Psychology of Older Adults (Certificate of Completion)

Explore descriptive, correlational, and experimental research methods—naturalistic observation, surveys, and case studies—and learn how variables, hypotheses, and experimental manipulation reveal cause and effect in psychology of older adults.

Explore major psychological perspectives—from structuralism and functionalism to behaviorism, psychodynamic, humanistic, cognitive, and neuroscience—along with evolutionary, behavior genetics, and social-cultural views, and the three levels of analysis.

Explore how culture shapes human behavior through nature and nurture, language, norms, and shared values, and why clinicians must consider cultural background in diagnosis.

Older adults work past 65 due to social security rules, rising health care costs, and diminished pensions, with participation rising since 1995 as many seek to supplement income.

Explore how families become primary caregivers for frail older adults, highlighting the sandwich generation, multigenerational dynamics, and the five caregiving styles, plus costs and policy options.

Explore aging and cognition through delirium, major and mild neurocognitive disorders, and dementia, including Alzheimer's disease, and examine related mental health and treatment implications.

Challenge negative attitudes toward sex in older adults by presenting cross-cultural evidence of ongoing sexual activity and the role of health and regular sexual expression, Masters and Johnson's findings.

Examine sexual disorders and dysfunctions across the four phases—desire, excitement, plateau, and resolution—covering male hypoactive desire, female interest/arousal disorder, erectile disorder, premature and delayed ejaculation, and sex therapy.

Explore sex therapy as a short-term, integrated approach to erectile disorder and other dysfunctions, emphasizing mutual responsibility, education about sexuality, Peaden exercises, and addressing performance anxiety with medical considerations.

Explore the five stages of dying—denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance—alongside bereavement, grief, and mourning, and learn coping strategies for aging, holidays, and life's meaning.

Explore how cultural and religious groups cope with death through rituals, mourning, and afterlife beliefs across African-American, Muslim, Latino communities.

Reflect on the most intriguing ideas from the psychology of older adults course, then craft a personal reflection and a practical plan to apply insights in life and work.