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Wize University Psychology Textbook > Development

Aging

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Aging


Physical Development

After 40, basal metabolic rate (the rate at which the resting body converts food to energy) declines, which can result in weight gain. Oxygen consumption becomes less efficient.

Around 50, women experience menopause - ovaries stop producing estrogen and fertility ends. Men continue to be fertile, but at lower levels.

Brain tissue declines as we age - greatest loss is in the frontal and parietal lobes

Cognitive Development

Fluid intelligence declines with age, but crystallized intelligence increases throughout middle adulthood and into older adulthood

Perceptual speed, memory for new information, working memory, inductive reasoning, and spatial memory all decline with age. Declines are particularly noticeable when tasks are speeded or there are lots of distractions

Prospective memory, the ability to make and carry out plans in the future, shows a mixed pattern with older adults performing better in the real world and worse in the lab

Low physical and cognitive activity levels are associated with greater declines in performance

Social, Emotional, and Personality Development

Older adults are generally better at maintaining positive emotions and inhibiting negative emotions.

Older adults tend to have fewer peripheral social partners (acquaintances), but the same number of close relationships as younger adults

Practice: Aging

Which of the following tasks are older adults likely to perform best on?