472
TEST BANK
CHAPTER 17: PHYSICAL AND COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT
IN LATE ADULTHOOD
Multiple Choice Questions
TB_17_01_Variability in Late Adulthood_LO 17.1_APA LO 1.1
The scientific study of aging is known as ______________.
A) gerontology
B) oncology
C) agontology
D) ontology
TB_17_02_Life Expectancy and Longevity_LO 17.1_APA LO 1.1
At what point in the human life cycle does the greatest number of deaths occur?
A) After age 60
B) In infancy and early childhood
C) Between the ages of 70 and 80
D) In young adulthood
TB_17_03_Life Expectancy and Longevity_LO 17.1_APA LO 1.1
In the United States today, the average 65-year-old man will live to be how old?
A) 70
B) 72
C) 83
D) 90
473
TB_17_04_Life Expectancy and Longevity_LO 17.1_APA LO 1.1
In the United States today, the average 65-year-old woman will live to be how old?
A) 70
B) 75
C) 85
D) 92
TB_17_05_Life Expectancy and Longevity_LO 17.1_APA LO 1.1
Which of the following is true regarding the life expectancies of African Americans and White Americans by age
75?
A) African Americans will live longer than White Americans.
B) Their life expectancies will be essentially equivalent.
C) White Americans will live longer than African Americans.
D) There is not enough data on this age group to know.
TB_17_06_Life Expectancy and Longevity_LO 17.1_APA LO 1.1
If you are a centenarian, you
A) are one of the old old.
B) are an octogenarian.
C) are automatically a member of the frail elderly.
D) are at least 100 years old.
TB_17_07_Life Expectancy and Longevity_LO 17.1_APA LO 1.1
What is the fastest-growing segment of the population in the United States today?
A) Oldest old subgroup
B) Middle-aged adult group
C) Young old subgroup
D) Baby Boomers
474
TB_17_08_Life Expectancy and Longevity_LO 17.1_APA LO 1.1
Which of the following statements is true?
A) From 1950–2010, the over-65 population in the U.S. decreased.
B) From 1950–2010, the over-65 population in the U.S. more than tripled.
C) From 1950–2010, the over-85 population in the U.S. decreased.
D) By 2050, it is estimated that the over-85 population in the U.S. will exceed 19 million.
TB_17_09_Health_LO 17.1_APA LO 1.1
What is the single largest factor that determines the trajectory of an adult’s physical or mental status beyond age 65?
A) Health
B) Marital status
C) Social support system
D) Socioeconomic status
TB_17_10_No Easy Answers_LO 17.1_APA LO 1.1
Why will every industrialized nation in the world face a demographic crisis in the near future?
A) The social security systems in these countries will be bankrupt.
B) The number of young adults will far outnumber the elderly.
C) There will be fewer young and middle-aged workers to provide for the financial well-being of the elderly.
D) The current generation is not adequately planning for retirement.
TB_17_11_Health_LO 17.2_APA LO 1.1
What does your text point out as a major factor in determining the overall well-being of older adults, even if they
have a chronic disease?
A) Optimism
B) Marital status
C) Social networks
D) Retirement income
475
TB_17_12_Health_LO 17.2_APA LO 1.1
Ninety-year-old Mrs. Gonzalez is no longer able to manage tasks such as bathing or using the toilet by herself. A
gerontologist most likely would determine that Mrs. Gonzalez needs help with which of the following?
A) Only her activities of daily living
B) Only her instrumental activities of daily living
C) Both her activities of daily living and her instrumental activities of daily living
D) Her independence skills
TB_17_13_Health_LO 17.2_APA LO 1.1
Which of the following terms applies to intellectually demanding tasks such as managing finances and paying bills?
A) Instrumental activities of daily living
B) Activities of daily living
C) Daily tasks
D) Instrumental personal tasks
TB_17_14_Health_LO 17.2_APA LO 1.1
Which of the following is correct about the relationship between disability and activity among older adults in the
United States?
A) Nearly 100% of those over 75 report some level of difficulty performing some basic daily life activities.
B) The majority of older adults have little difficulty performing ADLs or IADLs.
C) Nearly all those over age 85 report difficulty performing basic daily activities.
D) Disability rates do not increase beyond age 65.
TB_17_15_Health_LO 17.2_APA LO 1.1
Which of the following terms applies to older adults whose physical and/or mental impairments are so extensive that
they cannot care for themselves?
A) Frail elderly
B) Gerontological group
C) Caregiver’s burden
D) Terminally aged
476
TB_17_16_Health_LO 17.2_APA LO 1.1
Older individuals with which of the following are two to three times more likely to experience functional disability
than elders who do not?
A) Arthritis and hypertension
B) Cancer
C) Impairments in vision
D) No spouse or children
TB_17_17_Health_LO 17.2_APA LO 1.1
Which of the following chronic conditions is more common in men over 65 than women over 65?
A) Hypertension
B) Arthritis
C) Asthma
D) Heart disease
TB_17_18_Health_LO 17.2_APA LO 1.1
Which of the following is true regarding heredity and longevity and health?
A) Twin studies show that illness rates in siblings do not have a genetic component.
B) Of those whose parents died before 78, 40% had a chronic illness at age 65.
C) Of those whose oldest grandparent had lived past 90, only about 2% had a chronic illness at age 65.
D) Identical twins are more similar in longevity than are fraternal twins.
TB_17_19_Health_LO 17.2_APA LO 1.1
Which of the following seems to be even more important in older age as a contributor to longevity and good health?
A) Relationship status
B) Exercise
C) Recreational activities
D) Social networks
477
TB_17_20_Health_LO 17.2_APA LO 1.1
Which activity seems to be the most important health habit in old age?
A) Exercise
B) Familial support
C) Eating pattern
D) Socialization
TB_17_21_The Brain and Nervous System_LO 17.3_APA LO 1.1
Which of the following is a change that occurs in the brain during the adult years?
A) Slower synaptic speed
B) An increase in gray matter
C) An increase in brain weight
D) A pruning of the synapses to eliminate redundant neural connections
TB_17_22_The Brain and Nervous System_LO 17.3_APA LO 1.1
Which of the following has been linked to minimized atrophy of the cerebral cortex of the brain?
A) Education
B) A flexible personality
C) A social support system
D) Socio-economic status
TB_17_23_The Brain and Nervous System_LO 17.3_APA LO 1.1
What is the most likely cause of slower reaction time for everyday tasks and activities for an older individual?
A) The preliminary effects of Alzheimer’s disease
B) Geriatric dysthymia
C) The pruning of unused neural connections
D) Dendritic loss and the slowing of synaptic speed
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TB_17_24_The Brain and Nervous System_LO 17.3_APA LO 1.1
Which of the following terms refers to the redundancy in the nervous system that enables neural pathways to move
from one set of neurons to another?
A) Synaptic pruning
B) Synaptic plasticity
C) Neural transporting
D) Neural redundancy
TB_17_25_The Brain and Nervous System_LO 17.3_APA LO 1.1
What causes the loss of “computational power” and the appearance of symptoms of old age to occur?
A) When an individual reaches approximately 60 years old
B) When unused or redundant neural pathways are pruned
C) When there is significant loss of dendritic interconnectivity
D) When neuron loss reaches the peak of 25,000 eliminated neurons daily
TB_17_26_The Senses_LO 17.4_APA LO 1.1
Which of the following is correct regarding vision in late adulthood?
A) Blood flow to the eye increases, which results in an enlarged blind spot on the retina.
B) The pupil does not widen or narrow as much or as quickly, which causes problems in adapting to variations in
light and glare.
C) Older adults seem to adapt more flexibly and positively than middle-aged adults to the difficulties of living with
serious vision impairments.
D) The incidence of cataracts decreases greatly among adults who are older than 75.
479
TB_17_27_The Senses_LO 17.4_APA LO 1.1
Mr. Cooper has great difficulty seeing now because the lenses inside his eyes have become clouded over. What is
the name of this condition?
A) Glaucoma
B) Cataracts
C) Presbyopia
D) Presbycusis
TB_17_28_The Senses_LO 17.4_APA LO 1.1
Macular degeneration is most likely to occur in __________.
A) childhood
B) adolescence
C) early adulthood
D) late adulthood
TB_17_29_The Senses_LO 17.4_APA LO 1.1
Which of the following is a typical hearing difficulty experienced by older adults?
A) Loss of ability to hear low-frequency sounds
B) Difficulties in word discrimination
C) Problems hearing when conditions are quiet
D) Inconsistent amplification of deep or bass-like sounds
TB_17_30_The Senses_LO 17.4_APA LO 1.1
Grandpa Ezra complains that he frequently hears ringing or buzzing sounds in his ears. What is Ezra experiencing?
A) Presbycusis
B) Auditory hallucinations
C) Tinnitus
D) Auditory neuropathy
480
TB_17_31_The Senses_LO 17.4_APA LO 1.1
Auditory problems typically are experienced
A) by more women than men.
B) by more men than women.
C) with equal frequency by women and men.
D) only by the oldest old subgroup.
TB_17_32_The Senses_LO 17.4_APA LO 1.1
Which of the following is likely to be true of older adults who are experiencing hearing loss?
A) They are likely to be socially isolated and unhappy.
B) They may be clinically depressed.
C) They are likely to be women.
D) They may be perceived as disoriented or forgetful.
TB_17_33_The Senses_LO 17.4_APA LO 1.1
Which of the following is an obstacle to good hearing among the elderly?
A) There is excessive amplification of higher frequencies.
B) There is increased production of ear wax, blocking the ear canals.
C) The bones of the middle ear become less calcified and more elastic.
D) The cochlear membranes become too flexible and are less responsive.
TB_17_34_The Senses_LO 17.4_APA LO 1.1
Which of the following is correct with regard to the way aging affects the senses of taste, smell, or touch?
A) Reduced secretion of saliva causes a sensation of “wooly mouth.”
B) The ability to taste the four basic tastes of salty, bitter, sweet, and sour declines across adulthood.
C) The loss of the sense of taste can lead to inadequate nutrition or dietary imbalances.
D) Elderly adults lose their sensitivity to heat and cold in a proximodistal pattern, which causes sensation to be lost
first in the center of the body.
481
TB_17_35_The Senses_LO 17.4_APA LO 1.1
If you were to serve a loaf of freshly baked cinnamon bread to a group of older individuals, which of the following
comments would you be most likely to hear?
A) “It smells so good. It’s making my mouth water!”
B) “This bread smells and tastes delicious!”
C) “I can’t smell a thing, dear.”
TB_17_36_The Senses_LO 17.4_APA LO 1.1
Which of the following sensations results from decreased production of saliva?
A) Wooly mouth
B) Wooden tongue
C) Crispy cheeks
D) Crackling teeth
TB_17_37_Theories of Biological Aging_LO 17.5_APA LO 1.1
About how long is the maximum human lifespan?
A) 105–110 years
B) 125 years
C) 122 years
D) 110–120 years
TB_17_38_Theories of Biological Aging_LO 17.5_APA LO 1.1
What is the Hayflick limit for human embryo cells?
A) 10
B) 20
C) 40
D) 50
482
TB_17_39_Theories of Biological Aging_LO 17.5_APA LO 1.1
The genetically programmed time limit for cell replication to which each species is theoretically bound is called
A) life expectancy.
B) maximum reproductive capacity.
C) the Hayflick limit.
D) the telomere.
TB_17_40_Theories of Biological Aging_LO 17.5_APA LO 1.1
What is the name of the string of repetitive DNA at the tip of each chromosome in the body?
A) Reticular formation
B) Teledyne
C) Synapse
D) Telomere
TB_17_41_Theories of Biological Aging_LO 17.5_APA LO 1.1
Which of the following is the name of the theory that says that aging is a result of species-specific genes?
A) Programmed senescence theory
B) Telomeric theory
C) The Hayflick limit
D) Race-specific DNA theory
TB_17_42_Theories of Biological Aging_LO 17.5_APA LO 1.1
Research on the cellular processes involving free radicals suggests that it may be beneficial to eat less of which of
the following?
A) Protein
B) Fat and food additives such as preservatives
C) Red meat such as beef
D) Carbohydrates
483
TB_17_43_Theories of Biological Aging_LO 17.5_APA LO 1.1
What effect do some free radicals have on the body?
A) They cause the steroid oxidase to build up in the body over time.
B) They destroy the telomeres at the end of DNA chains.
C) They enter into potentially harmful chemical reactions that cause irreparable cell damage.
D) They cause the buildup of atoms that possess an unpaired electron.
TB_17_44_Theories of Biological Aging_LO 17.5_APA LO 1.1
Which of the following is a benefit of foods that are high in antioxidants?
A) Significantly increased longevity
B) Lower rates of heart disease
C) Decreased terminal drop period
D) Return to normal vision for patients with retinal degeneration
TB_17_45_Theories of Biological Aging_LO 17.5_APA LO 1.1
Which of the following suggests that all adults retain excellent physical and mental functioning until it plummets in
the few years before death?
A) The spiral hypothesis
B) The downward trajectory hypothesis
C) The sundowning factor
D) The terminal decline hypothesis
TB_17_46_Behavioral Effects of Physical Changes_LO 17.6_APA LO 1.1
What is the biggest single behavioral effect of age-related physical change in late adulthood?
A) Increased irritability
B) Loss of energy
C) Lack of sexual desire
D) A general slowing down
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TB_17_47_Behavioral Effects of Physical Changes_LO 17.6_APA LO 1.1
Which of the following would be least affected by the general slowing down that older adults experience?
A) Driving a car
B) Writing a grocery list
C) Translating thoughts into action
D) Being a generally optimistic person
TB_17_48_Behavioral Effects of Physical Changes_LO 17.6_APA LO 1.1
Which of the following is statistically true of older drivers?
A) They have more accidents per miles driven than younger drivers.
B) They have very few automobile accidents.
C) They have more accidents overall than younger drivers.
D) There is no statistical difference in numbers of accidents between older and younger drivers.
TB_17_49_Behavioral Effects of Physical Changes_LO 17.6_APA LO 1.1
Which of the following is true?
A) Older persons have an easier time learning a new activity that requires fine motor skills.
B) Older adults’ sense of balance appears to improve with age.
C) Fine motor skills with older adults’ area of expertise decline little and improve with age.
D) Loss of fine motor skills dramatically declines in old age.
TB_17_50_Behavioral Effects of Physical Changes_LO 17.6_APA LO 1.1
How are sleep patterns typically affected by age?
A) Older adults typically sleep very soundly for longer periods through the night than they did when they were
younger.
B) Older adults commonly have longer periods of REM sleep, or dream sleep.
C) Older adults must nap more during the day in order to accumulate the sleep they need.
D) Older adults tend to become “night people” by going to bed later at night and getting up later in the morning.
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TB_17_51_Behavioral Effects of Physical Changes_LO 17.6_APA LO 1.1
Mr. Garrett often overeats, complaining that he feels hungry all the time. His doctor has suggested that this problem
is due to a malfunction in the sensation associated with blood sugar levels known as
A) deprivation.
B) satiety.
C) insulin.
D) diabetes.
TB_17_52_Behavioral Effects of Physical Changes_LO 17.6_APA LO 1.1
After eating, the blood sugar rises, resulting in a chemical message being sent to the brain that causes the individual
to feel “full.” What is the term for this sensation of fullness?
A) Glucose satisfaction
B) Insulin resistance
C) Satiety
D) Sugar-response effect
TB_17_53_Behavioral Effects of Physical Changes_LO 17.6_APA LO 1.1
What is the most serious consequence stemming from the loss of balance among older adults?
A) A reduction in dexterity when attempting to perform household tasks
B) An increase in depressed mood as a result of impaired mobility
C) Reduced stamina
D) An increase in falls
TB_17_54_Behavioral Effects of Physical Changes_LO 17.6_APA LO 1.1
Which of the following activities would most likely help an older person sustain their sense of balance?
A) Playing chess
B) Taking a psychology class
C) Doing tai chi
D) Playing cards
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TB_17_55_Behavioral Effects of Physical Changes_LO 17.6_APA LO 1.1
What does your text suggest about older women’s sexual behavior?
A) They are more inhibited, due to their awareness of differences in their physical appearance compared to when
they were younger.
B) They are less sexually active because of cultural prohibitions against expressed sexuality among the aged.
C) They are more sexually adventurous and willing to experiment.
D) They are more inclined to be sexually active with more than one partner—in other words, less bound by ideas of
monogamy.
TB_17_56_Behavioral Effects of Physical Changes_LO 17.6_APA LO 1.1
Which of the following is likely to affect sexual activity in older age?
A) Medications
B) Increasing testosterone levels
C) Cultural taboos
D) Lack of interest
TB_17_57_Mental Health_LO 17.7_APA LO 1.1
Approximately what percentage of elders in the young old subgroup continue to be sexually active?
A) 40%
B) 20%
C) 60%
TB_17_58_Mental Health_LO 17.7_APA LO 1.1
Which of the following are a group of neurological disorders that involve memory and thinking—affecting social,
emotional and physical functioning?
A) The deleriums
B) The dementias
C) The senescences
D) The mood disorders