CFG Aging Process & Psychological Aspects 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which psychological theory suggests that older adults maintain well-being by adjusting their goals to match their declining capacities?
- Disengagement Theory
- Selective Optimization with Compensation (SOC) (Correct answer)
- Activity Theory
- Continuity Theory
Correct answer: Selective Optimization with Compensation (SOC)
SOC theory proposes that successful aging involves selecting key goals, optimizing resources to achieve them, and compensating when losses occur.
Question 2: Late-life depression is often underdiagnosed in older adults primarily because:
- Depression does not occur in people over age 75
- Symptoms frequently overlap with medical conditions and normal aging (Correct answer)
- Older adults consistently report high rates of sadness
- Insurance rarely covers geriatric mental health screening
Correct answer: Symptoms frequently overlap with medical conditions and normal aging
Fatigue, sleep disturbance, and cognitive changes can mimic depression, causing clinicians and patients to attribute symptoms to aging rather than a treatable condition.
Question 3: A client's 80-year-old father insists on driving despite two recent minor accidents. Which psychological concept best explains his resistance to giving up driving?
- Crystallized intelligence decline
- Loss of personal identity and independence (Correct answer)
- Reduction in prospective memory
- Executive dysfunction due to vascular changes
Correct answer: Loss of personal identity and independence
Driving often symbolizes autonomy and identity for older adults, making its loss psychologically threatening beyond the practical inconvenience.
Question 4: The 'gerotranscendence' theory proposed by Lars Tornstam describes aging as:
- A period of inevitable decline and withdrawal from society
- A shift toward greater cosmic and transpersonal perspective and less materialism (Correct answer)
- Increased dependence on crystallized knowledge to compensate for fluid losses
- Progressive disengagement that optimizes social functioning
Correct answer: A shift toward greater cosmic and transpersonal perspective and less materialism
Gerotranscendence posits that older adults naturally evolve toward a broader, more spiritual worldview with decreased interest in superfluous social interaction.
Question 5: Which of the following best describes 'compressed morbidity' in the context of aging?
- Chronic illness occurring earlier in life due to lifestyle factors
- Delaying the onset of disability so it is concentrated near the end of life (Correct answer)
- Rapid cognitive decline following a major health event
- Multiple comorbidities occurring simultaneously in late life
Correct answer: Delaying the onset of disability so it is concentrated near the end of life
The compression of morbidity hypothesis holds that preventive behaviors can push serious illness and disability into the final years of a longer life.
Question 6: An older adult who maintains a strong sense of purpose and meaning despite physical limitations is demonstrating which construct?
- Secondary aging
- Resilience and psychological hardiness (Correct answer)
- Disengagement
- Somatic amplification
Correct answer: Resilience and psychological hardiness
Resilience in aging refers to the capacity to adapt positively in the face of adversity, loss, or chronic stress, often supported by meaning-making.
Question 7: Which stage of Erik Erikson's psychosocial model is most associated with the psychological work of old age?
- Generativity vs. Stagnation
- Identity vs. Role Confusion
- Integrity vs. Despair (Correct answer)
- Intimacy vs. Isolation
Correct answer: Integrity vs. Despair
Ego Integrity vs. Despair is Erikson's final stage, in which older adults reflect on their lives and find either acceptance (integrity) or regret (despair).
CFG Aging Process & Psychological Aspects 2
Which psychological theory suggests that older adults maintain well-being by adjusting their goals to match their declining capacities?