Deck 13: Later Life: Cognitive and Socioemotional Development

Question 1

Describe procedural, semantic, and episodic memory, and give a concrete example from your own life for each system. Also, indicate how vulnerable each facet of memory is to deterioration.

Answer 1

Procedural: automatic, skill-oriented memories; highly resilient; located in a lower brain center; preserved into Alzheimer's disease. Semantic: memory of basic life facts or a person's fund of knowledge; moderately resilient. Episodic: memory of ongoing life events, highly vulnerable to deterioration. Examples students might mention: an "unconscious" motor skill or activity (procedural); a well-preserved factual memory (semantic); and a random life experience (episodic). .

Question 2

To minimize age-related memory changes, older people should avoid _____ pressures.

Answer 2

time

Question 3

Discuss the basic principles of Laura Carstensen's socioemotional selectivity theory. What is your opinion of Carstensen's idea that people get happier in later life?

Answer 3

Basic premise of socioemotional selectivity theory: (1) As people get older and feel their life may soon end, their priority shifts to making the most of their present life. People avoid unpleasant situations and emotions.
(2) People center their priorities on their closest attachment figures-preferring to spend time with family and our closest friends. Students' opinions will vary about Carstensen's idea that people get happier in older age.

Question 4

Describe trends in the median age of the population in the developed world and the forces underlying these changes.

Question 5

Of the three memory systems, _____ memory is the most durable and can stay intact well into Alzheimer's disease.

Question 6

_____ tasks, in which people must monitor something else while simultaneously memorizing material, are unusually difficult for older adults.

Question 7

Describe the challenges that widowed people face and, also, list some predictors of having a rocky time in widowhood. If possible, make reference to a widowed person you know to illustrate your points.

Question 8

Spell out the predictors of happiness in later life, and then draw on two principles to help an older loved one feel more fulfilled.

Question 9

Older people tend to selectively focus on _____ events.

Question 10

Recently retirement has become a(n) _____ phase of life than before.

Question 11

Social Security offers a(n) _____ but guaranteed retirement stipend.

Question 12

Using a vivid emotional image to remember material is a(n) _____ technique.

Question 13

Describe one crucial social policy retirement-related issue. Then, suggest at least one creative antidote to this problem.

Question 14

Discuss ways in which the research on memory may help you study most effectively.

Question 15

Two main sources of retirement income in the United States are Social Security and _____.

Question 16

Laura Carstensen's _____ theory explains that older people prioritize spending time with their closest attachment figures and maximizing the quality of their present experiences.

Question 17

According to the text, people's _____ is one key to being happy and living longer in old age.

Question 18

Explain the forces predicting retiring or not retiring and explain how these decision-making influences apply to a baby boomer you know. Do this person's retirement choices fit the text chapter points? If the person is still working and over age 65, why is that individual still in the labor force?

Question 19

_____, or strategies to make information emotionally vivid, help people remember episodic material best.

Question 20

Baby boomers entering later life, plus _____ life expectancies, contribute to the rising median age in the developed world.

Question 21

Which quality does NOT differentiate the young-old from the old-old?

A) health
B) wealth
C) happiness
D) U.S. location

Question 22

If a 70-year-old says, "I won't be as happy in 5 years as I am today," this person MOST likely is:

A) seriously depressed.
B) reacting like many people that age.
C) lying.
D) suffering from a chronic disease.

Question 23

Estrela asks, "Why are there so many older people in the United States?" When answering Estrela, a developmentalist should mention that:

A) "Life expectancy has risen."
B) "The baby boomers are leaving later life."
C) "Fertility rates are rising."
D) "Minorities now live just as long as whites."

Question 24

_____ are MOST important in predicting how well women adjust to widowhood.

Question 25

The young-old are in their sixties, and the old-old are _____.

A) over 68
B) over 70
C) in their eighties and older
D) over 90

Question 26

Who is guilty of ageism?

A) Western adults
B) young people
C) old people
D) everyone

Question 27

The median age (the age at which half the population is older and half is younger) has increased dramatically in the developed world because:

A) life expectancy has risen.
B) people have children at younger ages.
C) birth rates have risen.
D) the baby boom generation is dying off.

Question 28

Samantha is young-old and Suzy is old-old. Statistically speaking, Suzy is:

A) probably healthier.
B) probably wealthier.
C) probably happier.
D) more likely to be physically frail.

Question 29

In U.S. polls, most adults see the elderly as _____.

A) wise
B) angry
C) unhappy
D) mean

Question 30

Which is the oldest nation, populationwise?

A) China
B) the United States
C) Italy
D) Egypt

Question 31

Italy has an especially high proportion of _____.

A) large families
B) older people
C) people in their twenties
D) babies

Question 32

Why is the median age (the age at which half the population is older and half is younger) rising in the developed world?

A) The baby boom generation is dying off.
B) Fertility is declining and the baby boomers have entered later life.
C) Birth rates are going up.
D) Life expectancy is decreasing.

Question 33

In Sarasota, Florida, a visitor might find:

A) extremely ageist attitudes.
B) residents who believe age 85 is fairly young.
C) residents who see "later life" as starting at an older age.
D) mostly midlife adults.

Question 34

The fact, that, statistically speaking, a surviving spouse may die soon after being widowed is called____________.

Question 35

If Dr. Demography is discussing the median age, she means the age at which:

A) half the population is older and half is younger.
B) people reach middle age.
C) people are at the midpoint of their lives.
D) half the population is richer and half is poorer.

Question 36

In the United States, older workers face concerns about inadequate retirement funds and _____ in the work force.

Question 37

Which three nations have the "oldest" populations?

A) Italy, Japan, and Germany
B) China, the United States, and Russia
C) Sweden, China, and Russia
D) China, Japan, and India

Question 38

If an elderly person describes old age as a time of physical and mental loss, this person MOST likely:

A) is seriously depressed.
B) has the same feelings as many older adults.
C) is usually wrong.
D) has a serious chronic disease.

Question 39

Ageism is:

A) normal worldwide.
B) only held by the young.
C) a sign of emotional problems.
D) only apparent in the United States.

Question 40

_____ refers to issues related to balancing the needs of the old and the young.

Question 41

Victor says, "In the past, people revered the elderly." After reading this chapter, how should a student respond?

A) "Wrong! Every culture looks down on people who have the frailties of old age."
B) "Wrong! Every culture looks down on people once they reach a certain age."
C) "That depends on the society."
D) "Yes, that's true."

Question 42

Age differences in performance are SMALLEST when young and elderly people are asked to:

A) recognize a word they have previously seen.
B) come up with a word they have previously seen on their own.
C) remember where they heard a piece of information.
D) remember material quickly.

Question 43

The stereotype that people treated the elderly better in the past is:

A) false.
B) true, worldwide.
C) true, but only in China.
D) true, but only in hunter-gatherer societies.

Question 44

Which memory task involves divided attention?

A) memorizing this chapter in Experiencing the Lifespan while texting and checking Facebook
B) memorizing this chapter in Experiencing the Lifespan while at the library
C) memorizing this chapter in Experiencing the Lifespan while taking notes
D) daydreaming about something you read in Experiencing the Lifespan while driving home

Question 45

Generalizing from the text, if a friend posts Facebook photos of people at a party you attended, it will be easiest to remember:

A) having seen those people.
B) the names of those people.
C) what time you saw those people.
D) what those people were discussing at the party.

Question 46

Generalizing from the text, an elderly student in a lifespan development class will perform almost as WELL compared to a college student in emerging adulthood on ___________ tests.

A) multiple-choice tests
B) short-answer tests
C) fill-in-the-blank tests
D) timed-essay tests

Question 47

Tasks involving divided attention are most apt to impair memory _____.

A) at every age
B) by middle age
C) in old age
D) unless people practice multitasking

Question 48

Which of the following is a good memory tip for older people?

A) Avoid situations where you need to multitask.
B) Stretch your mind by trying to remember each name when you are introduced to a group of people.
C) Assume that your memory is just as good as when you were young.
D) Divide your attention between two things.

Question 49

Generalizing from the text, which memory situation is easiest?

A) recognizing you already met a person
B) remembering where you met a person
C) remembering a person's name
D) remembering on what day you met a person

Question 50

Age losses on the most difficult memory tests begin in the _____.

A) late twenties
B) forties
C) fifties
D) sixties

Question 51

Which perception about older people is TRUE?

A) People treated the elderly better in the "good old days."
B) People generally see the elderly as wise.
C) In China, people feel much better about old age than do people in the West.
D) Young people are especially negative about old age.

Question 52

What stereotype do MOST people share about the elderly?

A) The elderly are depressed.
B) The elderly are better at handling conflicts and are gifted storytellers.
C) The elderly are happier than young adults.
D) The elderly are more powerful than young people.

Question 53

Generalizing from the text, most people begin to worry that their memory has significantly declined when they reach their _____.

A) thirties
B) fifties
C) seventies
D) eighties

Question 54

On easy memory tasks, older people perform:

A) almost as well as the young.
B) far worse than the young.
C) better than the young.
D) better or worse than the young, depending on the test.

Question 55

When a 30-year-old and 70-year-old make a memory mistake, what do people tend to think?

A) The older adult may be getting Alzheimer's disease; the young person has too much on her mind.
B) Both adults are mentally declining.
C) Both adults have too much on their mind.
D) The 30-year-old is "mentally declining"; the 70-year-old has too much on his mind.

Question 56

Regularly completing homework for another class during lectures makes test performance:

A) worse.
B) unchanged, as multitasking is "easy" for kids who have grown up in the digital age.
C) better, as it helps to focus the mind.
D) unchanged if students have already practiced that ability.

Question 57

Which is an example of a divided attention task?

A) checking Facebook while listening to a professor's lecture
B) looking at the professor's PowerPoints while listening to a lecture
C) taking notes while listening to a professor's lecture
D) writing on the computer while listening to a professor's lecture

Question 58

If a classmate brags that she can complete all of her out-of-class assignments during lectures and never miss anything, she is:

A) mistaken.
B) correct, but only if she really has practiced that skill.
C) correct, but only if she is under 25.
D) correct, but only if she is particularly gifted intellectually.

Question 59

Which memory task is virtually impossible for older people?

A) memorizing something while simultaneously monitoring something else
B) recognizing faces
C) memorizing names
D) following directions

Question 60

Which of the following is the best memory suggestion for older people?

A) Don't tax your brain by trying to memorize material.
B) Avoid situations where you have to multitask.
C) Repeat information to embed material in your mind.
D) Avoid learning new information right after dinner.

Question 61

Which is an example of episodic memory?

A) remembering your favorite teacher in elementary school
B) recalling what you had for dinner four days ago
C) remembering your address
D) recalling your best friend's name

Question 62

Who is using ONLY selection and optimization to help memory?

A) Jing, who focuses on what he needs to remember most, and takes special time to remember those facts
B) Kathy, who asks her husband to help her remember important items she needs
C) Lala, who uses a daily planner to remember her appointments
D) Dembe, who believes that his memory is so good that he will automatically recall everything

Question 63

If your aunt has Alzheimer's disease, which memory will remain longest?

A) her name
B) what it feels like to be kissed
C) her birthday
D) her address

Question 64

Dr. Koror is a 68-year-old college professor. His memory is getting worse, but he wants to continue working at a high level. Based on Baltes's selective optimization with compensation model, Dr. Koror should:

A) ignore his health problems and just keep going.
B) retire, as he won't be able to fully master his job.
C) choose which aspect of his job, such as teaching or research, he likes best, and then work especially hard at that task.
D) only teach night classes.

Question 65

Which developmental science term is most similar to semantic memory?

A) crystallized knowledge
B) fluid abilities
C) reaction time
D) physical skills

Question 66

_____ memory resides in a lower-brain center, and stays intact even into Alzheimer's disease.

A) Episodic
B) Semantic
C) Procedural
D) Easy

Question 67

Remembering the name of your town is in _____ memory.

A) episodic
B) procedural
C) fluid
D) semantic

Question 68

Knowing how to dress is in _____ memory, the most resilient memory system.

A) episodic
B) procedural
C) semantic
D) cortical

Question 69

According to the information-processing perspective, an issue impairing later-life memory is that:

A) the executive processor doesn't function well.
B) poor focusing ability causes irrelevant thoughts to intrude.
C) the hippocampus takes over from the frontal lobes.
D) mnemonic techniques don't work.

Question 70

Which is the order of memory systems from MOST fragile to MOST enduring?

A) episodic memory; procedural memory; semantic memory
B) procedural memory; semantic memory; episodic memory
C) episodic memory; semantic memory; procedural memory
D) semantic memory; episodic memory; procedural memory

Question 71

Which is a neuroscience finding relating to memory and age?

A) When the memory task is difficult, the elderly brain shifts to underactivation.
B) When the memory task is easy, the elderly brain shuts down.
C) Frontal lobe activation patterns are similar on memory tests.
D) Individual neurons look different on memory tests.

Question 72

The MAIN physiological cause of later-life memory impairments is neural loss in the _____.

A) frontal lobes
B) visual cortex
C) auditory cortex
D) brain's lower centers

Question 73

Dr. Korir is 68. His health is deteriorating, but he wants to continue performing surgery. Based on Baltes's principles of selective optimization with compensation Dr. Korir should:

A) ignore his health problems and do the best he can.
B) retire, as he won't be able to fully master this highly skilled job.
C) focus on taking more time and working harder on operations, and cut down on the number of surgeries he does each week.
D) stay on the job but care less about performing well.

Question 74

Which is an example of semantic memory?

A) remembering what day you need to meet a friend next week
B) recalling the name of your significant other
C) remembering the name of a person you just met at a party
D) recalling what you had for dinner 3 days ago

Question 75

Which is NOT an example of procedural memory?

A) remembering how to type on a computer
B) recalling how to eat
C) remembering the name of ones' spouse
D) automatically reciting, "I pledge allegiance to the flag."

Question 76

Which are the two MOST enduring memory systems?

A) procedural and episodic memory
B) procedural and semantic memory
C) episodic and semantic memory
D) memory for names and faces

Question 77

What is the BEST key to easily remembering material?

A) Make the information emotionally vivid.
B) Rehearse the information again and again.
C) Practice memorizing as much as you can.
D) Focus on remembering only easy facts.

Question 78

Neuroscientists find that when older adults memorize easy material, they activate _____ regions of the frontal cortex.

A) larger
B) smaller
C) curvier
D) no

Question 79

Which is the most fragile memory system?

A) episodic memory
B) semantic memory
C) procedural memory
D) short-term memory

Question 80

In giving difficult, timed memory tasks to older adults, neuroscientists find _____ activation.

A) intense frontal-lobe
B) minimal frontal-lobe
C) very intense parietal-lobe
D) minimal parietal-lobe