Psychological Changes in Late Adulthood
A. Personality Changes
i. Ego integrity versus ego despair: involves the ability to make peace
with one’s one and only life cycle and to find unity with the world
ii. Guardianship: the task of passing on the traditions of the past to the next generation
iii. A person’s level of happiness changes little over time

B. Intellectual Changes, Learning, and Memory
i. Fluid capacity: the capacity for abstract reasoning,
ii. Crystallized intelligence: based on accumulated learning,
iii. Fluid intelligence declines with age, while crystallized intelligence increases,
iv. Intentional memory: relates to events you plan to remember,
v. Incidental memory: relates to facts you have learned without the intention to retain and recall

C. Mental Health and Mental Disorders

Older adults have a lower prevalence of mental disorders than young and middle-aged adults
ii. More commonly diagnosed mental disorders in late adulthood:
a. Depression
b. Anxiety
c. Delirium: an acute delusional state characterized by disturbance in attention and awareness
d. Dementia
e. Substance abuse

VIII. Social Role Transitions in Life Events of Late Adulthood

A. Families in Later Life
i. Post-empty nest and postretirement period lengthens
ii. Significance of marital or partner relationship increases

B. Grandparenthood
i. May assume full responsibility for grandchildren
ii. Exhibit 9.7 Dimensions of Grandparenting Role
iii. Mueller’s five styles of grandparenting
a. Influential
b. Supportive
c. Passive
d. Authority-oriented
e. Detached

C. Work and Retirement
i. Upward shift in labor force participation of older adults
a. Related to financial considerations and improved health
ii. Two working groups:
a. Those who could afford to retire but choose to continue
working
b. Those who continue to work because of financial need

D. Caregiving and Care Receiving
i. Women are a primary source of caregiving in older age
ii. Caregiving burden can cause exhaustion and stress
iii. Seven “career markers” of a caregiver
iv. Care recipient may also experience stress

E. Widowhood
i. Existing research focuses primarily on heterosexual relationships
ii. Women generally have longer duration of widowhood
iii. Men are more likely than women to remarry after spousal death
iv. Spousal death can result in widowhood effect APA