Aging has long been associated with a (i) systematic bias in both attention and in memory towards positive stimuli compared with negative, and (ii) a gradual increase in self-reported positive affect and decrease in negative affect in daily life. The findings are considered to be paradoxical, because as people get older, the neural mechanisms responsible for cognitive functioning undergo gradual decline in structure and function. This dissertation aims to break down the mechanisms of aging that allow for the age-related changes in emotion to prevail in the midst of other ongoing aging processes. Here, I present three papers that address age-related changes in emotional experience. Study 1 showed that age predicted feeling more positive and less negative when faced with a pandemic that disproportionality impacted older adults. Study 2 showed that while younger adults are better than older adults at regulating negative images, all participants rely on similar brain regions for accomplishing the same regulatory goals. Study 3 showed that when given the explicit goal to up or down-regulate positivity, older adults do not have an advantage over younger adults. One way to explain these results is that there are age-related distinctions between the way participants behave in lab-based studies and when they are observed in daily life, which account for inconsistencies between my three studies.

No description available.

This study confirms that depression is highly prevalent in nursing homes. In addition, this study reveals incongruency between depression rates and recognition rates of depression in the nursing home environment.

It was estimated that 35 million people age 65 or older lived in the United States in 2000. Of that number 2.8 million were Black/African American. The U.S. Census Bureau's (2000) population projections show that there will be 70 million older adults age 65 or older by 2030 and African Americans are expected to comprise over 12% of that population. In 1993 older adults had made less elective use of computers than younger adults, accounting for 24.2% of those age 55 to 64 and 4.9% of adults over age 65. By 2003 adults over age 65 recorded a 20.1% increase in computer usage becoming the fastest growing segment of computer users who are engaging in learning computer skills as a way of coping with the technological changes. Studies have found that greater experience with computers is associated with more positive attitudes; however, it has never been determined whether this is true of the older African American population since there is a paucity of research documenting their computer attitudes. This study utilized a mixed methods research design that included an experimental design and an inductive approach with interviews. The following findings emerged: (a) attitudes differed for older African Americans who received computer training and those who did not; (b) there was no distinction in computer attitudes between older adult male and older adult females in the African American population; (c) there was no interaction effect on computer attitudes as moderated by training and gender; (d) older African Americans exhibited a positive disposition towards computers which elicited positive attitudes towards the technology; (e) older African Americans had a nascent need for computer self-efficacy; and (f) older African Americans constructed new meaning regarding computers as a result of their reflection on their computer interaction experience. / The findings have established that older African Americans' attitudes can be influenced by direct computer experience and the study extends prior research by identifying the process by which attitude change takes place. / by Nigel Leon Lovell-Martin. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2009. / Includes bibliography. / Electronic reproduction. Boca Raton, Fla., 2009. Mode of access: World Wide Web.

Healthy aging has been associated with declines in executive functioning (EF) but it remains unclear how different subprocesses of EF are affected by age and by other possibly mediating variables. The principal aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of age and processing speed on three executive functions: set-shifting, planning, and attentional control. Four age groups (20-29 years, 60-69 years, 70-79 years, and 80-89 years) were compared on the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST), the DKEFS Tower Test, the Conner's Continuous Performance Test, and a Letter comparison test of processing speed. Results suggested that increased age was associated with decreased performance on most of the studied executive measures, but not all EF are equally affected by age. A slowdown in processing speed mediates some, but not all, decrements in executive performance. The results are interpreted in light of recent neuroimaging data on age-related changes in brain functioning. / by Maria Beatriz Jurado Noboa. / Thesis (M.A.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2009. / Includes bibliography. / Electronic reproduction. Boca Raton, Fla., 2009. Mode of access: World Wide Web.

The aim of this thesis was to identify the characteristics of path segments and routes that are associated with where older residents choose to walk for recreation or for getting to destinations in retirement communities. The goal was to use the findings from this study to help formulate criteria and strategic choices that can be used to design retirement communities that support walking among elderly residents. Case studies were conducted at three Continuing Care Retirement Communities. The study shows that route choice for walking to destinations is shaped by practical considerations of distance and convenience and largely determined by the relative location of destination and origin. On the other hand, route choice for recreational walking is more complex and is determined by local, relational and structural environmental characteristics of the path segments that comprise the routes as well as characteristics of the residents themselves. Residents chose routes of different difficulty level for walking based on their physical abilities and health. This study also found that many residents chose to walk indoors for recreation, especially along corridors between resident apartments. Understanding how the different factors together shape route choice leads to the clarification of design alternatives. This study suggests that designing campuses to support walking involves not only a careful consideration of individual local path segment characteristics but also an understanding how path segments and routes fit within the larger network of path segments on campus. Further, it is important to design routes with a range of characteristics and a range of challenge so that residents have many options to choose from and they have the option to move from a lower level of challenge to a higher one when they feel ready.

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The aim of this thesis was to investigate inter-individual variability on cognitive task performance in normal older adults. In a review of the cognitive aging literature, the implications of a differential perspective were drawn out in order to establish a theoretical and methodological basis for an investigation into variability. A number of regularly occurring patterns, identified on the basis of available reports in the literature, were used to develop a model of variability (the shuttle model). The empirically-based model was located broadly within a neuropsychological framework, and derived explanatory power from the tenets of brain reserve capacity (BRC) theory. It served to describe the bulge in interindividual variability due to aging (the shuttle bulge), and the shifting occurrence of the bulge in relation to the age axis due to cohort and task-related influences (the shuttle shift). A two phase research study was conducted in order to test hypotheses derived from the model. Phase 1 comprised between-groups analyses of normative data covering a broad range of neuropsychological tests in the domains of attention, memory, language, visual and hand motor skills, in order to examine the progression of variability effects across the adult age range. Phase 2 constituted between and within-groups analyses of normative data from a more limited number of neuropsychological tests. It included the examination of raw score distributions and the characteristics of outliers, and was undertaken to explore more closely the nature of the variability phenomena detected in the first phase of the analysis. Taken together, the results of both phases of the investigation revealed statistically significant variability effects in support of the shuttle model. There was a consistent pattern of increased variability in association with older age regardless of functional modality; frequently, in association with later old age, there was also a subsequent decrease in variability (the shuttle bulge). The age of onset of the initial increase in variability occurred earlier or later (the shuttle shift) as a function of four factors: education, gender, task challenge and age-sensitivity of task. The finding of an earlier onset of variability effects for low education, male gender, high task challenge and high age-sensitivity of task was interpreted in terms of BRC threshold theory. The clinical and social implications of the outcome were discussed with special emphasis on the need for a differential perspective on aging, as a complement to the prevailing normative tradition. It was concluded that the shuttle model has considerable heuristic value. It presents an integrative framework for understanding existing variability data and provides clear indications for future research.

Made available in DSpace on 2017-06-01T18:08:41Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 dissertacao_rennata_silva_carvalho.pdf: 667057 bytes, checksum: a9f75b6b248472055a6597f54158c9e5 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2012-03-26 / Currently there is a significant growth of the elderly population, in absolute and relative numbers highlighting the significant increase of the population aged over 80 years. A recent diagnosis of the elderly population in Brazil found that while the number of elderly is increasing at around 3.5% a year, people over 80 years are increasing 4.7% per year. Given the increasing life expectancy, a phenomenon experienced in developed countries and developing countries, the challenge that presents itself is the maintenance of health and quality of life in individuals with advanced age. The concept of Health and Quality of Life is widely debated and constantly revised, particularly with regard to the elderly population. Therefore research on the conditions under which enjoy good health and quality of life in old age is scientific and social interest. This research aimed to understand the perception of health and quality of life of elderly men over 75 years of age and to investigate and understand old age, including concept, challenges and myths about this process. This dissertation is divided into two articles: the first article consists of a theoretical study and presents a panorama of old age, their characteristics, myths and challenges. The second deals with health and quality of life from the perspective of older men, if those aged over 75 years, as stated. / Atualmente observa-se um significativo crescimento da população de idosos, em números absolutos e relativos, com destaque para o expressivo incremento da população com idade superior a 80 anos. Um diagnóstico recente da população idosa no Brasil constatou que enquanto o conjunto dos idosos está aumentando em torno de 3,5% ao ano, o daqueles com mais de 80 anos está crescendo 4,7% ao ano. Diante do aumento da expectativa de vida, fenômeno vivenciado nos países desenvolvidos e em desenvolvimento, o grande desafio que se apresenta é a manutenção da saúde e da qualidade de vida em indivíduos com idade avançada. Os conceitos de saúde e de qualidade de vida são amplamente discutidos e constantemente revisados, sobretudo no que se refere à população de idosos. Portanto, a investigação sobre as condições que permitem gozar de boa saúde e de qualidade de vida na velhice é de interesse científico e social. Esta pesquisa teve como objetivo geral entender a percepção sobre saúde e qualidade de vida de homens idosos acima de 75 anos de idade, bem como investigar e compreender a velhice, incluindo conceito, mitos e desafios acerca desse processo. Esta dissertação está composta por dois artigos: o primeiro consiste em um estudo teórico e apresenta um panorama sobre a velhice, suas características, mitos e desafios. O segundo versa sobre saúde e qualidade de vida na perspectiva de homens mais idosos, ou seja, aqueles com idade acima de 75 anos, como foi referido.

Made available in DSpace on 2017-06-01T18:08:55Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 tatiana_socorro.pdf: 1144345 bytes, checksum: 7345aa840c569d2fc9e9f4e8c56f3ed6 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2006-12-27 / It is known that the number of old people is growing nowadays and, especially, that of old women due to the fact that life expectancy is higher among females. The 08 women that took part in this study are between 74 and 93 years old, belong to middle and upper class and live in a residential home for the elderly, placed in the Brazilian city of Recife. The aim of this work is to investigate the roles played by these women in the family life cycle. It has been possible thanks to the individual interviews that were recorded and transcribed in order to classify them according to the subjects first and then according to the categories of analysis, based on the Thematic Analysis. Collected data point out that these old women adjusted themselves to the standards of the twentieth century society. They were responsible for the housework and well-being of their children and husbands and gave up professional life when got married or had children. They adopted a subordinated behaviour and their husbands played the role of suppliers, that is, they followed the traditional family model. Nevertheless, two old women did not achieve the standards dictated by the social circumstances of that time. This fact points out the first steps forward the social evolution of women. The eight participants think that in the past old people were appreciated by their families and respected by society, despite the few laws existing to protect them. Today, they say the treatment given to them by social and family circles has not changed. However, they consider their family relationships to be satisfactory. It is important to say that the whole group of old women participating on this work played the roles of mother and grandmother and, some of them, great-grandmother. It must be highlighted the importance of these women in their families through the roles played during the life cycle, taking care and educating their relatives or giving affective and financial support. This work is expected to contribute to the increase of researches about the roles played by women during their lives and to contribute to the current bibliography about this subject. Finally, it is expected that this work make people reflect on old age so as to subsidize projects to improve the quality of life of old women / Sabe-se que é crescente a quantidade de pessoas idosas, na sociedade atual e, especialmente, de mulheres idosas, dado que a expectativa de vida é mais alta no sexo feminino. Participaram deste estudo 08 mulheres idosas, na faixa etária entre 74 e 93 anos, de padrão sócio-econômico médio ou alto, que residem em um lar para essa população, situado na cidade de Recife. Objetivou-se investigar os papéis que a mulher idosa vivenciou ao longo do ciclo vital da família. Realizaram-se entrevistas individuais, que foram gravadas e transcritas, sendo as respostas categorizadas por temas afins e, em seguida, construiram-se categorias de análise, baseando-se na Análise Temática. Os dados apontam que as idosas moldaram-se aos padrões estabelecidos pela sociedade do século XX, já que eram responsáveis pelos afazeres domésticos, bem-estar dos filhos e do esposo; abandonavam a vida profissional quando se casavam ou chegavam os filhos; adotavam um comportamento de subordinação, e seus maridos assumiam o papel de provedores, enfim, seguiam o modelo da família tradicional. Porém, duas idosas infringiram esses comportamentos ditados pela conjuntura social da época, o que mostra o estabelecimento de diferenças e indica os primórdios da evolução social da mulher. As participantes percebem que os idosos antigamente eram valorizados pela família e respeitados pela sociedade, apesar da escassez de leis que os protegessem. Hoje, elas afirmam que o tratamento dispensado pelo meio social e familiar permanece igual; também, perceberam seu relacionamento familiar como satisfatório. Salienta-se que todas as idosas assumiram os papéis de mãe, avó e, algumas, o de bisavó. Constata-se a importância dessas idosas na família, através desses papéis exercidos durante o Ciclo Vital, seja como cuidadoras e educadoras, seja como suporte afetivo e financeiro. Espera-se que este estudo contribua para o incremento de pesquisas acerca dos papéis vivenciados pela mulher, colabore com a bibliografia atual sobre o tema e proporcione uma reflexão sobre a velhice com o intuito de subsidiar projetos de melhoria da qualidade de vida para a mulher idosa