Deck 12: Age, Ability, and Appearance

Question 1

Evidence of ageism in society includes

A) jokes about older people being over the hill.
B) assuming that older people have difficulty using technology.
C) expecting that an older person will be forgetful.
D) All of the above are examples of ageism.

Answer 1

D

Question 2

Compared to younger adults, older adults are more likely to be

A) crime victims.
B) in an accident.
C) mentally ill.
D) voters.

Answer 2

D

Question 3

People growing old benefits

A) society, because older adults are more law abiding.
B) individual political groups, because older adults are less likely to vote.
C) society, because older adults are the core of many volunteer organizations.
D) both a and c

Answer 3

D

Question 4

The reframing aging movement includes

A) separating the needs of younger and older people.
B) viewing aging as a dynamic process experienced by everyone.
C) recognizing that older people aren't able to give much to their communities.
D) all of the above are part of the reframing aging movement.

Question 5

Which of the following statements is correct?

A) Perceivers think old age begins at a younger age for men than for women.
B) Older people and younger people have differing views about when old age begins.
C) The general population believes middle age begins around age 50.
D) Researchers and the general population have very different views about when old age begins.

Question 6

Joan has more wrinkles than in the past and has more trouble getting out of chairs. Joan is experiencing

A) primary aging.
B) self-stereotyping.
C) secondary aging.
D) benevolent ageism.

Question 7

Which of the following is not a characteristic of secondary aging?

A) Alzheimer's disease
B) wrinkles
C) arthritis
D) lung disease caused by smoking

Question 8

The belief that people can age successfully

A) can open the door for positive views about aging.
B) may result in people being held personally responsible for how well they age.
C) can produce a backlash against those who do not age successfully.
D) all of the above.

Question 9

The idea that older adults are "weak but wonderful" reflects which of the following?

A) Individualism
B) Positive implicit attitudes toward aging
C) Self-stereotyping
D) Benevolent ageism

Question 10

A review of studies assessing attitudes toward aging in Asian and Western cultures found that attitudes toward aging were most

A) negative in Western English-speaking countries.
B) positive in East Asian countries.
C) positive in Western English-speaking countries.
D) positive in non-English-speaking European countries.

Question 11

Research on the forgetfulness stereotype has found that

A) acts of forgetfulness are viewed as more significant in an older person.
B) forgetful younger people are more likely to be sent for medical evaluation than are forgetful older people.
C) after the age of 40, all acts of forgetfulness are seen as equally serious.
D) all of the above.

Question 12

Results of research show that older people

A) judge others more harshly when reminded of their own mortality.
B) fear dying more than younger people do.
C) generally accept that their death will occur.
D) avoid being around younger people whenever possible.

Question 13

According to terror management theory, how do older people cope with the threat of aging?

A) They avoid all other older adults.
B) They associate mainly with positive age-related groups.
C) They count the ways their negative behaviors are like those of other older people.
D) all of the above.

Question 14

According to terror management theory, younger people avoid older people because

A) older people remind them of their mortality.
B) they have anxieties about how to communicate with older people.
C) they do not want to appear prejudiced against older people.
D) they believe older people do not want to be reminded of their youth.

Question 15

George, an older adult, recently began worrying about the deterioration of his physi- cal appearance. Results of research suggest that George is likely to

A) engage in negative self-stereotyping.
B) spend more time with other older people who are experiencing physical decline.
C) adjust his expectations about what he can accomplish.
D) think of himself as "elderly."

Question 16

Research on subtypes of older adults suggests that

A) the more positive the information known about an older person is, the more likely that person is to be stereotyped.
B) all subtypes of older adults are at least somewhat negatively stereotyped.
C) healthy adults are viewed similarly, regardless of their age.
D) people avoid stereotyping older adults only when a great deal of positive infor- mation is available.

Question 17

Which of the following is not a subtype that younger adults have about older adults?

A) Small Town Neighbor
B) Severely Impaired
C) Shrew/Curmudgeon
D) John Wayne Conservative

Question 18

Martha is an older adult who is viewed as active, alert, capable, healthy, and sexually active. Which subtype best describes how she is viewed?

A) Sage
B) Perfect Grandparent
C) Golden Ager
D) Small Town Neighbor

Question 19

The double standard of aging is the idea that

A) men are doubly affected by aging; that is, they lose both competence and physical abilities.
B) aging occurs at an earlier age for women than for men.
C) older men are viewed as asexual, but older women are not.
D) young women hold older women to a higher standard than they hold older men to.

Question 20

Which of the following is supported by research on the double standard of aging?

A) Women are more likely to endorse the double standard of aging than are men.
B) People believe that women's competence declines at an earlier age than does men's competence.
C) Women are thought to enter middle age sooner than men do.
D) all of the above are true.

Question 21

Indirect evidence supporting the double standard of aging includes that women are

A) more anxious than men about their physical attractiveness declining as they age.
B) more likely than men to use make-up, hair color, or surgery to maintain a youth- ful appearance.
C) more likely than men to lie about their age.
D) all of the above are true.

Question 22

Aging research shows that

A) women are more likely than men to try to conceal signs of aging.
B) men are perceived to lose competence at a younger age than are women.
C) there are negative physical characteristics associated with both male and female aging.
D) all of the above are true.

Question 23

Research on older adults in the media has found that older

A) adults are overrepresented on television, film, and advertising.
B) women are more likely than older men to be represented in advertising.
C) characters lack diversity on television, often being young-old, male, White, and middle class.
D) adults are portrayed negatively in most television commercials.

Question 24

Which subtype of older adults is most likely to be depicted in television shows?

A) Golder Ager
B) Mildly Impaired
C) Shrew/Curmudgeon
D) Vulnerable

Question 25

Research on workplace discrimination shows that

A) courts are reluctant to uphold charges of age-based discrimination.
B) older women applicants are less likely to be called back for an interview.
C) once hired, older adults rarely experience age-based discrimination.
D) older adults are likely to be encouraged to pursue additional training.

Question 26

Carlos is 60 years old and recently lost his job. Research suggests that he will

A) have difficulty finding a new job.
B) likely take a greater earnings loss than younger workers in the same situation.
C) likely hear comments such as "we need young blood around here."
D) all of the above.

Question 27

Which of the following is true about older adults in the workplace?

A) Their performance lags behind their younger colleagues.
B) They have difficulty changing jobs.
C) Ageist comments are rare and are usually acted upon swiftly by employers.
D) Employers seldom stereotype their own older workers.

Question 28

Which of the following has been demonstrated by research on older adults' health care?

A) Physicians recommend less aggressive treatment for cases involving hypothetical older, rather than younger, adults.
B) Physicians cover different topics in interviews with older and younger adults.
C) Older men are less likely to be treated for sexual dysfunction than are middle- aged men.
D) all of the above.

Question 29

Compared to younger patients, older patients are

A) less likely to have true physical problems.
B) more likely to want their physician to take control of their care.
C) more likely to be screened for suicidal ideation.
D) less likely to be treated by a young physician.

Question 30

Which of the following is not an example of patronizing speech?

A) speaking quickly
B) high voice pitch
C) using a bossy tone
D) baby talk

Question 31

Which of the following is true about patronizing speech?

A) Older adults frequently use it when speaking with other older people.
B) It is used to accommodate perceived needs of older people.
C) When used by family, older adults associate it with warmth.
D) It is rarely, if ever, beneficial to the older person.

Question 32

Elderspeak is

A) an extreme form of patronizing talk.
B) an appropriate conversational style with older adults.
C) used more often by service workers than by others who interact with older people.
D) characterized by rapid speech and a low voice pitch.

Question 33

The term-------------------reflects people-first language; the term-------------------reflects identity-first language.

A) elderly; deaf person
B) paraplegic; person in a wheelchair
C) disabled; handicapped
D) person who is blind; autistic

Question 34

One criticism of people-first language is that it

A) subtly implies there is something wrong with having a disability.
B) is awkward to use in practice.
C) results in people holding ambivalent attitudes toward people with disabilities.
D) results in people using adjectives rather than nouns.

Question 35

Which of the following terms is not recommended by supporters of either people-first or disability-first language?

A) Paraplegic
B) Afflicted
C) Older adults
D) Person with autism

Question 36

Adultism is prejudice against

A) older people.
B) middle-aged people.
C) younger people.
D) people with autism.

Question 37

Age-related self-stereotyping affects older people's

A) abilities, but not their subjective age.
B) subjective age, but not their endorsement of age-related stereotypes.
C) endorsement of age-related stereotypes, but not their actual abilities.
D) subjective short-term health and their longevity.

Question 38

Older adults who hear positive stereotypes about people in their age group

A) take more care when walking.
B) report having better subjective health.
C) make more errors in maze puzzles.
D) have worse handwriting.

Question 39

A person with which of the following could be considered disabled, as the term is legally defined?

A) bipolar disorder
B) cancer
C) paraplegia
D) any of the above

Question 40

Disability is considered to be

A) a set of objectively defined conditions.
B) better defined in terms of visible characteristics than invisible characteristics.
C) a complex construct viewed from both legal and social perspectives.
D) defined solely on the basis of a medical diagnosis from a qualified physician.

Question 41

Which of the following statements about the incidence of disability is/are correct?

A) Its incidence increases with age.
B) Its incidence is lower for African Americans than for Hispanic Americans.
C) Its incidence is lower among adult women than among adult men.
D) All of the above are correct

Question 42

In general, disabilities that are seen as-------------------are viewed more negatively.

A) controllable vs. uncontrollable
B) aesthetically unpleasant vs. having no effect on appearance
C) causing the person with the disability to behave in ways that appear threatening vs. having no effect on behavior
D) all of the above

Question 43

Which of the following statements about research on prejudice against people with disabilities is correct?

A) Most research on the topic has dealt with invisible disabilities.
B) Most of the research is based on behavioral observation rather than self-report.
C) Researchers seldom study actual interactions with people with disabilities.
D) The research tends to focus on how people's attitudes change over time.

Question 44

People without disabilities tend to

A) both report positive attitudes toward people with disabilities and behave posi- tively toward them.
B) report positive attitudes toward people with disabilities but behave negatively toward them.
C) report negative attitudes toward people with disabilities but behave positively toward them.
D) both report negative attitudes toward people with disabilities and behave nega- tively toward them.

Question 45

John is hiring a greeter for his store. If he hires a person with a disability, he is least
Likely to hire someone

A) with facial scarring.
B) who uses a wheelchair for mobility.
C) with a developmental disability.
D) with diabetes.

Question 46

Disability-related prejudice and age-related prejudice are similar in that

A) members of both groups are often treated like children.
B) members of both groups are seen as chronically grouchy and ill-tempered.
C) older people are seen as politically and socially liberal but people with disabilities are seen as being conservative.
D) older people are seen as needing special treatment but people with disabilities are not.

Question 47

People without disabilities often feel anxious when interacting with people with dis- abilities because they

A) are not sure how to act in that situation.
B) find visible disabilities to be frightening.
C) are reminded that they themselves could become disabled.
D) all of the above.

Question 48

Wade feels uncomfortable around his classmate, who is in a wheelchair, because it reminds him that he might also need a wheelchair someday. Wade's discomfort reflects

A) weakness-oriented anxiety.
B) anxiety due to uncertainty about social norms.
C) existential anxiety.
D) aesthetic anxiety.

Question 49

Which of the following characteristics is associated with disabled men but not disa- bled women?

A) vulnerable
B) poor
C) dependent
D) inferior

Question 50

----------------anxiety stems from fears engendered by persons whose appearance deviates markedly from the usual human form.

A) Aesthetic
B) Existential
C) Deviant
D) Abnormalizing

Question 51

According to your text, which of the following is one of the guidelines for commu- nicating with people with disabilities?

A) Refer to the person as Mr-------------------or Ms-------------------rather than by their first name.
B) Place yourself at eye level with a person in a wheelchair.
C) Avoid language such as "See you later" when talking with a blind person.
D) All of the above are suggestions for effective communication with a person with a disability.

Question 52

Which of the following disabilities is most stigmatized?

A) deafness
B) mental illness
C) blindness
D) epilepsy

Question 53

Most people feel comfortable interacting with a person with a mental illness when the

A) illness is seen as stemming from a controllable rather than an uncontrollable cause.
B) person's character, rather than genetic factors, caused the illness.
C) person with the illness is a friend.
D) person with the illness will be caring for a child.

Question 54

Which type of discrimination do people with mental illness report experiencing most frequently?

A) lack of acceptance by friends
B) not getting hired for a professional position
C) denial of health benefits
D) lack of access to housing

Question 55

Which of the following statements about people with mental illness is correct?

A) The stigma associated with mental illness often prevents them from seeking treatment.
B) They report that they almost never receive fair treatment.
C) Microaggressions are usually delivered by people with whom they do not have close relationships.
D) They tend to attribute the discrimination they experience to their race, gender, or age, rather than to their disability.

Question 56

Research has found that the most effective way to reduce negative implicit bias toward mental illness was

A) education about mental illness stigma.
B) feedback about implicit bias.
C) contact with a person who has a mental illness.
D) a combination of education and bias feedback.

Question 57

The stereotypes, prejudice, and preferential treatment accorded to physically attrac- tive people are collectively called

A) lookism.
B) the beauty advantage.
C) appearance-ism.
D) anti-ugly bias.

Question 58

Research on physical attractiveness shows that people prefer-------------------faces.

A) female
B) symmetrical
C) distinctive
D) childlike

Question 59

The term "gingerism" refers to prejudice against

A) effeminate gay men.
B) blondes.
C) people with red hair.
D) people of Asian heritage.

Question 60

Which of the following characteristics is not attributed to people who are physically attractive?

A) being socially competent
B) being vain and egotistical
C) having high popularity
D) having high moral principles

Question 61

Thin people are stereotyped as

A) relaxed.
B) afraid.
C) adventuresome.
D) healthy.

Question 62

Research on physical attractiveness and aging shows that

A) unattractive faces are perceived to be older than attractive faces.
B) older people are negatively stereotyped, even if they walk with a youthful gait.
C) perceived attractiveness is unrelated to a person's age.
D) school-aged children can identify age-related changes in physical appearance, but younger children cannot.

Question 63

Which of the following statements is supported by research?

A) Physically attractive people make more money than unattractive people.
B) In cultures outside the United States, attractiveness is less important than intel- ligence or ability.
C) Candidates for political office who are physically attractive have neither an advantage nor a disadvantage in elections.
D) Attractive people perform better under pressure than do unattractive people.

Question 64

Compared to unattractive people, attractive people

A) earn more money.
B) are happier.
C) have an asymmetric facial structure.
D) all of the above.

Question 65

Compared to unattractive people, attractive people

A) earn less money.
B) are happier.
C) have a symmetric facial structure.
D) all of the above.

Question 66

Which of the following statements is correct?

A) Tall people have an advantage over both short people and people of average height.
B) The height advantage exists for men but not for women.
C) Tall people have an advantage over short people but no advantage over people of average height.
D) Short women have an advantage over tall women.

Question 67

Research has shown that

A) tall people make more money than short people over the course of their careers.
B) taller women are more likely to occupy positions of authority in the workplace.
C) taller blue-collar (but not white-collar) workers make more money than shorter workers.
D) taller workers with graduate degrees make more money than shorter workers.

Question 68

Which of the following statements is true?

A) Randy Newman received threats after releasing his song "Short People."
B) Short people reacted positively to the finding that they experience work-related discrimination due to their height.
C) Sperm banks are not legally allowed to use height as a selection criterion for donors.
D) All of the above are true.

Question 69

Which of the following statements about prejudice against people perceived to be overweight is false?

A) Overweight women are judged more harshly than overweight men.
B) How people feel about their own weight is related to their level of anti-fat prejudice.
C) Anti-fat prejudice is an acceptable prejudice in the United States.
D) Overweight people who lose weight are perceived more positively after the weight loss than before.

Question 70

Which of the following has not been suggested as a source of anti-fat prejudice?

A) The belief that one's weight is a controllable characteristic.
B) Unconscious desires to eat as much as one wants to.
C) Socialization in a profession that disparages being overweight.
D) The belief that overweight people lack willpower.

Question 71

Which of the following statements about the treatment of overweight women is false?

A) Parents of overweight women provide their daughters with less financial support for college than the parents of average weight daughters.
B) Overweight women are less likely to have meaningful social relationships than average weight women.
C) Salespeople in clothing stores spend less time with overweight women than with average weight women.
D) Employers are less likely to hire overweight women than average weight women.

Question 72

Of the groups listed,-------------------appear to experience the highest level of job discrimination.

A) members of racial and ethnic minority groups
B) women
C) overweight people
D) people with disabilities

Question 73

Members of which social group are more accepting of overweight people?

A) White men
B) Black men
C) Overweight women
D) Thin women

Question 74

Which of the following people is most likely to be rated negatively by children?

A) Chelsea, who has a noticeable facial scar.
B) Axel, who uses a wheelchair.
C) Maude, who is 85 years old.
D) Anna, who is overweight.

Question 75

Which of the following is not a subscale of the Anti-Fat Attitudes Questionnaire?

A) Willpower
B) Disgust and Avoidance
C) Fear of Fat
D) Dislike of Fat People

Question 76

Ingrid recently Googled a question about her child. The question is most likely to be about her child's weight if

A) she is herself overweight.
B) her child attends private school.
C) her child is of below average weight.
D) she has a daughter.

Question 77

Research shows that physicians

A) pay more attention to overweight clients due to concerns about their health.
B) see obese people as awkward, unattractive, and non-compliant.
C) generally focus on the problem of the discrimination overweight people experi- ence, rather than their patient's weight.
D) all of the above.

Question 78

Errol's physician is overweight. Results of research suggest that Errol is likely to

A) change doctors.
B) trust his physician.
C) follow his doctor's medical advice.
D) become overweight himself.

Question 79

Compared to average-weight people, overweight people are

A) paid more.
B) preferred as co-workers.
C) more likely to be fired.
D) all of the above.

Question 80

Weight-inclusive approaches to health

A) have been shown to be ineffective in combatting weight stigma.
B) focus on weight and weight loss to achieve health.
C) consider all elements of a person's identity in creating a weight-loss plan.
D) focus on improving health care access and decreasing weight stigma.