Adult Development
• Genetics and lifestyle combine to determine course of physical changes
• Social development involves marriage and transition to parenthood
• Paths of adult social development are varied and include diversity of lifestyles
Physical Development
Physical Development Of Adulthood20-35
We reach our physical peak
– fastest reaction time
– most acute sensory awareness
– highest cardiac output at age 20-29
35-64– Aging process
• Multibillion dollar industry
– Menopause:• Starts late
40’s-ending of menstrual cycle
64-Death– Sight, smell and
hearing usually begin a steep decline @ 65.
– At age 80 your brain will weigh 5% less than it does now.
– By 65 you’ll have built up enough antibodies that you’re less likely to get the common cold.• Immune system
goes down, antibodies goes up
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Old Age: Sensory Abilities• After age 70 there is a sharp decrease in all of the following
• Hearing• Retina function• Distance perception• Sense of smell • Muscle strength• Reaction time• Stamina
• After 80, neural processes slow down, especially for complex tasks.
Life Expectancy• Elderly are more afraid of the process
of dying than they are of death• 1950: 49 years• 1995: 67 years• 2010: 78.2 years
Old Age: Alzheimer’s Disease• Progressive & irreversible brain disorder characterized by gradual deterioration of
memory, reasoning, language, and physical functioning. • Not part of normal development• AD is the most common cause of dementia among people age 65 and older.• Scientists estimate that around 4.5 million people now have AD.• For every 5-year age group beyond 65, the percentage of people with AD doubles.
• Symptoms can include weight loss, seizures, skin infections, groaning, moaning, or grunting, increased sleeping, loss of bladder and bowel control.
• Death usually occurs from aspiration pneumonia or other infections.
• Senile Dementia- Mental disintegration that accompanies alcoholism, tumor, stroke, aging, and most often, Alzheimer's disease.
Cognitive Development
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Aging and Memory• Easy to recall• Recent past events• Events that happened
a decade or two
• Difficult to recall• Names
Prospective Memory
• Remembering to perform intended actions in the future, or simply, remembering to remember.
• Decline as age increases • Examples:– Remembering to take medicine at night before going
to bed– Remembering to deliver a message to a friend– Remembering to pick up flowers for a significant
other on an anniversary
Studying the Aging Process: Research Methods Review
• Phase I: Cross Sectional– People of different ages are compared with one
another…Ask your little brother, best friend, mom, and grandpa the same question…compare answers
• Phase II: Longitudinal– Same people are studied over a long period of
time
Social Clock
• The culturally preferred timing of social events such as marriage, parenthood, and retirement
Social Development
Social Clock
First pet: First kiss: First job: First time in love: First heartbreak: Leave home: Establish a career:
Marriage: First child: Buy home: First signs of midlife
crisis: First grandchild: Retire:
Social ClockResults From England, 2011
First cell phone: 11 (D)First kiss: 14 (D/U)First job: 17 (D)First time in love: 18 (D)First heartbreak: 20 (D)Leave home: 20 (U)Establish a career: 23 (U)
Marriage: 25 (U)First child: 27 (U)Buy home: 33 (U)First signs of midlife crisis:
41 (U/D)First grandchild: 54 (U)Retire: 59 (U)
Love and Work• Love and work are defining themes in adult life. Love• Evolutionary psychologists believe that commitment has
survival value. • Parents that stay together are likely to leave a viable
future generation.Work• Happiness stems from working in a job that fits your interests• Provides you with a sense of competence and
accomplishment.
History of Marriage• In most Western societies, men have played a dominant
role in marriage- known as patriarchy. Gender roles are changing…
• More people have been delaying marriage in recent decades to pursue educational and career goals.
• Romantic love is still the main reason for marriage in the US
• NY Times poll found that 86 % of people still expect marriage to be for the rest of their lives.
Love/Marriage Lasts Longer If…
• Couples are– Over 20– Have a stable income – Dated a long time before getting married– Well-educated.
• There are components of the following:– Intimate self-disclosure– Shared emotional support– Similar Interests & Values
What influences who you marry?
Marriage & Relationships• An important part of adulthood is forming
identity- who you are and what you stand for. Which is also important in a relationship.• Lack of personal identity is often why
teenage marriages suffer a higher divorce rate.
Mrs. GanasJuly 17, 2010
Reason’s for Divorce• Increased economic
independence of women.
• Increasingly high expectations
• Abuse, infidelity, strains from illness or finances, inability to communicate.
• Research has shown that living together before marriage increases the likelihood of divorce.
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Well-Being Across the Life Span
Research collected from 170,000 people in 16 nations found that on average older people are just as happy as young adults & actually that 25 yr olds are more likely to report feeling worthless, sad or nervous than 70 yr olds.
