The developing and aging personality
reading: personality (personal priorities) and well being sections- 12 and 13
;also selective optimization with compensation 378-9)
•A note on the inner meaning of middle age
•A note on the difficulty of defining
And measuring personality
THE WAYS WE DON’T CHANGE
(much): EXPLORING THE BIG FIVE
extraverson
openness
conscientiousness
agreeableness
Neuroticism
openness as the key to a good life
a nature-evokes-nurture explanation of personality
stability
The ways we do change: In our
priorities and life goals #1
McAdams Explores generativity
when does generativity flower?
who are the generative adults?
( commitment script/generative strivings/redemption
sequence)
Take this and Hand in
Priorities and Goals #2: Focusing on life’s
finitude
Carstensen’s Socioemotional Selectivity theory
Emphasizing enjoying the present
Prioritizing close attachments
Exploring happiness # 1: What does it
mean to be happy?
Hedonic
Eudaimonic
Exploring happiness #2: Happiness
perceptions and research facts
Exploring happiness #3:
Do we get more mature and happy
with age?
A better question: WHO gets happier and
more mature?
Impact of life stress in promoting maturity
Impact of basic values in promoting maturity
Why old age (can be) very happy and
very sad
Making the happiness case:
Less life stress
The late life positivity effect
Making the sadness case: being poor and
alone
Keys to happiness at ANY age
Feel efficacious
Be generative
use selective optimization
with compensation to engineer your life
The developing and aging mind
read: intelligence section ch 12; memory section ch 13
Exploring the WAIS
Exploring the age decline in verbal and performance tests
Exploring fluid and Crystallized skills
How this looks depending on the test
How this works in terms of creativity
and careers
Exploring age friendly and unfriendly careers
Exploring the role of enduring
abilities
Keeping intelligent with age
Impact of not getting ill (terminal drop)
Impact of stimulating jobs with
people
Alternate ideas about intelligence
What does it mean to be intelligent in
life?
Exploring the features of post formal thought
Exploring wisdom
YEA!! We are apt to GET WISE AFTER AGE 60—
(depending on how we measure wisdom-of course!)
Memory
the dismal findings
What makes things worse (divided attention)
The aging brain
(why working memory doesn’t work as well)
memory systems theory
Episodic
Semantic
Procedural
(and explaining Alz. Disease)
Give another example of each
memory system and hand it in
Making Your Memory Good
Use selective optimization with compensation
Use mnemonic techniques
Use external aids (when you can!)
Life roles (and sex!)
Read: Roles and issues section ch 12—382-388; transitions
section ch 13 (409- end of chapter)
SEX
Males: Its mainly physical
Refractory period/erection and
ejaculation changes
Females: Its mainly
social
When women are sexiest
Exploring the cougar effect
Menopause facts and stereotypes
STAYING SEXY WITH AGE
Older families: Myths and realities
Quiz
• Midlife adults are stressed between caring for
their children and their elderly parents (T/ F)
• Being close to your parents/grandparents means
sharing your basic feelings and concerns (T/F)
• Your parents love you more than you love them
(T/F).
• In collectivist nations people are happy to care
for their elderly (vs in the U.S.) (T/F)
Grandparenthood: That wonderful
and difficult life role
Why do we need them? (Family watchdogs)
What hurdles do they face?
(maternal vs paternal grandparents; custodial
grandparents)
Parent care: That difficult life job
What’s the basic issue here?
Who the caregivers really are?
What makes things better or worse?
Life transitions quiz (T/F)
• The age for getting your full social security is 65
• Most baby boomers expect to retire at 65
• Widowhood hits men hardest—in that they die
sooner
• People who have the happiest marriages have
the most trouble recovering after they lose a
spouse.
• People can almost always benefit from
attending a widowhood group
Life transitions 1: retirement
Exploring the upwardly shifting retirement age
Exploring the truth about social security
(and pensions)
Exploring issues of intergenerational equity
Predicting Who Will be Happy as a
Retiree
Life Transitions #2:Widowhood
Exploring bereavement
When should mourning “end”?
Continuing bonds
What makes things better (or worse)?
What should you do to help (or not help!)?
Surviving widowhood
( And Exploring Our Societal
Mourning Myths)