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Variety of wear and tear on the body’s systems makes it less likely to be able to selfrepair & regenerate.
o Skin: loss of fat and collagen in underlying tissue → wrinkles o Hair: decline in melanin production → graying and thinning o Height: Bone loss in vertebrae → loss of height o visio n, taste , motor speed, physical strength

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Cellular-Clock Theory o
Cells can divide approximately 100 times & then no longer able to reproduce
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Free-Radical Theory o
Unstable oxygen molecules cause damage to
DNA and other cellular structures
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Hormonal Stress Theory o
Aging lowers body’s ability to cope with stress.
Stress hormones stay around longer

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Crystallized intelligence: o
Ability to use acquired knowledge, skills, and experience → increases with age
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Fluid intelligence: o
Logical thinking and problem solving - thinking about new information → decreases with age
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Processing speed: declines starting in middle adulthood
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Memory: declines in general...might take longer, but likely to be accurate
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Wisdom...INCREASES with age

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Generativity versus Stagnation o
Making a contribution to the next generation o
Usually satisfied by having children and being positively involved parenting them.
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Integrity versus Despair o
Last years of life involve looking back and evaluating one’s life...review and reminiscence!
o
Strong sense of integrity = experiencing life as a meaningful and coherent whole → faces last years with sense of meaning and low fear of death.

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More selective about social relationships.
o Old view of old age: leads to loneliness and disengagement o New view of old age: leads to enjoying life, hobbies and family
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Happiness & life satisfaction increases with age...peaking at age 65!
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Socioemotional Selectivity Theory: o awareness of limited time left → selective with social relationships so the most important ones can be maximized.
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Embrace the moment - the present matters much more than the future or the past.
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The more active and involved → the more satisfied and healthy.