Deck 15: Physical and Cognitive Development in Middle Adulthood

Question 1

Which of the following is associated with the male climacteric?

A) Enlargement of the testes
B) Increased volume of seminal fluid
C) Increased difficulty attaining and maintaining an erection
D) Increased production of testosterone

Answer 1

Increased difficulty attaining and maintaining an erection

Question 2

What is the most likely explanation for the decline in sexual activity associated with mid-life?

A) The demands and pressures of everyday living
B) The drop in testosterone levels in both men and women
C) The psychological effects of the climacteric
D) Fluctuating hormone levels associated with menopause

Answer 2

The demands and pressures of everyday living

Question 3

Why do we know so little about normal middle-aged brains?

A) Research has mostly focused more on children's brain functions.
B) Most research has focused on changes associated with trauma and disease.
C) Research has generally been focused on the brain functions of the elderly.
D) Research has always been limited by the availability of research subjects who, in this case, are in their peak working years.

Answer 3

Most research has focused on changes associated with trauma and disease.

Question 4

Which of the following is a factor that is likely to lead to clinical depression during and after menopause?

A) The number of life stressors present both before and during menopause
B) Whether or not a woman had regular menstrual cycles before menopause
C) Absence of depression before menopause
D) Fewer physical symptoms of menopause

Question 5

Which of the following groups is LEAST likely to have a negative view of menopause?

A) Chinese-American women
B) White women
C) African American women
D) Japanese-American women

Question 6

Bernice is 45. At least once a week, she wakes up in the middle of the night wringing wet with sweat. She is having ________, a form of ________.

A) night sweats; hot flashes
B) climacteric; menopause
C) hot flashes; climacteric
D) night sweats; anovulation

Question 7

Alleena has noticed that she is becoming forgetful, sometimes gets words mixed up, and her emotions seem to be "making her crazy." She is also very fatigued. What is the likely cause of this?

A) Alleena has just started going through menopause
B) These symptoms are usually associated with the cessation of ovulation.
C) The hot flashes and hormonal changes of perimenopause are probably disturbing her sleep, so she is sleep-deprived.
D) Alleena's menstrual flow has stopped and she is probably concerned about being pregnant.

Question 8

During which phase of menopause do both types of estrogen drop, progesterone levels drop, and ovulation ceases?

A) Postmenopausal
B) Perimenopausal
C) Premenopausal
D) Postovulatory

Question 9

Which hormone rises during the second half of the menstrual cycle and stimulates the sloughing off of accumulated material in the uterus each month if conception has not occurred?

A) Progesterone
B) Estrogen
C) Testosterone
D) Serotonin

Question 10

Which of the following is likely to contribute to a male's problems with sexual functioning?

A) an increase in testosterone levels.
B) use of blood pressure medication.
C) smoking cessation.
D) a high-fiber diet.

Question 11

What is the average age for the onset of menopause in the United States?

A) 40
B) 45
C) 50
D) 60

Question 12

Gilda is 35 years old. Her estrogen levels have decreased, her menstrual periods have become very irregular, and she experiences periods of extreme sweating. What's happening with Gilda?

A) She is in the premenopausal phase of menopause.
B) She is in the postmenopausal phase of menopause.
C) She is in the perimenopausal phase of menopause.
D) Gilda is too young to be experiencing menopause so she should see her doctor.

Question 13

Which of the following is a physical effect that is attributed to the reduction in estrogen during the phases of menopause?

A) The breasts become more firm
B) Multiple ova are produced during the menstrual cycles
C) The vagina becomes longer and wider in diameter
D) The walls of the vagina are less elastic

Question 14

According to the most current research, which of the following is a benefit of hormone replacement therapy?

A) Fewer hot flashes
B) Reduced sex drive
C) Reduced bone loss from osteoporosis
D) Reduced risk of coronary heart disease

Question 15

What is sildenafil?

A) A bacterial infection associated with prostate cancer
B) A medication used to treat erectile dysfunction
C) The seminal fluid that contains viable sperm
D) A natural supplement used to minimize hot flashes

Question 16

Fifty-year-old Evan has begun to experience difficulty achieving and maintaining an erection. These changes might indicate that Evan is experiencing which of the following?

A) Menopause
B) The climacteric
C) Osteoporosis
D) Heart disease

Question 17

Which of the following is true of cognitive functioning and automobile accidents?

A) Middle-aged adults are more likely to get into an accident because of the lapses in cognition and slower reaction times.
B) There isn't a statistically significant difference between the accident rates of middle-aged adults and younger adults.
C) Young adults are more likely to get into an accident because of larger synaptic gaps.
D) Young adults are more likely to get into an accident because of lapses of judgment and a higher likelihood of drinking alcohol.

Question 18

According to several studies, the psychological effects of menopause should not be linked with

A) life stressors.
B) a personality predisposed to negativity.
C) an increased likelihood of major depression.
D) level of uncomfortable physical symptoms.

Question 19

Which of the following is a reason why it takes middle-aged adults longer to perform cognitive tasks than younger adults?

A) It is more difficult for the middle-aged brain to activate large areas of the cortex.
B) A larger area of the cortex is activated, therefore it takes longer to process information.
C) Because of decreased blood supply to the brain resulting from the build-up of plaque.
D) Because the middle-aged brain does not react to perceptual stimuli as fast as the young adult brain.

Question 20

From No Easy Answers on page 394: Which of the following statements best summarizes the current research on hormone therapy (HT) for menopause?

A) The use of HT causes more risks than benefits, so most physicians are recommending it not be used at all.
B) HT has been in use since the early 20th century and has proven to be safe and reliable.
C) Natural supplements should be used whenever possible in place of synthetic forms of HT.
D) The use of HT should be approached cautiously and should be symptom-specific.

Question 21

What term is used for deposits of plaque in the arteries which cause them to narrow or become blocked?

A) Venosclerosis
B) Osteoarthritis
C) Atherosclerosis
D) Diabetes

Question 22

Which of the following is a significant risk factors for heart disease EXCEPT

A) below-normal weight.
B) decreased levels of low-density lipoproteins.
C) first-degree relatives with cardiovascular disease.
D) moderate use of wine.

Question 23

Which of the following factors is linked most directly to osteoporosis in women?

A) Diet in young adulthood
B) Estrogen and progesterone levels
C) Age at menopause
D) Occupational history

Question 24

Regarding cardiovascular disease, which of the following statements best describes the trend over the last three decades?

A) The occurrence of CVD has decreased among men, but increased among women.
B) The occurrence of CVD has decreased among adults under the age of 55, but not in adults over 60.
C) The occurrence of CVD continues to decline, but it is still the leading cause of death among adults in the U.S.
D) The occurrence of CVD has increased and is still the leading cause of death among adults in the U.S.

Question 25

Degeneration associated with presbycusis accelerates after what age?

A) 20
B) 30
C) 40
D) 50

Question 26

Statistically, which of the following groups has the SHORTEST life expectancy in the United States?

A) White men
B) African American men
C) White women
D) African American women

Question 27

Which of the following is a dietary factor which contributes to the risk of osteoporosis?

A) Excessive calcium intake in adolescence and young adulthood
B) Excessive meat consumption
C) Excessive sugar consumption
D) Excessive caffeine consumption

Question 28

Which of the following are most helpful in preventing osteoporosis?

A) Sufficient calcium intake and exercise
B) Hormone replacement and mental health maintenance
C) Management of stress levels and exercise
D) Social support and diet

Question 29

Which of the following is a risk factor associated with osteoporosis?

A) Being male
B) Obesity
C) Early menopause
D) Being an athlete

Question 30

Mason is 55 and has come to believe that his phone is not working right because whenever his elderly mother calls, he has trouble hearing her voice. Mason should be examined for

A) auricularis.
B) neuropathy.
C) presbyopia.
D) presbycusis.

Question 31

Which of the following is correct regarding osteoporosis?

A) Osteoporosis in women is accelerated by menopause.
B) Men are unaffected by osteoporosis.
C) Women cannot reduce risk of osteoporosis by getting sufficient calcium during early adulthood.
D) Osteoporosis is not associated with a significantly increased risk of fractures.

Question 32

Which of the following is a condition of primary aging characterized by loss of bone mass and brittle, porous bones?

A) Osteoporosis
B) Perthes' disease
C) Hypothyroidism
D) Rickets

Question 33

What is the leading cause of death among adults in the United States?

A) Obesity-related illness
B) Strokes
C) Cardiovascular disease
D) Diabetes-related complications

Question 34

What is the condition that results from degeneration of the auditory nerves and inner ear structures, so that an individual loses the ability to hear sounds of high and very low frequencies?

A) Tinitis
B) Auricularis
C) Presbycusis
D) Auditory neuropathy

Question 35

Which of the following represents the BEST example of the Type A personality characteristic that is most strongly linked to cardiovascular disease?

A) Beth is motivated by her desire to be the team leader in her division, but her co-workers dislike her aggressive strategies.
B) Bill's responsibilities dictate his urgent, fast-paced life, and he constantly checks his watch to make sure that he is on time and on schedule.
C) When Jack loses a business deal, he takes his anger and hostility out on other drivers during his evening commute.
D) JoAnn is unable to retain a secretary because she is constantly instructing them on how to use their time and energy more efficiently.

Question 36

What is the most common mechanism that causes heart disease?

A) Decreasing oxygen supply to the heart due to the build-up of plaque on artery walls
B) Decreasing oxygen supply to the heart due to the rupture of an artery
C) Increasing pressure on the heart because of untreated high blood pressure
D) Shock to the heart caused by high levels of cortisol

Question 37

What is the condition that results when the lens of the eye thickens and becomes less elastic?

A) Glaucoma
B) Osteoma
C) Myopia
D) Presbyopia

Question 38

Lorn is not particularly worried about setting the world on fire. He takes his time and is fairly laid back in most cases. He's not the least bit competitive and seems to just take things as they come. Lorn would be considered to be a

A) borderline personality.
B) type B personality.
C) characteristic personality.
D) type A personality.

Question 39

Which of the following is accurate concerning the risk factors for cardiovascular disease?

A) The primary risk factors are not well known.
B) Risk factors such as high cholesterol or smoking do not constitute an increased risk when both are present.
C) The more high-risk behaviors or characteristics a person has, the higher the person's risk of heart disease.
D) Widespread publicity about the dangers of smoking and high cholesterol have had little effect on the rate of cardiovascular disease risks for most Americans.

Question 40

Adella has never had anything but perfect vision, but shortly after her 40th birthday, she noticed it was getting more and more difficult to read the morning newspaper - as if her arms were not long enough to hold the paper far enough away to get it in focus. If Adella visits her ophthalmologist, she will likely be diagnosed with which of the following?

A) Glaucoma
B) Stereopsis
C) Presbyopia
D) Presbycusis

Question 41

_______ is not a risk factor commonly associated with cancer.

A) Alcohol.
B) Cholesterol.
C) Smoking.
D) Weight.

Question 42

Why do women fare better after a heart attack than men?

A) Men's hearts are larger and therefore suffer more damage from a heart attack.
B) Women are more likely to have other chronic diseases so this removes the risk of a fatal heart attack.
C) Men are more likely to smoke than women.
D) Women's heart muscle seems to be better able to adapt to stressors and physical exertion.

Question 43

Which of the following is a true statement regarding the relationship between gender and health?

A) In general, men complain about their health more than women do.
B) Women tend to live longer but they also have more diseases and disabilities.
C) Men die younger and tend to have more diseases and disabilities.
D) Men are more likely to describe their health as poor than are women.

Question 44

What is the name of the drug that can help recovering alcoholics deal with withdrawal symptoms?

A) Antabuse
B) Methyltrexate
C) Acamprosate
D) Acetaminophen

Question 45

Which of the following viruses is linked to cancers of the nose and throat?

A) Epstein-Barr
B) Heliobacter
C) HPV
D) HIV

Question 46

Hepatitis B virus is closely linked to which of the following?

A) Colon cancer
B) Kidney cancer
C) Stomach ulcers
D) Liver cancer

Question 47

In middle adulthood, which of the following correlate with socioeconomic class and are predictive of health?

A) Overall health and income level
B) Educational level and ethnicity
C) Occupational level and education
D) Ethnicity and social networks

Question 48

Which of the following groups are most likely to die of heart disease?

A) White Americans, Native Americans, and Mexican Americans
B) African Americans, Native Americans, and Mexican Americans
C) African Americans, Native Americans, and Asian Americans
D) African Americans, Japanese Americans, and Mexican Americans

Question 49

Angela is very conscious of cancer risk factors so she tries to take care of herself and minimize as many of the controllable risks as possible. She is vaccinated against hepatitis, she practices safe sex, and when she travels to strange places, she drinks bottled water to decrease her chances of developing a bacterial infection that has been linked to some cancers. What is the name of this bacteria?

A) Streptococcus
B) Staphylococcus
C) Helicobacter pylori
D) MRSA

Question 50

How does being overweight affect one's risk of cancer?

A) It substantially increases the risk for lung cancer, but not other types of cancer.
B) It is a significant risk factor in many types of cancer.
C) It is only a risk factor for cancer if it is associated with genetic risk.
D) It is not a risk factor for cancer.

Question 51

Which of the following is the second leading cause of death in middle and old age in the United States?

A) Heart disease
B) Cancer
C) Diabetes related complications
D) Obesity

Question 52

How do the death rates of men with alcoholism in their 50s and early 60s compare with nonalcoholics?

A) Alcoholics are 2 - 3 times more likely to die in mid life
B) Alcoholics are 5 - 6 times more likely to die in mid life
C) Alcoholics are 10 times more likely to die in mid life
D) Alcoholics are more likely to die in later adulthood

Question 53

Which of the following is a common complication of diabetes?

A) Brain tumors
B) HIV
C) High blood pressure
D) Blindness

Question 54

Which of the following is a risk factor for both heart disease and cancer?

A) High blood pressure
B) High cholesterol
C) Moderate alcohol use
D) Smoking

Question 55

Which of the following includes personality traits such as a competitive drive, a sense of time urgency, and sometimes aggressiveness or hostility?

A) Borderline personality disorder
B) Type B personality
C) Type A personality
D) Characteristic personality

Question 56

What is the most frequently abused substance in the U.S.?

A) Nicotine
B) Alcohol
C) Tobacco
D) Cocaine

Question 57

Among minority women, what is the major risk factor for CVD?

A) High blood pressure
B) Poor nutrition
C) Stress
D) Obesity

Question 58

Which of the following statements is accurate?

A) African Americans have the highest rates of prostate, colon, and lung cancer.
B) Native Americans have lower rates of kidney cancer than other groups.
C) Asian Americans have the lowest rates of liver cancer.
D) White Americans have the highest rates of breast cancer.

Question 59

Which of the following is one of the hypotheses as to why diabetes has a more devastating effect on minority individuals than on whites?

A) They are likely to contract the disease earlier in life so it has a longer time to adversely affect the body.
B) They are likely to be in poorer health overall.
C) They are more likely to contract juvenile diabetes and then develop adult onset diabetes later.
D) They are less likely to adequately manage their diabetes.

Question 60

Which characteristic of Type A personality is most closely linked to CVD?

A) Time urgency
B) Competitiveness
C) Personal aggressiveness
D) Hostility

Question 61

Which of the following best defines the term creativity?

A) The ability to produce original, appropriate, and valuable ideas and/or solutions to problems.
B) The ability to draw, sign, dance, or paint
C) The ability to compensate for one's shortcomings
D) The ability to build and produce new forms of learning

Question 62

What is the term used by Baltes and Baltes to refer to the process of balancing the gains and losses associated with aging?

A) Senescence
B) Selective remembering with mnemonic compensation
C) Selective optimization with compensation
D) Judicial optimization of resources

Question 63

The loss of bone mass is called ________ and begins at around age ________.

Question 64

How does aging affect memory?

A) Memory ability declines with age, and by middle adulthood significant decline has occurred.
B) By age 45, an individual would have more difficulty retrieving a semantic memory than an episodic memory.
C) With advancing age, individuals tend to remember fewer specific details of a story and more of the theme or meaning of the story.
D) With advancing age, auditory memory declines rapidly, but visual memory is stable or improves.

Question 65

Grayson told her mother everything that happened at her school dance last night. Grayson was relying on which type of memory?

A) Procedural
B) Episodic
C) Implicit
D) Semantic

Question 66

From Developmental Science in the Workplace on page 409: According to data collected from interviews of successful and creative older adults, what was one of the consistent themes reported to enhance creativity?

A) Recognizing one's own limitations and compensating for them
B) Recognizing the value of accumulated knowledge and experience
C) Realizing that the creative process must start early in life if it is to be successful
D) Recognizing that creativity is a gift of youth

Question 67

Of the following, which individual might be expected to experience earlier or larger intellectual declines?

A) Mr. Jones, age 70, who has taken medication for high blood pressure for 20 years
B) Mrs. Green, age 65, who has recently been diagnosed with breast cancer
C) Ms. Anderson, age 50, who is in the postmenopausal phase
D) Mr. Brown, age 50, who has been warned by his physician to lose 25 pounds

Question 68

Young drivers exhibit ________ lapses in attention and driving errors than middle-aged drivers.

Question 69

A researcher who is testing the cognitive functioning of middle-aged adults would find which of the following to be true of her subjects regarding well-rehearsed, familiar tasks?

A) They would have difficulty performing them
B) They will show gradual decrements
C) They perceive impaired performance
D) They maintain or gain in skill

Question 70

Bernice is 45. At least once a week, she wakes up in the middle of the night wringing wet with sweat. She is having ________, a form of ________.

Question 71

The last phase of menopause is called the ________ phase.

Question 72

Which of the following best explains the typical pattern of cognitive functioning in middle adulthood?

A) Most individuals demonstrate decrements in verbal skills such as vocabulary, and tasks such as working a crossword puzzle or giving instructions become difficult.
B) Most individuals begin to experience decrements in problem-solving abilities, and tasks such as adjusting ingredients in a recipe or learning new computer software become difficult.
C) Individuals may maintain or even gain in skill on tasks that are highly practiced or based on specific learning, such as playing a card game.
D) Mental processes steadily and significantly decline across middle adulthood, and most individuals perceive an accelerated loss of mental acuity.

Question 73

How does physical exercise help maintain cognitive abilities in middle age?

A) Because the brain is a muscle - use it or lose it
B) By decreasing low-density lipoproteins ("bad" cholesterol)
C) By maintaining cardiovascular fitness
D) By increasing optimism and life satisfaction

Question 74

Overall physical health and cognitive performance in middle adulthood are most closely linked to

A) family history and genetic predisposition.
B) low-fat, high-fiber diet.
C) optimistic attitude.
D) physical exercise.

Question 75

Fifty-year-old Mr. Evans has started experienced difficulty achieving and maintaining an erection. These changes might indicate that Mr. Jones is experiencing ________.

Question 76

According to Denney's model, the maximum level of cognitive and physical function an individual can achieve with exercise

A) steadily decreases as the individual ages.
B) steadily increases as the individual ages.
C) is determined by social class, gender, and ethnicity.
D) stabilizes at about age 40.

Question 77

Rodney wears reading glasses, uses an ergonomically designed chair when he works at the computer, and exercises regularly to offset the effects of aging. He is also taking two courses at the local community college just for the sake of learning. What principle is at work here?

A) Denial of primary aging
B) Optimization of secondary aging compensation
C) Optimization without compensation
D) Selective optimization with compensation

Question 78

Which of the following is one of the four stages of "mulling over" proposed by Daniel Goleman?

A) Inscription
B) Preparation
C) Reparation
D) Restitution

Question 79

Which the following is most consistent with Denney's view of age-related change in physical and cognitive functioning?

A) Physical exercise will facilitate maintenance of physical abilities through adulthood, but no equivalent improvement can be made in cognitive functioning.
B) There is an underlying decay curve, so that with increased age there will eventually be a point at which even maximum exercise will not help an individual maintain peak functioning in either physical or cognitive abilities.
C) If a skill is unexercised for any length of time, or becomes "rusty," exercise will not cause any improvement.
D) Early adulthood is the time of peak function in physical and cognitive abilities.

Question 80

Jose and Isabella want to repaint their entire house and renovate some of the rooms as well. They look at many paint samples, magazine pictures, and try out several different arrangements of furniture. This process represents what type of thinking?

A) Symbolic
B) Postformal
C) Dialectic
D) Divergent