Deck 16: Emotional and Social Development in Middle Adulthood

Question 1

According to Erikson,the most prominent psychological conflict of midlife involves

A) finding a way to let go of unrealistic goals.
B) accepting the fact that life is half over.
C) integrating personal goals with the welfare of the larger social world.
D) taking pride in personal accomplishments and recognizing failures.

Answer 1

C

Question 2

__________ is associated with favorable adjustment.

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

Answer 2

A

Question 3

Although Salim lives in a crime-ridden neighborhood,he strongly believes that life is good and worthwhile.Accordingly,Salim is likely to be

A) self-indulgent.
B) generative.
C) stagnant.
D) self-centered.

Answer 3

B

Question 4

Generative midlifers

A) use an authoritative child-rearing style.
B) are rarely community leaders.
C) are less likely than stagnant midlifers to contact public officials.
D) show a lack of interest in young people.

Question 5

When poverty,unemployment,and lack of a respected place in society dominate the life course,

A) the young-old developmental task remains unresolved.
B) the destruction-creation developmental task resolves in favor of creation.
C) concerns of ambition and achievement are elevated over all others.
D) energies are directed toward survival rather than realistically approaching age-related changes.

Question 6

__________ contribute greatly to emotional and social development in midlife.

A) Family and work transitions
B) Scaffolding experiences
C) Peer relations
D) Modeling and imitation

Question 7

Adults who resolve Erikson's psychological conflict of midlife negatively become __________ once they attain certain life goals,such as marriage,children,and career success.

A) stagnant
B) isolated
C) identity-diffused
D) generative

Question 8

Which of the following women is likely to offer more social support to members of her community?

A) Marcy, a 23-year-old Caucasian American
B) Tonya, a 24-year-old African American
C) Joy, a 50-year-old African American
D) Pam, a 52-year-old Caucasian American

Question 9

Which of the following middle-aged adults is the most likely to be stagnant?

A) Allison, who is a mentor in her workplace
B) Jonathan, who volunteers at a teen crisis center
C) Barbara, who spends little time with her grown children
D) James, who volunteers at a local children's theater

Question 10

In Levinson's destruction-creation developmental task,the midlifer

A) gives up certain youthful qualities and finds positive meaning in being older.
B) must create a better balance between "masculine" and "feminine" parts of the self.
C) counters past hurtful acts with a strong desire to leave a legacy for the future.
D) must forge a better balance between engagement with the external world and separateness.

Question 11

Hilda,age 47,volunteers as a "big sister" as part of Big Brothers Big Sisters of America.She enjoys reaching out to her 9-year-old "little sister" and providing her with guidance.According to Erikson,Hilda has developed a sense of

A) intimacy.
B) stagnation.
C) guilt.
D) generativity.

Question 12

Which of the following statements about generativity and stagnation is true?

A) Stagnation is associated with more effective child rearing.
B) Childless men score higher than fathers in generativity.
C) Among well-educated women, those with children express greater generative concerns.
D) Generativity is rare among low-SES fathers with troubled pasts.

Question 13

Vance is highly generative.Vance is probably also __________ in __________.

A) high; anxiety
B) low; autonomy
C) high; life satisfaction
D) low; self-acceptance

Question 14

Jaime,age 47,left her part-time job in retail,pursued a bachelor's degree in social work,and accepted a job as a child welfare worker.According to Levinson,Jaime is engaged in which of the following developmental tasks?

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

Question 15

In Levinson's young-old developmental task,the middle-age person must

A) give up certain youthful qualities and find positive meaning in being older.
B) create a better balance between traits of nurturance and assertiveness.
C) find a way to leave a legacy for future generations.
D) find a balance between engagement with the external world and separateness.

Question 16

Rachel and Daniel are middle-aged parents.Accordingly,it is likely that __________ is more generative than __________.

A) Rachel; Daniel
B) Daniel; Rachel
C) Rachel; childless women
D) Daniel; childless men

Question 17

According to Levinson,during the midlife transition,most people

A) experience a significant identity crisis.
B) turn inward, focusing on personally meaningful living.
C) turn outward, focusing on meeting the needs of others.
D) make few changes in their life structure.

Question 18

People who flexibly modify their identities in response to age-related changes yet maintain a sense of self-continuity are

A) at the greatest risk for a midlife crisis.
B) lower in life satisfaction.
C) higher in self-esteem.
D) identity-foreclosed.

Question 19

Which of the following statements about psychosocial development in midlife is true?

A) Opportunities for vocational advancement, which are more available to men than women, tend to complicate the midlife transition.
B) Lower-SES midlifers are more able to devote the time and energy needed to realistically approach age-related changes.
C) Individuals of both sexes in blue-collar jobs have fewer opportunities for advancement, which ease the transition to middle adulthood.
D) Sustaining a youthful subjective age is more strongly related to self-esteem among Western-European than American middle-aged and older adults.

Question 20

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

A) Martin works out at the gym three evenings a week and runs every night.
B) Martin attends worship services two times per week and participates in a Bible study group.
C) Martin volunteers at the YMCA as a basketball coach for the youth program.
D) Martin participates in community theater and starred in a local production of Guys and Dolls.

Question 21

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

A) much contradiction.
B) considerable stability.
C) great variety.
D) an ideal self.

Question 22

Possible selves

A) change greatly with age.
B) are largely concerned with being the best.
C) become more idealistic in midlife.
D) increase in number with age.

Question 23

More than young adults,middle-age people

A) accept their good, but not bad, qualities.
B) accept their bad, but not good, qualities.
C) feel positively about themselves.
D) feel negatively about themselves.

Question 24

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 nephews and nieces.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.Of course,I want to find my own special partner,but if I don't,I know I'll always have you and the kids." Gilles is discussing his

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

Question 25

Quentin went to college with the goal of becoming a social worker.Instead,he gave in to pressure from his new spouse and changed his major to business.When looking back at age 50,Quentin wished he had pursued his original dream of becoming a social worker.Quentin is experiencing a(n)

A) interrupted life structure.
B) midlife crisis.
C) maladaptive social clock.
D) life regret.

Question 26

__________ is common in middle adulthood.

A) Life evaluation
B) Dissatisfaction
C) Having a midlife crisis
D) Drastic life alteration

Question 27

Vaillant's research on the midlife crisis suggests that

A) for many people, the crisis extends into late adulthood.
B) most people do not experience a crisis but, rather, slow and steady change.
C) the crisis actually occurs in early, rather than middle, adulthood.
D) women usually experience the crisis earlier than men.

Question 28

Overall,midlife "turning points"

A) are predominantly negative.
B) concern family over work.
C) rarely resemble crises.
D) lead to life regrets.

Question 29

Possible selves are the temporal dimension of

A) gender awareness.
B) self-concept.
C) gender typicality.
D) self-acceptance.

Question 30

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

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

Question 31

In middle age,Shelley finds that she worries much less about what others expect of her and uses her own values to guide her decisions.Shelley has developed a strong sense of

A) generativity.
B) wisdom.
C) self-acceptance.
D) autonomy.

Question 32

According to Vaillant,as people approach the end of middle age,they are more likely to focus on

A) personal, short-term goals.
B) career advancement opportunities.
C) the state of human relations in their society.
D) keeping up with technological advances.

Question 33

Winifred's work-related "turning points" probably peaked in

A) adolescence.
B) early adulthood.
C) middle adulthood.
D) late adulthood.

Question 34

Possible selves

A) are less important in midlife than they are in early adulthood.
B) are less important than personal characteristics in explaining behavior.
C) show considerable stability throughout adulthood.
D) may be an especially strong motivator of action in midlife.

Question 35

With age,possible selves become

A) loftier.
B) more modest.
C) less concrete.
D) greater in number.

Question 36

Compared to younger people,middle-aged adults see themselves as

A) more concerned about others' expectations and evaluations.
B) capable of managing a complex array of tasks easily and effectively.
C) less concerned with following self-chosen standards.
D) having more negative than positive qualities.

Question 37

As Raeann approaches age 50,she probably relies less on __________ comparisons in judging her self-worth and more on __________ comparisons.

A) emotional; physical
B) temporal; social
C) social; temporal
D) physical; metacognitive

Question 38

Which of the following middle-aged adults is the most likely to experience a midlife crisis?

A) Jefferson, who has a high-paying, high-pressure job
B) Flora, who is a middle-SES stay-at-home mother
C) Steve, who has lived his entire life in poverty
D) Wanda, who left her job as an executive to be a nurse

Question 39

If Kareem and Robert,both age 45,are asked to describe "turning points" that had occurred during the past five years,both will most likely report ones concerning

A) spirituality.
B) education.
C) family.
D) work.

Question 40

Janet wished she went to college instead of taking a job as an administrative assistant in her early twenties.Preston always wanted to be a teacher,but his father would only pay college tuition if Preston majored in engineering.In midlife,Preston went back to college and obtained a degree in elementary education,whereas Janet continued working as an administrative assistant.Compared to Preston,Janet will probably

A) report more life satisfaction.
B) be higher in self-acceptance.
C) be less stagnant.
D) experience poorer physical health over time.

Question 41

Which of the following statements about "launching children and moving on" is true?

A) Many contemporary parents regard launching children as their last major goal in life as well as their most important one.
B) The period of launching children and moving on is marked by the smallest number of exits and entries of family members.
C) For most people, the period of launching children and moving on is a liberating time, offering a sense of completion and opportunities to rekindle interests.
D) For most parents, the period of launching children and moving on is a negative transition filled with feelings of emptiness and regret.

Question 42

Which of the following statements about divorce in midlife is true?

A) The divorce rate of U.S. 50- to 65-year-olds has fallen over the past 20 years.
B) Because adults in midlife are psychologically more stable, marital satisfaction is less relevant.
C) The U.S. divorce rate is lowest during midlife.
D) Midlifers seem to adapt to divorce more easily than younger people.

Question 43

The contemporary social view of marriage in midlife is one of __________ and __________.

A) strife; conflict
B) expansion; new horizons
C) stability; predictability
D) divorce; remarriage

Question 44

Which of the following statements about good health and exercise in midlife is true?

A) Physical activity in midlife enhances self-efficacy and effective stress management.
B) Engaging in exercise during midlife is less positively associated with a positive outlook than in younger adults.
C) Middle-aged people who maintain an exercise regimen are not likely to perceive themselves as particularly active.
D) While good health positively affects energy and zest for life in early adulthood, it can have the opposite effect in midlife.

Question 45

Reece is 42.His sister,Dana,is 25.Which of the following statements is most likely true based solely on their ages?

A) Dana is more likely than Reece to identify the positive side of difficult situations.
B) Dana is more likely than Reece to use humor to express ideas and feelings without offending others.
C) Reece is more likely than Dana to anticipate and plan ways to handle future discomforts.
D) Reece is more likely than Dana to act quickly when making an important decision.

Question 46

As Heather approaches the end of midlife,she has realized that she is comfortable with herself.She is more independent,assertive,and committed to her personal values than she was at 30.Heather probably believes that midlife is

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

Question 47

Individuals who are high in openness to experience are

A) imaginative, creative, original, curious, and liberal.
B) worrying, temperamental, self-pitying, and vulnerable.
C) affectionate, talkative, active, and passionate.
D) soft-hearted, trusting, generous, and good-natured.

Question 48

Individuals who are high in __________ are affectionate,talkative,active,fun-loving,and passionate.

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

Question 49

__________ declines from the teenage years through middle age,whereas __________ increases.

A) neuroticism; agreeableness
B) introversion; extroversion
C) agreeableness; conscientiousness
D) conscientiousness; openness to experience

Question 50

Kimberly tends to worry a lot.She is temperamental,emotional,and vulnerable.She is high on which of the following "big five" personality traits?

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

Question 51

In longitudinal research,__________ became more independent by their early forties,regardless of whether they had children.

A) homemakers
B) working women with no college education
C) unemployed adults of both genders
D) college-educated women in the labor force

Question 52

According to research,the more people experience __________,the more they judge their lives to be gratifying.

A) conscientiousness
B) environmental mastery
C) flow
D) generativity

Question 53

__________ theory holds that identification with traditional gender roles is maintained during the active parenting years to help ensure the survival of children.

A) Gender-role
B) Androgyny
C) Parental imperative
D) Information-processing

Question 54

During middle adulthood,__________ may contribute to the increase in effective coping.

A) lowered expectations for family and friends
B) greater confidence in handling life's problems
C) being perceived as wise by younger people
D) professional and financial stability

Question 55

People who integrate the "masculine" and "feminine" sides of their personalities tend to be

A) lower in autonomy.
B) higher in neuroticism.
C) lower in psychosocial maturity.
D) psychologically healthier.

Question 56

As Bill and Sonja approach middle age,

A) Bill will become more confident and Sonja will become more caring.
B) they will become more emotionally sensitive.
C) they will become more forceful.
D) Sonja will become more self-sufficient and Bill will become more considerate.

Question 57

Monica is ruthless,suspicious,stingy,antagonistic,critical,and irritable.Monica is low in

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

Question 58

Critics of the biological explanations for increased androgyny at midlife point out that

A) a rise in "masculine" traits in women when children depart from the home does not always occur.
B) women become more sensitive after children depart from the home, in order to enrich the marital relationship.
C) hormone levels in both genders tend to remain stable across the lifespan.
D) both men and women actually become more masculine with age.

Question 59

Individuals who are low in conscientiousness are

A) calm, even-tempered, self-content, unemotional, and hardy.
B) negligent, lazy, disorganized, late, aimless, and nonpersistent.
C) ruthless, suspicious, stingy, critical, and irritable.
D) talkative, passive, sober, passionate, and conservative.

Question 60

When examining stability and change in personality,research has shown that

A) individuals in midlife often experience an increase in negative traits.
B) adults tend to change in overall organization and integration of personality.
C) personality traits are highly unstable in middle adulthood.
D) middle adulthood is a period of great turmoil in personality.

Question 61

Tom,age 50,cares for his teenage daughter and his aging mother.Tom also provides some weekend care for his newborn grandson.Tom belongs to the __________ generation.

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

Question 62

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 of the following grandparent gratifications is probably most important to them?

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

Question 63

Drew loves being perceived by his grandchildren as a wise,helpful person.Which of the following grandparent gratifications is probably most important to him?

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

Question 64

Which of the following statements about contemporary grandparenthood is true?

A) Many adults will spend one-third or more of their lifespan in the grandparent role.
B) The average age of becoming a grandparent is 62 for American women and 65 for men.
C) Middle-aged adults typically rate grandparenthood ahead of the roles of parent and spouse.
D) People who list "immortality" as a gratification of grandparenthood enjoy being perceived as wise.

Question 65

Which of the following relationships are usually closer for middle-aged adults and their aging parents?

A) father-daughter
B) father-son
C) mother-son
D) mother-daughter

Question 66

Which of the following maternal grandmothers is the most likely to be the preferred caregiver of her grandchildren while their parents are at work?

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

Question 67

Middle-aged women who weather divorce successfully tend to become

A) more nonconforming.
B) less self-reliant.
C) less comfortable with uncertainty.
D) less tolerant.

Question 68

Which of the following factors can prompt parental strain as children depart from the home?

A) a child who was born after the parents turned 30
B) a family with a higher SES
C) a parent's return to a rewarding career
D) a child who is "off-time" in development

Question 69

Which of the following statements about midlifers' relationships with grown children is true?

A) Providing adult children with assistance diminishes midlife psychological well-being.
B) When children marry, parents generally experience a more distant relationship with the couple.
C) Financial, practical, emotional, and social support in Western countries typically flow "upstream."
D) When warm, supportive relationships endure, intimacy between parents and children increases over the years.

Question 70

Which of the following statements about U.S.middle-aged children and their aging parents is true?

A) The percentage of middle-aged adults with living parents has decreased dramatically in the last century.
B) Approximately two-thirds of older adults live in close proximity to at least one of their children.
C) Middle-aged and older adults who move usually do so away from their children or aging parents.
D) Adult children spend less time in physical proximity to their parents today than in the past.

Question 71

Compared with their __________ counterparts,__________ and __________ express a stronger sense of obligation,and find it more personally rewarding,to support their aging parents.

A) African-American; Hispanics; Caucasians
B) Caucasian; African Americans; Hispanics
C) Hispanic; African Americans; Caucasians
D) Asian-American; Caucasians; Hispanics

Question 72

Which of the following grandparent caregivers is especially likely to have a disability?

A) Priscilla, who is Native American
B) Joe, who is Asian American
C) Ralph, who is Caucasian American
D) Diana, who is African American

Question 73

The feminization of poverty is

A) less of an issue in the United States than in other Western industrialized nations.
B) a trend that exists in many developing nations but not in the industrialized world.
C) a trend in which women who support themselves or their families have become the majority of the adult population living in poverty.
D) a trend of the past that has been successfully overcome by strong public policies safeguarding women.

Question 74

After her three children finished college and moved out on their own,Debra created a family blog to make sure everyone stayed in touch.She also volunteered the family home for family and holiday gatherings.Debra is her family's

A) kinkeeper.
B) relationship guardian.
C) "keeper of meaning."
D) genealogist.

Question 75

Throughout middle adulthood,most parents

A) give more assistance to children than they receive.
B) receive more assistance from children than they give.
C) carefully monitor their children's day-to-day activities.
D) experience a steady increase in parental authority.

Question 76

Which of the following statements about middle-aged children and their aging parents is true?

A) Men are typically more involved than women with their aging parents.
B) Conflict-ridden parent-child ties typically become more positive.
C) The tradition of Asian family coresidence is declining in the United States.
D) The more positive the history of the parent-child tie, the less help is given and received.

Question 77

Which of the following statements about skipped-generation families is true?

A) In the United States, the number of grandparents rearing grandchildren has decreased over the past two decades.
B) Caregiving grandparents report less fulfillment in the grandparent role than typical grandparents report.
C) Compared with children in divorced, single-parent families, blended families, or foster families, children raised by grandparents fare better in adjustment.
D) African-American caregiving grandparents are especially likely to be unemployed and to be caring for several grandchildren.

Question 78

Both men and women who weather divorce reevaluate what they consider important in a healthy relationship,placing __________ on __________.

A) more emphasis; financial security
B) less emphasis; communication
C) greater weight; passionate love
D) greater weight; equal friendship

Question 79

Maternal __________ and __________ are likely to have the closest relationship.

A) grandfathers; granddaughters
B) grandfathers; grandsons
C) grandmothers; granddaughters
D) grandmothers; grandsons

Question 80

When departure of children results in __________,parents' psychological well-being declines.

A) little need for parental guidance
B) little or no communication
C) a successful child
D) positive communication