Is Ageing All In The Mind?
In 1991, the book ‘Evolutionary Biology of Aging’ offered the following definition of aging: a persistent decline in the age-specific fitness components of an organism due to internal physiological deterioration (Rose, 1991). This definition is more closely linked to Gerontology, which is the study of the social, psychological and biological aspects of aging, and in order for me to explore this debate, this article will examine the central theories, discussions and research conducted by leading psychologists in each respected field who have investigated the phenomena, for or against the extent to which ageing is ‘all in the mind’. Ageing in humans is a continuous, inevitable process, which comprise of a multi-dimensional accumulation of changes to the biological and psychological characteristics of a person. In its more literal form, it is simply a chronologically measured construct, i.e. aging based on a person's years lived from birth. However the term itself is incredibly ambiguous. Distinctions can firstly be made from “universal ageing” which are changes that we all share i.e. impairment in reaction time or physical deterioration and “probabilistic aging” which are speculatively determined attributes with a probable chance of occurrence i.e. development of diseases, such as diabetes or organ failure.
Recent Comments