Aging and Development: Social and Emotional Perspectives(International Texts in Developmental Psychology)

With increasing numbers of the population living into old age, we need a better understanding of the nature and experience of ageing in all its aspects. Up to now, very few texts have considered this in any depth, but 'Ageing and Development', a new volume in the Texts in Developmental Psychology series, provides a detailed and comprehensive overview of the theories and research in adult development into old age. The classic early accounts of theorists such as Jung and Erikson are considered, as well as their present day successors. Particular attention is given to theories of adjustment to loss, and to the threat of loss, which dominate current gerontological research. A notable feature of the book is the separate section devoted to the psychology of advanced old age, to life in states of physical and/or mental frailty, and to the survival of the self in these circumstances. There is a strong emphasis throughout on up-to-date empirical research and illustrative case examples. The reader is constantly encouraged to take a critical perspective, to understand the strengths and limitations of different studies, and to think about the issues raised in terms of their own lives.

Table of Contents:
Preface Chapter One: Theory and Research on Ageing, Continued Development and Adaptation to Change Part One: Normative Developmental Models of Ageing Chapter Two: Theories of Adult Development: Midlife to Old Age Psychodynamic theories Jung – the midlife transition Erikson – developmental tasks of later adulthood Theories based on empirical investigation Levinson - the midlife transition in men’s lives Levinson – the midlife transition in women’s lives Other social developmental theories of ageing Disengagement, re-engagement and gerotranscendence Chapter Three: Research on Developmental Concepts of Ageing Generativity Measuring generativity Generativity as a feature of mid-life The relationship between generativity and well-being Wisdom Defining wisdom and its components Measuring wisdom Antecedents to wisdom: age, experience and personality Reminiscence and Life Review Types and functions of reminiscence Life review, its antecedents and associations Evaluative studies of reminiscence and life review Part Two: Ageing and Adaptation Chapter Four: Theories of Ageing and Adaptation Differential ageing Selective optimisation with compensation Shifting between assimilation and accommodation Socio-emotional selectivity theory The dynamic maturational model of attachment Chapter Five: Current Research Themes on Ageing and Adaptation Attitudes to ageing and older adults Beliefs for the self over time Attitudes towards own prospective old age Primary and secondary control strategies of adaptation The protective role of personal relationships Factors influencing well-being following spousal loss Changes in relationships over time Relationships within a cultural context Personal meaning and spirituality Conceptualising spirituality, religion and meaning Age, gender and racial differences in uses of religion and spirituality Religion, well-being and coping in later life Part Three: Towards a Developmental Psychology of Advanced Old Age Chapter Six: Key Concepts in the Study of Late Life When does advanced old age begin? Is there a developmental psychology of late life? The psychology of institutional care The self in late life: accommodation and self-transcendence Dementia: the negation of development? Cognitive and personality change in dementia Understanding the experience of dementia Dementia and emotions Chapter Seven: Current Research on Development and Adaptation in Advanced Old Age Source of continuity of the self in late life Evidence for stability of core self descriptors Differences in self-definition between the young-old and old-old Changing sources of self-esteem with age Studies of person-environment congruence in institutional settings Need for autonomy in residential settings Identifying and fostering developmental features of the institutional care environment Dementia care and attachment Dementia, attachment and the strange situation Developing staff attitudes towards persons with dementia Chapter Eight: Concluding thoughts and suggestions for further reading References Index