Deck 7: Cognitive Function

Question 1

The "inhibition" theory of cognitive aging suggests that:

A)Difficulties filtering or actively ignoring irrelevant information become problematic with age
B)The main age-related change in cognition is associated with general slowing of cognitive processes
C)Changes in sensory functioning account for most cognitive changes in later life
D)Older adults are more concerned about embarrassment than younger individuals and so hesitate to attempt tasks that are challenging

Answer 1

A

Question 2

Basic cognitive processes include all of the following EXCEPT:

A)Sensory and perceptual processes
B)Attention
C)Short-term memory
D)Abstract thought

Answer 2

D

Question 3

A higher order cognitive function that functions as a potential buffer or moderator of age-related differences is:

A)Expertise
B)Long-term memory
C)Explicit processing
D)Declarative memory

Answer 3

A

Question 4

Cross-sequential research designs:

A)Collect data from two or more groups of participants at two or more time measurement periods
B)Focus on a single group over a long period of time
C)Gather data through interview and other qualitative mechanisms to study phenomena in depth
D)Compare a group of young individuals with a group of older individuals using standardized data collection methods

Question 5

Cognitive aging is best understood as characterized by:

A)Relative stability in all cognitive processes until very old age
B)Increase in time required for processing and encoding and improved short-term memory
C)Loss of cognitive function in all spheres starting around age 60
D)Gains,losses,and stability among the various cognitive processes

Question 6

Crystallized intelligence is:

A)The ability to use abstract reasoning
B)Reasoning,decision-making,problem-solving,judgment,abstract thought,and logic
C)Accumulation of knowledge,experience,and acculturation
D)Recall of future-oriented or scheduled tasks without the use of external memory aids

Question 7

A developmental life span approach to cognitive aging takes into consideration:

A)A tendency of older adults to regress to the behaviors of very young age,particularly in very late life
B)Normative age-graded influences and sociohistorical influences,as well as nonnormative life events
C)The fact that older adults who do not accept aging gracefully are more likely than others to have cognitive difficulty in late life
D)That working crossword puzzles and Sudoku are the primary means for minimizing cognitive loss in later life

Question 8

Which of the following has research support as a mechanism for improving or maintaining cognition in later life?

A)Playing simple card games such as Old Maid or Go Fish
B)Bingo
C)Needle crafts such as knitting and embroidery
D)Aerobic exercise

Question 9

A form of memory that appears to be well-preserved in late life is:

A)Declarative
B)Procedural
C)Sensory
D)Short-term

Question 10

Attention can be thought of as:

A)A necessary process underpinning all other cognitive processes
B)Generally less important in later life when new learning is less likely
C)An isolated function unrelated to other aspects of cognitive processing
D)The single most important element of effective cognition at any age