Deck 16: Emotional and Social Development in Middle Adulthood

Question 1

Martin, age 47, is single and has no children. Which of Martin's activities reflects generativity?

A) He works out at the gym three evenings a week and runs every night.
B) He attends worship services two times per week and participates in a bible study group.
C) He volunteers at the YMCA as a coach and as a "big brother" to preadolescent boys.
D) He participates in community theater and starred in a local production of Guys and Dolls.

Answer 1

C

Question 2

Which statement is true about people who flexibly modify their identities in response to age-related changes yet maintain a sense of self-continuity?

A) They are higher in self-esteem.
B) They are lower in life satisfaction.
C) Their personalities undergo drastic revision.
D) They are less aware of their own thoughts and feelings.

Answer 2

A

Question 3

As Angelo approaches age 50, he feels increasingly disheartened about his poor relationship with his two sons. At work, he volunteers to mentor a young new hire who is about the age of his oldest boy. According to Levinson, Angelo is confronting which developmental task?

A) young-old
B) destruction-creation
C) masculinity-femininity
D) engagement-separateness

Answer 3

B

Question 4

Marcus, age 53, is spending a lot of time caring for his young grandson. His subordinates at work have noticed that he has become a kinder, more compassionate boss. According to Levinson, Marcus is engaged in which developmental task?

A) young-old
B) destruction-creation
C) masculinity-femininity
D) engagement-separateness

Question 5

According to Vaillant, __________ is a major preoccupation of midlife.

A) redemption
B) "passing the torch"
C) becoming androgynous
D) advancement

Question 6

Childless middle-aged adults __________.

A) become generative as mentors in the workplace, community volunteers, or in family relationships
B) become stagnant because the primary means of realizing generativity is through parenting a child
C) are likely to become stagnant because they are not making contributions that will survive death
D) are likely to become generative because they have time to focus on what they can get from others

Question 7

According to Levinson, middle adulthood begins with a __________.

A) transitional period
B) stable period
C) significant crisis
D) dream

Question 8

__________ is associated with favorable personality traits and adjustment.

A) Masculinity
B) Femininity
C) Separateness
D) Androgyny

Question 9

Which middle-aged man is likely to be highly sensitive about the physical changes of aging?

A) Santos, a dentist
B) Dean, a non-college-educated chef
C) Freeman, a lawyer
D) Jack, a non-college-educated construction worker

Question 10

Betty just celebrated her fiftieth birthday. She marked the occasion by taking hang-gliding lessons and purchasing a more mature wardrobe. According to Levinson, Betty is engaged in which developmental task?

A) young-old
B) destruction-creation
C) masculinity-femininity
D) engagement-separateness

Question 11

Deangelo, age 52, has been unemployed for 18 months. Having spent his entire life living below the poverty line, Deangelo often felt like he never found a respected place in society. Deangelo is probably directing his energies toward __________.

A) survival
B) creation
C) generativity
D) engagement

Question 12

Adults with a sense of stagnation may express their self-absorption through __________.

A) a focus on what they can give to others
B) taking little interest in being productive at work
C) a focus on their own children and grandchildren
D) taking interest in young people in their community

Question 13

Jennifer, age 45, is a Girl Scout leader. She really enjoys giving to and guiding the next generation. According to Erikson, Jennifer has developed a sense of __________.

A) autonomy
B) intimacy
C) stagnation
D) generativity

Question 14

Highly generative people appear especially __________.

A) high in anxiety
B) low in autonomy
C) low in self-acceptance
D) well-adjusted

Question 15

Which parent is most likely to be generative?

A) Harlan, who is authoritarian
B) Liberty, who is uninvolved
C) Princess, who is authoritative
D) Seth, who is permissive

Question 16

The negative outcome of Erikson's midlife stage, stagnation, focuses on __________.

A) role confusion
B) selflessness
C) self-indulgence
D) guilt and shame

Question 17

Darlene, who spent her early adulthood devoted to child rearing, is engaged in Levinson's engagement-separation task. Consequently, Darlene will probably focus on __________.

A) being more generative
B) controlling the physical changes of aging
C) pursuing a long-desired ambition
D) greater openness to autonomy and assertiveness

Question 18

Especially in individualistic societies, __________ may help preserve generative commitments.

A) gang membership
B) focusing on career development
C) belonging to a religious community
D) moving away from extended family

Question 19

Which statement about generativity and stagnation is true?

A) Childless men score higher in generativity and lower in stagnation than men with children.
B) Among well-educated women, those with children express greater generative concerns.
C) Generativity is rare among low-SES fathers with troubled pasts as sons, students, and intimate partners.
D) Stagnation is associated with more involvement in political activities, including voting and campaigning.

Question 20

In Levinson's engagement-separateness task, men and women with successful careers may __________.

A) focus on ways they have acted destructively
B) reduce their concern with achievement
C) give up certain youthful qualities
D) sustain a youthful subjective age

Question 21

Gilles, age 50, tells his brother, "I'd like to maintain my physical health and work on getting emotionally stronger. I want to be a good friend and a role model to my kids. I don't want to be that guy who never comes to family get-togethers because he is too busy working. I want to be successful in my career, but not at the expense of my family." Gilles is discussing his __________.

A) future model
B) internal map
C) possible selves
D) generalized goals

Question 22

Jay, age 50, is finally comfortable with himself. He is more independent, assertive, and committed to his personal values than he was in early adulthood. Jay probably believes that midlife is __________.

A) a time of upheaval and crisis
B) a stepping-stone to old age
C) more stressful than early adulthood
D) "the prime of life"

Question 23

Compared with younger people, middle-aged adults see themselves as __________.

A) more concerned about others' expectations and evaluations
B) capable of effectively managing a complex array of tasks
C) less concerned with following self-chosen standards
D) less content with themselves and life

Question 24

Adults in their early twenties __________.

A) have one or two possible selves
B) have modest, realistic visions
C) mention many possible selves
D) are largely concerned with current roles

Question 25

Throughout adulthood, the personality traits people assign to their current selves show __________.

A) lofty idealism
B) considerable stability
C) great variability
D) an ideal self

Question 26

With age, possible selves become __________.

A) loftier
B) greater in number
C) more idealistic
D) more concrete

Question 27

The majority of MIDUS participants who reported experiencing a midlife crisis __________.

A) attributed it to age rather than challenging life events
B) defined such events much more loosely than researchers do
C) reported suffering from serious depression and anxiety attacks
D) claimed that it occurred between the ages of 40 and 50

Question 28

In comparisons of Japanese and Korean adults with same-age U.S. MIDUS participants, __________.

A) the Japanese and Koreans reported higher levels of psychological well-being
B) Americans placed greater emphasis on their children's accomplishments
C) Japanese and Koreans' highest well-being scores were on positive relations with others
D) Americans did not regard family relations as relevant to personal psychological well-being

Question 29

__________ is common during middle age.

A) Midlife crisis
B) Personal upheaval
C) Drastic life alteration
D) Life evaluation

Question 30

Cate, age 49, acknowledges that she has both good and bad qualities, yet she feels positively about herself and life. Cate exhibits __________.

A) self-acceptance
B) autonomy
C) stagnation
D) expertise

Question 31

Possible selves are the __________ dimension of self-concept.

A) positive
B) negative
C) temporal
D) social

Question 32

Which statement is true about psychological well-being in midlife?

A) High life adversity is strongly associated with favorable psychological well-being in middle adulthood.
B) The role of marriage in mental health increases with age, becoming a powerful predictor by late midlife.
C) While exercise is personally gratifying, the social side of going to the gym is linked to poorer mental health.
D) As role involvement increases, both men and women report less positive emotion and environmental mastery.

Question 33

Which statement is true about possible selves?

A) They may be an especially strong motivator of action in midlife.
B) They remain considerably stable throughout an individual's lifespan.
C) They are unimportant to researchers because they are merely hopes.
D) They focus on hopes about the future rather than fears about what might be.

Question 34

__________ increase(s) from early to middle adulthood.

A) Possible selves
B) Self-doubt
C) Destructiveness
D) Autonomy

Question 35

Negative turning points described by MIDUS participants __________.

A) resembled midlife crises
B) usually involved work-related issues
C) generally led to personal growth
D) focused on the physical changes of aging

Question 36

When MIDUS participants were asked to describe "turning points" that had occurred during the past five years, most __________.

A) were positive
B) resembled midlife crises
C) involved a spiritual shift
D) were negative

Question 37

Hart volunteers with Habitat for Humanity. When he is at a work site, he is so engrossed in activity that he loses all sense of time and self-awareness. When he volunteers, Hart experiences __________.

A) flow
B) expertise
C) co-dependence
D) environmental mastery

Question 38

Among a nationally representative sample of Americans, life regrets centered mainly on __________.

A) physical changes not realized
B) romantic and family relationships
C) having a lack of financial resources
D) failing to follow rules earlier in life

Question 39

Experiencing regrets is consistently associated with __________.

A) hardiness
B) greater life satisfaction
C) confidence, assertiveness, and autonomy
D) less favorable psychological well-being

Question 40

Which statement is true about research regarding the midlife crisis?

A) Vaillant saw many examples of substantial inner turmoil in midlife.
B) Levinson's work showed little evidence of a midlife crisis.
C) Current evidence supports the view of middle age as a turbulent time.
D) Vaillant saw examples of a slow and steady change, rather than a crisis.

Question 41

Which statement is true about divorce in midlife?

A) Middle-aged adults seem to have a much harder time adjusting to divorce than younger people.
B) Middle-aged adults who divorce report gains in happiness-an outcome stronger among men than women.
C) In the United States, the divorce rate among adults age 50 and over has doubled in the past two decades.
D) Divorcing women frequently mention that their emotional inattentiveness played a role in the marital failure.

Question 42

Many studies of the late twentieth and early-twenty-first century reported __________ in midlife.

A) an increase of masculine traits in men
B) a decrease of masculine traits in women
C) an increase of feminine traits in women
D) increased androgyny in men and women

Question 43

In adulthood, __________ is associated with cognitive flexibility, creativity, advanced moral reasoning, and psychosocial maturity.

A) femininity
B) masculinity
C) androgyny
D) asexuality

Question 44

Gregor, age 17, is high in conscientiousness. Gregor __________.

A) can anticipate that this trait will increase through middle age
B) can anticipate that this trait will decline through middle age
C) will probably also become more extroverted as he ages
D) will probably become more neurotic as he ages

Question 45

In longitudinal research, __________ gained most in dominance, assertiveness, and outspokenness by their early fifties.

A) women who stayed at home to raise children
B) women who attained high status in their careers
C) nonworking women who had no children
D) non-college-educated women with part-time jobs

Question 46

During the phase of "launching children and moving on," __________.

A) adults have the smallest number of close relationships than during any other period
B) families experience the smallest number of exits and entries of family members
C) most people experience a sense of completion and liberation
D) few people have opportunities to strengthen social ties or rekindle interests

Question 47

Nat is 42. His sister, Kiana, is 25. Which statement is the most likely to be true, based solely on their ages?

A) Kiana is more likely than Nat to identify the positive side of difficult situations.
B) Nat is more likely than Kiana to anticipate and plan ways to handle future discomforts.
C) Nat is more likely than Kiana to act quickly rather than taking time to evaluate alternatives.
D) Kiana is more likely than Nat to use humor to express ideas and feelings without offending others.

Question 48

In recently gathered self-reports, __________.

A) both men and women showed an increase in androgyny in middle adulthood
B) men's and women's endorsement of "masculine" and "feminine" traits showed little change throughout adulthood
C) women showed an increase in "feminine" and a decrease in "masculine" traits in both early and middle adulthood
D) men showed an increase in "masculine" and a decrease in "feminine" traits in both early and middle adulthood

Question 49

__________ have become the majority of the adult population living in poverty, regardless of age and ethnic group.

A) Unemployed men
B) Unemployed women
C) Men who support themselves or their families
D) Women who support themselves or their families

Question 50

Guy is reserved, quiet, passive, sober, and emotionally unreactive. He is low in which "big five" personality trait?

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

Question 51

Individuals who are low in conscientiousness are __________.

A) worrying, temperamental, self-pitying, self-conscious, emotional, and vulnerable
B) negligent, lazy, disorganized, late, aimless, and nonpersistent
C) ruthless, suspicious, stingy, antagonistic, critical, and irritable
D) reserved, quiet, passive, sober, and emotionally unreactive

Question 52

Nora is imaginative, creative, original, curious, and liberal. She is high in which "big five" personality trait?

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

Question 53

Which statement is true about the "big five" personality traits?

A) Agreeableness decreases slightly from adolescence through middle age.
B) They take into account motivations, preferred tasks, and coping styles.
C) Individual differences in the "big five" traits are large and highly stable.
D) They consider how certain aspects of personality are integrated.

Question 54

Neuroticism __________ from adolescence through middle age.

A) rises steadily
B) declines
C) increases slightly
D) does not change

Question 55

In her first relationship following her divorce, 48-year-old Edwina reevaluated what she considered important in a healthy relationship. She most likely places __________.

A) greater weight on passionate love
B) greater weight on equal friendship
C) less emphasis on communication
D) less emphasis on friendship

Question 56

Which statement is true about couples in their forties, fifties, and sixties?

A) Studies suggest that compared to same-sex couples, heterosexual couples use more effective communication styles.
B) In interviews, lesbian couples describe more openness and honesty in sharing thoughts and feelings with partners.
C) Across heterosexual, lesbian, and gay research participants, high conflict predicted deeper psychological intimacy.
D) Compared to lesbian couples, gay research participants use more effective communication styles with partners.

Question 57

Individuals who are high in agreeableness are __________.

A) affectionate, talkative, active, fun-loving, and passionate
B) calm, even-tempered, self-content, comfortable, unemotional, and hardy
C) imaginative, creative, original, curious, and liberal
D) soft-hearted, trusting, generous, acquiescent, lenient, and good-natured

Question 58

The term "empty nest" is no longer used to refer to the middle adulthood phase of the family life cycle because __________.

A) so many middle-aged adults in the United States are raising at least one grandchild
B) it implies a negative transition
C) the baby boomers are less financially secure and as a result often return home
D) the majority of middle-aged people in the United States live alone

Question 59

Sudie is calm, even-tempered, self-content, comfortable, unemotional, and hardy. She is low in which "big five" personality trait?

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

Question 60

Some evidence reveals a link between children's departure from the home and __________.

A) both parents becoming more masculine, gaining most in dominance and assertiveness
B) both parents becoming more feminine, gaining most in nurturance and empathy
C) women's greater emotional sensitivity, confidence, and dependence
D) men's greater openness to the "feminine" side of their personalities

Question 61

__________ is the strongest predictor of frequent, face-to-face interaction with young grandchildren.

A) Living nearby
B) The age of the grandparents
C) Being the paternal grandparent
D) The quality of the parent-child relationship

Question 62

Which statement is true about grandparents?

A) Grandparents who take full responsibility for young children rarely experience emotional strain.
B) Relationships with daughter-in-law or son-in-law strongly affect the closeness of grandchild ties.
C) In higher-income families, grandparents are more likely to perform essential activities.
D) Grandfathers report higher satisfaction with the grandparent role than grandmothers.

Question 63

A person who lists being a valued older adult as a gratification of grandparenthood especially values __________.

A) being perceived as a wise, helpful person
B) the idea of leaving behind two generations after death
C) being able to pass family history and values to a new generation
D) having fun with children without major child-rearing responsibilities

Question 64

After all five of her children struck out on their own, Naomi made sure everyone stayed in touch by creating a family blog. She also took charge of gathering the family for celebrations. Naomi is her family's __________.

A) kinkeeper
B) social secretary
C) relationship guardian
D) ancestral arranger

Question 65

Which young adult is likely to move out of the parental home at the youngest age?

A) Juno from Greece
B) Alejandro from Spain
C) Lalia from Italy
D) Kevin from the United States

Question 66

Which statement is true about launching children and moving on?

A) Most parents adjust well to their children's departure from the home.
B) The age at which midlifers experience their children's departure is typically 40 to 45.
C) Parents who have a greater difficulty have more positive relationships with their grown children.
D) A strong home orientation, especially, predicts gains in life satisfaction after children leave home.

Question 67

Which maternal grandmother is most likely to be the preferred caregiver of her grandchildren while their parents work?

A) Sally, a retired European American
B) Alysha, a retired African American
C) Melody, a European-American homemaker
D) Lupe, a Mexican-American homemaker

Question 68

Less is known about long-term adjustment following divorce among middle-aged men, perhaps because __________.

A) so few men divorce in middle adulthood
B) they often die within 5 to 10 years after divorce
C) they are less likely to participate in research studies
D) most enter new relationships and remarry within a short time

Question 69

Preston and Mei are about to become grandparents for the first time. They believe that grandparenthood is highly important because they will leave behind not just one but two generations after death. Which gratification of grandparenthood is probably most important to them?

A) valued older adult
B) indulgence
C) reinvolvement with personal past
D) immortality through descendants

Question 70

Whether or not they reside with parents, young-adult children who __________ can prompt parental strain.

A) have strong work orientations
B) are "off-time" in development
C) were born after the parents turned 35
D) seek both freedom and advice

Question 71

Throughout middle adulthood, parents of grown children __________.

A) receive more emotional support from the children than they give
B) give more financial support to the children than they receive
C) carefully monitor the children's day-to-day activities
D) receive more practical support from the children than they give

Question 72

Which caregiving grandparents are especially likely to be living in extreme poverty while caring for several grandchildren?

A) the Montagues, who are European American
B) the Bucks, who are African American
C) the Wynns, who are Native American
D) the Herreras, who are Hispanic

Question 73

Which statement is true about grandparents who take full responsibility for raising their grandchildren?

A) They are usually financially well-off.
B) Because of the generation gap, they lack effective child-rearing skills.
C) The family arrangement is unique to certain minority groups.
D) They often experience considerable emotional and financial strain.

Question 74

Middle-aged men are __________ with aging parents.

A) usually more involved than middle-aged women
B) becoming more involved in family responsibilities
C) emotionally closer than middle-age women
D) more likely than middle-aged women to move in

Question 75

Neil and Mark cannot wait to spoil their granddaughter. They love the idea of having fun with her all day and then sending her home with their son when she gets tired and cranky. Which gratification of grandparenthood is probably most important to them?

A) valued older adult
B) indulgence
C) reinvolvement with personal past
D) immortality through descendants

Question 76

__________ parents give more overall support to their grown children.

A) Highly educated
B) Middle-SES
C) Low-SES
D) Less-educated

Question 77

Compared with children in divorced, single-parent families, blended families, or foster families, children reared by grandparents __________.

A) fare better in adjustment
B) are more often spoiled and selfish
C) are more susceptible to physical illness
D) are more likely to have behavior problems in school

Question 78

Which grandparent is likely to report more frequent visits with grandchildren?

A) Rivka, a paternal grandmother
B) Devon, a paternal grandfather
C) Lashawn, a maternal grandmother
D) Harry, a maternal grandfather

Question 79

Cindy, age 48, cares for her two teenage sons and her ailing mother-in-law. Along with her mother, she is also one of a handful of caregivers for her elderly grandmother. Cindy belongs to the __________ generation.

A) me
B) squeezed
C) kinkeeper
D) sandwich

Question 80

Which statement is true about middle-aged children and their aging parents?

A) The number of middle-aged Americans with at least one living parent has dropped dramatically.
B) Adults of past generations were more devoted than today's middle-aged adults to their aging parents.
C) A longer life expectancy means that adult children and their parents are increasingly likely to grow old together.
D) Proximity decreases with age: Middle-aged children who move tend to go farther away from their aging parents.