Ch20 Socioemotional Development in Late Adulthood

Chapter 20 Socioemotional Development in Late Adulthood Erikson’s Final Stage Integrity versus despair -- reflecting on the past and either piecing together a positive view (integrity) or concluding that one’s life has not been well spent (despair) Life review -- looking back at one’s life experiences, evaluating them, interpreting and reinterpreting their significance Activity Theory Activity theory -- the more active and involved that older adults are, the more likely they are to be satisfied with their lives Successful aging is associated with being active, energetic, and productive Good experience with aging relates to continuing early adult roles or finding substitutes that keep them active and involved Socioemotional Selectivity Theory Socioemotional selectivity theory -- older adults become more selective about their social networks Spend more time with familiar individuals with whom they have rewarding relationships Challenges the stereotype that older adults are in emotional despair and isolation Selective Optimization with Compensation Theory Selective optimization with compensation theory -- successful aging is linked with three main factors: selection, optimization, and compensation selection -- older adults have a reduced capacity and loss of functioning optimization -- it is possible to maintain performance in some areas through practice and use of new technologies compensation -- becomes relevant when life tasks require a level of capacity beyond the current circumstances Effective when people pursue successful outcomes Personality Big Five Factors Stereotyping of Older Adults Ageism -- prejudice against others because of their age Increased numbers living longer and healthier serve to debunk the stereotypes Policy Issues -- health care costs, caring for patients with chronic disease, eldercare Eldercare Eldercare -- physical and emotional caretaking of older members of the family Traditionally done by middle-aged women in the family With so many women in the workforce, concern arises regarding who will be the caregivers Technology Lifestyle Diversity Lifestyles of older adults are changing Married older adults are happier and live longer than those who are single There are social, financial, and physical consequences of divorce for older adults Divorce weakens kinship ties Negative social sanctions for elders who remarry Cohabitation Increasing numbers of older people Goals are primarily for companionship Not marrying allows for retention of personal assets Older Adult Parents and Their Adult Children Adult children are an important part of the social network Gender plays an important role -- adult daughters are more likely to be involved than adult sons Adult children coordinate and monitor services Friendship People choose close friends over new friends as they grow older Friends are associated with contentment Friends may be more important than family in predicting mental health Social Convoy Model Social convoy model -- individuals go through life embedded in a social network of individuals from whom they give and receive social support Social support enhances coping skills Being lonely and socially isolated is a significant health risk Altruism and Volunteerism Older adults “give” more frequently than they “take” Volunteering as an older adult is associated with a number of positive outcomes higher satisfaction less depression and anxiety Ethnicity Minority elderly are over-represented among the poor Double jeopardy -- they face both ageism and racism History of less education, underemployment, poor housing conditions, shorter life expectancy than Whites Strong coping mechanisms (e.g., church membership, family support for elders) Gender Double jeopardy for older women who face ageism and sexism Poverty increased for elderly females Minority females face triple jeopardy -- ageism, sexism, and racism Culture These factors predict status of older adults in a culture Have valuable knowledge Control key family/community resources Permitted to engage in useful functions Role changes involve more responsibility and authority Participation in extended family Respect for older adults may be greater in collectivist cultures Successful Aging Even with disease, improvements in medicine mean older adults can still lead active constructive lives Being active is especially important