PSYC 2314 Lifespan Development

1. PSYC 2314Lifespan Development Chapter 20 Middle Adulthood: Biosocial Development

2. Physical Changes in Middle Adulthood • Graying and thinning of the hair • Drying and wrinkling of the skin • Change in body shape • Loss in height

3. Sense Organs • Hearing • Environmentally caused • Men are more likely to developed hearing loss • Genetic • Age

4. Sense Organs • Vision • Farsightedness and astigmatism • Depth perception, eye-muscle resilience, color sensitivity and adaptation to darkness • Glaucoma

5. Vital Body Systems • Immune system is actually stronger. However, recovery takes longer. • Autoimmune disease—when the immune system mistakes the person’s own body cells for foreign invaders and attacks them (rheumatoid arthritis or lupus).

6. Health Habits • Smoking • A risk factor for many diseases. • Nonsmokers have a 30% higher risk of lung cancer if they are married to smokers than if they are married to nonsmokers. • All smoking diseases are dose- and duration-sensitive.

7. Health Habits • Alcohol • Moderate use may lower the risk of heart disease • Heavy use is the main cause of cirrhosis of the liver • Puts stress on the heart and stomach • Destroys brain cell • Hastens calcium loss associated with osteoporosis • A risk factor in many forms of cancer

8. Health Habits • Nutrition • Strongly related to the onset and progress of heart disease and cancer. • A high-fat, low-fiber diet promotes the development of heart disease and several types of cancer.

9. Health Habits • Weight • Overweight is present in 2 out of every 3 middle-aged residents of the US. • Obesity is a risk factor for heart disease, diabetes, and stroke. It is also a contributing factor for arthritis.

10. Health Habits • Vigorous exercise for at least 30 minutes daily: • Increases heart and lung capacity and metabolism • Lowers blood pressure • Reduces the ratio of body fat to body weight • Enhances cognitive functioning through improved blood circulation • Improves self-image and general sense of well-being

11. Variations in Health • Four distinct measures of health • Mortality • Morbidity • Disability • Vitality • Quality-adjusted life years (QUALYs): calculates how many years of full vitality are lost as a result of a particular disease or disability.

12. Ethnicity and Health • Mortality • African Americans die at twice the rate of European Americans, who themselves die at twice the rate of Asian Americans. • Native Americans have about 20% higher death rate and Hispanic Americans a 20% lower rate than the overall average • Morbidity and disability follow the same ethnic patterns.

13. Beyond Black and White • Group differences in health are often misattributed to genes and ancestry: • Current education • SES • Pressures and opportunities provided by the larger society

14. Gender Differences • Mortality • Middle-aged men are twice as likely to die of any cause and three times as likely to die of heart disease. • Men are more likely to smoke, drink, be overweight, repress emotions, and ignore their medical symptoms. • Morbidity and disability • Women have higher rates than men.

15. Sexual Reproductive System • Sexual responses gradually become slower and less distinct • Reproduction less likely • Attitudes are more important than biology in assessing the impact of these changes.

16. The Climacteric • Climacteric: various biological and psychological changes that accompany menopause: • Variations in the timing of a woman’s menstrual cycle • Hot flashes and cold sweats • Drier skin • Loss of breast tissue, bone calcium

17. HRT • Hormone Replacement Therapy • Reduce the risk of coronary heart disease, Alzheimer’s disease, tooth loss, and hip fractures. • Long-term consequences are not yet known, however, may increase the risk of some forms of cancer, particularly breast cancer.

18. Psychological Impact of Menopause • Historical changes have meant that the end of childbearing is now determined less by age than by personal factors, such as the number of children a couple already has or the couple’s financial status. The end of childbearing thus represents a conscious decision and makes menopause—the time when sexual activity is no longer accompanied by fear of pregnancy—a liberating and welcomed event.

19. Sexual Expression • Sexual activities usually declines in terms of frequency of intercourse and orgasm. • Sexual stimulation, esp. in men, takes longer and needs to be more direct • A reduction in the intensity of orgasmic reactions and less vigorous contractions and ejaculations.