Hutchison, Dimensions of Human Behavior, 6e
SAGE Publishing, 2019
Chapter 9: Late Adulthood
Test Bank
Multiple Choice
1. A ______ measures the ratio of dependent age groups to the working-age
population.
A. social exchange
B. dependency exchange
C. social ratio
D. dependency ratio
2. Which of the following statements about the late-adult population is true?
A. Men continue to outnumber women in the age 65 and older population.
B. Older LGBTQ individuals typically exhibit lower rates of health conditions.
C. Men often have stronger and more emotionally robust networks.
D. Both ethnic minorities and older adults residing in small towns face special
challenges.
3. Vaillant’s traits for “growing old with grace” include maintaining hope, maintaining
contact and intimacy with older friends, and ______.
A. learning from current generation
B. maintaining a capacity for play
C. engaging in physical activity
D. finding joy in old age
4. The ACL study found that ______ has a greater impact than ______ on the onset of
functional limitations or disabilities in older adults.
A. race; gender
B. income; support system
C. education; income
D. exercise; diet
5. ______ sees personality differences as a major influence in adaptation to old age.
A. Disengagement theory
B. Life course perspective
C. Continuity theory
D. Activity theory
6. ______ are those provided through families, friends, neighbors, churches, and so on.
A. Social networks
B. Caretakers
C. Informal resources
D. Formal resources
7. Wellness promotion, self-discovery, and heightened morale are all part of the inner
affective dimension of the ______ theory.
A. productive aging
B. social exchange
C. age stratification
D. activity
8. Which biological theory suggests that the biological clock acts through hormones to
influence the pace of aging?
A. damage theory
B. programmed longevity
C. immunological theory
D. endocrine theory
9. Biological theories as to why our bodies age are important to understand in reference
to late adulthood. Which biological theory suggests that the rate of basal metabolism
impacts length of the life span?
A. wear and tear theory
B. rate of living theory
C. free radicals theory
D. somatic DNA damage theory
10. According to Erikson’s theory, the struggle of late adulthood is ______.
A. ego integrity versus ego despair
B. generativity versus stagnation
C. initiative versus guilt
D. intimacy versus isolation
11. Vaillant (2002) proposes that a life task of late adulthood is to pass on the traditions
of the past to the next generation. This life task is called ______.
A. social exchange
B. disengagement
C. guardianship
D. gain loss balance
12. ______, the capacity for abstract reasoning, ______ with age.
A. Crystallized intelligence; increases
B. Fluid intelligence; declines
C. Intentional memory; stagnates
D. Incidental memory; does not change
13.______, which is based on accumulated learning, ______ with age.
A. Crystallized intelligence; increases
B. Fluid intelligence; declines
C. Intentional memory; stagnates
D. Incidental memory; does not change
14. Dementia, Alzheimer’s disease, and Parkinson’s disease are the most common
______.
A. brain injuries
B. mental health issues in older adults
C. personality disorders
D. neurodegenerative diseases
15. ______ grandparents are highly involved in the lives of their grandchildren but do
not see themselves as authority figures.
A. Detached
B. Influential
C. Supportive
D. Authority-oriented
16. Late adulthood is generally considered to be between what chronological ages?
A. 60 and 70
B. 50 and 90
C. 70 and 90
D. 65 and 85
17. Vaillant concludes that positive aging means to ______.
A. love, work, learn, and enjoy remaining moments with loved ones
B. become a grandparent
C. retire voluntarily
D. be cared for by adult children
18. The accumulation of human capital, or resources, across the life course to address
human needs is called ______.
A. time perspective
B. social capital
C. life course capital
D. economic capital
Hutchison, Dimensions of Human Behavior, 6e
SAGE Publishing, 2019
19. The incidence of disease is called ______.
A. prevalence
B. immortality
C. mortality
D. morbidity
20. For people age 65 and older, the two most prevalent and debilitating chronic
conditions are ______.
A. heart disease and asthma
B. arthritis and hypertension
C. hypertension and cancer
D. cancer and arthritis
21. What percentage of the population of women over 80 experience osteoporosis?
A. half
B. one third
C. three fourths
D. one fifth
22. The most common type of dementia is ______.
A. substance impaired cognitive loss
B. mild Cognitive Impairment
C. Parkinson’s disease
D. Alzheimer’s disease
23. A variable that predicts healthy aging is ______.
A. childhood temperament
B. stress
C. stable marriage
D. cholesterol
24. According to the Census Bureau, which group will be the fastest growing older adult
population by 2050?
A. Native American
B. African American
C. Hispanic
D. non-Hispanic White
25. Reminiscing can serve which of the following functions?
A. enhancing a person’s self-image
B. contributing to the life course perspective
C. identifying risk factors
D. engage in generativity
Hutchison, Dimensions of Human Behavior, 6e
SAGE Publishing, 2019
True/False
1. Life expectancy increases with socioeconomic advantage.
2. Women 65 years of age and older are considered a minority in terms of status and
challenges in aging.
3. The increase in age for receiving full social security benefits has contributed to older
adults staying longer in the labor force.
4. Reminiscing may be an enjoyable activity that can lift the spirits of the listener and of
the person telling the story.
5. Social exchange theory’s major premise is to understand and explain the influence of
social definitions, social interactions, and social structures on the individual elderly
person.
6. In feminist theory, gender is considered the key factor in understanding a person’s
aging experience.
7. All systems of the body are affected during the aging process.
8. Memory is a distinguishing factor in old age and research suggests that intentional
memory declines and incidental memory does not in old age.
9. In recent years, both mortality and morbidity have decreased.
10. Someone in the world develops dementia every 3 s.
Hutchison, Dimensions of Human Behavior, 6e
SAGE Publishing, 2019
Essays
1. Compare and contrast disengagement theory, activity theory, and continuity theory
which help social workers to gain insight and perspectives on the process of growing
old. Cite some examples from the Ms. Ruby Johnson case study in reference to how
these theories help you to understand her situation. How would these theories impact
your work with older adults?
2. Identify several age-related biological changes and intellectual, learning, and memory
changes in late age. Cite several examples of age-related and intellectual changes
using any of the cases as a reference.
3. Compare and contrast social construction theory, feminist theory, and social
exchange theory which help social workers to gain insight and perspectives on the
process of growing old. Cite some examples from the Menzels case study in reference
to how these theories help you to understand their situation. How would these theories
impact your work with older adults?
4. Identify and discuss the formal and informal resources for meeting older adult needs.
Using the case studies of the Smiths, Ms. Ruby Johnson, or the Menzels, cite
illustrations of the formal and informal resources you could use to meet their needs.
5. Discuss two social role transitions (family, grandparenthood, work and retirement,
caring giving and care receiving, widowhood, and institutionalization) in late adulthood.
How would understanding age-related social role changes help in your work with older
adults?