Q&A Hero

Q: According to Kbler-Ross, when denial, anger, and bargaining fail to postpone the illness, the person A) once again tries bargaining. B) lashes out at loved ones. C) moves into the acceptance stage. D) becomes depressed.

Q: Mr. Fiocanni is terminally ill. According to Kbler-Ross, Mr. Fiocanni may experience which of the five typical responses to the prospect of death after the other responses fail to postpone the illness? A) denial B) anger C) bargaining D) depression

Q: According to Kbler-Ross, engaging in sympathetic listening is the best reaction to which of the five typical responses to the prospect of death? A) anger B) bargaining C) depression D) acceptance

Q: Mr. Frankel is dying. According to Kbler-Ross, Mr. Frankel's recognition that time is short and that he will not have a chance to do all he wants to do may promote which of the five typical responses to the prospect of death? A) denial B) anger C) bargaining D) depression

Q: Kbler-Ross recommends that family members and health professionals A) not prolong denial by distorting the truth about the person's condition. B) be understanding about the dying person's denial and agree that his or her condition is not terminal. C) make decisions about medical interventions for the dying person until he or she reaches acceptance. D) bargain with the dying person when he or she is in denial, as this facilitates acceptance.

Q: According to Kbler-Ross, Mrs. Buffay's consultation of multiple specialists after her initial diagnosis of a terminal illness is consistent with which of the five typical responses to the prospect of death? A) denial B) anger C) bargaining D) depression

Q: People who are __________ are likely to have more severe death concerns. A) in poor physical health B) depressed C) religious D) childless

Q: Which of the following statements about gender differences in death anxiety is true? A) In both Eastern and Western cultures, women appear more anxious about death than men do. B) Men are more likely than women to admit troubled feelings about mortality. C) Women are more likely than men to admit troubled feelings about mortality. D) Men are more likely than women to develop a sense of symbolic immortality.

Q: Mrs. Woodson believes that she will continue to live on through her children or through her work or personal influence. Mrs. Woodson has developed A) ego integrity. B) death anxiety. C) a personal fable. D) symbolic immortality.

Q: Which of the following individuals will likely experience the lowest level of death anxiety? A) Hayley, an adolescent B) Joshua, a young adult C) Pat, a middle-aged adult D) Winifred, an older adult

Q: Among Westerners, __________ is important in limiting death anxiety. A) a sense of life's meaning B) belief in an afterlife C) belief in God D) regular prayer

Q: Walter states that the thought of never feeling anything again after he dies upsets him. Walter is experiencing A) morbidity. B) mortality. C) isolation. D) death anxiety.

Q: Andy spends a lot of time pondering the process and circumstances of dying. Andy is most likely A) a teenager. B) a child. C) in late adulthood. D) in early adulthood.

Q: George does not know very many people who have died and has a relative lack of interest in death-related issues; therefore, he brushes aside thoughts of death. He is most likely A) a child. B) in early adulthood. C) a middle-aged adult. D) an older adult.

Q: Which of the following statements about enhancing adolescents' understanding of death is true? A) Teenagers with permissive parents are more likely to turn to adults for guidance about death. B) Most teenagers believe that their parents are genuinely interested in discussing death with them. C) The majority of parents of teenagers feel inadequately prepared to discuss death with their children. D) Parents should impose their viewpoints and correct their teens' conflicting beliefs.

Q: By encouraging adolescents to discuss concerns about death, adults can A) help them build a bridge between death as a logical concept and their personal experiences. B) aid them in constructing romantic notions of death, which challenge logic. C) correct their religious beliefs and faulty logic. D) offer comforting statements such as "Our dog, Rover, went to live on a farm."

Q: Adolescents A) do not believe that death can happen at any time. B) do not understand that all things eventually die. C) have a fully mature understanding of death. D) do not take death personally.

Q: __________ can explain the permanence and cessation aspects of death, but they are attracted to alternatives. A) Preschoolers B) Elementary school children C) Teenagers D) Older adults

Q: Which of the following statements about enhancing children's understanding of the death concept is true? A) Discussing death candidly with children reduces their anxiety about it. B) Discussing death candidly with children fuels their fears. C) The concepts of human biology are too advanced for young children's understanding. D) Presenting biological evidence about death to young children negates their religious beliefs.

Q: Which of the following children is the most likely to have an adultlike grasp of death? A) Max, age 6, who lives in Israel B) Minh, age 5, whose religion emphasizes reincarnation C) Ayanna, age 6, whose religion emphasizes an afterlife D) Finn, age 5, who lives in England

Q: Through conversations with adults, most older children have trouble comprehending the death concept of A) permanence. B) inevitability. C) cessation. D) applicability.

Q: Once children understand that death is permanent, appreciation of __________ soon follows. A) inevitability B) applicability C) cessation D) causation

Q: Four-year-old MaKayla's hamster died. A few days later, MaKayla told her mom that the hamster died because she was mad at him for chewing on her bookmark. MaKayla is having trouble understanding the death concept of A) permanence. B) inevitability. C) applicability. D) causation.

Q: After attending the funeral of a distant relative, 3-year-old Marcus held funerals for his "dead truck," "dead whistle," and "dead balloon." Marcus is having trouble understanding the death concept of A) inevitability. B) cessation. C) applicability. D) causation.

Q: An understanding of death is based in part on the concept of __________, in which all living functions cease at death. A) permanence B) inevitability C) cessation D) applicability

Q: Following the death of a teacher at her elementary school, 5-year-old Tia tells her friends that teachers die, but parents live forever. Tia is having trouble understanding the death concept of A) inevitability. B) cessation. C) applicability. D) causation.

Q: Three-year-old Tristan finds a dead fish on the beach. Although he says that the fish is dead, he asks, "When is the fish going to get up and swim?" Tristan is having trouble understanding the death concept of A) permanence. B) inevitability. C) cessation. D) applicability.

Q: Compared with earlier generations, today more young people A) have helped with care of a dying family member. B) reach adulthood without having experienced the death of someone they know well. C) were present at the moment of death of someone they know well. D) know someone close to them, their own age or even younger, who has died.

Q: Which of the following is an essential ingredient of a "good death"? A) offering the dying person care, affection, companionship, and esteem B) hiding the truth about the diagnosis from the dying person C) avoiding discussions about the past D) giving the dying person time alone

Q: Mr. Wixom is dying. His wife wants to help him have a dignified exit. In communicating with Mr. Wixom, she should A) talk about the past and avoid discussing his impending death. B) assure him that she will support him through his physical and psychological distress. C) tell him that he is going to get better soon. D) conceal or minimize her own grief.

Q: According to your text, the greatest dignity in death is in A) an idealized, easy end. B) passing without pain and suffering. C) the integrity of the life that precedes it. D) the relinquishment of personal control over the final phase of life.

Q: Mr. Johnson was in a skiing accident. He suffered traumatic head injuries when he came in contact with a tree. Mr. Johnson's cerebral cortex no longer registers electrical activity, but his brain stem remains active. Mr. Johnson A) is brain dead. B) is in the agonal phase of death. C) has entered a persistent vegetative state. D) is in the mortality phase of death.

Q: Which of the following statements about the standard of death in industrialized nations is true? A) Absence of activity in the cerebral cortex is the standard of death in most industrialized nations. B) In Japan, unlike most industrialized nations, the standard of death is brain death. C) The standard of death in most industrialized nations is loss of heartbeat and respiration. D) The standard of death in most industrialized nations is brain death.

Q: Mrs. Peabody was in an automobile accident. The doctor informed her family that there has been an irreversible cessation of all activity in the brain and the brain stem. Mrs. Peabody is experiencing A) the agonal phase of death. B) clinical death. C) brain death. D) mortality.

Q: Death is A) characterized by a loss of heartbeat and respiration. B) an event that happens at a single point in time. C) a process in which organs stop functioning in a sequence that varies from person to person. D) brought on by a cessation of brain functioning.

Q: During __________, the individual passes into permanent death and, within a few hours, appears shrunken. A) the agonal phase of death B) clinical death C) brain death D) mortality

Q: During the clinical death phase, A) the individual's regular heartbeat disintegrates, causing muscle spasms and gasping. B) resuscitation is no longer possible. C) the individual passes into permanent death. D) the heartbeat, circulation, breathing, and brain functioning stop.

Q: Mr. Bigelow is in the final stage of cancer. During the first moments in which the regular heartbeat disintegrates, he gasps and has muscle spasms. Mr. Bigelow is experiencing A) the agonal phase of death. B) clinical death. C) brain death. D) mortality.

Q: In the days or hours before death, A) body temperature rises. B) skin becomes a brighter, reddish hue. C) the hands and feet feel cool. D) blood pressure rises.

Q: As a result of life-saving medical technology, A) most people experience death with little pain. B) three-fourths of deaths are sudden. C) three-fourths of deaths are long and drawn out. D) most deaths are gentle, with medication easing the pain.

Q: In industrialized countries, A) most people die in the presence of loved ones rather than surrounded by doctors and nurses. B) people usually die at home where family members attend their last moments. C) opportunities to witness the physical aspects of death are less available today than in previous generations. D) most people do not want to know how we die or grasp what is happening to a dying loved one.

Q: Dr. Snyder decided to devote her career to the study of death and dying. Dr. Snyder's interdisciplinary field is A) gerontology. B) thanatology. C) geriatrics. D) anthropology.

Q: One reason social withdrawal is so common in nursing home settings is that A) residents do not have control over their social experiences. B) attendants do not provide enough assistance. C) there are few available social partners. D) older adults prefer to be alone over being in the company of residents.

Q: In societies where old age leads to reduced status, age-segregated living A) tends to lead to depression and despair. B) is an extreme restriction of autonomy and social integration. C) is gratifying to most seniors who choose it. D) has a negative effect on physical health.

Q: Life-care communities A) are federally subsidized units for low-income seniors. B) offer a range of housing alternatives, from independent or congregate housing to full nursing home care. C) are limited to ten or fewer residents, who live in private bedroom"bathroom suites that surround a communal space. D) provide a hospital-like setting with extreme restrictions on autonomy and social integration.

Q: Harry lives in a complex that provides a variety of support services, including meals in a common dining room, along with watchful oversight of residents with physical and mental disabilities. Harry lives in A) congregate housing. B) a retirement village. C) a federally subsidized apartment. D) a life-care community.

Q: Poverty among lone aging women is deeper in the United States than in other Western nations because A) U.S. women live longer than women in other Western nations. B) women in other Western nations start out wealthier. C) widowed women in the United States are more likely to live in federally subsidized residential units. D) of less generous government-sponsored income and health benefits.

Q: Gerta's health is declining. Her son Don asks her to move in with him, but Gerta refuses. __________ theory helps explain Gerta's desire to live where many of her memorable life events took place. A) Disengagement B) Activity C) Continuity D) Socioemotional selectivity

Q: Which of the following older Americans is the most likely to live in an extended family? A) Winn, who is of French descent B) Rosalie, who is of Italian descent C) Maggie, who is of English descent D) Bridget, who is of Irish descent

Q: The primary reason why more older adults in Western countries live on their own today than ever before is A) the high cost of nursing homes. B) lack of assistance from their children. C) decreasing governmental support. D) improved health and economic well-being.

Q: Fewer than _____ percent of older adults in the United States relocate to other communities. A) 1 B) 4 C) 14 D) 24

Q: Trace, age 72, is most likely to A) relocate to live closer to his children. B) move to a more temperate climate. C) remain living in or near his home. D) relocate to a place to pursue leisure interests.

Q: Among older adults living alone and in urban areas, fear of crime A) helps them take appropriate safety precautions. B) undermines morale and restricts activities. C) is usually lower than worries about health. D) is less of a concern than isolation and loneliness.

Q: Which of the following statements about crime against older adults is true? A) Older adults are less often targets of crime, especially violent crime, than other age groups. B) In urban areas, purse snatching and pickpocketing are more often committed against younger adults than against seniors. C) The media tends to downplay crime against older adults, leading most to believe that crime is rarely perpetrated against seniors. D) The presence of Neighborhood Watch and other similar programs actually increases the incidence of crime against older adults.

Q: Terry is an older adult living in a small town. Which of the following is a likely advantage of Terry's community? A) Terry probably has greater access to social services than urban older adults. B) Terry is more likely than urban and suburban older adults to live near his children. C) Terry is more likely than urban older adults to have greater life satisfaction. D) Terry probably has better access to transportation than urban older adults.

Q: Fran is an urban older adult. Which of the following advantages is Fran likely to have over small-town and rural seniors? A) Fran is more likely to live near her children. B) Fran is more likely to have better health and a higher income. C) Fran is more likely to have nearby extended family. D) Fran is more likely to have close relationships with her neighbors.

Q: Older adults A) are more likely than younger people to respond to conflict with yelling and arguing. B) are less likely than younger people to use constructive strategies in response to conflict. C) apply their emotional expertise to promote harmony. D) report more problematic relationships than younger people.

Q: As Jane grows older, she feels closer to her siblings and more connected with her spouse. At 85, her contact with acquaintances has diminished and she is left with a few very close relationships. She is not terribly interested in forming any new social ties. Jane's behavior is consistent with __________ theory. A) disengagement B) activity C) socioemotional selectivity D) continuity

Q: Which of the following statements about continuity in the lives of older adults is true? A) Even after a change, people usually make choices that extend the previous direction of their lives, engaging in new activities but often with familiar domains. B) Most aging adults strive to maintain continuity between their past and anticipated future, which means that elders' lives are usually static. C) Research on the daily lives of older adults finds evidence of a low to moderate degree of continuity in everyday pursuits and relationships. D) Following a major life change in late adulthood, such as retirement or widowhood, people usually choose to engage in new activities in unfamiliar domains.

Q: Mr. Zietz, a retired drama teacher, spends a lot of his time volunteering at a local community theater. He also enjoys weekend trips to see plays with his former colleagues. Mr. Zietz's activities are consistent with __________ theory. A) disengagement B) activity C) continuity D) socioemotional selectivity

Q: Which of the following criticisms of activity theory is true? A) Activity theory acknowledges psychological changes in old age where no such changes occur. B) Research shows that older adults who have larger social networks are happier than those who engage in fewer activities. C) Evidence fails to show that older adults seek alternative sources of meaning and gratification in response to social losses. D) Research shows that merely offering older adults opportunities for social contact does not lead to greater social activity.

Q: According to __________ theory, social barriers to engagement, not the desires of aging adults, cause declining rates of interaction. A) continuity B) activity C) socioemotional selectivity D) disengagement

Q: Most older adults A) disengage from society after age 75. B) do not disengage from society. C) increase the number of social contacts over the years. D) retreat from interaction and become introverted.

Q: Thomas decreased his activity level and interacted less frequently as he aged. He became more preoccupied with his inner life. At the same time, society freed Thomas from employment and family responsibilities. According to the __________ theory, mutual withdrawal between Thomas and society took place in anticipation of death. A) activity B) socioemotional selectivity C) continuity D) disengagement

Q: __________ is/are associated with a positive outlook in older adults with disabilities. A) Perceived social support B) The sheer amount of help family and friends provide C) The amount of formal support received D) The perceptions others have about their abilities

Q: Harriet can handle dressing, shopping, and food preparation by herself. However, Harriet allows her daughter Ada to assist with these activities, leaving Harriet more stamina for gardening. Harriet is managing her aging by A) becoming overly dependent on Ada. B) taking advantage of Ada's willingness to help, though she is able to take care of herself. C) consciously giving up primary control in some areas to remain in control of other, highly valued pursuits. D) readily accepting formal support from Ada.

Q: In order for social support to foster well-being, A) friends and family must provide informal rather than formal support. B) friends and family should follow the dependency"support script. C) older adults need to take personal control of it. D) older adults need to request it, rather than having it offered.

Q: Which of the following statements about formal support for older adults is true? A) Formal support spares older adults from feeling overly dependent in their close relationships. B) Ethnic minority older adults more readily accept formal assistance than members of the majority culture. C) African-American seniors say they rely more on their church than on their families for assistance. D) Formal support often results in psychological distress because many older adults value independence.

Q: _________ increases the odds of living longer. A) Receipt of financial support B) Availability of social support C) Acceptance of dependency D) Providing care to others

Q: Which of the following statements about gender differences in negative life changes is true? A) In very old age, negative life changes are greater for men than for women. B) Social relations, even in very old age, are more often a source of stress for men than for women. C) Women of advanced age tend to report a lower sense of psychological well-being than do men. D) Men of advanced age tend to report a lower sense of psychological well-being than do women.

Q: Which of the following statements about prevention and treatment of elder suicide is true? A) Warning signs of suicide in late adulthood rarely include efforts to put personal affairs in order. B) Unlike younger adults, depressed older adults do not generally experience sleep and appetite changes. C) Caregivers must watch for indirect self-destructive acts, such as refusing food or medical treatment. D) Older suicide victims are less likely to have visited their doctors within a month of taking their lives.

Q: Which of the following statements about suicide in late adulthood is true? A) More older women than older men take their own lives. B) Ethnic minority older adults have higher suicide rates than the white majority. C) Failed suicides are much rarer in old age than in adolescence. D) Medical examiners are more likely to pursue suicide as a cause of death when a person is old.

Q: Among the strongest risk factors for late-life depression is A) physical distance from family. B) physical illness resulting in disability. C) financial difficulty. D) boredom.

Q: Walter, age 83, is asked to read several passages that portray aging adults as passive and incompetent. Walter is most likely to respond with A) more frequent help-seeking behavior. B) more frequent independent behavior. C) less desire for social contact. D) less trouble performing daily activities.

Q: Which of the following statements about psychological well-being in late adulthood is true? A) The physical impairment"depression relationship is weaker among higher-SES older adults. B) Negative reactions to caregiving can result in persisting depression. C) The majority of adults over age 75 suffer from chronic depression. D) Late-life depression tends to be less severe and of shorter duration than depression earlier in life.

Q: Which of the following statements about social contact among older adults is true? A) Among older adults who have trouble performing daily activities, social contact is linked to a less positive everyday existence. B) Among older adults who experience no difficulty with daily activities, social contact is linked to a less positive everyday existence. C) Social interaction while assisting older adults with physical care and household chores is always meaningful and rewarding for the care recipient. D) Older adults frequently attribute their dependency to underresponsive social partners.

Q: Although Ida is mostly self-reliant, she does not often resist her son's unnecessary help. Ida probably feels that A) compliance is easier than resistance. B) her son's help brings about social contact. C) her son expects her to exhibit passive behaviors. D) she is not as capable as she really is.

Q: August stops by his mother April's house every day. If April has no trouble with tasks like making coffee or unloading the dishwasher, then August withdraws and attends to other jobs. August's behavior toward April illustrates the __________ script. A) dependency"support B) independence"ignore C) assisted independence D) codependency"support

Q: May stops by her mother June's house every day. If June is having trouble getting dressed or making the bed, then May helps her, and the two women chat while they work. May's behavior toward June illustrates the __________ script. A) dependency"support B) independence"ignore C) assisted independence D) codependency"support

Q: Evidence indicates that __________ contributes substantially to the self-esteem, optimism, and life satisfaction of low-SES, ethnic minority seniors. A) belief in fate B) belief in God's powers C) participation in diverse religions D) belief that God is a man-made construct