An individual’s personality and character structure portrays a major reflection of how they age. Personality style and character structure both incorporate the conscious and unconscious motivational, cognitive and affective mental states, as well as defense mechanisms (Silver 1992). Biopsychosocial factors-broken down into biological, psychological, and sociocultural-also play a huge role in personality and aging (Notes 10/08). Some examples of biological factors are health, genetics, and physiological function. Thoughts, feelings, and emotions would be considered psychological factors. Sociocultural factors include family, religion and community. Additionally, people endure unique experiences and circumstances throughout their life course, …show more content…
A defense mechanism describes habitual, unconscious and sometimes pathological processes used to cope with different situations that occurred throughout the lifespan. These defenses are expressed to reduce tension between changing social expectations during aging, rather than passive responses from previous conflicts. This means the different ways that adults react to situations could be considered a reflection of their experiences over the lifespan, and their reactions can ultimately affect their aging process. Elderly adults with different personality structures use specific defense mechanisms to achieve a greater sense of independence. Older adults reactions are also based on their personality, which is where defense mechanisms are derived …show more content…
Those with this personality style have a constant need for love and affection, as well as attention. It is very hard for Narcissistic people to see themselves age, so they attempt to keep themselves looking young. They often believe in “quick fixes” for aging such as aging creams, surgeries, etc. Elderly with this personality style tend to look for constant reassurance for desirableness-they surround themselves with people who make them feel important. The narcissistic tend to be depressive when levels of attention towards them drop. This is an issue because older adults with this personality style won’t reach out; they just wait to receive attention even if it is dire to their health and
There are many environmental influences as well as human behaviors that contribute to one’s expected life span. Health and lifestyle are two major factors that play a role in determining what life would be like during the senior years of life. There are many advantages to having a strong social support network that consists of caregivers paid and unpaid. Seniors with this tend to live longer, remain independent and stay active in their later years. Citizens in today’s society are living longer due to technology, medications and an overall healthier lifestyle. Many reach the age of 100 but the maximum human life span is 120 years old. One’s personal data, career choices, environmental influences and amount of active interactions will determine how those of the older population will experience the aging process.
An interview was arranged with an older adult to discuss issues related to aging. The interview was designed to gain appreciation and understanding of an older adult. One theory of aging came into mind when I thought about this topic. Erik Erikson Life-Course and Personality Development theory, “Erikson described the task of old age as balancing the search for integrity and wholeness with a sense of despair.” NS is the older adult that I conducted the interview with. I’ve decided to pick NS to interview because she is very positive about life and her age. Everything that I have come across about aging is negative such as depression, isolation, and illness.
The thought of aging is not void of hesitance given it produces questions deprived of answers in the absence of a crystal ball. Subsequently, aging parallels the unknown; thus, faced with uncertainty adopting a positive perspective remains elusive. Although, it’s preferred to view aging optimistically one cannot escape its negative connotations. Will I be an active agent or isolated burden remains a noteworthy unknown that enervates my optimism. Another consideration leading to my vacillating view on aging is, not knowing to what degree personal competencies and capacities will carry forward, thereby affording autonomy in the elder years. However, as research suggest, the aging process transforms healthy adults into frail ones; thus, dashing one’s hope that such traits will endure (Friis, 2010). Incidentally, at age 48, these lingering questions will soon be answered. In the interim, there is an inherent responsibility to prepare physically, psychologically, and financially for entry into the aging population. Ideally, the goal is to
how we age, is discovering how to stop it. An intrinsic characteristic of Man is
...he final questions were used for comparison purposes with Vaillant’s longitudinal studies on personality of individuals in their 50’s and their life in their mid 70’s. “When individuals at 50 years of age were not heavy smokers, did not abuse alcohol, had a stable marriage, exercised, maintained a normal weight, and had good coping skills, they were more likely to be alive and happy at 75 to 80 years of age” (Santrock, 2013, p. 519). Neither respondent smoked, each drank less than 2 alcoholic beverages per week, they were in a stable marriage, only the male was marginally overweight, and they both had good coping skills. Based on their response and Vaillant’s study it is expected that they would fall into the “happy-well” category when they were 75 to 80 years of age.
Aging and old age for a long time presented as dominated by negative traits and states such as sickness, depression and isolation. The aging process is not simply senescence most people over the age of 65 are not Senile, bedridden, isolated, or suicidal (Aldwin & Levenson, 1994). This change in perspective led the investigation of the other side of the coin. Ageing is seen as health, maturity and personal Royal growth, self-acceptance, happiness, generatively, coping and acceptance of age-related constraints (Birren & Fisher, 1995). Psychological und...
Of the theories listed in our text regarding the health of psychosocial aging, the theory most in line with my idea of successful aging is “Life Course/ Lifespan Development” a theory developed by Back. Back’s theory suggests that as we age the roles throughout our lives are altered in one-way or another and our relationships also change. As one ages, their role changes could be from a mother who has raised children majority of her life to having an empty nest and only caring for her significant other, to being a grandmother. Responsibilities are not necessarily removed, just slightly different. Transitioning from psychosocial to biological again there are several theories trying to conceptualize how and why it is our bodies age I am led to side with Hayflick and Moorehead’s Programmed theory suggesti...
In an attempt to define ageing one must take in consideration the biophysiological together with the psychosocial aspects; these two aspects are intertwined.
Ageing is a continuing life cycle, it is an ongoing developmental event that brings certain changes in one’s own psychological and physical state. It is a time in one's own life where an elderly individual reminisce and reflect, to bask and live on previous accomplishments and begin to finish his life cycle. There is a significant amount of adjusting that requires an elderly individual to be flexible and develop new coping skills to adapt in the changes that are common in their new life. (Dhara & Jogsan, 2013).
Aging and being old was dominated by negative characteristics and conditions such as illness, depression, and isolation for a long time (Eibach, Mock, & Courtney, 2010). At first glance the terms “success” and “aging” seem to be in conflict to each other. When asking people about aging, their answers have many facets that are also found in psychological definitions: successful aging is seen as health, maturity and personal growth, self-acceptance, happiness, generativity, coping, and acceptance of age-related limitations. In the psychological sense successful aging is also often seen as the absence of age-associated characteristics (Strawbridge, Wallhagen, & Cohen, 2002). It seems that successful aging means is not aging.
Firstly, what is exactly narcissism? The word ‘narcissism’ was derived from an ancient Greek myth of Narcissus. Narcissus was depicted as a handsome young man who adored his looks very much. Many young maidens fell in love with him but he criticizes them for being too ugly for him. One day, he fell in love with his own reflection in a pool of water. However, he accidentally drowned himself as he tried to touch his reflection. Hence, the word ‘narcissism’ is usually depicted as a personality that reflects excessive of self-love on oneself. Individuals who are narcissistic are usually described as somebody who is selfish, snobbish or proud. This is because narcissistic individual processes information obtained differently than others. They believe that they deserve more than others since they think they are more superior in every aspect. Due to their sense of grandiosity, they will do anything in order t...
The idea that a person’s personality is fully developed during the ages of puberty are being challenged by new research findings that provide evidence that small personality trait changes can still occur throughout an individual’s lifespan (Roberts and Mroczek, 2008). As suggested by Srivastava, John, Gosling, and Potter, (2003), “just as individual differences in personality lead individuals towards different experiences that subsequently affect their personalities, normative changes in personality help prepare people for normative adult roles, which in turn can support further personality changes,”
However, few studies focus solely on the plasticity of personality in the elderly, as they too are confronted by various life changes (Maiden, Peterson, & Caya, 1999). A longitudinal study conducted by Maiden, Peterson, & Caya (1999), is significant in measuring personality change among the elderly through a sample of elderly women, averaging eighty years old. Maiden, Peterson, & Caya (1999) hypothesized that personality change takes place predominantly in times when the conditions of one’s existence change dramatically, anticipating moderate change. Participants were sampled multiple times, revealing that as negative life changes were made, personality followed suit. For example, Maiden, Peterson, & Caya (1999) found that participants felt they were less extroverted when suffering poorer health. Likewise, participants indicated that nervousness and irritability intensified, also owing mainly to undesirable life changes. The conclusions drawn by Maiden, Peterson, & Caya (1999) allow the confirmation of their hypothesis. Therefore, the plasticity of an individual’s personality throughout their life, even in it’s final stages, is undeniably
Adulthood marks the largest component of lifespan defining the period when a person has attained maturity. Typically, development process manifests new trend in adulthood since it no longer centers on cognitive and physical growth spurts, but considerably characterized by psychosocial gains coupled with consistent but gradual physical declination (aging) prompted by primary determinants like decline or loss in cellular function, oxidative damage, tissue damage, natural selection, DNA modification, and secondary accelerators like general unhealthy lifestyles inclusive of poor diet and absence of physical exercises (Cavanaugh et al., 2010; Steinberg, 2010). In tandem, this essay implores advancing
Of life. My research question is that do people personality change as they age? I think the