Deck 16: Socioemotional Development in Middle Adulthood

Question 1

Jerry is an incredibly generative middle-aged adult. This means that he ______.

A) is a proactive problem solver
B) knows that creativity is unhelpful
C) is afraid to take chances
D) investigates a single solution to a problem

Answer 1

A

Question 2

Generativity is often expressed through ______.

A) mentoring
B) volunteering
C) child-rearing
D) socializing

Answer 2

B

Question 3

According to Levinson, adults ages 28-33 are in which part of their life structure?

A) creating a dream
B) working to realize a dream
C) shifting priorities
D) evaluating progress

Answer 3

C

Question 4

If an individual fails to develop a sense of generativity he or she will ______.

A) make a greater effort to depend on others to meet needs instead of taking initiative
B) regress back to the intimacy versus isolation stage
C) become self-absorbed which interferes with personal growth
D) experience a self-focused sense of identity and rate higher on self-acceptance

Question 5

A person's concern and sense of responsibility for future generations and society as a whole is called ______.

A) generativity
B) industry
C) stagnation
D) initiative

Question 6

What would influence generativity differently in Robert than Susan?

A) Trust development likely occurred earlier in life for Robert than Susan.
B) It is a stronger influence on well-being in Robert than it is in Susan.
C) It was influenced by Robert's career success as opposed to Susan's family success.
D) Robert having children likely triggered it whereas Susan came by it innately.

Question 7

What is the key element of Levinson's psychosocial theory?

A) life structure or overall organization of a person's life
B) generativity or a concern of responsibility for future generations
C) seasons of life or phases a person's goes through
D) midlife crisis or an obligatory stressful time in middle adulthood

Question 8

Which of Levinson's seasons of life is when adults reexamine their dreams of early adulthood and evaluate their progress?

A) age 30 transition
B) midlife crisis
C) transition to middle adulthood
D) transition to late adulthood

Question 9

Mindfulness meditation stimulates executive function which is located in the______.

A) limbic system
B) prefrontal cortex
C) corpus callosum
D) sensory cortex

Question 10

Which statement describes the influence of context on the seasons of life?

A) Almost all adults are able to revise their life structures regardless of circumstances.
B) Opportunities to change life structure are limited only by a person's imagination.
C) Disadvantage can deplete energy and social resources needed to revise life structure.
D) Adults who are able to successfully achieve their dreams usually then stagnate.

Question 11

According to Levinson, what is the set of phases called that an adult progresses through?

A) cognitive processes
B) developmental tasks
C) life structure
D) seasons of life

Question 12

Trina has put everything into her career. She travels for work and always says yes when they ask her to take on a new project. She is now reconsidering some decisions and has decided to look for a significant other that she can share her life with and start a family. What season of life is she in?

A) age 30 transition
B) midlife crisis
C) transition to middle adulthood
D) transition to late adulthood

Question 13

Mindfulness meditation helps individuals learn ______.

A) motor skills
B) to ruminate about feelings
C) emotion regulation.
D) to increase physical strength

Question 14

A challenge of studying middle adulthood is ______.

A) so few changes occur among people in this time period
B) it is a long time period with people having multiple roles
C) few people reach this time period
D) there is little variety among these people

Question 15

What is the primary cause of stagnation in middle adulthood?

A) anger
B) fear
C) disappointment
D) sadness

Question 16

Focusing attention and becoming aware of ongoing sensory, cognitive, and emotional experience in a non-judgmental stance describes ______.

A) mindfulness meditation
B) generativity
C) seasons of life
D) self-reflection

Question 17

Mindfulness meditation increases body awareness by increasing activity in the ______.

A) limbic system
B) prefrontal cortex
C) corpus callosum
D) sensory cortex

Question 18

Ben has created a series of life goals he would like to meet. He sees himself in the future as an independent and successful department manager at the accounting firm he would like to work for. He thinks about and prepares for all the skills needed to be an effective manager. Which of Levinson's phases is Ben demonstrating?

A) age 30 transition
B) transition to early adulthood
C) transition to middle adulthood
D) midlife crisis

Question 19

According to Levinson, adults ages 22-28 are in which part of their life structure?

A) creating a dream
B) working to realize a dream
C) shifting priorities
D) evaluating progress

Question 20

Generativity reflects a lifetime psychosocial aspects such as ______.

A) learning it is necessary to always get something in return
B) being on the lookout for untrustworthy people
C) being able to sustain meaningful relationships
D) using relationships to shore up a sense of self

Question 21

At what point in history did the term midlife crisis come into public consciousness?

A) 1930s
B) 1950s
C) 1970s
D) 1980s

Question 22

Which cosmetic procedures involves paralyzing facial muscles so they cannot contract and form wrinkles?

A) liposuction
B) Botox injection
C) injectable filler
D) chemical peel

Question 23

Research suggest that older adults feel approximately how many years younger than their chronological age?

A) 10
B) 13
C) 16
D) 20.

Question 24

Monica has always been told how beautiful she is, even as she studied chemistry and became the head of a research department at the local university. As she reaches age 50, she still feels like she did when she was 20, but she is increasingly concerned about her appearance and is experiencing considerable life dissatisfaction. This is most likely because ______.

A) her looks have gotten her to where she is in life
B) she receives all of her validation based on her looks
C) professional women tend be influenced by social perception
D) she has a negative attitude about aging

Question 25

The transition to middle adulthood typically involves______.

A) evaluation of values, goals, and priorities
B) little clarification and adjustment of goals
C) upheaval and dramatic changes
D) a negative outlook if life path cannot be changed

Question 26

Adults tend to consistently identify with their younger selves because they ______.

A) feel more similar to their younger selves than they do to their actual selves
B) are optimistic about their view of self and cannot picture themselves getting older
C) identify with what they developed during the creation of their ideal selves
D) want to counteract negative cultural messages about self-associated with aging

Question 27

Children, adolescents, and emerging adults tend to perceive themselves as ______.

A) older than their chronological age
B) younger than their chronological age
C) wise in their experiences
D) more knowledgeable than their peers

Question 28

Who is most likely to be optimistic about cognitive competencies, ability to maintain memory, and other aspects of cognitive abilities regardless of actual age?

A) David, a man with a partner and two children who sees himself exactly at the age he is
B) Sharon, a 50-year-old woman who behaves like she is half her age
C) Andrea, a 50-year-old woman who has mobility problems and feels fragile
D) Mike, a man who is 45 years old but refuses to settle down and acts like a college student

Question 29

Adults tend to have younger subjective ages starting at age ______.

A) 25
B) 30
C) 35
D) 40

Question 30

The biggest concern regarding aging for people in midlife is ______.

A) maintaining the appearance of youth
B) losing contact with friends and keeping family together
C) maintaining physical activity and avoiding dependence on family
D) becoming less valued in society

Question 31

In addition to describing themselves in more complex way, as adults grow older they are likely to integrate what into their self-descriptions?

A) physical appearance
B) intellectual capability
C) life experiences
D) family concerns

Question 32

Individuals' conceptions of who they might become in the future are called ______.

A) ideal selves
B) possible selves
C) gender identity
D) societal norm

Question 33

The women who tend to be optimistic about their cognitive competencies are ones with ______.

A) younger age identities
B) older age identities
C) greater physical strength
D) more outgoing personalities

Question 34

Who is least likely to be satisfied with their bodies?

A) middle-aged black women
B) middle-aged black men
C) middle-aged white women
D) middle-aged white men

Question 35

Which concept is an intrinsic motivator of behavior from early adulthood into older adulthood?

A) intellectual ability
B) possible self
C) peer pressure
D) societal norm

Question 36

Who is most likely to obtain cosmetic procedures?

A) middle-aged women
B) middle-aged men
C) older women
D) older men

Question 37

The most important body concern women have as they age is ______.

A) physical attractiveness
B) maintaining health
C) increasing in strength
D) looking much younger

Question 38

Jack travels for work 3 days each week. His wife has had to take care of the household exclusively when he is away. He has two children in elementary school, and he misses a lot of their activities. When Jack turned 45, he decided to take a different position in his company that allowed him to stop traveling and to work from home 2 days a week. What does Jack's shift in career focus illustrate?

A) integrity
B) generativity
C) generational shift
D) midlife crisis

Question 39

Which theorist is partly responsible for popularizing the term midlife crisis?

A) Albert Bandura
B) Erik Erikson
C) Daniel Levinson
D) Sigmund Freud

Question 40

Denise has worked a local pharmacy ever since she graduated from high school 25 years ago. She recently decided to quit her job and go back to school full-time in order to work towards a career in finance. What would Levinson would say that Denise is experiencing?

A) self-reflection
B) midlife crisis
C) career shift
D) life review

Question 41

Like young adults, middle-aged adults tend to share what with their friends?

A) personalities
B) gender identity
C) demographic similarities
D) personality development

Question 42

Who is most likely to acknowledge both his good and bad qualities and feel positively about himself?

A) Aaron, who is 28
B) Joshua, who is 36
C) Michael who is 42
D) Ronald, who is 57

Question 43

Who is more likely to complete college?

A) Mark, a person who is high in neuroticism
B) Dana, a person who is high in conscientiousness
C) Derrick, a person who is high in extroversion
D) Laura, a person who is high in openness

Question 44

Which Big 5 personality trait increases in middle adulthood?

A) neuroticism
B) extroversion
C) conscientiousness
D) openness

Question 45

Scott is a middle-aged adult who is described as responsible, disciplined, and task oriented. He has planned out his life and worked hard to achieve the goals he has set for himself. Everyone at his workplace knows they can count on him when needed. Which of the Big 5 personality traits is Scott high in?

A) openness
B) conscientiousness
C) extroversion
D) agreeableness

Question 46

As Jason approaches 40, he notices that he has been putting on weight, and that he is having a more difficult time climbing stairs. He thinks about his grandfather and father who both had large body sizes and needed wheelchairs for mobility toward the end of their lives. Jason resolves to join a gym and start working out on a regular basis. Which factor is providing the motivation for Jason to do this?

A) gender identity
B) societal norm
C) peer pressure
D) feared self

Question 47

Which change occurs with gender identity in midlife?

A) Women tend to adopt even more expressive traits.
B) Men tend to adopt even more instrumental traits.
C) Men and women both become more androgynous.
D) Men and women both become less androgynous.

Question 48

Troy is a man who is very moody. He worries all the time about every little thing. He is irritable and little fun to be around. What Big 5 personality trait does his behavior describe?

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

Question 49

Which term means integrating masculine and feminine characteristics?

A) androgen
B) gender identity
C) sexual identity
D) expressiveness

Question 50

Which middle-aged adult will most likely have life satisfaction in later years?

A) Martin, who, along with his wife, wants to foster children who have had bad living situations
B) Grace, who feels helpless since her husband died 2 years ago and wants a man who will take care of her
C) Albert, who is looking for a traditional woman after his wife of 25 years left him for another woman
D) Nancy, who wishes her husband would stay out of the kitchen now that he has retired and take up a sensible hobby like woodworking

Question 51

What is the term for a tendency to interpret events in a favorable light?

A) well-being
B) perceived control
C) positive processing
D) self-reflection

Question 52

People who are high in extroversion are more likely to ______.

A) divorce
B) complete college
C) marry
D) develop depression

Question 53

Over the course of middle adulthood, most people spend more time with family than friends, but friendships continue to be important sources of ______.

A) social support
B) financial support
C) gender identity
D) personality development

Question 54

To find meaning and happiness in their lives, adults revise their possible selves to be ______.

A) idealistic and grand
B) practical and realistic
C) realistic and unexciting
D) practical and logical

Question 55

In middle-aged adult, multiple role involvement predicts positive well-being, more trusting and positive relations with others, and a positive sense of life purpose when it is accompanied by______.

A) a sense of accomplishment
B) perceived sense of control
C) feeling of youthfulness
D) increased working memory

Question 56

Traditionally masculine traits are also referred to as which type of traits?

A) normative
B) androgynous
C) instrumental
D) expressive

Question 57

Which Big 5 personality trait has an especially close association with health?

A) agreeableness
B) openness
C) neuroticism.
D) conscientiousness

Question 58

Which statement describes personality throughout the lifetime?

A) Experience causes dramatic changes in personality.
B) People choose behaviors based on their personalities.
C) Personalities are usually unstable until late adulthood.
D) A stable personality means an inconsistent sense of self.

Question 59

What do the Big 5 personality traits reflect?

A) environmentally influenced relationship characteristics
B) inherited predispositions that persist throughout life
C) temperamental qualities due to external factors
D) attachment classifications developed in childhood

Question 60

Traditionally feminine traits are also referred to as which type of traits?

A) normative
B) androgynous
C) instrumental
D) expressive

Question 61

The most satisfying marriages are ones in which partner's attributes, interests, and goals ______.

A) complement one another
B) oppose each other
C) are kept separate from each other
D) interact with permission

Question 62

Similar to early adulthood, marriage is positively associated with physical and mental health for ______.

A) both opposite-sex and same-sex partners
B) opposite-sex partners only
C) same-sex partners only
D) neither opposite-sex nor same-sex partners

Question 63

Regardless of who initiates a divorce, all family members feel ______.

A) sadness
B) anger
C) stress
D) relief

Question 64

An outcome for women who successfully transition through a divorce is ______.

A) less tolerance
B) reliance on others
C) increased autonomy
D) conformity

Question 65

Who is most likely to fair the best after a divorce?

A) Dan, whose wife filed for divorce after finding a new love interest
B) Thomas, who filed for divorce when his wife said she had had it with his gambling
C) Marjorie, whose husband filed for divorce after coming to terms with being gay
D) Patty, who filed for divorce when she had enough belittling by her husband

Question 66

Which statement describes marriage in middle adulthood?

A) Women report being happier than men.
B) Same-sex partners prefer that one takes care of the majority of household tasks.
C) Men report being happier than women.
D) Opposite-sex partners prefer that one takes care of the majority of household tasks.

Question 67

What trend is consistent with the findings on marriage in middle adulthood?

A) Marital satisfaction is at its highest point when couples have children.
B) Marital happiness tends to be highest during the first year of marriage.
C) Satisfaction tends to remain steady throughout the time of the marriage.
D) High-quality marital interactions have little to do with marital satisfaction.

Question 68

Dani and Alex divorced when she was 29. She had been with Alex for 10 years, and is now struggling with how to live as a single person. The concept at issue is a challenge to her ______.

A) ability to develop friendships
B) financial instability
C) self-reliance
D) health

Question 69

What percentage of marriages break up after 20 years or longer?

A) 5%
B) 10%
C) 15%
D) 20%

Question 70

Middle-aged persons show less of a decline in psychological well-being than young adults after divorce due to their capacity for ______.

A) resentment
B) adaptation
C) stress
D) intelligence

Question 71

What characterizes friendships in middle adulthood?

A) Friendships are less close and less positive than they were in young adulthood.
B) Individuals have the most friends in midlife, but few are described as close and most as colleagues.
C) Individuals have fewer friends, but they are almost always described as close.
D) Friendships are less likely to be a source of social support because family is more important.

Question 72

Most parents report having which type of interactions with their grown children on a regular basis?

A) positive
B) negative
C) conflicted
D) ambivalent

Question 73

What percentage of adults marry by age 45?

A) 25%
B) 60%
C) 80%
D) 95%

Question 74

Middle-aged adults are connecting with friends from afar more than ever via ______.

A) telephone
B) social media
C) written letters
D) email

Question 75

The aspect of aging that improves the quality of marital interactions and predict satisfaction is advances in ______.

A) processing speed
B) working memory
C) personality development
D) emotional regulation

Question 76

Most friendships in middle adulthood are described as ______.

A) troubled
B) close
C) ambivalent
D) draining

Question 77

Negative interactions with adult children are associated with parent daily patterns of the hormone ______.

A) testosterone
B) cortisol
C) oxytocin
D) estrogen

Question 78

Women tend to find divorce more difficult than men because ______.

A) women ruminate more about arguments
B) men have more detailed memories of conflicts
C) women take arguments less personally
D) men feel less depressed after arguments

Question 79

The available time and resources adults have for friends is reduced due to ______.

A) educational demands
B) work and family demands
C) leisure activities
D) exercise commitments

Question 80

Friendships provide protection against ______.

A) change
B) poverty
C) emotions
D) stress