EASY MODULE 6

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Questions and Answers

What encompasses the dimensions of successful aging?

Diet, exercise, and healthcare access

Education level, family connections, and technology use

Physical health, mental health, and social engagement (correct)

Longevity, wealth, and social status

Which of the following is most closely associated with successful aging?

Absence of disease and disability (correct)

High income and wealth

Longevity without quality of life

Limited social interactions

Which psychological trait has been linked to lower mortality risk?

Pessimism

Resilience (correct)

Avoidance

Impulsivity

According to studies, positive affect in early life correlates with what outcome?

Reduced mortality risk later in life Signup and view all the answers

What theory emphasizes the importance of giving support for longevity?

Modified social support hypothesis Signup and view all the answers

Which characteristic is NOT typically associated with successful aging?

Substantial disability Signup and view all the answers

What aspect is emphasized in different models studying aging?

Cognitive performance and social support Signup and view all the answers

What does psychological well-being (PWB) correlate with in terms of health outcomes?

Lower risk of heart disease Signup and view all the answers

What does the set point perspective suggest about happiness in older adults?

Happiness is determined by personality. Signup and view all the answers

Which factor contributes to an age-friendly environment?

Respectful treatment of individuals of all ages. Signup and view all the answers

What is one aspect of the communicative ecology model of successful aging?

Planning for the future. Signup and view all the answers

What is 'Big C' in the context of creativity?

Eminent creativity. Signup and view all the answers

How does personality flexibility affect creative older adults?

Encourages establishing new creative avenues. Signup and view all the answers

What is the equal odds rule in creativity?

More ideas generally lead to high-quality outcomes. Signup and view all the answers

Which characteristic is associated with 'old age style' in art?

More freedom in artistic expression. Signup and view all the answers

What role do biological factors play in creativity and aging?

Brain activation and diseases affect creativity. Signup and view all the answers

Which group is often underrepresented in creative spaces?

Women and minorities. Signup and view all the answers

What does successful aging encompass for older adults?

Satisfaction and new creative expressions. Signup and view all the answers

What characterizes cognitive superagers?

Memory ability comparable to individuals aged 50 or younger Signup and view all the answers

What is a trait of successful aging according to Rowe and Kahn?

High cognitive and physical functioning Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is NOT a component of active aging?

Minimizing participation Signup and view all the answers

What aspect do life narratives help older adults maintain?

Cohesion in their life story Signup and view all the answers

What does the paradox of well-being indicate about older adults?

They maintain high subjective well-being despite challenges. Signup and view all the answers

Which factor does NOT promote successful aging?

Increased dietary acid load Signup and view all the answers

What defines successful cognitive aging?

Cognitive abilities above average for age group Signup and view all the answers

How do older adults generally view successful aging?

Accomplishments and purpose Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is seen as a factor influencing active aging?

Economic factors Signup and view all the answers

According to positive aging, what aspect is emphasized?

Growth and development in later life Signup and view all the answers

What is a criticism of Rowe and Kahn's definition of successful aging?

Neglects socio-cultural influences Signup and view all the answers

What promotes resilience in cognitive superagers?

Increased stress and less social support in younger years Signup and view all the answers

What is a key perspective of positive psychology regarding aging?

Assessment of subjective well-being Signup and view all the answers

What is a feature of the lifespan diamond model?

It emphasizes the enrichment of various life aspects. Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Successful Aging - Definition, Importance & Theoretical Approaches

Successful aging emphasizes maintaining health and well-being in older adults, leading to higher quality of life.
Rowe & Kahn defined successful aging as: absence of disease & disability, high cognitive & physical functioning, and engagement with life.
The concept has evolved reflecting changing societal views on aging and capabilities of older adults.
Successful aging is not just about longevity but also the quality of life experienced in later years.
It encompasses various dimensions: physical, mental health, and social engagement.
Theoretical frameworks include prevention, risk management, and treatment strategies.
Various models focus on different aspects of aging, such as cognitive performance and social support.
Theories highlight the role of psychological traits like resilience and positive affect in promoting longevity.
Research indicates social support and altruism significantly contribute to longevity (modified social support hypothesis).

Positive Affect and Longevity

Studies show a strong correlation between positive emotions in early life and reduced mortality risk later in life (Nun Study).
Positive affect is linked to better health outcomes: improved immune function, reduced harmful stress consequences, better social support, and increased resilience.
Psychological well-being (PWB) is associated with finding meaning in life, leading to lower risks of heart disease and mortality.
Childhood conscientiousness correlates with lower mortality risk, suggesting early psychological traits influence longevity.

Original social support hypothesis: receiving support is crucial for longevity.
Modified social support hypothesis: giving support (altruism) is important.
Altruism and social engagement are vital for maintaining health and well-being in older adults.
Cognitive superagers: those 80+ with memory ability of those 50/60 years old or younger.
Cognitive superagers have maintained brain structures, resilience, and resistance to cognitive decline.
They had more stress in younger years and less social support, suggesting resilience as a contributor.
Lifestyle factors: physical activity, quality social network, less high dietary acid load, and less smoking.

Perspectives on Aging: Optimal/Successful

Successful Aging (Rowe and Kahn): absence of disease and disability, high cognitive and physical functioning, and engagement with life.
- Criticisms: does not consider personality, social support, or social factors.
Successful Cognitive Aging: cognitive performance above average for an individual's age group (Superagers are successful).
BiopsychoSocial look at Successful Aging:
- Bio: Life expectancy, physical health, independence.
- Psycho: Mental health, cognition, personal growth/learning, happiness/satisfaction, psychological resources.
- Social: Participation, social support.
Older adults view successful aging as: enjoying food, looking good, spirituality, accomplishments, financial security, sense of humor, and neighborhood.

Active Aging - Definition & Impact

Defined by WHO as optimizing opportunities for health, participation, and security to enhance quality of life as people age.
Promotes physical activity, social engagement, and mental stimulation.
Encourages older adults to remain active participants in society, contributing to their communities and maintaining personal well-being.
Active aging is impacted by: personal determinants, behavioral determinants, physical environments, social determinants, economic determinants, health, and social services.

Positive Aging - Challenges and Research

Challenges traditional views focusing solely on decline, emphasizing growth and development in later life.
Research shows stress and worry decrease with age while enjoyment and happiness increase.
Lifespan diamond model suggests enriching physical, relational, mental, and activity aspects of life positively influence overall well-being.
Conclusions of positive psychology of aging:
- Stress and anger decrease after age 20.
- Worry decreases and enjoyment rises after age 50.
- Older people have more health problems but fewer overall problems.
- Social support and exercise make us happier at all ages.
What makes people happy?:
- Set point perspective: personality determines happiness level.
- Social indicator model: social conditions are associated with better subjective well-being.
- Paradox of well-being: older adults stay more positive despite having objectively more problems than younger adults.

Life Stories and Identity in Aging

Life narratives can serve an adaptive function, helping older adults to view their lives positively and maintain self-esteem.
Identity assimilation allows older adults to integrate life experiences into a coherent narrative, protecting their self-esteem.
Embellishment of life stories may help individuals cope with aging and reflect positively on their accomplishments.

Successful Aging - Continued

Optimal aging: refers to age-related changes that improve an individual's functioning.
Active and healthy aging: 57% of individuals meet this criteria.
Successful cognitive aging: Cognitive performance above the average for an individual's age group.
Superagers are those 80+ with episodic memory comparable to middle-aged adults.
- Cortical thickness, brain plasticity, better connectivity, faster electrophysiological encoding, and more rewarding social relationships.
Factors that promote successful aging:
- Positive psychology: life satisfaction (cognitive), subjective wellbeing (affective/emotional), paradox of well-being (despite challenges, older adults maintain high subjective wellbeing).
- Social indicator model of well-being: demographic and social structural variables account for individual differences in well-being.
- Set point perspective: personality determines level of happiness.
- Age-friendly environment: Enables participation in community, treats everyone w/respect, maintains social connections, facilitates health and activity.
- Communicative ecology model of successful aging: How people see/think/feel about aging impacts their ability to age successfully.

Creativity and Aging

Creativity - ability to generate original, appropriate, and impactful products or ideas.
- Big C: eminent.
- Little C: everyday.
- Mini C: construction of person/self understanding.
Creative older adults have greater cognitive reserve.
Personality: Openness to experience shows greater activation of brain regions involved in maintaining cognitive flexibility (protective against mortality).
Creativity uses the default network and prefrontal cortex (divergent thinking tasks).
Older people may benefit from using their storehouse of knowledge.

Creative Older Adults

Planck hypothesis: Scientific productivity peaks in early adulthood.
Older adults retain productivity better in fields involving judgments.
Creative potential: total possible number of works hypothetically possible in a lifespan (no upper limits).
Career age: When individuals start creating work.
- Those who peak early start earlier.
Equal odds rule: People who make more works are more likely to make high-quality ones.
Blind variation and selective retention theory: True creativity requires producing many ideas via trial-and-error, the best will remain.

Characteristics of Last Works

Old age style: characteristic of older artists.
- Negative features: pessimistic view of life, isolation, tragic themes, feeling of imminent departure.
- Positive features: more expressive, less realistic, accumulated symbolism, more freedom in use of paint strokes, richer in meaning.
Physical limitations, like vision, can restrict older artists.
Scientists become less innovative.
Musicians create "swan songs".
Art is more lasting in general.
Art takes into account life experience needed to create such works.

BiopsychoSocial Perspectives on Creativity and Aging

Psychological:
- Personality flexibility: Don't dwell on past accomplishments, make new goals and take new creative avenues (in highly creative people).
- Cognitive flexibility: Those with the highest number of graduate school awards/publications were most open to experience (especially tolerance and psychological openmindedness).
Sociocultural: Disadvantaged people are less likely to reach old age or be advantaged to be creative. Women and minorities are often excluded from creative spaces.
Biological: Activation of brain regions, physical changes, and diseases.

Successful Aging: Final Perspectives

Older people can be satisfied and get new forms of creative expression.
Survivors are able to age.

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Description

Explore the multifaceted nature of successful aging, including its definition, importance, and various theoretical approaches. Understand how health, cognitive function, and social engagement contribute to quality of life in older adults. Delve into the evolution of this concept and its implications for modern society.