PSYC 2007: Later Life--The Personal Contexts
Mar. 4 and 6 and 11, 2014
Personal Contexts of Later
Life
The Personal Contexts of
Later Life
Physical, Cognitive and Mental Health
Issues
 Demographics of Aging
 Life Expectancy
 Biological Theories of Aging
 Physiological Changes
 Memory
 Creativity and Wisdom
Personal Contexts of Later
Life
 Demographics of Aging

Life Expectancy

o og ca Theories
eo es o
of Aging
g g
Biological

Physiological Changes

Memory

Creativity and Wisdom
Northeastern Ontario: % 65 and over = 15.2%
15 2%
Ontario:
i % 65 and
d over = 12.9%
Nipissing District: % 65 and over = 14.7%
1
PSYC 2007: Later Life--The Personal Contexts
Mar. 4 and 6 and 11, 2014
Personal Contexts of Later
Life

Demographics of Aging
 Life Expectancy

Biological Theories of Aging

Physiological Changes

Memory

Creativity and Wisdom
Life Expectancy
 Life Expectancy
 Age at which ½ of cohort born in
that particular year will have died
Life Expectancy across the G7
Downloaded from : http://www4.hrsdc.gc.ca/[email protected]?iid=3#M_1
Downloaded from : http://www4.hrsdc.gc.ca/[email protected]?iid=3#M_1
Life Expectancy
Life Expectancy
 Potential Life Span
 Females tend to live longer than
males
 Maximum age that is possible
 Absolute limit of human life
 5 years longer, on average
 Why?
 Genetics most likely cause
 Protection from extra X
chromosome
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PSYC 2007: Later Life--The Personal Contexts
Mar. 4 and 6 and 11, 2014
Life Expectancy
Life Expectancy
 Life expectancy has been
increasing
 Longevity
 Better health care
 Better nutrition
 Better hygiene
Life Expectancy
 Longevity
 Is there something special about
those living the longest?
Personal Contexts of Later
Life
 Influences on longevity
 Genetics
 Life-styles
 E.g., smoking lowers life
expectancy by 12 years
 Obesity
 Lowers life expectancy by 1.5
years for every 10% overweight
What’s special about those
living the longest?
 Those living to be 90+ have
certain attitude toward life
 Have moderate and flexible attitude
to a ds life
towards
 They are adaptable
 They are able to handle whatever comes
their way
Theories of Biological
Aging

Demographics of Aging
 Wear and Tear Theory

Life Expectancy
 Cellular Theories
 Biological
g
Theories of Aging
g g

Physiological Changes

Memory

Creativity and Wisdom
 Cellular Clock Theory
 Free-Radical Theory
 Metabolic Theories
 Hormonal Stress theory
3
PSYC 2007: Later Life--The Personal Contexts
Mar. 4 and 6 and 11, 2014
Theories of Biological
Aging
 Wear and Tear Theory


Cellular Theories

Cellular Clock Theory

Free Radical Theory
Free-Radical
Metabolic Theories

Hormonal Stress theory
Theories of Biological
Aging

Wear and Tear Theory
 Cellular Theories
 Cellular Clock Theory


Free-Radical Theory
Metabolic Theories

Hormonal Stress theory
Wear and Tear Theory
 Reason we age and then die
 Body wears out over time
 This theory is limited and
explains only a few aspects of
aging
Cellular Clock Theory
 Leonard Hayflick’s (1977) view
 Cells can divide only limited number of
times
 About 75-80
 As we age
 Cells become less capable of dividing
 Instead, they die
 Upper limit of human life span
 120 years
Cellular Clock Theory
 Research supporting this view
 According to Martin & Buckwalter (2001)
 Telomeres are DNA sequences that cap
chromosomes
Cellular Clock Theory
 Research supporting this view
 According to Martin & Buckwalter (2001)
 Telomeres are DNA sequences that cap
chromosomes
 They protect the chromosomes
4
PSYC 2007: Later Life--The Personal Contexts
Mar. 4 and 6 and 11, 2014
Cellular Clock Theory
Cellular Clock Theory
 Research supporting this view
 Research supporting this view
 According to Martin & Buckwalter (2001)
 According to Martin & Buckwalter (2001)
 Telomeres are DNA sequences that cap
chromosomes
 Telomeres are DNA sequences that cap
chromosomes
 They protect the chromosomes
 They protect the chromosomes
 They separate one chromosome from another in the DNA sequence
 They separate one chromosome from
another in the DNA sequence
 Without telomeres
 Ends of chromosomes become “repaired,”
leading to:
 Chromosome fusion
 Massive genomic instability
Telomeres
Cellular Clock Theory
 How might telomeres be related to
aging?
 Each time a cell divides telomeres
become shorter and shorter
 According to Baur et al. (2001)
 As length of telomere decreases
 Changes may occur in the patterns of gene
expression
 Could affect functioning of cells
 Could affect functioning of entire organ
Theories of Biological
Aging
Cellular Clock Theory
 Telomeres and the Cellular Clock Theory
 According to Cawthon et al (2003)
 Telomere loss linked with
 Increased mortality from heart disease
 Increased mortality from infectious diseases

 Cellular Theories

 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?NR=1&feature=e
ndscreen&v=IzinjLhZXpA)
Cellular Clock Theory
 Free-Radical
F
R di l Theory
Th
 Telomerase may allow cells to live longer
 Video on telomeres and telomerase
Wear and Tear Theory

Metabolic Theories

Hormonal Stress theory
 TED Talk on Telomeres and Aging
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lBngws_cWho
5
PSYC 2007: Later Life--The Personal Contexts
Mar. 4 and 6 and 11, 2014
Free-Radical Theory
 According to this theory,
Free-Radical Theory

Dr. Jonny Bowden, an expert on nutrition,
discusses the free-radical theory of aging.

(http://www.empowher.com/healthyeating/content/free-radicals-what-arethese-and-do-they-promote-aging-drbowden)
 Throughout the life process
 Normal metabolism in cells produces
p
unstable oxygen molecules
 known as free radicals.
 Can lead to cell injury and death
 May result in diseases such as
cancer, stroke, myocardial
infarction, diabetes and major
disorders
Theories of Biological
Aging

Wear and Tear Theory

Cellular Theories

Cellular Clock Theory

Free-Radical Theory
 Metabolic Theories
Hormonal Stress Theory
 According to this theory
 Body’s hormonal system changes with
age
 May lower resilience to stress and increase
the likelihood of disease
 Hormonal Stress theory
Hormonal Stress Theory
 According to this theory
 Body’s hormonal system changes with age
 In older adult
 stress related hormones stay active longer
 These hormones flow through the
hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal system
 They are associated with increased risks for
many diseases
 E.g., heart disease
 cancer.
Hormonal Stress Theory
 Dr. Bowden discusses hormonal
stress theory
 (http://www.youtube.com/watch
(http://www youtube com/watch
?v=X9vCVz6Lj_Q)
6
PSYC 2007: Later Life--The Personal Contexts
Mar. 4 and 6 and 11, 2014
Personal Contexts of Later
Life

Demographics of Aging

Life Expectancy

Biological Theories of Aging
 Physiological Changes

Memory

Creativity and Wisdom
Sensory Capacities
 Vision
 Hearing
 Other senses
Sensory Capacities
Vision
 Vision
 Changes in visual system with
age

Hearing

Other
Ot
e senses
se ses
 Large number of changes
 Pupil size diminishes
 Less light gets through
Vision
Vision
 Changes in visual system with
age
 Changes in visual system with age
 Large number of changes

Pupil size diminishes
 The lens yellows and becomes
opaque
 Reduction in amount of light
reaching retina as much as 90%
 Large number of changes

Pupil size diminishes

The lens yellows and becomes opaque
 The lens becomes less flexible
 Ability to accommodate lost by age
60
 Accommodate = change shape
of lens to focus on objects at
different distances
7
PSYC 2007: Later Life--The Personal Contexts
Mar. 4 and 6 and 11, 2014
Presbyopia
Vision
 Cataracts can become a problem
 Cataract = clouding of lens

Results in blurred or distorted vision
 Video on cataracts and their
formation.
 (http://www.youtube.com/watc
h?v=nrAdQV67rnA)
Correcting Cataracts
Vision
 Surgery to remove the cataract
can be quite successful
 With age
 Video of Cataract removal surgery
 Need more light to see
 But too much light problematic

More sensitive to glare
 Due to cataracts
 Due to thickening of lens
Sensory Capacities

Vision
 Hearing

Other
Ot
e senses
se ses
Hearing
 Decline in hearing actually starts
rather early
 May be as early as age 30
 First to go
 High frequencies
 Hearing declines
 More pronounced in Men
8
PSYC 2007: Later Life--The Personal Contexts
Mar. 4 and 6 and 11, 2014
Presbycusis
Sensory Capacities

Vision

Hearing
 Other senses
Other Senses
Other Senses
 Taste and smell
 Abnormal changes in ability to
detect odors
Taste


Aging tends to have little effect on
sense off ttaste
t
Smell


Aging tends to decrease sense of smell
 Changes usually not noticed until
after age 60
 View video
 Linked to Alzheimer’s Disease (AD)
 According to Meisami (1994)
 Those with AD
 Detect odor at 60% of normal
 When AD severe
 Only 40% of normal
Other Senses
Sensory Changes
 Pain Sensitivity
 Effects of sensory changes
 Appears to decrease with age
 May be beneficial
 Notice some difficulties less
 May be dangerous
 If fail to notice serious problems
 Decreased enjoyment of food
 Increased isolation
 Decreased mobility
 Decreased ability to interact with
others
9
PSYC 2007: Later Life--The Personal Contexts
Mar. 4 and 6 and 11, 2014
Personal Contexts of Later
Life

Demographics of Aging

Life Expectancy

Biological Theories of Aging

Physiological Changes
A stage model of Memory
 Memory proposed to occur in
stages




 Memory

Creativity and Wisdom
A stage model of Memory

Sensory memory
 Brief way-station for sensory information
 This type of memory is sensory specific
A stage model of Memory



Primary memory
 Passive holding area
 Brief in duration
 Small in capacity
 7 +/- 2 chunks
 Few age differences
 Similar capacity
 May be sensitive to dementia
 Memory span used as measure of
dementia
Sensory memory
Short term memory
 Where small amount of information held
 Held for further processing
p
g
 Small capacity
 Brief duration
 Only held in memory short time
 Two types
 Primary memory
 Working memory
 Iconic memory
 Storage for visual information
 Echoic memory
 Storage for auditory information
 Age declines
 Small
 Probably have little effect
Short-term memory
Sensory Memory
Short term memory
Working memory
Long term memory
Short-term memory

Primary memory

Working Memory
 Active processing area
 Changes in this type of memory with age
10
PSYC 2007: Later Life--The Personal Contexts
Mar. 4 and 6 and 11, 2014
Working Memory
Long-Term Memory
 Why declines in working
memory?

 Possibly due to changes in brain
 Frontal lobes
 Control executive function
Long-term storage
 May be infinite in capacity
 May last a lifetime

M contain
May
t i different
diff
t systems
t




Procedural memory
Semantic memory
Episodic memory
Prospective memory
 Age has large effects
Personal Contexts of Later
Life

Demographics of Aging

Life Expectancy

Biological Theories of Aging

Physiological Changes

Memory
Creativity and Wisdom
 Creativity
 Wisdom
 Creativity and Wisdom
Creativity and Wisdom
Creativity and Aging
 Creativity
 According to most research
 Wisdom
 Early and middle years of life most
creative

Also most productive
 Later years can still be creative
years
11
PSYC 2007: Later Life--The Personal Contexts
Mar. 4 and 6 and 11, 2014
Creativity and Aging
Lindauer et al. (1997)
 Lindauer et al. (1997)
 Questionnaires
 Studied older artists


Nominated by peers as very creative
88 fill
filled
d outt questionnaires
ti
i
 Asked about changes in




Quality of work
Quantity of work
Sources of new ideas
Approaches to work (style)
 Also asked about effects of
changes in
 Sensory function
 Physical strength
Lindauer et al. (1997)
Lindauer et al. (1997)--Findings
 Findings
 In terms of Quality of work
 Older years not always years of
decline
 Can be very creative time
 60s perceived as time of best
quality
 Reasons for improved quality
Reasons for improved
quality
 Increased knowledge and
additional skills
 Reported by 35% of artists
“I continued to study and
learn—from life and nature”
Response
p
of 65 y
year old woman
12
PSYC 2007: Later Life--The Personal Contexts
Mar. 4 and 6 and 11, 2014
Reasons for improved
quality
 Increased knowledge and
additional skills
 Changes in external circumstances
 More time to work
 Increased acceptance
 Of themselves
 Their work
 Their abilities
“I now feel free to do what I want in
painting. After many years of trying
to do salable, ‘relevant,’ or so-called
important work, I feel free to be
myself and not concern myself about
how others might judge me or my
work”
63-year-old female respondent
Lindauer et al. (1997)--Findings
Reasons for increased productivity
 In terms of Quality of work
 Number 1 reason for increased
productivity?
 60s perceived as time of best
quality
 Now have more time
 Mentioned by 1/3 of artists
 In terms of quantity of work
 60s also perceived as most
productive time
“In my teens, I had studies other
than art. In my 20s, I was at art
school and teaching. In my 30s
and 40s, I did full-time teaching.
In my 50s, 60s, and 70s, I was
doing full-time painting.
Reasons for increased productivity

Number 1 reason for increased productivity?

Now have more time
 Decreased family responsibilities
 More time for creative work
80-year-old female respondent
13
PSYC 2007: Later Life--The Personal Contexts
Mar. 4 and 6 and 11, 2014
Lindauer et al., (1997)
 What about changes in sensory
function or physical strength?
 60% affected by sensory changes
 However, effects not considered
serious
“Even though I am quite deaf in
one ear and totally deaf in the
other (I have two hearing aids),
I spend more time now (and
have the past 4 years) at my
easel and drawing board.
73-year-old male respondent
Lindauer et al., (1997)
Lindauer et al., (1997)
 Conclusions
 Conclusions
 Generalizations from reports of
older artists
 Excellence in old age is possible
 Continual learning does take place
 Changes with age can be for better
 For those continuing creative work
past age 60
 Age has its virtues
 Higher order capacities can be
sustained
 Maybe even enhanced
 Such capacities can also appear for
first time.
Creativity and Wisdom
Wisdom
 Creativity
 The Berlin Wisdom Paradigm
(Baltes and Staudinger, 2000)
 Wisdom
 Definition of Wisdom according to
researchers at Max Planck
Institute (Berlin)
14
PSYC 2007: Later Life--The Personal Contexts
Mar. 4 and 6 and 11, 2014
Definition of Wisdom
Fundamental pragmatics of life
 Wisdom is
 Knowledge and judgment about

An expert knowledge system in the
fundamental pragmatics of life
 The essence of the human condition
 The ways and means of planning,
managing, and understanding a good
life
Definition of Wisdom
Definition of Wisdom
 Wisdom is
 Wisdom is

An expert knowledge system in the fundamental
pragmatics of life

An expert knowledge system in the fundamental
pragmatics of life

Expertise
p
in the conduct and
meaning of life

Expertise in the conduct and meaning of life

A key factor in construction of A
“good life”
Factual Knowledge in the
fundamental pragmatics of life
Wisdom
Factual Knowledge
Procedural Knowledge
in the fundamental pragmatics of
life
in the fundamental pragmatics of
life
Knowledge that
considers CONTEXTS
CO
S
of Life and Societal
Change
Wisdom as
expert
knowledge
Knowledge which
considers
id
th
the
UNCERTAINTIES
of life
Knowledge that
considers
RELATIVISM of
Values and Life Goals
 Knowledge about such topics as
 Human nature
 Life-long development
 Variations in developmental
processes and outcomes
 Interpersonal relations
 Social norms
Definition of Wisdom: good judgment and
advice in important but uncertain matters
of life
15
PSYC 2007: Later Life--The Personal Contexts
Mar. 4 and 6 and 11, 2014
Procedural knowledge in the
fundamental pragmatics of life
Wisdom
Factual Knowledge
Procedural Knowledge
in the fundamental pragmatics of
life
in the fundamental pragmatics of
life
Knowledge that
considers CONTEXTS
CO
S
of Life and Societal
Change
Wisdom as
expert
knowledge
Knowledge which
considers
id
th
the
 Includes strategies and heuristics
for dealing with the conduct and
meaning of life
UNCERTAINTIES
of life
Knowledge that
considers
RELATIVISM of
Values and Life Goals
Definition of Wisdom: good judgment and
advice in important but uncertain matters
of life
Procedural knowledge in the
fundamental pragmatics of life
 Examples include:
Wisdom
Factual Knowledge
Procedural Knowledge
in the fundamental pragmatics of
life
in the fundamental pragmatics of
life
Heuristics for





Giving Advice
Structuring and weighing of life goals
Handling life conflicts
Handling life decisions
Knowledge that
considers CONTEXTS
CO
S
of Life and Societal
Change

Knowledge which
considers
id
th
the
UNCERTAINTIES
of life
Knowledge that
considers
Knowledge about

Wisdom as
expert
knowledge
RELATIVISM of
Back-up strategies
Values and Life Goals
Definition of Wisdom: good judgment and
advice in important but uncertain matters
of life
Knowledge that considers the
contexts of life and societal change
Knowledge that considers the
contexts of life and societal change
 A.K.A. Lifespan contextualism
 A.K.A. Lifespan contextualism
 Includes knowledge about:
 Includes knowledge about:
 The many themes and contexts of
life
 Their interrelationships
 Their cultural variations

The many
y themes and contexts of life
 The influence of culture and
normative events on individual
development
16
PSYC 2007: Later Life--The Personal Contexts
Mar. 4 and 6 and 11, 2014
Knowledge that considers the
relativism of values and life goals
Wisdom
Factual Knowledge
Procedural Knowledge
in the fundamental pragmatics of
life
in the fundamental pragmatics of
life
Knowledge that
considers CONTEXTS
CO
S
of Life and Societal
Change
Wisdom as
expert
knowledge
 Includes an acknowledgment of
and tolerance for
 Value differences
 The relativity of values held by
individuals and by societies
Knowledge which
considers
id
th
the
UNCERTAINTIES
of life
Knowledge that
considers
RELATIVISM of
Values and Life Goals
 Includes an explicit concern for
virtue and the common good
Definition of Wisdom: good judgment and
advice in important but uncertain matters
of life
Knowledge concerning The
UNCERTAINTIES of Life
Wisdom
Factual Knowledge
Procedural Knowledge
in the fundamental pragmatics of
life
in the fundamental pragmatics of
life
Knowledge that
considers CONTEXTS
CO
S
of Life and Societal
Change
Wisdom as
expert
knowledge
Knowledge which
considers
id
th
the
UNCERTAINTIES
of life
Knowledge that
considers
 Includes a realization that
humans
 Have a limited capacity to process
information
 Cannot predict the future with
certainty
RELATIVISM of
Values and Life Goals
Definition of Wisdom: good judgment and
advice in important but uncertain matters
of life
The Berlin Wisdom Paradigm
The Berlin Wisdom Paradigm
 Common methodology
 Common methodology
 Ask adults to respond to difficult
life problems
Someone receives a phone call from a
good friend who says that he or she
cannot go on like this and has decided to
commit suicide. What might the person
take into consideration and do in such
situations?

Ask adults to respond to difficult life problems
 Participants asked to “reflect out
loud” on problem
loud
 This is scored on 5 criteria of wisdom
 Use 7-point scale
 Considered “wise” if
 Score high on all 5 criteria
17
PSYC 2007: Later Life--The Personal Contexts
Mar. 4 and 6 and 11, 2014
Wisdom Research
 Is wisdom related to age?
 No, instead, find a flat age function
Wisdom Research

Is wisdom related to age?
 Are there wise professions?
 Yes—Clinical Psychology
 Reason: More training and experience
with life planning, life management, and
life review
Wisdom Research


Is wisdom related to age?
Are there wise professions?
 Are there certain characteristics
related to wisdom?
 Yes—Cognitive style and creativity
linked to wisdom
 Wise individuals tend to have a judicial
and progressive cognitive style
Wisdom Research



Is wisdom related to age?
Are there wise professions?
Are there certain characteristics related to wisdom?
 Are there other wise p
people
p who
are not clinical psychologists?
 Yes—non-psychologists nominated as
wise

Performed just as well as psychologists on life
problems test
Wisdom
The Personal Contexts of
Later Life
 Personality related to wisdom
 Summary
 Those high on wisdom
 High on Openness to new Experiences
 Mid-range on extraversion
 While we see many declines in late
life, there may be some good news
 Creativity can continue and creative output can
high even later in life
 Next Lecture
 Mental Health and Intervention
18