Deck 16: Socioemotional Development in Late Adulthood

Question 1

Which of the following theories explains why older adults spend most of their time with familiar individuals and family?

A) activity theory
B) socioemotional selectivity theory
C) social discontinuity theory
D) disengagement theory

Answer 1

socioemotional selectivity theory

Question 2

Which of the following is true of socioemotional selectivity theory?

A) It was proposed by Paul Baltes and his colleagues.
B) It emphasizes that the trajectory of motivation for knowledge-related goals declines in adolescence and early adulthood and then peaks during middle and late adulthood.
C) It challenges the stereotype that the majority of older adults are in emotional despair because of their social isolation.
D) It states that adults become less selective about their social networks as they grow older.

Answer 2

It challenges the stereotype that the majority of older adults are in emotional despair because of their social isolation.

Question 3

Which of the following is true of activity theory?

A) It states that successful aging depends on three main factors: selection, optimization, and compensation.
B) It states that adults become more selective about their social networks as they grow older and place a high value on emotional satisfaction.
C) It suggests that older adults should identify and reflect on the positive and negative aspects of their lives.
D) It states that adults who cannot carry on their middle-adulthood roles into late adulthood should find substitute roles that keep them engaged.

Answer 3

It states that adults who cannot carry on their middle-adulthood roles into late adulthood should find substitute roles that keep them engaged.

Question 4

In the context of socioemotional development in late adulthood, which of the following is true of life review?

A) It is the same for every individual.
B) It is used to avoid the revival of negative thoughts.
C) It is set in motion by looking forward to death.
D) It is independent of interpersonal, relationship dimensions.

Question 5

Which of the following is Erikson's eighth stage of development?

A) generativity versus stagnation
B) integrity versus despair
C) industry versus inferiority
D) autonomy versus shame

Question 6

Erik Erikson believed that people who experience isolation in early adulthood and stagnation in middle adulthood are more likely to experience ________ in late adulthood.

A) despair
B) inferiority
C) shame and doubt
D) identity diffusion

Question 7

According to Erik Erikson, which of the following stages of development does an individual experience in late adulthood?

A) generativity versus stagnation
B) autonomy versus shame
C) industry versus inferiority
D) integrity versus despair

Question 8

Which of the following is likely to be an outcome of reminiscence therapy?

A) improved motor skills
B) financial independence
C) physical well-being
D) increased self-esteem

Question 9

Robert Butler states that life review is set in motion by

A) retrospective glances on life's worth.
B) looking forward to death.
C) handing over the legacy to the next generation.
D) conflicting views of wisdom against integrity.

Question 10

According to Erik Erikson, what is the last stage of development in life?

A) death versus dying
B) integrity versus despair
C) immortality versus death
D) independence versus dependence

Question 11

Ramya is an 80-year-old woman who suffers from dementia. She attends therapy sessions in which the clinician uses photographs and video recordings to encourage discussions about Ramya's past activities and experiences. The therapy sessions help reduce Ramya's depressive symptoms and improve her self-acceptance. Based on this information, it can be inferred that the clinician uses ________ therapy.

A) gestalt
B) reminiscence
C) schema
D) drama

Question 12

According to socioemotional selectivity theory, selective narrowing of social interaction ________ as individuals get older.

A) minimizes health-related complications
B) minimizes emotional risks
C) maximizes social isolation
D) maximizes financial freedom

Question 13

According to Erikson, the ________ stage of development involves reflecting on the past and either piecing together a positive review or concluding that one's life has not been well spent.

A) integrity versus despair
B) autonomy versus shame
C) industry versus inferiority
D) generativity versus stagnation

Question 14

Clayton is a psychologist who runs a counseling center for older adults. In his center, the clients meet every week and form groups in which each individual narrates his or her past activities and events. Clayton encourages the members of the groups to share old photographs related to their life events and tell anecdotes about their experiences. This scenario illustrates the use of ________ therapy.

A) cognitive behavioral
B) past life regression
C) reminiscence
D) rational emotive

Question 15

Joaquin believes that older adults deliberately withdraw from social contact with individuals who are peripheral to their lives while maintaining or increasing contact with close friends and family members with whom they have had enjoyable relationships. He is a proponent of

A) activity theory.
B) selective optimization with compensation theory.
C) socioemotional selectivity theory.
D) social discontinuity theory.

Question 16

Jeremy is 84 years old. Since the age of 78, Jeremy deliberately reduced contact with his distant relatives and former work colleagues. He now maintains contact only with close family members and friends. In the context of Laura Carstensen's socioemotional selectivity theory, which of the following was most likely the reason for Jeremy's decision to withdraw from social contact?

A) He developed negative feelings toward them.
B) He suffered from social anxiety disorder.
C) He was unable to talk loudly or write clearly.
D) He placed a high value on emotional satisfaction.

Question 17

According to Erik Erikson's developmental stages, which of the following is the resolution an individual is most likely to experience if he or she is in the last stage of human development?

A) care
B) fidelity
C) wisdom
D) hope

Question 18

Voletta believes that older adults become more selective about their social networks as they age. She is a proponent of

A) socioemotional selectivity theory.
B) selective optimization with compensation theory.
C) activity theory.
D) social discontinuity theory.

Question 19

Which of the following is prominent in Erikson's final stage of integrity versus despair?

A) life review
B) identity resolution
C) integrity formation
D) struggle for independence

Question 20

Olivia believes that the more dynamic and involved older adults are, the more likely they are to be satisfied with their lives. Thus, she believes in

A) activity theory.
B) Erikson's theory of integrity versus despair.
C) socioemotional selectivity theory.
D) selective optimization with compensation theory.

Question 21

Now that Benita is in late adulthood, socioemotional selectivity theory predicts that she will

A) become more socially withdrawn as she prepares for death.
B) continue to actively make new friends.
C) spend most of her time with familiar friends.
D) emotionally invest in peripheral relationships.

Question 22

Selective optimization with compensation theory states that successful aging is related to three main factors:

A) assortment, enhancement, and remuneration.
B) reorganization, compensation, and optimization.
C) selection, optimization, and compensation.
D) remuneration, selection, and enhancement.

Question 23

When he was interviewed at 80 years of age, Arthur Rubinstein said that he spent more time at practice than earlier in his life. This helped maintain his status as an admired concert pianist. Which aspect of Baltes's theory does this reflect?

A) selection
B) organization
C) optimization
D) compensation

Question 24

According to the socioemotional selectivity theory, which of the following is true of the emotion trajectory?

A) It increases during early adulthood.
B) It is low during early childhood.
C) It peaks during middle childhood.
D) It is high during infancy.

Question 25

According to socioemotional selectivity theory, when does the emotional trajectory increase?

A) in adolescence
B) in early adulthood
C) in middle childhood
D) in late adulthood

Question 26

Which of the following is true of selective optimization with compensation theory?

A) It states that older adults can continue to lead satisfying lives, although in a more restricted manner.
B) It emphasizes that the trajectory of motivation for knowledge-related goals peaks in early adulthood.
C) It challenges the stereotype that the majority of older adults are in emotional despair because of their social isolation.
D) It states that the more active older adults are, the more likely they are to be satisfied with their lives.

Question 27

In the context of socioemotional selectivity theory, which of the following statements is true according to studies on the emotional life of older adults?

A) Emotional experiences are less positive in the lives of older adults than in the lives of younger adults.
B) Older adults focus less on negative events in their past than younger adults do.
C) Older adults show less engagement with highly positive contexts than younger adults.
D) Compared with younger adults, older adults react more strongly to negative circumstances.

Question 28

According to Baltes, in which of the following scenarios is the need for compensation for older adults the most obvious?

A) reminiscing on life's regrets
B) watching soaps on TV
C) being bedridden because of an illness
D) narrating bedtime stories to grandchildren

Question 29

The late Arthur Rubinstein, during his old age, maintained his status as an admired pianist by a few simple strategies. One of those was reducing the scope of his performances and playing fewer pieces. Which aspect of Baltes's theory does this reflect?

A) selection
B) organization
C) optimization
D) compensation

Question 30

According to Baltes, ________ becomes relevant when life tasks require a level of capacity beyond the current level of the older adult's performance potential.

A) selection
B) organization
C) optimization
D) compensation

Question 31

________ theory focuses on the types of goals that individuals are motivated to achieve as they approach the end of life.

A) Selective optimization with compensation
B) Activity
C) Socioemotional selectivity
D) Disengagement

Question 32

According to socioemotional selectivity theory, the trajectory of motivation for knowledge-related goals peaks in

A) middle and late adulthood.
B) adolescence and early adulthood.
C) early childhood.
D) infancy.

Question 33

Selective optimization with compensation theory proposes that successful aging is related to three main factors. Which of these factors is based on the concept that older adults have a reduced capacity and loss of functioning, which require a reduction in performance in most life domains?

A) selection
B) optimization
C) compensation
D) remuneration

Question 34

According to Baltes, which of the following factors suggests that it is possible to maintain performance in some areas through continued practice and the use of new technologies?

A) selection
B) compensation
C) optimization
D) reorganization

Question 35

________ theory describes how people can produce new resources and allocate them effectively to the tasks they want to master.

A) Activity
B) Selective optimization with compensation
C) Socioemotional selectivity
D) Psychoanalytical

Question 36

In order to maintain his status as an admired pianist, the late Arthur Rubinstein during his old age used special strategies, such as slowing down before fast segments, thus creating a perception of faster playing. Which factor of Baltes's theory does this reflect?

A) selection
B) optimization
C) organization
D) compensation

Question 37

According to socioemotional selectivity theory, individuals are motivated by two types of goals-emotional and

A) spiritual.
B) practical.
C) relational.
D) knowledge-related.

Question 38

Which of the following theories challenges the stereotype that older adults are in despair because of social isolation?

A) socioemotional selectivity theory
B) activity theory
C) disengagement theory
D) social breakdown theory

Question 39

According to socioemotional selectivity theory, when time is perceived as ________, as it is when individuals are younger, people are more strongly motivated to pursue information, even at the cost of emotional satisfaction.

A) fluid
B) limited
C) open-ended
D) created, not given

Question 40

According to socioemotional selectivity theory, which of the following is true of the trajectory of motivation for knowledge-related goals?

A) It declines during middle and late adulthood.
B) It starts in adolescence.
C) It peaks in early childhood.
D) It is relatively low in the early years of life.

Question 41

Prejudice against others because of their age, especially prejudice against older adults, is known as

A) ageism.
B) adultism.
C) racism.
D) adultcentrism.

Question 42

According to Paul Baltes and his colleagues, which of the following is an effective optimization strategy?

A) To reach a particular goal, you may need to abandon other goals.
B) Persevere and keep trying until you reach your goal.
C) When things do not go as well as in the past, keep trying other ways until you can achieve results that are similar to what you accomplished earlier in your life.
D) Think about what you want in life and commit yourself to one or two major goals.

Question 43

Older adults not being hired for new jobs, being eased out of old ones because they are perceived as too rigid or feeble-minded, and being eased out because they are not considered cost effective are examples of

A) eldercare.
B) ageism.
C) generational inequity.
D) age incongruity.

Question 44

Studies on the Big Five factors of personality found that transition into late adulthood was characterized by increases in the aspects of impulse control, reliability, and conventionality. To which Big Five personality factor do these aspects belong?

A) openness to experience
B) neuroticism
C) agreeableness
D) conscientiousness

Question 45

According to new studies, which of the Big Five factors of personality was linked to an increased risk of older adults' developing Alzheimer disease across a 6-year time frame?

A) high level of openness to experience
B) moderate to high level of conscientiousness
C) low to moderate level of agreeableness
D) high level of neuroticism

Question 46

During which stage in life are married individuals likely to find themselves having to care for a sick partner with a limiting health condition?

A) middle adulthood
B) early adulthood
C) emerging adulthood
D) late adulthood

Question 47

Considering the fact that many of the health problems of older adults are chronic rather than acute, which of the following is likely to be a concern about the medical system?

A) Medicare does not have special provisions for chronic illnesses.
B) Costs of prescription drugs are still not subsidized for the elderly.
C) The medical system is still based on a "cure" rather than a "care" model.
D) Home visits are not emphasized over hospital stays.

Question 48

In the context of economic security, which of the following statements is true of older adults?

A) Poverty is linked to a decrease in mental health problems in older adults.
B) Low socioeconomic status is linked to decreased risk of earlier death in older adults.
C) Poverty is linked to lower levels of physical fitness in older adults.
D) Poverty rates among older adults belonging to ethnic minorities are lower than those for non-Latino Whites.

Question 49

According to a study by Huo and others, ________ are likely to provide support if their parents have a disability.

A) middle-aged adults
B) adolescents
C) younger adults
D) emerging adults

Question 50

Which of the following is true of the usage of Internet among older adults?

A) Older adults visit fewer websites than their younger counterparts.
B) Older adults spend less money on the Internet than their younger counterparts.
C) Increasing numbers of older adults use e-mail to communicate with relatives.
D) Older adults are especially interested in social media.

Question 51

Identify the personality traits in the Big Five factors of personality that are associated with severe depression in older adults.

A) low conscientiousness and extraversion and high neuroticism
B) low religiosity and high materialism and humanism
C) high agreeableness and low neuroticism and introversion
D) high extroversion and low openness and materialism

Question 52

Which of the following is true of divorce or remarriage in older adults?

A) Women are more likely than men to remarry, thus removing themselves from the pool of divorced older adults.
B) Rising divorce rates, increased longevity, and better health have led to an increase in remarriage among older adults.
C) The majority of divorced older adults are men, due to their greater longevity.
D) Divorce is far less common among younger adults than older adults.

Question 53

In the context of cohabitation among older adults, which of the following statements is true?

A) In most cases, the health of couples who cohabit is better than the health of married couples.
B) The number of cohabiting older adults is expected to decrease in the coming years.
C) In most cases, older adults cohabit for companionship than for love.
D) Cohabitation among older adults often results in marriage.

Question 54

Gina is doing her best to help her older aunt take care of herself and stay in her own home. Gina often takes meals to her aunt and helps her clean, go shopping, and make visits to the doctor. Gina is providing ________ for her aunt.

A) home care service
B) emergency care
C) eldercare
D) hospice care

Question 55

According to Paul Baltes and his colleagues, which of the following is an effective selection strategy?

A) If things don't go well for you, be willing to let others help you.
B) Persevere and keep trying until you reach your goal.
C) Focus on the most important goal at a particular time.
D) When things do not go the way they used to, search for other ways to achieve what you want.

Question 56

Older adults characterized by ________ do not live as long as those who display ________.

A) empathy; sympathy
B) materialism; spiritualism
C) negative affect; positive affect
D) generosity; frugality

Question 57

Which of the following is a compensation strategy suggested by Baltes and his colleagues?

A) Focus on the most important goal at a particular time.
B) To reach a particular goal, you may need to abandon other goals.
C) Persevere and keep trying until you reach your goal.
D) If things do not go well for you, be willing to let others help you.

Question 58

According to a study by Domenech-Abella and others, which of the following is linked to increased risk of earlier death in older adults?

A) low socioeconomic status
B) high physical activity
C) frequent travel
D) delayed marriage

Question 59

In the United States, the concern about whether the young should be required to pay for the old has especially increased with the enactment of the government's ________.

A) Affordable Care Act
B) Pure Food and Drug Act
C) Patient Self-Determination Act
D) Patients Act

Question 60

Researchers have found that relationships between aging parents and their children are characterized by

A) anger.
B) ambivalence.
C) apathy.
D) abuse.

Question 61

Discuss Erikson's final stage of development.

Question 62

What is the relationship between gender and aging?

Question 63

Formerly, the later years of life were likely to consist of marriage for men. What did the later years of life likely to consist of for women?

Question 64

Name the social support model that says that individuals go through life embedded in a personal network of individuals to whom they give and from whom they receive social support.

Question 65

Identify the possible double jeopardy for elderly ethnic minority individuals.

A) sexism and chauvinism
B) nepotism and egotism
C) adultism and adultcentrism
D) racism and ageism

Question 66

________ in African American and Latino communities provide avenues for meaningful social participation, feelings of power, and a sense of internal satisfaction.

Question 67

Which of the following could be the probable reason why older adults tend to report being less lonely than younger adults?

A) Younger adults tend to perceive time differently, influencing their definition of loneliness.
B) Most of the older adults are in community homes, thus reducing loneliness.
C) Most of the older adults tend to reemploy themselves, thus reducing loneliness.
D) Older adults have more selective social networks and a greater acceptance of solitude.

Question 68

Which of the following factors is most likely to predict high status for older adults in a culture?

A) Age-related role changes involve reduced responsibility.
B) Older individuals control key family/community resources.
C) Nuclear families are the most common family arrangement in a culture.
D) Older adults retire early, and the authority shifts to younger adults.

Question 69

Name the type of therapy that involves discussing past activities and experiences with another individual or group.

Question 70

It is observed that respect for older adults is greater in ________ cultures than in ________ cultures.

A) socialistic; capitalistic
B) spiritualistic; competitive
C) collectivistic; individualistic
D) religious; materialistic

Question 71

What does activity theory suggest for older adults?

Question 72

In older adults, a higher level of social support is related to

A) an early cognitive decline.
B) lower levels of physical activity.
C) a higher probability of being institutionalized.
D) a lower probability of depression.

Question 73

Name the term that is used to describe perceived control over the environment and confidence in one's ability to produce positive outcomes.

Question 74

In the U.S. economy, while younger adults are generally described as producers, who are described as consumers?

Question 75

Name the term that represents physical and emotional caretaking for older members of the family, whether that care involves day-to-day physical assistance or responsibility for arranging and overseeing such care.

Question 76

Alice, Jane, Lois, and Sandra have been friends since grade school. Over the years, they have supported each other and shared in each other's joys and sadness. Which model of social relations does this scenario represent?

A) the longitudinal model
B) the cohort model
C) the convoy model
D) the network model

Question 77

What is the term for the process of looking back at one's life experiences, evaluating them, interpreting them, and often reinterpreting them?

Question 78

What are the two important classes of goals identified by socioemotional theory? How do they differ across different age periods?

Question 79

Which of the following is true of altruism and volunteering in adults?

A) Younger adults are more likely than any other group to volunteer more than 100 hours annually.
B) A common perception is that older adults need to be given help rather than give help themselves.
C) Younger adults' strategies are more likely to be aimed at contributing to the public good, while older adults' strategies are more likely to focus on optimizing personal financial gain.
D) Older adults who engage in organizational volunteering have a higher mortality risk than those who do not.

Question 80

According to aging expert Laura Carstensen, who among the following tend to experience less intense positive emotions with new friends and equal levels of positive emotions with established friends?

A) adolescents
B) middle-aged adults
C) younger adults
D) older adults