Chapter 15. Adulthood and Old Age Textbook Solutions

NIOS Class 12 Psychology Chapter 15 Answers

INTEXT QUESTIONS 15.1

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

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

2. What are the three stages of Adulthood?

Ans: Three stages of adulthood are:

• Early Adulthood (18-40) Years
• Middle Adulthood (41-60) Years
• Late Adulthood or Old Age (61) Years and Above

INTEXT QUESTION 15.2

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

TERMINAL QUESTIONS

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

Ans: In middle adulthood (41-60 years), the aging process becomes more visible. It is a period of increasing social interaction and responsibility. These adults help the younger generation in becoming competent and self-sufficient individuals. They are at the peak of their careers, but a decline in their physical self is noticeable.

2. What is cognitive development in adulthood?

Ans: The human brain is responsible for cognition. Since human beings change and deteriorate physically across their life span, it is justified to expect some cognitive changes in the brain with age. But as we grow older, we also learn to solve a lot of problems with the help of our experience. This is why it is said that wisdom increases with age.

3. What cognitive changes occur during middle adulthood?

Ans: Individuals at this time start showing concerns for others. They take an active interest in helping and guiding others. Parents help their children in choosing a career and mentor them. Adults who successfully resolve this stage feel generativity. Those who are unable to help others turn out to be self-centered and suffer from a feeling of stagnation.

4. Does memory improve as you get older?

Ans: No. Memory can get trickier with age. People who were able to maintain their daily schedules in their heads now have to write them down and carry them around in their pocket diaries.

5. What do you mean by career transition?

Ans: The term career transition may refer to the process when an individual shifts to a new position or a new role in the same company or organization. A person may start at their first job, switch to a more satisfying or interesting job if required, retire, and stop working outside their house altogether. Each of these life events is termed a career transition and serves as an important era in their lifespan.

6. Write short notes on

a) Social and emotional development during adulthood

b) Emptiness

c) Financial insecurity

d) Health concerns

Ans: 

a) Social and emotional development during adulthood

Adults have a strong need for affiliation and a desire to meet & interact with other individuals. They gain help, support, and information from friends.  Interacting with relatives, friends, and neighbours is always beneficial as we age. We continue to interact with other individuals throughout our life spans. Adult individuals may have casual relationships with a lot of friends, but they may grow closer with a select few as they age. Although the size of their friend groups decreases over time, adults usually maintain close and strong friendships with a small number of people.

b) Emptiness

Emptiness is a feeling of isolation. With advancing age, people lose contact with their old friends and find it difficult to initiate new friendships. Old people usually start feeling left out when their children leave the home to go abroad for higher education, jobs or change residence permanently. There are also cases where children ignore their parents when they get older, making them feel unwanted and lonely.

c) Financial insecurity

As the individual grows old and retires from work, their finances become constrained, and they have to depend on sources like their pension or a fixed income from their savings. These savings may not be enough to meet their medical expenses and household responsibilities. With deteriorating health, a large chunk of their income is spent on healthcare. Sometimes their savings are not enough for their medical expenses. All of these may pose difficulties such as managing households, paying bills, and obtaining medical assistance. 

d) Health concerns

Arthritis and osteoporosis are the most common health problems among the Elderly. Osteoporosis affects more women than men. Old people who live alone and suffer from loneliness become inattentive to nutritious eating. This leads to vitamin deficiency. Stress related to situational factors such as the loss of a loved one, diagnosis of chronic illness, financial losses, and other family-related issues may also have severe impacts on the biological and psychological functioning of older people.

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: Adults adjust their lives after marriage and take care of the likes and dislikes of their partners. When both partners are working, they share the roles and responsibilities. 

After marriage, becoming a parent brings another transition in life. It can be stressful, but coping depends on several other factors, such as support from the family in bringing up the child and the level of happiness of both partners. Sometimes, only one of the parents has to take the entire responsibility of the child because of reasons like divorce or the death of a spouse.

More women are now working outside their homes. The stress of divorce affects working women greatly, too. They are faced with taking care of the health and education of their children alone, as well as coping with and balancing the workload in the office and at home. Yet, despite all the stress associated with parenting, adults find an opportunity for growth and self-respect as parents.

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 during middle and later adulthood.

• In middle adulthood (41-60 years), the aging process becomes more visible. They are at the peak of their careers, but a decline in their physical self is noticeable.
• After the age of 55, bones become less dense, and as a result, men lose up to 1 inch in height and women lose 2 inches. 
• Their weight also drops after the age of 50 years because of muscle loss. 
• Stamina begins to decline.
• They find it difficult to see things in dim light because the accommodative capacity of the eye is declining. 
• They are unable to discriminate between colours. 
• Sensitivity to glare also increases with age.
• Hair begins to turn grey, and wrinkles start appearing on the face.
• Physical strength and lung capacity also decrease.

Factors that influence aging are cellular and molecular changes, lack of physical exercise, poor diet, etc. 

9. What are the four eras of adult life according to Daniel Levinson’s stage theory of social development, and what are the challenges associated with each era?

Ans: 

Levinson divides life into four major eras, each separated from the other stage by a transition period- adolescence, early adulthood, middle adulthood, and late adulthood. 

• Adolescence: The first transition occurs between childhood and early adulthood. It involves establishing one’s independence both emotionally and financially.
• Early Adulthood (18-45) years: People in this era start realizing that half of their life is over, and if they have to make changes in their life, they have to make them now. People start showing concerns for others besides themselves and their families. They start guiding and nurturing younger generations.
• Middle Adulthood (46-65) years: Adults who had faced a mid-life crisis are now living with the decisions that they had made earlier. Families and careers are settled and established. Some people experience self-worth and self-satisfaction because they have achieved what they wanted to. Others may feel like much of their life has been wasted. This crisis may continue from earlier crises or manifest itself as a new one. People in their 60s also begin to prepare themselves for retirement, depending upon their sense of achievement.
• Late Adulthood (65 years onwards): Late adulthood is considered to begin at about 65 years of age. Many people at this point are satisfied with their lives and begin to relax and enjoy time with their children and grandchildren. They also find the time to pursue their own interests and hobbies. By the onset of this stage, it is important to find meaning in life rather than feel disappointed.

10. What are the specific challenges individuals face during the intimacy versus isolation, generativity versus stagnation, and ego-integrity versus despair stages?

Ans: 

• Intimacy versus isolation: During early adulthood, adults are faced with intimacy versus isolation. Young adults during this stage develop deep and intimate relationships with others. Those who get consistent care and love from others can form intimate relationships with them. However, those who fail to find intimacy become socially isolated.
• Generativity versus stagnation: Erikson labeled the middle adulthood stage as a period of generativity versus stagnation. Individuals at this time start showing concerns for others. They take an active interest in helping and guiding others. Parents help their children in choosing a career and mentor them. Adults who successfully resolve this stage feel generativity. Those who are unable to help others turn out to be self-centered and suffer from a feeling of stagnation.
• Ego-integrity versus despair stages: During late adulthood, individuals enter Erikson’s ego-integrity versus despair stage. When older adults look back at their lives, they often ask themselves questions like “What have I achieved?” and “What is the meaning of my life?” If they can find answers to these questions, they can be said to have achieved their goals. They feel a sense of integrity. If not, then they may perceive despair. It is the way we deal with our life’s problems that determines the course and nature of life.

Additional Study Materials

• NIOS Class 12 Psychology Syllabus Bifurcation
• NIOS Class 12 Sample Question Paper
• Life Span Perspective on Development
• Infancy and Childhood
• Adolescence and Young Adulthood