...Vienna Yearbook of Population Research 2013 (Vol. 11), pp. 295–323 Determinants of exceptional human longevity: new ideas and findings Leonid A. Gavrilov and Natalia S. Gavrilova∗ Abstract Studies of centenarians are useful in identifying factors leading to long life and avoidance of fatal diseases. In this article we consider several approaches to study effects of early-life and midlife conditions on survival to advanced ages: use of non-biological relatives as controls, the within-family analysis, as well as a sampling of controls from the same population universe as centenarians. These approaches are illustrated using data on American centenarians, their relatives and unrelated shorterlived controls obtained from the online genealogies. The within-family analysis revealed that young maternal age at person’s birth is associated with higher chances of exceptional longevity. Comparison of centenarians and their shorter-lived peers (died at age 65 and sampled from the same pool of online genealogies) confirmed that birth timing in the second half of the calendar year predicts survival to age 100. Parental longevity as well as some childhood and midlife characteristics also proved to be significant predictors of exceptional longevity. 1 Introduction Studies of centenarians (people living to 100 and older) could be useful in identifying factors leading to long life and avoidance of fatal diseases. Even if some individual characteristics have a moderate protective effect on...
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...Running Head : EXCEPTIONAL LONGEVITY Exceptional Longevity : An Overview of Centenarian’s Environmental, Psychological, Social and Genetic Backgrounds Tahmina Sarwari University of Toronto at Scarborough November 2nd, 2010 Over the last few centuries, the life expectancy of humans has significantly increased; a trend that is expected to continually grow at a rate of 2.5 years per decade (Arnold et al., 2010). As such, humans nowadays can expect to live longer than their ancestors before them. Several studies have aimed to determine what factors contribute to exceptionally prolonged existence. The following text shall explore the genetic, environmental, psychological as well as lifestyle factors common in centenarians, a population believed to be exemplary of optimal functioning in humans, to determine norms that can explain this phenomenon, shedding light on the gateways to prolonged life. Finally, the text shall address the implications of these research findings. One breakthrough study, known as the “Georgia Centenarian Study” by Poon and colleagues conducted in 1992, has been exceptional in sparking subsequent research in the field of gerontology. This study consisted of recruiting 285 centenarians and individuals nearing 100 years of age (i.e. 98 years and older) from a 44-county area of northern Georgia (Davey et al., 2010). Participants were recruited from skilled...
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...CHAPTER OUTLINE I. EXPLORING HUMAN DEVELOPMENT Developmental psychology is concerned with the course and causes of developmental changes over a person’s entire lifetime. What does “genetic influence” mean? A. Historical Perspective 1. British empiricist philosopher John Locke in the 1690s argued that childhood experiences (nurture) permanently affect people. Empiricists saw the newborn as a blank slate or tabula rasa on which experience writes. 2. French philosopher Jean-Jacques Rousseau in the 1760s argued the opposite, that nature alone gives children all they need to grow and learn, without adult guidance. 3. American psychologist Arnold Gesell in the early 1900s said that motor skills develop in a fixed sequence of stages in all children due to maturation, natural growth or change, which unfolds in a fixed sequence relatively independent of the environment. The term development encompasses not only maturation but also the behavioral and mental processes that are influenced by learning. 4. Behaviorist John B. Watson in the 1910s claimed that all development is due to learning. 5. Swiss psychologist Jean Piaget saw nature and nurture as inseparable and interactive in cognitive development. B. Understanding Genetic Influence 1. Behavioral genetics is the study of how genes affect behavior. This research demonstrated that nature and nurture jointly contribute to development in two ways. a) Nature...
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...Unit 4: Development through the life stages Unit 4: Development through the life stages Name: Fatimah Al_Asadi Teacher name: Ms John What is this unit about? This unit enables learners to gain understanding of the different life stages and how people grow and develop. It requires learners to reflect on the importance of a variety of factors and major life events on the development of individuals, and to consider the nature-nurture debate. This unit will also allow learners to gain an insight into the aging process and to understand both positive and negative perspectives of ageing. Learning outcomes: * Understand human growth and development through the life stages. * Understand how life factors and events may influence the development of the individual. * Understand physical changes and psychological perspectives in relation to ageing. P1: Describe the physical, intellectual, emotional and social development through the life stages. The main life stages of human development are: * Conception * Pregnancy and birth. * Infancy * Childhood * Adolescence * Adulthood * Later adulthood. The holistic development of an individual involves them developing physically, intellectually, emotionally and socially. All humans go through the following things: * Growth: an increase in some measured quantity, such as height or weight. * Development: complex changes including an increase in skills...
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...foster care since then and have lived with the same foster carers. The referral informed me that LG had witnessed domestic violence between her parents and excessive use of alcohol. It was thought that she may also have witnessed adults using drugs. The referral described occasions when LG’s carer found her very upset and crying silently. At these times it would take her foster carer a long time to soothe LG. LG has suffered from traumatic losses in her first five years. Consequently her sense of trust has been severely shaken, as was her sense of a secure base. I hypothesised that LG would not only have suffered from the experiences of loss, domestic violence, physical abuse and neglect, but from emotional neglect and broken attachments. After meeting with LG at her foster carer’s house 5 months ago, weekly play therapy sessions began. Throughout this time I have reviewed the therapy regularly with LG’s foster carer and regularly discussed the therapy with LG’s social worker. LG uses every session to its fullest extent. There have been occasions when she found it very difficult to leave the room after our allotted hour. Trust is an important aspect of successful therapy and LG used the first sessions of therapy to develop a basic sense of trust in her surroundings and myself. If LG’s level of anxiety was heightened she would speak of her foster carer. On one or two occasions we finished the session early because LG wanted to see the carer. LG is now...
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...UNRESOLVED GRIEF AND CONTINUING BONDS: AN ATTACHMENT PERSPECTIVE Much of the contemporary bereavement literature on the continuing bond to the deceased (CB) has emphasized its adaptiveness and given limited attention to when it may be maladaptive. The attachment literature on disorganized– unresolved attachment classification in relation to loss, or ‘‘unresolved loss,’’ is informative in identifying CB expressions that are indicative of failure to integrate the death of a loved one. In this article, an important linkage is identified between a prominent indicator of unresolved loss that involves a lapse in the monitoring of reasoning implying disbelief that the person is dead and the clinical writings of J. Bowlby (1980) and V. D. Volkan (1981) on maladaptive variants of CB expression. The aim is to highlight the value of the attachment literature on unresolved loss in clarifying the conditions under which CB is likely to be maladaptive. There is increasing agreement among bereavement theorists and practitioners that an ongoing attachment to the deceased can be an integral part of successful adaptation to bereavement (Klass, Silverman, & Nickman, 1996). This position, commonly known as the ‘‘continuing bonds’’ perspective, is counter to that presented by Freud (1917=1957) in his classic work ‘‘Mourning and Melancholia,’’ in which he proposed that successful adaptation to loss required the bereaved to detach his or her psychic investment in the deceased...
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...Q. Outline the influence of childhood and/or adolescents experiences on later adults relationships (8+16) Individuals differ in their relationships; psychologists have researched whether adult relationships are related to early experiences in life. Bowlby believes that the type of relationship the individual has with their primary caregiver gives a basis of a future relationship. This is called the internal working model. The fear of strangers represents an important survival mechanism, which is by nature, babies display social releasers which helps them ensure contact or proximity with the primary caregiver, as they similarly will with their partner in their adult relationship. Another example of the internal working model is the continuity hypothesis, which is a key theory to explaining childhood or adolescent experiences on later adult relationships, where it states that childhood relationships will affect your future relationships, Mary Ainsworth explores this by looking at our relationships as infants as concluded three types: Secure, insecure-avoidant, insecure-resistant. Secure is where the infant is in a calm state even without the presence of the primary caregiver, secure avoidant is where shows little distress, avoids contact with caregiver when returns, and insecure-resistant is when child shows a lot of distress, anxious and nervous. This demonstrates the relationship that the child has with the primary caregiver when they are present and not present. This...
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...CHAPTER 11: The Development of Social Relationships 4/16/14 1. How did Bowlby and Ainsworth characterize affectional bonds, attachments, and internal working models? Bowlby and Ainsworth distinguished between an affectional bond and an attachment, which involves feelings of security and having a safe base. An attachment is deduced from the existence of attachment behaviors. Once established, an attachment relationship becomes the basis of an internal working model that the child applies to future interactions with the attachment figure and with others. 2. What factors influence the parent’s bond to the child? For parents to form a strong bond to their infant, what is most crucial is not immediate contact at birth but the development and repetition of mutually reinforcing and interlocking attachment behaviors. 3. How does the child’s attachment to the parent change across infancy, early childhood, and middle childhood? Beginning around 6 months of age, which signals the presence of a clear attachment. Attachment behaviors become less visible during the preschool years, except when the child is stressed. School-aged children exhibit less safe behaviors than infants and preschoolers do, but extended separations can still be stressful. 4. What are the characteristics of parent-child relationships in adolescence? The child’s basic attachment to the parents remains strong in adolescence, despite an increase in parent-child conflict, the greater independence of the teenager...
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...Collaborative Language Systems Johnny L. Burns Governors State University An interesting aspect of this week’s readings was the exposure given to a current trend in family systems therapy: the integration of postmodern therapy with traditional Buddhist teachings. This new approach to the therapeutic relationship involves meshing and integrating an understanding of the relationship of clients to life’s inevitable suffering, and postmodern therapeutic techniques such as “dis-solving” problematic behaviors through conversation. (Nichols, M., 2010, p.302) This narrative will explore how this synthesis can be achieved using collaborative family therapy techniques and traditional Buddhist teachings and philosophy, and will also compare and contrast traditional psychodynamic therapies with current trends in social work practice with children and families. My conception of the article “Suffering and the Relationship with the Problem in Postmodern Therapies: A Buddhist Re-Visioning” is multifaceted. The authors present several philosophies of life that are complicated and engrossing. For instance, the Buddhist premise that suffering in life is inevitable and unavoidable is both intriguing and controversial. This concept intrigues me because based upon my own experience I know that on occasion life is going to throw me some “curveballs.” The death of my mother last year and the twenty-seven years...
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...Paula Vizcarra COM 220 18 April 2011 The Possibilities of Making a Romantic Relationship Successful the Second Time Around INTRODUCTION: Oprah Winfrey said, “As you become more clear about who you really are, you’ll be better able to decide what is best for you – the first time around.” Unfortunately, this is much easier said than done. Every individual has their own perspectives on romantic relationships and every couple establishes their own set of rules. The question is: which rules are the right ones? What is the secret to getting it right the first time, and is it healthy to go for round two if you don’t? Cosmo experts seem to disagree with Oprah and give their readers a list of steps to follow that will supposedly allow a second time around to be successful. DESCRIPTION: Cosmopolitan Magazine offers their advice on whether or not getting back into a relationship with your ex is a good idea with an article called, “Can a Relationship Work the Second Time Around?” The writer mentions that when a couple decides to go for round two, people usually respond with negative feedback like, “yeah, that’ll last” (Miller). This is true, however, experts say that as long as three main rules are followed, it has the potential to work. These three rules are to (1) go slow, (2) touch on the past, and (3) ultimately move on. The first step consists of making sure a second chance is what you want and what is best, not what you think you need because you don’t want to be...
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...1975. She remained at the University until her retirement. During her time in England, Ainsworth was invited to participate in research at Tavistock Clinic. The research focused on examining the effects that interference with the mother and child bond have on the development of the child. The findings revealed that when a bond between mother and child is broken, the child is at risk for developmental challenges. Ainsworth later went to Africa and worked with colleagues there to continue her exploration into the significance of the mother-child bond. Contribution to Psychology Ainsworth later developed a Strange Situation which is a technique used to examine the pattern of attachment between a child and their mother or caregiver. This method of measuring the child’s specific attachment characteristics is highly respected and well established and variations of it are used throughout the clinical world of psychiatry and psychology today....
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...Characteristics and Environments of a Human Service Organization Paper Latischa Harris BSHS 462 April 8, 2012 Jane Flournoy Characteristics and Environments of a Human Service Organization Paper Kids Resource Network was founded in 1985, moving into El Paso County, Colorado in 1992. In 2001, Kids Resource Network (KRNCS) broke into two separate offices making KRNCS its own child placement agency. KRNCS works with many diverse children and families, who all have different and special needs. Working with children from ages 0-18 years of age and sometimes young adults up to the age of 21 should there be special circumstances. KRNCS works to reunify children in a safe and stable family environment. Should a child be unable to return to their biological family, KRNCS helps to locate and finalize a permanent placement. In addition to foster/adoptive success, the site also provides a wide variety of community services such as: CFI/mediation, therapy (individual, family, couples), home studies, contractual adoptive services inner and out of state, family preservation, supervised parenting time, classes such as CPR, first aid, and parenting classes, parent child interactional, and life skills. Rashida Gordon is a case worker for the Kids Resource Network of Colorado Springs, Colorado. Rashida is a therapist, who uses client centered therapy as her approach. She believes in order to assist in behavioral changes; one must have emphasis in that one person to focus. KRNCS main...
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...behavior to human behavior. Although, I understand that he performed this experiment to convince psychologists that the behaviorist meal-dispenser model of mother love was incorrect, I think that Harry Harlow performed his classic study about love in vain. John B. Watson stated that "When you are tempted to pet your child, remember that mother love is a dangerous instrument." In the last century children were viewed as adults at a very young age. They would take on many important duties, so I can understand that too much love would inhibit children from maturing quickly and being able to take on adult roles as early as age 8. Too much parental love definitely has an adverse effects on children. I do see the importance of having a primary attachment figure, nevertheless, children need to explore the world and not always be under our protective eye. They need to be independent and gain confidence through increased responsibility. This is why the whole monkey experiment doesn’t correlate to my view of child rearing and development. Monkeys don’t have the same abilities as a child and unfortunately, the monkeys in his experiment had all kinds of problems such as abusive tendencies towards their own offspring and didn’t show increased maturity. I would have to say that the argument made by the behaviorists that the mother and child relationship was merely a means for the child to obtain food, relieve thirst, and avoid pain was ignorant to say the least. All of my four children, which...
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...REPORT OUTLINE: MELANIE KLEIN – OBJECT RELATIONS THEORY: BIOGRAPHY: 1. Melanie Reizes Klein was born March 30, 1882 in Vienna, Austria 2. Youngest of four children born to Dr. Moris Reizes and his second wife Libussa Deutsch Reizes. 3. She believed that her birth was unplanned- a belief that led to feelings of being rejected by her parents. She felt especially distant to her father who favored his oldest daughter, Emilie, 4. During her childhood, she observed her parents working at jobs they did not enjoy. 5. Klein’s early relationships were either unhealthy or ended in tragedy. 6. She felt neglected by her elderly father whom she saw as cold and distant, although she loved and idolized her mother, she felt suffocated by her. 7. Her older sister Sidonie died, she felt devastated and in later years, she confessed that she never got over grieving for Sidonie. 8. After death, she became deeply attached to her brother Emmanuel-teaching her arithmetic 9. She idolized her brother, and this infatuation may have contributed to her later difficulties in relating to men. 10. At age 18, her father died, after 2years, her brother died. 11. When still mourning for her brother’s death, he married Arthur Klein, an engineer –close friend of Emmanuel. 12. She believed that her marriage at 21 prevented her from becoming a physician, and for the rest of her life, she regretted that she had not reached that goal. 13. UNFORTUNATELY...
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...| | Introduction Mr. Smith is a young man attempting to change his life for the better. The purpose of this paper is to inform, applying critical thinking, and communicate professional judgment about youths in a rural setting. The youths of YouthBuild Mississippi Delta face many obstacles in everyday life and strive to become better citizens. Client System Andra Smith is a 23 years old, African American. He is the youngest of 5 children raised in a single parent home in rural Mississippi. His father was never around to guide him into becoming a man and his other siblings did not complete high school either. The value system is living and surviving from day to day. The mother is a cook at the local restaurant and makes just a little more than minimum wage. She is a functioning alcoholic and I believe that this disease runs in the family. The Smith family never really attended church services other than funerals or weddings. They reside in the white project and this is low income housing. The overall physical health of the family is pretty good, no high blood pressure or diabetes. They do not have a regular physician but, no complaints of health problems. The family members have no diagnosis of any mental problems at this time. The first human behavior theory I chose was family systems theory because this family is dysfunctional...
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