Development Through the
Lifespan
Chapter 15
Physical and Cognitive
Development in
Middle Adulthood
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Vision and Hearing Changes
in Middle Adulthood
Vision
 Presbyopia
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Problems reading small print
Bifocals if nearsighted
Difficulties in dim light
Reduced color discrimination
Glaucoma risk
Hearing
 Presbycus
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Most loss in high tones
Hearing aids can help
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Skin Changes in
Middle Adulthood
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Wrinkles
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Sagging
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Face, arms, legs
Age Spots
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Forehead – starting in 30s
Crow’s Feet
After age 20
Faster with sun exposure, for women
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Muscle-Fat Makeup
in Middle Adulthood
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Middle-age spread common –
fat gain in torso
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Men: upper abdomen, back
Women: waist, upper arms
Very gradual muscle declines
Low-fat, calorie-reduced diet
and exercise can help
Menopause
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Average age 51
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Physical & psychological
symptoms
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Ranges from 42–58, 10–year
climacteric period
Hot flashes, headaches, sleep loss,
slower sexual response
Interpretation affects adjustment
Hormone Replacement Therapy
controversial
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Lifestyle, diet options
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Male Reproductive Changes
in Middle Adulthood
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Reduced sperm and semen
after 40
Gradual testosterone reduction
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Sexual activity stimulates
production
Erection Problems
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Stress, alcohol, heart or other
diseases increase
Viagra
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Sexuality in Middle Adulthood
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Slight drop in frequency among
married couples
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Intensity of response declines
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Continue patterns from early adulthood
More sex in good marriages
Slower arousal; partner may seem less
attractive
Gender differences
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More women with no partners; lack of
opportunity
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Leading Causes of Death
in Middle Adulthood
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Cancer Sites in the Body
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Cardiovascular Disease
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Symptoms
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Risk Conditions
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Heart attack
Angina pectoris – chest pain
Arrhythmia
High blood cholesterol
High blood pressure
Atherosclerosis
Osteoporosis
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Bones more porous; lose bone mass
 Men: 8–12%
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Women: up to 50%
Menopause estrogen drop
speeds bone loss
Bone breaks can be
life-threatening
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Prevention, treatment:
 Diet – vitamin D, calcium
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Weight-bearing exercise
Hormone therapy for women at low cancer risk
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Hostility and Health
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Expressed Hostility
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Frequent angry outbursts
Rudeness, contempt
Disagreeable verbal and nonverbal
behavior
Health Effects
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Cardiovascular problems
Depression and dissatisfaction
Health complaints, illnesses
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Stress Management
Problem-Centered Emotion-Centered
Coping
Coping
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Identify and
appraise problems
Choose and
implement potential
solutions
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Control distress when
problem can’t be solved
Hardiness
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Control
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Commitment
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Regard most experiences
as controllable
Find interest and meaning
in daily activities
Challenge
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View as normal part of life,
chance for growth
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Fluid and Crystallized
Intelligence
Fluid
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Depends on basic
information processing
skills:
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Detecting relationships
among stimuli
Analytical speed
Working memory
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Crystallized
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Skills that depend on:
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Accumulated knowledge
Experience
Good judgment
Master of social
conventions
Valued by person’s
culture
Longitudinal Trends in
Six Mental Abilities
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Verbal and Performance IQ
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Individual and Group Factors in
High Intelligence Scores
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Lifestyle
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Personal
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High education
Complex job or leisure
Lasting marriage
High SES
Flexible personality
Healthy
Sex
Cohort
Perceptual speed
Age-Related Slowing of
Cognitive Processing
Neural Network
View
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Neurons in brain die
Brain forms new
connections
New connections are
less efficient
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Information-Loss
View
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Information lost at each
step through cognitive
system
Whole system slows
down to inspect
information
Coping with Age-Related
Cognitive Slowing
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Factual Knowledge
Procedural
Knowledge
Metacognitive
Knowledge
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Practical Problem Solving and
Expertise
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Practical Problem Solving
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Evaluate real-world situations
Achieve goals that have high uncertainty
Expertise
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Efficient, effective approaches to solving
problems, including practical problems
Organized around abstract principles
Result of years of experience
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Vocational Life and
Cognitive Development
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Cognitive and personality
characteristics affect job
choice
Once in job, it affects cognition
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Complex work increases
cognitive flexibility
Becoming a Student in Midlife
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40% of North American college
students over age 25
58% are women
Reasons diverse
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Job change, better income
Life transition
Personal achievement, self-enrichment
Concerns about handling class
work, balancing demands outside
school
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