Good for you, you've again made it to the sample questions.  While these questions are not exactly like what you will see on the exam, they are samples of the types of questions that I routinely ask.  Also, while the questions may not be the same on the test, the material might be!  Please check the answers and explanations at the end of the self-test....

1.  Which of the following would be an example of primary/instrinsic aging?

a. artherosclerosis
b. hypertension
c. less organ reserve
d. chronic pulmonary lung disease

2.  Which of the following would be due to secondary/extrinsic aging?

a. mild arteriosclerosis
b. changes in the size of air sacs (alveoli) in the lungs
c. coronary artery disease
d. ability to "bounce back" when stressed

3.  Sally has just taken a job with company X.  An older worker, Cindy, begins to help her master the tasks of her job.  According to Levinson, what stage of development would explain Sally's behavior.

a.  Entering the Adult World
b.  Age 30 Transition
c.  Early Adult Transition
d.  Settling Down
 

4. According to Erikson, what stage of development best describes Cindy's behavior?

a. Intimacy vs. Isolation
b. Industry vs. Inferiority
c. Autonomy vs. Doubt
d. Generatively vs. Stagnation

5.  What is one of the biggest concerns about treating individuals with Type A Behavior Pattern?

a. They may develop heart disease.
b. They will only work hard in their job context, but not anywhere else.
c.  Frustration over therapy may lead to hypertension.
d.  The client may stop using positive behaviors (e.g., achievement motivation) normally associated with Type A behavior.

6. What was one of the major conclusions during our discussion on menopause?

a.  The issue is a universal concern that has attracted worldwide attention.
b.  Many women suffer few physiological or psychological side effects
c.  There is a definitive, comparable process that occurs in men.
d.  Most women suffer from moderate depression during the process.
 

7.  The loss of ability to hear high pitched sounds is termed:

a.  tinnitus
b.  presbycusis
c.  presbyopia
d.  angina
 

8.  Individuals with many values and priorities (e.g., family, marriage, work) seem to report ________________ stress during Levinson's "Settling Down" period (ages 30-40) and _______________ stress during mid-life than individuals with fewer priorities (e.g., only a career).

a.  more/less
b.  more/more
c.  less/about the same
d.  less/less

9.  Mike is highly threatened by an upcoming exam and feels that there is little he can do to improve his performance.  According to Lazarus & Folkman, Mike's threat appraisal is termed ________________, and his perceptions of lack of control are termed, _________________.

a. secondary/tertiary appraisals.
b. primary/secondary appraisals.
c. secondary appraisals/coping behavior
d. primary appraisals/coping behavior

10. Trait theorists would argue that:

a. There are fundamental aspects of personality that change with age.
b. Personality is an unstable construct, how you behavior in one situation is not how you might behavior in another.
c. Personality, as a whole, does not change much as we age.
d. Personality structure is not complete until old age.
 
 

Answers:
 

1.  C.   Changes in organ reserve and homeostasis are two changes brought on by basic, primary aging (i.e., aging due to genetic factors).  The other choices have more to do with secondary/extrinsic (i.e., environmental events) aging processes.

2.  C.  It is generally felt that most disease processes are not due to basic aging, per se.  Rather, disease processes are brought on by external abuse (e.g., lack of activity) to organ systems that are made vulnerable by the aging process.

3.  A.  One is most likely to receive mentoring behavior, according to Levinson, during this stage (Entering Adult World).  While the Early Adult Transition stage could have been considered, that stage is more associated with the process of education (e.g., college) that one pursues in order to actually get a career.

4.  D. Cindy's mentoring behavior is the essence of the term "generativity".  A very satisfying stage to be in.....

5.  D.  Type A is very hard to treat.  First, it is very hard to find a person that is Type A in everything.  Also, while there are many negative features associated with Type A (e.g., hostility), there are good things as well (e.g., achievement motivation).  The concern is that treatments that inhibit the negative features may also dampen the positive factors!

6.  B. Interestingly, the pattern of symptoms normally associated with menopause varies greatly in women in our culture, as well as across societies.  New research would suggest only about 10% of women develop signs of depression, and most actually report reductions in stress.

7.  B. Basic, factual question.  Keep in mind that presbycusis is primarily a hearing loss for high frequency sounds.

8.  A.  It is thought that individuals with many priorities have to juggle many issues and commitments during their 30's (more stress); however, the development of coping skills during the time period makes them more resilient during mid-life (less stress).  Levinson reported that most individuals that experience a "mid-life crisis" are typically overly committed to one type of identity (e.g., careers).

9.  B. Judging an issue as a threat or challenge is viewed as a primary appraisal.  Determining your resources (e.g., confidence, perceptions of control, etc.) is a secondary appraisal.  What you do next in the process is coping.

10. C. Trait theorists, like McCrae & Costa, speculate that personality development is established very early and is relatively unchangeable over time (hence the term, "trait").