The psychology of aging : theory, research, and interventions / Janet K. Belsky.

Includes bibliographical references (pages 403-440) and index.

Part I. The Framework -- 1. The People and the Field -- Stereotypes and the New Senior Citizen -- A Demographic Perspective on the People -- An Age Revolution -- A Revolution in Social Roles -- Women and Later Life -- Minorities and Later Life -- A Historical Perspective On The Field -- The Perspective and Plan of this Book -- Key Terms -- Recommended Readings -- 2. Theories and Research Methods -- Age-Irrelevant Theories -- A Behavioral Perspective on Aging -- A Psychoanalytical Perspective on Aging -- A Behavioral Genetic Perspective on Aging -- Age-Change Theories -- Tasks linked to Age: Erik Erikson's Psychosocial Crises -- A Single Shift in Midlife: Carl Jung's Passage toward Maturity -- Adapting to Development and Decline: Paul Baltes's Selective Optimization with Compensation -- Synthesizing the Perspectives: The Contextualist -- Life-Span Developmental Approach -- Research Methods -- Cross-sectional Studies -- Longitudinal Studies -- Sequential Studies -- Evaluating Any Research -- Getting Much Bigger and on Occasion Much Smaller: A Final Note on Current Research Trends -- Key Terms -- Recommended Readings -- Part II. The Physical Dimension -- 3. Normal Aging and Disease Prevention -- An Overview of the Aging Process -- Biological Theories of Aging -- Random Damage Theories of Aging -- Programmed Aging Theories -- Extending the Maximum Life Span -- Normal Aging -- Two Basic Principles of Normal Aging -- Impact of Normal Aging on Daily Life -- The Externals: Hair and Skin -- The Cardiovascular System -- The Nervous System -- Lifestyle, Aging and Disease -- Health Practices, Social Relationships and Longevity -- Emotional Stress and Illness -- Interventions -- Key Terms -- Recommended Readings -- 4. Sensory and Motorfunctioning -- Vision -- The Problem -- The Visual System and Age-Related Decline -- Interventions -- Hearing -- The Problem -- The Auditory System and Age-Related Decline -- Interventions -- Taste and Smell -- The Problem -- Interventions -- Motor Performance -- The Pace of Responding -- The Act of Taking Action -- Specifics -- A General Strategy for Enhancing Sensory-Motor Functioning in Old Age -- Designing Housing for the Elderly -- Modifying Public Spaces -- Key Terms -- Recommended Readings -- 5. Disease, Disability, and Health Care -- Chronic Disease versus Disability -- Is Disability the Price of a Ripe Old Age? The Disability Pathway -- Gender, Socioeconomic Status, and Disability -- Medical Care for Disease and Disability -- Dealing with Disability -- Community Options for the Disabled -- Nursing Home Care -- Key Terms -- Recommended Readings -- Part III. The Cognitive Dimension -- 6. Intelligence -- Intelligence as Measured by Traditional Tests -- Interpreting the Findings: A Two-Factor Theory of Intelligence -- Unraveling the Truth about Change: The Seattle Longitudinal Study -- Speed, Health, Mental Activity, Stability, and Decline -- New Conceptions and Tests of Adult Intelligence -- Robert Sternberg's Tests of Practical Intelligence -- Nancy Denney's Non-Exercised and Exercised Abilities -- A Neo-Piagetian Perspective on Adult Intelligence -- Concluding Questions and Criticisms -- Specifics: Intelligence in Action -- Wisdom -- Creative Achievements -- Interventions -- Improving Performance on I --Q Tests -- Enhancing Wisdom -- Key Terms -- Recommended Readings -- 7. Memory and Dementia -- Memory -- The Tests and the Findings -- An Information-Processing Perspective on Memory -- A Memory Systems Perspective on Memory -- Measuring Everyday Memory -- Memory for the Future and Memory of the Past -- Interventions -- Dementia -- The Demography of Dementia -- Vascular Dementia -- Alzheimer's Disease -- Interventions -- Key Terms -- Recommended -- Part IV. The Emotional Dimension -- 8. Personality -- Setting the Stage -- Personal Conceptions about Change -- Problems of Measuring Change -- The Great Consistency -- Change Debate -- Phase 1: Focus on Change: The Kansas City Studies of Adult Life -- Phase 2: Focus on Stability: Costa and McCrae's Big Five Traits -- Phase 3: Focus on Change: Exploring Life-Stories, Goals, Priorities, and Hopes -- Do We Grow More Mature with Age? Old Age: Season of Stress or Period of Peace? Interventions -- Key Terms -- Recommended Readings -- 9. Psychopathology -- The Problems -- Scope and Age Patterns -- Specific Disorders -- Alcoholism -- Phobias -- Depression -- Biological Approaches to Mental Health -- Older Adults and the Mental Health System -- Interventions -- The Diagnostic Evaluation -- Chemotherapy -- Psychotherapy -- Too Little Mental Health Care in Long Term Care -- Key Terms -- Recommended Readings -- Part V. The Social Dimension -- 10. The Older Family -- Older Married Couples -- The Positive Reality: Increasing Harmony -- The Negative Possibility: Decreasing Passion -- Sexuality in Later Life -- The Social Framework -- Age Changes in Sexual Responsiveness -- Age Changes in Sexual Interest and Activity -- Factors Affecting Sexuality in Middle and Later Life -- Interventions -- Parents and Children as Adults -- Quantity versus Quality -- Caring for an Ill Parent -- Interventions -- Grandparenthood -- Varied and Flexible Grandparent Roles -- Grandparent Barriers -- Interventions -- Key Terms -- Recommended Readings -- 11. Life Transitions: Retirement and Widowhood -- Retirement -- Setting the Context -- The Drive to Retire -- The Consequences: Life as a Retiree -- Interventions -- Old and Rich or Old and Poor? Widowhood -- Setting the Context -- Mourning -- Life as a Widowed Person -- Interventions -- Old and Living Alone -- Key Terms -- Recommended Readings -- Part VI. Conclusions -- 12. Death and Dying -- Death Anxiety -- Predicting Death Anxiety -- Life-Threatening Illness -- Religious Faith -- Dying -- The Person -- Health Care Providers -- Interventions (and Ongoing Issues) -- Hospice Care -- Humanizing Hospital Care -- Controlling the Timing of Death -- Age-Based Rationing of Care -- Key Terms -- Recommended Readings -- Epilogue.

Machine converted from AACR2 source record.