Deck 11: Ageing and Psychological Disorders

Question 1

A centenarian is:

A) someone born this century.
B) someone aged 100 years or more.
C) someone aged 65 years or more.
D) a specialist in older people's health.
E) None of the given options are correct.

Answer 1

B

Question 2

The most common causes of death in the early 1900s and now are:

A) acute illnesses.
B) chronic illnesses.
C) chronic illnesses in the early 1900s, acute illnesses now.
D) acute illnesses in the early 1900s, chronic illnesses now.
E) acute illnesses in both the early 1900s and now.

Answer 2

D

Question 3

Memory lapses can be caused by:

A) normal ageing.
B) dementia.
C) autism.
D) both normal ageing and dementia.
E) None of the given options are correct.

Answer 3

D

Question 4

In general emotional states:

A) generally improve with increasing age.
B) generally worsen with increasing age.
C) do not change across the lifespan.
D) generally worsen but only for women.
E) generally worsen but only for men.

Question 5

Positive ageing is defined as the ability to sustain:

A) a low risk of disease and disease-related disability.
B) a high level of mental and physical functioning.
C) an active engagement with life.
D) All of the factors listed here.
E) None of the factors listed here.

Question 6

When comparing longitudinal and cross-sectional studies of ageing:

A) longitudinal studies are more reliable in establishing changes due to ageing.
B) cross-sectional studies are more reliable in establishing changes due to ageing.
C) longitudinal and cross-sectional studies are equally reliable in establishing changes due to ageing.
D) cross-sectional studies are more affected by people dropping out over time.
E) None of the given options are correct.

Question 7

The cognitive skill that is most robust (least affected by primary or 'normal' ageing) is:

A) language.
B) memory.
C) complex attention.
D) frontal lobe/executive functioning.
E) None of the given options are correct.

Question 8

Considering the Erikson model and the Costa and McCrae ('Big Five') model of personality, which of the following statements is correct?

A) The Erikson model emphasises change but the Big Five model emphasises stability.
B) The Erikson model emphasises stability but the Big Five model emphasises change.
C) Both models emphasise change or development of personality.
D) Both models emphasise stability of personality.
E) None of the given options are correct.

Question 9

People gain most benefit from social networks when:

A) their social networks are largest.
B) their social networks are smallest.
C) the perceived amount of social support is greatest.
D) All of the given options are correct.
E) None of the given options are correct.

Question 10

Mild cognitive impairment:

A) meets the criteria for the diagnosis of dementia.
B) only involves memory problems and memory complaints.
C) involves impairment of a range of cognitive functions including memory.
D) never progresses to Alzheimer's disease.
E) always progresses to Alzheimer's disease.

Question 11

In the treatment of Alzheimer's disease, medication:

A) has no effect.
B) results in a complete cure.
C) improves cognitive functions.
D) hastens the progression of the disease.
E) None of the given options are correct.

Question 12

Compared with other older people still in the workforce, retirees have been found to:

A) experience more negative affect.
B) be less anxious and depressed.
C) be more anxious and depressed.
D) be equally anxious and depressed.
E) None of the given options are correct.

Question 13

One way of differentiating depression from a normal grief reaction is that people with depression are more likely to:

A) feel sad.
B) have problems with sleep and appetite.
C) have feelings of worthlessness and pervasive guilt or hopelessness.
D) All of the given options are correct.
E) None of the given options are correct.

Question 14

Which of the following is not true of Alzheimer's disease?

A) Everyone eventually gets it, if they live long enough.
B) It is a 'secondary ageing' process.
C) It is due to an identifiable disease process.
D) It is the most common form of dementia.
E) All of the given options are true of Alzheimer's disease.

Question 15

Age-related declines in information processing capacity mean that as we age:

A) we get worse at tasks requiring complex, effortful processing.
B) we get worse at tasks requiring simple, automatic processing.
C) we get better at tasks requiring complex, effortful processing.
D) we get better at tasks requiring simple, automatic processing.
E) None of the given options are correct.

Question 16

Compared to people with Alzheimer's disease, those with vascular dementia are more likely to have:

A) memory impairment as a central feature.
B) declines in social and occupational functioning.
C) a gradual rather than a sudden onset of the illness.
D) focal neurological signs, such as weakness or gait problems.
E) none of the given options.

Question 17

In the early stages of a frontotemporal dementia, its most conspicuous features are likely to be:

A) changes in personality and behaviour.
B) memory problems.
C) gait problems.
D) All of the given options are correct.
E) None of the given options are correct.

Question 18

Among psychiatric syndromes of older people, the syndrome with the greatest suicide risk is:

A) dementia.
B) bipolar disorder.
C) a single episode of unipolar depression with psychotic features.
D) a single episode of unipolar depression without psychotic features.
E) generalised anxiety disorder.

Question 19

Of these psychiatric syndromes of older people, the most common syndrome is:

A) dementia.
B) depression.
C) anxiety.
D) schizophrenia.
E) bipolar disorder.

Question 20

To move away from the stigmatised nature of the term dementia, one of the most notable changes in the DSM-5 is the suggestion to replace the term 'dementia' with:

A) age-related cognitive decline.
B) major or mild neurocognitive disorders.
C) Alzheimer's disease.
D) frontotemporal disorders.
E) None of the given options are correct.

Question 21

With respect to age-related changes in cognitive functioning, which of the following is true?

A) Fluid intelligence declines in the third or fourth decade; crystallised intelligence does not decline significantly.
B) Crystallised intelligence declines in the third or fourth decade; fluid intelligence does not decline significantly.
C) Both fluid and crystallised intelligence improve with age.
D) Both fluid and crystallised intelligence decline with age.
E) There are no age-related changes in either fluid or crystallised intelligence.

Question 22

In studies where age-dependent risk factors for anxiety and depression (e.g., gender, marital status, level of education and employment status) were controlled, there is a consistent pattern of:

A) decreasing risk of depression or anxiety with increasing age.
B) increasing risk of depression or anxiety with increasing age.
C) no changes in risk of depression or anxiety with increasing age.
D) increasing risk of depression, but decreasing risk of anxiety.
E) increasing risk of anxiety, but decreasing risk of depression.

Question 23

Alzheimer's disease is characterised by the presence of:

A) neurofibrillary tangles only.
B) neuritic plaques only.
C) neurofibrillary tangles and neuritic plaques.
D) Lewy bodies.
E) None of the given options are correct.

Question 24

Compared to Alzheimer's disease, vascular dementia:

A) has a more sudden onset.
B) is associated with vascular disease risk factors and focal neurological symptoms.
C) generally involves better preserved memory.
D) All of the given options are correct.
E) None of the given options are correct.

Question 25

Common reasons why older adults might cease driving a car include all of the following except:

A) fear of having an accident.
B) medications that interfere with attention and concentration.
C) sleep disturbances that might interfere with attention and concentration.
D) health-related symptoms (e.g., arthritis).
E) neurological conditions.

Question 26

Factors that predict positive retirement include all of the following except:

A) higher income.
B) part-time employment.
C) being in a relationship.
D) having a choice in the timing of retirement.
E) All of the given options are correct.

Question 27

A 2000 study reported a prevalence rate of ________ per cent for anxiety disorders in Australians over 65 years of age.

A) 1
B) 2.5
C) 4.5
D) 6
E) 8

Question 28

Older adults with anxiety tend to present with what sort of symptoms?

A) agitation
B) memory loss
C) sleep disturbance
D) more vegetative symptoms
E) All of the given options are correct.

Question 29

Which of the following is not a strategy used by successful retirees according to Baltes(1999)?

A) selection
B) optimisation
C) compensation
D) distancing
E) None of the given options are correct.

Question 30

Recent research shows that, on average:

A) retirement is generally a positive transition for both men and women.
B) retirement is generally a negative transition.
C) retirement is generally a positive experience but only for men.
D) retirement is generally a negative experience but only for men.
E) retirement is generally a positive experience but only for women.

Question 31

The DSM-5 has:

A) added bereavement to its mood disorders.
B) removed bereavement from its mood disorders.
C) added bereavement to its mood disorders but only for people over 65 years of age.
D) added bereavement to its mood disorders but only for people under 65 years of age.
E) None of the given options are correct.

Question 32

Which is not one of Cohen's four stages in mature and later life?

A) mid-life re-evaluation
B) liberation stage
C) summing-up phase
D) contemplation phase
E) encore phase

Question 33

In terms of social support in later life, research indicates that:

A) older men receive less support than older women.
B) older men give more social support than women.
C) men and women receive equal amounts of social support.
D) All of the given options are correct.
E) None of the given options are correct.