Deck 24: Seciton 1: Late Adulthood: Cognitive Development

Question 1

What is wisdom? What characteristics make a person wise? Identify someone (living or dead) who you think has/had wisdom, and discuss why you think that person is/was wise.

Answer 1

Wisdom is often associated with age, although age does not always create wisdom. Indeed, wise people are rare at any age. Research shows that starting around age 25, some adults worldwide of every age are wise, but most, even at age 80, are not.
Characteristics associated with wisdom include a 1) broad, practical approach to life; 2) insight into the complexities and uncertainties of human nature; and 3) relying on enduring truths rather than quick fixes to problems. The elements of wisdom include: 1) the ability to put aside one's personal needs (self-actualization), 2) self-reflective honesty (integrity), and 3) perspective on past living (the life review).
Students should articulate how the wise individual they select demonstrates insight, perspective, and altruism.

Question 2

Name three signs of dementia, and explain dementia's relationship to Alzheimer disease.

Answer 2

Someone suffering from dementia has had an 1) irrevocable loss of intellectual functioning. This may manifest itself in 2) loss of memory, 3) impaired judgment, or 4) decline in ability to solve problems. All people suffering from Alzheimer disease suffer from dementia, but not all people with dementia have Alzheimer disease.

Question 3

Is new cognitive development possible in late adulthood?

Answer 3

Yes, cognitive development is possible in late adulthood. The research on adult cognition finds that older adults can learn and may maintain new skills if used regularly. Research has shown that people younger than 80 can learn almost any cognitive skill if the educational process is carefully targeted to the individual's motivation and ability. Many older people are able to use selective adaptation with compensation to develop new ways to do things. Erikson also found that the elderly are more interested in arts, children, and the whole of human experience than they were when they were younger.

Question 4

Describe the brain shrinkage that occurs in late adulthood. Which brain structures are most affected, and how does the shrinkage affect cognition?

Question 5

Describe how older adults' sensory inputs change, and explain at least three ways in which they compensate for those changes.

Question 6

An older relative is showing signs of dementia. He forgets things and is disoriented, especially when riding in a car. What is the best way to determine whether he is suffering from Alzheimer disease, and what other problems could cause such symptoms?

Question 7

Describe at least three ways in which creativity changes in late adulthood.

Question 8

Define control processes, and explain how they change with age.

Question 9

You're concerned that your grandfather may be experiencing polypharmacy. What is polypharmacy, how can you recognize it, and what should be done about it?

Question 10

Explain the growth of new brain cells in the elderly brain. Which brain structures are most affected, and what encourages growth?