Deck 13: Socioemotional Development in Middle Adulthood

Question 1

The process of using and enhancing one's resources in order to pursue goals is called

A) compensation.
B) generativity.
C) optimization.
D) selection.

Answer 1

optimization.

Question 2

The process of compensation involves

A) choosing manageable life goals.
B) developing other strategies to pursue goals when your resources decline.
C) paying back those who assisted you in achieving your goals.
D) using and enhancing your resources in order to pursue your life goals.

Answer 2

developing other strategies to pursue goals when your resources decline.

Question 3

Ryan's actions exemplified the process of selection when he

A) decided to major in biology in order to prepare for an eventual career in medicine.
B) chose to go to medical school in Mexico when he did not get accepted at any American school.
C) taught himself to speak fluent Spanish before going off to medical school in Mexico.
D) borrowed money from his uncle to pay for medical school when his own father said "No."

Answer 3

decided to major in biology in order to prepare for an eventual career in medicine.

Question 4

In a study investigating age differences in adults' views of their primary life goals, one goal emphasized by young adults was_____, whereas one goal emphasized by middle-aged adults was_____

A) preserving health; fostering children's future development
B) establishing friendships; dealing with property-related concerns
C) preserving health; attaining further education
D) dealing with property-related concerns; fostering children's future development

Question 5

Young adulthood is to_____social roles, as middle adulthood is to_____social roles.

A) acquiring; strengthening
B) future; past
C) strengthening; acquiring
D) past; future

Question 6

Generativity refers to the desire to

A) contribute to the welfare of the next generation.
B) focus on your own needs.
C) find your roots.
D) link with past generations through the study of literature and art.

Question 7

Michael showed his concern with generativity when he

A) founded a school to teach underprivileged children.
B) bought himself the latest fully-loaded sports car.
C) purchased a piece of land on which he planned to build his mansion.
D) signed up for karate, trapeze, and surfing lessons.

Question 8

According to Erikson, stagnation in middle adulthood is reflected in

A) nurturing behavior.
B) self-giving.
C) charitable acts.
D) self-absorption.

Question 9

Of these four women, which one is showing evidence of stagnation?

A) Dionne, who worries about the state of the Earth and regularly contributes money to environmental organizations
B) Mallory, who spends much of her income on plastic surgery, spa treatments, and high-end makeup
C) Nancy, whose abstract sculptures are on view at the local modern art museum
D) Sheila, who enjoys volunteering at an after-school program for autistic children

Question 10

The fact that middle-aged adults are more concerned with generativity than adults at other stages of the lifespan is reflected in their higher rates of

A) consumerism.
B) medical complaints.
C) obesity.
D) volunteerism.

Question 11

What psychological shift in the perception of time occurs in midlife?

A) Middle-aged adults become more tuned to the social clock.
B) Middle-aged adults become focused on specific events with clear beginnings and endings.
C) Middle-aged adults cease to monitor the passage of time.
D) Middle-aged adults become more aware of the time they have left.

Question 12

One of the first theorists to point out that subjective sense of time affects people in important ways was

A) Daniel Levinson
B) Erik Erikson.
C) Bernice Neugarten.
D) Jean Piaget.

Question 13

In middle adulthood, elective selection gives way to

A) alternative-goal selection.
B) goal-initiating selection.
C) loss-based selection.
D) goal-oriented selection.

Question 14

As Elizabeth approaches her 60th birthday and considers her goals for the next 5 or 10 years, it is probable that she will engage in

A) elective selection.
B) goal initiation.
C) goal maintenance.
D) optimism-based goal evaluation.

Question 15

Edward is a 63-year-old widower. When asked about his goals for the next several years, he's likeliest to mention

A) meeting the woman who'll become his second wife.
B) learning to speak Chinese.
C) finding a better investment for his money.
D) starting an online travel agency for seniors.

Question 16

An artist engages in compensation when he starts

A) using watercolors, a new medium that he's never used before.
B) doing collages because his hand shakes too much to paint.
C) painting landscapes because he's tired of doing profiles.
D) selling his artwork online for the first time.

Question 17

Which of the following is a current trend in middle adulthood relationships?

A) Divorce is becoming less common.
B) Fewer people are choosing cohabitation.
C) More people are opting to stay single.
D) People are younger when they marry for the first or second time.

Question 18

By definition, a blended family is one in which there are

A) children from a current marriage and a prior marriage.
B) adopted children of different ethnicities.
C) children in an interracial marriage.
D) homosexual parents and heterosexual children.

Question 19

The rebound in marital satisfaction after midlife that was found by early studies was probably due to the fact that

A) couples fall in love again after they're freed from the constraints of raising children.
B) in middle-age, couples adjust their personalities to become more harmonious with one another.
C) the shift in time perception makes people take stock and appreciate what they have.
D) unhappy couples divorced and dropped out of the studies.

Question 20

Recent studies on the progression of marital satisfaction in 7- and 8-year marriages found that it follows which one of the following patterns?

A) A level line that starts a steep decline after a short while
B) A straight diagonal line that starts at a high point and gradually gets lower
C) A straight diagonal line that starts at a low point and gradually gets higher
D) A U-shape

Question 21

Which of the following middle-aged couples is apt to report the highest marital satisfaction?

A) Ann and Andy, who never had any children
B) Bob and Beth, who have a 2-year-old
C) Carrie and Chris, who have a 12-year-old
D) Doris and Drew, who are "empty nesters"

Question 22

Marital satisfaction is apt to be lowest for which of the following couples?

A) Eve and Ed, who never had any children
B) Fay and Fred, who have a 1-year-old
C) Ginger and Gary, who have an 8-year-old
D) Helen and Hal, who have one son who is married and living in another state

Question 23

Each of the following statements is true about couples in highly successful marriages except

A) they consider their individual selves first.
B) they use humor when discussing problems.
C) they treat each other like very good friends.
D) they have a sense of "we-ness."

Question 24

After a divorce, women are more likely than men to experience

A) an unhealthier lifestyle.
B) ill health.
C) a loss of emotional support.
D) a decline in financial resources.

Question 25

Aldo, a 40-year-old man, just got a divorce after 15 years of marriage. Consequently, he is apt to

A) become poor.
B) become sick
C) make new friends.
D) take better care of himself than he did before.

Question 26

Divorce is hardest on middle-aged

A) men with older children.
B) men with young children.
C) women with older children.
D) women with young children.

Question 27

Of the following four people who have just divorced, who is least likely to remarry?

A) Rafaella, a 24-year-old female
B) Ivan, a 40-year-old male
C) Monica, a 40-year-old female
D) Sylvester, a 24-year-old male

Question 28

Among divorced women under the age of 25,_____ remarry. Among divorced women over the age of 40,_____remarry.

A) 60; 10
B) 50; 40
C) 70; 20
D) 90; 30

Question 29

In one study, recently divorced young adults and middle-aged participants read negative and positive statements about the institution of marriage. In a memory test, the middle-aged participants were able to remember

A) virtually all of the positive and negative statements.
B) fewer negative statements.
C) fewer positive statements.
D) almost none of the positive or negative statements.

Question 30

Which of the following accurately describes the marriage market for middle-aged adults?

A) It's basically the same for both men and women.
B) It's more advantageous for men because it is more acceptable for them to marry someone younger than themselves.
C) It's more advantageous for men because a larger number of them are in the population.
D) It's more advantageous for women because single men are more eager to get married than are single women.

Question 31

The results of the Wrosch and Heckhausen study (1999), in which recently divorced middle-aged adults were asked to recall positive and negative statements about marriage, suggest that the middle-aged adults were

A) disengaging from the goal of marriage.
B) enthusiastic about the goal of marriage.
C) uninterested in the goal of marriage.
D) unrealistic about the goal of marriage.

Question 32

Disengagement from the goal of marriage was found to be_____for young adults and_____Middle-aged adults.

A) adaptive; adaptive
B) adaptive; maladaptive
C) maladaptive; adaptive
D) maladaptive; maladaptive

Question 33

How does the amount of awake time that adolescents spend with friends compare with the amount of awake time that middle-aged adults spend with friends?

A) It is just about equal.
B) Middle-aged adults spend one-fourth as much time.
C) Middle-aged adults spend one-half as much time.
D) Middle-aged adults spend double the time.

Question 34

As people age, their friendships become_____in quantity and_____in quality.

A) greater; higher
B) greater; lower
C) lesser; higher
D) lesser; lower

Question 35

A nearly universal experience for parents at some point in midlife is

A) being part of a blended family.
B) living with boomerang children.
C) parenting younger and older children at the same time.
D) raising teenagers.

Question 36

One reason that the number of child-parent conflicts decreases in adolescence is that

A) adolescents now have a sense of responsibility and are more likely to obey parents' rules.
B) parents and their adolescent children do not spend much time together.
C) parents are beginning to relinquish control.
D) parents are more likely to empathize with adolescent concerns than with those of younger children.

Question 37

Bianca and Stuart have an "empty nest." That means their

A) oldest child started kindergarten.
B) youngest child started first grade.
C) oldest child started college.
D) children have all left for college or to establish their own home.

Question 38

Recent studies of empty nesters have found them to be_____right after the last child leaves and_____In the long run.

A) happy; even happier
B) happy; unhappy
C) sad; even sadder
D) sad; happy

Question 39

The increase in the phenomenon of boomerang children is due mainly to

A) economic conditions.
B) parents' psychological conditions.
C) children's psychological conditions.
D) cultural demographics.

Question 40

What percentage of 22- to 25-year-olds lives with a parent?

A) 4
B) 13
C) 26
D) 42

Question 41

Stephen recently graduated from college with an entertainment major. He was only able to secure a Low-paying job as an intern at a television studio and is not making enough money to cover his expenses. Consequently, at 22, he is planning on moving back in with his parents. When he does, it is likely that he will be _____with this living arrangement and that his parents' marital relationship will_____As a result of having him back home.

A) dissatisfied; not suffer
B) dissatisfied; suffer
C) satisfied; not suffer
D) satisfied; suffer

Question 42

Which of the following is true when it comes to the psychological health of parents and their children?

A) The two are almost completely independent of each other.
B) Children's well-being is affected by their parents' well-being, but the reverse is not true.
C) Parents' well-being is affected by their children's well-being, but the reverse is not true.
D) There is an interaction, with the parents' well-being affecting their children's well-being and the children's well-being affecting their parents' well-being.

Question 43

The average age at which people become grandparents is

A) 42
B) 48
C) 54
D) 60

Question 44

Ozzy has four grandparents, all of whom live nearby. He's likely to spend the most amount of time with

A) grandfather Mike, who retired last year from his job with the post office.
B) grandfather Lance, who works full time as a doorman.
C) grandmother Donna, who has always been a homemaker.
D) grandmother Lucy, who works as a legal secretary.

Question 45

Which of the following is likeliest to happen following a divorce?

A) Both sets of grandparents will remain equally involved with the grandchildren.
B) Both sets of grandparents will cease to be actively involved with the grandchildren
C) The maternal grandparents will now be more involved with the grandchildren than the paternal grandparents.
D) The paternal grandparents will now be more involved with the grandchildren than the maternal grandparents.

Question 46

George and Nina's son is about to get divorced, with his wife getting sole custody of their four children. George and Nina are worried about being able to see them. After researching grandparents' visitation rights online, they found out that

A) there is no such thing.
B) only a small number of states grant visitation rights to grandparents.
C) a majority of states allow visitation rights to grandparents.
D) all states allow visitation rights to grandparents.

Question 47

The term skipped generation family refers to households in which

A) a couple has decided not to raise a family.
B) grandparents and grandchildren live together without the intervening generation.
C) at least one parent is deceased.
D) there has been the death of a child.

Question 48

Which of the following is an off-time event?

A) A couple's oldest child going off to summer camp
B) Grandparents raising young children
C) Parents in an "empty nest" as a result of children going off to college
D) Two divorced people getting married and forming a blended family.

Question 49

In 2000, how many children in the United States were living in homes headed by grandparents?

A) 1 million
B) 2.5 million
C) 3 million
D) 4.5 million

Question 50

In the US, a grandparent raising a grandchild is likely to be

A) male, rather than female.
B) Hispanic, rather than white.
C) well-off, rather than poor.
D) white, rather than African-American.

Question 51

The relationship between middle-aged adults and their parents that tends to be the closest is the one between

A) daughters and fathers.
B) daughters and mothers.
C) sons and fathers.
D) sons and mothers.

Question 52

Contact and closeness between middle-aged adults and their parents tends to

A) decrease from young adulthood through midlife.
B) increase from young adulthood through midlife.
C) remain at a high level from young adulthood through midlife.
D) remain at a low level from young adulthood through midlife.

Question 53

About what percentage of adults who care for aging parents is female?

A) 38
B) 50
C) 64
D) 86

Question 54

The book The 36-Hour Day captures how demanding it is to take care of

A) an autistic child.
B) a physically handicapped child.
C) an older person with a disability.
D) triplets.

Question 55

The term sandwich generation refers to

A) adolescents who are caught between childhood and adulthood.
B) the Baby Boomers, who used to take homemade sandwiches to work.
C) middle-aged adults who are caring for teenagers and older parents.
D) young adults who are old enough to be self-sufficient but are still living at home.

Question 56

Approximately what percentage of middle-aged adults is caring for children and aging parents at the same time?

A) 8
B) 28
C) 48
D) 78

Question 57

Researchers have concluded that the sandwich generation is

A) expanding rapidly.
B) largely a myth.
C) larger than was first presumed.
D) coping very well.

Question 58

The sandwich generation was probably larger in earlier eras because

A) older adults today are likely to have private insurance that pays for long-term care.
B) these days, Medicare and hospice organizations provide help to ailing seniors.
C) older adults today are in better health.
D) these days, older adults who need care are more likely to be sent to a home.

Question 59

These days, the termsandwich generation could be redefined to account for the large number of

A) children whose custody is shared by their divorced mothers and fathers.
B) men squeezed between full-time jobs and helping their wives take care of the house and children.
C) women squeezed between caring for children and elderly parents.
D) women squeezed between full-time jobs and caring for elderly parents.

Question 60

Approximately what percentage of middle-aged women has full-time jobs and takes care of elderly parents?

A) 3
B) 13
C) 23
D) 33

Question 61

Fifty-six-year-old Brenda works full time and assists her sisters in the care of her elderly parents. If she is a typical middle-aged adult, how does she feel about her situation?

A) Guilty that she can't be with her parents all the time
B) Grateful for the opportunity to pay her parents back
C) Unhappy that her parents take up so much of her time
D) Resentful that she has so much to cope with

Question 62

Early in midlife, what percentage of adults still has two living parents?

A) 25
B) 50
C) 70
D) 90

Question 63

At the end of midlife, approximately what percentage of adults still has one or two living parents?

A) 5
B) 10
C) 25
D) 40

Question 64

Forty-year-old Sonia's parents both died this year. If Sonia is typical, their death will mark a turning point in her life and she will

A) feel like a helpless child.
B) distance herself from others.
C) never stop grieving.
D) appreciate the time she has left even more.

Question 65

About what percentage of people in their 40s and 50s is employed?

A) 35
B) 50
C) 60
D) 75

Question 66

The four basic needs that work serves in middle adulthood are social contact, personal needs, financial needs, and

A) educational needs.
B) generativity.
C) distraction from health problems.
D) the need to keep busy.

Question 67

Work serves four basic needs in middle adulthood. One of them is generativity or the need to

A) feel proud and have high self-esteem.
B) interact with and establish friendships with coworkers.
C) pass on knowledge and skills to younger adults.
D) have an income and health insurance.

Question 68

The new job at the newspaper office fulfilled Joyce's need for generativity as

A) part of her job was to oversee student interns from the local college.
B) she lunched with her coworkers daily and quickly made some new friends.
C) her salary was decent, and there were bonuses and adequate health insurance.
D) every time she read something with her byline, she felt very proud of herself.

Question 69

Compared to young workers, middle-aged workers are

A) more likely to feel "burned out."
B) more likely to appreciate the extrinsic rewards of work.
C) more likely to say they enjoy working.
D) less likely to say they are proud of what they do.

Question 70

Even though her work was superior and she was up next for promotion, Angela's boss passed her by, simply because he thought a man would do a better job of supervising the mostly male staff. Angela appears to have bumped against a glass

A) ceiling.
B) door.
C) wall.
D) window.

Question 71

Compared to what men make, women typically earn

A) half as much.
B) three-quarters as much.
C) just about the same amount.
D) one-quarter more.

Question 72

The members of which group have the highest incomes on average?

A) African-Americans
B) Asian Americans
C) Hispanic Americans
D) White Americans

Question 73

The male members of which group have the lowest incomes on average?

A) African-Americans
B) Asian Americans
C) Hispanic Americans
D) White Americans

Question 74

After graduating from law school, Samantha accepted a starting position with a well-known law firm. She and her husband made a conscious decision not to have children, and she remained with the firm, eventually becoming a partner, until her retirement at age 65. Which pattern of career development did Samantha follow?

A) Second
B) Interrupted
C) Regular
D) Modified second

Question 75

Nicole became a physician's assistant after graduation from college. In the second year, after becoming pregnant with her first child, she quit the job and became a full time homemaker. Subsequently, she had three more children. When her youngest child entered elementary school, Nicole went back to work. Which pattern of career development did Nicole follow?

A) Interrupted
B) Modified second
C) Regular
D) Second

Question 76

Ellen graduated from college with a degree in art history. She got married right after graduation. Shortly thereafter, she became a mother. She was a stay-at-home mother until her daughter started high school. Then, she was able to get a job at a local museum. Ellen followed which pattern of career development?

A) Interrupted
B) Modified second
C) Regular
D) Second

Question 77

When Leslie accepted her first job as a CPA at a large accounting firm, she stated her intention to eventually combine work and family. As soon as the first baby came, Leslie began working part-time at the firm. She continued to do so for the next 16 years as her family grew. Then, when her children were all in their teens, she switched to full-time work. Leslie followed which pattern of career development?

A) Interrupted
B) Modified second
C) Regular
D) Second

Question 78

A modified second career pattern is when a woman

A) works two jobs at the same time.
B) switches to part-time work when her children are small and back to full time when they are grown.
C) quits work and never returns to the workforce again.
D) waits until her children are all grown up before starting her career.

Question 79

What term did Golan use to describe the career pattern a woman forges when she defers entry into the workplace until her children are grown?

A) Interrupted
B) Modified second
C) Regular
D) Second

Question 80

In one study (Lahey, 2005), prospective employers were sent identical resumes, representing made-up younger and older workers. When selecting the ones they would be interviewing, the employers picked

A) equal numbers of younger and older workers.
B) many more older workers than younger workers.
C) many more younger workers than older workers.
D) none of the older workers.