brief introduction to middleadulthood

1. Middle Adulthood:
Physical and Cognitive
Development
Development Across the Lifespan

2. Physical Development in Middle Adulthood
 Middle adulthood is the time when most
people first become aware of the gradual
changes in their bodies that mark the aging
process.
 Western society applies a double standard to
men and women in terms of appearance.
 Older women tend to be viewed in unflattering terms.
 Aging men are more frequently perceived as displaying a maturity that
enhances their status.

3. Height, weight and strength: The benchmarks of
Change in Middle Adulthood
 Height reaches a maximum during the 20’s for
most people, and remains stable til about age 55.
 After age 55, bones become less dense and
ultimately women lose 2 inches and men lose 1
inch in height.
 Women are more prone to declining height due to
OSTEOPOROSIS, a condition in which the bones
become brittle, fragile, and thin.
 Osteoporosis is brought about by a lack of
calcium in the body, and lack of exercise.

4. (Height, weight and strength, continued)
 Both men and women continue to gain weight in middle
adulthood.
 The amount of body fat increases.
 Exercise and weight control can ameliorate the weight
gain.
 Throughout middle adulthood, strength gradually
decreases.
 This is particularly so in the back and leg muscles.
 By age 60, people have lost about 10 percent of their
maximum strength.

5. The Senses:
The Sights & Sounds of Middle Age
 Starting at age 40, visual acuity - the ability to
discern fine spatial detail in both close and
distant objects - begins to decline.
 The eye's lenses change shape and elasticity.
 The lenses become less transparent, which
reduces the amount of light entering.
 A nearly universal change in eyesight during
middle adulthood is the loss of
near vision, called PRESBYOPIA

6. The Decline of
Visual Acuity
Around age
40, the ability
to discern fine
detail begins
to drop.

7.  Declines also occur in depth perception, distance
perception, the ability to view the world in three
dimensions, and night vision.
 Sometimes changes in vision are brought on by a disease
called GLAUCOMA, a condition where pressure in the
fluid of the eye increases, either because the fluid cannot
drain properly or because too much fluid is produced.
 About 1 percent to 2 percent of those over 40 are affected.
 African-Americans are particularly susceptible.
 It can be treated if caught early enough.
 If left untreated it can cause blindness.

8. Hearing in Middle Age
 Hearing undergoes a gradual decline
beginning in middle adulthood.
 The primary sort of loss is for sounds of
high frequency, a problem called
PRESBYCUSIS.
 About 12 percent of people between 45
and 65 suffer from presbycusis.
 Men are more prone to hearing loss than
women.

9. Hearing in Middle Age, continued
 Because the two ears are not always
equally affected by hearing loss, sound
localization, the ability to detect the origin of
a sound, is diminished.
 Some hearing loss results from
environmental factors, such as loud noises.
 The rest are caused by aging, which brings
a loss of hair cells in the inner ear.
 Also, the ear drum becomes less elastic
with age

10. Reaction time in Middle Age
 Reaction time increases slightly in middle
adulthood.
 This is due to a gradual loss of muscle in the
body and nervous system processing due to
aging.
 People can compensate by being more
careful and practicing the skill.
 Exercise can slow this loss & has other
advantages...

11. --Slower decline in energy molecules, muscle mass, blood supply,
speed of movement, stamina
--Slower increase in fat & muscle soreness
--Slower decline in processing central nervous system impulses
--Slower increase in variations in speed of motor neuron impulses
--Maintenance of lower levels of harmful cholesterol
--Decreased risk of high blood pressure, atherosclerosis, heart attack,
stroke
--Slower decline in bone minerals
--Decreased risk of fractures & osteoporosis

12. The Ongoing Sexuality of Middle Age
 Contrary to popular stereotypes, sexual activity does
not fade away for most middle age adults
 Although the frequency of sexual intercourse
decreases with age, sexual activities remain a vital
part of most middle-aged adult's lives (see next slide
for frequency rates of sexual intercourse by age).
 With children grown and away from home, middle-
aged adults have more freedom for sexual
enjoyment.
 With menopause, women no longer need to
practice birth control.

13. Rates of Sexual Intercourse by Age

14. There are differences in the sexual
experiences of people in middle
adulthood…
 Men typically need more time to get an
erection.
 The volume of fluid in ejaculation declines.
 The production of Testosterone (Male sex
hormone) also declines.
 In women, the walls of the vagina become
less elastic and thinner and the vagina
shrinks, potentially making intercourse
painful for some women.

15. The Female Climacteric & Menopause
 Starting about age 45, women enter a period
known as the FEMALE CLIMACTERIC, the
transition from being able to bear children to
being unable to do so.
 This period lasts about 15 to 20 years.
 The most notable sign is MENOPAUSE, the cessation of menstruation.
 Perimenopause may impact development with similar symptoms (changes in
hormones beginning about 10 years prior to menopause).

16.  For most women, menstrual periods become
irregular for about 2 years, starting at about age 47
or 48.
 After a year goes by without a menstrual period,
menopause is said to have occurred.
 The production of estrogen and progesterone drop.
 Symptoms such as "hot flashes", headaches, feeling
dizzy, heart palpitations, and aching joints are
common during menopause.
 Half of women report no symptoms at all.

17. Symptoms of menopause differ by race/ethnicity
 Japanese & Chinese women: fewer symptoms
 African American women: more hot flashes & night sweats
 Hispanic women: higher level of heart pounding & vaginal dryness
~ Reasons unclear: systematic physical differences in hormone production
levels suspected

18.  Using hormone replacement therapy (HRT),
symptoms are alleviated and a variety of problems
are reduced, such as
 Osteoporosis & colon cancer
 stroke & skin elasticity
 heart disease
 There may be risks associated with HRT.
 breast cancer
 abnormal blood clots
 cancer of the uterine lining
~ Women must make their own choices about whether
the benefits of treatment outweigh the dangers.

19. Historically…
 It was thought that about 10 % of women had psychological problems
associated with menopause.
 depression
 anxiety
 crying spells
 lack of concentration
 irritability

20. Today researchers view menopause from a
different perspective…
 It is now believed that women's
expectations about menopause relate to
their experience of menopause.
 Indian women have few symptoms and look
forward to the social advantages of being
past the childbearing age.
 Mayan women also have few symptoms
and look forward to the freedom of being
past childbearing age.

21. Men in Middle Age…
 Do men experience the equivalent of
menopause? Not really.
 Since they haven’t experienced anything like menstruation, no similar large
scale change
~Men do experience some changes during middle age that are collectively
referred to as the MALE CLIMACTERIC, the period of physical and
psychological change relating to the male reproductive system that occurs
during late middle age.

22. Men in Middle Age, continued
 The most common is the enlargement of the prostate gland.
 By age 40, 10 percent of men have enlarged prostates.
 Symptoms are problems with urination, including difficulty starting to urinate and
frequent need to urinate during the night.
 Men still produce sperm and can father children through middle age.

23. Health in Middle Age
 Health concerns become increasingly important to people during middle adulthood.
 The vast majority of people in middle age face no chronic health difficulties and
have fewer accidents and infections because they are more careful and have built
up immunities over their life.
 Despite this, surveys show that health issues are a major concern to middle aged
adults…


24. The Worries
of Adulthood
Health
worries
outnumber
financial
worries in
middle
adulthood.

25. Health in Middle Age, continued
Some adults, however, are particularly
susceptible to chronic diseases in middle
adulthood.
Arthritis typically begins after age 40.
Diabetes is most likely to occur in
people between the ages of 50 and 60.
Hypertension (high blood pressure)
is one of the most frequent chronic
disorders found in middle age

26. Health in Middle Age, continued
 The death rate for people between 40 and 60 has declined
dramatically; it is less than half of what it was in 1940.
 Some people are genetically susceptible to chronic diseases,
such as hypertension.

27.  Social and environmental factors are related to health:
African-Americans in the U.S. have twice the death
rate of Caucasians.
 Related to SES (socioeconomic status): When death
rates are compared for Whites and African-Americans
of the same SES, African-Americans' death rate drops
below Whites'.
 Poorer people are more apt to experience a disabling
illness.
 Poorer people tend to work in more dangerous
occupations & are more likely to become disabled.
Ethnic Variations in Health

28. Disability & Income Level
Workers living in poverty are more likely to become disabled
than those with higher income levels. Why?

29.  During middle age, women experience more
non-life threatening illnesses than men but men
experience more serious illnesses.
 Women smoke less.
 Women drink less alcohol.
 Women have less dangerous jobs.
 Medical research has typically studied diseases
of men with all male samples; the medical
community is only now beginning to study
women's health issues.
Gender differences in Health

30. Stress in Middle Adulthood
Stress continues to significantly impact
health during middle adulthood
Stressors themselves may be different
Psychoneuroimmunologists: study the
relationships between the brain, immune
system, and psychological factors
connected to stress
 3 main consequences…

31. The 3 Main Consequences of Stress

32. The ABC’s of Heart Disease in Middle
Adulthood
 More men die in middle age of diseases of the heart and circulatory system
than any other cause.
 Both genetic and experiential characteristics are involved.
 Heart disease runs in families.
 Men are more likely to suffer than women, and risks increase with age.

33. Death From Heart Disease Worldwide

35. According to the American College of Sports Medicine
and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,
every adult should get at least 30 minutes of
moderate-intensity physical activity daily.
 walking
 gardening
 climbing stairs
 reduces risk of heart disease, osteoporosis, weight gain, and hypertension
 psychological benefits of sense of control and well-being

36. Heart disease, continued
 There are several environmental and behavioral risk factors that for
heart disease.
 cigarette smoking
 high fat and cholesterol in diet
 lack of physical exercise

37. The Type A’s and Type B’s
 Evidence suggests that some psychological factors are also
related to heart disease.
 People with TYPE A BEHAVIOR PATTERN, which is
characterized by competitiveness, impatience, and a tendency
toward frustration and hostility, are more susceptible to heart
disease.

38. (type A behavior, continued)
 They engage in polyphasic activities -
multiple activities carried out
simultaneously.
 They are easily angered and become
verbally and nonverbally hostile if prevented
from reaching their goals.
 Heart rate and blood pressure rise,
epinephrine and norepinephrine increase.
 Wear and tear on heart produces disease.

39. (type A behavior, continued)
 Evidence is only correlational so we
cannot say Type A behavior causes heart
disease.
 Most experts now say it is the negative
emotion and hostility that are the major
links to heart disease.
 Most research has been done on men;
we need to research women to see if
Type A women are equally susceptible.

40. Type B’s and heart attack risk
 By contrast, people with TYPE B
BEHAVIOR PATTERN, which is
characterized by
noncompetitiveness, patience, and
a lack of aggression, have less
than half the risk of coronary
disease that Type A people have.
~ Not all type A’s are destined to suffer
heart disease!
~ Can learn to behave differently

41. The Threat of Cancer in Middle
Adulthood…
 Cancer is the second leading cause of death in middle
age.
 Many forms of cancer respond well to treatment.
 40 % are still alive 5 years after diagnosis.
 Cancer is unchecked cell growth.

42. Cancer in Middle Adulthood, continued
 Cancer is associated with several risk factors.
 Genetics (family history of cancer) raises the risk.
 Poor nutrition, smoking, alcohol use, exposure to sunlight, exposure to
radiation, and exposure to occupational hazards such as certain
chemicals raises the risk

43. Cancer, continued
Treatment of cancer can take a variety
of forms.
 Radiation therapy involves the use
of radiation to destroy a tumor.
 Chemotherapy involves the
controlled ingestion of toxic
substances meant to poison the
tumor.
 Surgery may be used to remove the
tumor.

44. Early diagnosis of cancer is crucial.
 The earlier that breast cancer is diagnosed, the better a woman’s chance of survival
 Mammography, a weak X-ray, is used to detect breast cancer.
 Women over 50 should routinely have one.
 Younger women have denser breasts and the problem of false positives increases,
which is one reason younger women are not encouraged to have testing done.

45. Mammograms are
expensive ($100. on
average), although
prostate exams for men
are not—What might this
say about the medical
community’s value of
women’s lives?
Critical Thinking…

47. Psychological Factors Related to Cancer
 Increasing evidence suggests that cancer is
related to psychological factors, also.
 The death rate of women with breast cancer was much lower for those
who had a "fighting spirit" or those who denied they had the disease.
 People with close family ties are less likely to develop cancer.
 Cancer patients who are habitually optimistic report less physical and
psychological distress.

48. Psychological Factors Related to Cancer,
continued
 Participating in group therapy reduces
anxiety and pain and increases survival
rates.
 A positive psychological
outlook may be related to
a tendency to adhere to a strict
treatment regimen.
 A positive psychological outlook may
boost the body's immune system…

50. Cognitive Development
Does intelligence decline with age?
 Cross-sectional studies - which test
people of different ages at the same
point in time - clearly showed that older
subjects scored less well than younger
subjects on traditional IQ tests.
 Intelligence peaks at 18, stays steady until mid-20s,
and declines till end of life.

51. Cognitive Development, continued
 These studies suffer from the cohort
effect - influences associated with
growing up at a particular historical time
that affect people of a particular age.
 may be less educated
 may have less stimulation on job
 may have poorer health
Cross-sectional studies may underestimate intelligence in older subjects.

52. Cognitive Development, continued
 Longitudinal studies, in which the same people are studied
periodically over a span of time, revealed different developmental
patterns in intelligence.
 Adults showed stable and even increasing IQ scores until mid-30s
and some to mid-50s, then declined.

53. Longitudinal studies, continued
 Because of repeated testing, some people
remember some of the test items, called the
practice effect.
 People become more comfortable and relaxed
after repeated testing.
 Subjects leave or die during time span; those
who remain may be healthier, more stable, and
psychologically more positive than the people
who dropped out.
 Longitudinal studies may overestimate the
intelligence of older people.

54.  Results of assessments of intelligence are complicated by the fact
that many IQ tests include a physical performance portion.
 These are timed.
 Reaction time slows with age.
 Results may be due to physical changes not cognitive changes

55. Crystallized & Fluid Intelligence
 Many researchers believe there are two kinds of intelligence.
 FLUID INTELLIGENCE is the ability to deal with new problems and
situations.
 Fluid intelligence is inductive reasoning, spatial orientation,
perceptual speed, and verbal memory.
 Fluid intelligence does decline with age.

56. (Crystallized & Fluid Intelligence, continued)
 CRYSTALLIZED INTELLIGENCE is the store of
information, skills, and strategies that people
have acquired through education and prior
experiences, and through their previous use of
fluid intelligence.
 Crystallized intelligence includes numerical
and verbal abilities, such as solving a
crossword puzzle or a mathematical problem.
 Crystallized intelligence holds steady or
increases with age.

57. Changes in Crystallized & Fluid Intelligence

58. (crystallized intelligence)
(fluid intelligence)

59. Competence during middle adulthood:
Reframing the issue
 Even though scores on IQ tests
decline with age, middle-aged
people show no decline in general
cognitive competence.
 Traditional tests may not tap into practical intelligence.
 Highly successful middle-aged people may not be representative of
all middle-aged people.

60. (Competence during middle adulthood:
Reframing the issue, continued)
 Professional success may not rely
exclusively on cognitive ability.
 Older, successful people may have
developed expertise in their particular
occupational area or SELECTIVE
OPTIMIZATION, the process by which
people concentrate on particular skill
areas to compensate for losses in other
areas.

61. Memory in Middle Adulthood
 According to research on memory changes in adulthood, most
people show only minimal losses, and many exhibit no memory loss
in middle adulthood.
 Memory is viewed in terms of three sequential components…

62. Memory in middle adulthood, continued
 Sensory memory is an initial, momentary storage of
information that lasts only an instant.
 No decline in middle age.
 Short-term memory holds information for 15 to 25
seconds.
 No decline in middle age.
 Long-term memory holds information that is rehearsed
for a relatively permanent time.
 Some decline in middle age.
 storage is less efficient
 a reduction in efficiency of memory retrieval

63. Memory Schemas
 We recall information through use of
SCHEMAS, organized bodies of information
stored in memory.
 Schemas allow people to organize, categorize, and interpret new information.
 Schemas allow people to organize their life into coherent wholes and
interpret social events.
 Material that is consistent with existing schemas is more likely to be recalled
than material that is inconsistent.

64.  MNEMONICS are formal strategies for organizing material in ways that
make it more likely to be remembered.
 Method of loci is mentally associating material to be recalled with a particular
location in a well-known building.

65. Mnemonics, continued
 Encoding specificity phenomenon is the principle
that people are most likely to recall information in
environments that are similar to those in which the
information was initially learned.
 The keyword technique is when the learner forms a
mental picture of something and connects it to
something to be remembered.
 Rehearsal is the idea that practice makes perfect.

66. In short…
 People’s previous experiences within the context of a particular culture allow the
construction of schemas in memory as tools for interpreting new encounters
 Schemas, in turn, allow people to comprehend & interpret new encounters
 Memory schemas influence people’s recall of new information
 Material that is consistent with schemas is more likely to be recalled.
~Overall, cognitive development in middle adulthood continues!