Ch. 13 Late adulthood 1

What are the age brackets for the substages of older adulthood?

What is the aging pattern in the U.S. and other developed countries? What are the main reasons for this change?

Describe what happens with attention in older adulthood. (Focus on selective attention & divided attention.)

What happens with memory in late adulthood? Focus on working memory, semantic memory, episodic memory, and procedural memory.

What is the “paradox of well-being”?

What is the positivity effect? Why do older adults have less stressful lives?

On the other hand, what are two factors that can make late adult the worst time of life?

Describe Erikson’s stage for people in late adulthood. What is the challenge/task?

What is the retirement age (receiving Social Security) for people who are currently middle aged or younger?

How is the 65+ stage of life changing in regards to working? (Is everybody retiring for good at age 65?)

Which retirees are more likely to feel happy/good after retirement? (What are the factors associated with higher well-being after retirement?)

Which retirees are more likely to feel worse after retirement? (What are the factors associated with lower well-being after retirement?)

Describe the changes in U.S. poverty by age groups over time (since the 1960’s). What are some reasons for these changes?

Describe the experience of widowhood. What is the most acute pain/risk? What is the “cure” for this?

What are the gender differences in risk during widowhood?

Terms to define/understand

  • Semantic memory
  • Procedural memory
  • Episodic memory
  • Working memory
  • Young-old
  • Old-old
  • Ageism
  • Social Security
  • Private pensions
  • Age discrimination
  • Widowhood