Chance Development And Aging

Chance, Development, and Aging analyzes a subject that has been largelyignored until now: the sources of individual variations in development and agingthat cannot be attributed to genes or the external environment. And by doing so,this book develops new insight on aging and the individual. Gathering andscrutinizing evidence from diverse sources, the authors examine thosedifferences in individuals that arise during development and those that mightinfluence outcomes of aging. Through their research, they pose a new set ofquestions about the contribution of chance events during development, andalthough chance variations during development are well known within thesub-fields of developmental biology, there has been little recognition of theiraffects on variations in adult form and function. Here, the authors confrontthis issue with a fascinating hypothesis: chance variations in form andfunction, arising through development, affect individual base-line functions andindividual responses to the external environment and so modify outcomes ofaging. This book will undoubtedly benefit gerontologists, geneticists,reproductive biologists, and physiologists, and it will fascinate all thoseinterested in the outcomes of aging.

THE DEFINITIVE RESOURCE ON MIDLIFE DEVELOPMENT Edited by Margie Lachman, a leader in the field, Handbook ofMidlife Development provides an up-to-date portrayal of humandevelopment during the middle years of the life span. Featuringcontributions from well-established, highly regarded experts, thisexhaustive reference fills the gap for a compilation of research onthis increasingly important topic. Divided into four comprehensive sections, the book addresses thetheoretical, biomedical, psychological, and social aspects ofmidlife development. Each chapter includes coverage of unifyingthemes such as gender differences, ethnic and cultural diversity,historical changes, and socioeconomic differences from a life-spandevelopmental perspective. Readers will discover what can belearned from individuals' subjective conceptions of midlife;explore various "cultural" fictions of middle age; examine theresources individuals have at their disposal to negotiate midlife;consider mechanisms for balancing work and family; and other topicsas presented in the latest research from the social, behavioral,and medical sciences. Handbook of Midlife Development is an indispensable resource forprofessionals and practitioners who work with adults and forresearchers and students who study adult development and relatedtopics. Some of the midlife topics discussed: * Cultural perspectives * Physical changes * Stress, coping, and health * Intellectual functioning * Memory * Personality and the self * Adaptation and resilience * Emotional development * Families and intergenerational relationships * Social relationships * The role of work * Planning for retirement

This work clearly and concisely delivers the most current research findings in the field of adult development and aging.

In an unprecedented series of studies, Harvard Medical School has followed 824 subjects -- men and women, some rich, some poor -- from their teens to old age. Harvard's George Vaillant now uses these studies -- the most complete ever done anywhere in the world -- and the subjects' individual histories to illustrate the factors involved in reaching a happy, healthy old age. He explains precisely why some people turn out to be more resilient than others, the complicated effects of marriage and divorce, negative personality changes, and how to live a more fulfilling, satisfying and rewarding life in the later years. He shows why a person's background has less to do with their eventual happiness than the specific lifestyle choices they make. And he offers step-by-step advice about how each of us can change our lifestyles and age successfully. Sure to be debated on talk shows and in living rooms, Vaillant's definitive and inspiring book is the new classic account of how we live and how we can live better. It will receive massive media attention, and with good reason: we have never seen anything like it, and what it has to tell us will make all the difference in the world.

The field of emotions research has recently seen an unexpected period of growth and expansion, both in traditional psychological literature and in gerontology. The Handbook of Emotion, Adult Development, and Aging provides a broad overview and summary of where this field stands today, specifically with reference to life course issues and aging. Written by a distinguished group of contributing authors, the text is grounded in a life span developmental framework, while advancing a multidimensional view of emotion and its development and incorporating quantitative and qualitative research findings. The book is divided into five parts. Part One discusses five major theoretical perspectives including biological, discrete emotions, ethological, humanistic, and psychosocial. Part Two on affect and cognition discusses the role of emotion in memory, problem solving, and internal perceptions of self and gender. Part Three on emotion and relationships expands on the role of emotion in sibling and parent/child relationships, as well as relationships between friends and romantic partners, and the emotional reaction to interpersonal loss across the life span. Part Four on stress, health, and psychological well-being treats issues of stress and coping, religion, personality, and quality of life. The final part on continuity and change in emotion patterns and personality discusses emotion and emotionality throughout the life span. An ideal reference source for professionals across a wide range of disciplines, the text summarizes recent important developments in this fast growing area of psychology and proposes many new directions for future research. Provides a biopsychological view on emotion in adulthood from a life span context Presents the new perspective on emotion in older adults actively engaged in emotion self-regulation Describes the intimate connection between emotion and the structure of personality Demonstrates a new perspective on what emotion is, its importance across the life span, its connections with cognition, its role in interpersonal relation, and the way it influences both stability and change in adulthood Illustrates the interpersonal nature of emotion Provides theoretically based, leading edge research from international authors Five areas of coverage include: Theoretical perspectives Affect and cognition Emotion and relationships Stress, health, and psychological well-being Continuity and change in emotion patterns and personality Coverage includes: Five major theoretical perspectives, including biological, discrete emotions, ethological, humanistic, and psychosocial The role of emotion in memory, problem-solving, and internal perceptions of self and gender The role of emotion in sibling and parent/child relationships, relationships between friends and romantic partners, and the emotional reaction to interpersonal loss across the lifespan Issues of stress and coping, religion, personality, and quality of life Emotion and emotionality throughout the lifespan

The new edition of the leading textbook on the biopsychosocial processes of aging in adults, fully revised and updated. Adult Development and Aging, Second Canadian Edition helps student readers understand the aging process both in themselves and in those around them. Approaching the subject from the biopsychosocial perspective ― an innovative model of adult development that takes into account the influences and interactions of complex biological, psychological, and social processes, the authors explore the latest concepts and applications in this exciting academic discipline. Based on Susan Whitbourne's classroom experience teaching her Psychology of Aging course, this engaging textbook integrates current research, real-world data, detailed explanations, and relatable examples to provide a balanced and accessible examination of the subject. This important work is an invaluable source of topically relevant information for traditional college-age learners and mature returning students alike, as well as for instructors and academic researchers in areas of adult aging and lifespan development.

Conveys an understanding of the ongoing process of adult ageing and development. The coverage ranges from basic topics such as theory and research to high-interest, current issues such as minority ageing, elder abuse, dual-career marriages, industrial gerontology and single parenthood.