Introduction

This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts covered in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book describes psychological theory and research about aging from a developmental perspective. It introduces readers to ways of thinking about growing old as continued growth, in which persons in later life continue to develop new capacities and adapt successfully to the physical and social problems that arise, such as increasing likelihood of health problems and experience of loss. The book discusses the psychological decrements of aging. It focuses on the emotional, relational and internal responses to living a long time that reveal the more positive side of the experience of aging. The book considers approaches to aging and development that have become more popular since the 1970s. It examines the extension of socio-emotional selectivity theory in studies that reveal the greater emotional complexity in the psychology of very old people.