Cavanaugh Adult Development and Aging
Practice Questions Final
Accommodations - ANS readjustments of goals and aspirations as a way to lessen or neutralize
the effects of negative self-evaluations in key domains
age-based double standard - ANS when an individual attributes an older person's failure in
memory as more serious than a memory failure observed in a young adult
assimilative activities - ANS exercises that prevent or alleviate losses in domains that are
personally relevant for self-esteem and identity
causal attributions - ANS explanations people construct to explain their behavior, that can be
situational, dispositional, or interactive
cognitive style - ANS a trait-like pattern of behavior one uses when approaching a
problem-solving situation
collaborative cognition - ANS cognitive performance that results from the interaction of two or
more individuals
correspondence bias - ANS the tendency to draw inferences about older person's dispositions
from behavior that can be fully explained through situational forces
dispositional attribution - ANS an explanation for someone's behavior that resides within the
actor
emotional intelligence - ANS people's ability to recognize their own and others' emotions, to
correctly identify and appropriately tell the difference between emotions, and use this
information to guide their thinking and behavior
immunizing mechanisms - ANS control strategies that alter the effects of self-discrepant
evidence
implicit stereotyping - ANS Stereotyped beliefs that affect your judgments of individuals without
your being aware of it (i.e., the process is unconscious).
impression formation - ANS the way people combine the components of another person's
personality and come up with an integrated perception of the person
labeling theory - ANS argues that when we confront an age-related stereotype, older adults are
more likely to integrate it into their self-perception
, negativity bias - ANS weighing negative information more heavily than positive information in a
social judgment
personal control - ANS the belief that what one does has an influence on the outcome of an
event
positivity effect - ANS the tendency to attend to and process positive information over negative
information
primary control - ANS the act of bringing the environment into line with one's own desires and
goals, similar to Brandstadter's assimilative activities
resilience theory - ANS argues that confronting a negative stereotype results in a rejection of
that view in favor of a more positive self-perception
secondary control - ANS the act of bringing oneself in line with the environment, similar to
Brandstadter's accommodative activities
self-perception of aging - ANS refers to individuals' perceptions of their own age and aging
situational attribution - ANS an explanation for someone's behavior that is external to the actor
social knowledge - ANS a cognitive structure that represents one's general knowledge about a
given social concept or domain
source judgments - ANS process of accessing knowledge wherein one attempts to determine
where one obtained a particular piece of information
stereotypes - ANS beliefs about characteristics, attributes, and behaviors of members of
certain groups
stereotype threat - ANS an evoked fear of being judged in accordance with a negative
stereotype about a group to which an individual belongs
Trait (246) - ANS Any distinguishable, relatively enduring way that one that one individual
differs from others.
Trait Theories (246) - ANS Assume little change in personality occurs across adulthood.
Five-Factor Model (246) - ANS A model of dispositional traits with the dimensions of
neuroticism, extraversion, openness to experience, agreeableness-antagonism, and
conscientiousness-undirectedness.
, Neuroticism (246) - ANS Anxiety, hostility, self-consciousness, depression, impulsiveness, and
vulnerability.
Extraversion (247) - ANS interpersonal traits: warmth, gregariousness, and assertiveness.
Temperamental traits: activity, excitement seeking, and positive emotions.
Openness to Experience (247) - ANS Fantasy, aesthetics, action, ideas and values,
experience.
Agreeableness (247) - ANS Opposite of antagonism. May tend to be overly dependent and
self-effacing, traits that often prove annoying to others.
Conscientiousness (247) - ANS Hardworking, ambitious, energetic, scrupulous, and
persevering. Strong desire to make something of oneself.
Personality Adjustment (248) - ANS Involves developmental changes in terms of their adaptive
value and functionality such as functioning effectively within society and how personality
contributes to everyday life running smoothly.
Personality Growth (248) - ANS Refers to ideal end states such as increased
self-transcendence, wisdom, and integrity.
Ego Development (248) - ANS The fundamental changes in the ways our thoughts, values,
morals, and goals are organized. Transitions form one stage to another depend on both internal
biological changes and external social changes to which the person must adapt.
TESSERA (249) - ANS Triggering situations, Expectancy, States/State Expressions, and
Reactions.
Epigenetic Principle (252) - ANS In Erikson's theory, the notion that development is guided by
an underlying plan in which certain issues have their own particular times of importance.
Midlife Correction (257) - ANS Reevaluating one's roles and dreams and making the
necessary corrections.
Life-Span Construct (259) - ANS In Whitbourne's theory of identity, the way people build a view
of who they are.
Self-Concept (261) - ANS The organized, coherent, integrated pattern of self-perceptions.
Subjective Well-Being (262) - ANS An evaluation of one's life that is associated with positive
feelings.
Practice Questions Final
Accommodations - ANS readjustments of goals and aspirations as a way to lessen or neutralize
the effects of negative self-evaluations in key domains
age-based double standard - ANS when an individual attributes an older person's failure in
memory as more serious than a memory failure observed in a young adult
assimilative activities - ANS exercises that prevent or alleviate losses in domains that are
personally relevant for self-esteem and identity
causal attributions - ANS explanations people construct to explain their behavior, that can be
situational, dispositional, or interactive
cognitive style - ANS a trait-like pattern of behavior one uses when approaching a
problem-solving situation
collaborative cognition - ANS cognitive performance that results from the interaction of two or
more individuals
correspondence bias - ANS the tendency to draw inferences about older person's dispositions
from behavior that can be fully explained through situational forces
dispositional attribution - ANS an explanation for someone's behavior that resides within the
actor
emotional intelligence - ANS people's ability to recognize their own and others' emotions, to
correctly identify and appropriately tell the difference between emotions, and use this
information to guide their thinking and behavior
immunizing mechanisms - ANS control strategies that alter the effects of self-discrepant
evidence
implicit stereotyping - ANS Stereotyped beliefs that affect your judgments of individuals without
your being aware of it (i.e., the process is unconscious).
impression formation - ANS the way people combine the components of another person's
personality and come up with an integrated perception of the person
labeling theory - ANS argues that when we confront an age-related stereotype, older adults are
more likely to integrate it into their self-perception
, negativity bias - ANS weighing negative information more heavily than positive information in a
social judgment
personal control - ANS the belief that what one does has an influence on the outcome of an
event
positivity effect - ANS the tendency to attend to and process positive information over negative
information
primary control - ANS the act of bringing the environment into line with one's own desires and
goals, similar to Brandstadter's assimilative activities
resilience theory - ANS argues that confronting a negative stereotype results in a rejection of
that view in favor of a more positive self-perception
secondary control - ANS the act of bringing oneself in line with the environment, similar to
Brandstadter's accommodative activities
self-perception of aging - ANS refers to individuals' perceptions of their own age and aging
situational attribution - ANS an explanation for someone's behavior that is external to the actor
social knowledge - ANS a cognitive structure that represents one's general knowledge about a
given social concept or domain
source judgments - ANS process of accessing knowledge wherein one attempts to determine
where one obtained a particular piece of information
stereotypes - ANS beliefs about characteristics, attributes, and behaviors of members of
certain groups
stereotype threat - ANS an evoked fear of being judged in accordance with a negative
stereotype about a group to which an individual belongs
Trait (246) - ANS Any distinguishable, relatively enduring way that one that one individual
differs from others.
Trait Theories (246) - ANS Assume little change in personality occurs across adulthood.
Five-Factor Model (246) - ANS A model of dispositional traits with the dimensions of
neuroticism, extraversion, openness to experience, agreeableness-antagonism, and
conscientiousness-undirectedness.
, Neuroticism (246) - ANS Anxiety, hostility, self-consciousness, depression, impulsiveness, and
vulnerability.
Extraversion (247) - ANS interpersonal traits: warmth, gregariousness, and assertiveness.
Temperamental traits: activity, excitement seeking, and positive emotions.
Openness to Experience (247) - ANS Fantasy, aesthetics, action, ideas and values,
experience.
Agreeableness (247) - ANS Opposite of antagonism. May tend to be overly dependent and
self-effacing, traits that often prove annoying to others.
Conscientiousness (247) - ANS Hardworking, ambitious, energetic, scrupulous, and
persevering. Strong desire to make something of oneself.
Personality Adjustment (248) - ANS Involves developmental changes in terms of their adaptive
value and functionality such as functioning effectively within society and how personality
contributes to everyday life running smoothly.
Personality Growth (248) - ANS Refers to ideal end states such as increased
self-transcendence, wisdom, and integrity.
Ego Development (248) - ANS The fundamental changes in the ways our thoughts, values,
morals, and goals are organized. Transitions form one stage to another depend on both internal
biological changes and external social changes to which the person must adapt.
TESSERA (249) - ANS Triggering situations, Expectancy, States/State Expressions, and
Reactions.
Epigenetic Principle (252) - ANS In Erikson's theory, the notion that development is guided by
an underlying plan in which certain issues have their own particular times of importance.
Midlife Correction (257) - ANS Reevaluating one's roles and dreams and making the
necessary corrections.
Life-Span Construct (259) - ANS In Whitbourne's theory of identity, the way people build a view
of who they are.
Self-Concept (261) - ANS The organized, coherent, integrated pattern of self-perceptions.
Subjective Well-Being (262) - ANS An evaluation of one's life that is associated with positive
feelings.
