Chapter 12 Practice Questions

Adults who are _____ have more stable marriages and tend to be affluent or middle class.
conscientious
introverted
agreeable
open to new experiences

conscientious

Crystallized intelligence declines in old age because:
we are slower when we are older.
tests of crystallized intelligence are biased.
most people develop dementia in old age.
we lose memories faster than we can gain new memories.

we lose memories faster than we can gain new memories.

In his research on exceptionally generative adults, which ethnic group did McAdams find was overrepresented?
Latinos
Caucasians
women
African-Americans

African-Americans

Studies of changes in intelligence as a function of aging suggest that:
both fluid and crystallized intelligence decline rapidly with age in adults.
crystallized intelligence declines more rapidly with age than fluid intelligence does.
neither fluid nor c

fluid intelligence declines more rapidly with age than crystallized intelligence does.

In many college courses students are encouraged to adopt multiple perspectives on the material and to focus on asking interesting questions rather than finding right answers. Such courses seem to promote _____ thought, a key element in adult cognition.
no

postformal

Erikson argued that generativity is the key to happiness in midlife. Erikson's statement emphasizes the importance of _____ happiness.
fluid
hedonic
redemptive
eudaimonic

eudaimonic

Katie is a novelist. Janet is a textbook writer. Who is likely to reach her professional peak at an older age?
could be either person
Janet
Katie
both will reach their peak in the 40s

Janet

As people age, ____ tends to increase and ____ tends to decrease.
neuroticism; resiliency
resiliency; self-criticism
self-criticism; agreeableness
neuroticism; self-criticism

resiliency; self-criticism

That terribly upsetting event turned out to be the best thing that ever happened to me." This person is describing a(n):
redemption sequence.
commitment script.
hedonic life.
optimization with compensation.

redemption sequence.

The older Dionne gets, the more he believes that there are no black-and-white answers: It's all a matter of perspective. It seems that Dionne has gone beyond Piaget's sequence and entered a stage defined by _____ thought.
postoperational
postformal
sensor

postformal

Aaron is a child who shows good executive functions, which means he:
has attention that wanders to the next task before he finishes the task he is working on.
can think through actions and modulate his emotions.
has a perfect memory.
wants to work in busi

can think through actions and modulate his emotions.

Jennifer is in the 75th percentile for allostatic load while her friend Megan, who is the same age, is in the 25th percentile. On a test of processing speed, Megan's score will make her appear to be about _____ older than Jennifer.
one half year
3 years
5

3 years

Donna just turned 50, and she feels as if she is not making any real contributions in the career she has chosen. She is starting to believe that her life is meaningless and that it has had no purpose. Based on Erikson's theory, it is likely that Donna wil

become stagnated.

A researcher compares the IQs of people who are 20, 40, 60, and 80 using the WAIS in 1990. She concludes that people's intelligence declines with age. What is a major flaw in this study?
A cross-sectional research design would have been a better approach

Younger people were probably better educated than the older people.

Rhonda reports, "I am happier now than at any other age." Based on the research, Rhonda is most likely in her:
20s.
30s.
40s.
60s.

60s

Dr. Gupta believes that true happiness stems from "giving back" and helping others. Dr. Gupta endorses the value of ______ happiness.
fluid
eudaimonic
generative
redemptive

eudaimonic

Kevin is anxious, unstable, and psychologically disturbed. On the Big Five, Kevin ranks high in:
extraversion.
openness.
conscientiousness.
neuroticism.

neuroticism.

In many college courses students are encouraged to adopt multiple perspectives on the material and to focus on asking interesting questions rather than finding right answers. Such courses seem to promote _____ thought, a key element in adult cognition.
no

postformal

Jody is completing a test in which she has to name as many state capitals as she can; Aditi is trying to complete analogies between pairs of abstract diagrams. Jody is taking a test of _____ intelligence; Aditi, a test of _____.
crystallized intelligence;

crystallized intelligence; fluid intelligence

Pick the strategy recommended by the textbook to keep one's IQ fine-tuned with age.
Do clearly defined work.
Find intrinsically motivating work with people.
Channel surf and use the Internet.
Find extrinsically motivating work.

Find intrinsically motivating work with people.

When friends and family are asked to describe 28-year-old Tracy, they say she is hardworking, self-disciplined, and reliable. On the Big Five, Tracy ranks high on:
neuroticism.
extraversion.
conscientiousness.
openness.

conscientiousness.

Drake is middle-aged. In Erikson's view, Drake is probably immersed in the task of:
identity.
generativity.
intimacy.
integrity.

generativity.

Marilese is high-strung and chronically anxious. Marilese is probably high on the Big Five dimension called:
conscientiousness.
neuroticism.
psychoticism.
agreeableness.

neuroticism.

Tim is low-key and laid back. Tim is probably low on the Big Five dimension called:
psychoticism.
conscientiousness.
agreeableness.
neuroticism.

neuroticism.

Maria's fluid intelligence is at its high point. Maria is in her:
teens.
20s.
40s.
50s.

20s.

Allison tells her son that if he does not get an A in math he cannot come on the family vacation to an amusement park. Allison's son gets a B in math. Which response is MOST consistent with postformal thought?
"My feelings are telling me to let him go on

I should base my decision on how much effort he put into math and whether it is realistic for him to stay home when we are away.

Joshua can think through actions and modulate his emotions. This suggests that he is:
open to new experiences.
conscientious.
extraverted.
agreeable.

conscientious.

Fran ranks high on neuroticism on the Big Five. Fran will have a tendency to:
live longer.
be a risk-taker.
be responsible.
feel stressed out.

feel stressed out.

If Mike is struggling to achieve generativity rather than stagnation, he is probably:
an adolescent.
a young adult.
middle-aged.
an older adult.

middle-aged.

Who would be MOST concerned about changes in information processing causing poorer job performance in their 50s?
a CEO
a professor
an author
an air traffic controller

an air traffic controller

Sixty-year-old Marissa is a highly generative person. She most likely has NOT experienced:
nurturing, loving family relationships.
redemption sequences; tragic events that turned into growth experiences.
a strong sense of personal power.
a life history fu

a life history full of successful experiences.

Dr. Gupta believes that true happiness stems from "giving back" and helping others. Dr. Gupta endorses the value of ______ happiness.
fluid
eudaimonic
generative
redemptive

eudaimonic

Alicia begins her life story by stating that charity has always been important to her. As a child, she ran lemonade stands and donated the proceeds. Alicia seems to be describing a(n):
commitment script.
hedonic life.
optimization with compensation.
redem

commitment script.

An example of an off-time chronic disease is developing:
asthma at age 4.
the flu at age 40.
Alzheimer's at age 43.
cardiac disease at age 75.

Alzheimer's at age 43.

Jason's mother sometimes jokes that Jason was born late and has been running late ever since. Jason also tends to be irresponsible and undependable. Jason probably ranks low on the Big Five personality dimension called:
neuroticism.
extraversion.
conscien

conscientiousness.

Peter completed the WAIS when he was 25 and is doing it again now that he is 45. He can expect ______ to have declined with age.
the verbal scale
the performance scale
neither the verbal nor the performance scale
both the verbal and the performance scale

the performance scale

part b

b

The grandparent role may help individuals rise to Erikson's midlife challenge of:
intimacy.
integrity.
generativity.
identity.

generativity.

According to Jung, midlife is the:
late afternoon of life.
long afternoon of life.
long evening of life.
late morning of life.

long afternoon of life.

Grandparents today tend to be _____ in providing child care compared to what they were several decades ago.
more strict
no more and no less hands-on
less hands-on
more hands-on

more hands-on

Perimenopause is NOT associated with:
a temporary rise in sexual desire caused by erratic estrogen levels.
a minor rise in anxiety and depression.
night sweats and hot flashes.
an upsurge of physical complaints.

a temporary rise in sexual desire caused by erratic estrogen levels.

Which statement about American caregiving grandparents is false?
They sometimes feel physically drained and depressed.
They have full responsibility for raising their grandchildren.
Their numbers are decreasing.
They feel a generative responsibility to ta

Their numbers are decreasing.

Jung said that we can't live life's afternoon:
by the program of life's evening.
like our grandparents did.
by the program of life's morning.
by the seat of our pants.

by the program of life's morning.

Which factor is NOT likely to have an impact in how involved a grandparent is with their grandchild?
the grandparent's gender
the physical proximity of the grandchild
the age of the grandchild
the grandparent's political views

the grandparent's political views

Which produces the LEAST stressful parent care?
not sharing parent care responsibilities with siblings
providing minimal care when a person has no work responsibilities
providing parent care and grandparenting care at the same time
viewing parent care as

providing minimal care when a person has no work responsibilities

Which is NOT a common role of grandparents in American culture?
the mediator
the cheerleader
the banker
the watchdog

the banker

If middle-aged adults view parent care as a family obligation, they experience:
just as much stress when they provide the care themselves than when they relegate the care to a nursing home.
more stress when they provide the care themselves than when they

more stress when they provide the care themselves than when they relegate the care to a nursing home.

Dr. Frey asserts that menopause developed to provide a corps of "assistant mothers." Unburdened by their own parental obligations, these women help their daughters ensure the survival of grandchildren. With respect to her theoretical perspective, Dr. Frey

evolutionary

The text's author suggests that parent care may yield positive benefits by affording an opportunity for:
a commitment script.
a redemption sequence.
selective optimization.
terminal drop.

a redemption sequence.

Which term is MOST likely to be used when a person describes parent care?
joy
burden
relief
fulfillment

burden

Jackie is a caregiving grandparent. She is MOST likely to be:
poor.
wealthy.
farmers.
middle-class.

poor.

Which statement about menopause is true?
The physical symptoms of menopause are severe.
The physical symptoms of menopause vary from culture to culture.
Extreme mood swings are a symptom of menopause.
Women feel asexual at menopause.

The physical symptoms of menopause vary from culture to culture.

Mrs. Allen calls to check in with her daughter often. Mrs. Allen is interested in how her grandchildren are doing. Last summer, she stayed with her grandchildren while her daughter recovered from surgery. Because she looks out for her grandchildren and so

family watchdog

Beth is taking care of her elderly mother, Marian, who has dementia. Her mother does not recognize Beth anymore and often accuses Beth of kidnapping her. Marian also demands to be taken to her "real" house and repeatedly asks for her husband who has been

The situation could escalate to Beth screaming and threatening Marian with putting her into a nursing home.

Geneva's daughter Alexis has asked her to care for her son 40 hours a week. Geneva doesn't want to disappoint her daughter, but she wants her own life. Geneva is likely experiencing a:
family watchdog.
terminal drop.
role conflict.
redemption sequence.

role conflict.

Mei-Ling lives in China. Which grandparent is likely to be the MOST involved in her life?
her father's father
her mother's mother
her mother's father
her father's mother

her father's mother

Graham is an elderly man charged in caring for his chronically ill wife Marg. Graham and Marg have been happily married for 44 years. Graham is likely to view caring for his wife:
as a burden.
as a labor of love.
as a hassle.
with indifference.

as a labor of love.

Mrs. Big Buffalo is quoted in the text regarding the role of grandparents. She explains that the Lakota grandparent role is to raise the firstborn grandchild because they have more experience teaching children. The quote illustrates that the grandparent r

society.

Maria makes an effort not to criticize her children's parenting skills in order to maintain access to her grandchildren. Maria is demonstrating substantial skill in emotional:
attribution.
regulation.
appraisal.
management

regulation.

Women whose menstrual cycles have stopped for 12 consecutive months are considered to have entered menopause." This statement offers a(n) ______ definition of menopause by specifying how to measure it.
descriptive
experimental
conceptual
operational

operational

Velma takes full responsibility for raising her three granddaughters. Velma is a(n) _____ grandparent.
generative
watchdog
caregiving
intergenerational

caregiving

Henry finds that ever since he turned 50, he is having problems having sex. He has never had trouble getting an erection until recently, but now feels like less of a man because of his occasional failures to ejaculate. He is becoming increasingly depresse

Men are less responsive to female pheromones after they reach the age of 45.

Ava is four years old. Statistically speaking it is MOST likely that:
her paternal grandparents are most involved in her life.
neither her paternal nor her maternal grandparents are involved in her life.
both her paternal and maternal grandparents are equ

her maternal grandparents are most involved in her life.

Richard is 55 years old. As compared to when he was 20, he is likely to report that:
he is more able to have another erection for 12 to 24 hours after sex.
his ejaculations are less intense.
he needs less time to develop an erection.
he is less likely to

his ejaculations are less intense.

Patty is 55 years old, and she has some concerns about how she looks now compared to how she looked ten years ago. According to the text, if she is a typical woman, what is Patty LEAST likely to do?
appreciate her body's abilities
take inventory of the si

seriously consider cosmetic surgery

Donna is a new grandparent. She is likely to be _____ in providing child care than her grandmother was five decades ago.
no more and no less hands-on
more strict
less hands-on
more hands-on

more hands-on

Taryn's elderly mother is ill and is no longer able to look after herself. Taryn works long hours so she has moved her mother into her own house to care for her. Taryn has two brothers living in the same city, but their jobs prevent them from providing mu

Taryn may develop stress, depression, and poor health.

An anthropologist and a developmental psychologist conduct a correlational study in sub-Saharan Africa. Over a period of several years, they assess grandparental involvement in a sample of families. They also track infant mortality rates in these families

negative

Dorothy is a grandparent who has taken on the job of monitoring the well-being of younger family members and intervening if there is a crisis. Dorothy's role is referred to as:
fluid intelligence.
providing parent care.
a caregiving grandparent.
the famil

the family watchdog.

Deborah's menstrual cycle has permanently stopped. She has entered:
menopause.
perimenopause.
amenorrhea.
menarche.

menopause.

Diane has taken full responsibility for raising her grandson Alex. Diane is a:
family watchdog.
paternal grandmother.
maternal grandmother.
caregiving grandparent.

caregiving grandparent.

Andrew lives in the United States. Which grandparent is likely to be the MOST involved in his life?
his mother's mother
his mother's father
his father's mother
his father's father

his mother's mother

Anna is raising her granddaughter Kira. Anna feels that Kira is her second chance at motherhood and that she is fortunate for the opportunity. Anna is describing:
selective optimization with compensation.
redemption sequence.
being the family watchdog.
a

redemption sequence.

Paula is reading a diary she kept 30 years ago when she was 25. When she reads about her sexual encounters back then she is MOST likely to conclude that:
sex is less intimate now than when she was younger.
sexual communication with her partner is worse th

sex is better now than it was when she was younger.

Carla is 45 years old and married. She has always considered herself a sexual person, but as she gets older she is less and less interested in sex. What might be one explanation for her change in sexual feelings as she ages?
It is likely Carla is sufferin

Sexual signals toward women from the outside world decrease as women grow older.

Audrey finds that ever since she went through menopause, she is not as interested in having sex with her husband. She has been married to Frank for 21 years and would like to remain married but her interest in sex seems to have declined markedly. Her ther

The thickening of the vaginal walls and lengthening of the vagina both work to decrease the pleasure of sex.

Brenda had a poor relationship with her mother growing up. Now she is responsible for her mother's care. Brenda is grateful for the opportunity to grow close to her mother. This is an example of:
a redemption sequence.
a commitment script.
selective optim

a redemption sequence.

40-year-old Maria is going through the sexual winding-down period known as perimenopause. She has heard all sorts of information about it from some of her friends and does not know what to believe. When she sees her general practitioner for her annual che

a temporary rise in sexual desire caused by erratic estrogen levels.

Marjorie is a 58-year-old woman who finds sexual intercourse painful. Marjorie might consider:
taking Viagra.
ordering hormone replacement supplements from the internet.
finding a partner who considers her a sexual human being.
using a lubricant.

using a lubricant.

Which statement reflects the general trend regarding parent care in Japanese culture today?
Japanese people take responsibility for parent care but feel burdened by it.
Japanese people take responsibility for parent care and are happy to do so.
Elderly pe

Japanese society has witnessed an increase of nursing homes taking the burden of parent care off adult children.