Deck 15: Gains and Losses in Late Adulthood

Question 1

How do the attitudes toward death among elderly people compare to the attitudes of younger age groups?

A)Elderly people report more anxiety about death than middle-aged adults.
B)Elderly people report less anxiety about death than middle-aged adults.
C)Elderly people are less realistic about its inevitability than middle-aged adults are.
D)There are no differences between the elderly and other age groups in regard to attitudes toward death.

Answer 1

B

Question 2

Training in some professions is more likely to foster wisdom than training in other professions.Which of the following is one of the professions that seem to benefit wisdom development?

A)Clinical psychology.
B)Economics.
C)Mathematics.
D)Business management.

Answer 2

A

Question 3

Which of the following is part of a consensus view of a "good death" among all or most seriously ill patients?

A)The desire to die at home.
B)The desire to be free of life-sustaining treatments.
C)The desire to be touched and kept clean.
D)The desire to protect loved ones from knowing the extent of their illness.

Answer 3

C

Question 4

In self-determination theory,which of the following is considered one of the basic psychological needs that motivates our adaptation or coping efforts at any age?

A)Autonomy.
B)Optimization.
C)Avoidance.
D)Generativity.

Question 5

Which of the following are aspects of palliative care?

A)Pain management and emotional care.
B)Life-sustaining treatments.
C)Nursing-centered care.
D)Physician-assisted suicide.

Question 6

Franco participated in an experience sampling study of emotional experience.The participants in the study ranged in age from 18 to 90.He wore a pager,and every time he was paged he checks off the emotions he was experiencing at that moment on a list.Franco and others in his age group reported that positive emotions lasted longer than for the other study participants,but they reported that negative emotional states ended more quickly.What age group is Franco most likely to be in?

A)The youngest group 18 to 25).
B)The middle-aged group 35 to 55).
C)The oldest group 65 and up).
D)There is no reliable age difference in emotional experience.

Question 7

Henry,at 79,has always enjoyed relatively good health.However,he has recently begun feeling like he is slowing down and has reported to his doctor that he is doing poorly,although his doctor can find no specific cause.When Henry participated in a research study at a local university where his intellectual functioning was tested,his score had dropped dramatically since his last testing session a year earlier.Henry has the signs of

A)diabetes.
B)terminal decline.
C)osteoarthritis.
D)double effect.

Question 8

When Jeanine,a successful surgeon,began to suffer from arthritis in her hands,she stopped doing surgery,continuing only the consulting portion of her medical practice,and accepted a position as Dean of the medical school at the university hospital where she had her practice.Shifting her attention to administration and teaching in her position as Dean after the onset of arthritis represents an example of

A)selection.
B)reduction.
C)compensation.
D)giving up.

Question 9

According to research by Baltes and associates,in which decade is the growth of wisdom likely to be greatest?

A)After 75.
B)From 65 to 75.
C)From 55 to 65.
D)From 15 to 25.

Question 10

Research on the use of control strategies indicates that flexibility in adjusting one's goals

A)is more characteristic of 20-year-olds than 60-year-olds.
B)is less characteristic of 20-year-olds than 60-year-olds.
C)does not change across the life span.
D)has no effect on happiness or well-being.

Question 11

Which of the following does not contribute to social segregation for the elderly?

A)Being a member of a cohort with a different set of cultural experiences than younger cohorts.
B)Retirement.
C)Death of friends,partners and relatives.
D)High rates of dementia among those over age 60.

Question 12

When Francesca,age 62,discovered that her retirement plan had suffered losses in the stock market,she realized that she would not be able to retired within the next year as she had expected to do.After she learned of her predicament,Francesca met with a financial consultant provided by her company,and she has decided to postpone her retirement by just two years.She hopes that the economy will improve and the additional years of work will help her to achieve her financial goals.Which of the following is an accurate description of Francesca's coping at this point?

A)She is using a problem-focused mechanism.
B)She is using an emotion-focused mechanism.
C)She is using a primary control strategy.
D)She is just being practical,she is not using a copy strategy.

Question 13

Mary,age 82,keeps insisting that someone has been sneaking into her apartment and turning on her stove when she isn't looking.Her family has noticed that Mary has been more and more forgetful lately,and now she has begun rambling in her speech and using many word substitutions,like "horse" for "dog." Mary is likely to be suffering from

A)osteoarthritis.
B)negative stereotyping.
C)diabetes.
D)Alzheimer's disease.

Question 14

When Jeanine,a successful surgeon,began to suffer from arthritis in her hands,she stopped doing surgery,continuing only the consulting portion of her medical practice,and accepted a position as Dean of the medical school at the university hospital where she had her practice.Narrowing her medical practice to consulting work represents an example of

A)selection.
B)optimization.
C)compensation.
D)giving up.

Question 15

Regarding measures of well-being and happiness,how do older people over 65)tend to fare in comparison to young or middle-aged adults?

A)Most aspects of well-being decline for older adults.
B)Most aspects of well-being stay about the same across adulthood.
C)Most aspects of well-being improve for older adults,except for purpose in life and personal growth.
D)Many aspects of well-being decline for older adults,except for purpose in life and personal growth.

Question 16

In late adulthood,many of the physical losses of middle adulthood

A)osteoarthritis.
B)diabetes.
C)multi-infarct dementia.
D)Alzheimer's disease.
E)g.,sensory decline)continue.For people over 65 there is also a new physical problem that about half of the population must contend with,called

Question 17

How is the gender of an elderly person linked to whether or not others have negative,stereotyped expectations of that person?

A)Gender of the elderly person has no effect.
B)Elderly men are more likely to be seen in a negative way.
C)Elderly women are more likely to be seen in a negative way.
D)Elderly women are more likely to be seen in a positive way.

Question 18

Several factors at preretirement are strong predictors of positive attitudes toward retirement later,including

A)religiosity.
B)feeling confident in relationships with friends.
C)number of close relatives,especially children.
D)mandatory retirement age.

Question 19

"The reminiscence bump" refers to

A)the large number of stereotypes about older people rambling on about their lives.
B)the large number of autobiographical memories that are retained from the late adolescent through early adult period.
C)the large number of autobiographical memories that are retained from the most recent past,even for elderly people.
D)the increase in medical expenses experienced by most people after age 65.

Question 20

When Francesca,age 62,discovered that her retirement plan had suffered losses in the stock market,she realized that she would not be able to retired within the next year as she had expected to do.Francesca began to spend a great deal of time ruminating about her situation,especially about how sad she was that this problem had arisen after she had worked so hard all of her life.Which of the following is an accurate description of Francesca's coping at this point?

A)She is using a problem-focused mechanism.
B)She is using an emotion-focused mechanism.
C)She is using a primary control strategy.
D)She is using no coping strategy.

Question 21

In end-of-life-care,the "double effect" refers to

A)counseling care provided for both the dying individual and caregivers.
B)injection of a medication by someone other than the dying individual to cause immediate death.
C)medication that is given to relieve pain even when this may also result in death.
D)a patient's written statement indicating his wishes for end-of-life care.

Question 22

One theory about grief and mourning after the loss of a loved one is that bereaved individuals eventually reorganize their grief,discovering ways to hold on to the memory of the deceased and integrate that memory into their current life and new attachments.This idea is attributable to the work of

A)Freud.
B)Kubler-Ross.
C)Dame Cicely Saunders.
D)Bowlby.

Question 23

Which of the following describes a typical stage progression in retirement,according to Atchley?
E)Honeymoon,stability,reorientation,disenchantment,termination.
F)Honeymoon,disenchantment,reorientation,stability,termination.
G)Disenchantment,honeymoon,stability,termination,reorientation. h.There is no typical sequence for the stages of retirement.

Question 24

The period of time that is now considered "normal" for the experience of grieving and depressive symptoms after the death of a loved one is

A)2 months.
B)6 months.
C)2 years.
D)something that helping professionals have not achieved consensus on.

Question 25

Studies of people who are bereaved,whether due to death of a loved one or due to their own spinal cord injuries,show similar results regarding the relationship between initial distress and later coping.Compared to other bereaved individuals,people who show the highest levels of initial distress

A)are better able to cope with their loss in the long run.
B)are less effective in coping with their loss in the long run.
C)develop stronger attachments in the long run.
D)show no long-term coping differences from those who show less initial distress.

Question 26

Heckhausen found in a study of young,middle-aged,and elderly adults that elderly people had fewer aspirations regarding work,finances,and family and more aspirations related to health,community,and leisure pursuits than young adults.These age-related shifts in aspirations illustrate

A)increasing use of primary control strategies with age.
B)increasing use of secondary control strategies with age.
C)fewer needs for autonomy in old age.
D)disenchantment.

Question 27

In Erikson's concept of the final stage of life,achievement of integrity can be construed as "a gift of courage and caring for the generations that follow" because

A)death comes to be seen as a natural stage of life,not something to be feared.
B)integrity includes providing for the financial security of the next generation.
C)integrity means making certain that no financial or other burdens are passed on to the next generation.
D)integrity means expressing religious commitment at the end of life.
Chapter 15 Essay Questions
See answer key or potential essay answers)

Question 28

When counseling the elderly,success depends on being flexible and making accommodations that meet their special needs.Discuss three ways in which flexibility may be necessary and why.,

Question 29

Julio has worked for his local township for 30 years,rising from a park maintenance worker to team supervisor to coordinator of park maintenance operations.At 64 he is planning his retirement,hoping to have some time to work creatively in his own garden and accommodate his wife Gloria's longing to travel abroad after she retires from her job as a social worker.Because Julio is planning his retirement

A)the first year of retirement will be happier than it would otherwise be.
B)all of his retirement years are likely to be happier than they would otherwise be.
C)he will have a harder time adjusting to the real changes he experiences.
D)he will probably have no difficulty adjusting to retirement.

Question 30

At 80,Steve has been struggling with emphysema for several years,which means that he experiences significant breathing problems.He is now unable to take more than a few steps without resting,and he needs assistance in basic daily routines,like bathing and eating.According to self-determination theory,one of the three basic psychological needs is for autonomy.Explain this concept of autonomy,and explain how you would counsel Steve and his family to help him fulfill this need.,

Question 31

In several studies of the benefits of searching for meaning in the loss of a loved one,which of the following individuals were likely to show the most distress in the long run?

A)Those who were able to find some meaning in the loss without the benefit of religion.
B)Those who did not initiate a search for meaning.
C)Those who tried but failed to find meaning in their loss.
D)Those who began with no religious faith.

Question 32

Explain the process of dealing with loss referred to as "selective optimization with compensation." Provide a clear example of this process at work and specify which aspects of your example illustrate selection,optimization,and compensation.Give examples of questionnaire items that have been used to assess these processes.Page 570)

Question 33

Which of the following factors is an important predictor of a successful retirement?

A)Pension eligibility and high self-esteem.
B)Higher social class.
C)Better housing facilities.
D)Number of grandchildren.

Question 34

Theorizing about grief and mourning after the loss of a loved one has traditionally centered on the importance of "letting go" of the loved one and accepting the loss.This focus is attributable to the work of

A)Freud.
B)Kubler-Ross.
C)Dame Cicely Saunders.
D)Bowlby.

Question 35

What is a dual-process model of the grief process? Explain why the available research indicates that a complex model of this sort is needed.Page 588)