Late Adulthood

Research has shown that among the elderly, divided attention impairments are significantly associated with ________.

increased automobile accidents in older adults

Carol and Greg both retired at 65 by choice. They remain productive in many ways. Which of the following has not been reported to be one of the ways people in late adulthood continue to be productive?

sleeping until midday every day and then watching television.

Sheila retired two years ago at the age of 65. She would have worked a few more years, but felt pressure to make room for new younger recruits at her state job. No longer as active on a daily basis, her morale and self concept are lower. In addressing this issue, a developmental psychologist may recommend that Sheila gets involved in voluntary and leisure organizations, child care or other forms of social interaction. This supports which theory?

Activity theory

Essie is an 86-year-old woman who tries to function independently but has suffered for several years with forgetfulness, especially with recent memories. She has trouble finding her car in the parking lot after grocery shopping. The store managers have called her children to come and help her. She has been known to forget her way home at times. Her children worry that she may have a form of dementia called ________.

Alzheimer's disease

Nancy is in her early 60s and nervous about growing old because she doesn't want to be limited in her daily functioning or lose her memory or judgement. How might you reassure Nancy about her fears?

Dementia is not inevitable; while 10% will develop dementia in their lifetime, less than half of people above age 84 will have it.

Which statement is true of life expectancies in the United States?

Life expectancies in the United States are higher for women than men.

________ involves the storage of information for long periods of time, whereas ________ is a cognitive system with a limited capacity that is responsible for temporarily holding information available for processing and most sensitive to decline in old age.

Long-term memory; Working memory

Which of the following factors are considered in a description of one's functional age?

Physical and psychosocial well-being

Sebastian is age 75 and was married for 42 years. His spouse died more than 3 years ago. Helen is also 75 and is now widowed after 50 years of marriage. Which of the two may experience complicated grief, or difficulty because they do not have an extensive social network or the ability to take care of their own daily needs?

Sebastian

Which of the following is the description used by developmental psychologists to describe the functional age of the "young old"?

They live independently and are healthy and active

Greg was diagnosed with ________ as a result of his high blood sugar and insulin resistance. His doctor recommended losing weight, exercising regularly, and eating properly to improve his health.

Type 2 diabetes

James is 64 years old and complains to his doctor that he has blurred, "fuzzy" vision. When he reads the newspaper the lines appear wavy or distorted. His Doctor tells him that he suffers from the most common cause of blindness in people over the age of 60, but not to worry because the disease was detected early. He put him on medication and a diet rich in antioxidants and thinks that he may even avoid laser surgery. James was diagnosed with ________.

age-related macular degeneration (AMD)

While Gary is at the ATM during the lunchtime rush, he fumbles while trying to insert his credit card and takes a long time reading the prompts to withdraw money and terminate his transaction. He overhears someone behind him mutter, "Hurry up, grandpa! Some of us have work to do." The words are an example of ________.

ageism

Seventy-three year old Larry has contemplated his life and realizes he is dissatisfied. He realizes that missed opportunities have passed, like staying in contact with his children and being an involved grandparent. When he thinks of his accomplishments, he cannot say that he has accomplished what he wished. According to the theory of psychoanalyst Erik Erikson, Larry is experiencing ________.

despair

Mary at age 80 loves her independence, but lately she has been involved in more car accidents, although minor and mostly due the constant switching of attention when there is a lot of traffic. To explain Mary's challenges, new research may point to problems in ________ among older adults, when it comes to activities such as driving.

divided attention

The ancient Greek city state of Sparta was ruled by a Gerousia. A Gerousia was a council made up of members who were at least 60 years old and served for life. The political power within the ruling class accumulates with age, making the oldest the holders of the most power. In many preindustrial societies, the elderly still have influence and power and their vast knowledge is respected. This type of political and social structure is known as a ________.

gerontocracy

Jay is 72-years old and is someone who sees himself as having lived a satisfying and successful life. He is grateful to have had a good career at the division of motor vehicles for over 40 years, and even more grateful for the loving family he has. He coached his children and grandchildren in football. Even now, he babysits his great grandchildren and does activities with them as well. His life has been filled with productivity, or according to Erik Erikson, ________.

integrity

Joe is 70 years old and recalls names of teachers or classmates from when he was an adolescent, but has difficulty remembering information presented quickly and orally, such as complicated instructions. His ________ memory seems to be intact, but his ________ memory is showing decline.

long-term; working

Stereotypes about people in late adulthood lead many to assume that aging automatically brings ________.

mental decline

Maria is 65 years old. She is retired but worked as weaver—work which is quite physically demanding. Although Maria doesn't practice any sports or go to the gym, she is constantly on the move. She does all household chores alone, mainly because she has no one to help her. She admits, "Two years ago I moved a double mattress on my own and I broke a vertebra, and from then on I had to start taking calcium." Her doctor told her that her bones had become brittle, fragile and thin. The doctor most likely diagnosed Maria with what condition?

osteoporosis

Dr. Miller is giving a lecture on the theories of aging. She explains that genetics, diet, lifestyle, activity, and exposure to pollutants all play a role in the aging process, and suggests that overall processing speed declines in the peripheral nervous system affecting your brain's ability to communicate with your muscles and organs. Dr Miller is explaining the ________.

peripheral slowing hypothesis

Ninety-two-year-old Robert is watching his 25year-old grandson play an action video game that involves real time strategy. Robert challenges his grandson to a round, but a few minutes into the game, Robert gets frustrated because his fingers are not working fast enough, and decides to quit. What theory of aging might explain why Robert cannot keep up with his grandson's quick game play?

peripheral slowing hypothesis

Shevanne is 63 years old and complains that high-pitched sounds, such as "s" or "th" are hard to distinguish and conversations are difficult to understand, particularly when there is background noise. Some sounds seem overly loud and annoying. Her doctor tells her that she is suffering from an age related hearing loss due to damage of the cochlea in her inner ear. Her doctor has diagnosed her with the second most common illness in aged people. Which is it?

presbycusis