Psychology of Adulthood and Aging Exam II Study Guide

You should be able to:

• Describe the demographic characteristics of American adults over the age 65
  living arrangements, socioeconomic status, educational level, and physical health

• Explain what is meant by the phrase, "graying of America."

• Define age structure and describe the changes occurring in the nation's age structure.

• Discuss historical changes in life expectancy and describe race and sex differences in life expectancy.

• Distinguish between longevity, life expectancy and potential life span.

• Describe the factors that are useful in predicting longevity.

• Analyze the social and economic impact of an aging population and dependency ratio.

• Describe the general effects of social class including racism, sexism and ageism.

• Define the term, "hidden poor".

• Describe the combined effects of race and poverty among the elderly.

• Define androgyny.

• Describe the changing global population trends expected by 2020

• Define aging and discuss the reasons for aging.

• Compare and contrast primary aging and secondary aging.

• Discuss ideas about why people age.

• Evaluate Hayflick's biogenetic view of aging.

• Discuss genetic theories of aging and compare genetic mutation theory, genetic switching theory, error catastrophe theory and free radical theory.

• Discuss how aging is influenced by dietary, antioxidant and lifestyle decisions.

• Describe changes in physical appearance with age.

• Define osteoporosis and list ways to fight this disease.

• Explain how aging affects changes in circulation.

• Summarize age changes in hormone regulation and reproduction.

• Discuss age-related changes in vision; include presbyopia and age changes in contrast sensitivity.

• Describe cataracts and glaucoma and the causes and treatments.

• Discuss typical changes in hearing with age.

• Define prebycusis and tinnitus.

• Discuss age-related changes in taste, smell and touch.

• Summarize typical changes in temperature, pain and kinesthetic senses with age.

• Discuss different causes and effects of falls in the elderly.

• Describe typical age-related changes in muscular strength and coordination and how these changes affect physical work.

• Summarize what is known about aging and peak athletic performance.

• Describe the locations and functions of the following areas of the brain and how they are modified by aging: ARAS, cerebellum, limbic system and hippocampus.

• Know the general functions of the four lobes of the cerebral cortex (frontal, temporal, parietal, occipital), and discuss the effects of damage in these areas, specifically discussing aphasia and agnosia.

• Discuss the effects of nerve cell losses in the hypothalamus, substantia nigra, locus coeruleus, limbic system, hippocampus and cerebral cortex.

• Summarize structural changes in the cell bodies, dendrites and axons of neurons.

• Explain age changes associated with the neurotransmitters acetylcholine and dopamine and how they affect functioning.

• Describe techniques for measuring brain activity and summarize what they reveal about biological aging: Include CT scans, MRIs, PETs and EEGs.

• Distinguish among dementia, senility and senescence.

• Describe the symptoms of Alzheimer's disease and its incidence.

• Describe the progressive stages of Alzheimer's disease.

• Discuss the causes and treatment of Alzheimer's disease.

• Summarize the contribution to understanding Alzheimer's made by Snowdon's Nun study.

• Distinguish among the following types of dementia: multi-infarct dementia, mixed dementia, Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, AIDS dementia complex, and focal brain damage.

• Distinguish between true dementia and depressive pseudodementia.

• Describe Parkinson's disease and its treatment; include the role of dopamine in the treatment.

• Discuss the possibilities for promotion, prevention, and optimization of good mental health.

• Evaluate how the United States uses Healthy People 2010 to help meet the mental health needs of the elderly.

• Define mental health and discuss the incidence of mental illness.

• Explain the diathesis-stress model.

• Discuss the effects of both age and ethnicity in utilization of mental health services.

• Summarize steps that mental health professionals can take to improve the accessibility and quality of their services for older ethnic group members.

• Explain how Hispanic cultural values influence how they deal with mental health problems and with professional mental health agencies.

• Analyze utilization of mental health systems in terms of the barrier theory.

• Discuss the incidence of clinical depression across age, gender, and living situations.

• Analyze why diagnosis of clinical depression is more difficult among the elderly.

• Distinguish characteristics of dementia and depression among the elderly and why there can be confusion between dementia and pseudodementia.

• List functional disabilities that increase the risk for clinical depression among the elderly.

• Describe treatments for clinical depression that are effective with elderly clients and help differentiate it from Alzheimer's Disease.

• Describe why caregivers of demented relatives are likely to develop depression.

• Discuss suicide risk across age groups, gender, and ethnic groups.

• Discuss the possible causes of alcoholism in the elderly.

• Compare alcoholism across gender and differentiate the differences between early-onset and later-onset alcoholism.

• Describe the three-pronged approach of the Gerontology Alcohol Project

• Evaluate the role of ethnicity in affecting treatment with regard to: care management, individual therapy, group therapy, and language of therapy.

• Distinguish between retirement that has a "crisp exit" versus "blurred transitions" and possible causes of one vs. the other.

• List and explain intervention options and the four goals of intervention.

• Explain how some problems are ignored or explained away as simply "old age."

• Describe updated techniques of intervention and why a combination of techniques is most effective.

• List the role of geropsychologists in providing support to the elderly.

• Compare and contrast community-based interventions and institutional interventions

• Discuss the negative effects of providing too much support before it is really necessary, as well as not giving enough intervention.

• Distinguish among these interventions: behavior therapy, reality orientation, reminiscence therapy, milieu therapy, and expressive therapies.

• Discuss the therapeutic effects of pets for both institutionalized and community residing elderly.

• Describe the benefits of volunteering on the elderly and differentiate between its effects on younger and older adults.

• Describe definitions of competence and incompetence and why it can be difficult to determine competence.

• Define the four legal "threshold" cognitive standards for competence.

• Distinguish between a court-appointed guardian or conservator and one's appointment of a person with "durable power of attorney."

• Summarize the three main conditions determining one's mental capacity to complete a will.