Theories of Aging: Psychosocial and Biological Perspectives

Theories of Aging
Eva B. Jugador, RN
Theories of Aging
Theories of Aging
a. PSYCHOSOCIAL THEORIES
b. BIOLOGIC THEORIES
Theories of Aging
1. Sociological
2. Psychological Theories
B. BIOLOGIC THEORIES
1. Stochastic theories
2. Nonstochastic theories
Theories of Aging
- Earliest
- explain aging in terms of mental
processes, emotions, attitudes,
motivation and personality
development that is characterized by
life stage transitions
Theories of Aging
1. Sociological
1a. Activity Theory
1b. Disengagement Theory
1c. Subculture Theory
1d. Continuity Theory
1e. Age Stratification Theory
1f. Person-environment-Fit Theory
1g. Gerotranscendence Theory
Theories of Aging
1. 1. Sociological
1a. 1a. Activity Theory
1b.
1c.
1d.
1e.
1f.
1g.
University of St. MAry

Theories of Aging
1. Sociological
1a. Activity Theory
- Havighurst & Albrecht published the
activity theory in 1963
- states that staying occupied and
involved is necessary to having a satisfying
late-life
- being active helps to prolong middle
age and thus delay the adverse effects of old
age
Theories of Aging
1. Sociological
- Cumming & Henry (1961) asserted that
aging is characterized by gradual
disengagement from society & relationships
and serves to maintain social equilibrium
- older adults are freed from social
responsibilities and gain time for internal
reflection
Theories of Aging
1. Sociological
- Rose (1965) theorized that older adults
form a unique subculture within society to
defend against society’s negative attitude
towards aging and the accompanying loss of
status
Theories of Aging
1. Sociological
- Havighurst, Neugarten & Tobin (1968)
hypothesized that personality influences the roles we
choose and how we enact them which in turn
influences satisfaction with living
- suggests that personality is well
developed by the time we reach old age and
tends to remain consistent throughout our lives
Theories of Aging
1. Sociological
- Riley et al (1972) observed that society is
tratified into different age categories that are the basis
for acquiring resources, roles, status and deference
from others in society
- people born of same cohort have similar
experiences, ideologies, orientation, attitudes and
values as well as expectations regarding the timing of
life transitions such as retirement and life expectancy
Theories of Aging
1. Sociological
- Lawton’s (1982) proposed that capacity to
function in one’s environment is an important aspect
of successful aging, and that function is affected by
ego, strength, motor skills, biologic health, cognitive
capacity and sensori-perceptual capacity, as well as
external conditions imposed by environment.
- helps us think about the fit between the
environment and an older adult’s ability to function.
Theories of Aging
1. Sociological
- it can help nurse identify needed
modifications in their homes or I residential settings
Theories of Aging
1. Sociological
- Tornstam’s (1994) proposes that aging
individuals undergo a cognitive transformation
from a materialistic, rational perspective
toward “oneness” with the universe
Theories of Aging
1. Sociological
- characteristics of successful
transformation include a more outward or
external focus, accepting impending death
without fear, an emphasis on substansive
relationship, a sense of connectedness with
preceding & future generations & spiritual
unity with the universe
Theories of Aging
2. Psychological Theories of Aging

2a. Human Needs Theory
2a.
2b.
2c.
2d.
2e.
Theories of Aging
a. PSYCHOsOCIAL THEORIES
2. Psychological
2a. Human Needs Theory
- Maslow (1954) surmised that a
hierarchy of five needs motivates human
behavior.
Theories of Aging
2. Psychological
2b. Theory of Individualism
- Jung (1960) proposed that our
personality develops over a lifetime and is
composed of an ego or self-identity that has a
personal and collective unconsciousness
- personal unconsciousness is the private
feelings and perceptions surrounding important
persons or life events
Theories of Aging
2. Psychological
2b. Theory of Individualism
- collective unconsciousness is shared by
all persons. It contains latent memories about
human origin. This is the foundation of
personality on which the personal
unconsciousness and ego are built
- Jung’s theory says that people tend to
view life through either their own “lens”
(introverts) or the lens of others (extroverts)
Theories of Aging
2. Psychological
2c. Stages of Personality Development
theory
- focuses on personality development by
Erikson(1963)
- Final stage is “ego-integrity VS
despair”, individuals search for the meaning of
their lives and evaluate their accomplishments.
Satisfaction leads to integrity
Theories of Aging
2. Psychological
2e. Selective Optimization with
Compensation Theory
- Baltes’s, (1987) asserted that
individuals learn to cope with the functional
losses of aging through the process of
selection, optimization and compensation.
- Aging individuals adjust activities and roles
as limitations present themselves; they choose
activities and roles that are most satisfying.
Theories of Aging
B. BiOLOGICAL THEORIES
1. Stochastic Theories
2. Nonstochastic Theories
Theories of Aging
Theories of Aging
- Or statistical perspective, which
identifies episodic events that
happen throughout one’s life that
cause random cell damage and
accumulate over time thus causing
aging
Theories of Aging
- View aging as a series of
predetermined events happening to
all organisms in a timed
framework
Theories of Aging
framework
Theories of Aging
1a. Free Radical Theory
1b. Orgel/Error Theory
1c. Wear & Tear Theory
1d. Connective Tissue Theory
Theories of Aging
- postulates that aging is due to oxidative
metabolism and the effects of “free radicals”
which are the end products of oxidative
metabolism
Theories of Aging
- “free radicals” are produced when the
body uses oxygen, such as with exercise
- this emphasizes the significance of how
cells use O2.
Theories of Aging
Free Radical Theory

During aging, damage produced by free radicals
cause cells and organs to stop functioning.
A free radical is a molecule with an unpaired,
highly reactive electron. One type of very reactive
free radical is the oxygen free radical, which may
be produced during metabolism or as a result of
environmental pollution.
Oxygen free radicals are formed in your cells,
naturally, during the oxidation of food to water and
carbon dioxide.
Free Radical Theory
The free radical “grabs” a electron from any molecule in its vicinity.
It does this because electrons like to exist in pairs.
When it “grabs” an electron from another molecule, it damages the

other molecule.
Theories of Aging
Free Radical Theory

 Some of the molecules that may be damaged by free
radicals are fats, proteins, and DNA (both in the
nucleus and in mitochondria).
 If membrane fats are attacked, then you get the
breakdown of the cell membrane. If it is a red blood
cell membrane, you get hemolysis.
 If proteins are attacked, you get the breakdown of
proteins, which may result in the loss of biological
function and the accumulation of “catastrophic”
compounds.
 If DNA is attacked, you will get a mutation that may
cause aging or cancer.
University of St. MAry

Free Radicals
As the free radical (green) attacks the membrane it

can release another type free radical (blue).
Damaged membrane
mitochondrion
The free radical (blue) attacks the DNA releasing another

free radical (purple).
Free Radical Theory
 Free radicals do not go unchecked. The
body has a multi-layed defense system that
reacts and detoxifies the damaging radicals.
 Defenses include:
- Natural antioxidants in the body, such as bilirubin.
- Enzymes such as superoxide dismutase (SOD),
catalase, & glutathione peroxidase.
- Dietary antioxidants such as beta carotene, and the
vitamins C and E.
Free Radical Theory
 Under normal conditions, your natural defense
mechanisms prevent most of the oxidative
damage from occurring.
 The free radical theory of aging proposes that,

little-by-little, small amounts of damage
accumulate and contribute to deterioration of
tissues and organs.
Free Radical Theory
 Oxidative damage increases with age. It is
thought that people who limits calories,
fats and specific protein in their diet may
decrease the formation of free radicals.
 free radical theory supports that as one

lives, an accumulation of damage has been
done to cells and therefore, the organism
ages
anti-oxidant repaired
molecule membrane
damaged
DNA
The anti-oxidant molecule destroys the damaging free radical. The

membrane repairs itself, but the DNA remains damaged, impairing the
cells function. In addition, the anti-oxidant molecule now has an
unpaired electron and thus becomes a new radical.
Theories of Aging
- Orgel (1970) suggests that, over time,
cells accumulate errors in their DNA and
RNA protein synthesis that cause the cells to
die.
- environmental agents and randomly
induced events can cause error, with ultimate
cellular changes
Theories of Aging
- Aging would not occur is destructive
factors such as radiation did not exist and
cause “errors” such as mutations and
regulatory disorders
Theories of Aging
1c. Wear & Tear Theory
- Years of damage to cells, tissues and organs
eventually wears them out, killing both them and the
body
- Wear and tear can be viewed as a result of aging
and not the cause of it.
Example- Wearing out of the skeletal system such as in

osteoarthritis.. Cartilage cells age overtime
Theories of Aging
1d. Connective Tissue Theory
- aka cross-link theory
- overtime, biochemical processes create
connections between structures not normally
connected.
- elastin dries up and cracks with age; hence, skin
with less elastin tends to be drier and wrinkled
Theories of Aging
framework
Theories of Aging
2a. Programmed Theory
- as people age, more of their cells start
to decide to stop deviding
- cells have a finite doubling potential
and become unable to replicate after they have
done so a number of times.
Theories of Aging
2b. Gene/Biological Clock Theory
- each cell, or entire organism, has a
genetically programmed aging code that is
stored in the organism’s DNA
- indicates that there may be genes that
trigger youth and general well-being as well
as other genes that accelerate cell
deterioration.
Theories of Aging
2c. Neuroendocrine Theory
-describes a change in hormone secretions
ESTROGEN – decreases thinning of bones
GROWTH HORMONE – part of the process that
increases bone & muscle strength
MELATONIN – produced by the pineal gland
thought to be responsible for coordinating seasonal
adaptations in the body
Theories of Aging
2d. Immunologic/Autoimmune
- describes the normal aging process as
being RT faulty immunologic functions
- dec immune function in elderly due to
thymus shrinking, altered lymphatic function
and decreased cell mediated and humoral
response.
In summary:
Theories of Aging
1. Sociological
2. Psychological Theories
B. BIOLOGIC THEORIES
1. Stochastic theories
2. Nonstochastic theories
Theories of Aging
1. Sociological
1a. Activity Theory
Theories of Aging
2. Psychological
2a. Human needs
2b. Individualism Theory
2c. Stages of Personality
2d. Life-course/life span
2e. Selective optimization
Theories of Aging
Theories of Aging
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Theories of Aging: Psychosocial and Biological Perspectives

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Theories of Aging

University of St. MAry

2. Psychological Theories of Aging

Free Radical Theory

It does this because electrons like to exist in pairs.

When it “grabs” an electron from another molecule, it damages the

Free Radical Theory

University of St. MAry

As the free radical (green) attacks the membrane it

The free radical (blue) attacks the DNA releasing another

 The free radical theory of aging proposes that,

 free radical theory supports that as one

The anti-oxidant molecule destroys the damaging free radical. The

Example- Wearing out of the skeletal system such as in

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