Contributions of Psychology to the aging experience: reports from an extension program

Abstract

This article intends to report the activities developed by the extension program Psychology, Old Age and Human Aging, which offers online courses for people aged 50 and over. Four courses were offered between May and November 2021, involving themes at the interface of Social Psychology with Human Aging. Through the activities, we sought to promote scientific dissemination through the development of teaching materials and remote classes; to favor the protagonism and autonomy of people over 50 years old through access to scientific information; to encourage the access of these people to university activities; and to promote development and reflections on the development process, in order to contribute to the mental health and quality of life of the participants. In all, 170 people enrolled in the courses and 65 completed them. It is considered that the extension program was successful in achieving its objectives, both in the scientific dissemination activity and in promoting the protagonism and autonomy of people over 50 years old and encouraging the access of these subjects to university activities. Participants highlighted the contributions of reflections on old age, society, human development, love, sexuality, the body and death, which favor an increase in the quality of life and interpersonal relationships. The coexistence between elderly people, even remotely, allowed the constitution of a useful support network to face the challenges related to aging.