Final Exam

Question 1

Postformal Thought

Answer 1

• Ability to think logically, consistently, and reason according to rules; but in a
  messy world.
• Acceptance of contradictions.

Question 2

Benefits/challenges of college

Answer 2

Benefits:
* 60% less likely to get divorced.
* Healthier – live longer
* Higher paycheck

Challenges:
* 9/10 college students think they will graduate in 4 years but only half do.
* U.S has highest rates of students who leave without a college degree.

Question 3

The school-to-work transition

Answer 3

• Completed while completing other life transitions.

Question 4

Chronic health conditions in adulthood

Answer 4

• Type 2 diabetes
• Heart disease
• Depression/anxiety

Question 5

Brain plasticity in middle adulthood

Answer 5

• Helps be better at inductive reasoning, which allows them to make broad
  generalizations from specific observations, and problem-solving.

Question 6

Crystallized and fluid reasoning

Answer 6

Crystallized: The ability to use knowledge and experience that has been learned throughout life. Crystallized reasoning is used in tasks like crossword puzzles, Scrabble, memorizing the alphabet, and remembering the steps to a geometry proof.

Fluid: The ability to think flexibly and reason about new situations. Fluid reasoning is used to solve new problems, identify patterns, and use logic in new environments.

Question 7

Midlife crisis

Answer 7

• Not a real thing —> only about 15% of adults have a period of emotional
  turmoil at this time, but most of these adults have one or more chronic
  mental illnesses.
• There is a midlife “slump” in life satisfaction though.

Question 8

Eudemonia

Answer 8

The pursuit of personal growth and a meaningful life. It’s associated with the consequences of self-actualization and self-growth.

Question 9

Fictive kin

Answer 9

People who are considered family but are not related by blood, adoption, or marriage.

Question 10

Young-old, middle-old, and oldest-old

Answer 10

Between the ages of 65 and 74 years as youngest-old, those between ages 75 and 84 years as middle-old, and those aged over 85 years as oldest-old

Question 11

Aging senses in late adulthood

Answer 11

• Pupils shrink making it harder to see in dim lighting.
• Ear structures change making it harder to understand complex or rapid
  speech.
• Smell deteriorates and the nose produced less mucus.
• Taste declines and less saliva is produced.
• Reduced circulation might make it harder to feel pain.
• Inner ear’s function declines so balance is a problem.

Question 12

Brain changes at end of life (aka the biology of death)

Answer 12

• Surge of brain activity and consciousness.
• Rhythmic brain wave patterns similar to when you are dreaming, doing
  memory recall, or meditation.

Question 13

Anticipatory and disenfranchised grief

Answer 13

Anticipatory: A unique type of grief that occurs before a loss, or while it’s happening.

Disenfranchised: A type of grief that occurs when a loss isn’t openly acknowledged or socially validated. This can happen when a loss goes against cultural norms, or when the circumstances surrounding the loss make it difficult to mourn openly.

Question 14

Prolonged grief disorder

Answer 14

• Intense longing or preoccupation with the deceased, difficulty reintegrating
  into relationships, and emotional numbness. Other symptoms include
  disbelief about the death, avoidance of reminders, and intense emotional
  pain.
• Occurs after the death of a loved one.

Question 15

Erikson’s psychosocial stages

Answer 15

Trust vs. Mistrust: Infant - 18 mo
Autonomy vs. Shame and Doubt: 18 mo - 3 yrs
Initiative vs. Guilt: 3 - 5 yrs
Industry vs. Inferiority: 5 - 13 yrs
Identity vs. Role Confusion: 13 - 21 yrs
Intimacy vs. Isolation: 21 - 39 yrs
Generativity vs. Stagnation: 40 - 65 yrs
Ego Integrity vs. Despair: 65+

Question 16

This is what Erikson sees as the crisis or issue for early adulthood

Answer 16

Intimacy vs. Isolation

Question 17

According to attachment researchers, this is a key feature of some insecure adult attachments:

Answer 17

Avoidance

Question 18

This is caring and doing things for others beside yourself – research suggests this makes young people happier:

Answer 18

Being generative

Question 19

This disorder, which emerges in young adulthood, involves unstable and intense feelings and significant difficulties with relationships.

Answer 19

Borderline Personality Disorder

Question 20

Which factors have contributed to shifting the timeline of marriage from the late teens to the late 20s?

Answer 20

• A changing/challenging economy.
• Social roles of partners have changed.
• Expectations of marriage have changed.
• Many young adults no longer believe marriage should come before children.

Question 21

Your book discusses five aspirational external markers of adulthood. Not all adults will meet all five of the external markers, but research shows that adults who do achieve all five markers are more likely to say they feel competent, accomplished, and satisfied with their lives - when compared to their counterparts who have not achieved all five markers. What is NOT one of these five external markers that your book describes?

Answer 21

Achieving financial freedom.

Question 22

This is a term used by some scholars to describe the period between ~18-29 years old during which young people consciously postpone some of the milestones of adulthood to explore their identity.

Answer 22

Emerging adulthood

Question 23

True or False: The human brain is fully developed by the time early adulthood begins.

Answer 23

False

Question 24

This type of thinking in early adulthood acknowledges that there is no absolute truth, but rather a collection of different perspectives. Instead of assuming there is one right answer to life’s problems, these thinkers understand that their assumptions are biased and subjective.

Answer 24

Relativistic thinking

Question 25

This type of thinking in early adulthood is characterized by the ability to look at the opposing sides to a problem, explore the contradictions between them, and accept that the solution may lie somewhere in between.

Answer 25

Dialectical thinking

Question 26

This term refers to age-related declines in hearing:

Answer 26

Presbycusis

Question 27

This term refers to age-related declines in vision:

Answer 27

Presbyopia

Question 28

Early aging resulting from experiences of significant adversity and stress over time is called:

Answer 28

Weathering

Question 29

Researchers think this factor contributes to the declines in memory scores among women experiencing menopause:

Answer 29

Lack of sleep or sleep disruption

Question 30

This is enjoyment you receive from short-term pleasure:

Answer 30

Hedonia

Question 31

This is a period of extreme strain in a relationship where family members no longer have contact:

Answer 31

Estrangement

Question 32

In terms of emotional experience, many adults report this at midlife:

Answer 32

Emotional mellowing

Question 33

In general, researchers see this change in personality at midlife:

Answer 33

Increased agreeableness

Question 34

True or False: Researchers often attribute the midlife slump in life satisfaction typically seen in middle adulthood to stressful or traumatic experiences.

Answer 34

True

Question 35

This is a hormonal change in midlife, in which the ovaries stop releasing hormones, causing menstrual periods to end.

Answer 35

Menopause

Question 36

This structure in the brain is one of the earliest to degrade – it’s a major hub of brain networks:

Answer 36

Locus coeruleus

Question 37

This structure of the brain, involved in the formation of new memories, also begins shrinking in late life:

Answer 37

Hippocampus

Question 38

Which factor below accelerates brain aging?

Answer 38

Stress

Question 39

Which factor below has been shown to enhance brain functioning in older adulthood?

Answer 39

Getting regular physical activity

Question 40

What do most scientists agree contributes strongly to cognitive reserve and cognitive health?

Answer 40

Education

Question 41

What group of older adults is most likely to struggle with social isolation and feeling lonely?

Answer 41

Low income men who immigrated to this country.

Question 42

What definition of the positivity effect is most accurate?

Answer 42

On average, older adults recall more positive info than younger adults.

Question 43

These are tasks encountered by humans every day that require planning, organization, and social skills:

Answer 43

Instrumental activities of daily living

Question 44

Changes in cognition, processing, and/or personality, which signify that a person is nearing death are known as:

Answer 44

Terminal decline

Question 45

A condition in which a dying person becomes restless, upset, and/or delirious is known as:

Answer 45

Terminal agitation

Question 46

An unexpected return to consciousness or cognitive clarity in people who are at the end of life is known as:

Answer 46

Terminal lucidity

Question 47

In the final hours of life, breathing tends to slow and people lose the ability to swallow, resulting in a "______________," or a crackling sound when they breathe caused by buildup of saliva in their throat.

Answer 47

Death rattle

Question 48

When are people MOST likely to die, even in affluent countries like the United States?

Answer 48

Early infancy and late adulthood

Question 49

Death is a ________ process, and ________ practices help connect people to their community and provide comfort at the end of life.

Answer 49

Social; cultural

Question 50

In nations across the world and in eight U.S. states, some people who are diagnosed with a terminal illness have the legal ability to receive medical assistance in planning their deaths. When a medical professional helps a dying person end their life by providing either medication or information that will hasten the end of life, it's called:

Answer 50

Physician-assisted suicide

Question 51

Hedonia

Answer 51

* The pursuit of pleasure and comfort. Hedonia is associated with immediate sensory pleasure, happiness, and enjoyment