Deck 16: Older Adulthood: Physical and Cognitive Development

Question 1

The term most often used to refer to theories suggesting that genetic programming determines the pace and processes of aging are referred to as:

A) biological clock theories of aging
B) senescence theories of aging
C) stochastic theories of aging
D) random theories of aging

Answer 1

A

Question 2

If you conducted a survey of older adults who live in their own homes, you would expect that about ____ would report that they suffer from sleep problems of one sort or another.

A) 10%
B) 33%
C) 50%
D) 85%

Answer 2

C

Question 3

In which of these cultures is filial piety the LEAST strong?

A) mainstream U.S. culture of 200 years ago
B) mainstream U.S. culture today
C) Native American culture in the U.S. today
D) Chinese culture today

Answer 3

B

Question 4

Which of the following words means essentially the same thing as dementia?

A) senescence
B) stochastic
C) senility
D) ageism

Question 5

According to the text, what percent of U.S. adults age 85 and older live in nursing homes?

A) 14%
B) 22%
C) 33%
D) nearly 50%

Question 6

In the colonial period in the United States, the median age of the population was ____ years and about ___ of the population reached the age of 65.

A) 16; 2%
B) 25; 6%
C) 25; 20%
D) 32; 40%

Question 7

Brenda has been a watercolor artist all of her adult life. Now in her 60s, she has lost the ability to distinguish fine detail. Her visual problem would best be described as a decline in:

A) visual acuity
B) binocular disparity
C) convergence
D) sensory adaptation

Question 8

John says he fears becoming old because "old people are stupid

A) senescence
B) filial piety
C) ageist stereotypes
D) metacognition

Question 9

Frank reports that he just can't get to sleep, and if he does fall asleep, he can't stay asleep. His condition would be called:

A) sleep apnea
B) sleep aphasia
C) sleep-related senescence
D) insomnia

Question 10

In general, what has been the effect of high-intensity physical exercise programs for the elderly?

A) These programs are linked to a greater incidence of heart attack.
B) These programs can help older adults double or even triple their physical strength.
C) These programs work well to build strength for people under the age of 75, but are dangerous for those in older age categories.
D) Programs of high-intensity exercise have little impact on the elderly.

Question 11

If Sara believes that aging is the result of chromosome breakage that occurs each time a cell divides and accumulates until the cell no longer can reproduce itself, her view is most similar to:

A) free radical theory
B) a stochastic theory of aging
C) a biological clock theory of aging
D) the theory of senility

Question 12

To say that a condition is chronic means that it:

A) involves a serious but brief illness
B) is the result of genetic factors
C) involves repeated occurrences or continuation of a disease
D) is related to life style choices, such as alcoholism or smoking-related illnesses

Question 13

The text cites recent studies of the brain that indicate that as adults age, their brain actually becomes _________ and the activity of their brain in the prefrontal cortex regions __________.

A) smaller; declines
B) smaller; increases
C) larger; declines
D) larger; increases

Question 14

Thus, most people who retire would belong to which of the following groups?

A) young-old
B) middle-aged old
C) old-old
D) very old-old

Question 15

Generalizing from research described in the text, you would expect older adults to suffer the greatest memory decrement on which of the following tasks?

A) arithmetic calculations, such as balancing a check book
B) vocabulary, such as that needed to solve a crossword puzzle
C) story-telling of stories from their distant past or childhood
D) knowledge of a second language learned in childhood and used in early adulthood
Applied questions:

Question 16

Beginning around the time of her 70^th birthday, Margaret began to experience increasing problems in learning new things, with her memory, and with her motor coordination. She now is frequently confused, sometimes doesn't recognize people she has known for a long time, and her speech has become less fluent. The condition that would most likely be diagnosed in Margaret's case would be:

A) senescence
B) dementia
C) atherosclerosis
D) pathological aging

Question 17

If you were to estimate the typical percentage of prescription errors that occur in administering medicines to older adults, the most accurate percentage would be which of the following?

A) Errors occur in about 1% of the prescriptions that are given.
B) Errors occur in about 2% of the prescriptions that are given.
C) Errors occur in about 5% of the prescriptions that are given.
D) Errors occur in 15% or more the prescriptions that are given.
Applied questions:

Question 18

Which of the following is a disease that involves a progressive deterioration of brain cells, especially in the cerebral cortex, and is a common form of dementia?

A) atherosclerosis
B) osteoporosis
C) Parkinson's disease
D) Alzheimer's disease

Question 19

John's grandmother says she has "hardening of the arteries." The more technical term for this condition is:

A) osteoporosis
B) atherosclerosis
C) hypertension
D) apnea

Question 20

According to the text, which of the following factors accounts for the largest share of problems older adults have with driving a car?

A) decline in visual acuity
B) an increase in the probability of having cataracts
C) increased hypertension that leads to mental errors of judgment
D) a general slowing down of general cognitive abilities

Question 21

The veneration given the elderly in Asian cultures is called:

A) senescence
B) transference
C) ageism
D) filial piety

Question 22

Suppose you watch 100 current U.S. films as part of a course on film. If these films are representative of those typically produced in the U.S., which of the following groups of people would be most likely to be presented as unattractive, unfriendly, and unintelligent?

A) younger men
B) younger women
C) older men
D) older women

Question 23

If you judged the way that younger and older men and women are portrayed in U. S. movies today, you would most likely conclude that ageist stereotypes are greatest for:

A) older women
B) older men
C) younger women
D) younger men

Question 24

According to statistics presented in the text, in the United States in colonial times about 1 in ___ people were age 65 and over; today, about 1 in ___ people are age 65 and over, and in 2030, about 1 in ___ people is expected to be age 65 and over.

A) 10; 8; 6
B) 50; 8; 5
C) 100; 40; 20
D) 100; 20; 6

Question 25

In the colonial period in the United States, the median age of the population was ____ years and about ___ of the population reached the age of 65.

A) 16; 2%
B) 25; 6%
C) 25; 20%
D) 32; 40%

Question 26

If you were to investigate ageist stereotypes, you should expect to find that:

A) they are nearly all negative
B) they are nearly all positive
C) they are a mixture of negative and positive
D) they generally do not exist anymore in developed societies

Question 27

If you were to study how Japanese citizens consider filial piety today, you would most likely find that which of the following groups are MOST likely to honor this tradition?

A) older Japanese people who live in urban areas
B) older Japanese people who live in rural areas
C) younger Japanese people who live in urban areas
D) younger Japanese people who live in rural areas

Question 28

In colonial America, older adults typically:

A) were not trusted
B) were considered helpless and a burden
C) received great respect stemming from the biblical tradition
D) were rarely consulted for their opinions

Question 29

A widely prevalent social attitude that overvalues youth and discriminates against the elderly defines the term:

A) ageism
B) senescence
C) bigotry
D) gerontologism

Question 30

From 1950 to 2050 in the U. S., the proportion of people age 65 and over in the population is expected to:

A) decline slightly
B) remain constant
C) increase slightly
D) increase dramatically

Question 31

If you were to study how Japanese citizens consider filial piety today, you would most likely find that which of the following groups are LEAST likely to honor this tradition?

A) older Japanese people who live in urban areas
B) older Japanese people who live in rural areas
C) younger Japanese people who live in urban areas
D) younger Japanese people who live in rural areas

Question 32

In the United States today, the median age of the population is about:

A) 27 years
B) 37 years
C) 47 years
D) 57 years

Question 33

According to the text, the reverence for the elderly common in colonial times is thought to be due to the fact that:

A) people were raised with higher moral values
B) so few people managed to live to old age
C) knowledge was passed down from the elderly
D) the elderly were needed for manual labor

Question 34

If you were to guess which of the following 90-year-old men would be LEAST likely to be honored and respected by his family and members of his culture, your best guess would be?

A) Nathan, who is a Native American man living on a reservation in the United States
B) Peter, who is a white man living in the United States
C) Lee, who is a Chinese man living in the United States
D) Hong, who is a Chinese man living in China

Question 35

In the United States today, about what percent of the population is age 65 or older?

A) 2%
B) 6%
C) 12%
D) 19%

Question 36

John says he fears becoming old because "old people are stupid

A) senescence
B) filial piety
C) ageist stereotypes
D) metacognition

Question 37

James, who is of Japanese ancestry, shows great respect for his elders in everyday matters as part of his Asian culture. This is part of a tradition known as:

A) filial piety
B) ageism
C) seniority
D) senescence

Question 38

In which of these cultures is filial piety the LEAST strong?

A) mainstream U. S. culture of 200 years ago
B) mainstream U. S. culture today
C) Native American culture in the U.S. today
D) Chinese culture today

Question 39

Barb feels that all older people are senile, grouchy, and unsociable. She is demonstrating:

A) filial piety
B) senescence
C) projection
D) ageism

Question 40

Suppose you conducted a survey of older Americans. If your results mirrored those of a study reported in the text, you would find that most older adults:

A) believe that they are among the "lucky few" older adults to be in a favorable economic and social position
B) are actually considerably worse off economically than they perceive themselves to be
C) have considerably poorer health than they perceive themselves to have
D) have much poorer memory abilities than they think they do

Question 41

Older people are generally perceived more favorably than younger adults on all of the following traits EXCEPT:

A) their overall view of society
B) their general knowledge
C) the respect they receive
D) the wisdom they possess

Question 42

Older people are generally perceived more unfavorably than are younger adults on all of the following traits EXCEPT:

A) physical attractiveness
B) ability to learn new things
C) ability to perform everyday tasks
D) general knowledge

Question 43

Compared to 15 years ago, today there are about times more cosmetic surgical procedures performed in the United States.

A) 2
B) 3
C) 5
D) 8

Question 44

The text suggests that older adulthood is best thought of as consisting of 4 distinct age-related periods. Why is older adulthood, but not other stages of development, divided into "substages"?

A) This is the fastest growing part of the U. S. population.
B) Older adults differ more dramatically from each other than do people in other age groups.
C) Older adults are mostly White, so they generally are not divided into racial/ethnic categories, making age the best way to divide them into groups.
D) Everyone in older adulthood is pretty much alike in most regards, so they need to be divided into different age groups so they can be studied more accurately.

Question 45

According to the text, those persons aged 60 to 69 are considered

A) young-old
B) middle-aged-old
C) old-old
D) very old-old

Question 46

In the U.S. today, surveys suggest that about of men and women approve of cosmetic surgery and about of them would consider it for themselves.

A) 98%; 90%
B) 98%; 67%
C) 80%; 60%
D) 50%; 33%

Question 47

According to the text, the percentage of older adults who live in nursing homes is:

A) increasing slightly
B) increasing dramatically, and is expected to double by 2030
C) remaining constant
D) decreasing

Question 48

According to the text, what percent of U.S. adults age 85 and older live in nursing homes?

A) 14%
B) 22%
C) 33%
D) nearly 50%

Question 49

Of all of the cosmetic surgical procedures done in the U.S., about are done on women.

A) 67%
B) 77%
C) 92%
D) 99%

Question 50

According to statistics presented in the text, the life expectancy for 75-year-old adults living in the U. S. today is:

A) 78 years
B) 80 years
C) 82 years
D) 87 years

Question 51

For most people in young-old adulthood, the biggest adjustment during this period usually concerns:

A) death of a spouse
B) a significant decline in physical health
C) a significant decline in mental health and cognitive abilities
D) retirement

Question 52

At age 62, George takes early retirement. He is considered:

A) young-old
B) middle-aged old
C) old-old
D) very old-old

Question 53

According to the text, many people in their 70s experience a dramatic decline in sexual activity, which is most often because of:

A) declining physical abilities
B) a loss of interest in sex
C) societal attitudes about physical attractiveness and aging
D) the loss of a partner

Question 54

Thus, most people who retire would belong to which of the following groups?

A) young-old
B) middle-aged old
C) old-old
D) very old-old

Question 55

According to the text, the old-old age group extends from ages:

A) 60 to 69
B) 70 to 79
C) 80 to 89
D) 90 and older

Question 56

According to the text, if the young-old slow down their activity level, this is usually due mainly:

A) because they have lost much of their vigor
B) because they have little to keep them active
C) because of society's expectations that they will do so
D) to indicate their unique social status

Question 57

The fastest growing segment of the U.S. population is that including:

A) adults between the ages of 55 and 65
B) adults between the ages of 65 and 75
C) adults between the ages of 75 and 85
D) adults over the age of 85

Question 58

The term used to refer to people in their 80s is which of the following?

A) octogenarians
B) Decagenarians
C) nonagenarians
D) septuagenarians

Question 59

In the previous year of his life, Albert's income has been reduced because he retired and his physical strength has waned somewhat, although he still feels healthy enough to engage in a wide array of leisure activities. Albert is most likely in what age group?

A) 60-69
B) 70-79
C) 80-89
D) 90-99

Question 60

The term used to refer to people in their 90s is which of the following?

A) octogenarians
B) Decagenarians
C) nonagenarians
D) septuagenarians

Question 61

Age spots that look like brown areas of pigmentation are popularly called:

A) freckles
B) liver spots
C) moles
D) rashes

Question 62

Suppose you are conducting research at a nursing home populated by older adults. About two-thirds of these adults complain that they suffer from sleep problems. Generalizing from research presented in the text, you should conclude that the proportion of adults in this facility with sleep problems is:

A) much higher than you would expect
B) slightly higher than you would expect
C) about the same as you would expect
D) somewhat lower than you would expect

Question 63

Marion feels tired because his breathing pauses or stops frequently while he is sleeping, waking him up gasping for breath, and being unable to fall back asleep again. This condition is called:

A) sleep apnea
B) sleep aphasia
C) sleep-related senescence
D) insomnia

Question 64

If you conducted a survey of older adults who live in their own homes, you would expect that about ____ would report that they suffer from sleep problems of one sort or another.

A) 10%
B) 33%
C) 50%
D) 85%

Question 65

As we age and enter older adulthood, which of the following changes is LEAST likely to occur?

A) Our immune function becomes stronger, because we have been exposed to so many diseases that immunities have developed.
B) Respiratory infections become more common because aging involves a lower capacity of oxygen intake.
C) The reserve capacity of our cardiovascular system becomes smaller.
D) Our sense of balance is compromised, so we are more likely to fall and hurt ourselves.

Question 66

According to the text, which of the following senses is LEAST affected by advanced age?

A) hearing
B) visual acuity
C) taste
D) visual attention and integration

Question 67

Which of the following is the BEST example of a pathological aging factor?

A) Joan carries a dominant gene that codes for the development of cancer.
B) Bob carries a recessive gene that puts him at risk for developing heart problems.
C) Luke has been severely obese since childhood, and he is now developing diabetes.
D) Charlene is developing osteoporosis as the result of normal aging processes.

Question 68

For most people age-related changes in the skin are most likely the result of:

A) a diet deficient in vitamin D
B) a diet deficient in vitamin A
C) liver dysfunction
D) exposure to ultraviolet rays of the sun

Question 69

Jack is 67 years old and is dying from liver disease that has resulted from his long and heavy over-consumption of alcohol. The term that best captures the idea that Jack's illness results from poor lifestyle choices is:

A) dementia
B) pathological aging factor
C) senescence
D) chronic condition

Question 70

Older adults sometimes suffer from a condition that makes their bones more hollow and more brittle and may lead to a bent or stooped posture. This condition is called:

A) arthritis
B) atherosclerosis
C) muscular atrophy
D) osteoporosis

Question 71

Judy is upset because her doctor has just put her on medication because her blood pressure is too high. Judy suffers from :

A) glaucoma
B) atherosclerosis
C) osteoporosis
D) hypertension

Question 72

Part of the reason why a large proportion of older adults report sleep problems is that they spend _______ time sleeping and spend _______ time in deep sleep, compared to younger adults.

A) more; more
B) less; less
C) more; less
D) less; more

Question 73

In general, what has been the effect of high-intensity physical exercise programs for the elderly?

A) These programs are linked to a greater incidence of heart attack.
B) These programs can help older adults double or even triple their physical strength.
C) These programs work well to build strength for people under the age of 75, but are dangerous for those in older age categories.
D) Programs of high-intensity exercise have little impact on the elderly.

Question 74

According to text, why do older adults typically keep their houses warmer than younger adults do?

A) They have more money and can afford to pay for heating expenses.
B) They have diminished reserve capacity in their organ systems and lower body temperatures.
C) Their muscles need more heat in the environment to work efficiently.
D) Their memories are bad and they forget to turn the heat down when they come in from the cold.

Question 75

Which of the following is NOT one of the changes normally associated with aging?

A) blood vessels become more elastic
B) muscle weight decreases
C) less oxygen is supplied to the muscles
D) fine motor coordination deteriorates

Question 76

What percent of the U. S. population age 85 and older is comprised of women?

A) about 50%
B) about 60%
C) about 70%
D) about 80%

Question 77

Frank reports that he just can't get to sleep, and if he does fall asleep, he can't stay asleep. His condition would be called:

A) sleep apnea
B) sleep aphasia
C) sleep-related senescence
D) insomnia

Question 78

Which of the following women has the HIGHEST likelihood of having osteoporosis?

A) Ruth, a 30-year-old white woman
B) Beth, a 60-year-old black woman
C) Amy, a 60-year-old Asian American woman
D) Tish, a 30-year-old black woman

Question 79

According to research presented in the text, older adults typically sleep about _____ hours a night, although they stay in bed about ____ hours per night:

A) 4; 10
B) 6 to 6½; 8
C) 8 to 8½; 10
D) 9 to 10; 23

Question 80

If Tom and Betty are typical adults and both are 6 feet tall at age 25, about how tall would you expect them to be at age 80?

A) Tom will remain at 6 feet, but Betty will be about 5 feet 10 inches tall.
B) Betty will remain at 6 feet, but Tom will be about 5 feet 10 inches tall.
C) Tom and Betty will both remain at 6 feet.
D) Tom and Betty will both be about 5 feet 10 inches tall.