...Analyzing the Psychology of Aging Jason Russ Analyzing the Psychology of Aging Not only is the country’s population growing, it is aging as well. Older adults are the fastest growing population on the charts right now. There is no point and time when a person overnight just becomes “old.” Obviously everyone knows we simply just age; it comes with getting older. This thing called “aging” happens to everyone at a different rate. In this particular essay I will briefly be discussing five parts of psychology aging, and cognitive functioning in the elderly. Psychology of Aging, Theories of Aging, the Physical Dimension, the Cognitive Dimension, and the Social Dimension. The psychology of aging focuses on the behavioral changes which occur during the normal aging process. Age differences in learning, memory, perceptual and intellectual abilities will be investigated. In addition, emphasis will be placed on the neural correlates and cognitive consequences of disorders of aging such as Alzheimers disease(Belsky, J.1999). Aging introduces a number of psychological and physical changes in the human body and engaged researchers in this field of study. The growing population in industrialized countries has become a serious issue in the 21st century. Life expectancy has increased significantly over the 20th century. For example, in 1900 a baby born in an industrialized country would usually live to between 47 and 55, while a baby born in the 21st century would be expected to...
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...Psychology Field Journal to 02.06 Aging What were the most significant findings in each study? Study 1- Women surprisingly in this study did not see old age and people as a curse but found them interesting and fun to deal with. Women showed positive interactions with interactions with elders and also care for them more like for example if the elder would be going through hard times the women would adopt those feelings as well. Men had negative or docile reactions to old age seeing as an oncoming problem in the future and kept interactions with elderly at a low. With pictures and drawings men were more likely to draw old men with canes and supporters with old and tired figures. While the women were more positive with seeing it as a time to have fun and relax together. We grasped from this study that even though women respond more positively than man with old age we also see that they have more anxiety towards it also. Study 2- With elderly people many people have negative responses towards how they feel getting old. Some say getting old is like draining your self not having the same energy and chances to do things as before, while others say its like a strength because it feels good to grow old it has great pride for getting this far. We see time has a stronger viewpoint than ever before with people thinking as time is more limited or others feel there out of pace with it going too fast or too slow. Lastly we see how family and interactions affect the elderly with the growing...
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...Upon taking the aging quiz, I found most of my opinions on aging were generally correct. I have always tried my best to separate stigma and truth. One question stood out to me above all of the others. The question asked if chronological age was the most important determinant of someone's age. My instincts said yes, but my mind said no. This was a stigma I believe the work in this course couldd help me to overcome. Some of the questions stood out to me as I was not all too surprised by my results, as many of the questions that were covered in the quiz were covered in my previous psychology course. The quiz confirmed for me that I shouldn't fear the aging process quite as much as I have traditionally. In my mind, I would become less myself as I aged, and this thought was always terrifying to me. I thought youth would always be my identity, and once it was gone I would have all of my best moments behind me. I would say I was most informed about the statistical aspects of the quiz. I felt that a percentage of fifty for mental decline in the elderly was a little outrageous, and that most older adults would be rejected by their children. The latter especially stood out to me as bizarre and unfounded. I felt less informed about pain not being a natural part of the aging process, because even if evidence showed otherwise to me I always felt painful aging was to be expected. The quiz as a whole said to me that I should just relax about aging, and allow the process to ease my concerns...
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...Effects of Aging on Cognitive Development Daphney Walker PSYCH/640 May 5, 2014 Holly Berry Effects of Aging on Cognitive Development Aging is a natural process of life however, studies show that there are some age-related decline in cognitive development. As a person grows older some brain cell dies, shrink, or weaken and cause some decline in brain functions. Some cognitive processes include attention, working memory, long-term memory, perception, and executive control. The material will explain the effect of aging on cognitive development by providing scholarly research proof. Cognitive Development Cognition is the process by which human beings learn about the world and the objects in it and also understand the relationship between themselves, the objects, and themselves. It is the ability of a person to learn and understand from his or her experiences, to acquire and retain knowledge to use in new situations, and solve problems. Cognitive development refers to the process of growth to the intellectual or mental abilities such as thinking, reasoning, and understanding. Cognitive development includes acquiring and condensing of knowledge. Social-emotional, language, perceptual, motor and environment experiences aid in cognitive development in infant. Piaget’s development theory gives an understanding of cognitive development from birth to adulthood. He postulated that when a child enters the world he or she lacks the cognitive competencies that an adult has. However...
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...Aging and memory loss Aging is associated with memory loss of human beings and is known phenomenon. Researchers worked on aging shown that aging is associated with memory loss especially in the standpoint of cognitive psychology. Current research based on previous research carried out and memory tests revealed that memory is not only the single factor affecting the memory dysfunction. Aging and various other factors and conditions have detrimental effect on some specific memory types than others. Five memory systems which process different kinds of information that intervene by various areas of the human brain is at risk to aging, semantic, working and episodic memory. These memory systems are responsible for different functions of memory in brain like acquisition of information is processed by procedural memory. Perceptual memory systems are responsible for encoding and sustaining sensory information (Luo and Craik,). This paper seeks to link memory loss with the aging process, while analyzing the implications on human life in the hope of subduing the effects of aging. Aging and Memory Luo and Craik (2008) identified the modifications in human memory during the aging process of humans. Significant research is present which shows affects of aging in different memory systems in human beings. Different memory systems are responsible for different functions and retaining information in human brain. Memory systems responsible for procedures and perceptual memory functions...
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...are expected to apply critical thinking skills when studying developmental theory and research. This requires that they examine their own assumptions and discern their hidden values. In addition, critical thinking involves their evaluation of evidence and the assessment of conclusions. An important aspect of such a scientific approach is the attitude of humility. Critical thinking requires the humble scrutiny of competing ideas. Students must understand that they may have to reject their own preconceptions (Myers, 2004). One must acknowledge the potentially biasing effects of preconceived ideas. Such ideas can evolve from a number of sources including culture and environment. In contemporary American culture, some regard the aging process view as being undesirable. For them, the term old connotes an inevitable future involving physical frailty, narrow-mindedness, incompetence, and loss of attraction. Adulthood is seen as a period of decline (Papalia et al. 2002). Hence, the potential influence of an ageist philosophy can influence the learning outcomes of an adult developmental course. Another concern involves how to enhance the retention of material and instill a positive attitude toward information presented in the classroom. Effective...
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...Aging and Death 1 . Running head: AGING, DEATH AND DYING Aging, Death, Dying, Aging and a Meaningful Life ________________________________________ Aging and Death 2 Introduction This analytical paper will examine the topics of death, aging and a meaningful life based on the novel Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom. By exploring these topics, we will be exploring the life lessons Albom received from his dying college professor Morrie Schwartz. Albom shares the life lessons his professor passed down to him on death, fear, family and having a meaningful life. By disclosing these he topics, one can appreciate Albom’s thoughtfulness to share his story in discovering life through the death of his professor Morrie. Aging Aging is the process of growing older and includes changes in both biology and psychology. Biology refers to the way the body functions. Psychology describes how the mind functions. How people age has to do with genetics, environment, and lifestyle over a lifetime. The process of aging is complex, and may derive from a variety of different mechanisms and exist for a variety of different reasons. (Health-cares.net). As Morris grown old and was unable to wipe himself during his final days, he says to Albom, “I began to enjoy my dependency. Now I enjoy when they turn me over on my side and rub cream on my behind so I don’t get sores. Or when they wipe my brow, or they message my...
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...Fear of Aging and Dying in America Hollis Phelps Liberty Developmental Psychology PSYCH 210 Dr. Shaw July 21, 2014 Fear of Aging and Dying in America Abstract The fear of aging and death is nothing new. Anthropologists, philosophers, sociologists, and psychologists are in agreement that since the beginning of mankind’s history, fear is the universal response to death. In America, the reaction is far greater striking chords of terror so horrific and becoming innately ingrained in the fabric of society to affect most every segment. This paper will look at this fear and determine the affects it has had on present day America’s behaviors toward and beliefs about the aging population and correlate it to the society’s fear of death. Everyone has heard the expression that “time flies by like the blink of an eye.” Humans have been attempting for centuries to make sense of and accept the concept of time. The great Albert Einstein, the most prolific physicist of the 20th century, in his Theory of Relativity proved that time was relative. In other words, time and it’s accepted concept of constant, continual progression at a fixed rate was incorrect or not an absolute. Einstein convinced himself and many others that the past, present, and future were only an illusion (Schwartz, 2003). However, to the majority of the world’s population, time is not a theory. It is something that propels us into old age and beyond. The subject of time has inspired many artists to attempt stopping...
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...Geriatric Victims AJS258 – Victimology and Crisis Management Page 1 Respect your elders is a saying that everyone has heard. Our grandparents, Aunts and Uncles tell us stories about how things were in their days and how much the elderly were upheld in their generation. With medical breakthroughs people are able to live longer and healthier lives. As people age they become more vulnerable to financial scams, physical, sexual and emotional abuse along with neglect. Recently there have been many programs created to help and assist the elderly. In Phoenix, Arizona, the Attorney General’s office has established a task force against senior abuse (TASA), which was announced on March 4th, 2011 (Arizona Attorney General, 2011). Debra Boehlke of the Attorney General’s office stated “we have victim services division for all kinds of victims, but from the task force of senior abuse what we are trying to do is help prosecute cases for victims (Boehlke, 2011). Elderly persons that have been wronged in some type of fashion can use the services provided by TASA to get restitution and, of course, punishment for the person who committed the crime (Boehlke, 201). Tom Horne, Attorney General for Arizona is committed to making elder abuse awareness, prevention and prosecution a priority (Arizona Attorney General, 2011). The Attorney General’s office is aware of the vulnerability of their citizens and is working to make sure older Arizonians are not victimized (Arizona Attorney General...
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...DEVELOPMENT PSYCHOLOGY: WHY IS IT IMPORTANT TO CRITICALLY LOOK AT DEVELOPMENTAL PSYCHOLOGICAL THEORIES? . The term development is very broad and multi-dimensional that it is a topic dealt with in almost every discipline. Psychology is also a multi-dimensional discipline, and when encompassing development it constructs a field of study known as developmental psychology. The main focus of this area is on human growth throughout the lifespan. Originally, developmental psychology was concerned with infants and children, but the field has since expanded to include adolescence, adult development and aging. This is due to the fact that although childhood is obviously a time of tremendous change, people also continue to grow and develop during the early adult, middle age, and senior years. Inclusive in this field are related topics such as child development, intellectual development, cognitive development, and the aging process. In simpler terms then, developmental psychology is defined as the scientific study of age-related changes that occur in human beings cross different domains over the course of life. The direct focus of developmental psychology on human growth involves thorough observation and examination in order to be able to categorise and label a being. This marking of belonging to a certain group is another transformation underwent...
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...in late adulthood is determined by genetics, the modification of destructive lifestyles and behaviors, and selecting healthier options not only throughout the earlier stages of development but especially in this stage for improvements to health and having an overall sense of well-being (Berger, 2009). Remaining socially active and independent for as long as possible instead of succumbing to isolating is key during this stage of adulthood (Berger, 2009). In the stage of late adulthood living socially active, healthy, and physically active lives while maintaining important family roles is very important , which illiminates some stressor of aging that may be brought on by negative and stereotypical thoughts of ageism which will assist in their premature decline. High quality medical care assisted by technology can provide aging adults comfort knowing they are helping to protect and safeguard younger generations as science learns from the older generations. Ageism and Stereotypes In late adulthood, there are a lot of stereotypes and misunderstandings of older adults (Emotional and Social Development in Late Adulthood, n.d.). Ageism and perceptions against someone’s age, causes negative understanding of older adults. Some of these stereotypes are representations of weakness or ineptitude in a negative light, and some are just meant to be jokes (Emotional and Social Development in Late Adulthood, n.d.). The bias against older adult individuals in a negative light has been...
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...semester credit elective hours in social and behavioral sciences, 9 of which must be upper-division, and 3 from the *core curriculum, chosen from the following: ANT 2033 Introduction to Physical Anthropology *ANT 2053 Cultural Anthropology (fulfills 080 Social and Behavioral Science) *ANT 2063 Language, Thought, and Culture (fulfills 090 Component Area Option) ANT 3513 The Human Skeleton ANT 3523 Medical Anthropology ANT 3883 Death and Dying BIO 1033 Drugs and Society BIO 3613 The Biology of Aging GRG 3443 Medical Geography *HTH 2413 Introduction to Community and Public Health (fulfills 080 Social and Behavioral Science or 090 Component Area Option) *HTH 2513 Personal Health (fulfills 080 Social and Behavioral Science or 090 Component Area Option) PSY 2073 Statistics for Psychology PSY 3023 Social Psychology of Small Groups PSY 3513 Developmental Psychopathology PSY 3523 Psychology of Adulthood and Aging PSY 3543 Introduction to Clinical Psychology PSY 4253 Psychology and Health SOC 1043 Introduction to Public Health *SOC 2023 Social Context of Drug Use (fulfills 080 Social Behavioral Science or 090 Component Area Option) SOC 3203 Gerontology SOC 3213 Medical Sociology SOC 4043 Global Health SOC 4053 Health Care Systems SOC 4073 Social and Behavioral Theories in Public Health SOC 4683 Health Disparities 15 additional semester credit elective hours in arts and humanities, 9 of which must be upper-division and 3 from the *core curriculum (from a different...
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...Dealing with America’s Fear of Aging and Death Margaret Kimble Developmental Psychology 210 Liberty University Abstract Mankind has tried to cheat aging and death by freezing their remains, cosmetic surgery or marrying outside their generation hoping to stay young. However, these attempts are futile and Americans cannot hold back the clock or trick death. The clock is ticking and when it stops I will die and so will you no one knows when. Although there is a great deal of research on aging and death, no one has discovered how to halt the inevitable. It is a scientific and biblical fact that human beings will age and die. All life ends in death. This paper will cover some of the issues regarding, fear of death, and fear of aging. It will also explore if Americans fear death and aging because we have no control over it or we don’t understand it. Fear of aging can be attributed the fear of our health failing; losing our memory, independence and the energy for living our lives to the fullest (Berger, 2001). Fear of death can be attributed to not being able to speak to someone who is still experiencing it. Many fear growing older because of the onslaught of mental deterioration such as dementia and Alzheimer’s disease; which are attributed to old age. (Philipchalk, 1994). Fear of aging and death is caused by America’s negative concept; it is the natural progression of life. In Strongman’s research he found that a dominant aspect of aging is death (Strongman, 2006)...
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...The Ageing Process “How Our Bodies and Minds Change” Aging is a process that concerns us all. The increasing armamentarium provided by molecular biology and other techniques has allowed greater understanding of some of the processes involved. Numerous definitions of aging exist; an acceptable and commonly used definition is that aging is the total of all changes an organism undergoes from its conception to its death, including development, maturation and adulthood. There are many theories about how our bodies and minds change as we age, but no matter how much research or theories have been formed, one thing remains true is that our bodies and minds does, and will, change with age and one thing can be agree upon is that the end results in all these studies is that the body and minds does go through many changes during our life time. Since the life span varies between and within species and human longevity is partially hereditary, it is clear that genetic factors, the biology of the brain, and our culture effect the function of the brain and influence the aging process ( Johnson 1993, Schacter et al. 1993, Vijg et al. 1995). Twin studies show that genetic differences account for about a quarter of the variance in adult human lifespan. While a great deal of research has focused on diseases of aging, there are only a few informative studies on the molecular biology of the aging brain. Many molecular changes are due in part to a reduction in the size of the brain, as well as loss...
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...disposable soma theory is focusing on biological predispositions of ageing which say that once our genes damaged then ageing process start and a specific action cause it, however in disengagement theory the main focus is on psychological site of it, which means how people changing through the aging process and how they are reacting to it.In biological theory, we cannot predict how and why our body will get older but we can take procurations to slow down this process, such as by having a good and balanced diet. Thomas Kirkwood argued that damaged cells can repair themselves if have appropriate nutrients. If we look at the psychological theory we could see that it is focusing on the stages and interactions with other when people grow older. As people age, they tend to remove themselves from society for death.They remove themselves from their roles and society by placing elderly in care home facilitate that they stop being active. There are some similarities to the theories.Both of them are talking about declining. In disposable soma theory the genetic decline making body to age and in disengagement theory we can see that person declining from their lives. We can see that aging process affect people in biological and psychological ways. It could be that biological predispositions might trigger those psychological. If we think about that people in disengagement theory are starting to decline from active life and in disposable soma theory lack of healthy lifestyle...
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