Deck 14: Socioemotional Development in Middle Adulthood

Question 1

Earlier views were that midlife crises are common in middle adulthood.Currently,adult development theorists believe that the high prevalence of such crises:

A)has been validated.
B)has been exaggerated.
C)has no cross-cultural validity.
D)has been underestimated.

Answer 1

has been exaggerated.

Question 2

Peter,a 20-year-old,is in the ________ phase,according to Levinson.

A)becoming one's own man
B)novice
C)forming an independent identity
D)forming a stable relationship

Answer 2

novice

Question 3

Bernard is trying to come to grips with the reality that he is no longer a young man,and he spends more time than ever before contemplating his future.According to Levinson,Bernard is ________ years old.

A)25
B)30
C)40
D)50

Answer 3

40

Question 4

According to Levinson,the change to middle adulthood requires that the adult male come to grips with four major conflicts.Which of the following is NOT one of these conflicts?

A)being young versus being old
B)being attractive versus being unattractive
C)being masculine versus being feminine
D)being destructive versus being constructive

Question 5

The seventh stage of Erikson's life-span theory is the characteristic of middle age.What name did Erikson give this stage?

A)intimacy versus isolation
B)integrity versus despair
C)generativity versus stagnation
D)keeping the meaning versus rigidity

Question 6

Examining the theories of Erik Erikson,a study was conducted by Carol Ryff.She concluded that _________ adults were particularly concerned about generativity.

A)young
B)middle-aged
C)elderly
D)all

Question 7

Stage theories of development emphasize _______,whereas the life-events approach focuses on _______.

A)biology;experience
B)similarities;differences
C)social context;genetic basis
D)variations in development;commonalities in development

Question 8

An assumption that underlies the contemporary life-events approach to adult development is that adult development is:

A)driven by the person's social context.
B)controlled by the person's life events.
C)development is a result of life events,our adaptation to those events,and the life-stage context that encapsulates those events.
D)determined by the person's biological and environmental histories.

Question 9

As he looks back over his life,Chris realizes that his work was not as important to him as he believed,and that he lost too much valuable time with his children.If he could do it over again,he would work less and spend more time with his children.According to Erik Erikson,Chris is experiencing some degree of:

A)doubt.
B)shame.
C)despair.
D)stagnation.

Question 10

What did Levinson's research conclude about women in midlife transition?

A)Women have significantly less distress during this process.
B)Women face the midlife transition earlier and with greater difficulty than do men.
C)Women who have had children have an easier time than those who have not.
D)There are no real significant differences between how men and how women fare in midlife transition.

Question 11

An important concern about the adult-stage theories of Erikson,Levinson,and Vaillant is that they:

A)do not clearly specify stages of development.
B)emphasize stability more than change.
C)rely too heavily on laboratory studies.
D)do not account well for individual differences in adult development.

Question 12

At age 47,Renaldo is divorced and is moving to another state to find a new job.According to the ________ approach to understanding adult development,we can say that Renaldo is entering a new stage in life.

A)life-stress
B)life-events
C)midlife crisis
D)development stages

Question 13

According to Levinson the transition from the teens to early adulthood was marked by two tasks.They are:

A)finding a job and finding a home.
B)solidifying one's identity and becoming independent.
C)exploring ways of becoming generative and finding a life "mate."
D)exploring possibilities of adult living and developing a stable life structure.

Question 14

The ________ life-events approach emphasizes that the manner in which life events influence an individual's development depends not only on these events but also upon mediating factors.

A)contemporary
B)standard
C)cognitive
D)assimilative

Question 15

A major criticism of the theory of the midlife crisis is that:

A)there is virtually no evidence to support its existence.
B)more men than first thought have a midlife crisis.
C)it actually occurs much later than first thought.
D)it has been greatly exaggerated.

Question 16

Daniel Levinson's theory of adult development can be criticized because it:

A)was based on interviews with men only.
B)was not based on the lives of real people.
C)focused too much on the lives of young adults who were more idealistic.
D)was based only on the lives of important historical figures rather than on living people.

Question 17

According to Levinson's research on the midlife transition,most men:

A)found it an easy and gradual developmental phase.
B)were not aware of the significant developmental changes taking place.
C)found it to be a tumultuous and psychologically painful time.
D)struggled with the issues much later than Levinson concluded.

Question 18

The ________ approach emphasizes mediating factors and sociohistorical context,among other factors,to explain individual development.

A)individual differences
B)psychosocial
C)contemporary life-events
D)seasons of life

Question 19

In Erik Erikson's theory,adults strive for generativity to achieve a sense of:

A)immortality.
B)recognition.
C)achievement.
D)satisfaction.

Question 20

Through ________ generativity,adults develop skills that are passed down to others.

A)biological
B)parental
C)work
D)cultural

Question 21

Which of the following is one of Costa and McCrae's Big Five personality traits?

A)sensitivity
B)masculinity/femininity
C)aggressiveness
D)extraversion

Question 22

Why is it difficult to identify a midlife crisis in other cultures?

A)Many other cultures do not have a well-defined concept of midlife.
B)Research indicates that such a crisis simply does not take place in most cultures.
C)Many other cultures have no freedom to make changes at midlife.
D)Many other cultures have clear rituals and goals to guide them through midlife,so there is no need for a crisis.

Question 23

All but one of the following are members of the big five set of personality traits described by Costa and McCrae.Which one is the exception?

A)sensitivity
B)extraversion
C)openness
D)agreeableness

Question 24

Which of the following is NOT one of the big five personality traits identified by Costa and McCrae?

A)extraversion
B)openness
C)adaptability
D)conscientiousness

Question 25

Mngada is in middle adulthood in her native culture,a nonindustrialized country.According to what is known about midlife in different cultures,we can expect that Mngada will probably:

A)not experience much of a midlife crisis.
B)experience a midlife crisis that results in a significant loss of status and respect by her culture.
C)experience a midlife crisis in much the same way that she would if she lived in an industrialized country.
D)experience a more severe and negative midlife crisis than she would if she lived in an industrialized country.

Question 26

Stages of adulthood in the Gusii culture of Kenya are defined by:

A)the person's age.
B)events in a person's life.
C)the evaluations of the elders within the culture.
D)the type of midlife crisis the person experiences.

Question 27

The adult stages of development proposed by Levinson and Vaillant may not have taken into account differences in the social clock.This means that their results:

A)may not be valid for the subjects in their studies because the subjects' social clocks were not assessed.
B)are not valid for both men and women born during the same time period as the subjects in their studies.
C)may not be valid for those born in a different historical period than the subjects in their studies.
D)are valid for any adult because the social clock has not changed significantly since the time setting of their studies.

Question 28

In the Gusii culture of Kenya,most middle-aged adults:

A)experience a mild midlife crisis.
B)do not have a clearly labeled midlife crisis.
C)experience multiple midlife crises.
D)experience a traumatic midlife crisis.

Question 29

Cohort effects are differences based on:

A)gender.
B)historical context.
C)secular trends.
D)generational drift.

Question 30

Professor Weinstein is discussing the contemporary life-events approach to development.He criticizes this theory for:

A)ignoring the developmental stages adults go through.
B)placing too much emphasis on change.
C)not considering the female experience.
D)focusing on minor and not major life events.

Question 31

Sandra's mother is concerned about Sandra's lack of interest in marrying and having children.She told Sandra,"When I was your age,I had already found a good husband and settled down." Sandra and her mother:

A)have different social clocks.
B)have different coping styles.
C)have different burnout levels.
D)are in different developmental stages.

Question 32

Stewart,at 38 years old,is not yet married,although most of his close friends have been married for years.Because of this,Stewart feels:

A)stress.
B)relief.
C)loneliness.
D)depressed.

Question 33

In general,the argument that middle adulthood has advantages for women in nonindustrialized cultures is based on the idea that women in these cultures typically:

A)become wealthier as they age.
B)develop careers outside the home as they age.
C)take on more of the day-to-day chores as they age.
D)gain respect in the community as they age.

Question 34

Cross-cultural studies show that in nonindustrialized countries,the concept of middle age is:

A)often missing;these cultures only refer to adults as young or old.
B)about the same as it is in industrialized countries like the United States.
C)more finely discerned;many cultures speak of five or more different stages of middle adulthood.
D)more rigidly defined;there are rites of passage set at particular ages for entering into middle age and the elder years.

Question 35

How has the social clock changed over the last few decades?

A)It is truer for women but less true for men.
B)It is more variable from person to person now than it was in the past
C)It is more dependent on socioeconomic status.
D)It is no longer a valid theme in today's society.

Question 36

The life-events approach to understanding adult development has been criticized because it:

A)focuses on major life events but not on daily experiences as stressors.
B)claims that most life events do not significantly alter one's development.
C)focuses too much on the concept of midlife crisis to explain development.
D)suggests too many different levels of events in explaining adult development.

Question 37

A recent study of stress revealed that middle-aged adults experience ________ "overload" stressors compared with young and older adults.

A)fewer
B)more
C)the same amount of
D)different kinds of

Question 38

Middle adulthood for women is:

A)a similar experience across cultures.
B)quite dissimilar for women of different cultures.
C)similar to middle adulthood for men across cultures.
D)more difficult for women in nonindustrialized cultures.

Question 39

Why is the social clock an important consideration when understanding development?

A)It informs people how much longer they can expect to live in comparison with others in their culture.
B)It may differ for different generations and indicate different age ranges for completing developmental tasks.
C)It informs people how much social interaction their culture says is necessary for healthy adult development.
D)It is a useful tool for making comparisons across different generations to see if the hypothesized developmental course is valid.

Question 40

Of Costa and McCrae's Big Five personality traits,which one is most likely to increase in early and middle adulthood?

A)conscientiousness
B)adaptability
C)coping style
D)extraversion

Question 41

Theorists of a cumulative personality model of development would agree that:

A)men and women experience very different normative changes during middle adulthood.
B)there are no significant changes in personality from childhood to middle adulthood.
C)personality,overall,becomes more stable as we age.
D)everyone passes through the same stages of personality development at about the same time.

Question 42

In the Berkeley longitudinal studies,which of the following characteristics was generally stable across time for the adult?

A)nurturance
B)nurturance or hostility
C)relationship control
D)self-confidence

Question 43

According to Costa and McCrae's study on adult personality development,in early adulthood,_________ decreases.

A)gender role ideology
B)neuroticism
C)social dominance
D)agreeableness

Question 44

Allan and Jan are a middle-aged couple going through a divorce.They have both agreed that divorce is the best solution for them.Which of the following is likely?

A)Both Allan and Jan will see the divorce as a betrayal by the other partner.
B)Both Allan and Jan will have greater difficulty acquiring the material things they need at this stage of life.
C)Allan and Jan's children will have greater difficulty adjusting to the divorce than if it had happened when they were younger.
D)Both Allan and Jan will be better able to use the divorce as a way to make positive changes in their lives than they could have several years ago.

Question 45

In a survey conducted by AARP (2004),the primary reason middle-aged and older men cited for wanting a divorce was:

A)different values and lifestyles.
B)alcohol or drug abuse.
C)cheating.
D)no obvious problems;they just fell out of love.

Question 46

In a survey conducted by AARP (2004),the primary reason middle-aged and older women cited for wanting a divorce was:

A)verbal,physical,or emotional abuse.
B)alcohol or drug abuse.
C)cheating.
D)no obvious problems,they just fell out of love.

Question 47

In a survey conducted by AARP (2004),_________ divorced adults reported that they had made the right decision to dissolve their marriages.

A)3 out of 4
B)1 out of 2
C)1 out of 10
D)9 out of 10

Question 48

Chuck,who is in his late 50s,is less ________ than his son,who is 20 years younger.

A)flexible
B)nurturing
C)neurotic
D)hard-working

Question 49

Stephan and Suzanne have just waved good-bye to their youngest daughter as she leaves for her honeymoon;she is the last of their children to leave home.Stephan turns to Suzanne and says,"Free at last!" Suzanne feels happier than she has in years.Stephan and Suzanne are:

A)suffering from the empty nest syndrome.
B)emotionally unattached to their children.
C)normal in their response to the departure of their children.
D)living through their children's lives rather than living for themselves.

Question 50

Middle-aged Americans agree that a major component of their well-being involves:

A)physical health.
B)positive relationships.
C)recovery from midlife crisis.
D)being grandparents.

Question 51

The research of Caspi and Roberts (2001)has generally concluded that as we age the main quality of personality is increasing:

A)stability
B)improvement
C)disintegration
D)change

Question 52

According to Costa and McCrae's study on adult personality development,the superfactor called extraversion was complex for older adults until it was divided into two sub-traits.They are:

A)extraversion and introversion.
B)being closed and being open.
C)agreeableness and disagreeableness.
D)social dominance and social vitality

Question 53

In a survey conducted by AARP (2004),divorced adults reported that they had generally stayed in their marriages and postponed their divorces because of:

A)their children.
B)financial problems.
C)religious beliefs.
D)cultural norms.

Question 54

In a survey conducted by AARP (2004),the person most likely to initiate a divorce was:

A)the wife.
B)the husband.
C)the wife,but only in European-American families.
D)the husband or wife,equally.

Question 55

Which of the following best summarizes the results of the major longitudinal studies of personality development?

A)Personality changes considerably throughout the adult years.
B)Personality is well developed by age 30 and rarely changes after that age.
C)The extent of personality change over time is fairly consistent for the population as a whole.
D)Over time,some aspects of personality change,whereas others remain stable.

Question 56

According to the research of Vaillant,which of the following characteristics in middle age was the best predictor of having an enduring and happy marriage between the ages of 75 and 80?

A)financial stability
B)intimacy
C)agreeableness
D)generativity

Question 57

According to Costa and McCrae's study on adult personality development,in early adulthood,________ increases.

A)social vitality
B)openness to experience
C)traditional work ethic
D)robust coping style

Question 58

Which of the following is TRUE concerning the results of studies on adult personality?

A)The studies indicate considerable change in adult personality.
B)The studies indicate considerable stability in adult personality.
C)The studies indicate both stability and change in adult personality.
D)The studies indicate neither stability nor change in adult personality.

Question 59

In the Berkeley longitudinal studies,which of the following characteristics generally changed across time for the adult?

A)intellectual orientation
B)nurturance or hostility
C)openness to experience
D)self-confidence

Question 60

According to Costa and McCrae's study on adult personality development,in middle adulthood,________ increases.

A)agreeableness
B)openness to experience
C)neuroticism
D)interdependence relationship style

Question 61

Mary is unhappy about her 24-year-old daughter's request to move back home after college.Which of the following is likely to be Mary's main concern?

A)the strain on Mary's finances
B)her daughter's career development
C)Mary's effect on her daughter's feelings of independence
D)the effect of her daughter's presence on Mary's privacy

Question 62

In 2005,just over ______ children in the United States lived with their grandparents as their primary home.

A)½ million
B)3 million
C)6 million
D)15 million

Question 63

There are many problems associated with being a full-time grandparent caregiver of a child.Which of the following is NOT one of the problems noted by your author?

A)being handicapped
B)low income
C)being a minority
D)being unmarried

Question 64

In a study of the relationships between grandparents and grandchildren,which ethnic group showed the greatest frequency of contact between these generations?

A)Mexican Americans
B)African Americans
C)White Americans
D)Native Americans

Question 65

Middle adulthood is referred to as the sandwich generation because:

A)life is so hectic,families rarely have a full meal together.
B)people expect middle-aged adults to be both wise and mature as well as young and energetic.
C)middle-aged adults may have to care for their own adolescent children as well as their aging parents.
D)middle-aged adults are caught in conflict between caring more for the wife's parents or the husband's.

Question 66

For women and men,the role of grandparent is seen differently.For women,grandparenting is _______,whereas for men,it is _______.

A)a pleasure;a burden
B)a responsibility;voluntary
C)energizing;an energy drain
D)voluntary;a responsibility

Question 67

The empty nest syndrome implies that parents:

A)have multiple interests and activities.
B)are uncomfortable alone with one another.
C)have few interests and activities other than their children.
D)have invested too much time in activities not related to their children.

Question 68

Which family relationships tend to be the closest in adulthood?

A)father and son
B)mother and son
C)father and daughter
D)mother and daughter

Question 69

In the metaphor of the sandwich generation,who is the "bread"?

A)the children of middle-aged adults
B)the parents of middle-aged adults
C)the middle-aged adults themselves
D)both the children and the parents of middle-aged adults

Question 70

When middle adulthood arrives,most relationships among brothers and/or sisters are:

A)close.
B)neutral.
C)apathetic.
D)distant.

Question 71

Trevor and Michelle's last child has just left home to attend college.According to research,this will be a time when:

A)Trevor and Michelle will grow more emotionally distant.
B)Michelle will feel depressed,but Trevor will not.
C)they will spend less time together as they both pursue outside interests.
D)they will have increased martial satisfaction.

Question 72

Ron and his sister,Sarah,are both in their mid-50s and have a close personal relationship.Most research on sibling relationships suggests that:

A)you cannot predict later relationships by looking at relationships earlier in life.
B)they had a close relationship throughout childhood and early adulthood,too.
C)they probably had a tumultuous relationship in childhood that turned close as both matured.
D)they probably had a good childhood relationship that turned neutral in early adulthood then recently returned to closeness.

Question 73

In the metaphor of the sandwich generation,who is between the "bread slices"?

A)the children of middle-aged adults
B)the parents of middle-aged adults
C)the middle-aged adults themselves
D)both the children and parents of middle-aged adults

Question 74

In a study that spanned 21 different countries,a majority of people indicated that the strongest part of their own self-concept was related to their:

A)sexual orientation.
B)ethnicity.
C)religion.
D)family.

Question 75

In view of research on intergenerational relationships,in which way would we most expect a young adult daughter to be similar to her parents?

A)in politics
B)in lifestyle
C)in gender roles
D)in work orientation

Question 76

The main reason that some children delay leaving home until early adulthood is that:

A)their parents encourage them to stay home to "keep the nest full."
B)they need their parents' emotional support.
C)they do not have enough money to live on their own.
D)they need to stay in school longer to acquire career skills.

Question 77

Who tends to experience the most intergenerational stress?

A)adolescents
B)young adults
C)middle-aged adults
D)older adults

Question 78

Girard and his sister were never close growing up.Now that they are adults,their relationship is probably:

A)very close.
B)neutral.
C)distant.
D)improving.

Question 79

In general,the situation of adult children living in their parents' home is most successful when:

A)children agree to forgo input into household rules.
B)parents agree to make no demands on their children.
C)parents and children agree to treat one another as adults and set mutually acceptable rules for the living situation.
D)parents and children maintain their previous roles as adult and child.

Question 80

Which of the following is TRUE about the empty nest syndrome?

A)It is a major difficulty for most middle-aged adults.
B)It is more common for middle-aged men than for middle-aged women.
C)It is a common,although minor,problem for most middle-aged adults.
D)It is an uncommon problem for most middle-aged adults.