GERO 200 EXAM 1 QUESTIONS WITH
COMPLETE SOLUTIONS
/. Definition of Gerontology (3 parts) - Answer-✅1. study of the human aging process
across the life course
2. Older adults as a special population
3. Multidisciplinary (chronological, biological, psychological and social)
/.Individual Aging - Answer-✅Progressive changes for each person across the life
course. Biological, psychological, and social change
/.Population Aging - Answer-✅Increasing number and percentage of older adults in
society
1. lower fertility (birth rate)
2. lower mortality (death rate)
/.Biology of aging - Answer-✅study of physiological changes as we age
normal aging: natural cell death in the absence of disease
pathological aging: diseases that cause physical change (cancer)
/.Sociology of aging - Answer-✅study of changes to social structures as we age (Ex.
Family and Friends, work and retirement, and public policy)
/.Psychology of aging - Answer-✅study of changes to cognition, memory, and emotions
as we age
normal aging: age related changes to memory, information
processing, etc.
Pathological aging: disease that causes change (ex. Alzheimer's)
will never remember
/.What do gerontologists do? - Answer-✅study aging individual and population levels
(includes practitioners in nursing)
/.Greatest Generation - Answer-✅Born 1910-1928, Great Depression and World War II,
today they are known as "oldest-old"
/.Silent Generation - Answer-✅Born 1928-1946, Korean War and 1950s Assassination
of JFK, today include many of the "young-old", some are newly retired
,/.Baby Boomers - Answer-✅Born 1946-1964, Civil Rights Movement, Vietnam War,
Watergate, today: mid-to-late career, balancing parenting and caregivers
/.Generation X - Answer-✅Born 1964-1982, End of the Cold War, Los Angeles riots,
today: early-to-mid career, starting families
/.Millenials - Answer-✅Born 1982-2000, 9/11, war in Iraq, Afghanistan, Hurricane
Katrina, today: students, some beginning careers and families
/.Population Trends - Answer-✅65+: they are increasing between 1950-2030 numbers
at 12.3 million-71.4 million
85+: Also increasing between 2000-2050 numbers at 4.2 million- 20.9 million
/.Reasons for population aging (2) - Answer-✅1. Decreasing Birthrate
2. Increasing life expectancy
/.Effects of population aging - Answer-✅- Changes to work and retirement
- Increased opportunities
-Volunteer work
-Grandparenting
-leisure
/.Ageism (definition) - Answer-✅Systematic stereotyping and discrimination based on
age
today: positive and negative
/.Detroit Syndrome - Answer-✅Terms derives from automobile industry, description of
older adults as obsolete
Example: replacing older workers instead of retraining
/.Over 39 Syndrome - Answer-✅Identity crisis faced by young adults in their late 30s
coming to terms that youth doesn't last forever
/.Stereotypes of Aging - Answer-✅Generalized beliefs or opinions based on individual
experiences
Allows us to categorize people quickly but seldom based on factual information
Today, both negative and positive stereotypes exist
can lead to fear, prejudice, hate and maltreatment
/.Negative Stereotypes - Answer-✅Contribute to our society's fear of aging
Lead to anger and resentment towards older adults
Examples: Illness, impotency, uselessness
, /.Biomedicalization of aging - Answer-✅Emerged in 1800s, Belief that problems of
aging are biological and can only be "solved" by doctors, views older adults as
"patients"
/.Compassionate Stereotyping - Answer-✅Began in 20th century, Belief that all older
adults "need" public assistance, views older adults as "victims"
/.Positive Stereotypes - Answer-✅- Generalized belief that categorizes all older people
in a favorable
light
- Becoming more prevalent, due to population aging
- Today more examples of healthy and active older adults
/.Golden Agers - Answer-✅Stereotype of all elders as lively active, adventurous, high
achievers, sociable, witty, well-traveled
Problem: not all older adults have good health and functionability
/.Perfect Grandparents - Answer-✅Stereotype of all elders as kind, loving, family-
oriented, generous, grateful, supportive, wise
Problem: not all older adults have good family relationships
/.Problems with Stereotypes - Answer-✅-may not be relevant to individual aging
-older adults seldom "fit" in any category
-old age varies from person to person
-reverse stereotypes
/.Legal Definitions - Answer-✅- Eligibility age for old-age benefits provided by the
government
- 65 is the legal definition of old age in U.S. (and other developed countries)
- 65 marks passage from employment to retirement
- Social Security Act: Passed 1935
- 65 established as eligibility age for full benefits
- 65 also established age for medicare 1965
/.Biology - Answer-✅Physical aging varies among individuals in speed and extent
Organs do not decline all at once
/.Health and Functional Ability - Answer-✅When does aging begin?
-At birth?
-after our biological peck (age 25-30)
-Different pecks for different people
-Normal aging vs pathological aging
/.Social Standards - Answer-✅Belief that major life events "should" occur when we are
young
COMPLETE SOLUTIONS
/. Definition of Gerontology (3 parts) - Answer-✅1. study of the human aging process
across the life course
2. Older adults as a special population
3. Multidisciplinary (chronological, biological, psychological and social)
/.Individual Aging - Answer-✅Progressive changes for each person across the life
course. Biological, psychological, and social change
/.Population Aging - Answer-✅Increasing number and percentage of older adults in
society
1. lower fertility (birth rate)
2. lower mortality (death rate)
/.Biology of aging - Answer-✅study of physiological changes as we age
normal aging: natural cell death in the absence of disease
pathological aging: diseases that cause physical change (cancer)
/.Sociology of aging - Answer-✅study of changes to social structures as we age (Ex.
Family and Friends, work and retirement, and public policy)
/.Psychology of aging - Answer-✅study of changes to cognition, memory, and emotions
as we age
normal aging: age related changes to memory, information
processing, etc.
Pathological aging: disease that causes change (ex. Alzheimer's)
will never remember
/.What do gerontologists do? - Answer-✅study aging individual and population levels
(includes practitioners in nursing)
/.Greatest Generation - Answer-✅Born 1910-1928, Great Depression and World War II,
today they are known as "oldest-old"
/.Silent Generation - Answer-✅Born 1928-1946, Korean War and 1950s Assassination
of JFK, today include many of the "young-old", some are newly retired
,/.Baby Boomers - Answer-✅Born 1946-1964, Civil Rights Movement, Vietnam War,
Watergate, today: mid-to-late career, balancing parenting and caregivers
/.Generation X - Answer-✅Born 1964-1982, End of the Cold War, Los Angeles riots,
today: early-to-mid career, starting families
/.Millenials - Answer-✅Born 1982-2000, 9/11, war in Iraq, Afghanistan, Hurricane
Katrina, today: students, some beginning careers and families
/.Population Trends - Answer-✅65+: they are increasing between 1950-2030 numbers
at 12.3 million-71.4 million
85+: Also increasing between 2000-2050 numbers at 4.2 million- 20.9 million
/.Reasons for population aging (2) - Answer-✅1. Decreasing Birthrate
2. Increasing life expectancy
/.Effects of population aging - Answer-✅- Changes to work and retirement
- Increased opportunities
-Volunteer work
-Grandparenting
-leisure
/.Ageism (definition) - Answer-✅Systematic stereotyping and discrimination based on
age
today: positive and negative
/.Detroit Syndrome - Answer-✅Terms derives from automobile industry, description of
older adults as obsolete
Example: replacing older workers instead of retraining
/.Over 39 Syndrome - Answer-✅Identity crisis faced by young adults in their late 30s
coming to terms that youth doesn't last forever
/.Stereotypes of Aging - Answer-✅Generalized beliefs or opinions based on individual
experiences
Allows us to categorize people quickly but seldom based on factual information
Today, both negative and positive stereotypes exist
can lead to fear, prejudice, hate and maltreatment
/.Negative Stereotypes - Answer-✅Contribute to our society's fear of aging
Lead to anger and resentment towards older adults
Examples: Illness, impotency, uselessness
, /.Biomedicalization of aging - Answer-✅Emerged in 1800s, Belief that problems of
aging are biological and can only be "solved" by doctors, views older adults as
"patients"
/.Compassionate Stereotyping - Answer-✅Began in 20th century, Belief that all older
adults "need" public assistance, views older adults as "victims"
/.Positive Stereotypes - Answer-✅- Generalized belief that categorizes all older people
in a favorable
light
- Becoming more prevalent, due to population aging
- Today more examples of healthy and active older adults
/.Golden Agers - Answer-✅Stereotype of all elders as lively active, adventurous, high
achievers, sociable, witty, well-traveled
Problem: not all older adults have good health and functionability
/.Perfect Grandparents - Answer-✅Stereotype of all elders as kind, loving, family-
oriented, generous, grateful, supportive, wise
Problem: not all older adults have good family relationships
/.Problems with Stereotypes - Answer-✅-may not be relevant to individual aging
-older adults seldom "fit" in any category
-old age varies from person to person
-reverse stereotypes
/.Legal Definitions - Answer-✅- Eligibility age for old-age benefits provided by the
government
- 65 is the legal definition of old age in U.S. (and other developed countries)
- 65 marks passage from employment to retirement
- Social Security Act: Passed 1935
- 65 established as eligibility age for full benefits
- 65 also established age for medicare 1965
/.Biology - Answer-✅Physical aging varies among individuals in speed and extent
Organs do not decline all at once
/.Health and Functional Ability - Answer-✅When does aging begin?
-At birth?
-after our biological peck (age 25-30)
-Different pecks for different people
-Normal aging vs pathological aging
/.Social Standards - Answer-✅Belief that major life events "should" occur when we are
young
