LIFESPAN PSYCHOLOGY-B4

UNIT - 2
COGNITIVE CHANGES (EARLY ADULTHOOD, MIDDLE AGE, OLD AGE)

EARLY ADULTHOOD
● Realistic and pragmatic thinking: Young adults become more realistic and
pragmatic in their thinking. They are able to see all sides of an issue and make
decisions based on what is practical and possible.
● Reflective and relativistic thinking: Young adults develop the ability to think more
reflectively and relativistically. They understand that there are multiple
perspectives on any issue and that truth is often relative.
● Post-formal thought: Young adults may also develop post-formal thought, which
is a type of thinking that goes beyond Piaget's formal operational stage.
Post-formal thought involves understanding that the search for truth is often an
ongoing process and that solutions to problems need to be realistic and take into
account subjective factors.

These cognitive changes allow young adults to make more informed decisions and to
navigate the challenges of early adulthood more effectively.

Here are some examples of how these cognitive changes might manifest in the real
world:

● A young adult who is considering a career change might weigh the pros and cons
of different options more carefully, taking into account their own interests, skills,
and values, as well as the financial and other practical considerations.

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 ● A young adult who is in a relationship might be more willing to discuss their
differences with their partner and to compromise, rather than simply insisting that
their own way is the right way.
● A young adult who is facing a difficult decision, such as whether or not to have
children, might be more open to considering different perspectives and weighing
all of the options before making a decision.

Overall, the cognitive changes that occur in early adulthood help young adults to
become more thoughtful, reflective, and adaptable individuals.

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MIDDLE ADULTHOOD :

● Fluid intelligence: Declines slightly with age, but remains relatively strong.
● Crystallized intelligence: Increases throughout middle adulthood.
● Expertise: Increases in middle adulthood, as people accumulate more knowledge
and experience in their chosen fields.
● Creativity: Peaks in middle adulthood for some kinds of creativity, such as writing.
● Practical intelligence: Remains relatively stable throughout middle adulthood.

Information processing and memory:

● Speed of information processing: Declines slightly with age.

● Reaction time: Declines slightly with age.
● Memory: Declines slightly with age, but the use of effective memory strategies
can help to mitigate this decline.

Religion, health, coping, and meaning in life:

● Religion and spirituality: An important dimension of life for many people in middle
adulthood.
● Health: Generally good, but there are some health concerns that become more
common in middle adulthood, such as cardiovascular disease, cancer, and
menopause.
● Coping: Middle-aged adults often use a variety of coping mechanisms to deal
with stress and challenges.
● Meaning in life: Many middle-aged adults increasingly examine the meaning of
life.

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Overall, cognitive changes in middle adulthood are relatively minor. Fluid intelligence
declines slightly, but crystallized intelligence increases, and expertise and creativity can
peak in this stage of life. Information processing and memory also decline slightly, but
the use of effective strategies can help to mitigate this decline. Religion, health, coping,
and meaning in life are all important dimensions of life for many people in middle
adulthood.

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OLD AGE :

● Memory: Declines in late adulthood, particularly in free recall memory.

● Language processing: Slows down, with more pauses, hesitations, and word
repetitions.
● Problem solving: Declines in some areas, but people are better at solving
problems they think are under their control.
● Wisdom: Increases with age, as people gain more experience and insight into the
human condition.

Overall, cognitive changes in late adulthood are complex and vary from person to
person. Some people experience significant declines in cognitive function, while others
maintain their cognitive abilities well into old age. There are a number of factors that can
influence cognitive decline in late adulthood, including genetics, health, lifestyle, and
environment.

Cognitive interventions:

● Lifelong learning: Continuing education programs can help to maintain and

improve cognitive function in older adults.

Retirement:

● Happiness: People are happier in retirement if they are not forced to retire before
they are ready and if they have enough income to maintain an adequate living
standard.

Widowhood:

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 ● Stressful: Widowhood can be particularly stressful if the death of the spouse
occurs early in life. Close support of friends and family can be very helpful.

Death and dying:

● Five stages of grief: Elisabeth Kübler-Ross suggested that terminally ill patients
display the following five basic reactions to death and dying: denial, anger,
bargaining, depression, and acceptance.

Hospice care: Hospice care can help to maintain a good quality of life for patients and
families during the final days of life.

Support groups: Support groups and counseling can help people to successfully work
through the grieving process after the death of a loved one.