Psych 250 Lecture Notes Week 12 PDF

WEEK 12 PSYCH LECTURE NOTES: Physical Development: Middle adulthood: 45-65 - Significant individual variability in physical and cognitive capacities → Biological age → Chronological age → Psychological age → Social age - Lose height, gain weight - losing height primarily due to bone loss i...

WEEK 12 PSYCH LECTURE NOTES: Physical Development: Middle adulthood: 45-65 - Significant individual variability in physical and cognitive capacities → Biological age → Chronological age → Psychological age → Social age - Lose height, gain weight - losing height primarily due to bone loss in the vertebrae - metabolism begins to slow making us gain weight more easily - Increased risk for cardiovascular disease and high blood pressure - Bone density decreases, particularly for women - Women lose bone density at around 2x the rate as men - Men start with more bone density than men - Bone density decreases during menopause - Decreased bone density is a normal part of pregnancy and breastfeeding but is usually restored after weaning - Bodies are often calcium deprived, need to eat calcium rich food - “in our study, a maternal age > 35 years at last childbirth was a strong predictor of postmenopausal osteoporosis. For these reasons, woman with advanced maternal age at last childbirth may not fully recover bone mass density after delivery and may increase the risk of developing postmenopausal osteoporosis. Vision: Visual acuity declines between 40-59, particularly difficultly viewing close objects - laser eye surgery is routine Hearing: Begins to decline at 40, particularly sensitivity to high pitches, 51% of Canadians between 50-59 report hearing loss - men generally lose hearing faster than women Smell and Taste: begins to decline at 60. Declines more slowly in healthy older adults than in less healthy adults. Sleep: - Shortened nighttime sleep, increased nocturnal awakenings, and increased frequency of daytime naps Stress: - Allostatic Load: Overall stress induced physiological wear and tear on the body - decreases immune system functioning - increases heart rate, systolic blood pressure, and pulse pressure - activates sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous system - impairs lipid and glucose metabolism - Reduce stress through: mindfulness, exercise, yoga, spending time in green spaces. Social determinants of health: - social, political and economic conditions that impact people’s health - become more noticeable in middle adulthood - education and income positively correlated with healthy life expectancy - obesity varies by neighborhood as a function of walkability - 78% of 40-59 year olds in Canada’s least walkable neighborhoods were overweight or obese, but only 49% in Canada’s most walkable neighborhoods - Exercise, weight control, and a diet rich in fruit, vegetables, and whole grain reduces or eliminates many cardiovascular problems in middle adulthood and prevents osteoporosis - Access to healthy food, time for exercise, time for food preparation Neurologic Development: - Variable rates of brain aging between 40 and 70 - Volume and weight decrease with age at rate of around 5% per decade after 40. - Norepinephrine and dopamine are the most important neurotransmitters associated with aging. They play important roles in the regulation of synaptic plasticity and neurogenesis. - Dopamine levels decrease by 10% per decade from early adulthood, and in accordance with this change, cognitive and motor performance decline. - Brain remains adaptive in middle adulthood  - Can generate new neurons in response to physical activity and new experiences - Sensory regions of the brain (primary visual cortex, primary motor cortex, somatosensory cortex) less vulnerable to aging processes. - Myelination continues into 50s and 60s in the temporal lobe - Processes visual and emotional memories - encodes long term memories Cellular Process of Aging: Cellular Clock Theory: - the human body is constantly repairing and replacing its cells. BUT cells do not continue to reproduce continuously. - As we age, our cells become less capable of dividing. Each time a cell divides, the telomere becomes shorter. - Telomeres are the end of each chromosomal strand. Sequences of DNA that doesn’t code for any protein, but protects the chromosome. - Cellular senescence - cell stops replicating and coding for proteins - Cellular Apoptosis - cell death - Cellular Abnormalities - continue to divide but in abnormal ways, potentially becoming pathological or diseased - Possible interventions: Telomerase, Diet and Exercise Free Radical Theory: Unstable oxygen molecules ricochet around cells damaging DNA and other cellular structures - Oxidative stress - associated with cancer and arthritis * Our cells need to metabolize energy. Through this process, certain by products are produced. - form of unstable oxygen (free radicals) Possible interventions: diet and exercise Sexuality: - Climacteric: the midlife transition during which fertility declines Menopause: Large drop in estrogen that occurs when there are no more eggs in the ovaries - Hot flashes, nausea, fatigue, decreased libido, brain fog - Hormone replacement therapy - Most women lack information about menopause - Testosterone production: begins to decline approximately 1%/ year in middle adulthood Erectile Dysfunction: Present in approximately 50% of men between 40-70 - Drugs that increase blood flow - Testosterone replacement therapy - Sexual activity declines in middle adulthood - Best predictor of sexual activity in middle age is living with spouse or partner - 88% of partnered women in their 50s report being sexually active in the last 6 months - 37% of single women in their 50s report being sexually active in the last 6 months - higher frequency of sexual activity in middle age is associated with better overall cognitive functioning, especially in working memory and executive functioning - Declines in sexual activity during middle adulthood is associated with increased depressive symptoms and decreased quality of life Cognitive Development in middle Age: - in middle and late adulthood, we see significant variation in cognitive tasks Cognition: - Variation in cognitive tasks: - Study examined cognitive skills in people aged 22 and older (Cross-sequential) - Over 600 adults participated - most cognitive abilities stay fairly consistent throughout adulthood - numeric ability shows earlier decline whereas verbal understanding continues to improve. - Fluid intelligence: abstract reasoning and problem solving - peaks for most people in early adulthood. Gradual decline through late adulthood - Crystalized intelligence: Accumulated knowledge and verbal skills - more experience, more we learn → increases in middle and late adulthood years - Significant variation across individuals: → Use it or lose it: cognitive abilities are more likely to decline when they are not used → Physiological health: the healthier you are, the lower your risk for cognitive decline - Social determinants of health → Cognitive impairment: Atypical cognitive decline - also called mild cognitive impairment - Early onset dementia: 29 genetic risk factors Careers in middle adulthood: - Established adulthood 30-45: Career stabilization, focus on moving up career ladder, increasing responsibility, building financial security Middle adulthood 45-65: Reach peak in professional position and earnings, as well as peak financial obligations - ability to work effectively peaks during middle adulthood - increased motivation, work experience, employer loyalty, better strategic thinking The ”Career and Care Crunch”: The challenge of growing a successful career, maintaining intimate relationships, and caring for adolescent children and aging parents. Overall Wellbeing - Overall wellbeing is high in middle adulthood Regardless of gender, ethnicity, education, work status, or relationship status - North American Adults aged 40-60 report:  - 78%: Fun and exciting - 77% a time of possibility - 65% stressful - 39% often feel anxious Psychosocial milestones: Identity: Generativity vs Stagnation: - Erikson thought that middle adulthood is the time in life where we think about the differences we want to make in the world around us → ex. Investing in your career, achieving a state of financial security Generativity: The desire to leave legacies of themselves to the next generation - Volunteering and improved social networks are the strongest predictors of wellbeing - Improved memory and executive function Stagnation: State of mind that develops when individuals sense that they have done little or nothing for the next generation - increases anxiety, depression, decreases self esteem Midlife Crisis: The physical, social, and emotional confusion and conflict that adults face as they transition into the developmental stage of middle age Perceived personal control: Quest for personal control in middle adulthood - increasing personal and financial control - Increasing demands and responsibilities - Decreasing control over physical and cognitive health - Identity transformation: Identity redefinition and reinvention - Career change, going back to school, etc Developmental Priorities: - Developmental priorities shift across the life course - Participants aged 25-105 asked to rank personal priorities and goals Relationships Love and Partnership: - Increased relationship satisfaction in middle adulthood - 72% of middle aged married people say their relationship is excellent or very good → 10 year critical point that a divorce is likely to occur → getting married, having children later in life ** this helps to explain that the couples whose relationships continues to middle adulthood, their relationship satisfaction increases despite these changes - increase in affectionate (companionate) love - priorities within a relationship begin to shift and most people report increasing life satisfaction - Relationship quality predicts health of both partners - Middle age couples who report they are “very happy” in their marriage experience better health, less distress, and longer life expectancy - presence of a partner is more important than the instruction of marriage - In a + relationship, you have a lot of health promoting situations (ex. Helping with household labour, reminds you to go to the doctor etc) - Sex and gender minority (SGM) couples in middle adulthood - Couples experience sexual and gender minority stressors that shape their romantic relationship dynamics over their life course - These experiences vary across intersecting social positions (ex. Race, class, culture, etc) - Caregiving: compared to men, women provide more caregiving to their partner whether they are partnered with a women or man and even when ill themselves - Compared to heterosexual couples, men in SGM relationships provide more care to partners  - Health benefits: same sex couples also experiences health benefits to marriage and cohabitation - Compared to heterosexual couples, less likely to experience gender inequalities in health benefits and burdens - Grey Divorce: Divorce that occurs over the age of 55. - Average age of divorce in Canada is 46. - Number has been on the rise over the last 50 years - majority of divorced Canadians are between the age of 45-65. ** Note: this is the total number of divorced people in the country (people who have obtained legal divorce, but have not remarried) - The younger that we are at the time of separation, the more likely we are to remarry - People in middle adulthood in 2020, grew up at a time where cohabitation and divorce was less common Challenges of divorce in middle adulthood vs early adulthood - financial burden - In middle adulthood, you have fewer years or work to rebuild your financial status after a divorce - adolescent children - challenging for children who are in a time of exploring their identities - Unfamiliar dating culture - etiquette, less knowledgeable on how to navigate - Benefits of divorce in middle adulthood vs early adulthood - financial security - Less dependent children Dating and Re-partnering - “thin” dating market + Declining social networks = online dating - Gendered differences: men seeking fun, women seeking equity - Filtering: Use of photos and profile information to determine authenticity, navigate similarities and differences with potential matches, and determine compatibility - Emotional filtering: filtering based on past emotional attachments and relationships The empty nest: - Empty nest syndrome: A parents who experiences great loss and feelings of grief when their adult children leave home - originally it was thought that more women than men experience this. 2009 study: - Does ENS resonate with parents today? Survey of 316 parents in the Metro Vancouver area across a range of ethnic groups. - they followed up with 24 of the parents for interviews * Mixed methods study (survey and qualitative) - Research question: Does ENS resonate for parents today? For whom and under what conditions? - Methods: surveys of 316 parents in Metro Vancouver area, in depth interviews with 24 parents. Findings: 1) - The majority of midlife parents do not report strong adverse reactions when their children leave home - Positive psychological consequences: - Personal growth - Improved marital relationships - Feelings of mastery - increased leisure time 2) Mothers are not significantly more likely to experience ENS than fathers 3) South Asian parents (India, Pakistan, or Sri Lanka) were significantly more likely to experience ENS compared to parents from British, Hong Kon, Taiwan, Chinese, Greek, Spanish, Portuguese backgrounds ** Both mothers and fathers 4) Across all groups, poorer health, fewer children, younger at time of departure all increase likelihood of ENS Is the empty nest a thing of the past? - Adult children are living at home longer periods of time - “boomerang kids”: many emerging adults returning home after periods of independent living - benefits of living with adult children: - Increased income, decreased costs - caregiving benefits - Challenges of living with adult children - boundary/role confusion - loss of privacy - setting clear expectations - conflicting schedules Friendships: - As we age, we become more selective about who we spend time with - intimate friendships sustain and deepen - fewer opportunities for new friendships to develop study: comparing quality of relationships in established vs middle adulthood Method: survey (n=124) of 59 established adults (30-45 years) and 65 midlifers (46-65 years). → Majority of participants characterized as White, middle income, and female → More close relationships and higher quality relationships compared to established adulthood → Loneliness significantly higher in established adulthood, compared to middle adulthood Aging Parents: - The sandwich generation, The bridging generation, triple duty caregiving - Most adults feel an obligation toward helping their aging parents, though how that help is delivered is culturally specific - Intergenerational homes vs enabling independent living - Midlife children often report giving more support than parents report receiving across various dimensions of support Caring for aging parents is stressful: - Double or triple duty caregivers report more: - work-family conflicts, - perceived stress, and - psychological distress, - poorer sleep and - partner relationship quality, and - more acute-health services utilization than do non-caregivers Caring for aging parents is gendered: - women in middle adulthood are more likely to provide hands on care for aging parents than are men - Common career impacts include: reductions in work hours, changing jobs to a less demanding one, delays in career advancement, early retirement, and quitting jobs to be a full-time caregiver. Death and Dying: Coping with Death: - Anticipated deaths: aging, terminal illness  - Advanced care planning: document patient’s end of life choices before they loose capacity - Understand information and appreciate consequences - Voluntary and not coerced Traumatic deaths: Accident, suicide, overdoes, homicide - shock, stigma, fear, helplessness - can lead to post traumatic stress disorder - Vivid nightmares and flashbacks, sleep disturbances, intrusive thoughts, or problems concentrating - best treated with death psychotherapy or CBT Grief: The emotional numbness, disbelief, anxiety, despair, sadness, and loneliness that accompanies the loss of someone we love - Depends on circumstances of death - Normal grief: intense grief after the death of a loved one that progresses according to social norms and results in integrated acceptance - complicated grief: intense grief after the death of a loved one that lasts longer than expected according to social norms and causes functional impairment - disenfranchised grief: grief for a death that is stigmatized or cannot be openly mourned - ex. Death of an ex partner, abortion/miscarriage, suicide/overdose deaths Meaning making: an attempt to make sense of the world and oneself in the context of a recent death. 1) Sense making: seeking explanations, considering alternative actions, assigning blame 2) Benefit finding: possible positive consequences of death 3) Continuing bonds: reminiscing, holding community events 4) Identity reconstruction: changes in relationships, work, home, etc.