Gerontology Exam Practice Tests
Course Introduction
Gerontology is the multidisciplinary study of the biological, psychological, and social aspects of aging. This course explores the aging process across the lifespan, examining changes that occur in older adults at the individual, family, and societal levels. Key topics include theories of aging, age-related health issues, social policies affecting older populations, and strategies for promoting healthy aging. Students will also analyze current research in gerontology and discuss cultural perspectives on aging, preparing them to address the opportunities and challenges of an aging society.
Recommended Textbook
The Journey of Adulthood 7th Edition by Barbara R. Bjorklund
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12 Chapters
846 Verified Questions
846 Flashcards
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Page 2
Chapter 1: Introduction to Adult Development
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71 Verified Questions
71 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) If, every 5 years, I study the gender-role attitudes of the same group of individuals, this would be an example of what kind of research design?
A) cross-sectional
B) sequential
C) longitudinal
D) correlational
Answer: C
Q2) In explaining adult development, psychologists must ______.
A) explain both changes with age and continuities
B) focus primarily on explaining changes with age
C) focus primarily on explaining continuities with age
D) deal most centrally with individual differences in responses to life problems
Answer: A
Q3) Which of the following is a major research technique used in "behavior genetics"?
A) comparisons of individuals from different ethnic groups
B) comparisons of identical and fraternal twins
C) comparisons of young and old subjects
D) comparisons of males and females
Answer: B
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Page 3
Chapter 2: Physical Changes
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76 Verified Questions
76 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) The immune system does not function as well in later adulthood as it did in earlier years, partly due to the greater prevalence of chronic diseases and susceptibility to stress. _______________ may help in later adulthood.
A) Vitamin supplements
B) A high protein diet
C) Extensive exercise
D) Re-establishing a social network
Answer: D
Q2) A reasonable inference from the information presented in this unit regarding the availability of sexual partners for older adults suggests that which older person would have the LEAST problem locating a sexual partner?
A) an independent single female
B) a female living with her adult children
C) an independent single male
D) a single male living in a nursing home
Answer: C
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Chapter 3: Health and Health Disorders
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65 Verified Questions
65 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) Which group of adults shows a pattern of short life expectancy and high rates of chronic illness throughout adulthood?
A) men
B) women
C) the poor
D) the middle class
Answer: C
Q2) Older adults are two to three times more likely to suffer from certain disorders than adults in their 20s and 30s. As such, incidence of several types of illnesses/causes of death rises geometrically (rather than arithmetically) throughout adulthood. Which of these diseases follows such a pattern?
A) heart disease, arthritis, and/or high blood pressure
B) cancer, diabetes, or HIV
C) diabetes, flu and home accidents
D) pneumonia, diabetes, or car accidents
Answer: A
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Chapter 4: Cognitive Abilities
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68 Verified Questions
68 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) What is the major explanation offered to account for the differences in the pattern of IQ stability or decline over adulthood shown in cross-sectional versus longitudinal studies?
A) cohort differences
B) terminal drop
C) subject attrition
D) unrepresentative samples
Q2) Baltes (1993) argues that cognition is like a computer; the hardware becomes less efficient and the software can be maintained. Argue for or against this position and use research to support your position.
Q3) In studies of memory, what is the term used to describe the processes by which new information is committed to memory?
A) storage
B) sensory memory
C) recognition
D) working memory
Q4) A newspaper reporter asks you for a brief summary statement about the relationship between age and intellectual skill in adulthood. Write a two- or three-sentence summary.
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Chapter 5: Social Roles
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Sample Questions
Q1) Research on the economic effects of divorce suggests that a one-family income needs to be stretched to support two families, a fact that____________.
A) suggests the families will recover immediately after a divorce
B) underscores the perception that men are the breadwinners C) lowers the standard of living for all family members. drop sharply immediately after divorce and remain low unless the woman remarries
D) validates divorce wreaking emotional havoc
Q2) Which of the following conclusions is the most reasonable statement of current data on gender role crossover at midlife?
A) There is no evidence to support the concept of a gender role crossover.
B) There is reasonably strong evidence that men become more feminine, but no clear evidence that women become more masculine after midlife.
C) There is clear evidence that women become more masculine, but little indication that men become more feminine after midlife.
D) There is evidence for an expansion of gender role boundaries at midlife, but little indication of a full crossover.
Q3) List and describe three sources of gender stereotyping.
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Page 7
Chapter 6: Social Relationships
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65 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) An avoidant marriage is _______.
A) a happy one
B) one with no children
C) one where the parents are poor
D) one made up of partners who agree to disagree
Q2) The key feature of unsuccessful marriages (those most likely to end in divorce), according to Gottman's research, is _______.
A) a high level of squabbles or disagreements
B) a low level of laughter
C) an inability to resolve conflicts by discussion or argument
D) a high ratio of displeasing to pleasing interactions
Q3) Beginning in the 1970s, social scientists noted an increase in the break-up of the nuclear family. Today, which 2 phrases best describe the actual outcomes between extended family members?
A) increased distances between extended family members, increased isolation
B) increased isolation, less communication
C) increased distances, no change in isolation
D) increased isolation, decreased distances
Q4) Describe the nature of the relationship between siblings across the life span.
Q5) Diagram and describe Antonucci's convoy model of love.
Page 8
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Chapter 7: Work and Retirement
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Sample Questions
Q1) Men and women work the same number of hours a week, but which spend more time on paid work and which spend more time on unpaid household work?
A) men-women
B) women-men
C) no difference
D) depends on which part of the country you are studying
Q2) Which of the following early family characteristics is common among women who choose unconventional (i.e., traditionally masculine) occupations?
A) a particularly close mother-daughter relationship
B) a father who works in an unconventional occupation
C) a mother or father who was a role model
D) brothers who choose unconventional occupations
Q3) How has your vocational interests changed over time [e.g., from earliest memories and through different age spans), and do you anticipate any changes in the future? Please provide details.
Q4) In individual decisions about when to retire, the availability of pension benefits and health often exert opposite influences. Explain this.
Q5) List and describe the key features that influence retirement decisions.
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Chapter 8: Personality
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Sample Questions
Q1) To what extent do you think that cohort differences can account for the pattern of change in personality described in the text? Give specific examples.
Q2) Suppose a researcher studies a group of adults longitudinally over a ten-year period and finds that the average score on a measure of rigidity goes up steadily over time. What, if anything, does this finding tell us about individual consistency in rigidity?
Q3) List and describe the "big five" personality dimensions.
Q4) An adult is preoccupied with a need to "make his mark" on the world. Which of Erikson's dilemmas (stages) is this adult grappling with?
A) identity versus role confusion
B) intimacy versus isolation
C) generativity versus stagnation
D) ego integrity versus despair
Q5) How are stage theories different from theories suggesting sequences? What are the strengths and weaknesses of each approach?
Q6) McAdams has suggested that we can understand simultaneous consistency and change in personality by proposing "layers" or "levels" of personality. Briefly sketch McAdams's ideas.
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Page 10
Chapter 9: The Quest for Meaning
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Sample Questions
Q1) At a dinner party, you hear someone make the following statement: "Religion doesn't do any good for anyone. Religious people are no healthier, and die at the same ages as do nonreligious people." According to the evidence given in the text, how should you reply?
A) "You're right. The research evidence shows no relationship between religion and health."
B) "The research allows an even stronger statement: highly religious people are actually less healthy than are irreligious people."
C) "You're quite wrong. The research evidence shows that religious people are healthier and live longer."
D) "You can't make that statement. There is no research evidence one way or the other about the relationship between religious involvement and health."
Q2) Briefly describe the basic polarity Kegan proposes, and discuss how that concept may be useful as a synthesizing concept in tying together theories of both personality development and the growth of meaning.
Q3) List and describe the three levels of Kohlberg's stages of moral development. Include a sample reasoning statement for each.
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Chapter 10: Stress, Coping, and Resilience
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66 Verified Questions
66 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) 10-35. Grief work may be _______ to resilient individuals.
A) harmful
B) helpful
C) therapeutic
D) expensive
Q2) 10-37. Positive emotion in coping, although recently shown to be helpful, has long been viewed as ________.
A) a normative event
B) being mentally healthy
C) causing stress
D) a symptom of unhealthy denial
Q3) "Stress can be defined as the body's reaction to some mental or physical demand." What theoretical approach to stress is reflected in this statement?
A) a stimulus-oriented approach
B) a response-oriented approach
C) an interactionist approach
D) a demand approach
Q4) 10-41. Briefly describe and contrast response-oriented theories and stimulus-oriented theories of stress.
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Chapter 11: Death and Bereavement
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49 Verified Questions
49 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) When a young child is separated temporarily from his mother, he will usually search for his mother, often crying. Which of the suggested phases of grieving in adults is psychologically similar to this childish searching behavior?
A) distress
B) yearning
C) numbness
D) disorganization
Q2) Which of the following groups of individuals is likely to have the highest level of fear of death?
A) adults who are satisfied with themselves and what they have done with their lives
B) introverted adults
C) adults who feel their lives lack purpose or meaning
D) extraverted adults
Q3) Marshall and Levy suggest that 2 important functions of rituals are _______.
A) venting and rituals
B) rituals and mourning
C) control and meaningfulness
D) mourning and meaningfulness
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Chapter 12: The Successful Journey
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Sample Questions
Q1) Which of the following sequences of changes observed over the adult years appears to be the least maturational or "developmental"?
A) changes in the physical body
B) changes in mental ability or performance
C) changes in family roles
D) changes in personality
Q2) According to Vaillant's studies of the Grant sample, measures of early family experiences are predictive of subsequent difficulties _____.
A) throughout the adult age range
B) in old age
C) in the first few decades of adulthood
D) at no age in adulthood
Q3) The term now frequently used by gerontologists to describe adults over the age of 75 is _______.
A) young old
B) disengaged
C) decrepit
D) in late adulthood
Q4) Why do researchers look at "successful aging"?
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