PSYC 203 Exam 4
Which of the following is a reason that older adults are more likely to accept death?
Older adults are less likely to have unfinished business.
______ 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 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
According to Laura Carstensen, an expert in aging, what do older adults prefer?
close friends over new friends
Which of the following would be most likely to complicate the findings of a cross-sectional study like Horn's?
cohort effects
In selective optimization with compensation theory ________ becomes relevant when life tasks require more capacity than an older adult currently exhibits.
compensation
Selective optimization with ______ theory states that older adults can produce new resources and allocate them effectively to the tasks they want to master.
compensation
The determination of death in recent decades is
complex because signs of death are not always clear.
In a recent large-scale study, fluid intelligence declined in individuals 65 years of age and older but not in those who were 45 to 60 years old. This finding
contradicts Horn's assertion that fluid intelligence declines in middle adulthood.
Because of _____, the workforce today is sometimes outsourced to other countries with a significantly less expensive labor force.
globalization
Resolving regrets in older adults has been related to
greater life satisfaction.
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.
Research on practical problem solving in young versus middle adulthood
has shown mixed results.
As compared to cross-sectional findings about cognition in middle age, longitudinal studies find
many cognitive skills peak in middle age.
Which of the following has NOT been found to be an outcome for a person who has lost a spouse or intimate partner?
mental clarity
As people in ______ adulthood prepare for retirement, they may have to adjust their idealistic hopes to realistic possibilities to meet their goals.
middle
______ adulthood is a time for evaluation, assessment, and reflection about work.
middle
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.
Individuals with which personality trait are more likely to experience complicated grief?
neuroticism
Companies' emphasis on profits has resulted in
offers of early retirement to middle-aged adults.
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
Retirement requires the most adaptation from married partners when
one partner has been a homemaker and the other has been working.
According to the Sightlines Project, which of the following interventions could help to increase the social engagement of older adults?
opportunities for volunteerism better design of communities employer wellness programs
According to the selective optimization with compensation theory, ______ suggests that it is possible to maintain performance in some areas through continued practice and the use of new technologies.
optimization
Selective _______ with compensation theory states that older adults can produce new resources and allocate them effectively to tasks they want to master.
optimization
When referring to the selective optimization with compensation theory, __________ suggests that it is possible to maintain performance in some areas through continued practice and the use of new technologies.
optimization
Reducing pain and helping individuals die with dignity is the goal of
palliative care.
Which of the following have led to an increase in remarriage by older adults?
rising divorce rates better health increased longevity
In selective optimization with compensation theory, ______ refers to older adults having a reduced capacity and loss of functioning, which require a reduction in performance in most life domains.
selection
Historically, retirement has been a male transition, but now _______ expect(s) to retire.
both spouses
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."
What are some of the reasons older adults cohabit?
-to maintain separate assets -for companionship -to provide care for each other
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.
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
According to recent research, children as young as Blank______ understand the irreversibility of death and that it involves a cessation of mental and physical functioning.
4-5
More than ______ percent of Americans die in hospitals in a given year.
50
About how long after the death of a loved one do most people start to accept their loss as a reality, become more optimistic about the future, and function more competently in their everyday lives?
6 months
What percentage of survivors still have difficulty six months after the loss of a loved one and report difficulty moving on with their lives?
7 to 10 percent
Approximately ______ percent of 45- to 54-years-olds were in the workforce in 2019.
80
What percentage of survivors experience normal grief reactions?
80 to 90 percent
Which of the following statements are true regarding the definition of brain death? (Choose every correct answer.)
A flat EEG recording for a specified period of time is one criterion of brain death. A person can still have a heartbeat after the higher portions of the brain have died.
______ theory states that the more participatory and involved older adults are, the more likely they are to be satisfied with their lives.
Activity
Which of the following statements is true regarding cultural diversity in healthy grieving?
All cultures have unique reactions to the deceased.
Which cultural group typically tries to avoid and/or deny death?
Americans
Which of the following are accurate statements about the influence of attachment in old age?
Avoidant attachment declines across the life span. Anxious attachment is lower for older adults than middle-aged adults. Attachment security is linked to competence in daily life in older adults.
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 higher cortical functioning should be sufficient for a brain death finding because those functions equal the "human being." Death of both the higher and lower portions of the brain should be necessary for a brain death determination.
Based on Willis and Schaie's analysis of individual variations in cognitive trajectories, which statement regarding the association between cognitive functioning in midlife and later functioning in old age is true?
Declines in memory, word fluency, and perceptual speed in midlife were associated with cognitive impairment in older adulthood.
____________ 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.
Which statement regarding changes in middle-aged adults' memory is false?
Increases in memory are usually found in cross-sectional studies.
Why does the inclusion of the dying patient's family in hospice care benefit the family members?
It can diminish their guilt after the loved one's death.
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.
Which of the following statements is true regarding the grief reactions of individuals experiencing the loss of a loved one?
Many grieving spouses report that they have never gotten over the loss; they just learned to live with it.
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.
Which of the following are recent historical trends with respect to retirement?
Many middle-aged adults are retiring due to job loss and subsequent inability to find another job. Couples are more likely than in the past to be planning for two retirements rather than one.
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.
Which of the following statements is FALSE regarding middle-aged workers?
Most have not yet reached their peak in earnings.
Which statements are most accurate regarding feelings and thoughts about death in adulthood?
Older adults examine the meaning of life and death more frequently than younger adults. Older adults talk about death in conversation more than any other age group.
In selective optimization with compensation theory, to which concept does the term selection refer?
Older adults have a reduced capacity and loss of functioning, which require a reduction in performance in most life domains.
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 statement is true when evaluating the experiences that dying individuals face?
Scientific advances have made dying prolonged and complicated.
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.
Which of the following statements does not reflect how those dealing with the loss of a loved one tend to "make sense of the world" as a part of the grieving process?
Survivors of loss tend to wish to be alone immediately following the loss.
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 is NOT an advantage of discussing death openly with a dying individual?
The dying person can avoid feeling depressed about impending death.
What does the activity theory state?
The more active and involved older adults are, the more likely they are to be satisfied with their lives.
Which of the following statements is consistent with all forms of euthanasia?
The patient is diagnosed with an incurable disease or severe disability.
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 talk helps Michael and his friends accept death. 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.
Which of the following is an appropriate strategy to use when communicating with a dying person?
You should allow the person to reminisce.
Those who provide care are increasingly interested in helping people experience
a "good death."
Examples of disenfranchised grief include which of the following?
a hidden loss like an abortion a relationship that isn't socially recognized such as an ex-spouse circumstances of the death that are stigmatized such as death because of AIDS
While most people say they would prefer to die at home, the majority of people die in
a hospital.
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.
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 illness
According to many religious individuals, euthanasia and assisted suicide are
acts of murder.
Many adolescent deaths that occur as a result of a motor vehicle accident involve
alcohol.
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 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
Which of the following often become a part of Kubler-Ross' second stage of dying?
anger resentment envy
Which of the following are common for a person in Kübler-Ross' second stage of dying?
asking the question "Why me?" feeling resentful toward healthy family members
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
Timothy Salthouse disagrees with Schaie's findings and argues that cross-sectional research shows reasoning, memory, spatial visualization, and processing speed
begin declining in early adulthood and further decline in the fifties.
Which of the following have been identified as meaning-making processes that bereaved parents go through?
benefit finding sense making continuing bonds identity reconstruction
Recent research suggests that ______ intelligence is a better predictor of practical problem solving in middle adulthood, while ______ intelligence is a better predictor in young adulthood.
crystallized; fluid
It has been concluded that in general, there is a(n) ______ during middle adulthood.
decline in memory
List Elisabeth Kübler-Ross' five stages of dying in order from beginning to end, with the first stage at the top.
denial/isolation anger bargaining depression acceptance
Which of the following examples is NOT consistent with how the American culture denies death?
disbelief in the afterlife
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
When an individual's grief over a deceased person is a socially ambiguous loss that cannot be openly mourned it is called
disenfranchised grief.
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
Because they place a high value on ______, older adults spend more time with familiar individuals with whom they have had rewarding relationships.
emotional satisfaction
Thirty years ago, the determination of whether someone was dead was based on the
end of certain biological functions like breathing and blood pressure.
"Easy death" and "mercy killing" are other descriptors for
euthanasia
Prolonged grief disorder is classified as a psychiatric disorder according to the DSM-V.
false
True or false: Experts believe that selective narrowing of social interactions is an unhealthy reaction to aging.
false
Understanding of the certainty of death appears in which stage of Kübler-Ross' five stages of dying?
fourth stage: depression
Some experts believe that death should be declared once_________ portions of the brain have ceased to function even though breathing and heart rate may continue.
higher
What is the eighth stage of Erikson's life-span theory, which takes place during late adulthood, called?
integrity versus despair
Adults experiencing the approach of the end of life and feeling depressed about the outcomes of their life would be in which of Erikson's stages of development?
integrity vs. despair
According to Erikson's theory, if retrospective glances and reminiscences reveal a picture of a life well spent, an older adult will feel satisfied. Erikson refers to this as
integrity.
Proponents of assisted suicide and euthanasia argue that it
is a dignified death that ends prolonged suffering.
According to socioemotional selectivity theory, what are the two important classes of goals?
knowledge-related and emotional
According to socioemotional selectivity theory, ______ goals decrease in late adulthood and _______ goals increase.
knowledge-related; emotional
Judy reminisces about when her children were young. She reveals to her daughter that she often felt tired and discouraged during those times. Seeing her children as parents helps Judy to realize that she was and is a good mother. This is an aspect of Judy's
life review.
Research related to how attachment influences the lives of aging adults is
limited
Whereas Schaie emphasizes _______ studies about age-related changes in cognitive functioning, researchers like Timothy Salthouse argue that it is important to heed _______ studies that illustrate earlier decline.
longitudinal; cross-sectional
Which of the following are part of the dual-process model of coping with bereavement?
loss-oriented stressors restoration-oriented stressors
Abigail has incurable lung cancer. Her lungs no longer have the capacity to function without the aid of a respirator. She wants to be sedated and to have her respirator turned off. What has Abigail requested?
passive euthanasia
According to researcher Clas-Haken Nygard, the ability to work effectively ______ in middle age.
peaks
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
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
When someone close to them dies, young children most need
reassurance that they are loved and will not be abandoned.
Which of the following are perceived negative social pressures regarding the late-adulthood decision to remarry?
rejection by adult children raised eyebrows
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
With regard to social networks, older adults
retain close relationships with people who provide them with emotional support.
What type of emotional reactions can be expected after the sudden accidental death of a child?
sleep disturbances, nightmares, and other symptoms of trauma post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms grief that is more intense and prolonged than a death that is not unexpected
Which theory states that older adults narrow their social networks?
socioemotional selectivity theory
When a person reports financial loss, loneliness, increased physical illness, and a psychological disorder such as depression after a loss, one could assume that the person who died was the person's
spouse.
What is the leading cause of infant death in the United States?
sudden infant death syndrome
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
According to socioemotional selectivity theory, one of the main reasons for the changing trajectories of knowledge-related and emotion-related goals across the life span is
the perception of time.
Which of the following statements is NOT a reason people in midlife typically become motivated to change jobs?
they face pressure from employers to stay on the job rather than retire
According to research, adult daughters are ______ adult sons to give parents assistance with daily living activities.
three times more likely than
Which of the following is a common contribution of great-grandparents to the family unit?
transmitting family history
True or false: The same factors traditionally associated with divorce in younger adults are also likely to occur in older adults.
tru
Passive euthanasia occurs when treatments are
withheld
Which of the following reactions have been found to follow after the death of a loved one?
yearning pining separation anxiety
