Question 1

What approach to personality development is based on fairly universal stages tied to a sequence of age-related crises?

Accepted Answer

Normative-crisis models propose that there are universal stages in personality development that are tied to age-related crises. These crises involve transitions or challenges that individuals typically face during certain points in their lives, such as the midlife crisis.

Question 2

According to Levinson,___________ is the period of assessment that middle-aged people 40-45 go through that may lead to a stage of uncertainty and indecision brought about by the realization that life is finite.

Accepted Answer

Levinson describes the "midlife crisis" as a period of self-reflection and reassessment that occurs during middle adulthood, typically between the ages of 40 and 45, where individuals confront the reality of their mortality and the finite nature of life.

Question 3

Which of the following comprise the "Big Five" major cluster of personality traits/characteristics?

Accepted Answer

The "Big Five" major cluster of personality traits/characteristics includes neuroticism, extroversion, openness, agreeableness, and conscientiousness. The other choices do not accurately represent the "Big Five" traits.

Question 4

Which of the following psychologists agrees that adults move through a series of stages and potential crises,but believes they also pass through seven stages associated with specific age periods?

Accepted Answer

Daniel Levinson proposed a theory of adult development that includes stages and transitions, but it is Roger Gould who identified seven stages associated with specific age periods.

Question 5

Theorist Ravenna Helson focused on _____________,which suggest that it is the particular events in an adult's life,rather than age per se,that determine the course of personality development.

Accepted Answer

Theorist Ravenna Helson focused on life events models, which suggest that it is the particular events in an adult's life, rather than age per se, that determine the course of personality development.

Question 6

Which two developmental psychologists believed that there is a substantial change in personality over time,and that change follows a set,predictable pattern?

Accepted Answer

Erikson and Levinson are the two developmental psychologists who believed that there is a substantial change in personality over time and that change follows a set, predictable pattern. Erikson's theory of psychosocial development proposed eight stages of development throughout a person's lifetime, each with a unique developmental task to be mastered. Similarly, Levinson's theory of adult development proposed a series of stages and transitions that individuals go through as they progress from early adulthood to old age.

Question 7

According to Gould's stages of development,which stage is associated with the period of urgency to attain life's goals,the awareness of time limitations,and the realignment of life's goals?

Accepted Answer

Stage 5, according to Gould's stages of development, is associated with the period of urgency to attain life's goals, the awareness of time limitations, and the realignment of life's goals.

Question 8

Which age has come to have special meaning in most Western societies?

Accepted Answer

In most Western societies, the age of 40 is often associated with midlife crisis and introspection as it marks the halfway point of the average human lifespan. This age has gained special meaning in terms of personal and professional achievements, as well as societal expectations.

Question 9

Which of the following psychologists developed the "seasons of life" theory,where men in their early 40s are in a period of transition and crisis?

Accepted Answer

Levinson developed the "seasons of life" theory, which suggests that men go through a period of transition and crisis in their early 40s. Erikson developed a psychosocial theory that includes eight stages of development, but he did not specifically focus on a midlife crisis. Gould was a biologist and evolutionary theorist, not a psychologist. Vaillant developed a theory of adaptive responses to life events, but he did not develop the "seasons of life" theory.

Question 10

According to Levinson,people around the ages of 40-45 move into a period/time of questioning called ________ and focus on the finite nature of life,where they begin to question everyday fundamental assumptions.

Accepted Answer

Levinson's theory states that people around the ages of 40-45 experience a midlife transition or a period of questioning, which involves the examination of fundamental assumptions about identity, relationships, and purpose in life. This period is not necessarily a crisis or a normative-crisis model, although some individuals may experience a crisis during this time. The generativity-versus-stagnation stage, according to Erikson's theory, occurs during middle adulthood and involves a focus on contributing to society and the next generation, rather than dwelling on personal concerns.

Question 11

In the model of aging for high-caste Hindu women from the Oriya culture in Orissa,India,which of the following brings about a significant alteration in social responsibility?

Accepted Answer

The change from daughter to daughter-in-law brings about a significant alteration in social responsibility for high-caste Hindu women from the Oriya culture in Orissa, India. As daughters, women have a certain level of freedom and responsibility within their natal family. However, as daughter-in-laws, they become responsible for managing their husband's household and ensuring that their husband's family is taken care of. This shift in responsibility marks a significant change in their social role and expectations.

Question 12

Which two developmental psychologists believed that a person's personality is quite stable and continuous throughout one's lifetime?

Accepted Answer

Costa and McCrae are known for their Five-Factor Model of Personality, which posits that personality is stable and continuous throughout a person's life.

Question 13

Winona is a 22-year-old new mother,and Anna is a 38-year-old new mother.According to Ravenna Helson's theory,the ____________,both of these women may experience similar psychological forces based upon their shared experience of being a new mother regardless of their ages.

Accepted Answer

Helson's theory, the life events models, suggests that significant life events, such as becoming a new mother, can have a profound impact on an individual's psychological development, regardless of their age. This theory emphasizes the role of specific events in shaping one's life rather than age-related crises or stages.

Question 14

According to psychologist George Vaillant,what does "keeping the meaning" mean?

Accepted Answer

According to George Vaillant's theory of adult development, "keeping the meaning" refers to the process of extracting meaning from one's life experiences, as well as accepting both one's own strengths and weaknesses, and those of others. This is part of Vaillant's broader theory of "adaptation to life," which involves a complex interplay between coping mechanisms, defense mechanisms, and personal growth.

Question 15

According to anthropologist Richard Shweder,high-caste Hindu women from the Oriya culture in Orissa,India,view their lives in all of the following ways EXCEPT

Accepted Answer

According to the passage, high-caste Hindu women from the Oriya culture in Orissa, India view their lives based on social responsibility, family management issues, and their moral sense, but they do not view their lives on the basis of ongoing chronological age and the concept of middle age.

Question 16

Erik Erikson suggested that middle adulthood encompasses a period he characterized as ________________,where a person is,or is not,making a contribution to family and community.

Accepted Answer

The term "generativity-versus-stagnation stage" represents Erikson's view that middle adulthood is a time when an individual is either making a contribution to society and the next generation (generativity) or feeling stagnant and dissatisfied with their life's accomplishments (stagnation).

Question 17

When middle-aged people focus on work that is directed toward others rather than themselves,Erik Erikson called this

Accepted Answer

Erik Erikson called the focus on work directed toward others rather than oneself as generativity. Generativity refers to the concern and responsibility for the younger generation and the world at large that arises in middle adulthood.

Question 18

The model of aging for high-caste Hindu women from the Oriya culture in Orissa,India,consists of which of the following?

Accepted Answer

In the Oriya culture, high-caste Hindu women traditionally move to live in their husband's mother's house (sasu gharo) after marriage, which is a significant aspect of their aging model.

Question 19

A group of people in their early 50s is meeting with a developmental specialist to discuss lifestyle changes in their lives.The topic of personality stability becomes the major topic of discussion,and the group asks the specialist to summarize the area of stability versus change in personality.What could the specialist tell the group?

Accepted Answer

Research has shown that there is stability in basic personality traits over the course of adulthood, even into middle age. While there may be some changes and adjustments, individuals tend to perceive similarities between their present selves and their younger selves.

Question 20

Which of the following developmental psychologists believed that the period between the ages of 45 and 55 is important regarding "keeping the meaning" versus rigidity?

Accepted Answer

Vaillant believed that the period between the ages of 45 and 55 is important for the development of generativity versus stagnation and keeping meaning versus rigidity.

Quiz 16: Social and Personality Development in Middle Adulthood