Deck 1: Attitudes and Social Issues That Affect Older People

Question 1

Attitudes and beliefs refer to cognitions. If the cognition is about a certain event, it would be considered which type of cognition?

A) discrete
B) categorical
C) temporal
D) hypothetical
E) reciprocal

Answer 1

C

Question 2

Stereotypes are

A) accurate representations of people within a category
B) uncommon attitudes within a society
C) oversimplifications
D) the only influence on behaviour
E) not related to the treatment of older people

Answer 2

C

Question 3

In Western culture, the status accorded to people increases from youth to middle age, but declines thereafter. The consequences include a stereotyping of older people that is usually negative, but sometimes positive. This form of stereotyping is called

A) sexism
B) racism
C) classism
D) ageism
E) heterosexism

Answer 3

D

Question 4

What has been referred to as a "quiet epidemic" that contributes to benign neglect or indifference toward older people as a social category, rather than interpersonal antagonism?

A) sexism
B) racism
C) classism
D) ageism
E) heterosexism

Question 5

All but which of the following statements about ageism is true?

A) it contributes to benign neglect or indifference toward older people as a social category, rather than interpersonal antagonism
B) it refers to stereotyping of older people as a social unit, but may not lead to antagonistic behaviour in interactions with older people
C) it refers to antagonistic behaviour in interactions with older people, rather than stereotyping of older people as a social unit
D) its expression varies with history and culture
E) there are gender differences, with females more negative about the aging of their bodies than males

Question 6

The research suggests that exposing students to positive information about aging _____ on their knowledge and attitudes about aging.

A) has no effect
B) has a little effect
C) has a negative effect
D) has a positive effect
E) has not demonstrated what effect it has

Question 7

Ageism is pervasive in health care: In nursing homes, the overuse of medication is a substitute for humane attention through diagnosis and careful treatment. This has been referred to as

A) neglect
B) pacification
C) indifference
D) medicalization
E) polypharmacy

Question 8

Although Canadian nursing homes use psychotropic medication no more than nursing homes in other countries, the use of physical restraints in Canada _____ other countries.

A) is less frequent than
B) is more frequent than
C) is the same as
D) is inconsistent with
E) has not been studied in

Question 9

While ageist attitudes support the assumptions of apocalyptic demography that influence health care policy, the evidence suggests otherwise, specifically that

A) age inevitably brings about illness
B) treatment of illness incurs fiscal costs
C) there will be escalating costs with population aging
D) it is professional self-interest, rather than demography, which contributes to projections of rising health care expenditure
E) health care providers will require an increase in income to care for the increasing aging population

Question 10

What have health economists likened to a "zombie" that keeps walking despite its evident death?

A) health-care policies
B) stocks in private long-term care homes
C) apocalyptic demography hypothesis
D) heath-care professionals' self-interest
E) ageist attitudes in fiscal assumptions

Question 11

All but which of the following statements about ageism and employment is true?

A) mandatory retirement invokes active discrimination
B) equal opportunities legislation has stopped ageist attitudes
C) stereotypes suggest younger workers may lack requisite experience
D) stereotypes suggest older workers may be unmotivated and inflexible
E) ageist attitudes can have implications for recruitment, salary, and termination

Question 12

Ageist attitudes in the legislature may do a disservice to older people. For example, under the Newfoundland and Labrador Human Rights Code, an older person may be denied access to public places or private dwellings, denied service, harassed, and even become the object of hate literature because

A) age is a prohibited ground for discrimination under the Code only between 18 and 65 years of age
B) age is a prohibited ground for discrimination under the Code only for those 65 years of age and older
C) ageism is a recognized and visible problem among legislators throughout Newfoundland and Labrador
D) it was believed that most older people live in nursing homes where they are protected from these issues and therefore did not have to be included in the Code
E) it was believed that most older people live with their families and are therefore protected from these issues and did not have to be included in the Code

Question 13

Starr (1985) maintained that nowhere is ageism more obvious than in attitudes toward

A) employment
B) health care
C) education
D) law
E) sexuality

Question 14

Why is the taboo of later-life sexuality unlikely to change quickly?

A) older people are not interested in sex
B) not enough older men use Viagra
C) older people don't have the capacity for sex
D) the taboo has lasted for a millennium and is unlikely to be changed by a recent focus on later-life sexuality
E) researchers are not measuring beliefs about the taboo

Question 15

The concept of attitude comes from

A) Biology
B) Sociology
C) Social Psychology
D) Social Work
E) Medicine

Question 16

Definitions of an attitude refer to

A) a tendency to evaluate an object with some degree of favour or disfavour
B) a tendency to evaluate a target with some degree of favour or disfavour
C) a tendency to evaluate an object without any degree of favour or disfavour
D) a tendency to evaluate a target without any degree of favour or disfavour
E) a tendency to evaluate a belief with some degree of favour or disfavour

Question 17

Which of the following assumptions was NOT pivotal to the evolution of theories about attitude?

A) There is a distinction between a belief and an attitude: an attitude always conveys an evaluation, whereas a belief does not.
B) Attitudes help to account for correlations between different kind of responses across cognitive, affective and behavioural domains.
C) Social theorists assume that attitudes depend exclusively on learned experience.
D) Attitudes have a predictive or even a causal relationship to behaviour.
E) There is a genetic contribution to attitudes.

Question 18

One assumption that shaped the theories about attitudes was the idea that there is a distinction between a belief and an attitude, which is that

A) a belief always conveys an evaluation
B) an attitude always conveys an evaluation
C) both beliefs and attitudes convey an evaluation, but neither one is true
D) both beliefs and attitudes convey an evaluation, but only an attitude is true
E) both beliefs and attitudes convey an evaluation, but only a belief is true

Question 19

All but which of the following statements is an example of an attitude?

A) Older adults living in nursing homes receive regular visits from family and friends.
B) I like visiting older adults who live in nursing homes. It makes me feel happy knowing that I can spend time there regularly.
C) I am pleased to volunteer at a nursing home. I always feel fulfilled after spending time with the residents, and they seem to enjoy the visit as well.
D) I enjoy spending time with older adults in nursing homes who do not have any family. I try and go as much as I can.
E) It makes me sad to visit nursing homes, I feel discouraged when I leave; the environment is very isolating.

Question 20

The three main approaches to measuring attitudes are

A) Thurstone's method of equal intervals, Guttman's cumulative method, and Likert's summative method
B) Thurstone's method of equal intervals, Guttman's cumulative method, and Pearson's Correlation coefficient
C) Thurstone's method of equal intervals, Cramer's V, and Likert's summative method
D) Spearman's Rho, Guttman's cumulative method, and Likert's summative method
E) Pearson's Correlation coefficient, Cramer's V, Spearman's Rho

Question 21

Which of the following approaches is most popular for measuring attitudes?

A) Thurstone's method of equal intervals
B) Guttman's cumulative method
C) Likert's summative method
D) Pearson's Correlation coefficient
E) Spearman's Rho

Question 22

Which of the following is an example of a concept that is NOT directly observable, but intervenes between a stimulus and a response?

A) older age
B) attitude
C) physical abuse
D) income
E) smiling

Question 23

A three-part model has been used to conceptualize modes of response that have shown to correlate across domains. These domains include

A) cognitive, affective, and genetic
B) cognitive, affective, and behavioural
C) genetics, life experience, and behavioural
D) genetics, life experience, and religiosity
E) genetics, behavioural, and religiosity

Question 24

Many social theorists incorrectly assumed that attitudes depend exclusively on learned experience. However, research also suggests

A) a spiritual influence
B) a behavioural influence
C) a psychological influence
D) an environmental influence
E) a genetic influence

Question 25

One assumption that shaped the theories about attitudes was the idea that attitudes have a predictive or even causal relationship to behaviour. Current theories support research findings that suggest

A) generalized attitudes have no effect on either a range of behaviours or on specific behaviours
B) generalized attitudes have implications for a range of behaviours rather than strong effects on specific behaviours
C) generalized attitudes have strong effects on specific behaviours rather than on a range of behaviours
D) generalized attitudes have a weak effect on a range of behaviours but strong effects on specific behaviours
E) generalized attitudes have strong effects on both a range of behaviours and specific behaviours

Question 26

All but which of the following statements about elder abuse and neglect is true?

A) abuse is a special case of harmful behaviour that occurs in the context of a trust relationship
B) abuse is destructive behaviour
C) neglect is a failure to provide help
D) seniors should be able to trust caregivers and professional helpers
E) confidence tricksters are abusing older people, as well as committing crimes against them

Question 27

Which Canadian province leapt ahead of other provinces with its "Provincial Strategy to Combat Elder Abuse"?

A) British Columbia
B) Alberta
C) Prince Edward Island
D) Ontario
E) Quebec

Question 28

More older than younger Canadians

A) are victims of violent crime
B) have more fearful attitudes toward violent crime
C) have more negative attitudes towards elder abuse
D) are more likely to have sexual thoughts and desires
E) rate their subjective health lower

Question 29

More older than younger Canadians

A) are victims of violent crime
B) express less fear of violent crime
C) disapprove less strongly of elder abuse and neglect
D) are more likely to have sexual thoughts and desires
E) rate their subjective health lower

Question 30

All but which of the following statements about attitudes toward elder abuse and neglect is true?

A) negative attitudes toward elder abuse and neglect decrease with age
B) attitudes toward elder abuse correlate with those toward child and spouse abuse
C) attitudes toward elder abuse do not correlate with other issues of social morality except child and spouse abuse
D) attitudes toward "out groups" tend to be more extreme than toward "in groups"
E) attitudes toward "in groups" tend to be more extreme than toward "out groups"

Question 31

The research suggests that attitudes toward elder abuse appear to differ by whether or not the respondent belongs to the target population. If we were to ask an older adult who lives in a long-term care facility about institutional abuse, we would expect their view to be _____ compared to older adults living in the community who were asked the same question about institutional abuse.

A) more extreme
B) less extreme
C) the same
D) vague
E) incomprehensible

Question 32

If a young adult was asked about his or her attitude towards elder abuse, the young person would be giving a(n) _____ perspective.

A) in-group
B) out-group
C) joint-group
D) holistic
E) uninformed

Question 33

If an older adult living in the community was asked about his or her attitude towards elder abuse in the community, the older person would be giving a(n) _____ perspective.

A) in-group
B) out-group
C) joint-group
D) holistic
E) uninformed

Question 34

Why do social theorists equate elder abuse to an iceberg?

A) older people who are abused are often left stranded, like an iceberg
B) more older people in Northern areas are abused
C) only a small proportion of cases come to the attention of the legal and helping professions
D) elder abuse is a cold topic
E) elder abuse starts out strong and eventually fades away, like an iceberg

Question 35

Studies on attitudes towards elder abuse among professionals and between professionals and the public found

A) no similarity between the attitudes of professionals and the public
B) overall similarity between the attitudes of professionals and the public but also some differences
C) attitudes of nursing home professionals to be similar to those of police and college students
D) overall similarity between the attitudes of professionals and the public with no differences
E) older Korean-American women were just as likely to perceive abuse as African-Americans or Caucasians

Question 36

What model has been used to explain the differences in attitudes towards elder abuse among professionals and between professionals and the public?

A) iceberg model
B) ageist model
C) pacification model
D) threshold model
E) social exchange model

Question 37

Education has been recognized as a key concept in the prevention of abuse and neglect. The targets of elder abuse education should include

A) only health care professionals
B) only caregivers
C) caregivers and the public
D) health professionals, caregivers, the public, and older people themselves
E) health professionals, caregivers, the public, children, and older people themselves

Question 38

Education has been recognized as a key concept in the prevention of abuse and neglect. Which of the following is true about education?

A) it is only about acquiring information
B) it is about acquiring information and changing attitudes
C) it is about acquiring information, changing attitudes and beliefs
D) it is about acquiring information, changing attitudes, behaviours and values
E) it is only about public awareness

Question 39

Ageist depictions of later-life sexuality are present in all but which of the following areas?

A) Western religion
B) sciences
C) folklore
D) politics
E) history

Question 40

All but which of the following statements about religion and sexuality is true?

A) sexuality in old people was seen as sinful because of limited procreative potential
B) St. Augustine held that lust and passion were evils to be endured only to procreate the species
C) other major religions (e.g., Taoism, Confucianism, Hinduism, Buddhism, and Islam) hold similar views on sexuality as Christian religions
D) linkage of sex with sin continues to persist in Western culture
E) origins of witchcraft were equated with carnal lust

Question 41

Sexual satisfaction relates more to quality rather than quantity. For the most part, research findings among older adults suggest that

A) females rate their satisfaction higher than males
B) males rate their satisfaction higher than females
C) females and males rate their levels of satisfaction the same
D) both females and males have high ratings of dissatisfaction
E) only females have a high rating of dissatisfaction

Question 42

Which of the following statement is true about the belief that sex is important to quality of life?

A) it is more frequent among women than men
B) it is more frequent among men than women
C) its prevalence increases with age among men
D) its prevalence increases with age among women
E) its prevalence increases with age in both sexes

Question 43

All but which of the following statements about sexual expression in long-term care homes is true?

A) there are special challenges because a significant proportion of residents have some form of dementia
B) for cognitively intact individuals, privacy is essential for their enjoyment of sexual activity
C) competency and ability to consent are important issues among older people with dementia
D) people with dementia should be excluded from enjoying a sexual relationship
E) while some long-term care facilities in Canada have privacy rooms for sexual enjoyment, there is little evidence of the outcome of these initiatives

Question 44

Well-being can be viewed as a continuum comprising

A) mental health and disease at one pole and physical health and disability at the other
B) physical health and disease at one pole and mental health and disability at the other
C) mental and physical health at one pole and disease and disability at the other
D) disease at one pole and disability at the other
E) mental health at one pole and physical health at the other

Question 45

All but which of the following statements about professionals' attitudes toward older people is true?

A) older people are more likely to have chronic illnesses that typically necessitate longer consultations
B) physicians may find treating older patients less rewarding
C) older people may become known as "bed blockers"
D) medical vernacular refers to old people as "a problem"
E) many authors argue that most health professionals are overtly ageist

Question 46

All but which of the following statements about public attitudes toward older people is true?

A) residents of Ontario continuing-care facilities are most satisfied with the medical care they receive
B) families of residents of Ontario continuing-care facilities are least satisfied with the living environment and provisions for activities and entertainment
C) most people of any age have a negative attitude about their health
D) older people with multiple chronic disorders continue to evaluate their personal health positively because of the influences of personality and dispositions on attitudes
E) the majority of consumers report satisfaction with their experiences in acute health-care settings and continuing-care homes

Question 47

What are the two main influences on older peoples' attitudes toward the self?

A) positive appraisal of a diminishing future; negative appraisal of themselves against other people
B) negative appraisal of a diminishing future; positive appraisal of themselves against other people
C) others' opinions of the older person; older person's opinion of others
D) negative appraisal of a diminishing future; negative appraisal of themselves against other people
E) positive appraisal of a diminishing future; positive appraisal of themselves against other people

Question 48

All but which of the following statements about the AARP (1999) survey on life satisfaction is true?

A) respondents from all cohorts thought they stood higher on a life satisfaction ladder five years ago than now
B) respondents from both sexes thought they stood higher on a life satisfaction ladder five years ago than now
C) respondents from all cohorts expected to stand lower on the ladder five years into the future
D) respondents from both sexes expected to stand lower on the ladder five years into the future
E) findings were inconsistent with a claim of devaluation as people progress from mid-life to old age

Question 49

An AARP (2001) survey examined attitudes toward physical attractiveness in a national telephone survey of over 2000 Americans. It found

A) only negative evaluations
B) only positive evaluations
C) both negative and positive evaluations
D) older respondents think they are at their peak attractiveness
E) older respondents no longer consider themselves attractive

Question 50

Ratings of looks and feelings relative to age peers is called

A) chronological age
B) subjective age
C) objective age
D) age of maturity
E) reflective age

Question 51

Abuse refers to destructive behaviour, whereas neglect refers to a failure to provide required help.

Question 52

Older people are more likely than younger people to be victims of violence.

Question 53

Folklore descriptions depict older people as likeable and sexual beings.

Question 54

Older people are more likely to have a negative attitude about their health than younger people.

Question 55

Research findings on subjective age may reflect the respondents' own ageist attitudes.

Question 56

Define cognitions and stereotypes. Briefly discuss their significance to society and aging.

Question 57

List and briefly describe the possible roots of ageism in society.

Question 58

Demonstrate an understanding of ageism using a range of examples.

Question 59

What are the three assumptions underlying the "apocalyptic demography" hypothesis? How do health economists view this hypothesis? What do health economists argue is behind projections of rising health-care expenditure?

Question 60

State the four assumptions that shaped the theories about attitude. Is there empirical support for these assumptions? If not, how have these assumptions evolved?

Question 61

List and briefly describe the three main measures of attitudes. Which one is the least popular today and why? Which one is the most popular and why?

Question 62

Contrast elder abuse and neglect. Who are in a position of trust with older people? Can people not in a position of trust with older people be guilty of abuse? Use the example of confidence tricksters.

Question 63

What evidence is there that education about elder abuse and neglect changes knowledge, attitudes, behaviours or values?

Question 64

Briefly discuss examples of ageist depictions of later-life sexuality from three of the following: folklore, the arts, Western religion, and history.

Question 65

Why might health care professionals and administrators consider older people a "problem"?

Question 66

What is meant by "pacification"? What are some of the challenges within Canadian nursing homes that have led to this problem? What would be required to change this issue? Suggest specific strategies that may help overcome this situation.

Question 67

How do older and younger Canadians compare with respect to their attitudes toward violence, elder abuse and neglect, health, life and themselves. What are some of the influences on or explanations of these attitudes for older people?

Question 68

What is the common belief about sexuality in later-life? Discuss the roots of contemporary attitudes around later-life sexuality. Give examples of each. What recent changes have come about in later-life sexuality? Comment on the persistence of the taboo in the future.

Question 69

Discuss the challenges that a nursing home setting involves for the expression of sexuality among older adults. Include examples of challenges presented for and by the staff, residents, and family members. How does the physical environment impact on sex in institutions? What are some of the ethical issues that arise? Consider strategies to help reduce some of the challenges presented.

Question 70

What are the attitudes of older adults towards themselves? Describe the concepts of subjective age. Is there empirical support for these ideas? What are some influences on or explanations of these attitudes?