Which of the following statements is true of cultural contexts of adulthood?
- In many cultures, especially nonindustrialized cultures, the concept of middle age is not very clear, or in some cases is absent.
- In nonindustrialized societies, individuals are always aptly identified and described as middle-aged unlike in industrialized societies.
- Every culture in the world has words for "adolescent" and "young adult."
- Unlike in the Gusii culture, a midlife crisis is an exception rather than a rule in the American culture.
Middle Adulthood: The developmental period that begins at approximately 40 to 45 years of age and extends to about 60 to 65 years of age.
It is common in nonindustrialized societies to
- describe individuals as young or old but not as middle-aged.
- describe individuals as middle-aged.
- not have any words for old or young.
- not give much importance to an individual's age.
Ageism: Prejudice against others because of their age, especially prejudice against older adults.
In the context of gender, which of the following statements is true of the midlife period?
- Middle-aged men have more interpersonal stressors.
- Middle-aged women have more self-focused stressors.
- The adult stage theories place heavy importance on childbearing and child rearing.
- Midlife is a diversified, heterogeneous period for women.
Gender: The characteristics of people as males or females.
Which of the following statements is true of the stage theories of adult development?
- Critics have regularly observed that the stage theories of adult development have a female bias.
- The central focus of stage theories has been predominantly away from career choice or work achievement.
- The stage theories adequately address women's concerns about relationships, interdependence, and caring.
- The adult stage theories have placed little importance on childbearing and child rearing.
The life-events approach to understanding adult development has been criticized because it
- placed too much emphasis on change.
- ignored the developmental stages adults go through.
- did not consider the female experience.
- focused on minor and not major life events.
According to the Mitchell and Helson's study, one of the conditions that distinguished the lives of women in their early 50s from those of women in other age periods was
- few "empty nests."
- lower health.
- higher income.
- no stress.
Britney and Amy work in a marketing firm. Both are 25 years old. Britney gave birth to her son at the age of 17. She finds it increasingly stressful to juggle between office work and household work. On weekends, she prefers staying indoors with her son and attending to his needs. On the other hand, Amy is single and frequently meets her friends over the weekends. She enjoys cooking and takes dance lessons. She enjoys her everyday life. This scenario illustrates that Britney and Amy
- have different coping styles.
- have different social clocks.
- have different commitment levels.
- are in different developmental stages.
Social Clock: The timetable according to which individuals are expected to accomplish life’s tasks, such as getting married, having children, or establishing themselves in a career.
Stages of adulthood in the Gusii culture of Kenya are defined by
- a person's age.
- events in a person's life.
- the evaluations of the elders within the culture.
- the type of midlife crisis a person experiences.
Life-Span Perspective: The perspective that development is lifelong, multidimensional, multidirectional, plastic, multidisciplinary, and contextual; involves growth, maintenance, and regulation; and is constructed through biological, sociocultural, and individual factors working together.
Which of the following is a significant observation by Neugarten regarding social clocks?
- Social clocks are more rigid than they were before.
- Individuals whose lives are synchronized with social clocks are less stressed.
- Younger adults below 25 years are excluded from the social clock age bracket.
- Social clocks are more important for males than for females.
Social Clock: The timetable according to which individuals are expected to accomplish life’s tasks, such as getting married, having children, or establishing themselves in a career.
According to Neugarten, ________ provide guides for our lives.
- interval measures
- life-event calendars
- circadian rhythms
- social clocks
Social Clock: The timetable according to which individuals are expected to accomplish life’s tasks, such as getting married, having children, or establishing themselves in a career.
Mike and Ashton are cohorts. This means that
- they were born in the same year.
- they have the same socioeconomic status.
- they are both males.
- they work in the same field.
Lorenzo was born during the Great Depression in the U.S. He and others who were born during the same era show greater cognitive decline than people born at a later time. This illustrates that cohort effects are differences based on
- gender.
- historical contexts.
- genetic traits.
- cultural aspects.
Cohort Effects: Characteristics determined by a person’s time of birth, era, or generation rather than the person’s actual age.
The ________ life-events approach emphasized the manner in which life events that influence an individual's development depends not only on these events but also on mediating factors.
- contemporary
- standard
- cognitive
- assimilative
Contemporary Life-Events Approach: Approach emphasizing that how a life event influences the individual’s development depends not only on the life event but also on mediating factors, the individual’s adaptation to the life event, the life-stage context, and the sociohistorical context.
According to the contemporary life-events approach, one of the factors on which the influence of life events depends is the
- individual's cognitive capacity.
- individual's adaptation.
- individual's personality.
- individual's race.
Contemporary Life-Events Approach: Approach emphasizing that how a life event influences the individual’s development depends not only on the life event but also on mediating factors, the individual’s adaptation to the life event, the life-stage context, and the sociohistorical context.
Sandra's mother is concerned about Sandra's lack of interest in marrying and having children. She told Sandra, "When I was your age, I had already found a good husband and settled down." Sandra and her mother
- have different social clocks.
- have different coping styles.
- have different commitment levels.
- are in different developmental stages.
Identify the Big Five personality factor that describes whether an individual is fun-loving or somber.
- agreeableness
- openness to experience
- conscientiousness
- extraversion
Centration: Focusing attention on one characteristic to the exclusion of all others.