Question 1

When attempting to determine if someone is "whole-brain dead," a physician would be unlikely to ask,
A) "Do the brain cells still contain neurotransmitters?"
B) "Does the body respond to a pinprick?"
C) "Has there been any movement for the past hour?"
D) "Is the person in a coma?"

Accepted Answer

Determining "whole-brain death" involves assessing the complete cessation of all brain function, including the brain stem. The presence of neurotransmitters in brain cells is not a direct indicator of brain activity or function and thus would not be a primary concern in this assessment. The other options (B, C, D) relate to observable functions or responses that could indicate some level of brain activity.

Question 2

Each of the components of death anxiety can be assessed at any of three levels: public, private, and
A) nonconscious.
B) emotional.
C) rational.
D) passive.

Accepted Answer

Death anxiety can be assessed at a nonconscious level, which refers to the aspects of anxiety that operate outside an individual's conscious awareness. This is in addition to the public and private levels, which involve more observable and personally acknowledged experiences, respectively.

Question 3

Which of the following is not a criterion for whole-brain death?
A) The person is in a coma, and the cause of the coma is known.
B) All brain stem reflexes have permanently stopped working.
C) Breathing has permanently stopped.
D) The person did not move for at least four hours.

Accepted Answer

The criterion that the person did not move for at least four hours is not a requirement for determining whole-brain death. The other three criteria are typically used to assess brain activity and determine if the person has irreversibly lost all functions of the brain.

Question 4

One dying woman reported, "It is as if the pain is gone; the struggle is over." According to Kübler¬Ross's theory, this reflects which stage?
A) Denial
B) Acceptance
C) Depression
D) Bargaining

Accepted Answer

The statement reflects the Acceptance stage of Kübler-Ross's theory, where the person comes to terms with their impending death and finds peace in it.

Question 5

Research on the five stages of dying shows that
A) there are right and wrong ways to die.
B) individual differences are the rule.
C) few people vary from the normative experience.
D) there is only one progression toward death.

Accepted Answer

The five stages of dying (denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance) are not a one-size-fits-all experience and individual differences are common. While there may be some similarities in the experience, each person's journey towards death is unique and can be influenced by various factors such as cultural background, personal beliefs, and the nature of the illness or condition. There are also no right or wrong ways to die, as the experience is subjective and personal. Therefore, choice B is the best answer.

Question 6

Saying "Just let me live until my daughter graduates college" reflects which of Kübler¬Ross's stages?
A) Denial
B) Acceptance
C) Depression
D) Bargaining

Accepted Answer

This statement reflects the bargaining stage, in which one tries to negotiate with a higher power in an attempt to postpone or change the inevitable outcome.

Question 7

Contextual theories of dying emphasize
A) the individual differences in caregivers.
B) fate, causing a person to move from one stage to another.
C) that there is no one, right way to die.
D) stages in dying.

Accepted Answer

Contextual theories of dying focus on the idea that there is no single correct way to die, emphasizing the individuality of the dying process and how it can vary greatly from person to person.

Question 8

When asked about death, young adults report strong feelings that those who die at this point in their lives
A) are able to avoid end-of-life issues and suffering.
B) were probably engaging in risky behavior.
C) probably had some form of genetic or chromosomal abnormality that contributed to early death.
D) are cheated out of their futures.

Accepted Answer

Young adults often feel as though those who die at their age are cheated out of their futures, as they have not had the opportunity to experience all that life has to offer. This feeling of loss can be especially strong when the young adult knew the person who died or when the death was unexpected.

Question 9

Which of the following is characteristic of the separation distress found in prolonged or complicated grief disorder?
A) Longing and searching for the deceased
B) Feelings of disbelief about the death
C) The experience of the physical presence of the deceased
D) Detachment from others

Accepted Answer

Longing and searching for the deceased is a characteristic symptom of separation distress in prolonged or complicated grief disorder, reflecting the intense yearning and preoccupation with the deceased that exceeds typical mourning.

Question 10

Lower ego integrity is
A) predictive of higher levels of death anxiety.
B) predictive of higher levels of emotional insecurity.
C) predictive of more intense religious beliefs.
D) more common in older adults than in younger adults.

Accepted Answer

Lower ego integrity, which refers to the decline in the sense of self-worth and meaning in life, is predictive of higher levels of death anxiety. This has been observed in various studies on aging and ego integrity, suggesting that those with lower ego integrity may struggle with the realization of their own mortality.

Question 11

Terror management theory proposes that _____________ is the primary motive for underlying behavior, and all other motives can be traced back to this one.
A) ensuring the continuation of one's life
B) the desire to procreate
C) the avoidance of fear
D) the desire to die

Accepted Answer

According to terror management theory, the primary motive for underlying human behavior is the avoidance of the anxiety associated with the awareness of our own mortality. Therefore, the desire to ensure the continuation of one's life is the most fundamental and overarching motive, as all other motives can be traced back to it. Procreation, for example, is a means of extending one's genetic legacy and ensuring that one's offspring will continue to live on after one's own death. Similarly, the desire to avoid fear or danger is driven by the need to protect oneself in order to continue living. The desire to die, on the other hand, would be incompatible with the fundamental motive underlying terror management theory.

Question 12

Mary is dying from ovarian cancer. She and her family are deciding on her care options and deciding what will become of her house. These are examples of
A) living wills.
B) death anxiety.
C) end-of-life issues.
D) the dying process.

Accepted Answer

End-of-life issues refer to the decisions and discussions that occur as individuals near death. This includes decisions about medical care and interventions, as well as decisions about property and financial affairs. Mary and her family are facing end-of-life issues as they consider her care options and the future of her house.

Question 13

The study of the interface between human values and technological advances in health and life sciences is called
A) gerontology.
B) bioethics.
C) euthanology.
D) biomedics.

Accepted Answer

The study of the interface between human values and technological advances in health and life sciences is called bioethics. Gerontology is the study of aging, euthanology is the study of euthanasia, and biomedics is a general term for the medical sciences that deal with the human body. None of these choices accurately describe the study of the interface between human values and technological advances in health and life sciences.

Question 14

Physician-assisted suicide involves
A) physicians doing everything in their power to save the lives of patients.
B) the naming of a specific individual who can make decisions for ill patients.
C) a physician administering a fatal dose of medication to a patient.
D) a physician providing a fatal dose of medication that the patient self-administers.

Accepted Answer

Physician-assisted suicide refers to the practice of a doctor providing a terminally ill patient with the means to end their own life, typically through prescribing and providing lethal medication which the patient self-administers. Option A refers to the standard practice of medicine, Option B is related to the appointment of a healthcare proxy or surrogate decision-maker, and Option C refers to euthanasia, which is illegal in most places.

Question 15

Sorrow, hurt, anger, guilt, confusion, and other feelings that arise after suffering a loss are reflected in
A) mourning.
B) acceptance.
C) grief.
D) distancing.

Accepted Answer

Mourning refers to the outward expression of grief, while acceptance refers to coming to terms with the loss. Distancing refers to creating emotional distance from the loss, which may not be a healthy coping mechanism. Grief encompasses all of the emotions and experiences following a loss, including sorrow, hurt, anger, guilt, and confusion. Therefore, the best choice is C.

Question 16

It has been found that electrical activity in the brain indicates people
A) defend themselves against emotions related to death.
B) embrace emotions related to death.
C) have mixed emotions related to death.
D) accept death during young adulthood.

Accepted Answer

Electrical activity in the brain shows that people tend to defend themselves against emotions related to death, indicating a psychological mechanism for coping with the fear of mortality.

Question 17

_____________ refers to allowing a person to die by withholding available treatment.
A) Active euthanasia
B) Invoking a living will
C) Advance directive
D) Passive euthanasia

Accepted Answer

Passive euthanasia refers to allowing a person to die by withholding available treatment. Active euthanasia, on the other hand, involves actively taking steps to end a person's life. Invoking a living will and advance directive both refer to a person's legal document specifying their healthcare wishes in the event that they become incapacitated.

Question 18

Withholding medical treatment is a form of
A) active euthanasia.
B) passive euthanasia.
C) benevolent euthanasia.
D) medical euthanasia.

Accepted Answer

Withholding medical treatment is a form of passive euthanasia, as it involves allowing a patient to die by not providing them with life-sustaining treatment. Active euthanasia would involve actively taking steps to end the patient's life, such as administering a lethal injection. Benevolent euthanasia and medical euthanasia are not recognized medical or ethical terms.

Question 19

In a Harris Poll released in 2011, 70% of all adult respondents agreed that
A) active euthanasia should be illegal, but passive euthanasia should be legal.
B) any person who wishes to end their life should have the right to do so.
C) people who are terminally ill, are in great pain, and/or have no chance for recovery should have the right to end their lives.
D) physician-assisted suicide is morally wrong.

Accepted Answer

Option C accurately reflects the views of 70% of the respondents in the Harris Poll. It states that people who are terminally ill, in great pain, and/or have no chance for recovery should have the right to end their lives. This is also known as assisted dying or assisted suicide. It is different from active euthanasia, where a medical professional directly administers a lethal dose of medication to a patient, which is illegal in most countries. Option A and D are not supported by the poll results, and Option B is a more extreme viewpoint that not everyone may agree with.

Question 20

Disconnecting a ventilator, not performing a surgery, or withholding food from a terminally ill patient all fall under the category of
A) active euthanasia.
B) passive euthanasia.
C) mercy killing.
D) bioethical euthanasia.

Accepted Answer

Passive euthanasia refers to the withdrawal or withholding of medical treatment that would prolong the life of a terminally ill patient. Disconnecting a ventilator, not performing a surgery, or withholding food from a terminally ill patient all fall under the category of passive euthanasia. Active euthanasia involves taking deliberate steps to end a patient's life, while mercy killing and bioethical euthanasia are not recognized medical terms.

Quiz 13: Dying and Bereavement

When attempting to determine if someone is "whole-brain dead," a physician would be unlikely to ask,

Each of the components of death anxiety can be assessed at any of three levels: public, private, and

Which of the following is not a criterion for whole-brain death?

One dying woman reported, "It is as if the pain is gone; the struggle is over." According to Kübler¬Ross's theory, this reflects which stage?

Research on the five stages of dying shows that

Saying "Just let me live until my daughter graduates college" reflects which of Kübler¬Ross's stages?

Contextual theories of dying emphasize

When asked about death, young adults report strong feelings that those who die at this point in their lives

Which of the following is characteristic of the separation distress found in prolonged or complicated grief disorder?

Lower ego integrity is

Terror management theory proposes that _____________ is the primary motive for underlying behavior, and all other motives can be traced back to this one.

Mary is dying from ovarian cancer. She and her family are deciding on her care options and deciding what will become of her house. These are examples of

The study of the interface between human values and technological advances in health and life sciences is called

Physician-assisted suicide involves

Sorrow, hurt, anger, guilt, confusion, and other feelings that arise after suffering a loss are reflected in

It has been found that electrical activity in the brain indicates people

_____________ refers to allowing a person to die by withholding available treatment.

Withholding medical treatment is a form of

In a Harris Poll released in 2011, 70% of all adult respondents agreed that

Disconnecting a ventilator, not performing a surgery, or withholding food from a terminally ill patient all fall under the category of