Deck 16: Social and Personality Development in Middle Adulthood

Question 1

Darryl is a teacher who volunteers his free time working in a homeless shelter. According to Erikson, what is Darryl experiencing?

A) A mid-life crisis
B) A sense of generativity
C) Volunteerism
D) A sense of stagnation

Answer 1

A sense of generativity

Question 2

When a person is confronted with a task which they are compelled to perform but for which they are ill prepared, which of the following are they likely to experience?

A) Role strain
B) Stagnation
C) Role conflict
D) Role disparity

Answer 2

Role strain

Question 3

Mrs. Jiminez has recently been promoted to administrator at the local nursing home, which means that she must be at work by 7:00 a.m. Mrs. Jiminez also believes that she should provide her children with breakfast and supervision before they get on the school bus at 7:30 each morning. What is Mrs. Jiminez experiencing?

A) Role conflict
B) Role strain
C) Stasis
D) Social life stress

Answer 3

Role conflict

Question 4

When a couple has learned which strategies work best when resolving disagreements and therefore have a sense that they have control of the relationship, they have accomplished which of the following?

A) Marital stability
B) Relationship confidence
C) Marital satisfaction
D) Marital self-efficacy

Question 5

Which of the following is LEAST likely to prompt the mid-life crisis described by Daniel Levinson?

A) Awareness of health risks
B) Accepting one's own mortality
C) Purchasing a new home
D) Recognizing new physical limitations

Question 6

An increase in life expectancy has caused one aspect of family life to change. Which of the following best illustrates this change?

A) Adults are likely to spend more years caring for both younger and older generations in their family.
B) Adults spend fewer years in occupational roles and therefore have more time to spend with their family.
C) Parents have more children, and the average family size is larger than ever before in history.
D) Multi-generation families are much rarer than was true a generation ago.

Question 7

Dorian just gave birth to her first child. When she first held the baby, Dorian wanted to scream in panic because she had no idea how to be a mother. Social scientists would suggest that Dorian is experiencing

A) role ambiguity.
B) role overload.
C) role conflict.
D) role strain.

Question 8

Georgina is a middle-aged woman who volunteers as a tour guide at the local art museum and at the Museum of Asian Culture. She does this because she believes that the arts are an important part of culture and must be preserved and passed on to future generations. What term would Vaillant apply to Georgina?

A) Keeper of the meaning
B) Career committed
C) Generatively enabled
D) Caregiver of future generations

Question 9

What is Erikson's developmental task of middle adulthood?

A) Dialectical thought versus problem-resolution
B) Ego integrity versus despair
C) Generativity versus stagnation
D) Intimacy versus isolation

Question 10

Which of the following is one of the outcomes of a career-based social network according to Vaillant?

A) Consternation
B) Competence
C) Contemplation
D) Complacency

Question 11

Which of the following is the best example of the skilled diplomacy that middle-aged couples use to maintain the stability of their relationship?

A) When Mr. and Mrs. Smith are having a marital conflict, Mrs. Smith asks one of their children to discuss the issue with Mr. Smith.
B) If a problem occurs in the Jones marriage, Mrs. Jones first confronts Mr. Jones with the issue and then she works to bring peace to their relationship.
C) Mr. and Mrs. Washington rely on the wisdom, humor, and practical advice of their religious advisor when a problem arises in their marriage.
D) Mr. and Mrs. Lee agree that their marriage cannot withstand conflict, therefore disagreements or differences of opinion are never voiced.

Question 12

Which of the following theorists viewed the issues of generativity and stagnation as critical issues that most middle-aged adults must deal with?

A) Sigmund Freud
B) Erik Erikson
C) Jean Piaget
D) Albert Bandura

Question 13

What is the term that Erikson uses to describe a desire to establish and guide the next generations?

A) Propagation
B) Reproduction
C) Generativity
D) Intimacy

Question 14

What does the term sandwich generation refer to?

A) Two-income families where the family members' busy schedules mean that meals are seldom eaten together as a family
B) Middle-aged adults who provide assistance to both their children and their aging parents
C) Middle-aged workers who find themselves trapped between dissatisfaction with their job and financial obligations to their family
D) Mid-life childless couples whose career demands conflict with their desire to spend time with their family

Question 15

According to Erikson, which of the following would cause a person to experience a mid-life crisis?

A) A sense of generativity
B) An external locus of control
C) A loss of self-efficacy
D) A sense of stagnation

Question 16

Which of the following best expresses Daniel Levinson's idea about development at mid-life?

A) There is little variation in the personality characteristics of an individual at the age of 25, 50, 75, or 100.
B) A primary task of adulthood is to assist the next generation in developing into mature and competent individuals.
C) The developmental tasks of mid-life are likely to cause a crisis when an individual's ability to cope is overwhelmed.
D) Individuals whose life transitions are congruent with the social clock are able to more effectively adapt to the challenges of mid-life.

Question 17

What does Erikson suggest is required for the expression of generativity?

A) Caring for others
B) Communicating effectively
C) Obeying the law
D) Optimum use of one's intelligence

Question 18

In a study conducted by Snarey et al., what did they learn about the generativity of men with no children?

A) The majority suffered from stagnation.
B) Those who rated high on generativity had found a non-relative child to nurture.
C) They had never had children because they were fatherless themselves.
D) The majority of childless men were married to women who had children from a previous relationship.

Question 19

Psychiatrist George Vaillant has identified a stage between intimacy and generativity. What is the name of this stage?

A) Career generativity
B) Job satisfaction
C) Mid-life transition
D) Career consolidation

Question 20

The person who is forced to take on responsibilities which are in constant competition with each other is experiencing which of the following?

A) Role disparity
B) Role diffusion
C) Role conflict
D) Role strain

Question 21

When grandparents seldom see their grandchildren, your text calls it a

A) revolving door relationship.
B) familial relationship.
C) generational betrayal.
D) remote relationship.

Question 22

What percentage of grandparents express a high level of satisfaction with their role?

A) 50%
B) 75%
C) 85%
D) 92%

Question 23

Which of the following statements is most accurate about grandparenthood in the United States?

A) Most grandparents rarely see or talk to their grandchildren regularly, and few describe their relationships as warm and loving.
B) Grandparents who see their grandchildren more often describe themselves as happier than those who see their grandchildren less often.
C) The role of grandmother is narrower and less intimate than the role of grandfather.
D) In recent years the incidence of custodial grandparenting has increased in all ethnic and socioeconomic groups.

Question 24

Approximately what percentage of women become grandmothers by their early 50s?

A) 10%
B) 20%
C) 50%
D) 75%

Question 25

Chuck and Jeri live hundreds of miles from their children. They are retired and have busy lives of leisure. They seldom visit their children and have never developed a close relationship with their grandchildren. Behavioral scientists would say Chuck and Jeri have what type of relationships with their grandchildren?

A) Intimate
B) Remote
C) Estranged
D) Strained

Question 26

According to research on grandparent-grandchildren relationships, what is the most common explanation for a remote relationship between grandparents and their grandchildren?

A) Absence of emotional bonds or affectional ties
B) Disinterest on the part of either or both parties
C) Interference by parents
D) Physical distance

Question 27

Which of the following is one of the types of grandparent relationships mentioned in your text?

A) Removed relationships
B) Parental relationships
C) Companionate relationships
D) Isolated relationships

Question 28

Pauline and Leo call their grandchildren every week and drive the 300 miles to visit several times a year. They even text message their grandchildren on their cell phones occasionally, just for fun. Social scientists would say that Pauline and Leo have what type of relationship with their grandchildren?

A) Companionate relationship
B) Remote relationship
C) Distant relationship
D) Cross-generational feed

Question 29

What does the term "Peter Pandemonium" refer to?

A) Adults who are over-anxious to get their grown children out of the house
B) Adolescents who leave home
C) Young adults who don't want to grow up
D) Children who leave home and then return

Question 30

The Fowler family lives in a duplex. Grandma Fowler lives in one half and Mr. and Mrs. Fowler and their children live in the other half. Every day when the children get off of the school bus, grandma meets them and prepares their afternoon snack. She helps them with their homework until their parents get home from work. What kind of relationship does Grandma Fowler have with her grandchildren?

A) Companionate
B) Parental
C) Remote
D) Involved

Question 31

Which of the following statements about the role of grandparents is correct?

A) Grandfathers and grandmothers have equally broad and intimate roles with their grandchildren.
B) Grandfathers have a broader and more intimate role with their grandchildren than grandmothers do.
C) Grandmothers have a broader and more intimate role with their grandchildren than grandfathers do.
D) Grandparents typically do not have broad or intimate roles with their grandchildren.

Question 32

What is stereotypically one of the most maligned relationships in U.S. culture?

A) The relationship between two mothers-in-law
B) The relationship between a woman and her own mother
C) The relationship between a son and his father-in-law
D) The relationship between a woman and her mother-in-law

Question 33

Approximately what percentage of women in their 50s are multigenerational caregivers?

A) 25%
B) 33%
C) 50%
D) 67%

Question 34

Approximately what percentage of children in the United States live with one or more of their grandparents?

A) 1%
B) 8%
C) 18%
D) 27%

Question 35

Which of the following best describes the nature of friendship in middle adulthood?

A) Adults have more friends in mid-life than at any other point in adulthood.
B) The social circle is smaller, but the friendships are as intimate and close as at earlier ages.
C) The need for a social network increases across mid-life.
D) The increased role strain and role conflict of middle adulthood require additional emotional support from friends outside the family.

Question 36

Which of the following best describes best-friend relationships in mid-life?

A) The level of intimacy increases as the frequency of interaction declines.
B) The frequency of interaction decreases but the level of intimacy remains stable.
C) The number of friendships stays the same but the level of intimacy declines.
D) Both the frequency and level of intimacy decline over time.

Question 37

Which of the following is a recommended way to avoid conflict in the role of in-law?

A) Correct your son-in-law or daughter-in-law when they make a mistake.
B) Tell your adult children how they should raise your grandchildren.
C) Create rituals and celebrations that require the participation of family members on weekends and holidays.
D) When asked for your advice, do not share your experience.

Question 38

Which of the following is a role that is normally assumed in middle adulthood?

A) Employer
B) Grandparent
C) Parent
D) Spouse

Question 39

Which of the following best exemplifies a "boomerang kid?"

A) Jane, who is 21 and is living at home with her parents while she attends college
B) Richard, a father of 3 who returned home to live with his parents after his wife died so that his parents could help raise his children
C) Joey, who is 35, never married, and returns home after losing a job, which occurs about every six months
D) Malesia, whose culture encourages extended family living together, even after they are married

Question 40

Which of the following statements is true about companionate grandparents?

A) They provide discipline, frequent contact, and warm interactions with their grandchildren.
B) They have frequent contact and warm interactions with their grandchildren but typically do not discipline them.
C) They have infrequent contact with their grandchildren and typically do not discipline them.
D) They have infrequent contact with their grandchildren but they provide discipline regularly when they see them.

Question 41

The statement "I don't like my boss but the hours fit with the children's school schedule" is more likely to be made by whom?

A) A middle-aged woman
B) A middle-aged man
C) A young adult woman
D) A young adult man

Question 42

What is the term Baltes & Baltes gave to the idea that workers deliberately try to keep crucial abilities sharp by taking additional training or periodically "brushing up?"

A) Optimization
B) Selection
C) Oversight
D) Compensation

Question 43

Which of the following is NOT one of the Big Five personality traits?

A) Agreeableness
B) Openness
C) Neuroticism
D) Introversion

Question 44

What is the term for the trait characterized by a need for order in the environment?

A) Extraversion
B) Openness
C) Agreeableness
D) Conscientiousness

Question 45

What is the term for the trait characterized by the ease with which a person gets along with others?

A) Openness
B) Neuroticism
C) Conscientiousness
D) Agreeableness

Question 46

Which of the following is the best predictor of burnout in the work place?

A) Working lots of overtime
B) Feeling as if one's work is not appreciated
C) Having a poor relationship with one's boss
D) Poor familial support

Question 47

What is the term for the trait characterized by emotional negativity, pessimism, and irritability?

A) Neuroticism
B) Extraversion
C) Conscientiousness
D) Openness

Question 48

According to the classification system of voluntary and involuntary career changers, an involuntary career changer is in transition for what reasons?

A) Ambiguous
B) External
C) Internal
D) Normative

Question 49

Which of the following is most likely to deal effectively with on-the-job stress?

A) Mabel, who is high in extraversion and conscientiousness
B) Jackson, who is high in agreeableness and neuroticism
C) Melva, who is low in openness and extraversion
D) Johnathan, who is low in conscientiousness and extraversion

Question 50

What is the term for the trait characterized by a willingness to try new things?

A) Openness
B) Conscientiousness
C) Extraversion
D) Agreeableness

Question 51

What is selective optimization with compensation?

A) The job interview process
B) The process of downsizing in a corporation and its effects on middle-aged workers
C) Focusing on central tasks, maintaining abilities, and overcoming obstacles
D) Choosing a new job based on whether or not it allows for advancement and increased future income potential

Question 52

Orland, age 50, has always been the top seller in her real estate company. In spite of this, she never rests on her laurels. Three times a year, she attends workshops on salesmanship, closing, and real estate law. Baltes & Baltes would suggest that Orland is using which strategy?

A) Management
B) Selection
C) Optimization
D) Compensation

Question 53

Micah, age 55, used to write great op-ed pieces for his newspaper. Now he chooses the topic and lays out the main theme, but he assigns the actual copy-writing to a younger staff reporter. He then proofs the work, makes a few changes, and lets it go to print under his by-line. Baltes & Baltes would suggest that Micah is using which strategy?

A) Optimization
B) Selection
C) Oversight
D) Compensation

Question 54

Which of the following would be a typical response for a middle-aged man who is dissatisfied with his job?

A) Quit and find a new job
B) Complain to his friends about it and do nothing
C) Negotiate with his boss to try to change the working situation to better fit his needs
D) Resign himself to the fact that he has to change and adjust to the dissatisfaction

Question 55

Which of the Big Five traits are likely to decline as adults age?

A) Neuroticism, openness, agreeableness
B) Openness, extraversion, neuroticism
C) Extraversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness
D) Conscientiousness, extraversion, neuroticism

Question 56

Which of the following statements best summarizes the stability of personality over time?

A) For most people, personality changes greatly over time, especially during mid-life.
B) Personality is stable across all people in all cultures.
C) For most people, personality traits tend to be stable over time, but within some individuals there may be relatively large changes.
D) Personality characteristics are subject to a great deal of change depending on environmental stressors.

Question 57

Many potential employers believe that middle-aged workers are less able to learn new computer skills than their young-adult counterparts. This is an example of which of the following?

A) Reality
B) Compensation
C) Selective optimization
D) Ageism

Question 58

Which of the following statements about friendships in middle adulthood is true?

A) Mid-life friendships are just as intimate and close as those in the earlier years.
B) The frequency of interaction among best friends tends to increase.
C) Middle-aged people maintain a relatively large social network.
D) Middle-aged mothers maintain more friendships than their young adult daughters.

Question 59

What is the term Baltes & Baltes use to designate the ways workers narrow their job tasks to only the most important ones and delegate the rest to others?

A) Management
B) Selection
C) Oversight
D) Compensation

Question 60

What is the term for the trait characterized by sociability?

A) Conscientiousness
B) Openness
C) Extraversion
D) Neuroticism

Question 61

Based upon the classification system of voluntary and involuntary career changers, which of the following is a reason for an involuntary career change?

A) To leave a job that does not pay enough.
B) To have a job that is more meaningful or fulfilling.
C) To leave a job because of a planned retirement.
D) Organizational restructuring that results in elimination of the job.

Question 62

Lauren used to work as a telephone operator. Recently the phone company for which she worked decided to go to an automated system. Lauren was laid off, making her what your text would call

A) an employment liability.
B) an involuntary career changer.
C) a volunteer career shifter.
D) a career transitioner.

Question 63

Phyllis has worked as an interior decorator for twenty years. Lately she finds little satisfaction in her work and wants to do something she believes is more meaningful, like counsel troubled youth. If Phyllis walks away from her interior design business, what would social scientists call her?

A) Job-hopper
B) Voluntary career changer
C) Self-seeker
D) Altruistic employee

Question 64

Which of the following reflects the findings of Ken Dychtwald in a survey of more than 3,000 baby boomers?

A) Most plan to retire in their 40s or 50s.
B) Most are financially prepared for retirement.
C) Baby Boomers have more anxiety about retirement than previous generations.
D) Most plan to work into retirement, but to combine paid work with other pursuits.

Question 65

Your text suggests that it is not uncommon for retirement planning to begin how many year(s) in advance?

A) 1
B) 5
C) 10
D) 15

Question 66

Which of the Big Five personality traits contribute to the mental health of an involuntary career changer?

A) Conscientiousness and ambition
B) Agreeableness and openness
C) Neuroticism and openness
D) Neuroticism and compensation

Question 67

For individuals who are involuntary career changers, which of the following is most closely linked to improved health, emotional stability, and sense of well-being ?

A) Transferrable job skills
B) Going to work at a new job
C) Job training
D) Unemployment benefits

Question 68

The developmental task of middle adulthood, according to Erikson, is ________.

Question 69

Another term for sandwich generation is mid-life ________.

Question 70

Which of the following best describes the anxious idealist?

A) A retiree who will manage their investments so that they can live well and give money to charity
B) A retiree who would like to give money to charity but is unable to do so because they barely have enough income to make ends meet
C) A retiree who will be forced to go back to work after their investments bottom out
D) A retiree who is torn between doing volunteer work and traveling

Question 71

Which of the following is characteristic of a voluntary career changer?

A) Concrete coping skills
B) Lower tolerance for risk-taking
C) Low self-efficacy
D) Genetic predispositions

Question 72

Which of the following is an effect commonly observed among adults who experience involuntary unemployment?

A) Heightened levels of anxiety and depression
B) Evolution of personality traits from conscientiousness and extroversion toward neuroticism
C) Lower risk of physical illness
D) Increases in an internal locus of control

Question 73

Which statement is true regarding the retirement of the cohort known as The Baby Boomers?

A) Baby Boomers view retirement planning as obsolete.
B) Baby Boomers expect that their standard of living during retirement will be greatly reduced in comparison to their pre-retirement standard of living.
C) Baby Boomers are likely to be in retirement for 20 years - far longer than earlier generations.
D) Baby Boomers expect that retirement will mean a permanent end to their roles as workers or employees.

Question 74

Some developmentalists believe that a ________ approach to explaining the unique stresses of middle adulthood is preferable to the idea of a mid-life crisis.

Question 75

Marital ________ , or a sense of control, leads to increased marital satisfaction in mid-life.

Question 76

When I retire I plan to continue teaching one class per semester and spend the rest of my time doing whatever I please. Dychtwald would classify me as which type of retiree?

A) Anxious idealist
B) Stretched and stressed
C) Leisure lifer
D) Wealth builder

Question 77

Studies support Erikson in his belief that a sense of ________ contributes to mental well-being in mid-life.

Question 78

Which of the following outcomes would be unusual in terms of the impact of a job loss on a marital relationship?

A) The level of problem-solving communication increases.
B) The ratio of positive to negative interactions decreases.
C) Separation and divorce become more common.
D) The number of hostile or negative interactions increases.

Question 79

Max has not planned well for retirement. He is now 60 years old and is facing mandatory retirement in 5 - 7 years. He is deep in debt. According to Dychtwald, what type of retiree will Max likely be?

A) Stretched and stressed
B) Indebted and poor
C) Anxious and idealistic
D) Wealth builder

Question 80

Which of the following approaches is unlikely to characterize the non-work pursuits of Baby Boomers in retirement?

A) Spending most of their time sitting around with minimal activity
B) Finding new ways to make money in their spare time
C) Doing volunteer work and contributing to charities
D) Spend time traveling and taking classes