Unit 5 Key Terms - PSYC201 (2025)
59 flashcards · Psychology · by Meili Kingma
rapport talk
Use of conversation to establish connections and maintain relationships
report talk
Talk that is do convey information
transgender
Individuals whose gender identity/behavior is different than the sex they were born
middle adulthood
Developmental period beginning at 40yo and extending to about 60-65yo
climacteric
The midlife transition in which fertility declines
menopause
The complete end of a woman's menstrual cycles, usually occurs in late 40s / early 50s
crystallized intelligence
Accumulated information and verbal skills which increase in middle age
fluid intelligence
Ability to reason abstractly, which starts declining at middle adulthood
working memory
A mental "workbench" where individuals can manipulate and assemble information
leisure
The pleasant times after work when individuals are free to pursue activities/interests of their own choice
generativity
Adults' desire to lave legacies of themselves to the next generation
stagnation
State of mind when individuals sense that they have done nothing for the next generation
contemporary life-events approach
Emphasizes how a life event influences the individual's development
fight-or-flight
When men experience stress they are more likely to become aggressive, withdraw from social contact, and drink alcohol
tend-and-befriend
When women experience stress they are more likely to seek social alliances with others (esp females)
Big Five factors of personality
Openness (to experience) Conscientiousness Extraversion Agreeableness Neuroticism (emotional stability)
cumulative personality model
With time and age, people get more adept at interacting with their environment in ways that promote stability of personality
empty nest syndrome
Decrease in marital satisfaction after children leave home
life span
The maximum number of years an individual can live (max life span of humans is 120-125yo)
life expectancy
The number of years that will probably be lived by the average person born in a particular year
evolutionary theory of aging
The view that natural selection has not eliminated many harmful conditions/nonadaptive characteristics in older adult
cellular clock theory
Theory that the maximum number of times human cells can divide is about 75-80
free-radical theory
Theory that people age because normal cell metabolism produces unstable oxygen molecules (free radicals) which ricochet inside our cells and damage our DNA
mitochondrial theory
Theory that aging is caused by the decay of mitochondria
sirtuins
Family of proteins that have been linked to longevity
mTOR pathway
A cellular pathway linked to longevity
hormonal stage theory
Theory that aging in the body's hormonal system can lower resilience under stress and increase the likeliness of disease
cataracts
Involve a thickening of the lens of the eye that causes vision to become cloudy and distorted
glaucoma
Damage to the optic nerve because of the pressure created by a buildup of fluid in the eye
macular degeneration
A disease that involves deterioration of the macula of the retina
arthritis
Inflammation of the joints that is accompanied by pain, stiffness, and movement problems
osteoporosis
Involves the extensive loss of bone tissue and causes adults to walk stooped over
explicit memory
Memory of facts and experiences that individuals consciously know and can state
implicit memory
Memory without conscious recollections (ex. skills, routine procedures)
episodic memory
The retention of information about the where and when of life's happenings
semantic memory
A person's everyday knowledge about the world
wisdom
Expert knowledge about the practical aspects of life about important matters
dementia
Any neurological disorder in which the primary symptom is deterioration of mental functioning
Alzheimer disease
A gradual, irreversible deterioration of memory, reasoning, language, and physical function
Parkinson disease
A disease characterized by muscle tremors, slowing of movement, partial face paralysis
integrity versus despair
Erikson's 8th stage of development in which individuals reflect on the past and either piece together a positive review or conclude that their life hasn't been well spent
activity theory
Theory that the more active and involved older adults are the more likely they are to be satisfied with their lives
socioemotional selecivity theory
The theory that older adults become more selective about their social networks
selective optimization with compensation theory
Theory that successful aging involves selection, optimization, and compensation
ageism
Prejudice against people because of their age
brain death
A neurological definition of death; all electrical activity has stopped
euthanasia
The act of painlessly ending the lives of persons who are suffering
passive ethanasia
Withholding available treatments and allowing a person to die
active euthanasia
Death induced deliberately by a physician with a lethal dose of a drug
assisted suicide
Involves a physician supplying the information/means of committing suicide but requiring the patient to administer the drug and decide when/where
hospice
A program committed to making the end of life as free from pain, anxiety, and depression as possible
palliative care
Emphasized in hospice care; involves reducing pain and suffering and helping individuals die with dignity
denial and isolation
First stage of dying in which the dying person denies that s/he is going to die (Kubler-Ross)
anger
Second stage of dying in which the dying person becomes angry, resentful, and envious (Kubler-Ross)
bargaining
Third stage of dying in which the dying person develops the hope that death can somehow be postponed (Kubler-Ross)
depression
Fourth stage of dying in which the dying person beings to acknowledge the certainty of their death and a period of depression/grief may appear (Kubler-Ross)
acceptance
Fifth stage of dying in which the dying person develops a sense of peace/acceptance and in many cases a desire to be left alone
grief
The emotional numbness, disbelief, separation anxiety, despair, sadness, and loneliness that accompany the loss of someone we love
complicated grief or prolonged grief disorder
Grief that involves enduring despair and remains unresolved over an extended period of time