Psyc 345: Psychology of Adulthood and Aging. Dr. vom Saal. Spring 2003

GUIDELINES FOR STUDYING THE TEXT

Updated 3/14/03. This reading list is now complete for the semester.

Required Text: Hayslip, B. & Panek, P. E. (2002). Adult Development and Aging (3d edition). Malabar, FL: Krieger.

Note: this set of reading guidelines covers the required text only. Requirements for the separate book Tuesdays with Morrie will be described in class.

General guidelines: When pages are given, it means you are responsible for the major sections that begin on the first page named and end on the last page named. You are responsible for understanding all of the text within the pages assigned, including figures, charts, tables, illustrations, and boxes. It is most important that you know all headings, subheadings, italicized words, and boldface words in the pages assigned. For each of these, you should be able to define it, explain it, and give an example that demonstrates your understanding. Use the glossary in the back of the text to look up each work you are not familiar with to be sure you fully understand it. Remember that you are studying, which is more than just reading. When I say "read" certain pages below, it means to fully study them, which means to read for understanding and with the goal of being able to re-state in your own words all of what you read. This is a very large task, and you must be prepared to put much more time in that simply "reading" the material. The best way to study the text is to first skim the chapter for main ideas (no more than five minutes), then read it more carefully. Test yourself by giving a definition and example of each key term to a friend or study partner with the book closed. I strongly recommend that you create a set of index cards with key terms on one side, and a definition and example on the other side, and use these to study and test yourself.

A note on SKIMMING: On occasion I will ask you to skim a section of the text. The skill of skimming a book or article is an excellent one for you to learn. Here are some suggestions about how to skim. Many authors make the first sentence of each paragraph - or at least many paragraphs - a topic sentence that presents the key idea of a paragraph. I suggest you try skimming this way:

- Read the first sentence or two of each paragraph;

- Also look at the last sentence of each paragraph. (The last sentence may be just one in a string of supporting sentences, but sometimes it is a summary or conclusion of the key ideas of the paragraph or section.)

- Read purposefully. As you read, search for the key ideas in each section

- Put a time limit on this: go through the section you are skimming fairly rapidly, then return for more careful reading if necessary.

- In this text, which has frequent subheadings, your goal should be to understand what is meant by the title of each section, to understand the few key ideas in each section.

- Depending on how thoroughly you are skimming, you also may try to read enough to understand the boldface terms in each section.

Skimming is a good practice even if you are reading a section fully. It is always a good idea to go over the material first by skimming it rapidly in order to understand the organization and major points.

As a side point, I highly recommend that when you are writing a paper yourself, you using topic sentences for each paragraph (or at least most paragraphs). Not all writers (or readers) like this, but I feel it is an excellent strategy to follow when writing. It not only helps the reader understand you, but it also helps you, as a writer, by forcing you to state your key ideas crisply and clearly.

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Specific reading assignments.

Readings are due on the date of the Tuesday lecture on each topic, as shown in the Schedule of Topics.

NOTE: There may be adjustments and changes in these assignments. You are responsible for any changes announced in class (even if you miss a class). Unless adjustments or changes are announced in class, you are responsible only for the material identified below, and the exams will cover only that material (plus material from classes, lectures, and handouts).

READINGS COVERED IN EXAMINATION #1:

Topic 1: Introduction; and

Topic 2: The concept of aging: views of aging; theories of aging; demographics

Read all of Chapter 1 except for the following. You do not need to know the details about stages in the section on Periods of the Life Cycle that starts on p. 9. Just be aware that the definition of these stages varies from author to author (there is no universally accepted standard) and that some definitions have changed (for example, one author revised her definition of “middle age” to make it continue to a later age than she used in a book she had written several years ago). You also may omit the section on Transitions on p. 10.

Topic 3: Research methods; research designs; critical thinking in research.

There are no specific readings in the text for this chapter. Material will be covered in the lecture. Note: in the lecture, we will review several basic concepts in research methods. You should know most of this material from the Research Methods class. I also will describe cross-sectional designs and longitudinal designs (which may or may not have been covered in that class). For each of those designs, you should know that age is confounded with something else, and be able to describe what age is confounded with. Our text does not cover this, but I have several other texts that you may borrow from me if you would like to read about these concepts.

Also related to Topics 1, 2, and 3, we will discuss the Hayflick Limit in class. The Hayflick Limit is not described in your text, but see Homework #4 for an assignment to try to find out about it (and why it is important) on the web.

Topic 4: Physical changes.

Review the material on extrinsic and intrinsic factors that affect life expectancy in chapter 1 (pp. 14-17). Read all of Chapter 2.

Topic 5. Mental changes: cognition and memory; models of memory; dementia and Alzheimer's Disease.

Chapter 3: Read pp. 39-45. Omit pp. 46-47 except the top left portion of p. 47 and the last paragraph of that page (the one that continues to p. 48). Read p. 48. Omit pp. 49-50; read pp. 51-52; omit pp. 53-56.

Chapter 10: Omit pp. 161-162. Read p. 163 to the bottom of p. 165. Skim the remainder of the chapter enough to understand about alcoholism, depression and suicide (enough to understand that both alcoholism and depression are common, both are underdiagnosed, and both play a role in suicide). Also read the paragraph on drug adherence in older persons on p.172 (this is also called "compliance"). Omit the remainder of the chapter.

Topic 6. Coping with change and stress.

Read the section on stress in Chapter 6 (pp. 103-105).

Topic 7. Personality and mental health.

Chapter 6: Read pp. 93-96. For Erickson (pp. 95-96) you only need to know what kind of theory his is (stages as opposed to traits) and what the last two stages are. Skim the material on Levinson on p. 96 enough to see that this theory can be characterized as describing life as a series of chapters and transitions. Omit pp. 97 - 102. Read the right column of p. 102 through p. 105. Omit p. 106. Read the left column of p.107 enough to understand the concepts and figure out how they relate to the concept of the "androgyny of aging."

***EXAMINATION #1 WILL COVER THE READINGS TO THIS POINT ***

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THE READINGS BELOW ARE REQUIRED FOR THE SECOND EXAMINATION

Topic 8. Relationships and sexuality.

Ch. 4. It would be good to skim the entire chapter. Read all the headings and subheadings; think about how important these things are for you now; think about how important they may be for you as you age; and think about how important they are for the elderly.) For the exam you will be responsible only for the following material:
- on p.59 read the section on socialization. Be sure you know the definition of socialization from the glossary.
- on p.60, read the section on roles in adulthood to understand that there are fewer roles in later life, and many of them are “tenuous” roles (and know what that means).
- on p.60, know what a convoy is - it is also termed “social convoy.”
- on p.61, skim the section on sibling relationships, think about them, and understand the conclusion in the third sentence.
- on p.63, know the three statistics at the end of the first paragraph on marriage and the family in transition.
- on p.64, understand the concept of the social clock.
- read p.66, read about the rankings of components of love, and know what the text says the most important component of love was at different ages.
- on p.67, read the section on marital satisfaction, and think about it in terms of your own relationships. Know what the curvilinear relationship regarding happiness is that is described on that page.
- on pp.68-69, know the statistics in the first and last sentence of the first paragraph on divorce. Also understand the three dimensions of conflict described, what they are about, and what coercive escalation is.
- skim pp 69-70 to read the many stresses and problems associated with divorce.
- on p 71, read the statistic at the very top of p.71, but understand that even though almost 1/5 of all families are headed by a single parent (usually the woman), this does not include an additional large number of blended families in which there has been a remarriage.
- on p.73, read the first two sentences under Stages of Parenthood, and recognize how this relates to the curvilinear relationship you read about earlier.

Ch. 5. As for chapter 4, it would be good to skim the entire chapter. Again, read all the headings and subheadings; think about how important these things are for you now; think about how important they may be for you as you age; and think about how important they are for the elderly.) For the exam you will be responsible only for the following material:
- read carefully p.77 and the entire left column of p.78. On p.77, know the conclusion at the end of the first paragraph and the boldface terms. On p. 78, know the facts in the first two paragraphs under “our personal network.”
- on p.79, know the definition of filial responsibility.
- on pp.80-81, read about caregiver stress in the box, and about elder abuse in the text.
- on p.82, read the first paragraph under widowhood.
You will not be responsible for the remainder of the chapter, but you should at least skim it quickly.

Topic 9. Work, leisure, and retirement.

Ch. 7. Read pages 109-111 and 116-120.

Ch. 8. Read pages 129 through the top of 132, and also the right half of 135 through 143.

Topic 10. Death and dying.

Ch. 12. Read all of Chapter 12.

Topic 11. Wisdom, happiness, and quality of life.

Look up the topics of Wisdom and Happiness in the index of the text, and read the selections on those topics. If you can't find Happiness, try Quality of Life. If that doesn't work, try Life Satisfaction.

***THIS COMPLETES THE READINGS FOR THE SECOND EXAMINATION***

NOTE: as described in the syllabus, the second examination will cover the readings and lecture material for Topics #8, 9, 10, and 11. It is NOT a cumulative examination and will not cover the material covered in the first examination except where that material was reviewed again in the second part of the course.