Module 11

_____ is expert knowledge about the practical aspects of life that permits practical judgment about important matters.

Wisdom

From their studies, Paul Baltes and his colleagues have drawn several conclusions about wisdom. Which is NOT one of them?

Wisdom is common in older adults.

Which of the following statements about the relationship between semantic memory, episodic memory, and aging is TRUE?

Episodic memory declines more than semantic memory in older adults.

_____ memory is memory without conscious recollection.

Implicit

_____ attention is focused and extended engagement with an object, task, event, or some other aspect of the environment.

Sustained

Octavia, Phaedra, and Sylvia, three married women, live in the same neighborhood. Octavia just moved in and has several new friends. Phaedra doesn't have a best friend, whereas Sylvia has known her best friend for years. Research on friendships in older adulthood would predict that:

Sylvia is happiest.

Which is true regarding drug treatment for Alzheimer disease?

The drugs may slow the worsening of Alzheimer symptoms for approximately 6 to 12 months.

According to the socioemotional selectivity theory, why do older adults deliberately increase the time spent with close friends and family members?

They place a high value on emotional satisfaction.

According to Erikson's theory, a sense of integrity develops from:

a life review that reveals a picture of a life well spent.

Vashti believes that the more energetic and involved older adults are, the more likely they are to be satisfied with their lives. Thus, she believes in:

activity theory.

According to SOC theory, when life tasks require more energy or ability than is possible, the older adult must engage in:

compensation

Sally, now 64 years old, is telling her granddaughter about what it was like to ride on a train instead of a plane. Sally is recalling _____ memories.

episodic

The retention of information about experiences we have had is called _____ memory.

episodic

Lionel, 81 years old, has pain from arthritis that makes it harder for him to do things around the house. According to research on social support, most of his help with routine needs will come from:

family members.

According to Erikson, dwelling on regrets in life may lead to:

feelings of despair.

A local community center is starting a "meet and greet" night specifically for older adults whose spouses have died. If their attendance matches U.S. statistics, they will have _____ times as many women as men.

four

Gerry, 72 years old, is feeling sluggish and mentally cloudy because he is having trouble sleeping. His nurse practitioner tells Gerry that many older adults are able to improve their sleep by:

getting regular exercise.

Jace has been diagnosed with _____, a condition characterized by damage to the optic nerve due to buildup of fluid in the eye.

glaucoma

Cynthia is 91 years old. Her optic nerves have been damaged due to buildup of fluid in the eye. The doctor has told her that her condition can be treated with eye drops. The disease that has impaired Cynthia's vision is:

glaucoma.

Harriett has been playing piano at church for most of her adult life. She can play many songs without thinking about it. In fact, she can carry on a conversation while she is playing. The songs are in her _____ memory.

implicit

A potential benefit of working in an occupation with a high level of mental demand is:

improved cognitive functioning.

Chad and his dad are watching the news. He notices his dad is almost constantly moving—drinking water, playing with the dog, commenting on the dimness of the lights. Later when Chad wants to discuss a story they heard on the news, his father can't remember much of it due to his:

increased distractibility.

Compared to when they were younger, older adults are _____ effective at engaging in cognitive control.

less

Erikson believed that older adults use their impending death as a motivation to look back and evaluate their life. This form of retrospection is what many theorists call:

life review.

How is ethnicity linked to life outcomes for older Americans? Ethnic minority members are less likely than Whites to:

live long, healthy lives due to the multiple risks they face.

Compared to their peers, older adults who are married are likely to:

live longer.

Gladys has _____ that keeps her from seeing what is directly in her line of sight. She has learned to turn her eyes so that she can see with her peripheral vision. It is annoying, but she tells herself that it is better than having no sight at all.

macular degeneration

Around 60% of U.S. adults over age 65 are:

married.

The tiny bodies within cells that supply essential energy for function, growth, and repair are known as:

mitochondria

Barnaby's physical and psychological functioning peaked in midlife, plateaued until his late fifties, and then modestly declined until his eighties. At the end of his life Barnaby's functioning declined dramatically. His story reflects:

normal aging.

In a study of older adults at 70, 78, and 85, the MOST consistent factor that predicted loneliness was:

not being married.

Salina walks with a marked stoop now that she is old. This is most likely due to:

osteoporosis.

alen's story of aging is one of early decline. In midlife he developed cardiovascular disease that dominated his quality of life. Later, he developed mild cognitive impairment and then Alzheimer disease, and died younger than most of his peers. His story reflects:

pathological aging.

Jessica, 84 years old, was hesitant to try to learn to use the Internet at her age. Her daughter read her some recent research showing that older adults who use the Internet:

perform better on cognitive tasks than those who don't use the Internet.

Age-related decreases in working memory and other higher cognitive functions are associated with shrinkage in what part of the brain?

prefrontal cortex

Stacy is a director of a senior center. Every week she leads a group where the elders discuss past activities and experiences. The members of the group are encouraged to share anecdotes, old pictures, and other family memorabilia that remind them of significant events in their past. Stacy's group is a form of:

reminiscence therapy.

Morgan is a full-time caregiver for her father who has Alzheimer disease. Today her father will be transferred to a nursing home for a week while Morgan takes a break. She is grateful for the _____ so she can have some time to herself and get out of the house.

respite care

Voletta believes that older adults become more choosy about their friends as they age. She is a proponent of:

socioemotional selectivity theory.

Now that Benita is in late adulthood, the socioemotional selectivity theory predicts that she will:

spend most of her time with familiar friends.

Lung capacity drops _____ between the ages of 20 and 80, even when disease is not present.

40%

According to the latest estimates, what is the average life expectancy for individuals born in the United States?

78.8 years

A study found that older Canadian adults who were physically active had higher life satisfaction and greater social interaction than their physically inactive peers. This supports which theory of aging?

Activity theory

A study found that older Canadian adults who were physically active had higher life satisfaction and greater social interaction than their physically inactive peers. This supports which theory of aging? Group of answer choices

Activity theory

_____ refers to a progressive, irreversible brain disorder that is characterized by a gradual deterioration of memory, reasoning, language, and, eventually, physical function.

Alzheimer disease

_____ is the most common chronic disorder in late adulthood.

Arthritis

Which of the following statements about attachment in old age is FALSE?

Attachment anxiety increases with age.

Which of the following is most closely linked to successful aging?

Being active and engaged

In which of the following scenarios is the need for compensation for older adults the MOST obvious?

Being bedridden due to illness

Which of the following is the leading cause of death after age 65?

Cardiovascular disease

Gisela is suffering from a condition that involves thickening of the lens of her eyes. This causes her vision to become cloudy or distorted. Identify the condition that Gisela is suffering from.

Cataracts

Which of the following is TRUE regarding altruism and volunteerism in older adults?

Compared to younger adults, older adults who are altruistic are more focused on contributing to the public good.

_____ is the global term for any neurological disorder in which the primary symptoms involve a deterioration of mental functioning.

Dementia

Which of the following is the MOST frequent form of ageism?

Disrespect for older adults

Which of the following is the main treatment for Parkinson disease in the earlier stages?

Dopamine agonists

Why are older adults more likely to forget what items they wanted to buy at a grocery store (unless they write them down on a list and take it with them) than they are to forget how to drive a car?

Explicit memory is more likely to be adversely affected by aging than implicit memory.

Which of the following biological theories of aging states that people age because their cells' normal metabolism produces unstable oxygen molecules?

Free-radical theory

Which of the following are regions of the adult human brain where neurogenesis has been documented?

Hippocampus and olfactory bulb

According to Erik Erikson, what is the last stage of development in life?

Integrity vs. despair

According to Erik Erikson, which of the following stages of development do individuals experience in late adulthood?

Integrity vs. despair

Which of the following is Erikson's eighth stage of development?

Integrity vs.despair

Older adults who use the Internet differ from their peers in several ways. Which of the following is NOT one of those ways?

Internet users are more depressed.

Which of the following is an example of explicit memory?

John summarizes the plot of a novel that he has just read to his friend.

Which of the following factors is most likely to predict high status for older adults in a culture?

Key family and community resources are controlled by older persons

_____ is the number of years that the average person born in a particular year will probably live.

Life expectancy

_____ is a condition in which individuals may have relatively normal peripheral vision but are unable to see clearly what is right in front of them.

Macular degeneration

According to the evolutionary theory of aging, why hasn't natural selection eliminated many harmful conditions and nonadaptive characteristics in older adults?

Natural selection is closely linked with reproduction in young adulthood.

Which is true of the effects of aging on episodic memories?

Older adults can't remember long-past events as well as they think they can.

According to research, which of the following is the most likely reason why older adults tend to report being less lonely than younger adults?

Older adults tend to be more accepting of solitude, and have chosen to reduce their social networks to a meaningful few people.

Which of the following statements about cohabiting older adults is TRUE?

Older adults tend to cohabit more for companionship than for love.

Which of the following statements about older workers is TRUE?

Older workers experience more job satisfaction than younger workers.

According to Baltes' SOC theory, which of the following factors suggests that it is possible to maintain performance in some areas through continued practice and the use of new technologies?

Optimization

Mr. Dalton has a disease that is characterized by muscle tremors, slow movement, and partial facial paralysis. The doctors have told his family that the disease is chronic and progressive in nature. Which of the following conditions does Mr. Martin most likely have?

Parkinson disease

According to research, which statement about poverty among older adults is true?

Poverty rates are much higher among ethnic minorities than for non-Latino whites.

_____ theory describes how people can produce new resources and allocate them effectively to the tasks they want to master.

Selective optimization with compensation

Sebastian has four children. Among the four, who is most likely to help him with daily living activities when he is older?

Selena, his only daughter and next to the youngest

Which of the following statements regarding smell and taste in the elderly is TRUE?

Smell and taste both decline as we age.

Alice, Jane, Lois, and Sandra have been friends since grade school. Over the years, they have given each other support and shared in each other's joys and sadness. This is an example of which model of social relations?

Social convoy model

Which of the following theories explains why older adults spend most of their time with familiar individuals and family?

Socioemotional selectivity theory

Sustained attention is also known as:

Vigilance

Which of the following is TRUE about age differences in attention?

When the two competing tasks are reasonably easy, age differences among adults are minimal or nonexistent.

Carol's family wants to take her mother, Martha, out to eat for her eightieth birthday. Carol suggested a new restaurant that everyone is trying, but her daughter said, "That's not the kind of place to take Grandma. I don't think she would be comfortable there. Where do all the old people eat?" Her daughter is demonstrating:

ageism.

Donald, 63 years old, retired and then decided he wanted to get back in the workforce. He was recently turned down for a job that fit his resume because he is considerably older than typical new employees. Donald may be experiencing:

ageism.

Prejudice against others because of their age, especially prejudice against older adults, is known as:

ageism.

The cognitive benefits for older adults who exercise include all of the following EXCEPT:

an expanded short-term memory capacity.

A 12-year longitudinal study revealed that older adults who had persistently low or declining feelings of usefulness to others had:

an increased risk of earlier death

How do emotions change from early to late adulthood? Compared to when they were younger, older adults:

are more mellow and less emotionally reactive.

Mrs. Hernandez has considerable pain and swelling in her wrists, fingers, and knees. It is becoming very difficult for her to maintain her usual routines as her stiffness increases. Mrs. Hernandez has:

arthritis.

Your elderly aunt, Marie, was recently admitted to a nursing home where there is a "residents advisory board" made up of the people who live in the home. They consult with the staff on changes that affect their lives and help to plan the monthly activities. Based on research by Judith Rodin and Ellen Langer, you would expect that Aunt Marie will:

be happier than if she did not have any input into decisions affecting her life.

With age:

both brain weight and brain volume decrease

There is considerable research evidence showing _____ increases the lifespan of laboratory animals.

calorie restriction

Felicia is 70 years old. She should watch for signs of ____________, the leading cause of death for her age group.

cardiovascular disease

Paige is having a surgical procedure to replace the natural lenses in her eyes with artificial ones. This is a routine procedure, performed to take care of:

cataracts.

Personality characteristics associated with long life include:

conscientiousness and optimism

Since 1995, the U.S. has seen more adults 65 years old and older:

continuing to work full-time.

Explicit memory is also called _____ memory.

declarative

As Clarence has gotten older he is much slower going down stairs. While his adult children think it is due to his balance, he is actually experiencing the effects of age on his:

depth perception.

High levels of social support in old age are related to all of the following EXCEPT:

early cognitive decline.

Peter, now 75 years old, is telling a friend about his last trip on a boat. He is using _____ memory.

episodic

According to Erikson, the _____ stage of development involves reflecting on the past and either piecing together a positive review or concluding that one's life has not been well spent.

integrity vs. despair

As individuals age, they experience a loss of functioning and reduction of performance in many domains. According to SOC theory, this results in:

selection of domains in which to focus one's energies.

According to SOC theory, successful aging is related to three main factors:

selection, optimization, and compensation.

At the family dinners Peggy is getting to the age where she is overwhelmed by all the noise and chaos around her. She tries to ignore it and have a conversation, but her _____ attention isn't strong enough to filter out all the distractions.

selective

Terry took her grandmother out to a popular restaurant. After they arrived Terry was worried that her grandmother would find the noise to be a problem, but she didn't. Her grandmother was fully capable of using _____ attention to focus on Terry's voice.

selective

The term _____ refers to the ability to focus on a specific aspect of experience that is relevant to the task at hand while ignoring others that are irrelevant.

selective attention

Although Alicia has a great memory for trivia, she has difficulty remembering important events in her life. Alicia has good _____ memory but poor _____ memory.

semantic; episodic

Clara is frustrated because the closed captioning is moving too fast on the television. The people talk too fast and the words in the closed captioning are moving too fast. Clara is experiencing:

slower perceptual speed.

Calvin and Vincent, both in their early seventies, are avid runners. Calvin would be content to stick with running, but Vincent insists that gerontologists recommend _____ training in addition to aerobic activity for older adults.

strength

Henrietta's story of aging is one of long life. She lived independently in her home until her late eighties, and then moved in with her oldest daughter. Henrietta loved gardening and continued it into her nineties. Her story reflects:

successful aging.

Thornton, 68 years old, is talking to his son about getting remarried. Thornton and Hannah have been living together for a year, and he would like to get married. If his son's reaction is typical of the majority of adult children, he will:

support Thornton's decision.

Karl keeps up with everything that happens outside through his living room window. Nothing in that view escapes his attention. Whether it is someone coming home from work, or the neighbor's cat looking out the window, Karl's _____ attention will pick it up.

sustained

When the house is quiet, Lucy's grandmother can knit for hours. She uses ____ attention to keep up counting and changing stitches.

sustained

According to the cellular clock theory, after about 70 or 80 replications, the cell no longer can reproduce as its _____ are dramatically reduced.

telomeres

All of the following have led to an increase in remarriage by older adults except for:

the increase in the percentage of grandparents raising their grandchildren.

Judy often thinks back to things her grandmother would say that, at the time, she thought were silly, but now realizes her grandmother had amazing insight into human nature. Her grandmother didn't have an advanced degree, but she knew how to manage the ups and downs of life. This characteristic is called:

wisdom.

In general, life expectancy is greater for __________ than for __________.

women; men