Respond to each question in one well-developed paragraph. Support your response by integrating and citing (APA style) information from the week's readings. Provide a full reference for in-text citati

Respond to each question in one well-developed paragraph.  Support your response by integrating and citing (APA style) information from the week's readings. Provide a full reference for in-text citations

1. What is the difference between optimal aging and successful aging? Why are these two concepts often associated and why is optimal aging preferred? What is optimal aging? 

2. What factors account for the significant increase in the aging population in the last century? What is the effect of this increase on society both in the short term and long term?  How is the aging process affected by gender, ethnicity, marital status, and social class?

3.  Which theory (theories) do you believe best explains the process of aging, both biologically, psychology, and sociology? Support your response.

Choose one of the two topics below to use for this discussion.  Please make sure your initial post is 2-3 paragraphs in length.  Feel free to use supporting documentation (other resources) as well.

1

Discuss some ways in which psychology is being applied to the general public and everyday problems. 

2

Think of examples of when you feel you can successfully multitask and when you can’t.  Discuss what aspects of the tasks or the situation seem to influence divided attention performance.   How accurate do you think you are in judging your own multitasking ability?

3

Look up “Doogie mice” on the Web.  These mice have been genetically altered so that they express a particular gene that plays an important role in memory.  As a result, the mice remember better and therefore seem smarter.  What is your impression of the “Doogie mice?” Could this hold the answer for creating smarter humans?  Is this something that warrants further study, in other animals or eventually humans?

4

Which of the five reasons for forgetting do you think explains the majority of incidences of forgetting?  Why? Can you think of any examples in your own life?

5

How important is metamemory (metacognition about memory)?  Is this a useful topic for college students to understand?  If you had to describe metamemory to a college student in order to help him/her understand his/her own memory processes, on what would you focus?  What aspects of metamemory are most important for college students to be aware of?

6

For many years, scientists have debated whether primates can learn a language system similar to human language.  Do some online research and see what articles you can find pertaining to it.  Discuss your findings and impressions.

7

Do you think you could become a better decision-maker as a result of your readings this week?  Why and how?

8

You are tasked to do an in-service for middle-aged people who want to learn about the concept of “successful aging.”  How would you describe this idea?  What components would you emphasize?  What would you recommend they do in order to achieve this goal?  Is this a realistic goal for most people?