PYC4805
Adult Development
Examination Preparation
2023
1
,Content:
Neural plasticity and the effect of environmental enrichment on adult development ................................................... 3
Biological theories of ageing and how it explains biological and physiological ageing .................................................. 10
Longevity and the influences of genetic and environmental differences ...................................................................... 27
Interaction between the person and the environment as explained by Kurt Lewin’s equation B = f (P, E)................... 44
Relationship between normative brain aging and information processing, memory and intellectual functioning in
adulthood ........................................................................................................................................................................ 66
Stress and coping in adulthood according to Richard Lazarus and Susan Folkman paradigm ....................................... 71
Memory decline in adulthood ........................................................................................................................................ 85
Cognitive development ................................................................................................................................................... 94
The importance of personal control in the lives of aging adults’ ................................................................................. 111
Identity development in adulthood .............................................................................................................................. 122
Personality development across the life span .............................................................................................................. 138
Preparation for and adjustment to retirement ............................................................................................................ 157
Healthy aging ................................................................................................................................................................ 167
Kübler-Ross’s theory and the contextual approach to dying ........................................................................................ 176
Grief as an active process ............................................................................................................................................. 183
Summarised Topics 2022 .............................................................................................................................................. 196
January 2022 Examination paper .................................................................................................................................. 253
November 2021 Examination paper ............................................................................................................................. 255
November 2022 Examination Questions and Answers…………………….………………………………………………………260
2
, Neural plasticity and the effect of environmental enrichment on adult
development
Notes from lecturer:
In addition to the guidelines provided on tutorial letter 102, we recommend that you follow the guidelines
provided below:
In order to understand this sub-section (on plasticity and the aging brain), it is highly recommended that
you should read the whole chapter, that is chapter two, as early as possible.
In responding to this question, students should focus on:
• Explain the main concept, that is plasticity.
Remember that as a postgraduate student, preparing for advanced studies, it is vitally important to cite
relevant research in your discussion. In this case, the research by Baltes et al., (1981 and 1991) on plasticity
and new evidence that the brain is capable of (producing) new neurons (Pardal & Barneo, 2016) should be
cited.
You are also required to discuss the effect of environmental enrichment on neural plasticity.
The role played by exercise and nutrition should be elucidated.
It may be insightful to think about (and also include it in your discussion) the South African socio-economic
situation.
Is the elderly that is faced by poverty able to reduce brain aging and deterioration? See the box on Social
Policy Implications on page 51.
In conclusion, you should be able to discuss how exercise and proper nutrition affect plasticity in the
elderly.
3
, Essay 1 - Neural plasticity and the effect of environmental enrichment on adult development.
Definitions
Plasticity: is about the interaction between the brain and the environment. It described the effects of
experiences on the structure and function of the central nervous system, occurs across the lifespan, and
can explain the ability to compensate for declining performance (behavioural) or the reorganisation of
central circuitry (neuro-scientifically).
Plasticity: involves the changes in the structure and function of the brain as the result of interaction
between the brain and the environment. Plasticity helps account for how older adults compensate for
cognitive changes.
Neutral stem cells: are cells that persist in the adult brain and can generate new neurons through the life
span.
Compensatory changes: Changes that allow older adults to adapt to the inevitable behavioural decline
resulting from changes in specific areas of the brain.
Neuroimaging: A set of techniques in which pictures of the brain are taken in various ways to provide
understanding of both normal and abnormal cognitive aging.
Main ideas of Plasticity:
Example of plasticity: Marisa plays Wii video games, she teaches her grandmother, after months of
practice, her grandmother seemed stronger in her normal physical activities and her perceptual skills
seemed to have improved – Marisa’s grandmother experienced positive change after she started playing
Wii – good example of plasticity.
Plasticity involves the changes in the structure and function of the brain as the result of interaction
between the brain and the environment.
Plasticity is the result of people and their brains living in the world and accumulating and learning from
experiences over time.
Plasticity provides a way to understand compensatory changes in both the more observable behaviour and
the less observable (without neuroimaging) reorganization of central circuitry in the brain. Many attempts
have been made to assess the potential for plasticity in cognitive functioning by focusing on ways to
improve cognitive performance through training (a good example of which will be the grandmother’s
practice on the video game).
According to Baltes and colleagues, older adults are able to improve cognitive ability in memory tasks
through tailored strategy training beyond the level of untrained young adults, this is highly task-specific,
and the ability level gains are very narrow in focus.
Research has shown that basic cognitive processes affected by aging can indeed be improved through
training, and that they transfer to multiple other kinds of functioning as long as the tasks share the same
basic underlying function (Dahlin, Neely, Larsson, Backman, & Nyberg, 2008).
4
Adult Development
Examination Preparation
2023
1
,Content:
Neural plasticity and the effect of environmental enrichment on adult development ................................................... 3
Biological theories of ageing and how it explains biological and physiological ageing .................................................. 10
Longevity and the influences of genetic and environmental differences ...................................................................... 27
Interaction between the person and the environment as explained by Kurt Lewin’s equation B = f (P, E)................... 44
Relationship between normative brain aging and information processing, memory and intellectual functioning in
adulthood ........................................................................................................................................................................ 66
Stress and coping in adulthood according to Richard Lazarus and Susan Folkman paradigm ....................................... 71
Memory decline in adulthood ........................................................................................................................................ 85
Cognitive development ................................................................................................................................................... 94
The importance of personal control in the lives of aging adults’ ................................................................................. 111
Identity development in adulthood .............................................................................................................................. 122
Personality development across the life span .............................................................................................................. 138
Preparation for and adjustment to retirement ............................................................................................................ 157
Healthy aging ................................................................................................................................................................ 167
Kübler-Ross’s theory and the contextual approach to dying ........................................................................................ 176
Grief as an active process ............................................................................................................................................. 183
Summarised Topics 2022 .............................................................................................................................................. 196
January 2022 Examination paper .................................................................................................................................. 253
November 2021 Examination paper ............................................................................................................................. 255
November 2022 Examination Questions and Answers…………………….………………………………………………………260
2
, Neural plasticity and the effect of environmental enrichment on adult
development
Notes from lecturer:
In addition to the guidelines provided on tutorial letter 102, we recommend that you follow the guidelines
provided below:
In order to understand this sub-section (on plasticity and the aging brain), it is highly recommended that
you should read the whole chapter, that is chapter two, as early as possible.
In responding to this question, students should focus on:
• Explain the main concept, that is plasticity.
Remember that as a postgraduate student, preparing for advanced studies, it is vitally important to cite
relevant research in your discussion. In this case, the research by Baltes et al., (1981 and 1991) on plasticity
and new evidence that the brain is capable of (producing) new neurons (Pardal & Barneo, 2016) should be
cited.
You are also required to discuss the effect of environmental enrichment on neural plasticity.
The role played by exercise and nutrition should be elucidated.
It may be insightful to think about (and also include it in your discussion) the South African socio-economic
situation.
Is the elderly that is faced by poverty able to reduce brain aging and deterioration? See the box on Social
Policy Implications on page 51.
In conclusion, you should be able to discuss how exercise and proper nutrition affect plasticity in the
elderly.
3
, Essay 1 - Neural plasticity and the effect of environmental enrichment on adult development.
Definitions
Plasticity: is about the interaction between the brain and the environment. It described the effects of
experiences on the structure and function of the central nervous system, occurs across the lifespan, and
can explain the ability to compensate for declining performance (behavioural) or the reorganisation of
central circuitry (neuro-scientifically).
Plasticity: involves the changes in the structure and function of the brain as the result of interaction
between the brain and the environment. Plasticity helps account for how older adults compensate for
cognitive changes.
Neutral stem cells: are cells that persist in the adult brain and can generate new neurons through the life
span.
Compensatory changes: Changes that allow older adults to adapt to the inevitable behavioural decline
resulting from changes in specific areas of the brain.
Neuroimaging: A set of techniques in which pictures of the brain are taken in various ways to provide
understanding of both normal and abnormal cognitive aging.
Main ideas of Plasticity:
Example of plasticity: Marisa plays Wii video games, she teaches her grandmother, after months of
practice, her grandmother seemed stronger in her normal physical activities and her perceptual skills
seemed to have improved – Marisa’s grandmother experienced positive change after she started playing
Wii – good example of plasticity.
Plasticity involves the changes in the structure and function of the brain as the result of interaction
between the brain and the environment.
Plasticity is the result of people and their brains living in the world and accumulating and learning from
experiences over time.
Plasticity provides a way to understand compensatory changes in both the more observable behaviour and
the less observable (without neuroimaging) reorganization of central circuitry in the brain. Many attempts
have been made to assess the potential for plasticity in cognitive functioning by focusing on ways to
improve cognitive performance through training (a good example of which will be the grandmother’s
practice on the video game).
According to Baltes and colleagues, older adults are able to improve cognitive ability in memory tasks
through tailored strategy training beyond the level of untrained young adults, this is highly task-specific,
and the ability level gains are very narrow in focus.
Research has shown that basic cognitive processes affected by aging can indeed be improved through
training, and that they transfer to multiple other kinds of functioning as long as the tasks share the same
basic underlying function (Dahlin, Neely, Larsson, Backman, & Nyberg, 2008).
4
