SWK 513 Ch15

Understanding Human Behavior and the Social
Environment
Eleventh Edition
Chapter 15
Psychological Aspects
of Later Adulthood
Copyright © 2019 Cengage. All Rights Reserved.

Learning Objectives
• LO 15-1 Describe the developmental tasks of later
adulthood
• LO 15-2 Understand theoretical concepts about
developmental tasks in later adulthood
• LO 15-3 Summarize theories of successful aging
• LO 15-4 Understand the impact of key life events on
older people
• LO 15-5 Understand guidelines for positive
psychological preparations for later adulthood
• LO 15-6 Summarize material on grief management and
death education

LO 15-1 (1 of 2)
• Describe the Developmental Tasks of Later
Adulthood
– Developmental Tasks of Later Adulthood
 Most of the developmental tasks that older people encounter
are psychological in nature.
o Retirement and lower income.
o Living with one’s spouse in retirement.
o Affiliating with individuals of one’s own age group or with
associations for older people.
o Maintaining interest in friends and family ties.
o Continuing social and civic responsibilities.

LO 15-1 (2 of 2)
o Coping with illness and the loss of a spouse and/or friends.
o Finding satisfactory living arrangements at the different stages
of later adulthood.
o Adjusting to changing physical strength and health and
overcoming bodily preoccupation.
o Reappraising personal values, self-concept, and personal
worth in light of new life events.
o Accepting the prospect of death.

LO 15-2 (1 of 3)
• Understand Theoretical Concepts About
Developmental Tasks in Later Adulthood
– Theoretical Concepts About Developmental Tasks in
Later Adulthood
– Integrity Versus Despair
 Men, particularly older men, are more apt to commit suicide
than are women.
– Three Key Psychological Adjustments

LO 15-2 (2 of 3)
– Life Review
 Most older persons conduct evaluative life reviews in which they
assess their pasts and consider the future in terms of the
inevitability of death.
– Self-Esteem
 Self-esteem (the way people regard themselves) is a key factor
in overall happiness and adjustment to life.
– Life Satisfaction
 Life satisfaction is a widely used index of psychological well-
being in older adults.

LO 15-2 (3 of 3)
– Low Status and Ageism
 Older people suffer psychologically because our society has
been generally unsuccessful in finding something important or
satisfying for them to do.
– Depression
 The older person is often a lonely person. Many people 70
years of age or older are widowed, divorced, or single.
– Spirituality and Religion
 Religion has been found to be an important factor that promotes
emotional well-being in later life.
 The church has always been important to most African
Americans.

LO 15-3 (1 of 2)
• Summarize Theories of Successful Aging: The
Strengths Perspective
– Activity Theory
 The activity theory asserts that the more physically and mentally
active people are, the more successfully they will age.
– Disengagement Theory
 The disengagement theory refers not only to older people
withdrawing from a community, but also to the community
withdrawing from older people, or community disengagement.
 There is controversy regarding whether disengagement is
functional for older people and for our society.

LO 15-3 (2 of 2)
 A severe criticism of the disengagement theory is that it may be
used to justify society’s failure to help older people maintain
meaningful roles
– Social Reconstruction Syndrome Theory
 According to Zusman, social breakdown occurs for older people
because of the effects of labeling.
 Society has unrealistic expectations that all adults should work
and be productive; younger people label older people as
incompetent or lacking in some ways; older people accept the
label and view themselves in terms of the label; they then learn
behavior consistent with the label and downplay their previous
skills.

LO 15-4 (1 of 2)
• Understand The Impact of Key Life Events on
Older People
– Marriage
 Couples who are still married in their later years are less likely
than younger couples to see their marriages as full of problems
– Death of a Spouse
– Widowhood
 Because women tend to live longer than men and tend to be
younger than their husbands, they are more likely to be
widowed.
– Never Married

LO 15-4 (2 of 2)
– Remarriage
– Gay and Lesbian Relationships
– Family System Relationships
 In most instances, older people and their adult children do not
live together for a variety of reasons.
 Although most older people do not live with their children, they
tend to live close to them and to see them frequently.
 The tacit “norm of noninterference” by grandparents tends to
evaporate in times of trouble faced by their adult children and
their grandchildren.

LO 15-5
• Guidelines for Positive Psychological Preparation
for Later Adulthood: The Strengths Perspective
– Being healthy
– Close personal relationships
– Finances
– Interests and hobbies
– Self-identity
– Looking toward the future
– Coping with crises

LO 15-6 (1 of 2)
• Summarize Material on Grief Management and
Death Education
– Death in Our Society: The Impact of Social Forces
 People in primitive societies handle death better than we do.
– The Cultural-Historical Context of Death and
Bereavement
– The Grieving Process
 Nearly all of us are currently grieving about some loss that we
have had.
– How to Cope with Grief

Figure 15.1 Westberg Model of the Grieving
Process

LO 15-6 (2 of 2)
– Application of Grief Management Theory to Client
Situations
– How to Relate to a Dying Person
– How to Relate to Survivors
 It is frequently helpful to share with a survivor pleasant and
positive memories you have about the person who has died.
– How to Become Comfortable with the Idea of Your Own
Eventual Death: The Strengths Perspective
– Whether to Insert a Feeding Tube
– Life After Life

SWK 513 Ch15

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SWK 513 Ch15