Ch. 16 Social and Personality Development in Middle Adulthood

Which would Levinson most likely agree is an appropriate way for an individual to deal with a midlife crisis?

Adjust to being caregivers for aging parents.

Which of the following is one way that retirement is likely to be different for Baby Boomers compared to their parents?

Baby Boomers will be retired far longer than their parents were.

Which statement about friendship in middle age is accurate?

Best friends are not seen as often as in young adulthood, but the level of intimacy remains stable.

Which statement about middle-age adult caregiving roles is accurate?

Caregivers tend to be the daughters who have the fewest competing obligations.

All of the following middle-aged men had no children of their own. Which one would be rated as nongenerative?

Dave spends a great deal of time fostering stray and abandoned animals.

Which is the best predictor of burnout in the workplace?

Feeling unappreciated on the job

Which of the following is a reason for a voluntary career change?

Inadequate promotion or advancement opportunities

Which is the least common type of grandparent-grandchild relationship?

Involved relationship

Which does recent research on the "empty nest" syndrome suggest?

Many women find the shift to an empty nest liberating rather than upsetting.

Which individual is experiencing role strain?

Margaret knows she must learn several new software programs if she wants to keep her job.

Which of the Big Five personality traits are most likely to decline in middle age?

Openness, extraversion, and neuroticism

Fifty-year-old Sue Ellen, a graphic designer, has always received high marks on her annual performance appraisal. Nevertheless, she regularly attends workshops on design techniques to keep her skills sharp. According to Baltes and Baltes, Sue Ellen is using which strategy?

Optimization

Robert and Mary moved to Florida when they retired, leaving behind their children in Chicago. They rarely visit their children or grandchildren, though they do send birthday cards. Which is the best characterization of Robert and Mary's relationship with their grandchildren?

Remote relationship

I am 60 years old and have just recently begun contributing to my company's retirement plan. My firm will force me to retire when I am 67, and considering that I am deeply in debt, I honestly don't know how I'm going to make ends meet after I retire. Which kind of retiree will I likely be?

Stretched and stressed

When a dispute arises in the Rosenberg marriage, Mrs. Rosenberg first confronts her husband with the issue, then works to restore peace to the relationship. This is an example of

skilled diplomacy.