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Centre for Policy on Ageing | |
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| Gerodynamics: toward a branching theory of aging | | Author(s) | Johannes J F Schroots |
| Journal title | Canadian Journal on Aging, vol 14, no 1, Spring 1995 |
| Pages | pp 74-81 |
| Keywords | Ageing process ; Sociology, Social Science ; Theory ; Mathematical models. |
| Annotation | In his "Psychological models of aging" (1995), an outline of gerodynamics is presented in summary form, which is based on three general propositions. First, living systems conform to the constraints of the Second Law of Thermodynamics (i.e. age, towards death). Second, order can arise out of disorder in living systems by way of self-organisation. Third, the dynamics of living systems is represented in non-linear series of transformations into higher and/of lower order structures (or processes), showing a progressive trend toward more disorder than order over the life span. In developing the gerodynamic basis of behaviour, the author has focused on bifurcation (or branching) aspects of ageing. Principles lie at the root of four further propositions. First, There is an exponential increase in bifurcations into lower order structures over the life span of the organism. Second, branching patterns diverge from bifurcation patterns over the life span of the individual. Third, branching patterns are behavioural markers of ageing. Lastly, branching life-span trajectories reflect the fractal (or branching trees) structure of lives. (RH). |
| Accession Number | CPA-970821250 A |
| Classmark | BG: S: 4D: 3LM |
Data © Centre for Policy on Ageing |
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| ...from the Ageinfo database published by Centre for Policy on Ageing. |
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