The Psychology of Aging: Theory, Research, and Interventions

By Janet Belsky

Book Overview

This pioneering text is the only book to comprehensively explore both research and practice in the psychology of aging and to bring home the actual aging experience through the use of innovative narrative accounts. Because she limits coverage to the older years, Janet Belsky's text is able to offer an in-depth portrait of all aspects of the field--from traditional research, to concrete applications, to the crucial issues we as a society face as our population ages. With chapters constructed to unfold like a novel, this third edition of THE PSYCHOLOGY OF AGING genuinely integrates the field, highlighting the interconnections between concepts, research, and applications. These interconnections offer students a sense of an evolving, coherent discipline. The book is carefully planned to bring home how research applies to real lives. Belsky skillfully uses personal examples to highlight how concepts apply to people, and goes beyond the research to conduct her own interviews with aging professionals and older adults. Scholarly, research-oriented, and intellectually stimulating, THE PSYCHOLOGY OF AGING, offers a rare, inside glimpse into the field of aging and the aging experience as it is actually lived.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0534359124
• ISBN13: 9780534359126
• Release Date: September 1998
• Publisher: Cengage Learning
• Length: 480 Pages
• Weight: 2.02 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.0" x 7.6" x 9.6"

Customer Reviews

very helpful textbook

I've been studying for a "psychology of aging" exam, & used Dr.Belsky's book to help with my studying: it proved to be of great help, especially because the whole book is written in a narrative, conversational way, which helps the reader. All the major developments in aging are contained in the book: historical, basic information on gerontology & geropsychology, lots of "life-span approach" information, & all that is needed to understand how the (relatively new) field of gerontology came to expand & become a field that is now growing at a quick pace.There's also a lot of up-to-date information, all the new findings & ideas in the field, which help to see how gerontology has started to change the aging process: lots of these changes are described in the book, things like new ways of measuring cognitive skills, the emotional changes in the older population, & the dying process & how to help make it more humane. Needless to say, this textbook contains many "aging in process" vignettes, which graphically describe real problems & real situations of real people...there are also many figures & graphs, which help the student understand the research & put it in context. All in all, a very helpful textbook.