Midlife Crisis and Aging

Midlife crisis is a period often evident by emotional and psychological turmoil. It occurs when individuals are in the middle ages ranging from 40-60 years. However, with the changing dynamics in life, many people nowadays start facing midlife crisis from the age of 35 years. Its major characteristic is a deep sense of restlessness and a strong desire for change. At many a times, people question their life choices, reevaluate the individual and professional goals. In this segment, you are presented with 50 questions that are related to midlife crisis and aging to better help you comprehend the concept. 

1. After midlife, most males:
A) experience dramatic mood swings.
B) no longer produce sperm.
C) continue to be reproductive.
D) lose their ability to reproduce.
Correct answer(s): C

2. Anna is wondering how the climacteric will affect her sexual desire. What can she expect?
A) Her desire will be similar to the way it was before menopause.
B) She will no longer experience sexual desire.
C) Her desire will diminish by about one-third.
D) She will experience a strong increase in testosterone as estrogen levels decline.
Correct answer(s): A

3. Which is FALSE with regard to Kubler-Ross’s theory of loss and grief?
A) Denial is one of the stages in the theory.
B) People in grief go through the stages in the order presented.
C) Acceptance is among the stages according to the theory.
D) Anger is one of the stages given in the theory.
Correct answer(s): B

4. Which of the following is most likely to decrease with age?
A) vocabulary
B) accumulated facts
C) speed of thinking
D) practical intelligence
Correct answer(s): C

5. To developmentalists the term “expert” means
A) one who is gifted in many areas.
B) one who lacks experience but knows many facts.
C) one who is decidedly better than others in a specific area.
D) a genius.
Correct answer(s): C

6. An expert tends to:
A) be more conscious of his or her actions than the novice.
B) follow procedures more strictly than the novice.
C) have greater difficulty solving problems than the novice.
D) None of the above
Correct answer(s): D

7. Tom has just returned to college at age 52. Compared to his 20 year old classmates,he will probably:
A) be more likely to view the instructor as the “expert”.
B) be better at studying when there are distractions.
C) focus more on rote memorization.
D) be more concerned with the relevance of what is being taught.
Correct answer(s): D

8. Samantha wanted to marry, but she never met anyone who suited her and now there are really no potential partners in her age group. What type of single is Samantha?
A) Involuntary permanent
B) Voluntary temporary
C) Involuntary temporary
D) Voluntary permanent
Correct answer(s): A

9. Cynthia thinks that all her problems stem from the fact that she can’t find a husband. She’s posted her profile online, she’s asked all her friends if they know of someone who is available, and she still hasn’t had a date in months. What kind of single is Cynthia?
A) Involuntary permanent
B) Involuntary temporary
C) Voluntary permanent
D) Voluntary temporary
Correct answer(s): B

10. Marital satisfaction is highest:
A) after the birth of the second child.
B) after the birth of the first child.
C) before the birth of the first child.
D) when the couple is in their 30s.
Correct answer(s): C

11. Jannette wants to know a man’s level of education, his career goals, and what kind of car he drives when she considers a man as a potential mate. Joan wants to know if a man is nice, has a sense of humor, and whether or not he shares some of her interests as she considers potential mates. Which of the following is true about Janette and Joan?
A) Janette is seeking an intrinsic marriage.
B) Janette is seeking a utilitarian marriage.
C) Both women are seeking utilitarian marriages.
D) Joan is seeking a utilitarian marriage.
Correct answer(s): B

12. These partners were once very much in love but now feel as if they hardly know one another and are no longer attracted to one another. This best illustrates:
A) passive congenial marriage
B) vital marriage
C) total marriage
D) devitalized marriage
Correct answer(s): D

13. According to Cuber and Haroff, total marriages:
A) are based primarily on passion.
B) are uncommon.
C) are the most stable kinds of marriages.
D) are very common.
Correct answer(s): B

14. You listened to John Gottman describing his research on marriage. What did he report?
A) He reported that compatibility is the most important component of successful marriages.
B) He found that successful couples focus more on the utilitarian aspects of marriage than on passion or chemistry.
C) He reported that same-sex couples have better communication than heterosexual couples.
D) He found that the primary difference between successful and unsuccessful couples is that successful couples have few areas of disagreement.
Correct answer(s): C

15. This “station of divorce” involves grieving, understanding what happened to cause the divorce, and feeling complete as a single person again. What is it?
A) the psychic divorce
B) the legal divorce
C) the community divorce
D) the emotional divorce
Correct answer(s): A

16. In families, middle-aged adults tend to function as the ___, celebrating family achievements, keeping the family together, and staying in touch with distant relatives.
A) sandwich generation
B) kinkeepers
C) nuclear originators
D) intergenerational gatekeepers
Correct answer(s): B

17. How common is remarriage in the United States?
A) About 28 percent of marriages are a remarriage for at least one partner.
B) About half of all marriages are a remarriage for at least one partner.
C) About 10 percent of marriages are a remarriage for at least one partner.
D) About 60 percent of all marriages are a remarriage for at least one partner.
Correct answer(s): B

18. Erikson’s stage for adulthood is:
A) Integrity versus Despair
B) Trust versus Mistrust
C) Love versus Work
D) Generativity versus Stagnation
Correct answer(s): D

19. When comparing the young-old (65-74), the old (75-84), and the oldest-old (85 plus), we find that:
A) the oldest-old are more likely to be institutionalized.
B) most of the young-old and old-old live independently.
C) the young-old are more similar to midlife adults than to the oldest-old.
D) all of the above.
Correct answer(s): D

20. Primary aging refers to the
A) irreversible changes that occur with time.
B) changes that are caused by illness.
C) changes that can be reversed or prevented.
D) changes that are caused by poor health habits.
Correct answer(s): A

21. Which of the following is most likely to be a result of ageism?
A) An increase in multigenerational families.
B) Greater interest in the study of gerontology (aging).
C) The use of elderspeak.
D) The participation of the elderly in community activities.
Correct answer(s): C

22. John is 65. He believes that from this point on he will likely develop heart disease, lose his memory, become almost deaf, and lose interest in sex. He is anticipating:
A) Optimal aging
B) Usual aging
C) All of the above.
D) Impaired aging
Correct answer(s): D

23. The musicians’ websites you viewed best illustrate which theory of aging?
A) Activity theory
B) Continuity theory
C) Intrinsic theory
D) Disengagement theory
Correct answer(s): B

24. An older person who does not hear information is having trouble with memory at which level?
A) the knowledge base
B) the working memory
C) the sensory register
D) information organization
Correct answer(s): C

25. Wrinkles and a loss of elasticity in the skin would be considered _____ aging.
A) abnormal
B) primary
C) geriatric
D) secondary
Correct answer(s): B

26. The term “free radicals” refers to
A) the idea that surgery can free the body of tumors.
B) cancer cells in the body.
C) atoms that have unpaired electrons.
D) the minority of the elderly who rebel against ageism.
Correct answer(s): C

27. Tips of the protective coating around chromosomes are called:
A) terminal capsules
B) telomeres
C) free radicals
D) plaques
Correct answer(s): B

28. Secondary aging includes:
A) drier skin and hair
B) cancer
C) loss of muscle mass
D) loss of height
Correct answer(s): B

29. Which of the following are preventable sources of dementia?
A) overmedication
B) all of the above
C) undernourishment
D) depression
Correct answer(s): B

30. The theory that suggests that the elderly and society mutually withdraw from each other is:
A) withdrawal theory.
B) .activity theory.
C) continuity theory.
D) disengagement theory.
Correct answer(s): D

31. The majority of older adults who require long-term care:
A) receive it in nursing homes.
B) live in assisted-living facilities.
C) receive it in the home.
D) are cared for by their sons
Correct answer(s): C

32. The most common form of elderly abuse is:
A) financial abuse by a family member
B) physical abuse by strangers
C) nursing home abuse
D) granny dumping
Correct answer(s): A

33. The most common cause of death in the United States is:
A) accidents
B) diabetes
C) heart disease
D) Alzheimer’s disease
Correct answer(s): C

34. Leading causes of death worldwide include which of the following?
A) HIV/AIDS
B) malaria
C) All of the above.
D) perinatal conditions
Correct answer(s): C

35. Mrs. Cannon can’t believe that the test results just given her by her physician are hers. There must be a mistake. Which stage of grief/loss is reflected in this example?
A) depression
B) denial
C) bargaining
D) anger
Correct answer(s): B

36. Care that focuses on relieving pain and suffering is called:
A) remedial care
B) allopathic care
C) palliative care
D) thanatological care
Correct answer(s): C

37. This person listed the 7 Ps or pains that people experience when dying:
A) Norm Schaie
B) Cicely Saunders
C) Erik Erikson
D) Kubler-Ross
Correct answer(s): B

38. Hospice care is likely to be most in line with views on death and dying held by:
A) Hispanics
B) African Americans
C) White Americans
D) Asian Americans
Correct answer(s): C

39. Barbara and Jim have been non-married lovers for 10 years. When Jim dies, Barbara will likely experience which type of grief?
A) Absent grief
B) Anticipatory grief
C) Disenfranchised grief
D) Incomplete grief
Correct answer(s): C

40. The audio clips on “Dying Alone” and “Pallbearers as Public Service” both illustrated:
A) The difficulties that men have when their wives precede them in death.
B) None of the above.
C) Concerns of those in same-sex long term relationships regarding death and visitation.
D) Social death.
Correct answer(s): D

41. Physician-assisted suicide refers to:
A) Physicians helping terminally ill patients complete the forms required to make their suicides acceptable by law.
B) Physicians providing a terminally ill patient the means with which to end his or her life.
C) Physicians slowly increasing the dosage of pain killers until the patient stops breathing.
D) Physicians administering lethal doses of drugs to terminally ill patients.
Correct answer(s): B

42. In comparison with grief, mourning:
A) is more likely to lead to depression.
B) is more likely to be influenced by cultural practices.
C) occurs more frequently than grief.
D) is less likely to lead to an affirmation of life.
Correct answer(s): B

43. According to the story you heard about Kubler-Ross, Kubler-Ross experienced which of the following:
A) She was a devout Christian.
B) She was well-respected in the medical community when she first introduced hospice to the United States.
C) She had the distinction of living until in her early 100s.
D) She was criticized as unscientific.
Correct answer(s): D

44. Biologically based physical changes during middle adulthood include ALL BUT WHICH ONE of the following?
A) Diabetes
B) Weight gain
C) Problems with vision
D) Joint pain
Correct answer(s): A

45. What percentage of midlife adults experience hearing loss?
A) 29 percent
B) 8 percent
C) about half
D) 14 percent
Correct answer(s): D

46. Which is TRUE with respect to the prevalence of disability in midlife among adults in the United States?
A) About 7 percent of people in their 40s have a disability.
B) Rates are higher for those in higher socioeconomic categories.
C) Half of people in their 50s experience a disability.
D) Seventy percent of people in their 60s have at least one form of disability.
Correct answer(s): A

47. How can one enjoy good health during midlife?
A) Feel a sense of mastery and control over one’s life.
B) Engage in weight-bearing exercise.
C) All of the above.
D) Monitor one’s nutrition.
Correct answer(s): C

48. The median age for having the last menstrual cycle is:
A) 58 and older.
B) 45-50 years of age.
C) 62-63 years of age.
D) 51-52 years of age.
Correct answer(s): D

49. Changes in a woman’s menstrual cycle typically occur for:
A) 3 weeks.
B) 5-10 years.
C) 1 to 3 years.
D) 6 months.
Correct answer(s): C

50. A television advertisement for estrogen supplements claims to reduce the symptoms of menopause listed below. Which of the following symptoms is not supported by research?
A) Mood swings and irritability.
B) Hot flashes.
C) A loss of sexual desire.
D) Weight gain.
Correct answer(s): A

Bonus Middlelife Crisis Questions and Answers 

The reactions of middle-aged adults to the awareness that their lifespan is limited.

Forty-five-year old Ken, who has been singlemindedly
climbing the career ladder, suddenly feels that he has no more opportunity for advancement. He also feels that he has neglected his family and made made wrong decisions in charting his life's course. Ken's feelings are probably signs of:
a. normal development during middle age.
b. an unsuccessful passage through early adulthood
. c. neuroticism.
d. androgyny.

Better than age as a predictor of whether a midlife crisis will occur is an individual's personal style of
coping with problems.
a. True
b. False

For some people at about age 40, dissatisfaction with self, career, and/or family develops into a:
a. basic personality change.
b. withdrawing from society.
c. midlife crisis.
d. fear of success

Which of the following midlife changes may explain why some individuals experience midlife distress?
a During midlife, people become more aware of their own mortality.
b. Adults may have trouble adjusting to shifting parental roles during middle adulthood.
c. Many adults reach a career plateau during middle age.

d. All of the above changes are common during middle age and may lead to midlife distress

Which of the following statements most accurately describes the typical experiences of women during
midlife?
a In response to the biological changes accompanying menopause, most women become depressed
during midlife.
b. Compared to previous generations, recent cohorts of women have experienced greater difficulty
adjusting to midlife.
c. Recent cohorts of women nave tended to find midlife a more liberating experience than those of
previous generations.
d. Women's adjustment to midlife has not significantly changed over the past thirty years.

Harry is 45 years old and, according to Levinson, is most likely to be:
a. happy with his life so far.
b. experiencing new pleasures in life now that the hardest years are over.
c. questioning every aspect of bis life.
d. looking forward to retirement

For many middle-aged people, the most troubling personal change experienced at around age 40 is:
a a career setback
b. the "empty nest "
c. becoming a grandparent for the first time.
d. a growing awareness of one's own aging and mortality

Today's middle-aged women are less likely to experience psychological problems than middle-aged women of twenty years ago. This is because
a.women today do not ordinarily derive self-esteem from family roles.
b. career roles help women compensate for losses or strains in family roles.
c. for most women, career roles are more important than family roles for mental health.
d. the psychological needs of women, rather than social conditions, are responsible for midlife crisis in
most cases.

What is a common emotional experience during a midlife crisis?

A) A deep sense of restlessness

Correct answer: A) A deep sense of restlessness.

Rationale: Many people going through a midlife crisis experience a sense of dissatisfaction and restlessness, leading to life reevaluation.

B) A strong sense of contentment

Rationale: This is incorrect, as a midlife crisis is usually marked by emotional turmoil, not contentment.

C) Increased self-confidence

Rationale: Increased confidence is generally not a characteristic of a midlife crisis.

A) Cessation of menstruation

Rationale: This is incorrect. Menopause is defined by the end of menstruation.

B) Increased reproductive capacity

Correct answer: B) Increased reproductive capacity.

Rationale: Reproductive capacity declines in women during menopause.

C) Hot flashes

Rationale: Hot flashes are common symptoms of menopause.

At what age does a midlife crisis most commonly occur?

A) 40-60 years

Correct answer: A) 40-60 years.

Rationale: Midlife crises typically occur during this age range as individuals reassess their lives and goals.

B) 30-40 years

Rationale: While midlife crises can sometimes start earlier, this is not the most common age range.

C) 60-70 years

Rationale: This age range is generally associated with later life stages, not midlife crises.

Which factor is most likely to trigger a midlife crisis?

A) A significant life event, such as a divorce

B) The beginning of a new career

Rationale: Starting a new career can be a positive change and is less likely to trigger a crisis.

C) Retirement

Rationale: Retirement usually happens later in life and may trigger other concerns but not typically a midlife crisis.

Correct answer: A) A significant life event, such as a divorce.

Rationale: Research shows that life events, rather than ageing itself, often trigger midlife crises.

Which term refers to the male equivalent of menopause?

A) Climacteric

Correct answer: A) Climacteric.

Rationale: The climacteric is the term used to describe age-related reproductive changes in men.

B) Menopause

Rationale: Menopause refers specifically to the cessation of menstruation in women.

C) Puberty

Rationale: Puberty is a stage of development that occurs earlier in life.

What is the primary physiological change that defines menopause?

A) Loss of the ability to reproduce

Correct answer: A) Loss of the ability to reproduce.

Rationale: Menopause is defined by the end of a woman's reproductive capacity.

B) Increase in estrogen production

Rationale: This is incorrect, as estrogen production decreases during menopause.

C) Enhanced cognitive function

Rationale: Menopause is not typically associated with cognitive enhancement.

How can exercise impact midlife health?

A) It can help reduce stress and improve physical health

Correct answer: A) It can help reduce stress and improve physical health.

Rationale: Regular exercise reduces stress and prevents many age-related health issues during midlife.

B) It is unnecessary for midlife adults

Rationale: This is incorrect, as exercise is crucial for maintaining health at any age.

C) It only helps younger adults

Rationale: Exercise is beneficial throughout the lifespan, not just for younger individuals.

What emotional effect can a midlife crisis have on men?

A) Desire to make significant life changes

Correct answer: A) Desire to make significant life changes.

Rationale: A common feature of a midlife crisis is the urge to change one’s career or personal life.

B) Acceptance of their current situation

Rationale: This response does not reflect the common emotional turmoil associated with midlife crises.

C) Emotional numbness

Rationale: A midlife crisis is usually marked by strong emotions rather than emotional numbness.

Which factor contributes most to stress during midlife?

A) Balancing family and work responsibilities

Correct answer: A) Balancing family and work responsibilities.

Rationale: Midlife is often a period where people juggle multiple roles, such as caregiving and work, leading to stress.

B) Increased social leisure time

Rationale: Increased leisure time generally reduces stress, not increases it.

C) Decreased life responsibilities

Rationale: Responsibilities often increase, not decrease, during midlife.

Which of the following tends to improve with age?

A) Wisdom and perspective

Correct answer: A) Wisdom and perspective.

Rationale: Many people gain life experience, wisdom, and a broader perspective as they age.

B) Physical strength

Rationale: Physical strength typically decreases with age.

C) Speed of mental processing

Rationale: Speed of mental processing tends to decline with age, not improve.

What is the typical response of many women to midlife and aging?

A) A sense of liberation

Correct answer: A) A sense of liberation.

Rationale: Many women experience midlife as freeing, especially once child-rearing responsibilities lessen.

B) An overwhelming sense of loss

Rationale: While some may feel a loss, many women feel more liberated during this period.

C) Loss of personal identity

Rationale: Loss of identity is not a typical response, although it may occur in some cases.

What is an example of a life transition in midlife?

A) Becoming an empty nester

Correct answer: A) Becoming an empty nester.

Rationale: A common transition in midlife is when children leave home, leading to the "empty nest" phase.

B) Starting school for the first time

Rationale: Starting school is usually associated with early childhood, not midlife.

C) Entering adolescence

Rationale: Adolescence occurs much earlier in life than midlife.

How is aging commonly viewed in Western cultures?

A) As a negative experience marked by decline

Correct answer: A) As a negative experience marked by decline.

Rationale: In many Western cultures, aging is associated with decline, though this perspective is increasingly being challenged.

B) As a neutral life stage

Rationale: This is incorrect, as aging is often viewed negatively in Western societies.

C) As an opportunity for growth

Rationale: While this is true in some cultures, Western societies more often focus on the negative aspects of aging.

Which type of mindset improves resilience in midlife?

A) Growth mindset

Correct answer: A) Growth mindset.

Rationale: A growth mindset, where individuals focus on improving themselves, helps increase resilience.

B) Fixed mindset

Rationale: A fixed mindset leads to stagnation and less adaptability during midlife.

C) Defeatist mindset

Rationale: This mindset reduces resilience and worsens feelings of failure.