Deck 15: Physical and Cognitive Development in the Later Years

Question 1

Telomere length provides information about cellular health.

Answer 1

True

Question 2

Compared to other countries, life expectancy in the United States is:

A) the longest.
B) in the top 5.
C) in the top 20.
C) in the top 40.

Answer 2

C

Question 3

Aging is a lifespan process that accelerates through middle adulthood and most rapidly near the end of the lifespan.

Answer 3

True

Question 4

By age 60, all adults show some signs of aging.

Question 5

Traditionally, when we refer to "older adults" we mean adults ranging in age from:

A) 40 to 60
B) 60 to 70
C) 70 to 75
D) 75 to -85

Question 6

The program theory of aging focuses primarily on the role of ________________ associated with decreases in optimal physical functioning of physical systems.

A) internal, chemical, and cellular processes
B) external, environmental, and cellular processes
C) both a and b
D) neither a nor b

Question 7

In some cases, senescence demonstrates multidirectionality, demonstrated by simultaneous evidence of __________and ___________.

A) disease; an increase in health
B) environmental risk exposure; increase in health
C) a decrease in a physical structure; an increase in physical functioning
D) genetic risk; absence of disease

Question 8

Life expectancy refers to the average number of years a person is expected to live.

Question 9

In the United States life expectancy has___________ over the past 150 years.

A) leveled off
B) continued to steadily increase for males and females
C) increased for males, but not females
D) increased for females, but not males

Question 10

The technical term that describes aging across the lifespan is:

A) senescence.
B) obsolescence.
C) apoptosis.
D) convalescence.

Question 11

The "oldest-old" refers to those adults who live to be _____ or older.

A) 65
B) 70
C) 80
D) 85

Question 12

Developmentalists have divided later adulthood into categories including the "young-old," which refers to adults between the ages of:

A) 45 and 60
B) 60 and 75
C) 75 and 85
D) 85 and over

Question 13

____________________ is the study of aging.

A) Geriatrics
B) Gerontology
C) Agiatrics
D) Agentology

Question 14

The highest boundary (in years) of a specific species is described by the term:

A) life course.
B) lifespan.
C) life expectancy.
D) all of the choices

Question 15

The error theory of aging focuses on the role of ________________ to improve our understanding of aging processes.

A) environmental risk exposure
B) the effects of disease on cell functioning
C) cell deterioration
D) all of the choices

Question 16

The National Institute on Aging is a government resource that provides information on:

A) health information for the public.
B) research information for scientists.
C) both a and b
D) neither a nor b

Question 17

Studies of life expectancy within a population provide us with information about why certain people live longer than others as a function of the relationship between ______________ and the number of years that a group of people is expected to live.

A) race
B) educational attainment
C) health status
D) all of the choices

Question 18

Throughout history, females have and continue to have a longer life expectancy than males.

Question 19

With respect to normative aging, all physical systems decline at the same rate.

Question 20

Interventions successful in demonstrating an increase in telomere length recommend lifestyle changes, such as:

A) plant-based diet.
B) exercise 30 minutes/day; 6 days week.
C) stress management, for example, yoga.
D) all of these in combination

Question 21

Dr. Lladro, a developmental scientist who works from the program theory of aging is currently researching:

A) adult chronic disease.
B) human exposure to viruses and rate of cognitive decline.
C) cell deterioration processes associated with accelerated cognitive decline.
D) variation in cell damage associated with exposure to various viruses.

Question 22

Autoimmune diseases are particularly distressing to older adults because they cause pain due to:

A) degeneration.
B) inflammation.
C) regeneration.
D) calcification.

Question 23

In later adulthood, _________________ is the leading cause of death.

A) cancer of the heart
B) cancer of the brain
C) brain disease
D) heart disease

Question 24

The brain is the central driving force that determines the rate of decline in physical systems across adulthood.

Question 25

Older adults suffering from bone mass loss experience this problem due to diminishing stores of minerals.

Question 26

The ____________________ theory of aging suggests that the human body ages as a result of use, overuse, and environmental stressors.

A) maltreatment and neglect
B) failure to thrive
C) overexertion
D) wear and tear

Question 27

Greater decreases in overall brain volume in later adulthood is associated with ________________ in cognitive abilities and cognitive functioning.

A) variable increases and decreases
B) an unclear exact relationship
C) overall increases
D) overall decreases

Question 28

Among older adults who develop _________________, the risk of their experiencing an accident increases because their bones become brittle and weak.

A) osteoarthritis
B) osteoporosis
C) osteomyelitis
D) osteitis

Question 29

There is great variation in the rate and progression of the decline in physical systems during later adulthood.

Question 30

Mineral loss, specifically ______________, is responsible for bone mass loss in older adulthood.

A) manganese
B) potassium
C) calcium
D) magnesium

Question 31

In older adulthood, the most common problem associated with skeletal aging is loss of bone mass.

Question 32

In later adulthood, a decline in cardiovascular health is indicated by changes in:

A) resting blood pressure.
B) increases in cholesterol.
C) diminished lung capacity.
D) all of the choices

Question 33

Relying on Hayflick's limit as a working assumption, an intervention designed to slow aging, maintain telomere health, and prevent disease would:

A) increase the number of times cells divide.
B) limit the number of times cells divide.
C) structure the way cells divide.
D) intervene in the way cells divide.

Question 34

In older adulthood, adults become more likely to develop a specific type of arthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, which is classified as a(n) ______________ disease.

A) digestive
B) cardiovascular
C) respiratory
D) autoimmune

Question 35

Changes in the brain are associated with cardiovascular health due to a reduction in the amount of:

A) oxygen supplied to the brain.
B) oxygen supplied to the heart.
C) the amount of blood pumped through the heart.
D) the amount of blood pumped to the brain.

Question 36

Whole brain volume decreases after age 35 and with increasing rapidity near later decades of the lifespan.

Question 37

As adults age into later adulthood, they are more likely to experience ______________, which is experienced as pain in their bones, ligaments, tendons, or muscles not caused by accidents.

A) cellulitis
B) arthritis
C) bursitis
D) arteritis

Question 38

With respect to the rate and process of aging, changes in the health of the brain and heart are:

A) interrelated.
B) unrelated.
C) unpredictable.
D) all of the choices

Question 39

Older adults who spend their time engaged in activities or relationships that encourage them to utilize and maintain the strength of their executive functioning skills may not experience a decline in cognitive abilities regardless of volume loss due to:

A) cognitive lumosity.
B) cognitive capacity.
C) brain plasticity.
D) brain lumosity.

Question 40

Older adults become increasingly likely to suffer from _______________, which involves the wearing down of tissues around the skeletal joints.

A) osteoporosis
B) rheumatitis
C) carditis
D) osteoarthritis

Question 41

An older adult with good skeletal health can reasonably expect to:

A) climb stairs.
B) walk reasonable distances.
C) put away dishes in the cabinets.
D) all of the choices

Question 42

In older adulthood, attention declines are also associated with changes in the way memories are stored and retrieved.

Question 43

For older adults, the ability to make planned sequential movements is not only a matter of muscle health, but also coordination with the:

A) endocrine system.
B) brain.
C) both and b
D) neither a nor b

Question 44

In later adulthood, top-down processing declines faster than bottom-up processing.

Question 45

With regard to older adults, you might not explicitly recognize that they are experiencing cognitive declines, but when they complain about not being able to ____________ those are indicators that it is time for a cognitive assessment.

A) maintain a conversation
B) read a newspaper
C) read instructions for medications
D) all of the choices

Question 46

The extent to which a person can successfully accomplish the activities of daily living is an indicator of how much _______________ the aging adult has been able to maintain.

A) dependence
B) independence
C) brain plasticity
D) cognitive flexibility

Question 47

Beginning in middle adulthood and continuing through later adulthood, sarcopenia takes a toll on the health of the muscular system.

Question 48

When Grandma Evie's hands began to take on a different shape, her family members encouraged her to go to the doctor because they were concerned that she was developing:

A) low bone mineral density.
B) concentrated bone mineral density.
C) rheumatoid arthritis.
D) rheumatoid osteoporosis.

Question 49

We can get a sense of the extent to which deterioration of the muscular system affects older adults by assessing whether there has been a decline in their ability to:

A) get dressed independently.
B) going to the bathroom without assistance.
C) getting into and out of bed.
D) all of the choices

Question 50

When older adults suffer from a decrease in their ________________skills, it becomes more difficult for them to ignore distractions when trying to have a conversation.

A) short-term memory
B) long-term memory
C) selective attention
D) nonselective attention

Question 51

As muscle fiber deteriorates through later adulthood, ______________ decreases.

A) strength
B) flexibility
C) both a and b
D) neither a nor b

Question 52

When Art told his middle-aged children that he was frustrated because he wasn't able to get out of the bed in time to use the bathroom several days in a row, he got annoyed when his children then asked him if he was having trouble with other :

A) bodily functions.
B) basic functions.
C) activities of daily living.
D) activities of independent functioning.

Question 53

In older adults, sarcopenia is associated with observable changes, such as:

A) reduced mobility.
B) stooped posture.
C) both a and b
D) neither a nor b

Question 54

The most drastic treatment for arthritis is:

A) anti-inflammatory medications.
B) physical therapy.
C) surgery.
D) narcotic medications.

Question 55

Daniel wasn't prepared to become his grandfather's caretaker, but he soon became competent in helping his grandfather relieve his arthritis symptoms by:

A) giving him pain relief medications.
B) taking him to get cortisone shots.
C) doing his physical therapy exercises with him.
D) All of the choices are helpful.

Question 56

Kim found it increasingly frustrating to talk to her 76-year-old uncle about her life because she found herself having to make connections between each and every detail to help him understand what she was telling him, an indication that his __________________ was beginning to fail.

A) top-down processing
B) bottom-up processing
C) active listening
D) passive listening

Question 57

Even in older adulthood, it is well established that ________________ is an intervention that can slow functional decline associated with skeletal and muscular system aging.

A) drinking milk
B) plant-based proteins
C) playing brain games
D) exercise

Question 58

As adults age through the later stages of the lifespan they experience complications in the ability to use _________________ which allows people to work from a generalized perception to generate a more detailed understanding.

A) top-down processing
B) bottom-up processing
C) active listening
D) passive listening

Question 59

A cross section of an older adult's bones that show evidence of osteoporosis will look very:

A) inflexible.
B) flexible
C) dense.
D) porous.

Question 60

Although 78-year-old Anne was strongly resistant to having full-time help at home, her adult children insisted because they knew that her hip fracture put her at significant risk for:

A) death within a year.
B) a substance use disorder.
C) an anxiety disorder.
D) cognitive disabilities.

Question 61

Wisdom is a distinct feature, descriptive only of the oldest-old.

Question 62

Increasingly common in older adulthood ____________________ cloud the lens of the eye, giving the pupil a cloudy look.

A) allergies
B) cataracts
C) contacts
D) glasses

Question 63

Memory changes vary widely through the later decades of adulthood because memory is a multidimensional cognitive process.

Question 64

In memory research, the majority of significant life events recalled by older adults occur during the same period of time,

A) childhood.
B) the recency bump.
C) the reminiscence bump.
D) life transitions.

Question 65

Socioeconomic status plays a role in the extent of memory loss people experience in later adulthood.

Question 66

Sarah was immediately worried about her grandfather when she got off the plane and could tell that her grandfather ________________ by the way he was looking around. She didn't know that this was a sign of a decrease in selective attention, commonly associated with cognitive aging.

A) felt guilty about not bring her flowers
B) didn't recognize her in the crowd
C) was bored
D) wanted her to hurry

Question 67

Changes associated with senses in older adulthood take place rapidly.

Question 68

The highest probability of achieving wisdom is associated with:

A) emerging adulthood.
B) young adulthood.
C) middle adulthood.
D) later adulthood.

Question 69

Grandchildren and great-grandchildren can be an asset to aging adults in that they can teach their aging grandparents how to use new technologies which; in turn, is associated with ___________________memory.

A) decreases in selective
B) increases in selective
C) decreases in working
D) increases in working

Question 70

During later adulthood, adults gain sensitivity in their senses.

Question 71

Older adults from higher socioeconomic status backgrounds report ________________ in memory compared to peers from lower socioeconomic backgrounds.

A) a greater decrease
B) a greater increase
C) less decrease
D) more decrease

Question 72

As Elio was telling stories about his life that made him the man he is today, his grandson was surprised to learn that the major experiences that shaped his grandfather's life happened:

A) during his childhood.
B) in the past 5 years.
C) during emerging adulthood.
D) last year.

Question 73

Visual decline begins in middle adulthood and accelerates in older adulthood.

Question 74

Wisdom is knowledge plus expertise.

Question 75

More than in Western cultures, Eastern cultures value wisdom and knowledge accumulated as an outcome of:

A) formal education.
B) cultural education.
C) life experience.
D) cross-cultural experience.

Question 76

Wisdom is a simple concept with a universally agreed upon definition.

Question 77

Older adults get frustrated due to an increased frequency of knowing a piece of information but not being able to recall it, a feeling known as the __________________ phenomenon.

A) cat-has-my-tongue
B) tip-of-the-mind
C) tip-of-the-tongue
D) lost-but-not-found

Question 78

Memory declines are less accelerated among older adults who are more _________________ engaged compared to those who are less so.

A) romantically
B) religiously
C) socially
D) politically

Question 79

Conclusions about memory change across adulthood may be biased because; study participants may recall test questions from one assessment to the next.

Question 80

Experts agree that wisdom involves a combination of:

A) common sense and experience.
B) personal insight and tolerance.
C) mature reasoning ability and solid decision making.
D) all of the choices