Continuity Theory

The continuity theory states that people become less apt to change as they grow older and that if they most change they will do so using skills or strategies from their past (Ashford & Lecroy, 2013).  This theory was developed by George Maddox after he observed that peopled had the tendency to participate in the same type of activities during the aging process (Encyclopedia of Aging). This theory contends that a person’s history, culture and social constraints all together shape the way a person will adapt to changes as they grow older.  This theory was developed using the thought that people’s personality traits stay the same from young adulthood to old age.

One of the problems of this theory is that it continues that changes they will have to adapt to will be a gradual process and that the personality of the individual with remain the same. This theory is no longer accepted as fact because of the many flaws associated with the underlying theme that people basic personality will remain unchanged from young adulthood into old age.

 

Ashford & Lecroy (2013).  Human Behavior in the Social Environment.  Belmont, CA: Cengage Learning

Diggs, J. (2008).  Encyclopedia of Aging and Public Health. 233-235

 

Late Adulthood

Chapter 12: Late Adulthood

Late adulthood is considered the stage of life from age 60 to death.  Erik Erikson (1959/1980) termed this eighth life stage “old age”, characterized by the developmental task of integrity versus despair (Ashford & Lecroy pg. 596). Integrity refers to the ability to integrate or satisfactorily blends one’s history and experience with the task of evaluating and accepting one’s life (pg. 596).  People tend to reflect back on their life and find that their life has been meaningful and rewarding, and develop a sense of integrity during this stage of life.  However, if they are disappointed because of missed opportunities and unresolved conflicts, they may be vulnerable to despair (pg. 597). 

There are a number of  theories of aging that address how people change or do not change with advancing age, how late life differs from earlier adulthood, and characteristics of normal or successful aging. The theories help us better understand aging and inform our social work practice with older adults and their families (pg. 599). Continuity theory emphasizes that people change less with aging than they stay the same (pg.599).  The theory states that adaptation changes that occur with age is done using familiar strategies from the individual’s past repertoire  Successful aging according to the Activity Theory depends on adaptation through substitution for roles that are no longer available Newer theories of aging have returned to the themes of activity and disengagement in different ways (pg. 600). Researchers Rowe and Kahn describe successful aging in three main areas; 1) maintaining cognitive abilities 2) avoiding disease and maintaining physical functioning, and 3) maintaining active engagement with life (pg.600). 

Reference

Ashford, J. B., LeCroy, C. W. (2013). Human Behavior in the Social Environment: A Multidimensional Perspective (5th Ed.)

Late adulthood consist of age 60 until death, Erik Erikson categorized this stage as integrity vs despair. According to Erikson during “old age” adults are believed to have more wisdom and existential identity. As adults grow older they stop working and worrying about their productivity, this leaves time to explore life and contemplate their accomplishments and are able to develop integrity. (Erikson & Erikson, 1998). On the other hand Continuity theory states that adults try to maintain the same amount of activity, the same behaviors, personalities, and relationships. Continuity Theory holds that, in making adaptive choices, middle-aged and older adults attempt to preserve and maintain existing internal and external structures; and they prefer to accomplish this objective by using strategies tied to their past experiences of themselves and their social world. (Atchley, 1989). The theory deals with the internal structure and the external structure of continuity to describe how people adapt to their situation and set their goals. (Atchley, 1989). The internal structure consist of an individual’s personality or ideas remain constant in life and the external structure consist of relationships and social roles that help maintain a stable self-concept. The Developmental Stage theory should have stopped at adolescence, because Erikson viewed the developmental stages as a cycle were one generation ended and another began. Continuity theory says that people change less with aging and adaptation is done using what they already know.





Atchley, R. C. (1989). A continuity theory of normal aging. The gerontologist, 29(2), 183-190.
Erikson, E. H., & Erikson, J. M. (1998). The life cycle completed. WW Norton & Company.

Theoretical Blog 2: Chapter 12 Theory

The years from age 60 until death are considered late adulthood. Erik Erikson termed this eight life stage “old age” characterized by the developmental task of integrity versus despair.  Integrity refers to the ability to integrate or satisfactorily blend one’s history and experience with the task of evaluating and accepting one’s life (Adams, Msw, Ph.D, 2013).  There are a number of theories of aging that address how people change or do not change with advancing age, how late life differs from earlier adulthood.  Theories that focus more on change than on continuity, which also happens to be the best known and the oldest of these were activity theory and disengagement theory.  Activity theory applies social role theory to late life.  The central assumption of this theory is simply that older people experience greater subjective well-being when they continue to be active in many roles.  According to this theory, successful aging depends on adaptation through substitution for roles that are no longer available.  Disengagement theory argues that a process of mutual withdrawal between the individual and society occurs in late adulthood.  The theory was based on Jung’s and Erikson’s observation that introspection seems to increase as we age, as well as research that showed the decrease in social roles and social contacts that accompanied aging.  Even though these two theories are no longer accepted wholesale- both have been widely criticized.  Activity theory may have been overly simplistic whereas concerns about activity theory were fairly benign, disengagement theory became very controversial, as it seemed to suggest that society and practitioners should abandon older adults (Adams, Msw, Ph.D, 2013).

Works Cited

Adams, Msw, Ph.D, K. B. (2013). Late Adulthood. In J. B. Ashford, & C. W. LeCroy, Human Behavior in the Social Environment: A Multdimensional Perspective (5th ed., p. 600). Belmont, California, United States of America: Brooks/Cole Cengage Learning. Retrieved 13 April, 2015

Ella Carter

SOCW 3339-030

Theoretical Blog 2

Late Adulthood

     Erick Erickson considered Late Adulthood as the eighth life stage “old age”, this was the developmental task of integrity versus despair.  Erickson along with psychoanalyst Carl Jung believed with age people tend to become more introspective and reflective.  If one’s life had been successful and rewarding they “experience satisfaction and develop integrity”.  If their life has unresolved conflict and the feeling of disappointment they may experience despair (Ashford & Lecroy,p 597).  Other theorist believed that one stage such as 60 years till death was limited in explaining the different stages of late adulthood.  Newman and Newman considered late adulthood to be ages 60 to 75 and very old age to be 75 until death (p.597).

     There have been many theories as to what age a person is when they enter certain stages and what those stages are.  One of these theories took a new look at the activity and disengagement ways of identifying what factors contribute to successful aging.  The three main focusses were (1) maintaining cognitive abilities, (2) avoiding disease and maintaining physical functioning, and (3) maintaining active engagement with life (p.600).  Research by Rowe and Kahn who developed this theory and published the book Successful Aging were inclined to believe that most of these factors are in the individual’s control.  The criticism of this theory is inequalities for ethnic minorities, female elders, uninsured and the uneducated, successful aging is not as equally attainable (p.601).  Along with those not being included are disabled, cognitively impaired, and the frail aren’t viewed as successful agers.

     Two theories that are similar and relate the importance in older adults needs for solitude, choice, and meaningful relationships is Socioemotional theory and Gerotranscendence theory.  Socioemotional theory suggest that older adults regulate their emotions and energy by deciding how and with whom to invest their emotional energies.  As older adults familiar and reliable relationships become more important.  Gerotranscendence theory believes that optimal aging is when a person becomes more spiritually contemplative and transcends concerns about the deteriorating physical and materialistic concepts of everyday life and focus on connectedness with others and the spiritual realm (P.601).  With all these theories as with all stages of life considerations with what is happening in the PIE is always a factor no matter what age.

References:

Ashford J. B., & Lecroy, C. W. (2013).Human Behavior in the Social Environment; A

     Multidimensional Perspective (5^th ed.). Belmont, CA: Brooks/Cole.     

BLog 2

Activity theory and continuity theory are very similar. Both state that basically one has to be busy to age well. The difference is that activity theory basically say that you have to keep busy all day to not age. Which can be true to a certain extent. An example, when you were young you were a gym trainer and were use to doing exercise all day, then when you started to get older started playing golf to keep your whole day active, it will not be the same. Yes you are keeping busy all day but the drastic change of physical activity will eventually have a significant toll on your health. Continuity theory states that you must keep the same habits that you have all your life to age well. These habits include how you eat, lifestyle and even social relationships. This can be true if you are living a healthy lifestyle by doing healthy eating and exercise. However this theory does not take hereditary illnesses into consideration. Also, what if you are not living a healthy lifestyle? If you are eating unhealthy eventually there will be consequences which can include serious complications such as diabetes and obesity which will affect the quality of life and how you age. I think there is no way to predict how to live a long life. There is certain things to ensure that the quality of your health does not deteriorate so fast but there are so many other things out of our hands that can influence how we age. The best we can do it try to live a healthy lifestyle so our odds are more favorable so we have less complications. Ashford, J., & LeCroy, C. (2013). Infancy. In Human behavior in the social environment: A multidimensional perspective (5th ed., p. 599-600). Belmont, CA: Jon-David Hague. Kowalczyk, K. (n.d.). Psychosocial Theories of Aging: Activity Theory, Continuity Theory & Disengagement Theory. Retrieved April 13, 2015, from http://study.com/academy/lesson/psychosocial-theories-of-aging-activity-theory-continuity-theory-disengagement-theory.html

Blog 2- Late Adulthood

  Chapter 12 Late Adulthood.  This chapter discusses Erik Erikson’s developmental stage of “Integrity vs Despair”.  It discusses the psycho-social-emotional issues of those age 60 and over.  That everyone ages is a fact, that we do it well depends on a variety of factors. Varying theories are based on those varying factors and depending on which factors are being focused on, is reflected in each theory. 

  For instance, the continuity theory (Atchley 1989) talks about how people do not change all that much as they age – this theory is based on the longitudinal study that looked at personality traits in the aging. The activity theory (Havighurst 1961) is based on the assumption that people age with greater well-being when they remain active. This theory looked at those factors i.e. did the person continue to stay engaged with people and activities.  The disengagement theory (Cumming & Henry 1961) argues that a process of mutual withdrawal between the individual and society occurs in late adulthood (p. 600).  This theory looked at behaviors of aging adults and how they appeared to retreat from society.

These theories  have been more or less replaced with more recent theories but they all  seem to agree that the three main factors appearing to contribute to successful aging are: 1). Maintaining cognitive ability 2). Avoiding disease….   And 3). Maintaining active engagement with life (p. 600). 

The discrepancy seems to lie in the agreement of at what age each of these factors begin to dwindle and death ensues.   As the writer of the chapter so aptly put it: the hazard of living is death (p. 608) and no one can avoid it.  Future studies will be interesting to follow as the “Baby Boomers” continue to age and our culture becomes more populated with the elderly.

Reference:

Ashford, J.B., LeCroy, C.W. (2013). Human Behavior in the Social Environment: A Multidimensional Perspective.