ADULT DEVELOPMENT AND AGING ACTUAL
EXAM PAPER 2026 QUESTIONS WITH
COMPLETE SOLUTIONS GRADED A+
◉ Gerontology. Answer: the scientific study of the aging process; an
interdisciplinary field
◉ Four principles of aging: Answer: o Change is continuous over the
lifespan - hence people remain the same even as they change, which
should also be reflected in healthcare treatment.
o Only the survivors grow old - hence aging individuals are increasingly
self-selected; based on the survivor principle; this means that the group
that is old people is only a subgroup in the young population
o Individuality matters - within and between age groups; do intragroup
differences magnify because the age span between individuals increases?
o Normal aging is different from disease - the process looks different for
the two
◉ Five ways to shorten your life: Answer: o Being overweight
o Not eating enough fruit/vegetables
,o Not enough physical exercise
o Drinking and driving
o Smoking
◉ Inter-individual differences. Answer: differences between people (also
in different age groups). E.g. hippocampus size can be more similar
between a 70yo and a 20yo than two 70yo's.
◉ Intra-individual differences. Answer: the processes within a single
person develop at different paces.
◉ Multidirectionality. Answer: processes can develop simultaneously in
many different directions within the same person
◉ Stages of ageing. Answer: o Primary/normal aging - the normal
changes over time that occur due to universal, intrinsic, and progressive
alterations in the body's systems.
o Secondary/impaired aging - changes over time leading to impairment
due to disease rather than normal aging
o Tertiary aging - towards the very end of life; rapid loss of function
across multiple areas of functioning; due to the organism reaching its
limit
,◉ Optimal ageing. Answer: age-related changes that improve the
individual's functioning; e.g. acquiring wisdom. May counter the
psychological/physical toll of aging.
◉ Emerging adulthood. Answer: the first years of being an adult
(however you define it), which includes a transition prior to assuming
the full responsibilities associated with adulthood.
◉ Common subgroups of the "old" (above 65) population: Answer: o
Young-old (65-74)
o Old-old (75-84)
o Oldest-old (85+)
o Centenarians (100+)
o Supercentenarians (110+)
◉ Types of age: Answer: Social age
Psychological age
Biological age
Functional age
Chronological age
◉ Chronological age. Answer: age in number of years; a shifty
definition
, ◉ Functional age. Answer: how people perform
◉ Biological age. Answer: the state of an individual's bodily systems
◉ Psychological age. Answer: cognitive performance (e.g. memory,
reaction time, learning ability, intelligence)
◉ Social age. Answer: where you are compared to the "typical" ages of
certain positions in life (e.g. grandfather, house-owner, high school
student, etc.)
◉ Personal ageing. Answer: changes that occur within the individual due
to time's passing and its subsequent influence on the body's functioning
and structure.
◉ Social ageing. Answer: the effect of a person's exposure to a changing
environment
◉ Normative age-graded influences. Answer: lead people to choose
experiences that their culture and historical period attach to certain ages
or points in the life span.
◉ Normative history-graded influences. Answer: events that occur to
everyone within a certain culture or geopolitical unit (regardless of age)
and include large-scale occurrences, such as world wars, economic
EXAM PAPER 2026 QUESTIONS WITH
COMPLETE SOLUTIONS GRADED A+
◉ Gerontology. Answer: the scientific study of the aging process; an
interdisciplinary field
◉ Four principles of aging: Answer: o Change is continuous over the
lifespan - hence people remain the same even as they change, which
should also be reflected in healthcare treatment.
o Only the survivors grow old - hence aging individuals are increasingly
self-selected; based on the survivor principle; this means that the group
that is old people is only a subgroup in the young population
o Individuality matters - within and between age groups; do intragroup
differences magnify because the age span between individuals increases?
o Normal aging is different from disease - the process looks different for
the two
◉ Five ways to shorten your life: Answer: o Being overweight
o Not eating enough fruit/vegetables
,o Not enough physical exercise
o Drinking and driving
o Smoking
◉ Inter-individual differences. Answer: differences between people (also
in different age groups). E.g. hippocampus size can be more similar
between a 70yo and a 20yo than two 70yo's.
◉ Intra-individual differences. Answer: the processes within a single
person develop at different paces.
◉ Multidirectionality. Answer: processes can develop simultaneously in
many different directions within the same person
◉ Stages of ageing. Answer: o Primary/normal aging - the normal
changes over time that occur due to universal, intrinsic, and progressive
alterations in the body's systems.
o Secondary/impaired aging - changes over time leading to impairment
due to disease rather than normal aging
o Tertiary aging - towards the very end of life; rapid loss of function
across multiple areas of functioning; due to the organism reaching its
limit
,◉ Optimal ageing. Answer: age-related changes that improve the
individual's functioning; e.g. acquiring wisdom. May counter the
psychological/physical toll of aging.
◉ Emerging adulthood. Answer: the first years of being an adult
(however you define it), which includes a transition prior to assuming
the full responsibilities associated with adulthood.
◉ Common subgroups of the "old" (above 65) population: Answer: o
Young-old (65-74)
o Old-old (75-84)
o Oldest-old (85+)
o Centenarians (100+)
o Supercentenarians (110+)
◉ Types of age: Answer: Social age
Psychological age
Biological age
Functional age
Chronological age
◉ Chronological age. Answer: age in number of years; a shifty
definition
, ◉ Functional age. Answer: how people perform
◉ Biological age. Answer: the state of an individual's bodily systems
◉ Psychological age. Answer: cognitive performance (e.g. memory,
reaction time, learning ability, intelligence)
◉ Social age. Answer: where you are compared to the "typical" ages of
certain positions in life (e.g. grandfather, house-owner, high school
student, etc.)
◉ Personal ageing. Answer: changes that occur within the individual due
to time's passing and its subsequent influence on the body's functioning
and structure.
◉ Social ageing. Answer: the effect of a person's exposure to a changing
environment
◉ Normative age-graded influences. Answer: lead people to choose
experiences that their culture and historical period attach to certain ages
or points in the life span.
◉ Normative history-graded influences. Answer: events that occur to
everyone within a certain culture or geopolitical unit (regardless of age)
and include large-scale occurrences, such as world wars, economic
