The most basic aspect of a healthy personality in Erikson’s theory is
a. introversion.
b. autonomy.
c. integrity.
d. trust.
The World Health Organization defines health as
a. physical well-being.
b. social well-being.
c. emotional well-being.
d. all of the above.
Dixie believes that people are spying on her and that she talks to the president when she
is at the laundromat. Dixie is exhibiting hallmarks of which disorder?
a. schizophrenia
b. multiple personality
c. Huntington’s disease
d. anxiety
Rachel plans to go to college, major in art history, obtain a master’s degree, and then
work in an art museum. In Whitbourne’s theory, this is Rachel’s
a. life story.
b. scenario.
c. self-concept.
d. identity.
_____________ is extremely important in gerontology because it shapes how people
define core concepts such as age, old age, and normative life course.
a. The age of the individual
b. Ethnicity
c. Culture
d. Socialization
According to Lawton and Nahemow, the area where press level is average for a given
level of competence and where behavior and affect are normal is called
a. adaptation level.
b. psychosocial adjustment.
c. congruence points.
d. balance points.
______is the neurotransmitter that sends messages throughout the brain.
a. Estrogen
b. Insulin
c. Cytosine
d. Dopamine
Contextual theories of dying emphasize
a. the individual differences in caregivers.
b. fate causing a person to move from one stage to another.
c. that there is no one, right way to die.
d. stages in dying.
Most evidence indicates
a. significant age-related decline in working memory.
b. loss of the ability to hold items in working memory may limit older adults’ overall
cognitive functioning.
c. age-related declines in working memory may vary across different tasks.
d. all of the above.
Answering short-answer or essay questions on your final exam requires the use of
a. inference.
b. recall.
c. recognition.
d. recapitulation.
Medicare Part D
a. covers inpatient hospital services, skilled nursing facilities, and hospice care.
b. covers outpatient hospital services and medical equipment and supplies.
c. provides some prescription drug coverage.
d. provides financial reimbursement to partner-caregivers.
Which of the following statements is the best conclusion regarding the biological
theories of aging?
a. Programmed cell death accounts for general aging.
b. Restricting calories leads humans and animals to live longer lives.
c. Organisms only have so much energy to expend across their lifetimes.
d. None of the biological theories completely explain normative aging.
Flashbulb memories feel very real, and people think they can remember them down to
the smallest detail. Research on the accuracy of flashbulb memories indicates that
a. this is true. Flashbulb memories are highly accurate and are not likely to be forgotten
over time.
b. this is false. Due to the highly emotional nature of flashbulb memories, they are
usually forgotten quickly.
c. this is false. When comparing people’s memories with independent records of actual
events, people’s memories are often wrong.
d. this is true for younger adults but not for older adults.
The dopaminergic system is associated with high-level cognitive functioning such as
inhibiting thoughts,______, and planning.
a. attention
b. socialization
c. activity level
d. temperament
The most common heart disease in adults over age 65 that results in hospitalization is
a. cardiac arrhythmias.
b. arteriosclerosis.
c. myocardial infarction.
d. congestive heart failure.
_____________in the United States has increased tenfold over the past three decades.
a. Singlehood
b. Marriage
c. Cohabitation
d. Divorce
The common cold, influenza, and food poisoning are examples of
a. simple diseases.
b. immune system diseases.
c. acute diseases.
d. chronic diseases.
The problem of vertigo is associated with
a. kinesthesis.
b. the vestibular system.
c. temperature sensitivity.
d. pain sensitivity.
Which field of science has revolutionized our understanding of the relationships
between the brain and behavior?
a. psychoanalytic theory
b. social cognitive theory
c. neuroscience
d. molecular anatomy
A secondary appraisal involves
a. making a new primary appraisal.
b. evaluating one’s ability to cope.
c. reassessing an event as benign, positive, or stressful.
d. evaluating all stressors in one’s life as benign.
Melena is having trouble remembering whether she took her medication or if she just
thinks she did. This is an example of a(n)
a. false memory.
b. source memory.
c. flashbulb memory.
d. implicit memory.
The oldest age to which any individual of a species lives is called
a. maximum longevity.
b. average longevity.
c. compression of morbidity.
d. dependent life expectancy.
If you are using a questionnaire to assess memory in older individuals, and each time
you administer the questionnaire it produces different results, it can then be said that the
measure has low
a. representativeness.
b. utility.
c. validity.
d. reliability.
Neuroscience research clearly demonstrates that_______ has a wide range of effects on
the brain, including increased neural plasticity, and can be an intervention alternative
for diseases such as Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s.
a. a diet high in Omega-3 fatty acids
b. reading
c. exercise
d. working past retirement age
Over 52 million United States citizens rely on______for their medical insurance.
a. Medicaid
b. Medicare
c. private insurance companies
d. Social Security
Because older adults are more prone to injury, exercise programs
a. should be discouraged.
b. should focus on low impact aerobic approaches.
c. should be high energy activities.
d. should involve heavy weight lifting.
Erikson and colleagues (2009) were interested in whether aerobic exercise had any
effect on the volume of the hippocampus, a key brain structure related to memory. To
assess this, they had older adults
a. play basketball.
b. take yoga classes.
c. swim laps each day.
d. exercise on a motorized treadmill.
Reality shock is
a. realizing that school is actually difficult.
b. realizing that you must move away from home.
c. discovering that you do not like your major.
d. discovering that the real world doesn”t work exactly like it says in the book.
In the selection, optimization, and compensation model (SOC), changing how you
exercise after sustaining an injury represents
a. selection.
b. optimization.
c. compensation.
d. a passive strategy.
Two common age-related changes in the heart involve
a. the accumulation of fat deposits and stiffening of the heart tissue.
b. an increase in left ventricle size and a change in right ventricle shape.
c. an increase in systolic blood pressure and a decrease in diastolic blood pressure.
d. an increase in ventricular artery connections and a decrease in overall blood pressure.
Which theorist(s) described three parallel levels of personality structure and function?
a. McAdams
b. Hooker
c. Costa and McCrae
d. Jung
Discuss some of the demographic changes that will be apparent by 2030.
The MMSE, a useful screening measure for cognitive impairment, is one example of
a________.
Why might older people be more accepting of death than younger people?
________is usually divided into environmental, physical, psychological, and social
domains of well-being.
A person is said to have a_________ when a chronic condition affects a person’s ability
to engage
in necessary, expected, and desired activities.
According to McAdams, how does a life story develop over time?
The act of allowing a person to die by withholding an available treatment is known
as_______.
Many newly married couples experience their first serious marital stresses
around______issues.
Confronting a negative stereotype and rejecting that view in favor of a more positive
self-perception is called
_________________.
When we imagine what we might be like in the future, we are creating a______.
____________thought is similar to using the scientific method.
The effects of job loss vary with gender, education, and ethnicity. Explain.
What is collaborative cognition?
What are ADLs and IADLs?
The psychological aspect of coming to terms with bereavement is called_______.
How is culture an important factor in understanding intimate relationship violence?
One useful way to conceptualize family caregiving, such as caring for a relative with
Alzheimer’s, is by thinking of it as an __________________.
When a person ignores evidence of decline or blames it on something else he or she is
said to be engaging in
___________________.
Interventions such as removing loose floor rugs, ensuring sufficient light, and reducing
glare are important for reducing in older adults.
When conducting research, what ethical considerations should be taken into account?