Chapter 16

A grandparent's ________ is the strongest predictor of frequent, face-to-face interaction with young grandchildren and a major contributor to feelings of closeness with older grandchildren. A. residential proximity B. ethnicity C. socioeconomic status D. age

A

According to Vaillant, the most-successful and best-adjusted middle-aged adults enter a calmer, quieter time of life in which __________ become(s) a major preoccupation. A. "passing the torch" B. community leadership C. long-term personal goals D. midlife crises

A

By midlife, family ties ________, while friendships serve as current sources of pleasure and satisfaction. A. protect against serious threats and losses B. provide more compatibility and ease C. do not require as much time or effort D. become less important to most adults

A

Cross-cultural findings reveal similar changes in the "big five" personality traits across adulthood, leading some researchers to conclude that adult personality change is ________. A. genetically influenced B. the combined result of environment and heredity C. easily manipulated by the individual D. controlled by external forces

A

Fatima regrets having suffered through years of a strife-ridden marriage that ended in a contentious divorce. Yet she is glad to have moved on, having derived from the experience a clearer vision of what to look for in a life partner. Compared to Fatima's friend Naomi, who remains resentful of her own ex-husband, Fatima is likely to report ________. A. better physical health B. heightened cognition C. more effective coping strategies D. better relationships with her children

A

For low-SES men with troubled pasts, _____________ can provide a context for high generativity. A. fatherhood B. earning a college degree C. owning their own home D. gainful employment

A

Grandparents rearing grandchildren report ___________ typical grandparents do. A. as much fulfillment in the grandparent role as B. poorer grandparent-grandchild relationships than C. less emotional distress than D. fewer financial burdens than

A

In companies with a favorable age climate, mature employees ________. A. report high job satisfaction B. experience poor work commitment C. report lower self-efficacy D. do not require further education or training

A

Ivan feels guilty about his lack of involvement in his children's lives when they were young, so he decided to volunteer for a local after-school program for children of working parents. Ivan is reconciling the ________ task. A. destruction-creation B. engagement-separateness C. masculinity-femininity D. young-old

A

Longitudinal and cross-sectional evidence reveals that ________ increases from adolescence through middle age. A. agreeableness B. neuroticism C. openness to experience D. extroversion

A

The more redemptive events adults include in their life stories, the ________. A. higher their self-esteem and life satisfaction B. less often they experience serious illness in middle adulthood C. harder they take setbacks to their future plans D. greater the likelihood they will experience stagnation

A

Which statement about the feminization of poverty is true? A. The gender gap in poverty is higher in the United States than it is in other Western countries. B. The gender gap in poverty has increased in Western nations over the past 20 years. C. The feminization of poverty applies only to single women who do not have any children to support. D. For women, marital breakup—even when it is repeated—seldom reduces standard of living.

A

With respect to whether the mid-adult transition is actually stagelike, most experts view people's adaptation during midlife as the combined result of growing older and ________. A. social experiences B. reconciling expectations with reality C. normative life events D. finding "silver linings" in their lives

A

________ report more frequent visits with grandchildren than do ________. A. Maternal grandmothers; paternal grandmothers B. Paternal grandfathers; paternal grandmothers C. Maternal grandfathers; maternal grandmothers D. Paternal grandmothers; maternal grandmothers

A

According to Erikson, a culture's "belief in the species" is ________. A. found primarily in Western civilizations B. a major motivator of generative action C. a contributing factor to stagnation D. uncommon in individualistic societies

B

According to findings of the MIDUS study, when adults reported "turning points" in their lives, most were ________. A. sources of regret B. positive experiences C. midlife crises D. outside of the individual's control

B

Among ________ workers, midlife career shifts are seldom freely chosen. A. government B. blue-collar C. self-employed D. white-collar

B

Burnout occurs most often in the ________ professions. A. food service B. helping C. business executive D. entertainment

B

Counseling that focuses on ________ can help people implement effective problem-centered coping strategies in their search for alternative work roles after unemployment. A. retraining for higher-paid work B. financial planning and social networking C. using exercise as a stress reliever D. meditation and other calming techniques

B

In Denmark, Sweden, and Japan, government-sponsored ________ ease the burden of caring for aging parents. A. counseling sessions for adult siblings B. home helper systems C. meal delivery systems D. travel rebates

B

Many studies report an increase in ________ in women and ________ in men across middle age. A. autonomy; self-acceptance B. "masculine" traits; "feminine" traits C. self-acceptance; autonomy D. "feminine" traits; "masculine" traits

B

Of the one-fourth of MIDUS participants who reported experiencing a midlife crisis, most of them attributed it to ________. A. age B. challenging life events C. media portrayals of midlife crises D. dissatisfaction with previous life choices

B

Which descriptor currently best characterizes the middle adulthood phase of the family life cycle? A. sandwich generation B. launching children and moving on C. parents are only as happy as their least happy child D. empty nest

B

Which of the following adults would stand to benefit the most from attending a retirement preparation program? A. Vanessa, a school principal and single parent of three children B. Marcus, a high-school graduate with low life-time earnings C. Christie, a registered nurse with a small amount of debt D. Richard, an African American who holds a master's degree

B

Which of the following middle-aged adults is likely to benefit most in self-esteem and psychological well-being from sustaining a youthful subjective age? A. Pat, who is Belgian B. Ellis, who is American C. Bari, who is French D. Briand, who is Spanish

B

Which of the following middle-aged adults with a chronically ill parent is likely to experience the most emotional stress? A. Parker, who handles his parents' finances and does their shopping B. Aminah, whose father moved into her home C. Oliver, who checks on his mother daily and also has two children of his own D. Joanne, who visits her mother at a nursing home weekly

B

Which of the following middle-aged parents is likely to provide the most overall assistance—including coresidence, advice, and emotional encouragement—to his or her young-adult children? A. Willa, a middle-SES African-American woman with two sons B. Isabel, a low-SES Colombian-American woman with four children C. David, a middle-SES European-American man with two daughters D. Kirigaya, a high-SES Japanese man with one son

B

Which statement about personality change in middle adulthood is correct? A. Midlifers typically view themselves as having difficulty managing multiple roles effectively. B. Middle-aged adults are more agreeable and conscientious than they were when younger. C. Middle-aged adults see themselves as more concerned with meeting others' expectations. D. Compared to young adults, middle-aged adults are less accepting of their own good and bad qualities.

B

Which statement about psychological well-being in midlife is true? A. Adults who do not experience flow are just as likely to be happy with their lives as those who do. B. The role of marriage in mental health increases with age, becoming a powerful predictor of well-being by midlife. C. Adults who "specialize" in a single role, such as spouse or worker, report higher life satisfaction. D. Maintaining an exercise regimen has physical benefits but does not contribute to psychological well-being.

B

________ may be an especially strong motivator of action in midlife, as adults attach increased meaning to time. A. The social clock B. Possible selves C. Autonomy D. Environmental mastery

B

At least half of U.S. adults over age 50 ________. A. contribute a significant amount each month to retirement savings B. plan on living off Social Security alone after retirement C. have not engaged in any concrete retirement planning D. plan on retiring early, at age 60 or sooner

C

Contrary to previous studies, recent self-reports show little age-related change in men's and women's endorsement of "masculine" and "feminine" traits throughout adulthood, possibly due to ________. A. the unwillingness of recent cohorts to address gender issues B. a generational lack of interest in androgyny C. the influence of the women's movement on recent cohorts D. an effort by recent cohorts to be more politically correct

C

Fifty-year-old Neil was an engineer at a large robotics company, but he recently quit his job and found employment as a bank teller. According to research, what does this dramatic shift say about Neil? A. Neil most likely had disagreements with his boss and decided to try something new. B. Neil is experimenting with a new possible self and will likely go back to another engineering job within two years. C. Neil may be experiencing a personal crisis, sparked by nonwork problems. D. Neil was likely experiencing burnout at his old job, and this change of pace is healthy for him.

C

For both sexes, number of friends ________ from middle to late adulthood, probably because people ________. A. rises; see friendship support as more beneficial after children leave the home B. declines; become preoccupied with care of children and aging parents C. declines; become less willing to invest in nonfamily ties unless they are very rewarding D. rises; are more frequently turning to social media sites to revive "dormant" friendships

C

Largely because they were less willing to endorse individualistic traits, such as self-acceptance and autonomy, ________ adults reported lower levels of psychological well-being than did same-age U.S. MIDUS participants. A. Australian B. Central American C. Japanese and Korean D. Western European

C

Over the past two decades, startup businesses in the United States owned and operated by women ________, and one-third of those firms have ________. A. have floundered; gone out of business since the recession of 2007 to 2009 B. declined by 50 percent; since been bought out by male-controlled companies C. grew at 1½ times the national average; ethnic-minority owners D. grew by 50 percent; equal-opportunity employment policies

C

People who lose their jobs in midlife seldom ________. A. succeed in finding another job B. regard the event as highly traumatic C. duplicate the status and pay of their previous positions D. choose to find another job, treating it as a forced retirement

C

Unlike current self-concept, possible selves ________. A. do not permit affirmation of the self B. seldom affect decision making in middle adulthood C. can be defined and redefined by the individual, as needed D. are constantly responsive to others' feedback

C

Which of the following adults displays signs of stagnation? A. Priya enjoys volunteer activities but is very selective about the ones she chooses. B. Jean does not take the time to listen to her children before rushing to try to solve their problems. C. Brian does not apply himself at work, and he chooses to stay at home rather than attend his son's baseball games. D. During an office gift exchange, Seth is concerned that his gift is not appreciated by his coworker.

C

Which of the following is a factor contributing to the glass ceiling? A. Challenging, high-risk assignments, such as international experience, are required by law to be equally offered to men and women. B. Women who demonstrate qualities linked to leadership usually combine these traits with an autocratic style of leading associated with poor performance ratings. C. Stereotyped doubts about women's career commitment lead supervisors to exclude them from formal management training programs. D. Women and ethnic minorities have substantial access to mentors, role models, and informal networks that serve as training routes.

C

Which statement about divorce at midlife is true? A. Men frequently mention substance abuse and infidelity as reasons for their divorce. B. Men are more likely than women to initiate divorce. C. Midlifers seem to adjust more easily to divorce than younger people. D. Middle-aged women who divorce report greater decline in psychological well-being than their younger counterparts.

C

Which statement about midlife sibling ties is true? A. Most sibling relationships deteriorate in midlife due to poor communication. B. Middle-aged adults express greater dislike for siblings whom they perceive their mother favored. C. Men of the baby-boom generation express stronger brother-brother ties than men of the preceding cohort. D. Contact and support between siblings increase from early to middle adulthood, then decline into late adulthood.

C

Which statement about retirement planning is true? A. The average age of retirement rose over the course of the twentieth century. B. The economic recession of 2007 to 2009 has pushed back the average retirement age by at least a decade. C. The United States does not offer a federal pension system that guarantees an adequate standard of living. D. Few baby boomers say they expect to delay their retirements.

C

Midlife gains in ________ may contribute to an increase in effective coping in middle adulthood. A. the "big five" personality traits B. androgyny C. negative life events D. emotional stability

D

People who flexibly modify their identities in response to age-related changes yet maintain a sense of self-continuity are ________. A. low in self-esteem B. less aware of their own thoughts and feelings C. more in tune with the needs of others D. higher in life satisfaction

D

Research confirms that highly generative people are ________. A. more likely to experience child-rearing challenges B. average in workplace leadership qualities C. less likely to have close friendships D. more open to different viewpoints

D

Research shows that job satisfaction ________ in midlife in ________. A. decreases; Western nations for college-educated workers B. increases; skilled trades, but not unskilled occupations C. decreases; Western nations for hourly workers D. increases; diverse nations and at all occupational levels

D