PSYCO 305 B2
Adult Development: Myths and
Realties of Aging
Course Business
Prerequisities
PSYCO 104 (or equivalent),
PSYCO 105 (or equivalent), and
STAT 151 (OR PSYCO 211)
• Instructor
Sheree Kwong See (Office Hours- see outline)
• Teaching Assistant
Tracey Eng (Office Hours TBA)
Course Business
• Text
Whitbourne (2001)
• Code of Student Behavior
– http://www.ualberta.ca/~unisecr/policy/sec30.html
• Course Web Page
– http://www.psych.ualberta.ca/~kwongsee/psyco305/
Course Business
• Evaluation
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2 Term Exams (22.5% each)
Final Exam (25%)
Debate Paper (15%)
Group Presentation (5%)
Life History Project (10%)
Debate Paper and Presentation
• Assigned a debate topic (see outline)
• Research and develop a written argument
for both sides of the debate
• Present with others assigned the same topic
and point of view for 15 minutes
• Lead the class in discussion
Topic 1
Can cognitive age changes be stalled or even
reversed by physical exercise?
Topic 2
Should the driving license of older people be
taken away?
Topic 3
“If everyone lived long enough, everyone would
eventually be demented”.
Is Alzheimer’s Disease just an exaggerated form
of aging? What is the evidence for and against
this point of view?
Life History Project
Goal is to add a “human face” to the course
material
Interview a senior (will discuss ethical issues)
Produce a written life history report
Overview
Introductory Lecture
1. Myths and realities of aging: An
introductory exercise
The Facts on Aging Quiz
2. Where does this course fit into the larger
intellectual domain?
Gerontology
The Facts on Aging Quiz
The Facts on Aging Quiz
• Key:
– Odd numbered items = False
– Even numbered items = True
Typically an average person with no training in
gerontology gets about 50% correct
Facts on Aging Quiz
WHAT IS YOUR BIAS TOWARDS AGING?
COMPUTE YOUR NEGATIVE AGE BIAS:
(# WRONG FOR 1,3,5,7,8,9,10,11,13,16,17,18,21,22,24,25) DIVIDE
BY 16.
COMPUTE YOUR POSITIVE AGE BIAS:
(# WRONG FOR 2, 4, 6, 12, 14) DIVIDE BY 5
COMPUTE YOUR NET BIAS
% POSITIVE ERRORS MINUS % NEGATIVE ERRORS
IF THE NUMBER IS POSITIVE YOU HAVE A POSITIVE AGE BIAS.
IF THE NUMBER IS NEGATIVE YOU HAVE A NEGATIVE AGE
BIAS.
Overview
Introductory Lecture
 Myths and realities of aging: An
introductory exercise

The Facts on Aging Quiz
2. Where does this course fit into the larger
intellectual domain?
Gerontology
Gerontology
• Gerontology is
Is the study of aging from maturity (young
adulthood) through older age as well as the
study of older persons as a special group
Gerontology
Gerontology is interdisciplinary
1. Biological
2. Sociological
3. Anthropological
4. Historical
5. Psychological
Psychology
Psychology is the scientific study of behavior and
mind
Level of analysis is different for
cognitive psychology
social psychology
personality
developmental psychology
Developmental Psychology
Developmental psychology is the branch of
psychology aimed at understanding age-related
changes in behavior and mind that individuals
experience throughout the lifespan
childhood/adolescence= developmental psychology
adulthood and aging= psychology of aging/lifespan
development
The Big Picture
Gerontology
Psychology
Developmental
(Psychology of
Aging)