Adolescence and Aging

7/28/2019 Adolescence and Aging

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Adolescence and Aging

Eriksonian Stages

-8 stages, looks at whole life span

-Stage 1: (age 1) trust vs mistrust

-Stage 2: (age 2-3) autonomy versus shame and doubt

-Stage 3: (age 4-6) development of independence

-Stage 4: (age 6 12) has a need to learn new skills to overcome inferiority, lack of self-worth

-Stage 5: (age 12-13) starts to question topics like religion

-Stage 6: (age 19-40) have thoughts of intimacy

-Stage 7: (age 40-65) generativity, having children, stagnation

-Stage 8: (age 65+) reflecting and accepting own life, sense of fulfillment

Levinsons Stages

-stage 1: childhood and adolescence

-stage 2: early adulthood (20 early 40s)

-stage 3: middle adulthood (40s- early 60s)

-stage 4: late adulthood (60s- 80s)

Formal Operations (ability to apply abstract ideas; logic)

-hypothetical reasoning

-learn how to tackle problems from different perspectives (angles)

-becomes introspective; think about the impact you have on other people

-manipulate two or more values at the same time (in preoperational, children typically can only

manipulate one value at a time)

-can hypothesize logical consequences; develop cognitive skills

-detect logical inconsistencies


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Characteristics of Formal Operational Thought

-abstract, idealistic, logical

Moral Dilemma

Demonstration

Moral violations

Joe: sexual blackmail

Tarzan: ungrateful, inconsiderate (failure to send notice indicating that he was better)

Jane: cheating (betrayal), gossip, BUT: didnt say yes right away and motivation was to save a life (good

cause) or not

Point of demonstration: diverse perspectives on moral issues

Kohlbergs stages

-preconventional level : (age 7)

-conventional level:

-postconventional level: develop their own ethical principles

Comparison of stages between Piaget and Kohlberg (look at slides)

Adolescence

-~11-19 years old

-personal identity, emancipation from family (separating psychologically from family)

Puberty

-physiological phenomenon

-stage of adolescence


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-true puberty: reproduction possible

Early Adolescence

-rebellion

-maturity vs babyish

-absorption with close friend same age and sex

-moodiness

-sloppiness

Puberty-Early Adolescence

-establish independence self, characterized by rapid growth, body-conscious, skin problems, confused

by changes

-constantly hungry

-sleep schedule changes

Middle Adolescence

-experimental, risk-taking

-Firsts (12-16)

-omnipotence, invulnerability: you feel like nothing bad can happen to you

-preoccupied with sex

-striving for autonomy (want to do things that parents dont want you to do)

-Teenage-parental conflicts

Late Adolescence

-establish ego identity

-growth subsidies, settles

-sleep and eating changes (approaches more to an adult level)

-Same-sex intimacy fades


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-seeks acceptance (society, parents)

Influences on Vocational Choice

-family values

-socio economic status (SES): well generally choose a vocation to meet the economic stratum

-need for prestige

-level of motivation

-indecision

Ageism

-Pat moore: reporter who investigated ageism (pretended to be an 85 year old)

-discrimination against a person based on his or her apparent age

-stereotypes: TV, advertising (never see a successful elder)

-workers older than 65 (increase of perceived age discrimination from 1977 to 2011 (11.6%->16.9%)

Elder abuse

-5 year study shows physical violence (children abusing their own parents)

-chronic verbal aggression

-neglect of elderly

-extortion of money

-sexual assault

- 1-3million older Americans suffer from people they depend on for care

-perpetrators:

-spouses (58%)

-child (24%)


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-victims:

-less than 1%

Intelligence (EXAM QUESTION!!!!!)

-crystallized intelligence

-vocab, information, comprehension

-tends to be retained with age (may even increase with age)

-fluid intelligence

-novel, speeded, perceptual-motor tasks

-ability to put things together or do things quickly

-decline with age; behavioural slowing

Personality

-stable across the lifespan

-psychiatric disorders (elder vs young):

-anxiety: same

-depression: same

-paranoia: increases

Social Factors in Aging

-role changes

-occupational

-family

-community

-financial status


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-social stressors

-forced retirement

-death of spouse

-decreased health

-declining finances

-people who live for a very long time (~100 years old)

- have common personalities

-do not dwell on losses

-sexual activity

-no decline in enjoyment with age

-sexual behaviours affected by medical factors, but the interest does not change in healthy older

people

-prosthetics

-reduce institutionalization, retain independence

Nursing home study

-good for people who cannot take care of themselves, but they lose their autonomy (independence),

dignity, etc

-can lead to psychological disorders

-1.5 million Americans live in nursing homes, 90% with inadequate staffing

Rodin and Langer study

Group 1

-choose and care for a potted plant

-select movie night


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Group 2

-given a plant (care for by staff);

-saw move on scheduled night

-3 weeks later

-group 1 happier and more active than group 2

-18 months later

-15% group 1 died

-30% group 2 died

-Conclusion: activities that increase autonomy will prevent physical deterioration

Documents

Adolescence and Aging