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Adult & Elderly
Psychology
ADULT& ELDERLY PSYCHOLOGY
• What is the difference between the wear & tear
theory and the cellular clock theory?
• How can an older person ensure a positive
adjustment to aging?
• Describe each of the stages of death and dying in
order.
INTO ADULTHOOD
• Adulthood begins in the early twenties and with
death in old age.
• It can be divided into young adulthood, middle
adulthood, and late adulthood.
• This PowerPoint will cover middle and late
adulthood.
WHAT PHYSICAL CHANGES OCCUR
DURING ADULTHOOD?
• The 20s are the peak of physical health.
• In the 30s the signs of aging become more visible.
• And in the 40s, visual problems may occur, weight
may increase, strength may decrease, and height
begins to decrease.
• Food For Thought: Has anyone ever experienced
someone in a midlife crisis?
CHANGES IN WOMEN & MEN
• Women experience a physical decline in the
reproductive system called the climacteric, ending
at about age 50 with menopause, when a
woman’s reproductive capabilities are at an end.
• Men go through andropause, a less dramatic
change in testosterone and other male hormones.
HEALTH PROBLEMS IN MIDDLE
ADULTHOOD
• Many health problems first become evident in
Middle Adulthood:
• High blood pressure
• Skin cancers
• Arthritis
• Heart disease
• Stroke
HOW DO SCIENTISTS EXPLAIN WHY
AGING OCCURS
• The cellular clock theory is based on the idea that
cells only have so many times that they can
reproduce, and once that limit is reached,
damaged cells begin to accumulate.
• The wear and tear theory of physical aging states
that as time goes by, repeated use and abuse of
the body’s tissues cause it to be unable to repair all
the damage.
• The free radial theory states that oxygen molecules
with an unstable electron move around the cell,
damaging cell structures as they go.
STAYING ACTIVE
• Research strongly indicates that remaining active
and involved results in the most positive adjustment
to aging.
• Food For Thought: Do you know an elderly person
who is extremely active? What do they do? Do you
think you will do the same things when you get
older?
WHAT ARE THE STAGES OF DEATH
AND DYING?
• Denial: the person refuses to believe that the
diagnosis of death is real.
• Anger: the person experiences feelings of
helplessness to change things.
• Bargaining: the dying person tries to make a deal.
• Depression: the person feels sadness from losses
already experienced.
• Acceptance: the person has accepted the
inevitable and quietly awaits death.