NIOS Class 12 Psychology Chapter 15 Adulthood And Old Age

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NIOS Class 12 Psychology Chapter 15 Adulthood And Old Age

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Adulthood And Old Age

Chapter: 15

PART – I

Module – 3: Human Development

INTEXT QUESTIONS 15.1

1. What do you understand by the term Adult and Old-Age?

Ans: An adult generally defined as someone who can take care of himself, is fully-developed, has the resources to be able to survive without external assistance and is organised enough to work independently. Old age is period of decline in physical and psychological factors.

2. What are the three stages of Adulthood?

Ans: Three stages of adulthood are:

(i) Early Adulthood: (18-40) Years.

(ii) Middle Adulthood: (41-60) Year

(iii) Late Adulthood or Old Age: (61) Years and Above.

INTEXT QUESTIONS 15.2

1. What do you understand by middle adulthood?

Ans: Middle adulthood refers to the period of the life span where an individual experiences physical decline such as greying of hair or hair loss, vision loss, and hearing loss.

2. What is late adulthood or old age?

Ans: Late Adulthood or Old Age is the period from age 61 years and above.

TERMINAL EXERCISES

1. What do you understand by physical development in middle adulthood?

Ans: Middle adulthood (41-60 years) is a period where physical changes and the aging process become visually noticeable.

Biological Declines: Stamina begins to decline, and after the age of 55, bones become less dense. On average, men lose up to 1 inch and women lose up to 2 inches in height, and body weight drops after age 50 due to muscle loss.

Sensory Changes: Visual accommodation declines, making it difficult to see in dim light or discriminate between colors, and sensitivity to glare increases. Grey hair and facial wrinkles start appearing.

Hormonal and Health Shifts: Women experience menopause (cessation of menstruation) around age 50, and men experience a decrease in testosterone levels. Chronic ailments like heart disease, hypertension, and diabetes often manifest at this age.

2. What is cognitive development in adulthood?

Ans: Cognitive development in adulthood involves both loss and gain. Although the brain may gradually lose some physical volume with age, adults gain valuable life experience and become better at handling complex daily situations. Wisdom and practical problem-solving abilities generally increase as a result of years of experience. At the same time, many important areas of cognitive and intellectual functioning remain stable throughout adulthood, while some abilities may even continue to improve with age.

3. What cognitive changes occur during middle adulthood?

Ans: During middle adulthood, cognitive shifts are defined by the divergence between two distinct types of intelligence:

Crystallized Intelligence (Gains): This is the ability to utilize knowledge and skills acquired through education and prior experiences. In middle adulthood, crystallized intelligence continues to increase because adults systematically build upon their lifetime of experiences and practice.

Fluid Intelligence (Declines): This is the raw ability to apply logic and solve novel, unfamiliar problems without relying on pre-existing knowledge. This biological processing speed begins to decline as adults age.

4. Does memory improve as you get older?

Ans: No, memory generally does not improve; it declines in specific areas, though some parts remain stable.

Short-Term vs. Long-Term Memory: Short-term capacity remains relatively stable (retaining 7 to 9 items), but the ability to transfer information from short-term/working memory to long-term memory declines with age.

Trouble with Retrieval: Older adults face more trouble with active recall than recognition (e.g., retrieving names, planning exact words, or remembering meaningless details like paired associates).

Type of Memory Shifts:

(i) Episodic memory (remembering specific personal events, times, and places) shows decline.

(ii) Semantic memory (general knowledge) and procedural memory (action-based habits like cooking or tying shoes) remain highly stable across the lifespan.

(iii) Memory for meaningful information stays intact unless an individual develops dementia or Alzheimer’s disease.

5. What do you mean by career transition?

Ans: A career transition refers to a significant change in an individual’s professional life, such as starting a first job, changing to a different or more satisfying career, receiving a promotion, or retiring from work. Building a career is important for an adult’s self-worth, financial independence, and sense of security. While some people adjust easily to career changes, others may find them stressful and experience anxiety or depression. The ability to cope with career transitions may depend on factors such as age, biological sex, and personal characteristics.

6. Write short notes on: 

(a) Social and emotional development during adulthood. 

Ans: Social and emotional development during adulthood: Adults possess a strong need for affiliation, friendship, and interacting with others. Interacting with neighbors and relatives becomes highly beneficial as we age. While young adults have many casual friends, they grow closer with a select few as they age. Although group size decreases over time, the depth of emotional support in remaining friendships increases.

(b) Emptiness.

Ans: Emptiness is a psychological state of deep isolation and loneliness often experienced by older adults. This is commonly triggered by “empty-nest syndrome,” which occurs when children grow up and move away from home for studies, job opportunities, or marriage, leaving parent-adults with a sudden lack of daily family contact and warmth.

(c) Financial insecurity.

Ans: Financial insecurity: Upon retirement, elderly individuals experience a drop in income and must rely on limited pensions or fixed savings. This is often insufficient to cover rising medical costs and household bills, leading to economic dependence. Financial insecurity lowers self-esteem and, in severe cases of poverty or dependency, can even trigger suicidal feelings.

(d) Health concerns.

Ans: Health concerns: Significant biological declines occur in late adulthood, including reduced heart-pumping capacity and decline in sensory systems. The most common physical issues are arthritis (inflammation of the joints) and osteoporosis (loss of bone tissue and bone density, which is especially prevalent in aging women).

7. What are some of the transitions and challenges that adults face in their personal lives after marriage, particularly related to parenting and working?

Ans: Marital Adjustments: Marriage requires adults to rapidly adjust their personal routines, coordinate likes and dislikes with their spouse, and take up joint household duties.

Parenting Demands: Becoming a parent introduces major role transitions. It offers opportunities for personal growth and self-respect, but also creates immense daily stress.

Workplace Balancing (Double Burden): Modern working mothers face the “double burden”—balancing full-time office responsibilities with managing their children’s education, health, and household tasks alone, which becomes extremely overwhelming in the event of a divorce.

8. What are some of the physical changes that occur during middle and late adulthood, and what are some factors that can influence the aging process?

Ans: Physical Changes (Middle Adulthood): Invisible bone density loss, muscular deterioration, sensory limits (diminished vision/hearing), grey hair, wrinkles, menopause in women, and testosterone drop in men.

Physical Changes (Late Adulthood/Old Age): Decline in cardiovascular and heart-pumping capacity, respiratory system decline, diminished motor activity, joint pains (arthritis), bone loss (osteoporosis), and slower central nervous system speed.

Factors Influencing the Aging Process:

(i) Primary Aging (Uncontrollable): Inevitable, genetically programmed biological deterioration occurring at cellular and molecular levels.

(ii) Secondary Aging (Controllable): Accelerates physical decline through controllable lifestyle factors like poor diet, lack of exercise, or smoking. Engaging in regular physical exercises (walking, jogging) dramatically slows down the negative physical consequences of aging.