hearing aids and cochlear implants can

minimize the problems linked to
hearing loss

Smell and Taste: Health Problems

Smell and taste losses typically begin
about age 60 Probability of having some disease or
illness increases with age
Touch and Pain:
Slight decline in touch sensitivity Arthritis is the most common followed
and sensitivity to pain with age by hypertension

The Circulatory System and Lungs

Cardiovascular disorders increase in

late adulthood

High blood pressure can be linked with

illness, obesity, anxiety, stiffening
of blood vessels, or lack of exercise
and should be treated

Lung capacity drops 40% between the

ages of 20 and 80, even without
disease, but can be improved with
diaphragm-strengthening exercises
Causes of Death in Older Adults

Nearly 60% of 65–74-year-olds die of Speed of Processing:

cancer or cerebrovascular disease; for
75–84 and 85+ age groups, Often due to a decline in brain and
cardiovascular disease is still the CNS functioning
leading cause of death
Attention:
Ethnicity is also linked with death
Selective attention
rates of older adults
Older adults are generally less adept
Cognitive Development in Late
at this
Adulthood
Divided Attention
Multidimensionality and
Multidirectional Sustained Attention

Cognitive mechanics and Cognitive Memory:

Pragmatics: the “hardware” of the mind Memory changes during aging, but not
and the neurophysiological all memory changes in the same way
architecture of the brain

Tends to decline with age

Episodic memory: younger adults have
Cognitive pragmatics: culture-based better episodic memory
“software” programs of the mind
Reading, writing, and educational Semantic memory: does not decline as
qualifications drastically as episodic memory

Professional skills and language Exception: tip-of-the-tongue

comprehension phenomenon

Knowledge of self and life skills Decision Making: preserved rather well
in older adults
May improve with age

Wisdom: expert knowledge about the

practical aspects of life that permits
excellent judgment about important
matters

High levels of wisdom are rare

Late adolescence to early adulthood is

the main age window for wisdom to
emerge

Factors other than age are critical

for wisdom to develop to a high level

Personality-related factors are better

predictors of wisdom than cognitive
factors
 Dementia, Alzheimer Disease, and Other
Afflictions

Dementia: any neurological disorder in

which the primary symptoms involve a
deterioration of mental functioning

20% of individuals over the age of 80

have dementia

Alzheimer Disease: a common form of

dementia that is characterized by a
Adjustment to Retirement
gradual deterioration of memory,
Older adults who adjust best to reasoning, language, and eventually,
retirement are: physical function

Healthy Divided into early-onset (younger than

65) or late-onset (later than 65)
Active and have an adequate income
Alzheimer involves a deficiency in the
Are better educated brain messenger chemical acetylcholine
Have extended social networks and Deterioration of the brain
family
Formation of amyloid plaques and
Were satisfied with their lives before neurofibrillary tangles
retiring
Apolipoprotein E could play a role in
Flexibility and planning are key as many as 1/3 of the cases of
factors in whether individuals adjust Alzheimer Disease
well to retirement

Depression

Major depression: mood disorder in

which the individual is deeply
unhappy, demoralized, self-derogatory,
and bored

Less common among older adults than

younger adults

Common predictors:

Earlier depressive symptoms

Poor health or disability

Loss events

Low social support

25% of individuals who commit suicide

in the U.S. are 65 years of age or
older
 Resolving regrets following the death
of a loved one

Reminiscence therapy - Discussing past

activities and experiences with
another individual or group

Figure 19.1 - Erikson’s View of how

Positive Resolution of the Eight
Stages of the Human Life Span can
Culminate in Wisdom and Integrity
in Old Age

Religion

Older adults are spiritual leaders in

many societies around the world

Older adults who derived a sense of

meaning in life from religion had
higher levels of life satisfaction,
Figure 19.4 - Degree of Personal Life
self-esteem, and optimism
Investment at Different Points in Life
Religion can provide some important
psychological needs in older adults

Socioemotional Development in Late

Adulthood

Theories of Socioemotional development

Erikson’s theory:
Personality, The Self, and Society
Integrity vs. despair: Involves
reflecting on the past and either Older adults in society
piecing together a positive review or
concluding that one’s life has not Stereotyping older adults
been well spent Ageism – Prejudice/discrimination
against others because of their age
Life review - Looking back at one’s
life experiences, evaluating them, and Policy Issues in an aging society
interpreting/reinterpreting them
Status of the economy
Regrets:
Health care
Education, careers, marriages,
finance/money, family conflict and Eldercare
children’s problems, loss and grief,
and health Generational inequity

Making downward social comparisons Income

Living arrangements
Technology Kinship/Support

Seven factors are likely to predict

high status for older adults in a
Older Adult Parents and Their Children culture:
About 80% of older adults have living Have valuable knowledge
children, many of whom are middle-aged
Control key family/community resources
Adult daughters are more likely to be
involved in the lives of aging parents Engage in useful/valued functions as
long as possible
Adult children often coordinate and
monitor services for aging disabled Role continuity throughout the life
parents span

Friendship Age-related role changes that give

greater responsibility, authority, and
In late adulthood, new friendships are advisory capacity
less likely to be forged and close
friends are chosen over new friends Extended family

Friendships are more important than Respect for older adults

family in predicting mental health
Successful Aging
Individuals with close ties to friends
were less likely to die across a Many abilities can be maintained
seven-year age span and/or improved in older adults due
to:
Altruism and Volunteerism
Proper diet
Older adults who had persistently low
or declining feelings of usefulness to Active lifestyle
others had an increased risk of
Mental stimulation and flexibility
earlier death
Positive coping skills
Volunteering is associated with a
number of positive outcomes Good social relationships and support

Constructive activities Absence of disease

Productive roles

Social integration

Enhanced meaningfulness

Culture

Three factors are important in living

the “good life” as an older adult:

Health

Security