Psychology in India, Volume 3

3

Geropsychology in India

P. V. Ramamurti and D. Jamuna ^*

INTRODUCTION

The phenomenon of ageing (i.e., changes across the lifespan) has been of interest to the scientist as well as to the common man, from time immemorial. The apparent phenomena of growth and decline (beginning with conception and ending with death) is the result of the predominance of processes of anabolism (growth) in the earlier phase of life, and of catabolism (destruction or decline) in the later phase of life. Birren and Birren (1990) consider ageing as the change in the individual across the lifespan, especially during the post-maturation phase of development. To the psychologist, the diverse types of behavioural changes during the lifespan and their underpinnings constitute ...