Psychology Exam 8
Many studies suggest that declines in cognitive functioning occur in the years just before a person's death, regardless of their age. This is known as ______.
terminal decline
Which of the following statements reflects what a person would say in the first stage of Kübler-Ross' five stages of dying?
"The doctor is wrong. I need to get a second opinion. The doctor must have mixed my file up with someone else's."
According to recent research in healthy aging, what are the major causes of decrease in brain volume?
-shorter axons -shrinkage of neurons -fewer synapses
Which of the following has not been found to be an outcome for a person who has lost a spouse or intimate partner?
A consistent lack of prolonged grief
Which of the following statements are true regarding the definition of brain death? (choose all correct answers)
A flat EEG recording for a specified period of time is one criterion of brain death. A person can still have a heartbeat after the higher portions of the brain have died.
Which of the following is not identified as a component of a "good death"?
A hospital setting
Which of the following statements is correct regarding the development of a living will?
A living will must be drawn up by patients when they can think clearly.
Which of the following together account for 60% of deaths in older adults?
Cancer Heart disease
Which of the following is not one of the stages of dying according to Elisabeth Kübler-Ross' stages of dying?
Contemplation
When thinking of life reviews, which of the following sociocultural dimensions are included?
Culture Ethnicity Gender
Which of the following are a part of executive functioning?
Self-control Goal-directed behavior
Which term refers to perceived control over the environment and the ability to produce positive outcomes?
Self-efficacy
Carol has terminal cancer. She has read that eating certain foods has been found to prolong a person's life. Therefore she spends a great deal of time preparing meals for herself. She was given six months to live but has now exceeded that time. She owes it to her diet and perseverance. What can we expect of Carol's demeanor?
She will most likely be more alert and cheerful.
Memory that involves skills and routine procedures that are automatically performed is called ______ memory.
implicit
Memory without conscious recollection is called ______ memory.
implicit
Communication with someone who is dying should be directed toward
internal growth.
In the United States, ______ are more likely than ______ to die from the leading causes of death associated with lifestyle.
men; women
25 to 34 years of age 35 to 65 years of age 85 to 105 years of age 70 to 84 years of age
Work and friendship are more important than family. Family becomes more important than friends. Health becomes most important. Very little change occurs in personal investments.
Which of the following reactions have been found to follow after the death of a loved one?
Yearning Separation anxiety Pining
Those who provide care are increasingly interested in helping people experience
a "good death."
Making sense of the world becomes more important when the loss is a result of which causes?
a disaster violence---accident, homicide, or suicide
Assisted suicide requires the patient to self-administer the lethal medication, whereas active euthanasia involves ______ administering the lethal medication.
a physician or a third party
The program committed to making the end of life as free from pain, anxiety, and depression as possible is called ______ care.
hospice
The two most common chronic disorders in late adulthood are arthritis and .
hypertension or high blood pressure
__________ disease is a chronic, progressive type of dementia characterized by muscle tremors, slowing of movements, and partial facial paralysis.
Parkinson
What are the symptoms of Parkinson disease?
Partial facial paralysis Slowing of movements Muscle tremors
Abigail has incurable lung cancer. Her lungs no longer have the capacity to function without the aid of a respirator. She wants to be sedated and to have her respirator turned off. What has Abigail requested?
Passive euthanasia
What has been found to help dying individuals become more alert and cheerful?
Perceived control
______ in late adulthood is linked to an increase in physical and mental health problems.
Poverty
Betty is an 85-year-old health educator. She walks every day because she recognizes that, according to research, regular walking helps with which of the following?
Preserving mobility Reducing functional limitations Decreasing the onset of physical disability
Travis is experiencing the loss of his brother who died from cancer. He feels numb and as if the future does not hold anything for him without his brother. He cannot move on from the loss. What is Travis experiencing?
Prolonged grief
Which of the following is not consistent with the goals of a hospice program?
Prolonging life as long as possible
What does palliative care focus on?
Reducing pain and suffering
Which of the following are consequences of aging on the brain?
Reduction in some neurotransmitters Reduced number of synapses A slowing in the function of the brain and spinal cord
What is it called when an individual discusses past activities and experiences with another individual or group?
Reminiscence therapy
Which statements about older adults and their children are true?
Research on the emotional quality of parent-child relationships has shown mixed results. Adult children are an important part of their parents' social network.
______ older adults are less likely than ______ adults to need formal social supports.
Married; non-married
Gerontologists generally recommend that older adults engage in moderate-intensity physical activity for at least ______ per week.
2 hours and 30 minutes
People in which of the following age groups said they personally invested more time in work, friends, family, and independence, in that order?
25 to 34 years of age
On average, the brain loses ______ of its weight between the ages of 20 and 90.
5 to 10%
Researchers have found that dendritic growth no longer occurs in people in their ______.
90s
Robert is an 80-year-old man who has been given three months to live. He has requested to be left alone. When asked, he says that he is not feeling much physical pain and seems devoid of feeling. He realizes he is going to die and feels a sense of peace. Which of Kübler-Ross' five stages of dying is he in?
Acceptance
Which of the following is NOT a treatment for Parkinson disease?
Acetylcholine agonists
______ theory states that the more participatory and involved older adults are, the more likely they are to be satisfied with their lives.
Activity
Which of the following populations are at particular risk for poverty in late adulthood?
African Americans Latinos
What is it called when older adults are discriminated against because of their age?
Ageism
The most common form of dementia is ______ disease, a progressive, irreversible brain disorder characterized by a gradual deterioration of memory, reasoning, language, and physical functioning. (Watch your spelling!)
Alzheimer's
Which of the following are characteristic of a person in Kübler-Ross' fifth stage of dying?
An acceptance of one's fate A desire to be left alone A sense of peace
Which of the following is NOT a reason why men die sooner than women?
Androgen production
What is active euthanasia in which a physician gives the patient an intentional overdose of sedatives or painkillers also known as?
Assisted suicide
Rachel has been diagnosed with terminal cancer. She has been spending a lot of time at her church and praying to God. Specifically she has said to God that if she lives, she will donate half of her money to the church and volunteer at her local food pantry. Which of Kübler-Ross' stages of dying does this reflect?
Bargaining
Which of the following factors are important for successful aging?
Being socially active Having an active lifestyle Having cognitive stimulation
The field of _______ ________ relies on brain imaging techniques, such as fMRI, PET, and DTI to reveal areas of the brain that are activated when individuals engage in certain cognitive activities.
Blank 1: cognitive or cognative Blank 2: neuroscience, neurosciences, or nueroscience
______ death is said to occur when all electrical activity in the brain has ceased for a specified period of time.
Brain
What are the TWO primary goals of hospice care?
Bringing pain under control Helping dying patients face death in a psychologically healthy way
Which of the following descriptions applies to telomeres?
DNA sequences that cap chromosomes
Which two statements summarize the controversy regarding what experts argue should be the correct definition of brain death?
Death of higher cortical functioning should be sufficient for a brain death finding because those functions equal the "human being." Death of both the higher and lower portions of the brain should be necessary for a brain death determination.
What triggers Parkinson disease?
Degeneration of dopamine-producing neurons in the brain
is the global term used to describe a neurological disorder in which primary symptoms involve a deterioration of mental functioning.
Dementia
Which of the following are examples of adaptive features of the aging brain?
Dendritic growth Neurogenesis Decreased lateralization
What is the most common characteristic of Kübler-Ross' first stage of dying?
Denial
Which of the following statements best reflects the role of denial in the lives of individuals approaching death?
Denial is an adaptive strategy because it allows a person to delay dealing with impending death, which can help avoid shock.
Which of the following is not a common part of Kubler-Ross' second stage of dying?
Depression
Which of the following are the characteristics of Alzheimer disease?
Deterioration of physical functioning Gradual deterioration of memory Gradual deterioration of language
Which of the following statements best reflects the outcome of communicating about death with a dying person?
Discussing death openly with the dying individual has many benefits for the person.
What is the most beneficial type of communication one can have with a dying person?
Discussions regarding the strengths of the individual and preparation for the remainder of life
Gloria is an older woman who lives alone and doesn't go out often. She rarely has visitors. What is she at risk for?
Early death
What can 35-year-old Lucy do to avoid osteoporosis?
Eat foods rich in calcium Avoid smoking Exercise regularly
Which of the following are arguments that critics present against the funeral industry?
Embalming is a grotesque practice. Funeral directors are focused more on making money than on providing closure.
Which of the following are some of the main dimensions of memory that have been studied in terms of aging?
Episodic memory Semantic memory Source memory
Which theory of aging supports the idea that if Alzheimer disease occurred earlier in development, it might have been eliminated many centuries ago?
Evolutionary theory
__________ functioning includes cognitive inhibitions and working memory, which tend to decline in older adulthood.
Executive
______ includes a number of higher cognitive processes that allow people to maintain self-control and engage in goal-directed behavior.
Executive function
True or false: Experts believe that selective narrowing of social interactions is an unhealthy reaction to aging.
False
True or false: Kübler-Ross would recommend that loved ones try to cheer up the dying person in the fourth stage of dying, also known as the depression stage.
False
Which of the following is a common response from a person in Kübler-Ross' second stage of dying?
Feeling resentful towards healthy family members Asking the question "Why me?"
Understanding of the certainty of death appears in which stage of Kübler-Ross' five stages of dying?
Fourth stage: depression
Match the biological theory of aging with the proper description.
Free radical theory- aging occurs because cells produce unstable oxygen molecules that damage DNA mitochondrial theory- aging is caused by decay of tiny cellular bodies that supply energy for function, growth, and repair hormonal stress theory- aging lowers resistance to stress and increase the likelihood of disease cellular clock theory- aging results in cells becoming less capable of dividing and telomeres becoming shorter
_________ stress theory states that aging wears down certain internal body systems, which lowers resistance to stress and disease.
Hormonal
Exercise is linked to improved brain and cognitive functioning in older adults because it does which of the following?
Improves executive functioning Leads to improved memory
According to selective optimization with compensation theory, when do older adults need to compensate later in life?
In circumstances with high physical demands In circumstances with high mental demands When performing tasks that require quick reactions
Which of the following statements about differences in selective attention between younger and older adults is TRUE?
In general, younger adults are more adept at selective attention than older adults.
Which are symptoms of dementia?
Inability to care for oneself Inability to recognize familiar people Inability to recognize familiar surroundings
Which of the following are ways older adults are often perceived?
Incapable of thinking clearly Incapable of enjoying sex Incapable of learning new things
Which of the following are aspects of executive functioning that decline in late adulthood?
Inhibiting dominant or automatic responses Switching back and forth between tasks or mental sets
Why does the inclusion of the dying patient's family in hospice care benefit the family members?
It can diminish their guilt after the loved one's death.
Which of the following are treatments for arthritis?
Joint replacement Pain medications Exercise Weight loss
Which statements are true about social support in late adulthood?
Married adults are less likely than single adults to need home nursing care. Sources of social support vary across cultures.
Older adults use both hemispheres of the brain to compensate for which of the following performance declines?
Language Memory Attention
Lucille signed a living will when she was 65 years old and in good health. It stated that she wanted no extraordinary medical procedures to be used if doctors determined she would not recover. She was conscious of the ramifications of her decision. At the age of 85 she had a stroke in her brain stem and could no longer breathe for herself or take in food. Doctors determined that she would not recover respiration or digestion. Which of the following would be true in Lucille's case?
Lucille could be given sedatives and pain medications but should not be put on a ventilator or given a feeding tube.
Which of the following statements are true about emotion in late adulthood?
Older adults are better at ignoring negative information and remembering positive information. Contentment tends to increase in late adulthood, especially when people feel connected to loved ones.
Which of the following factors are likely to predict whether a culture accords a position of high status to older adults?
Older adults are integrated into extended families. There is role continuity throughout the lifespan. Older persons have valuable knowledge.
Which of the following statements is true?
Older adults are more likely to experience declines in explicit memory compared to implicit memory.
In selective optimization with compensation theory, to which concept does the term selection refer?
Older adults have a reduced capacity and loss of functioning, which require a reduction in performance in most life domains.
Which of the following statements best describe the findings of research into the role of friendship in the lives of older adults?
Older individuals with close ties to friends had increased longevity. The death of a spouse may be a catalyst for finding new friends.
Which of the following factors are likely to predict whether a culture accords a position of high status to older adults?
Older persons are permitted to engage in useful functions as long as possible The extended family is a common family arrangement in the culture Older persons control key family resources
The term refers to a chronic condition that involves an extensive loss of bone tissue.
Osteoporosis
Which of the following are consequences of aging on the brain?
Shorter axons Slower reflexes
About how long after the death of a loved one do most of the negative feelings associated with the death diminish?
Six months
Which factors are likely associated with the cause of Alzheimer disease?
Smoking High cholesterol Obesity Family history of Alzheimer disease
Which theory explains why older adults spend more time with close friends and family members?
Socioemotional selectivity theory
Which theory states that older adults narrow their social networks?
Socioemotional selectivity theory
Which of the following statements does not reflect how those dealing with the loss of a loved one tend to "make sense of the world" as a part of the grieving process?
Survivors of loss tend to wish to be alone immediately following the loss.
Which of the following is not an advantage of discussing death openly with a dying individual?
The dying person can avoid feeling depressed about impending death.
What does the activity theory state?
The more active and involved older adults are, the more likely they are to be satisfied with their lives.
In which of the following regions of the brain have researchers documented that neurogenesis occurs?
The olfactory bulb The hippocampus
Which statement is typical of how a person in Kübler-Ross' third stage of dying would react?
The person tries to negotiate in order to live a little longer.
Regarding older adults and exercise, which of the following statements is FALSE?
The rate of exercise among older people has increased dramatically in recent years.
Which of the following are policy issues affecting the United States as the population ages?
The status of the economy Access to health care Generational inequity
Which of the following is an argument that supporters present for holding funerals and other community events to remember the deceased?
They provide a form of closure for family members of the deceased.
In which of the following ways are older adults discriminated against?
They're not hired for new jobs They're eased out of old jobs They're shunned socially
True or false: A common occurrence is for family members to go over again and again all of the events that led up to the death as a part of the grieving process.
True
True or false: Although there are individual differences, research shows that seeing, hearing, and other aspects of sensory functioning are linked with the ability to perform everyday activities.
True
True or false: For the oldest-old (those aged 85 and older), there is some loss of plasticity that may hinder training cognitive skills.
True
True or false: The hormonal stress theory of aging states that aging wears down certain internal body systems, which lowers resistance to stress and increases the likelihood of disease.
True
Which of the following sensory functions decline as the result of aging?
Vision Smell Hearing
Which of the following are causal factors for osteoporosis?
Vitamin D deficiency Lack of exercise Calcium deficiency Estrogen deficiency
Which lifestyle activities may reduce the likelihood of developing Alzheimer disease?
Weight control Exercise Healthy diet
Thomas is an 88-year-old man with incurable cancer. He has been given approximately one month to live. He is suffering with intense pain and has asked that he be aided in taking a lethal dose of a medication to end his life. Thomas is asking for
active euthanasia.
Which of the following do gerontologists typically recommend for older adults?
aerobic activity strength training
Prejudice against others because of their age, especially prejudice against older adults, is called .
ageism
The MOST common chronic disorder in late adulthood is ______.
arthritis
is an inflammation of the joints accompanied by pain, stiffness, and movement problems.
arthritis
To compensate for declines in attention, memory, and language, older adults use ______ of the brain.
both hemispheres
The leading cause of death in adults between the ages of 65 and 74 is ______.
cancer
The biological theory of aging known as the _______ theory suggests that cells can divide a maximum number of about 75 to 80 times and that cells become less capable of dividing as people age.
cellular clock
Researchers have found that exercise improves functioning in older adults. For example, a recent study revealed that telomere length was greater in white blood cells when older adults had a higher level of physical activity during leisure time.
cellular or cell
Cellular _______ theory, also known as telomere theory, holds that cells can divide a maximum of about 75 to 80 times and that as people age, their cells become less capable of dividing.
clock
As they grow older, people tend to choose ______ friends over ______ friends.
close; new
The field of science that studies the links between the brain and cognitive functioning is called developmental __________ _________. (Watch your spelling!)
cognitive neuroscience
The field of science that studies the links between the brain and cognitive functioning is called developmental ___________ _________. (Watch your spelling!)
cognitive neuroscience
"Be willing to let others help you" is an example of a(n) ______ strategy for older adults.
compensation
In selective optimization with compensation theory, _____ strategies that can help older adults include searching for other ways to achieve what one wants, being willing to let others help, and trying new ways to achieve similar results.
compensation
In selective optimization with compensation theory, becomes relevant when life tasks require more capacity than an older adult currently exhibits.
compensation
Selective optimization with ______ theory states that older adults can produce new resources and allocate them effectively to the tasks they want to master.
compensation
Which of the following personality traits are linked to longer life?
conscientiousness extraversion
In the ________ model of social relations, individuals go through life embedded in a personal network of individuals to whom they give and from whom they receive social support.
convoy
The memory of facts and experiences that individuals consciously know and can state is called _ memory.
declarative
The receiving portion of the neuron is the __________. Researchers have found that growth in these areas can occur even in older adults.
dendrite
can play an adaptive role by insulating a dying individual against intense feelings of anger and hurt, but it can also function as a maladaptive strategy.
denial
Selective attention is defined as ______.
focusing on a specific aspect of experience that is relevant while ignoring others that are irrelevant
List Elisabeth Kübler-Ross' five stages of dying in order from beginning to end, with the first stage at the top.
denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance.
When an individual's grief over a deceased person is a socially ambiguous loss that cannot be openly mourned it is called ______ grief. (Make sure to spell correctly to get full credit!)
disenfranchised
When an individual's grief over a deceased person is a socially ambiguous loss that cannot be openly mourned it is called
disenfranchised grief.
Evidence suggests that training cognitive skills is ______.
effective for many older adults
Because they place a high value on ______, older adults spend more time with familiar individuals with whom they have had rewarding relationships.
emotional satisfaction
Successful aging involves self-efficacy, or perceived control over the _________.
environment
The number of years that an average person born in a specific year will most likely live is called "life _."
expectancy
Recalling the experiences you had on vacation, or being at a mall and remembering what you wanted to buy are examples of ___ memory.
explicit
Compared with younger adults, older adults experience ______.
fewer emotional highs and lows
Sustained attention is defined as ______.
focused and extended engagement with an object, task, or some other aspect of the environment
Compared with younger adults, older adults show greater activity in the ______ and parietal regions of the brain while engaging in tasks such as attention.
frontal
Which of the following are biological theories of aging?
genetic/cellular process theories hormonal stress theory evolutionary theory
Roger's wife just passed away. He has responded to the loss by repeatedly saying, "I can't believe it," and exhibiting deep despair by crying and sighing. Roger is experiencing ______.
grief
The emotional numbness, disbelief, separation anxiety, despair, sadness, and loneliness that accompany the loss of someone we love is called _____.
grief
Researchers have found that older adults with children ______.
have more contact with their families
Some experts believe that death should be declared once (higher/lower) portions of the brain have ceased to function even though breathing and heart rate may continue.
higher
According to the evolutionary theory of aging, natural selection has not eliminated many harmful conditions and nonadaptive characteristics in older adults because natural selection ______.
is linked to reproductive fitness
Compared to explicit memory, implicit memory is _____ likely to be affected by age.
less
Generally, older adults are ______ younger adults at selective attention.
less adept than
The number of years that a person born in a particular year will probably live is called ____.
life expectancy
Judy reminisces about when her children were young. She reveals to her daughter that she often felt tired and discouraged during those times. Seeing her children as parents helps Judy to realize that she was and is a good mother. This is an aspect of Judy's ______.
life review
Women are more likely than men to develop Alzheimer disease, primarily because they ______.
live longer
When a death is caused by an accident or a disaster, the effort to ______ is pursued more vigorously.
make sense of it
Exercise can increase _________ and mass _________ and decrease ________fragility.
muscle, bone, bone
Adaptive features of the aging brain include delateralization of the brain, dendritic growth, and ______.
neurogenesis
The formation of new neurons is called _______ . (Make sure to spell it correctly in order to get credit!)
neurogenesis
The noncognitive influences on memory include all of the following, EXCEPT ______.
neurotransmitters
According to the selective optimization with compensation theory, ______ suggests that it is possible to maintain performance in some areas through continued practice and the use of new technologies.
optimization
Selective with compensation theory states that older adults can produce new resources and allocate them effectively to tasks they want to master. (Watch your spelling!)
optimization
When referring to the selective optimization with compensation theory, ________ suggests that it is possible to maintain performance in some areas through continued practice and the use of new technologies.
optimization
Which disorder involves extensive loss of bone tissue?
osteoporosis
Reducing pain and helping individuals die with dignity is the goal of
palliative care.
Research shows that regular physical activity helps improve older adults' ______ functioning.
physical and cognitive
The state of the economy, the provision of health care, and generational inequity are examples of ______ issues in an aging society.
policy
Which of the following are reasons why African American and Latino adults are at particular risk in late adulthood?
poverty racism lower educational attainment
Enduring despair that remains unresolved over an extended period of time is called ______.
prolonged grief
Which of the following outcomes have researchers linked to poverty in late adulthood?
rease in physical and mental health problems Lower levels of physical and cognitive fitness Increased risk of earlier death
High levels of conscientiousness in older adults are linked to ______.
reduced mortality rates
Therapy that involves discussing past activities and experiences with another individual or group is called therapy. (Watch your spelling!)
reminiscense
Patterns of neural decline with aging are larger for ______.
retrieval than encoding
In selective optimization with compensation theory, ______ refers to older adults having a reduced capacity and loss of functioning, which require a reduction in performance in most life domains.
selection
Focusing attention on a relevant piece of information while ignoring other, irrelevant information is known as attention. (Remember to type only one word per blank.)
selective
The convoy model of social relations is best described as a personal network of individuals to whom one gives and from whom one receives ______ support.
social
The term _____ refers to the maximum number of years that an individual can live.
span
The term life refers to the maximum number of years that an individual can live.
span
When a person reports financial loss, loneliness, increased physical illness, and a psychological disorder such as depression after a loss, one could assume that the person who died was the person's
spouse.
Focused and extended engagement with an object, task, event, or some other aspect of the environment is called _________ attention.
sustained
Recent research on cellular clock theory has determined that the tips of chromosomes called become shorter each time a cell divides, after about 70 or 80 divisions, they are dramatically reduced, and the cell can no longer reproduce.
telomeres
Many studies suggest that declines in cognitive functioning occur in the years just before a person's death, regardless of their age. This is known as __________ decline.
terminal
