Socioemotional Development in Late Adulthood, Death, Dying, and Grieving

Toddlerhood (Autonomy vs. shame: will)

Acceptance of the cycle of life, from integration to disintegration.

Integrity vs. despair

According to Erikson, the positive resolution of which developmental stage culminates in appreciation of interdependence and relatedness in old age?

high level of neuroticism

According to new studies, which of the Big Five factors of personality was linked to an increased risk of older adults' developing Alzheimer disease across a 6-year time frame?

Status of the economy

Concern is that U.S. economy cannot bear the burden of older people who are generally consumers

Reminiscence therapy

Discussing past activities and experiences with another individual or group-used by clinicians in work with elderly

Old age (Integrity vs. despair: wisdom)

Existential identity; a sense of integrity strong enough to withstand physical disintegration.

Possible Triple Jeopardy

Female ethnic minority older adults-ageism, sexism, racism

Findings stronger for women than men

Individuals with close ties to friends were less likely to die across a seven-year age span

Erikson's theory

Integrity vs. despair: This involves reflecting on the past and either piecing together a positive review or concluding that one's life has not been well spent -Eighth and final stage of development, which individuals experience in late adulthood -Life review -Regrets

Cremation is most popular in

Japan and other Asian countries

Which of the following religions has a program of mourning that is divided into graduated time periods, each with its appropriate practices?

Judaism

Friendship are more important than family in predicting mental health

Likely to provide emotional intimacy & companionship, integration into community

Life review

Looking back at one's life experiences, evaluating them, and interpreting/reinterpreting them

Health care

USA: Older adults increases the health care cost considerably; more chronic illnesses; more & longer hospital stays; increasing cost of Alzheimer disease; medical system still based on "cure" rather than "care" model which should be home-based & which requires new type of cooperative relationship between healthcare personnel & patient's family members

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 statements are true regarding the definition of brain death?

a person can still have a heartbeat after the higher portions of the brain have died; flat EEG recording for a specified period of time is one criterion of brain death

The grief process is best characterized as

a roller coaster

Monica is an adult who has been asked what she would do if she only had six months to live. She responds that she would travel to Italy, go sky-diving, and volunteer at the Salvation Army. Based on studies evaluating attitudes toward death in adulthood, Monica is most likely to be

a younger adult

Which of the following statements is true regarding cultural diversity in healthy grieving?

all cultures have unique reactions to the deceased

In addition to acceptance, which of the following are characteristic of a person in Kübler-Ross' fifth stage of dying?

an acceptance of one's fate, a sense of peace, and a desire to be left alone

Which of the following has NOT been identified as a possible outcome related to children who lose a parent?

an easier understanding of death after the initial loss

As compared to other cultures, children in the United States

are not exposed to death

"Easy death" and "mercy killing" are other descriptors for

euthanasia

Optimization Strategies

it is possible to maintain performance in some areas through continued practice and the use of new technologies -Keep working on what you have planned until you are successful. -Persevere and keep trying until you reach your goal. -When you want to achieve something, you may need to be patient until the right moment arrives.

Proponents of assisted suicide and euthanasia argue that it

is a dignified death that ends prolonged suffering

Which of the following statements is consistent with the death system in the United States?

it is common to reach adulthood without having seen someone die

Prolonged grief disorder is more prevalent among ______ individuals.

older

Kevin is an adult who has been asked what he would want to accomplish if he had only six months to live. He says he'd spend his time meditating and contemplating the meaning of his life. Kevin is most likely in what phase of the life span?

older adulthood

Which age group is most likely to die from chronic diseases, such as heart disease and cancer?

older adults

Which of the following statements is true regarding the causes of death for young, middle, and older adults?

older adults often die as a result of diseases that incapacitate before they kill

Which part of the dual-process model of coping with bereavement involves helping the survivor master new skills such as learning how to do routine home maintenance?

restoration-oriented stressors

Which of the following are part of the dual-process model of coping with bereavement?

restoration-oriented stressors and loss-oriented stressors

Which statement is true when evaluating the experiences that dying individuals face?

scientific advances have made dying prolonged and complicated

The diverse grieving patterns that people display are culturally embedded practices.

true

True or false: Among the Hopi of Arizona, the deceased are forgotten as quickly as possible and life carries on as usual.

true

True or false: In childhood, death occurs most often because of accidents or illness.

true

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."

Theories of Socioemotional Development & Aging

(1) Erikson's theory (2) Activity theory (since 1960s) (3) Socioemotional selectivity theory (Laura Carstensen, 1998, 2016) (4) Selective optimization with compensation theory (Paul Baltes & colleagues, 2003, 2006)

higher sense of integrity.

A recent meta-analysis of 128 studies found that through reminiscence therapy, clients attained a:

Successful aging is linked with three main factors (SOC)/Strategies for effectively engaging in SOC

-Selection Strategies -Optimization Strategies -Compensation Strategies

Degree of Personal Life Investment at Different Points in Life (Ursula Staudinger, 1996)

-25 to 34 Years: Work, Friends, Family, Independence -35 to 54 Years: Family, Work, Friends, Cognitive fitness -55 to 65 Years: Family, Health, Friends, Cognitive fitness -70 to 84 Years: Family, Health, Cognitive fitness, Friends -85 to 105 Years: Health, Family, Thinking about life, Cognitive fitness

Older Adult Parents & their Adult Children

-80% of older adults have living children, many of whom are middle-aged -Adult daughters are more likely to be involved in the lives of aging parents -Adult children often coordinate and monitor services for aging disabled parents -Relationship between aging parents & their adult children

Self-Esteem tends to decline significantly in the 70s and 80s because of

-Being widowed, institutionalized, or physically impaired -Having a low religious commitment -Declining health

Altruism and Volunteerism

-Burr (2009): older adults more likely than any other age group to volunteer more than 100 hours annually -Older adults who had persistently low or declining feelings of usefulness to others had an increased risk of earlier death -Volunteering is associated with a number of positive outcomes

Volunteering is associated with a number of positive outcomes

-Constructive activities -Productive roles -Social integration -Enhanced meaningfulness

Social Support

-Convoy Model of Social Relations -For Older Adults: is related to their physical & mental health -This support for older adults can be provided by different adults

Regrets

-Education, careers, marriages, finance/money, family conflict and children's problems, loss and grief, and health -Making downward social comparisons -Resolving regrets following the death of a loved one -Reminiscence therapy

Ethnicity

-Elderly ethnic minority individuals face both ageism and racism -Despite stress and discrimination many ethnic minority individuals have developed coping mechanisms that allow them to survive

Seven factors likely to predict high status for older adults in a culture (Sangree 1989)

-Have valuable knowledge -Control key family/community resources -Engage in useful/valued functions as long as possible -Role continuity throughout the life span -Age-related role changes that give greater responsibility, authority, and advisory capacity -Extended family -Respect for older adults

Three factors are important in living the "good life" as an older adult (in many cultures)

-Health -Security -Kinship/Support

Married Older Adults

-In 2016, 57.8% of U.S. adults over 65 years were married -Marital satisfaction is greater in older adults than middle-aged adults -Older adults who are married or partnered are usually happier and live longer than those who are single -Retirement alters a couple's lifestyle -More likely to find themselves having to care for a sick partner with a limiting health condition

Divorced & Remarried Older Adults

-In USA, 2015: 13% of women and 11% of men 65 years and older were divorced/separated; divorced men more likely to remarry than divorced women -Divorce has social, financial, and physical consequences -Remarriage is increasing due to

Two important classes of goals

-Knowledge-related -Emotional

Friendship

-Late adulthood: new are less likely to be forged and close friends are chosen over new friends -Are more important than family in predicting mental health -Activities with friends increased positive affect & life satisfaction in older adults -Individuals with close ties to friends were less likely to die across a seven-year age span

Self-Control

-Majority of adults in their 60s and 70s reported being in control of their lives -Having high sense of control of their lives is linked to better cognitive performance in older adults -Plays important role in older adults' engagement in health-promoting activities

Lifestyle Diversity

-Married Older Adults -Divorced & Remarried Older Adults -Cohabiting older adults -Attachment -Older Adult Parents & their Adult Children

Activity theory (since 1960s)

-More active and involved older adults are, more likely they are to be satisfied with their lives -Individuals will achieve greater life satisfaction if they continue their middle adulthood roles into late adulthood -Research findings strongly support this theory

Elderly ethnic minority individuals face both ageism and racism

-More likely to become ill but less likely to receive treatment -Many never reach the age of eligibility for Social Security and Medicare benefits

Ageism is widespread

-More men show ageism than women -Disrespect for the elderly most common form

Socioemotional selectivity theory (Laura Carstensen, 1998, 2016)

-Older adults become more selective about their social networks. Because they place a high value on emotional satisfaction, often spending more time with familiar individuals with whom they have had rewarding relationships -Two important classes of goals -Trajectory for each type of goal is different

Social Integration

-Older adults have fewer peripheral social contacts and more emotionally positive contacts with friends and family -Low level is linked with coronary heart disease in older adults -Being lonely & isolated is a significant health risk factor

Stereotyping older adults

-Prejudice against others because of their age, especially prejudice against older adults (Ageism) -Older adults suffer painful discriminations -Ageism is widespread

Remarriage is increasing due to

-Rising divorce rates -Increased longevity -Better health

Erikson's View of how Positive Resolution of the Eight Stages of the Human Life Span can Culminate in Wisdom and Integrity in Old Age

-School age (Industry vs. inferiority: competence) -Early childhood (Initiative vs. guilt: purpose) -Toddlerhood (Autonomy vs. shame: will) -Infancy (Basic trust vs. mistrust: hope) -Old age (Integrity vs. despair: wisdom) -Middle adulthood (Generativity vs. stagnation: care) -Early adulthood (Intimacy vs. isolation: love) -Adolescence (Identity vs. confusion: fidelity)

The Self and Society

-Self-Esteem -Self-Control

Gender

-Some developmentalists (e.g. Gutmann, 1975) believe that there is decreasing femininity in women and decreasing masculinity in men during late adulthood -Older adult females face ageism and sexism (Double jeopardy) -Possible Triple Jeopardy

Social Policy Issues in an Aging Society

-Status of the economy -Health care -Eldercare -Generational Inequity -Income

Older Adults in Society

-Stereotyping older adults -Social Policy Issues in an Aging Society

Selective optimization with compensation theory (Paul Baltes & colleagues, 2003, 2006)

-Successful aging is linked with three main factors (SOC) -Strategies for effectively engaging in SOC -Attainment of MEANINGFUL goal that makes life satisfying -Staudinger (1996) assessed personal life investments of 25- to 105-year-olds

Self-Esteem

-Tends to decline significantly in the 70s and 80s because of -Throughout most of lifespan, males higher than females -But in 70s & 80s, both genders converged -Recent studies: Older adults had higher self-esteem when they had youthful identity & positive personal experiences (Westerhof, Whitbourne & Freemen, 2012); Older adults with high self-esteem likely to be characterized by successful aging factors (Cha, Seo, & Sok, 2012)

Culture

-Three factors are important in living the "good life" as an older adult (in many cultures) -Seven factors likely to predict high status for older adults in this context (Sangree 1989)

Cohabiting older adults

-USA: 2016, 4 million 50 years & older cohabiting; 1960 hardly any; figure is expected to increase further -Mainly for companionship than love -Any health difference between cohabitating & married couples?

Great-Grandparenting

-USA: Now four-generation family is more common -Great-grandparents can transmit family history -Little research

Generational Inequity

-View that our aging society is being unfair to its younger members because older adults are receiving an inequitably large allocation of resources > intergenerational conflict -_ refers to the view that our aging society is being unfair to its younger members because older adults pile up advantages by receiving an inequitably large allocation of resources.

Any health difference between cohabitating & married couples?

-Waite (2005): 8,000 51-61 year-old adults: no health difference between the 2 groups -Brown et. al. (2005): Age 50 years & older: cohabiting individuals more depressed than married ones -Noel-Miller (2011): cohabiting older adults less likely to receive partner care than married older adults

List Elisabeth Kübler-Ross' five stages of dying in order from beginning to end, with the first stage at the top.

1. denial and isolation 2. anger 3. bargaining 4. depression 5. acceptance

Tracy has been talking to her father about death after having experienced the death of her grandfather. She asks her dad if he thinks that her grandfather saw a bright white light and went to heaven. She also asks her father if he thinks she could talk to her grandfather through a spiritual medium. How old do you think Tracy is?

13

The highest risk of sudden infant death syndrome occurs at what age?

2 to 4 months of age

How many years longer might a person born today expect to live compared to a person born in 1900?

32

According to recent research, children as young as ______ understand the irreversibility of death and that it involves a cessation of mental and physical functioning.

4 to 5

More than ______ percent of Americans die in hospitals in a given year.

50

The average life expectancy in the United States for a person born in 1900 was 47 years, whereas today it is

79

What percentage of survivors experience normal grief reactions?

80 to 90 percent

Relationship between aging parents & their adult children

Ambivalence: -Positive side -Negative side -Ambivalence increases if in-laws involved, those in poor health, adult children who had poor parental relationship in early life

Which cultural group typically tries to avoid and/or deny death?

Americans

The _____ culture calmly accepts death, takes care of virtually all aspects of the funeral, and provides fellowship and work projects to the bereaved family.

Amish

Infancy (Basic trust vs. mistrust: hope)

Appreciation of interdependence and relatedness.

Trajectory for each type of goal is different

As older adults perceive that they have less time left, they spend more time pursuing emotional satisfaction

Personality

Big 5 Factors -Conscientiousness predicts lower mortality risk from childhood through late adulthood -Low conscientiousness and high neuroticism predicts earlier death -Higher conscientiousness, extraversion, and openness were related to a lower risk of earlier death

Middle adulthood (Generativity vs. stagnation: care)

Caring for others, and empathy and concern.

Being lonely & isolated is a significant health risk factor

Greater risk of being inactive, smoking, & engaging in other health-risk behavior

Social support is related to older adults' physical & mental health

Higher level of social support related to lower probability of older adult being institutionalized & depressed, to later cognitive decline

School age (Industry vs. inferiority: competence)

Humility; acceptance of the course of one's life and unfulfilled hopes.

Early childhood (Initiative vs. guilt: purpose)

Humor; empathy; resilience.

Successful Aging

Many abilities can be maintained and/or improved in older adults due to: -Proper diet -Active lifestyle -Mental stimulation and flexibility -Positive coping skills -Good social relationships and support -Absence of disease -Self-efficacy & positive view of oneself

Convoy Model of Social Relations

Model in which individuals go through life embedded in a personal network of individuals to whom they give and from whom they receive social support (Antonucci & Others, 2016; Antonucci & Webster, 2019)

Monique's mother has recently passed away, and Monique needs to talk to her 5-year-old son about his grandmother's death. Which of the following strategies would a psychologist most likely suggest?

Monique should be honest with her son about his grandmother's death and answer any questions he might have

Retirement alters a couple's lifestyle

Needs adaptation particularly in traditional family structure in which husband works & wife is homemaker > both partners need to move toward more egalitarian roles

Isolation, family conflicts, abuse, neglect, caregiver stress

Negative relationship between aging parents & their adult children

Older adults suffer painful discriminations

Not hired for new jobs; might be shunned socially; pushed out of family life

Selection Strategies

Older adults have a reduced capacity and loss of functioning, which require a reduction in performance in most life domains -Focus on the most important goal at a particular time. -Think about what you want in life and commit yourself to one or two major goals. -Realize that to reach a particular goal, you may need to abandon other goals.

Compensation Strategies

Older adults need to compensate when life tasks require a higher level of capacity -When things don't go the way they used to, search for other ways to achieve what you want. -If things don't go well for you, be willing to let others help you. -When things don't go as well as in the past, keep trying other ways until you can achieve results that are similar to what you accomplished earlier in your life.

Living arrangements

Older adults who can sustain themselves living alone often have good health and few disabilities

Prejudice against older adults (Ageism)

Perceived as cannot think clearly, learn new things, enjoy sex, contribute to community, hold responsible jobs

Eldercare

Physical and emotional caretaking for older members of the family, whether by giving day-to-day physical assistance or by being responsible for overseeing such care.

Love, reciprocal help, shared values

Positive relationship between aging parents & their adult children

Income

Poverty is linked to an increase in physical and mental health problems -Living arrangements -Technology

Technology

Reduces the likelihood of being depressed by one-third: 2016-67% of US elderly adults used internet

Attachment

Research review (Van Assche & others, 2013) in older adults found: -Older adults have fewer this relationships than younger ones -For them, this security is associated with greater psychological & physical well-being than this anxiety -Insecure of this linked to more perceived negative caregiver burden in caring for patients with Alzheimer disease -In longitudinal study of individuals 13-72 years, this anxiety declined in middle-aged & older adults; being in a relationship linked to lower rates of this anxiety & this avoidance across adulthood

Adolescence (Identity vs. confusion: fidelity)

Sense of complexity of life; merger of sensory, logical, and aesthetic perception.

Early adulthood (Intimacy vs. isolation: love)

Sense of complexity of relationships; value of tenderness and loving freely.

Family, friends, formal

Social support for older adults can be provided by different adults

Older men often become more feminine, but women do not necessarily become more masculine

Some developmentalists (e.g. Gutmann, 1975) believe that there is decreasing femininity in women and decreasing masculinity in men during late adulthood

Selection

The model of selective optimization with compensation proposes that successful aging is related to three main factors. Which of these factors is based on the concept that, in old age, there is a reduced capacity and loss of functioning that mandate a reduction of performance in most domains of life?

Adolescents develop more ______ conceptions of death than children do.

abstract

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 are the most common causes of death in childhood?

accidents and illness

Which of the following is NOT a component of the death system as described by Robert Kastenbaum?

actions

The deliberate administration of a drug overdose to a patient may be considered

active euthanasia

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

According to many religious individuals, euthanasia and assisted suicide are

acts of murder

A legal document stating that life sustaining procedures shall not be used to prolong a person's life when death is imminent is called a(n)

advance directive

Which of the following beliefs regarding death is consistent with the view of most societies?

after the biological body has died, the spiritual body lives on

Many adolescent deaths that occur as a result of a motor vehicle accident involve

alcohol

Which of the following often become a part of Kubler-Ross' second stage of dying?

envy, anger, and resentment

Which of the following involves a physician supplying the information and/or means for patients to cause their own death but requires the patients to self-administer those means and to determine when and where to do it?

assisted suicide

Where do most individuals say they would rather die?

at home

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 can help children deal with the loss of a person who was close to them?

bereavement support program

______ 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 and helping dying patients face death in a psychologically healthy way

Which of the following is NOT considered to be a common cause of death in adolescence?

cancer

In the Gond culture of India, death is believed to be

caused by magic and demons

The determination of death in recent decades is

complex because signs of death are not always clear

Which of the following is NOT one of the stages of dying according to Elisabeth Kübler-Ross' stages of dying?

contemplation

In the majority of U.S. states and in most countries, euthanasia and assisted suicide are

criminal acts

Which of the following is a common criticism of the concept of a "good death"?

death is not a single event, but rather a process that takes place over years

Which two statements summarize the controversy regarding what experts argue should be the correct definition of brain death?

death of both the higher and lower portions of the brain should be necessary for a brain death determination; death of higher cortical functioning should be sufficient for a brain death finding because those functions equal the "human being"

_____ 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

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

The most common characteristic of Kübler-Ross' first stage of dying is

denial.

Which of the following examples is NOT consistent with how the American culture denies death?

disbelief in the afterlife

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

In the ______ model of coping, effective coping with bereavement often involves an oscillation between coping with loss and coping with restoration.

dual-process

Which of the following refers to a model of coping with bereavement that emphasizes oscillation between two dimensions: (1) loss-oriented stressors, and (2) restoration-oriented stressors?

dual-process model

Thirty years ago, the determination of whether someone was dead was based on the

end of certain biological functions like breathing and blood pressure

Higher-SES non-Latino White parents are more likely than immigrant Mexican American parents to talk about death with their children.

false

Prolonged grief disorder is classified as a psychiatric disorder according to the DSM-V.

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

True or false: People of all ages can understand that death is irreversible and final.

false

Which of the following are common for a person in Kübler-Ross' second stage of dying?

feeling resentful toward healthy family members and 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

Which of the following are arguments that critics present against the funeral industry?

funeral directors are focused more on making money than on providing closure; embalming is a grotesque practice

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 best described as

grief

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

Which of the following is NOT an appropriate strategy for communicating with a dying person?

insist that the person accept death

Communication with someone who is dying should be directed toward

internal growth

The dual-process model of coping with bereavement that has been developed for families focuses on which of the following?

legal consequences, reduced finances, and changed relationships

Which of the following may be a part of advance care planning?

living will, advance directive, POLST

Positive and negative reappraisals of one's loss are associated with _____-oriented stressors in the dual-process model of coping.

loss

Which of the following statements is consistent with the experiences that many dying individuals face near the time of death

many health care professionals have not been trained to provide adequate end-of-life care

At which point in adulthood is the fear of death the greatest?

middle adulthood

Realistic and accurate perceptions of death, such as understanding that its cause is biological in nature, develop in

middle and late childhood

In the Amish community, who takes care of notifying others of a death?

neighbors

Which statements are most accurate regarding feelings and thoughts about death in adulthood?

older adults talk about death in conversation more than any other age group; older adults examine the meaning of life and death more frequently than younger adults

Which of the following describes the act of euthanasia?

painlessly ending someone's life

How does assisted suicide differ from active euthanasia?

patients administer the lethal medication to themselves

Which of the following statements is true regarding living wills and advance directives?

people can state in a living will that they want to have all possible life sustaining procedures performed

What has been found to help dying individuals become more alert and cheerful?

perceived control

Psychologists prefer to describe Kübler-Ross' stages as ______ to dying.

potential reactions

Which of the following statements captures the reality of the death system in developing nations such as India and in parts of Africa?

poverty, illness, and conflict make death impossible to deny as a daily reality

Which of the following is a funeral trend in the United States?

private funerals followed by a memorial ceremony

Which of the following statements are consistent with the occurrence of death in the United States today?

professionals care for dying individuals; people's exposure to death is minimized; most people die in institutions or hospitals

Enduring despair that remains unresolved over an extended period of time is called ______ disorder.

prolonged grief

Travis is experiencing the loss of his brother who died from cancer 18 months ago. He has reported feeling a numbness, believes that the future does not hold anything for him without his brother, and cannot move on from the loss. Of which of the following might Travis be suffering?

prolonged grief disorder

Palliative care focuses on

reducing pain and suffering.

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

For many children, the death of a ______ can have similar outcomes as the loss of a parent.

sibling

What type of emotional reactions can be expected after the sudden accidental death of a child?

sleep disturbances, nightmares, and other symptoms of trauma, grief that is more intense and prolonged than a death that is not unexpected, and post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms

What is the leading cause of infant death in the United States?

sudden infant death syndrome

Hospices are more likely to serve people with ______ than those with other life-threatening conditions.

terminal cancer

Which of the following statements is most accurate with regard to attitudes toward death?

the ages of children and adults influence the way they experience and think about death

Which of the following deaths typically would be LEAST likely to result in an intense and prolonged grieving process for the survivors, due to its nature?

the death of a grandparent from a serious disease

Components such as people (clergy), places (Vietnam Memorial Wall), times (9/11/2001), objects (wearing black in mourning), and symbols (skull and crossbones) are all part of what Robert Kastenbaum calls

the death system

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

Hospice care occurs most often in

the home

Which of the following is a true statement about the legality of assisted suicide in the United States?

the legality of assisted suicide is a decision left up to each state

Which of the following statements is the most accurate representation of the mourning practices in traditional Judaism?

the observance of all mourning practices is required of the spouse and the immediate blood relatives

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

Which of the following statements accurately reflects how psychologists today utilize Kubler-Ross' five stages of dying?

the stages are typically used not as stages but as potential reactions to dying

Michael is an 80-year-old man who gets together with his friends over coffee every Friday morning. Their conversations typically revolve around friends who have died, what they have accomplished in their lives, and talking about funerals. In general, why do they do this when they did not talk this way when they were in their fifties?

the subject of death has taken on an appropriateness it lacked in earlier years; some of his friends are more likely to have lost a spouse; the talk helps Michael and his friends accept death

Which of the following statements most accurately reflects the views of grieving across cultures?

there is no right, ideal way to grieve; each culture grieves differently

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

Which of the following is an appropriate strategy to use when communicating with a dying person?

you should allow the person to reminisce