Q&A Hero

Q: According to research by Baltes and his colleagues, which of the following statements about wisdom is TRUE? A. Wisdom does not require experience, practice, or complex skills. B. Wisdom increases dramatically from midlife to late adulthood. C. Cognitive factors are better predictors of wisdom than personality-related factors. D.

Q: Which of the following is true of the influence of education on the cognitive functioning of older adults? A. Todays older adults were less likely to go to college when they were young adults as compared to their parents or grandparents. B. Fewer older adults are returning to college today to further their education than in past generations. C. For older adults with less education, frequently engaging in cognitive activities improved their episodic memory. D.

Q: A recent study reported by Lachman and others revealed that older adults with less education had _____ than those with more education. A. lower interpersonal skills B. lower cognitive abilities C. higher incidence of mental disorders D.

Q: Which of the following has been linked to lower cognitive performance, not only in older adults but also in young and middle-aged adults? A. Hypertension B. Arthritis C. Tip-of-the-tongue phenomenon D.

Q: According to research by Baltes and his colleagues, the time frame of _____ is the main age window for wisdom to emerge. A. early midlife and late midlife B. midlife and late adulthood C. late adolescence and early adulthood D.

Q: Which of the following is TRUE of memory and aging? A. Memory decline occurs primarily in explicit, episodic, and working memory. B. Successful aging means reducing the decline and adapting to it. C. Memory decline occurs primarily in implicit memory or semantic memory. D.

Q: Older adults especially perform well when decision making: A. is not constrained by time pressures. B. does not hold any meaning for them. C. involves high risks. D.

Q: _____ is expert knowledge about the practical aspects of life that permits practical judgment about important matters. A. Enlightenment B. Wisdom C. Proficiency D.

Q: In his studies on wisdom, Paul Baltes has found all of the following EXCEPT: A. wisdom is correlated with cognitive factors such as intelligence. B. wisdom is associated with creativity and openness to experience. C. higher levels of wisdom is achieved through certain life experiences, such as being trained and working in a field concerned with difficult life problems. D.

Q: Venette recounts a funny story that she had recently heard to her friend Clarice. Clarice tells her that she has heard the story before, and, in fact, she had been the one to originally tell the story to Venette. Venette is having a failure of her _____ memory. A. prospective B. source C. fluid D.

Q: Adeline, aged 90, still drives her car to the senior center every Friday. Last week she tells her friends that someone they know from her church died. When they ask her for the person's name she says, "I can't remember her name. She sits near the altar and always has a hat on." Clearly Adeline has better _____ memory than _____ memory. A. explicit; implicit B. implicit; explicit C. explicit; procedural D.

Q: Eighty-year-old Lucia has difficulty remembering to call her son every Sunday at noon. This is most likely due to a decline in her: A. perceptual speed. B. episodic memory. C. implicit memory. D.

Q: Michael's mother always forgets to take her heart medication. So, every night Michael calls her after dinner to remind her about her medicines. This demonstrates that Michael's mother is experiencing a decline in _____ memory. A. source B. episodic C. prospective D.

Q: Which of the following statements about prospective memory is NOT true? A. Older adults are more likely to forget an event-based task than a time-based task. B. Prospective memory declines with age. C. Decline of prospective memory depends on complex factors. D.

Q: Explicit memory is also called _____ memory. A. collective B. procedural C. declarative D.

Q: _____ memory is memory without conscious recollection. A. Implicit B. Prospective C. Source D.

Q: Which of the following is true about implicit memory? A. It is also known as declarative memory. B. It is more likely to be adversely affected by aging than explicit memory. C. It involves skills and routine procedures that are automatically performed. D.

Q: Which of the following is an example of implicit memory? A. Being at a grocery store and remembering what an individual wanted to buy B. Typing on a computer while talking to a friend C. Being able to name the capital of Illinois D.

Q: Remembering how to ride a bike without having to consciously think about it is a part of an individual's _____ memory. A. declarative B. prospective C. implicit D.

Q: Why are older adults more likely to forget what items they wanted to buy at a grocery store (unless they write them down on a list and take it with them) than they are to forget how to drive a car? A. Perceptual speed declines with aging. B. Implicit memory is less likely to be adversely affected by aging than explicit memory. C. Source memory is more likely to decline with aging than prospective memory. D.

Q: Which of the following is an example of explicit memory? A. John summarizes the plot of a novel that he has just read to his friend. B. Max drives the car from his office to his home. C. Linda turns off the lights before going to bed. D.

Q: _____ is a cognitive resource that involves the ability to perform tasks such as deciding whether pairs of two-digit or two-letter strings are the same or different or determining the time required to step on the brakes when the car directly ahead stops. A. Sustained attention B. Executive attention C. Episodic memory D.

Q: Perceptual speed shows considerable decline in late adulthood and is strongly linked with declines in _____. A. selective attention B. semantic memory C. working memory D.

Q: Older adults have more difficulty determining the time required to step on the brakes when a traffic light suddenly turns red. This is because they have: A. a decline in explicit memory. B. slower perceptual speed. C. inferior semantic memory. D.

Q: Which of the following is the probable reason for the decline in working memory in older adults? A. Increased distractibility B. Efficient inhibition C. Tip-of-the-tongue phenomenon D.

Q: Although Alicia has a great memory for trivia, she has difficulty remembering important events in her life. Alicia has good _____ memory but poor _____ memory. A. episodic; procedural B. procedural; semantic C. semantic; episodic D.

Q: Travis, who is 25 years old, knows that Beijing is the capital of China, but he cannot remember when or where he learned this. This is an example of how: A. semantic memory improves with age. B. semantic memory is closely linked to an individual's personal identity with the past. C. semantic memory begins to decline in early adulthood. D.

Q: Which of the following statements about the relationship between semantic memory and aging is true? A. Episodic memory declines more than semantic memory in older adults. B. Older adults are usually unable to retrieve semantic information. C. Episodic memory and semantic memory remain unchanged in older adults. D.

Q: A common memory problem for older adults is _____, in which individuals cannot quite retrieve familiar information but have the feeling that they should be able to retrieve it. A. dementia B. the tip-of-the-tongue phenomenon C. temporary memory loss D.

Q: _____, which is closely linked to short-term memory, is like a place for doing mental jobs and allows children and adults to manipulate and assemble information when making decisions, solving problems, and comprehending written and spoken language. A. Working memory B. Episodic memory C. Working cognition D.

Q: Remembering where a person went on vacation last summer is an example of _____ memory. A. situational B. semantic C. prospective D.

Q: Remembering the name of a persons favorite toy when he or she was a child is an example of _____ memory. A. prospective B. implicit C. semantic D.

Q: A person's knowledge about the world is called _____ memory. A. schematic B. functional C. normative D.

Q: Frank, aged 67, recites a poem that he learned in grade school, much to the amazement of his grandchildren. This is an example of Frank's _____ memory. A. procedural B. episodic C. semantic D.

Q: Helen's knowledge of calculus and statistics is part of her _____ memory. A. semantic B. episodic C. prospective D.

Q: According to a study by Mahoney and others, a lower level of _____ attention in older adults was linked to low blood pressure, which likely is related to reduced blood flow to the brain's frontal lobes. A. sustained B. executive C. divided D.

Q: The retention of information about the when and where of life's happenings is called _____ memory. A. episodic B. prospective C. source D.

Q: _____ attention is focused and extended engagement with an object, task, event, or some other aspect of the environment. A. Selective B. Sustained C. Divided D.

Q: Which of the following is a term used to describe sustained attention? A. Executive functioning B. Transitivity C. Vigilance D.

Q: A recent study of older adults found that the greater the variability in their _____ attention, the more likely they were to experience falls. A. sustained B. selective C. divided D.

Q: Jonas is being tested for decline in cognitive functioning. The test involves assessing his ability to action planning, allocating attention to goals, detecting errors, monitoring progress on tasks, and dealing with novel or difficult circumstances. The researchers are testing Jonas' _____ attention. A. sustained B. executive C. divided D.

Q: An example of _____ attention is the ability to focus on one voice among many in a crowded room or a noisy restaurant. A. selective B. divided C. sustained D.

Q: An example of _____ attention is making a decision about which stimuli to attend to when making a left turn at an intersection. A. executive B. divided C. sustained D.

Q: Zack is having a conversation with his friend Ben in a crowded room. Despite the presence of many voices around him, Zack focuses on what Ben is saying. This is an example of _____ attention. A. selective B. divided C. implicit D.

Q: _____ attention involves concentrating on more than one activity at the same time. A. Sustained B. Selective C. Divided D.

Q: Which of the following is true about attention? A. The more difficult the competing tasks are, the more effectively older adults divide attention than younger adults. B. When the two competing tasks are reasonably easy, age differences among adults are minimal or nonexistent. C. On simple tasks involving a search for a feature, age differences are dramatic even when individuals are given sufficient practice. D.

Q: What is the "invisible epidemic" among older adults in the United States? The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration has identified substance abuse among older adults as the "invisible epidemic" in the United States. The belief is that substance abuse often goes undetected in older adults, and there is concern about older adults who abuse not only illicit drugs but prescription drugs as well. Too often, screening questionnaires are not appropriate for older adults, and the consequences of alcohol abuse may erroneously be attributed to other medical or psychological conditions. Because of the dramatic increase in the number of older adults anticipated over the twenty-first century, substance abuse is likely to characterize an increasing number of older adults.

Q: One study found that following six months of _____ older adults showed improvement on reaction time tasks. A. eating a macrobiotic diet B. cognitive behavioral therapy C. aerobic exercise D.

Q: Recent research indicates that the greater distractibility of older adults is associated with less effective functioning in neural networks running through the _____ of the brain, which are involved in cognitive control. A. occipital and temporal lobes B. frontal and parietal lobes C. cerebellum D.

Q: The term _____ refers to the ability to focus on a specific aspect of experience that is relevant while ignoring others that are irrelevant. A. divided attention B. selective attention C. attention deficit D.

Q: Selective attention is _____, whereas divided attention is _____. A. vigilance; focusing on a specific event B. paying attention only occasionally; constantly paying attention C. focusing on one thing; focusing on many things D.

Q: Describe the major changes in sexual functioning among older males. Following are the changes observed in sexual functioning among older males: Orgasm becomes less frequent in males with age, occurring in every second to third attempt rather than every time. More direct stimulation usually is needed to produce an erection. From 65 to 80 years of age, approximately one out of four men have serious problems getting and/or keeping erections, and after 80 years of age the percentage rises to one out of two men. However, with recent advances in erectile dysfunction medications such as Viagra, an increasing number of older men, especially the young-old, are able to have an erection. Also, recent research suggests that declining levels of serum testosterone, which is linked to erectile dysfunction, can be treated with testosterone replacement therapy to improve sexual functioning in males. However, the benefit-risk ratio of testosterone replacement therapy is uncertain for older males.

Q: Define chronic disorders, and briefly describe the major chronic conditions affecting the older population.

Q: Describe the major changes in physical appearance and movement in old age. In late adulthood, the changes in physical appearance that began occurring during middle age become more pronounced. Wrinkles and age spots are the most noticeable changes. We get shorter when we get older because of bone loss in our vertebrae. Our weight usually drops after we reach 60 years of age. This likely occurs because of muscle loss, which also gives our bodies a "sagging" look. Older adults move more slowly than young adults, and this slowing occurs for movements with a wide range of difficulty. One recent study of the functional ability of noninstitutionalized individuals 70 years of age and older revealed that over an eight-year period, the most deterioration occurred in their mobility.

Q: List three major findings from the Nun Study on aging.

Q: Identify and discuss the three major eye diseases that can impact the vision of older adults?

Q: What is the difference between life span and life expectancy?

Q: What is the argument presented by the evolutionary theory of aging?

Q: Discuss the cellular clock theory of aging. The cellular clock theory of aging is Leonard Hayflick's theory that cells can divide a maximum of about 75 to 80 times, and that as we age, our cells become increasingly less capable of dividing. Based on the ways cells divide, Hayflick places the upper limit of the human life-span potential at about 120 to 125 years of age. In the last decade, scientists have tried to fill in a gap in cellular clock theory. Hayflick did not know why cells die. The answer may lie at the tips of chromosomes, at telomeres, which are DNA sequences that cap chromosomes. Each time a cell divides, the telomeres become shorter and shorter. After about 70 or 80 replications, the telomeres are dramatically reduced, and the cell no longer can reproduce. One study revealed that healthy centenarians had longer telomeres than unhealthy centenarians. And recent studies even have found that shorter telomere length is linked to having worse social relationships, being less optimistic, and showing greater hostility.

Q: Discuss the free-radical theory of aging.

Q: Discuss the hormonal stress theory of aging.

Q: Describe shrinking of the brain in the aging process. On average, the brain loses 5 to 10 percent of its weight between the ages of 20 and 90. Brain volume also decreases. One study found that the volume of the brain was 15 percent less in older adults than younger adults. Some areas shrink more than others. The prefrontal cortex is one area that shrinks with aging, and recent research has linked this shrinkage with a decrease in working memory and other cognitive activities in older adults. Scientists think they might result from a decrease in dendrites, damage to the myelin sheath that covers axons, or simply the death of brain cells.

Q: Which disease of the eye is characterized by the deterioration of the macula of the retina that corresponds to the focal center of the visual field? Macular degeneration

Q: What is the chronic condition that involves an extensive loss of bone tissue often causing older adults to walk with a marked stoop?

Q: What is the label used to describe the onset of alcoholism after the age of 65.

Q: What is the term for the group of vitamins that may be able to help slow the aging process and improve the health of older adults?

Q: Identify the researchers who found that one of the most important factors related to health in a nursing home is the patient's feelings of control and self-determination. Judith Rodin and Ellen Langer

Q: What is the term for the process of generation of new neurons?

Q: Which disease of the eye is characterized by damage to the optic nerve because of the pressure created by a buildup of fluid in the eye? Glaucoma

Q: What are people who are 85 years and older called?

Q: Which microbiological theory of aging suggests that human cells are subject to a fixed limit on the number of times they can divide and that this decreased ability to divide places an upper boundary on the human life-span potential? Cellular clock theory

Q: Which theory of aging states that aging in the body's hormonal system can lower resistance to stress and increase the likelihood of disease?

Q: Your elderly aunt Marie was recently admitted to a nursing home where there is a "residents' advisory board," consisting of the people who live in the home. They consult with the staff on changes that affect their lives and help plan the monthly activities. Based on a research by Judith Rodin and Ellen Langer, you would expect that her to be: A. happier than she was when she did not have any input into decisions affecting her life. B. stressed by having to make decisions; that's what she pays the staff to do. C. even more depressed that she is not able to live on her own any more. D.

Q: Giving nursing home residents more control over their daily schedules is: A. harmful. B. beneficial. C. anxiety-provoking. D.

Q: Which of the following reflects the attitudes of health care providers for older adults? A. They are mostly untrained in geriatric care and thus prove inefficient. B. They share society's stereotypes and negative attitudes toward older adults. C. They are mostly young and thus relate better to younger patients. D.

Q: One of the challenges in the health care given to elderly patients is that elderly patients: A. fail to communicate well with their physicians. B. take a relatively passive role in their own treatment. C. are overly concerned about their own health. D.

Q: In the study by Rodin and Langer, which of the following was found to be the result of older adults having perceived control over their own lives? A. It led to fewer social interactions. B. It significantly reduced life expectancy. C. It increased the levels of stress. D.

Q: What is the term for the maximum number of years an individual can live?

Q: Which of the following is true about antioxidants? A. There still are many uncertainties about the role of antioxidant vitamins in health. B. Recent research reviews have supported the belief that antioxidant vitamin supplements can reduce the incidence of cancer. C. A recent meta-analysis of seven studies concluded that dietary intakes (not vitamin supplements) of vitamin E, C, and beta-carotene were not linked to a reduced risk of Alzheimer disease. D.

Q: A recent meta-analysis of seven studies concluded that dietary intakes (not vitamin supplements) of vitamin E, C, and beta-carotene were linked to a reduced risk of _____ disease. A. Alzheimer B. kidney C. cardiovascular D.