Upon successful completion of the course, students will be able to: assess how different perspectives influence society’s definition of aging; evaluate global population trends among older adults, taking into consideration gender, racial, ethnic, and location differences; identify different issues related to gerontological research, including different research tools, measurements, and methodologies, as well as different risks and special considerations for research with elderly populations; summarize the impact of biological aging on health, wellness, and susceptibility to different chronic diseases; compare different models of personality among aging adults, including Havinghurt’s model, the five-factor model, and the Neo-Freudian perspective; analyze how memory, cognition, intelligence, and creativity change with age; explain the risks of mental illness and substance abuse for older adults; describe and evaluate different ways in which aging affects the senses; identify common social and career changes that occur in later adulthood, and summarize how these changes affect older adults and steps they can take to maintain fulfillment later in life; break down the five stages of death and bereavement.