Elderly Development

Running head: Elderly development

Elderly development

Nicole Johnston

South University

Elderly Development

May 2, 2017

The major developmental theories for elderly population

One of the articles under this category is personality theory of age and aging which was discussed by Bernice L. Neugarten in the year 1968. The theory focuses on timing and life transitional events in the roles of every individual in the society. An example of life event is parenthood which is expected to occur at a certain age when an individual is still strong and able to provide for the family. The theory also focuses on unexpected events like accidents which cut short all the plans, and this changes the entire set up. The theory argues that the personality of an individual is one among the predictor of successful aging. The adaptation of a person during the lifetime determines the aging of that individual as they will continue doing the activities they are used to doing. Successful aging involves an individual coming up with different patterns that will help him or her once they age (Thomae, 2010).

The other theory is behavioral and genetic aging which uses the concept of heredity factors to determine how it will influence the aging-related issues. The variation among different individuals who are related tells more about their aging behavior. The theory argues that changing in heredity and the environment over the time also affects the age among different individuals in a given population. The two researchers, Robert Plomin and Gerald E. McClearn (1990), argue that behavioral genetics is the most useful tool in determining the age changes regardless of the environment and thus the behavior of people in a given population who are related will carry some similarities. To change the aging behavior then there will need to consider the heredity factors and the environmental factors surrounding a given group of people. Related people will tend to have the same characteristics when they age (Bergeman, 2012).

The age-appropriate milestones and anomalies

Development milestones right from birth to old age are important as it shows the different phases of the life of individuals. One of the journals in this category is development milestones which are an article compiled by researchers from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Some of the milestones that they compiled for the aging population includes prone to diseases, difficulty in walking, changes in eating habits and visional problem. This is common milestones according to the article across many old people in different environments. There are anomalies though which includes good vision even at old age, the small body which is strong and the strength to still walk for longer distances. The article argues that this anomaly is as a result of the activities that an individual was involved in while he or she was young. An active person might have a greater chance to experience age-appropriate milestones and anomalies (Geula, 2015).

The other journal in this category is on Bloom’s Taxonomy which uses the concept of activities and emotions to dictate the behavior of the aging population. The learning significantly determines the old age that an individual goes through as they grow. This learning shapes the entire development of an individual which includes emotions, intellectual ability, and physical as well as social growth. The more one has the information then, the more capability regarding decision making and remembering. The article argues that life is about the quality of decisions that we make and thus those informed people will make good decisions even at their old age, and this brings the difference from those who are not educated. The emotional and intuitive responses like judgment, insight, empathy and good analysis significantly influence the nature of life and the behavior of those individuals in the old age.

The nature of stress, coping, and resistance for the elderly

The cognitive-relational theory is one of the articles that addresses the stress, and it bases its findings on the interaction between an individual and the environment. The article further addresses the element of emotions and copying processes which bring more stress to people, and this has an effect on the elderly. The main point in the article is the emotion which determines everything that is it can determine a positive life when it is good and also can be much negative and destructive when badly handled. Lastly, the theory led to the identification of a meta-theoretical system which houses complex processes like casual antecedents, effects and mediating processes. Stress is all about emotions and the interaction of people and the environment, and thus its control relies heavily on the minds and the prevailing environment (Lazarus, 2011).

The nature of resistance among the elderly people is another journal researched by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and its findings are that as people grow old, they tend to resist themselves even with the people around them. This is more of psychological feeling rather than emotional, and it’s often common among the elderly population. The brain grows weak, and its functionality is adversely affected when it comes to controlling emotions and the feelings. This is the main reason most of the old people suffer from memory loss because they develop rejection which makes them different people and thus they live their life which is much different from the reality and the normal life they earlier lived. The article also addresses that stress and the effects of copying plays a role in bringing in the concept of resistance among the elderly people in the society. This is milestones development, and thus it’s hard to treat them or even counsel.

Bergeman, C. S. (2012). Genetic and environmental influences on social support: The Swedish Adoption/Twin Study of Aging. Journal of Gerontology.

Geula, C. N. (2015). Cholinergic neuronal and axonal abnormalities are present early in aging and in Alzheimer disease. Journal of Neuropathology & Experimental Neurology.

Lazarus, R. S. (2011). Cognitive-motivational-relational theory of emotion. Emotions in sport.

Thomae, H. (2010). Theory of aging and cognitive theory of personality. Human development.