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Chapter 15

Practice Test

Practice Test

This activity contains 20 questions.

	Which of the following is true of visual changes during midlife?   The lens of the eye begins to shrink, resulting in difficulties with nearsighted vision between ages 40 to 60. Risk of presbyopia and glaucoma begin to decline after age 40. Weakening of the eye muscles leads to difficulty adjusting focus to nearby objects. Enlargement of the pupils causes increasing problems with daylight vision.

	Reduction in bone mass during midlife   is caused by increased mineral content. is more substantial in men than in women. causes bones to fracture more easily and heal more slowly. cannot be slowed, even with lifestyle changes such as increased calcium intake.

	Women’s climacteric   does not change reproductive capacity. typically occurs by age 40 among North American, European, and East Asian women. occurs suddenly and rapidly, usually over the course of 1 to 2 years. is associated with decreased production of estrogen and shortening of the menstrual cycle.

	Which of the following is true of women’s psychological reactions to menopause?   African-American and Mexican-American women report particularly negative attitudes toward menopause. Societal values offering greater respect, privilege, and responsibility to older women lead North American women to report favorable responses and few physical symptoms. Research shows no cultural or SES differences in psychological reactions to menopause. Well-educated, career-oriented women usually report more positive attitudes than do women with less education.

	Which of the following is true of sexuality in middle adulthood?   The best predictor of sexual frequency is marital happiness. Intensity of sexual response increases in midlife. Frequency of sexual activity declines dramatically in midlife. Among married couples, frequency of sexual activity is closely tied to the woman’s menopausal status.

	Which indicator of cardiovascular disease is referred to as a “silent killer”?   atherosclerosis—a buildup of plaque in the coronary arteries angina pectoris—indigestion-like or crushing chest pains arrhythmia—an irregular heartbeat a heart attack—blockage of normal blood supply to an area of the heart

	Expressed hostility   is the toxic ingredient in the Type A behavior pattern that predicts heart disease and other health problems. predicts health problems only among individuals with other risk factors, such as smoking, alcohol abuse, and obesity. is more common in women than men. poses fewer health risks than does suppressed hostility.

	Sharon decided that she was unhappy at work. She realized that the primary cause was frustration with an irresponsible co-worker. She met with this individual, came up with strategies to help the young woman meet her responsibilities, and subsequently derived more enjoyment from her job. Sharon used   problem-centered coping. behavior-focused coping. emotion-centered coping. avoidant coping.

	When a person has a sense of control over life events, a commitment to important activities, and a tendency to view change as a challenge rather than a disappointment, this person is said to display   resilience. Type A behavior pattern. fluid intelligence. hardiness.

	The double standard of aging refers to the notion that   middle-aged women often feel assertive and confident, yet they are viewed by the larger culture as being less attractive and as having more negative characteristics than men. middle-aged adults of both sexes prefer younger sexual partners. middle-aged women gain in positive judgments of appearance, maturity, and power, whereas middle-aged men show a decline in such ratings. middle-aged men become less committed to occupational status and physical fitness, yet they are viewed by the larger culture as powerful and driven.

	Crystallized intelligence   begins to decline during the twenties. is rarely useful in everyday life. represents acquired abilities that are valued by the individual’s culture. depends heavily on information processing skills.

	Fluid intelligence   refers to skills that depend on accumulated knowledge and experience. increases steadily throughout middle adulthood. is tapped by measures of vocabulary, verbal analogy, and general information. is influenced by conditions in the brain and learning unique to the individual.

	Kaufman’s research on verbal and performance IQ shows that   cognitive processing improves from early to late adulthood. crystallized intelligence is maintained into old age, while fluid intelligence declines across adulthood. complex mental abilities decline throughout adulthood. crystallized intelligence is extremely vulnerable to biological aging.

	Reaction time   improves from the twenties into the late eighties. remains stable across middle and late adulthood. declines more rapidly in men than in women. shows a small but practically significant decline during midlife.

	Studies of attention during midlife indicate that   practice with attention-related tasks does little to improve these skills. decrements in attention are caused by sensory impairments, such as diminished vision and hearing. it becomes more difficult to engage in two activities at the same time. cognitive inhibition–the ability to resist interference from irrelevant information–improves during middle adulthood.

	Declines in working memory largely result from   decreased motivation to learn and remember new information. infrequent and ineffective use of memory strategies. declines in metacognitive knowledge. changes in the structure of the brain.

	Expertise   starts to develop during midlife. declines dramatically in midlife. reaches its peak in midlife. is replaced by practical problem solving during midlife.

	During middle adulthood, creativity   becomes less deliberately thoughtful. is more spontaneous and intensely emotional. is focused more on generating unusual products and less on combining knowledge and experience. shifts from an egocentric concern with self-expression to more altruistic goals.

	Research on the relationship between vocational life and cognitive development shows that   the impact of challenging work on cognitive growth is greatest for young adults. the relationship between challenging work and continued cognitive development is less evident in today’s middle-aged adults than it was in the middle-aged adults of a generation ago. people in their fifties and early sixties show as many cognitive gains from complex work as do individuals in their twenties and thirties. cognition has a unidirectional influence on vocational life—that is, cognitive ability affects vocational choice, but vocational life does not affect cognitive development.

	Adults who return to college for undergraduate and graduate study are most likely to be   divorced, single parents. under the age of 35. free of other career and family obligations. women.

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