Summary Of Erikson's Mental Changes

The purpose of this experiment was to analyze the mental changes (memory, parenting style, Erikson’s final stage, and moral development) that can occur to senior citizens (65+), which can then be compared to similar studies to determine factors that may slow the rate of decay to these topics. Using an 84 year old woman, a phone interview was conducted for information on pertaining to each of the four topics described above. It was determined that all hypotheses were confirmed by the data collected. Unhealthy physical and mental qualities can lead to an unsuccessful resolution of Erikson’s final stage, which can show why some elderly may be depressed or unhappy with their lives.

Interview with a Senior Citizen: Mental Change with
Between stages of babyhood to childhood, childhood to adolescence, adolescence to adulthood, and adulthood to death, immense and important changes occur (Feldman, 2011). Therefore, as an individual grows older, these changes begin to effect their body, mind, senses, and more. There is positive and negative human growth and development. Physically, one will find themselves growing taller or stronger. However, once a peak is reached, their physical body will begin to decline. These declines, however, can be halted or slowed down with the reinforcement of healthy, positive factors like exercise and a good diet. This process can be said for the other three types of human development as well. Memory is the term given to the structures and processes involved in the storage and subsequent retrieval of information (Feldman, 2011). Without memory, we would not remember anything, leading to the absence of learning. There are multiple types of memory: implicit memory, explicit memory, semantic memory, episodic memory, declarative memory, and procedural memory. Implicit memory is the unconscious retention of information, while explicit memory is the intentional, conscious remembering of information. Semantic memory is the recall of general facts, while episodic memory is the recall of personal facts. Declarative memory is the recall of factual information such as dates, words, and faces, while procedural memory is the recall of how to do things, such as swimming or driving a car (Byrne, 2012). The efficiency of memory can be greatly affected with the onset of older age. A theory of moral development was introduced by Lawrence Kohlberg, an American psychologist, that states that morality starts from early childhood and continues to