FOUNDATIONS OF GERONTOLOGY
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS 100%
VERIFIED UPDATED 2026-2027
# Term Definition
1 1 in 5
How many people will be over the age
of 65 by the year 2030?
2 What is social gerontology?
The subfield of gerontology that looks at the
nonphysiological aspects of aging.
3 a. Social Gerontology
A professional gerontologist describes
herself as a person who looks at the
broad, nonphysiological aspects of
aging. Of which subfield would she be
a member? a. Social Gerontology b.
Sociology c. Social psychology d. Social
biology
4 b. a natural life span process common to all living
Aging is a. a physiological process organisms.
common only to humans. b. a natural
life span process common to all living
organisms. c. a naturalistic process
common only to humans. d. a
sequential physiological process that
occurs at the same rate in all living
organisms.
5 c. chronological
Mrs. Jones goes to the Social
Security office to apply for Medicare.
The intake worker asks her to provide
a copy of her birth certificate to prove
eligibility. The intake worker is using
which definition of aging? a. functional
b. psychological c. chronological
d. biological
,# Term Definition
6 c. know that the only fact that can be stated for certain
When discussing biological aging, is that all living organisms will eventually die.
scientists a. focus on what happens
before maturity is reached. b. have
identified a unifying theory that
explains the mechanics underlying the
biological phenomena of aging. c.
know that the only fact that can be
stated for certain is that all living
organisms will eventually die. d. know
that the biological aging process
varies among individuals but does not
vary within different physiological
systems of the same person
7 b. functional
Mrs. Smith has gray hair, walks with a
shuffle, and has wrinkled skin. The
store clerk refers to her as "that little
old lady." The clerk is using which
definition of aging? a. chronological b.
functional c. psychological d.
sociological
8 a. intrinsic effect
Mrs. Summer's mother and
grandmother both died from breast
cance. She expresses concern that this
will also happen to her. What type of
age-related effect is she describing? a.
intrinsic effect b. extrinsic effect
c. cohotort effect d. period effect
, 9 b. longitudinal study
A gerontologist develops a research
study that compares the frequency of
social contacts among the same
sample of women over a thirty-year
period. Measures are taken after the
women reach 20, 30, 40, and 50 years
of age. This type of research design is
called a a.
developmental study b.
longitudinal study c. cross-sectional
study d.
experimental study
# Term Definition
10 a. cross-sectional
A researcher is comparing the
frequency of diabetes between a
group of 60-year-old men and a group
of 70-year-old men. This type of
design is a. cross-sectional b.
longitudinal c. period analysis d.
experimental analysis
11 d. a measure can never be valid without being reliable
Which of the following statements
regarding validity and reliability is
true? a. a measure can be valid
without being reliable. b. both validity
and reliability are always present in all
studies. c. a valid measure gives
stable results over time. d. a measure
can never be valid without being
reliable.
12 Ageism is a. using a combination of b. negative stereotypes of someone based on his or her
positive traits to describe older adults. advanced chronological years.
b. negative stereotypes of someone
based on his or her advanced
chronological years. c. the life
transitions of older adults d.
maintaining friendships with people
who are the same age
, 13 d. exaggerate the needs of older adults and result in an
Jan Jones is a gerontologist and a unintentional reinforcement of negative stereotypes.
strong program advocate for older
adults. When she presents her
arguments to lawmakers, she
routinely focuses on the problems of
older adults in order to increase public
sympathy. This behavior can a. help
the elderly get the services they need
with no negative effects. b. help young
people look forward to aging. c.
underestimate the problems of older
adults. d. exaggerate the needs of
older adults and result in an
unintentional reinforcement of
negative stereotypes.
# Term Definition
14 c. the United States has no mandatory retirement age
Which of the following is a fact about
aging in the United States? a. All old
people live an isolated life b.
retirement undermines people's
physical health. c. the United States has
no mandatory retirement age. d. older
adults
are inflexible and resistant to change
15 a. modernization
The belief that the nature of
preindustrialized societies gave older
adults certain advantages is one of the
tenets of which aging theory? a.
modernization b. psychological c.
disengagement d. continuity
16 c. increased to one older adult for every eight americans
According to the 2000 United States
census, the older population has a.
increased to one older adult for every
five Americans. b. increased only in
urban areas. c. increased to one older
adult for every eight americans. d.
remained stable over the last twenty
years.
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS 100%
VERIFIED UPDATED 2026-2027
# Term Definition
1 1 in 5
How many people will be over the age
of 65 by the year 2030?
2 What is social gerontology?
The subfield of gerontology that looks at the
nonphysiological aspects of aging.
3 a. Social Gerontology
A professional gerontologist describes
herself as a person who looks at the
broad, nonphysiological aspects of
aging. Of which subfield would she be
a member? a. Social Gerontology b.
Sociology c. Social psychology d. Social
biology
4 b. a natural life span process common to all living
Aging is a. a physiological process organisms.
common only to humans. b. a natural
life span process common to all living
organisms. c. a naturalistic process
common only to humans. d. a
sequential physiological process that
occurs at the same rate in all living
organisms.
5 c. chronological
Mrs. Jones goes to the Social
Security office to apply for Medicare.
The intake worker asks her to provide
a copy of her birth certificate to prove
eligibility. The intake worker is using
which definition of aging? a. functional
b. psychological c. chronological
d. biological
,# Term Definition
6 c. know that the only fact that can be stated for certain
When discussing biological aging, is that all living organisms will eventually die.
scientists a. focus on what happens
before maturity is reached. b. have
identified a unifying theory that
explains the mechanics underlying the
biological phenomena of aging. c.
know that the only fact that can be
stated for certain is that all living
organisms will eventually die. d. know
that the biological aging process
varies among individuals but does not
vary within different physiological
systems of the same person
7 b. functional
Mrs. Smith has gray hair, walks with a
shuffle, and has wrinkled skin. The
store clerk refers to her as "that little
old lady." The clerk is using which
definition of aging? a. chronological b.
functional c. psychological d.
sociological
8 a. intrinsic effect
Mrs. Summer's mother and
grandmother both died from breast
cance. She expresses concern that this
will also happen to her. What type of
age-related effect is she describing? a.
intrinsic effect b. extrinsic effect
c. cohotort effect d. period effect
, 9 b. longitudinal study
A gerontologist develops a research
study that compares the frequency of
social contacts among the same
sample of women over a thirty-year
period. Measures are taken after the
women reach 20, 30, 40, and 50 years
of age. This type of research design is
called a a.
developmental study b.
longitudinal study c. cross-sectional
study d.
experimental study
# Term Definition
10 a. cross-sectional
A researcher is comparing the
frequency of diabetes between a
group of 60-year-old men and a group
of 70-year-old men. This type of
design is a. cross-sectional b.
longitudinal c. period analysis d.
experimental analysis
11 d. a measure can never be valid without being reliable
Which of the following statements
regarding validity and reliability is
true? a. a measure can be valid
without being reliable. b. both validity
and reliability are always present in all
studies. c. a valid measure gives
stable results over time. d. a measure
can never be valid without being
reliable.
12 Ageism is a. using a combination of b. negative stereotypes of someone based on his or her
positive traits to describe older adults. advanced chronological years.
b. negative stereotypes of someone
based on his or her advanced
chronological years. c. the life
transitions of older adults d.
maintaining friendships with people
who are the same age
, 13 d. exaggerate the needs of older adults and result in an
Jan Jones is a gerontologist and a unintentional reinforcement of negative stereotypes.
strong program advocate for older
adults. When she presents her
arguments to lawmakers, she
routinely focuses on the problems of
older adults in order to increase public
sympathy. This behavior can a. help
the elderly get the services they need
with no negative effects. b. help young
people look forward to aging. c.
underestimate the problems of older
adults. d. exaggerate the needs of
older adults and result in an
unintentional reinforcement of
negative stereotypes.
# Term Definition
14 c. the United States has no mandatory retirement age
Which of the following is a fact about
aging in the United States? a. All old
people live an isolated life b.
retirement undermines people's
physical health. c. the United States has
no mandatory retirement age. d. older
adults
are inflexible and resistant to change
15 a. modernization
The belief that the nature of
preindustrialized societies gave older
adults certain advantages is one of the
tenets of which aging theory? a.
modernization b. psychological c.
disengagement d. continuity
16 c. increased to one older adult for every eight americans
According to the 2000 United States
census, the older population has a.
increased to one older adult for every
five Americans. b. increased only in
urban areas. c. increased to one older
adult for every eight americans. d.
remained stable over the last twenty
years.
