Aging and Positive Psychology: Cognitive, Personality, Health, Biological, and Clinical Issues

Since 1900, American life expectancy jumped from 47 to almost 79 years. The number of Americans 65 and older went from 3.1 million in 1900 to 35 million in 2000 and is projected to reach 98.2 million in 2060. Advances in genetic engineering, tissue engineering, stem cell therapies, nanotechnology, hormone therapies, and other fields are likely to foster a longevity revolution in which lifespans become longer and people look and function younger at older ages. What can psychology and positive psychology teach us about how to live longer, healthier, and happier? This course uses articles and interviews with aging and anti-aging experts to consider cognitive and personality research and clinical issues. The focus is on what helps people age better and live longer as opposed to focusing on decline and pathology. The content is both relevant to you aging better and to helping clients age better and deal with the challenges of aging.

In this intermediate course, the articles consider demographic characteristics of older Americans, nursing homes and alternatives to nursing homes, diagnostic and counseling considerations with dementia, and quality of life issues. Because elder abuse is a complicated and sometimes subtle issue with serious legal and ethical issues, the course includes guidelines on identifying and reporting elder abuse.

Often the best way to get a feel for researchers and their research is to hear them. The course has eight audio interviews with aging and anti-aging experts. Each interview is about 40 minutes long. Separate PDF files give bios and notes for each of these interviews, and there is a text transcript for each of the eight audios. Additional resources and references are provided for further study, but they are not part of the course.