PSYC 3461 - Psychology of Adulthood and Aging

Course Description

Students are provided an accurate overview of the psychological changes that people experience as they grow older. This includes identifying specific types of psychological changes and examining the dynamic forces that underlie and produce change. Topics include research techniques, theoretical approaches, memory, intelligence, personality, social forces and psychopathology. The course surveys the adult lifespan: young and middle adulthood and old age.

Learning outcomes

The overall aim of this course is to introduce you to the psychology of adulthood and aging. By the end of the course, you will have learned about the adult development of such important human abilities as memory, learning, and intelligence; how to relate these developments to societal conditions and expectations; and how to begin to appreciate the differences between normal and pathological change during mature life.

After successfully completing the course, you will be able to:

• Identify and describe the major models of human development.
• Evaluate the experimental techniques commonly used to study age-associated changes in human function.
• Discuss the adequacy of theories of biological aging and evaluate the relationship between biological and psychological theories by connecting the course material to the real life experience of growing old.
• Describe the types of changes that occur during adulthood in the human cognitive system, including memory, intelligence, and learning skills.
• Discuss the major life events and social processes that contribute to age-associated changes in psychological function.
• Explain possible personality changes in the older adult.
• Discuss the meaning of death and dying from several perspectives, including those of the individual, the family, and the health professional.
• Discuss ageism in society, namely, the stereotype that growing old is primarily a time of decline.
• Obtain and evaluate original research material in the area of adulthood and aging.

Course topics

• Module 1: Foundations of Change
• Module 2: The Aging Adult and the Environment
• Module 3: Individual Differences: Personality, Stress, and Health
• Module 4: Meaning, Death, and Successful Aging

Required text and materials

Students are responsible for purchasing the required materials on their own:

• Bjorklund, B., (2020). Revel for Journey of Adulthood -- Access Card. (9^th ed.). Pearson: Hoboken, NJ.
  Type: E-Textbook. ISBN-13: 9780134792897

Note: This item can be purchased directly from Campus eBookstore via Wolfie's Campus Store

Assessments

To successfully complete this course, students must achieve a passing grade of 50% or higher on the overall course, and 50% or higher on the final mandatory exam.

Prerequisites

PSYC 1111; or PSYC 1110

and

PSYC 1211; or PSYC 1210

Recommended requisite(s)

PSYC 2111; or PSYC 2110

Exclusions

SOCW 3551

PSYC 2230