Deck 23: Late Adulthood: Biosocial Development

Question 1

An older adult who avoids driving at night is using selective optimization with compensation.

Answer 1

True

Question 2

Primary aging reveals the consequences of inherited weaknesses, health habits, and environmental conditions.

Answer 2

False

Question 3

The world is undergoing a demographic shift toward more older adults and fewer young children.

Answer 3

True

Question 4

"Elderspeak" is necessary to enable older people to comprehend speech.

Question 5

About 10 percent of adults over age 64 in the United States are in nursing homes.

Question 6

The dependency ratio refers to the proportion of the population that depends on others for care.

Question 7

Primary aging is genetic.

Question 8

A five-nation study indicated that regular sexual intercourse is the most significant predictor of happiness in long-term romances.

Question 9

Nearly all adults over age 65 need eyeglasses.

Question 10

When the elderly internalize ageist attitudes, those attitudes can become self-fulfilling prophecies.

Question 11

Older adults are more likely to be the target of street crimes than young adults are.

Question 12

Osteoporosis is the official name for fragile bones that have lost density with age.

Question 13

Individuals can make adjustments that allow for activity and engagement throughout the aging process, but there is nothing that societies can do to optimize the experience.

Question 14

James, age 75, is healthy, active, financially secure, and independent. He would fall into the "young-old" category.

Question 15

Compression of morbidity refers to lengthening the amount of time that a person spends ill or infirm.

Question 16

The universal and irreversible physical changes that happen to all people are features of secondary aging.

Question 17

Older adults spend more time in bed, take longer to fall asleep, and wake about 10 times per night.

Question 18

The specific physical illnesses or conditions that become more common with aging are features of primary aging.

Question 19

After years of heavy smoking, Tim has developed emphysema. His condition is due to the effects of primary aging.

Question 20

Ageism is defined as a negative attitude toward the elderly.

Question 21

The term ageism refers to _____.

A) the veneration of the elderly
B) judging people on the basis of chronological age
C) the view of society held by older people
D) the demographics of the population pyramid

Question 22

Caregivers can diminish the independence of the elderly if they _____.

A) help too little
B) help too much
C) encourage physical activity
D) do not believe in ageism

Question 23

At age 75, Martha is typical of people her age. She believes that when compared to others of the same age, _____.

A) everyone is faring quite similarly
B) they are doing better than she is; she has more problems
C) she is doing well, but they have more problems
D) everyone gets what he or she deserves, and she deserves more

Question 24

The "wear-and-tear theory" proposes that people age because new cells are imperfect copies of old ones.

Question 25

_____ is more strongly predictive of health than any other factor.

A) Chronological age
B) Gender
C) Feeling youthful
D) Residing with family

Question 26

Calorie restriction has been shown to reverse dementia.

Question 27

Javy is 72, and his grandson, Jarod, is 25. Which of the following statements about sleep is accurate?

A) Jarod will wake more frequently at night than Javy will.
B) Jarod will complain more often of sleepiness than Javy will.
C) Javy will take longer to fall asleep than Jarod will.
D) Both men will awaken four to six times to use the bathroom.

Question 28

Ageism affects the elderly by _____.

A) empowering them to use their strengths and wisdom in their communities
B) undermining their feelings of competence and self-esteem
C) invoking rebellion
D) creating special opportunities for older adults that would not otherwise exist

Question 29

____ is the idea that those with disabilities are less worthy.

A) Ageism
B) Senility
C) Ableism
D) Gerontology

Question 30

Using elderspeak when engaging in conversation with an older adult _____.

A) is demeaning
B) helps the individual comprehend the meaning of the conversation
C) only makes sense if the individual has a hearing aid
D) demonstrates respect and understanding

Question 31

The inability to replicate all the telomeres at the ends of the chromosomes in cells causes aging, according to the "wear-and-tear theory."

Question 32

In a research study, elders who had been exposed to ageist beliefs their whole lives displayed poorer memory than younger participants and other elders who had not been exposed to ageist beliefs. This outcome was most likely due to _____.

A) stereotype threat
B) cultural differences in age-related changes
C) increased confidence among the younger participants
D) ageism among the researchers

Question 33

Inez, age 76, believes she is independent and has personal autonomy. She is likely to be _____.

A) wrong; no one her age can be autonomous
B) mentally and physically healthier than people her age who do not share those beliefs
C) more optimistic than other people her age, but no healthier than them
D) overstating her sense of well-being

Question 34

The "wear-and-tear theory" contends that the body wears out, causing aging.

Question 35

_____ is a prediction that becomes true because people believe it.

A) A self-fulfilling prophecy
B) Ageism
C) Prejudice
D) Discrimination

Question 36

The average life expectancy in the United States is predicted to increase by 2065.

Question 37

The existence of the Hayflick limit disproves the theory of the genetic clock.

Question 38

Gerontologists agree that the average life expectancy for humans will continue to increase indefinitely.

Question 39

According to one theory of aging, the genetic clock gradually switches off the genes that promote growth and switches on genes that promote aging.

Question 40

_____ has the highest life expectancy in the world.

A) The United States
B) Bulgaria
C) Sweden
D) Japan

Question 41

Which of the following is NOT an example of a healthy approach to sexuality in older adulthood?

A) Mary and Don, married 47 years, have sexual intercourse three times a month and feel completely satisfied with hugs and kisses in between.
B) After her divorce, Elle has relegated sexual intercourse to her past and doesn't seek sexual connections with new partners.
C) After the death of her husband of 35 years, Judy invited her new romantic partner to live with her. He sleeps in the guest bedroom, and they live apart together.
D) Recently, Tony read an article that said that elderly couples can have sexual lives that are just as active as they did in earlier adulthood. He has been pressuring his wife, Margaret, to have sex with him every night since then.

Question 42

Which distinguishes the "old-old" from the "young-old"?

A) years of age
B) details of living arrangements
C) degree of positive or negative attitude
D) reductions in physical or mental ability

Question 43

Designing settings and equipment so that they can be used by everyone-able-bodied, sensory-acute, or not-is known as _____

A) the Americans with Disability Act.
B) "universal design."
C) a "hearing loop."
D) the "built environment."

Question 44

In the United States, only 3 percent of older people live _____.

A) at home
B) in nursing homes
C) with an adult child
D) independently

Question 45

Enid and Fred, married 52 years, have been living in the same home for the past 30 years. They have a comfortable retirement, and when they need help with something, they can rely on their middle-aged children or young adult grandchildren. However, Enid and Fred are fiercely independent, providing much more care than they receive. This couple's experience is _____ among elders.

A) very common
B) somewhat common
C) somewhat uncommon
D) very uncommon

Question 46

Even at age 85, only about _____ percent of elders are in long-term facilities.

A) 3
B) 10
C) 18
D) 23

Question 47

The homicide rate of those over 65 is _____ the rate for those in their 20s.

A) less than one-fifth
B) two-thirds
C) nearly half
D) at least three-fourths

Question 48

Which of the following vocal characteristics is a feature of elderspeak?

A) higher pitch
B) faster speech
C) bigger words
D) gestures

Question 49

What is the fastest-growing age group in the United States?

A) 0-15
B) 20-35
C) 35-65
D) 80 and up

Question 50

When asked to think of "an elderly person," most people think of a feeble person who lives in a nursing home. Statistics show that the vast majority of people over the age of 65 fall in the category of "_____."

A) young-old
B) old-old
C) youthfully old
D) independently old

Question 51

The elderly who are dependent and most likely to have age-related illnesses are "_____."

A) young-old
B) old-old
C) oldest-old
D) sickly old

Question 52

What percentage of the United States population is over age 65?

A) 2
B) 15
C) 29
D) 42

Question 53

Which of the following groups makes up the largest group of older adults?

A) "young-old"
B) "old-old"
C) "oldest-old"
D) centenarians

Question 54

Which of the following is NOT true about most elders?

A) Most elders rely on others for basic care.
B) Most elders are caregivers rather than receivers of care.
C) A minority of elders live with their adult children.
D) Ten percent of individuals age 80 or older are in nursing homes or hospitals.

Question 55

A problem with the dependency ratio is that it _____.

A) assumes that people over age 64 are dependent
B) demonstrates that people over age 80 are the fastest growing segment of the population
C) will not be 1:1 worldwide until 2065
D) does not account for children under age 15

Question 56

The science that describes populations is called "_____."

A) gerontology
B) psychology
C) demography
D) geography

Question 57

Which of these is NOT true regarding sexuality in late adulthood?

A) Intercourse becomes less frequent.
B) Older women report less sexual desire than older men.
C) Women stop intercourse earlier than men for biological reasons.
D) Selectivity decreases as the number of available mates dwindles.

Question 58

The main reason people may not notice the "young-old" is that _____.

A) they do not fit society's stereotypes of the elderly
B) there are relatively few of them
C) they are a problem-prone minority
D) they are not integrated into the community

Question 59

Individuals classified as "oldest-old" are usually how old?

A) 65-75
B) 70-85
C) over 85
D) around 100

Question 60

In the past, there were 20 times more children than older people. Then there were 7 times more people under age 15 than over age 64. Currently, there are 3 times as many children as there are elders. These changes in the age make-up of the population are referred to as a(n) "_____."

A) population growth
B) cyclical event
C) demographic shift
D) elder explosion

Question 61

Primary and secondary aging combine to make major body systems _____.

A) less efficient
B) more flexible
C) more efficient
D) function better under stress

Question 62

For older drivers, which of these variables is the strongest predictor of a car accident?

A) age
B) understanding of driving rules
C) poor peripheral vision
D) face-front reading ability

Question 63

The changes of primary aging are _____.

A) caused by disease
B) reversible
C) preventable
D) universal

Question 64

As bones age, they _____.

A) become more porous
B) gain strength
C) gain calcium
D) become more elastic

Question 65

Limiting the time a person spends being ill or infirm is referred to as "_____."

A) compression of morbidity
B) progeria
C) dependency ratio
D) senescence

Question 66

Now that Hank is 75, he uses selective optimization with compensation while driving. For example, he _____.

A) drives only at night, when fewer cars are on the road
B) relies only on rearview and side mirrors so he won't hurt his neck turning his head
C) drives more slowly
D) drives fast to get home as soon as possible to avoid accidents

Question 67

Because of _____ aging, Thelma has had a very tough time recovering from a recent bout of pneumonia.

A) normal
B) primary
C) subordinate
D) geriatric

Question 68

Which of the following strategies is crucial when older people have sensory loss?

A) acceptance
B) isolation
C) compensation
D) retirement

Question 69

Primary aging refers to age-related changes that _____.

A) inevitably take place as time goes by
B) occur prior to middle adulthood
C) take place as a consequence of a person's unhealthy behaviors
D) are entirely genetic in origin

Question 70

Seventy-six-year-old Thomas tripped on a garden hose and broke his leg. His 17-year-old grandson, Austin, fell while skateboarding and broke his leg. Why is Thomas's injury more of a concern than Austin's injury?

A) Thomas is less likely to fully recover than Austin is.
B) Thomas is in more pain than Austin is.
C) Thomas's tripping may be the first sign of Parkinson's disease.
D) It is not more of a concern. Austin's break may impede normal development and is the more worrisome event.

Question 71

Approximately _____ percent of people over age 65 can see well without glasses.

A) 1
B) 5
C) 10
D) 25

Question 72

The medication that reduces hypertension in middle-aged adults can _____ for the oldest-old.

A) be counterproductive
B) be more effective
C) cause hallucinations
D) cost too much

Question 73

The condition known as fragile bones is called "_____."

A) muscular dystrophy
B) cerebral palsy
C) dementia
D) osteoporosis

Question 74

The irreversible changes that naturally occur with time are called "_____ aging."

A) normal
B) primary
C) secondary
D) geriatric

Question 75

The leading cause of death for the oldest-old is often listed as _____.

A) cancer
B) heart disease
C) pneumonia
D) dementia

Question 76

Elderly drivers have fewer car accidents than young people do, because _____.

A) their reaction time slows, preventing quick responses
B) strict laws require retesting for drivers over age 65
C) younger drivers are impaired by poor peripheral and night vision
D) elderly drivers compensate for deficiencies by driving more slowly and avoiding night driving

Question 77

Although they have sex less frequently than they used to, more elderly couples report that their sex life has _____ rather than _____.

A) improved; deteriorated
B) deteriorated; improved
C) ceased; increased
D) increased; ceased

Question 78

The consequences of particular diseases are features of _____.

A) primary aging
B) senescence
C) secondary aging
D) gerontology

Question 79

Which of the following sounds does an older adult lose the ability to detect first?

A) a car horn
B) the voice of a small child
C) a voice on the telephone
D) a train whistle

Question 80

Paulo, age 62, has developed heart disease from a lifetime of smoking cigarettes. His heart disease is an example of _____.

A) secondary aging
B) primary aging
C) normal senescence
D) compressed morbidity