Introduction To Aging: A Positive, Interdisciplinary Approach

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Typically, the mental picture of seniors is not a realistic one (Sugar, 2014). Sadly, it is often very negative and prejudiced. As author Judith Sugar (2014, p. 5) describes in Introduction to Aging: A Positive, Interdisciplinary Approach, “When some people think about the elderly as a whole, they picture frail, weak, dependent persons, some in nursing homes and many confined to their homes” (p. 5). This is one of the many examples of aging stereotypes. Other examples are that old people are always sick, lonely, boring, etc. Although these biased ideas have come from the influence of culture, the truth is that most seniors do not behave in these ways or meet these criteria (Nimrod, Ben-Shem, 2015). In fact, many senior adults are known to be quite content and involved in day to day activities (Sugar, 2014). …show more content…
Therefore, this paper contemplates the psychology of aging and also the highlights contributions which gerontology makes to help all understand and respond to the mental, emotional and even physical aspects of aging.Understanding and Navigating Old Age“Gerontologists have long agreed that we do not become old on any specific date, such as the day one’s first grandchild is born or on reaching a specific age, including the legally-designated retirement age. Physical, psychological, and sociocultural aging is a gradual process that may last decades and a span over the greater part of one’s adult life” (Nimrod, Ben-Shem, 2015, p.