Answer to Question 1
Primary aging is normal, disease-free aging across adulthood. Normative aging includes things like menopause, decline in reaction time, and thinning and graying of hair. Secondary aging describes changes due to disease, lifestyle, and environmental factors. These changes, such as Alzheimer's, are not inevitable across the population. Tertiary aging describes the rapid losses that occur just before death. For example, for some people there is a marked decline in intellectual abilities in the years prior to death
Answer to Question 2
Ageism is the unfounded notion that one age is better than another. It also includes prejudice and discrimination against those who are elderly based on the notion that older persons are not as capable as younger people. Stereotypes are untrue assumptions made about groups of people. For example, stereotypes about the elderly are that they have poor memories, cannot learn new things, and are not interested in sex. These notions are related. If one has stereotypes about the elderly, that might lead one to act in ways that are based on ageism, such as not offering a job to a person over the age of 65.
