Title: CHAPTER%20ONE%20Studying%20Adult%20Development%20and%20Aging
1CHAPTER ONE Studying Adult Development and Aging
2Perspectives on Adult Development and Aging
- Gerontology The study of aging from maturity
through old age - AGEISM a form of discrimination against older
adults based on their age. - Lets review the results of our class Ageism
Survey
3The Life Span Perspective (LSP)
- LSP views life from conception to death
- LSP divides human development into two phases
- 1. Early (infancy, childhood, and adolescence)
- 2. Later (young adulthood, middle age, and old
age)
4The Life Span Perspective
- Paul Baltes (1987) identified FOUR key features
- 1. Multidirectionality development involves
both growth and decline - 2. Plasticity ones capabilities potential
are not fixed
5The Life Span Perspective
- 3. Historical context development occurs within
a certain set of historical circumstances - Cohort a group of people who share historical
influences of a particular time - 4. Multiple causation
- development is influenced by
- biological, psychological,
- sociocultural, and life-cycle
- forces.
6Biopsychosocial framework
- Forces of development
- Biological forces genetic
- and health-related factors
- Psychological forces internal perceptual,
cognitive, emotional, and personality factors - Sociocultural forces interpersonal, societal,
cultural, and ethnic factors - Life-cycle forces provide a context in which all
the other forces may combine and interact
7The Demographics of AgingPopulation Trends in
the United States
8The Demographics of AgingPopulation Trends in
the United States
- Projected to July 1, 2025
9The Demographics of AgingPopulation Trends in
the United States
- Projected to July 1, 2050
10The Demographics of AgingPopulation Trends in
the United States
- Projected to July 1, 2100
11Interrelations between the Forces Developmental
Influences
- Normative age-graded influences occur to most
people at the same age
12Interrelations between the Forces Developmental
Influences
- Normative history-graded influences events that
most people in a specific culture experience at
the same time.
13Interrelations between the Forces Developmental
Influences
- Non-normative influences random/rare events that
happen to an individual
14There are at least 3 distinct aging processes
- Primary aging normal and disease-free
development during adulthood - Secondary aging developmental
- changes that are related to disease,
- lifestyle, and environmentally induced changes
that - are not inevitable
- Tertiary aging rapid losses that occur shortly
before death (cognition changes, etc.)
15Definitions of Age
- Chronological age age in years since birth
- Perceived age the age you think of yourself as
- Biological age where one is in relation to
possible life span - Psychological age Involves functioning levels
- Sociocultural age refers to expected roles one
has in relation to others
16Core Issues in Development
- The nature-nurture issue Do genetics or
environment shape the individual? - The stability-change issue Do people remain the
same over time? - The continuity-discontinuity controversy Is
development smooth or does it occur in abrupt
shifts? - Plasticity capacity is not fixed and can be
changed - The universal versus context-specific
development controversy Is development the same
for everyone all over the world?
17Research Methods
- Research often starts with a hunch about a
phenomenon. - In order to conduct research, one must form a
hypothesis, a testable statement that predicts an
outcome. - Do you think that computer games can increase
ones cognitive abilities? - Hypothesis Using Lumosity for at least 20
minutes per day will increase cognitive abilities
18Research MethodsSystematic Observation
- Researchers carefully and systematically observe
and record behavior without interfering with
behavior - Naturalistic observation
- Purpose is to observe how people or animals
behave in their natural environments. - Laboratory (Structured) observation
- Purpose is to observe how people or animals
behave in a more controlled setting.
19Research MethodsCase study
- A detailed description of a particular individual
being studied or treated, which may be used to
formulate broader research hypotheses
20Research MethodsSelf Reports/Surveys
- Questionnaires and interviews ask people about
experiences, attitudes, or opinions - Social desirability the tendency of
participants to respond in a way they think is
socially acceptable or desirable rather than how
they truly feel or think
21Correlational Research Design
- A correlational study looks for a consistent
relationship between two phenomena - Correlation A statistical measure of how
strongly two variables are related to one
another. - Correlation coefficients can range from -1.0 to
1.0.
22Direction of correlations
- Positive correlations
- An association between increases in one variable
and increases in another, or decreases in one
variable and decreases in the other. - Negative correlations
- An association between increases in one variable
and decreases in another.
23Explaining correlations
- Correlations show patterns, not causes.
- Third variable effect or confounding variable an
alternative explanation for the cause of a
behavior or event other than the expected cause - Correlational analysis can not rule out
confounding variables.
24Experimental Research Design
- Allows psychologists to determine the cause of a
behavior by controlling for confounding variables - Experiment a controlled test of a hypothesis in
which the researcher manipulates one variable to
discover its effect on another
25Variables of interest
- Independent variables
- Variables the experimenter manipulates
- Dependent variables Variables the experimenter
predicts will be affected by manipulations of the
independent variable(s)
26Representative sample
- A subgroup that accurately reflects the
population about which the researcher wishes to
draw conclusions
27Research groups
- Experimental Group exposed to the variable of
interest (treatment) - Control Group a comparison condition in which
subjects are treated like the experimental group
except for the variable of interest - Hypothesis A testable statement that predicts an
outcome. - Example Using Lumosity for at least
- 20 minutes per day will increase
- cognitive abilities
28Conducting Research Ethically
- Minimize risks to research participants.
- Describe the research to potential participants.
- Avoid deception.
- Results should be anonymous or confidential.
29Research Methods
- Reliability Consistency in findings
- Validity Does research measure the phenomenon of
interest?
30Designs for Studying Development
- Cross-sectional designs test or observe people
of different ages at the same time - Longitudinal designs test or observe the same
individuals repeatedly at different points in
their lives - Sequential designs represent different
combinations of cross-sectional or longitudinal
studies - Meta-analysis Integrates findings from
different studies - Powerful tool
- Determines whether a finding generalizes across
many studies that used different methods