Deck 11: Development in Middle Adulthood

Question 1

One of the most troublesome changes that occur in middle adulthood (at least in the United States) is

A) The lack of adequately funded retirement
B) The changes in physical appearance
C) The empty nest syndrome
D) Age discrimination

Answer 1

The changes in physical appearance

Question 2

Feminists and conflict theorists make which of the following arguments about the source of the double standard in aging in the United States:

A) Biological differences explain the preferences of men and women
B) Sociological constructs explain the preferences for older men over older women
C) Family structures change as men and women reach middle adulthood resulting in dynamics that favor women over men
D) Patriarchal society perpetuates this type of discrimination because men have power over media and other sources that put out messages about what is attractive and desirable

Answer 2

Patriarchal society perpetuates this type of discrimination because men have power over media and other sources that put out messages about what is attractive and desirable

Question 3

With regard to cognitive capacity in middle adulthood, all of the following are true EXCEPT:

A) People in middle adulthood tend to be at their best creatively
B) People in middle adulthood are often better problem solvers than young adults
C) People in middle adulthood experience a decrease in problem solving skills
D) People in middle adulthood are better at integrating new knowledge with what they already know because their rich experiences have created many neuronal connections

Answer 3

People in middle adulthood experience a decrease in problem solving skills

Question 4

Adults in middle adulthood who cannot look beyond their own emotional needs may be facing Erikson's conflicts?

A) Stagnation
B) Generativity
C) Identity
D) Industry

Question 5

According to Levinson's theory of adult development, life structures

A) Are set when an individual is a child and rarely change
B) May shift and adjust as people gain new experiences
C) Are patterns of critical thinking
D) Exclude the environment

Question 6

Levinson's theory recognizes that women's development tends to differ from men's in that women:

A) Make the adult transition earlier than men
B) Do not make the middle adult transition until their 60's
C) Are much less likely to have a mentor than men and their "dream" tends to be more focused on the needs of others
D) Are more focused on personal goals and career attainment than men

Question 7

A social worker might employ Motivational Interviewing with a client who is considering life style changes after receiving a medical diagnosis of diabetes through:

A) An exploration of the client's family health history
B) An exploration of the pros and cons of making changes in eating and exercise habits
C) Educating the client about the risks and long-term health impacts of diabetes
D) Advocating for lifestyle changes that would immediately impact the client's risky lifestyle

Question 8

With regard to menopause, most women experience

A) Anxiety
B) Depression
C) A welcomed relief
D) All of the above

Question 9

Which of the following is an example of a cultural response to menopause that differs from the medical model perspective which views menopause as having symptoms that need to be "cured":

A) menopause is a hurdle to overcome in the life course
B) menopause is an unnatural event in the course of life to be avoided
C) menopause has symptoms mastered much as they mastered other events and circumstances in their lives
D) menopause has positive impacts on family structure and should be encouraged earlier in life through medications

Question 10

The male climacteric refers to a period when many men

A) Reevaluate their careers & relationships
B) Tend to be cautious about taking new risks
C) Realize they are no longer young and stop trying
D) All of the above

Question 11

The psychological process associated with the male climacteric is referred to as:

A) Depression
B) The midlife crisis
C) Youth-seeking behavior
D) Life structures

Question 12

A 55-year-old man who taking a community college course on using social networks to improve his company's marketing plan may be making which of Peck's middle adulthood adjustments?

A) Socializing vs sexualizing
B) Mental flexibility versus mental rigidity
C) Emotional flexibility versus emotional rigidity
D) Valuing wisdom over physical powers

Question 13

All the following are diseases that commonly occur in middle adulthood EXCEPT:

A) Diabetes
B) Hypertension
C) Heart disease
D) Whooping Cough

Question 14

Mexican Americans and non-Hispanic blacks have ______ prevalence rates of diabetes compared to non-Hispanic whites.

A) Double
B) Comparable
C) Inconsequential
D) Research into this issue is inconclusive

Question 15

All of the following are possible causes for health disparities in minority communities EXCEPT:

A) Poverty
B) Access to free health clinics
C) History of oppression
D) Stress

Question 16

Many critics argue the leading reason for divorce is:

A) The notion of "romantic love"
B) Conflict over finances
C) Marrying too young
D) Having too many children

Question 17

In Sternberg's theory of love, commitment refers to the type of love in which

A) There are no elements of closeness
B) There is a combination of all the elements of love
C) There is a lack of all the elements of love
D) The couple genuinely likes each other

Question 18

Although divorce does not carry the stigma that it once did,

A) Women generally are the ones who suffer the most financially
B) Divorced men exhibit higher rates of suicide
C) Divorced men have shorter life spans
D) All the above

Question 19

Which of the following is NOT a predictor of divorce?

A) criticism
B) defensiveness
C) commitment
D) stonewalling

Question 20

Divorce during the middle adult years can have a number of negative outcomes. Which of the following is NOT a negative outcome mentioned in the textbook?

A) divorce may result in too many supportive relationships at work and cause work slowdowns
B) divorced people have shorter life spans than married people, and divorced men exhibit higher suicide rates than married men
C) couples may find themselves socially, emotionally, and financially tied to the relationship.
D) some long-time couples may have trouble dividing possessions, property, and finances such as retirement accounts

Question 21

Research on the empty nest syndrome suggests there is…

A) A decrease in marital satisfaction
B) An increase in marital satisfaction
C) Minimal impact on marital satisfaction
D) Inconclusive research

Question 22

The sandwich generation refers to those individuals who:

A) Are both parents and caretakers of their parents
B) Are caring for both biological and step children
C) Are middle aged
D) Have an excess of disposable income

Question 23

Jobs that fill the gap between the time individuals stop full-time employment but before they fully retire are referred to as:

A) Part-time jobs
B) Bridge jobs
C) Transition jobs
D) Recreational jobs

Question 24

Ageist beliefs:

A) Assert that middle-aged and elderly people are not sexual, intelligent, or capable
B) Benefit younger workers in gaining access to jobs
C) Primarily affect younger workers
D) Predict that older workers are more capable of good work than younger workers

Question 25

Which of the following are considered ageist beliefs of middle-aged and elderly people?

A) They are not sexual
B) They are not intelligent
C) They are not capable
D) All the above

Question 26

The Age Discrimination in Employment Act, passed in 1967,

A) Insures age discrimination will soon be a thing of the past
B) Only applies if you work for the federal government
C) Doesn't cover anyone over the age of 80
D) May have even less of an impact on reducing age discrimination today because there is no mandatory age of retirement

Question 27

Social workers support immigrants at the mezzo level when they

A) Empower families and communities to build networks and infrastructures that will help support immigrant communities
B) Offer counseling to children to alleviate cultural transition
C) Educate the public and law makers on the challenges that immigrants face
D) Create specialized educational policies to meet the needs of immigrants

Question 28

What are some of the issues present in middle adulthood with which social workers might assist individuals?

Question 29

Describe how a social worker could use Erikson's theory of psychosocial development to assist a client in middle adulthood who has suffered an injury and can no longer work.

Question 30

Use Erikson's Theory of Psychosocial Development to explore the challenges faced by a multigenerational new immigrant family whose ages range from 5-65 years old.

Question 31

With regard to the middle adulthood transition of Levinson's theory of adult development, what developmental tasks would a social worker want to address with a couple experiencing marital discord?

Question 32

According to some critics of Levinson's theory of adult development, how do women develop differently than men, especially in mid-adult years?

Question 33

Discuss the differences between the U.S. cultural response to a woman who has experienced menopause and alternative cultural responses.

Question 34

Use systems theory to explain the challenges families might encounter when remarriage occurs.

Question 35

Describe how the media perpetuates the stereotypes and myths of aging.

Question 36

Use Erikson's and Levinson's theories to discuss the life stage of a 45 year old mother of 3 teenage boys who frequently yells at the boys for horseplay in the house and often disciplines them for not doing their chores and who serves as an assistant scout leader and enjoys being the youth group leader at church but wishes she could return to the work she did as a social worker before her sons were born.

Question 37

Describe 5 different social and environmental factors that result in African American men having a shorter life expectancy than Caucasian men.

Question 38

Based on the supplemental readings, describe kinship care and grandparent care, and discuss at least one cultural implication a social work would need to be aware of.