TEST BANK ,QUESTIONS AND SOLUTION MANUAL
FOR ADULT DEVELOPMENT AND AGING 2ND
EDITION.
This is a heavily theoretical chapter and can be tough going for students who are eager to move on to learning
more concrete information about adult development and aging. Depending on the nature of the class and its
size, the lecture can be oriented toward more or less theoretical aspects of the material by providing a
conceptual orientation (more theoretical) or concrete examples (less theoretical). Because this material
previews much of what is to come in later chapters, it is also possible to use this chapter as a way to plant the
"seeds" for these later concepts and discussions.
Depending on the length of the class, it is advisable to break this chapter into two or more lectures, dividing it
along the lines of biological vs. psychosocial theories. Biological theories can occupy an entire class period,
particularly when combined with videos (see below). Some students may need extensive background in
concepts of genetics. These will be important for later chapters, particularly Chapter 5, in which the genetic
contributions to Alzheimer's and other diseases are discussed. The psychosocial theories provide an
opportunity to present some substantive material that may be of greater inherent interest to students in
psychology and other social sciences as it previews concepts that will not appear until much later in the course,
such as personality development and family issues.
The topic of developmental models is an important one to break up with relevant videos and films because the
concepts are inherently dry and theoretical for some students. There are ample resources on biological
theories ofaging. The best ones that I have found are on the PBS series called “NOVA Science
Now”: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/sciencenow/ HYPERLINK
"http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/sciencenow/" which aired several segments about the genetics of aging. A
popularmovie that contains interesting twists about age and time is “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.”
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/body/can-we-slow-aging.html
Ageism can be illustrated by showing scenes from humorous portrayals of aging characters in a stereotyped
fashion, such as the Simpson's, a classic cartoon series with a wealth of material on aging. There is also an
excellent example in the Seinfeld episode called “The Old Man,” in which the characters each confront and
older adult who is depicted in a funny but stereotypical fashion.
Examples of identity assimilation and identity accommodation can also be provided from film or television
shows in which characters either resist changing (identity assimilation) or change excessively (identity
accommodation) in response to an event that challenges their identities. A good example of identity
assimilation is "Driving Miss Daisy" which, in the first scene of the movie, shows the struggle she experiences
as she is faced with accommodating to her loss of the ability to drive.
, IM-2 |1
• How does the notion of contextual influences on development relate to concepts such as gender, race,
and socioeconomic status?
• How do "nature" and "nurture" interact in development throughout life?
• Which model do you feel is most appropriate for understanding development?
• Why is it important to an interactionist model to emphasize the concept of reciprocity?
• How has your life involved niche-picking?
• Can you think of examples from your life when an action you took or decision you made had an
outcomeon a later event?
• How does the life course perspective relate to the concepts of social clock and age-graded normative
influences discussed in Chapter 1?
• How does the ecological perspective link models of development that focus on external processes to
thosethat focus on processes within the individual?
• Why do you think disengagement theory was popular at one time?
• Do you know anyone who exemplifies disengagement theory? Activity theory? Continuity theory?
• What type of involvement in society would make you happiest when you get older? Why?
• How do older minority individuals (especially women) manage to cope with discrimination?
• What is your social clock?
• Do you think that the social clock is helpful or harmful when people think about themselves and
their lives?
• Do you feel that Erikson's theory provides a reasonable framework for understanding development
throughout life? What are its weaknesses and what are its strengths?
• Some critics of Erikson's theory feel that the theory is narrowly focused on heterosexual
relationships in adulthood. Others argue that Erikson made an unreasonable distinction between
development in men and women in that he suggested that intimacy precedes identity for women.
What do you think of thesecriticisms?
• Why is identity balance considered an optimal way of adapting to the aging process?
• Provide some examples of age-related thresholds either in your own life or in the life of other people
youhave known. How did the people involved adapt to these thresholds?
• Why are psychological models of development necessary? What do they add to biological theories?
• What would the world (or universe) be like if there was no aging?
• What will be the implications of mapping the human genome?
• What would you like most to learn about the genome and how would this information be of
relevance toyou?
• Can aging be programmed by our genes?
FOR ADULT DEVELOPMENT AND AGING 2ND
EDITION.
This is a heavily theoretical chapter and can be tough going for students who are eager to move on to learning
more concrete information about adult development and aging. Depending on the nature of the class and its
size, the lecture can be oriented toward more or less theoretical aspects of the material by providing a
conceptual orientation (more theoretical) or concrete examples (less theoretical). Because this material
previews much of what is to come in later chapters, it is also possible to use this chapter as a way to plant the
"seeds" for these later concepts and discussions.
Depending on the length of the class, it is advisable to break this chapter into two or more lectures, dividing it
along the lines of biological vs. psychosocial theories. Biological theories can occupy an entire class period,
particularly when combined with videos (see below). Some students may need extensive background in
concepts of genetics. These will be important for later chapters, particularly Chapter 5, in which the genetic
contributions to Alzheimer's and other diseases are discussed. The psychosocial theories provide an
opportunity to present some substantive material that may be of greater inherent interest to students in
psychology and other social sciences as it previews concepts that will not appear until much later in the course,
such as personality development and family issues.
The topic of developmental models is an important one to break up with relevant videos and films because the
concepts are inherently dry and theoretical for some students. There are ample resources on biological
theories ofaging. The best ones that I have found are on the PBS series called “NOVA Science
Now”: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/sciencenow/ HYPERLINK
"http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/sciencenow/" which aired several segments about the genetics of aging. A
popularmovie that contains interesting twists about age and time is “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.”
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/body/can-we-slow-aging.html
Ageism can be illustrated by showing scenes from humorous portrayals of aging characters in a stereotyped
fashion, such as the Simpson's, a classic cartoon series with a wealth of material on aging. There is also an
excellent example in the Seinfeld episode called “The Old Man,” in which the characters each confront and
older adult who is depicted in a funny but stereotypical fashion.
Examples of identity assimilation and identity accommodation can also be provided from film or television
shows in which characters either resist changing (identity assimilation) or change excessively (identity
accommodation) in response to an event that challenges their identities. A good example of identity
assimilation is "Driving Miss Daisy" which, in the first scene of the movie, shows the struggle she experiences
as she is faced with accommodating to her loss of the ability to drive.
, IM-2 |1
• How does the notion of contextual influences on development relate to concepts such as gender, race,
and socioeconomic status?
• How do "nature" and "nurture" interact in development throughout life?
• Which model do you feel is most appropriate for understanding development?
• Why is it important to an interactionist model to emphasize the concept of reciprocity?
• How has your life involved niche-picking?
• Can you think of examples from your life when an action you took or decision you made had an
outcomeon a later event?
• How does the life course perspective relate to the concepts of social clock and age-graded normative
influences discussed in Chapter 1?
• How does the ecological perspective link models of development that focus on external processes to
thosethat focus on processes within the individual?
• Why do you think disengagement theory was popular at one time?
• Do you know anyone who exemplifies disengagement theory? Activity theory? Continuity theory?
• What type of involvement in society would make you happiest when you get older? Why?
• How do older minority individuals (especially women) manage to cope with discrimination?
• What is your social clock?
• Do you think that the social clock is helpful or harmful when people think about themselves and
their lives?
• Do you feel that Erikson's theory provides a reasonable framework for understanding development
throughout life? What are its weaknesses and what are its strengths?
• Some critics of Erikson's theory feel that the theory is narrowly focused on heterosexual
relationships in adulthood. Others argue that Erikson made an unreasonable distinction between
development in men and women in that he suggested that intimacy precedes identity for women.
What do you think of thesecriticisms?
• Why is identity balance considered an optimal way of adapting to the aging process?
• Provide some examples of age-related thresholds either in your own life or in the life of other people
youhave known. How did the people involved adapt to these thresholds?
• Why are psychological models of development necessary? What do they add to biological theories?
• What would the world (or universe) be like if there was no aging?
• What will be the implications of mapping the human genome?
• What would you like most to learn about the genome and how would this information be of
relevance toyou?
• Can aging be programmed by our genes?
