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Gerontology Exam Study Guide.
Geriatrics - Answer✔specialty in medicine, dentistry and nursing. focuses on how to manage and
prevent diseases associated with old age.
gerontology - Answer✔a multidisciplinary discipline that brings together research specialists in
many areas of
1. basic
2. clinical (medicine)
3. behavioral (ex: drinking behavior; drink before thirsty)
4. social sciences
ageism - Answer✔negative attitudes help by people towards older people
robert butler - Answer✔first director of the national institute of aging (nia) who coined the term,
"ageism"
fields of gerontology - Answer✔a. psychology: seeks ways to improve quality of life for older
adults
b. psychiatry
c. sociology
d. physical and occupational therapy
e. nursing
f. social work
g. medicine
h. biology: describes the cellular process of aging
i. dentistry
j. economics
k. political sciences
dual process of adaptation of older adults to the environment - Answer✔1. adjust to some
qualities of physical and social environment (ex: extensive paperwork for medicare)
1|Page
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2. induce changes in others/environment (Ex: lobbying to expand Medicare benefits in order to
cover dental care)
4 distinct processes of aging viewed by gerontologist - Answer✔1. chronological aging
2. biological aging
3. psychological aging
4. social aging
chronological aging - Answer✔based on persons years from birth
biological aging - Answer✔based on physical changes that impact the efficiency of the body's
organ systems negatively. process of bodily changes over time
psychological aging - Answer✔based on sensory and perceptual changes, changes in mental
functioning, personality and adaptive capacity
social aging - Answer✔based on people's changing relationships and roles within society,
relative to work, friendship, religious and political groups.
cohort - Answer✔a group of people born at roughly the same time
4 environment comprises - Answer✔1. the community
2. the larger society
3. the neighborhood
4. the home
person-environment perspective: the perspective of social gerontology = the belief that the
environment changes as a function of older adults: - Answer✔a) Taking from the environment
what they need
b) Controlling what can be manipulated
c) Adjusting to conditions that cannot be changed
environmental press - Answer✔the demands put on people by physical and social environments
to adapt, respond or change
competence - Answer✔the higher people's competence, the higher the tolerance level for
environmental press (ex: physical disability limits the level of physical and social demand a
person can meet) (coping skills)
ex:- sometimes families may do too much for older family members who may no longer feel that
they are contributing to the needs of the family.
2|Page
Gerontology Exam Study Guide.
Geriatrics - Answer✔specialty in medicine, dentistry and nursing. focuses on how to manage and
prevent diseases associated with old age.
gerontology - Answer✔a multidisciplinary discipline that brings together research specialists in
many areas of
1. basic
2. clinical (medicine)
3. behavioral (ex: drinking behavior; drink before thirsty)
4. social sciences
ageism - Answer✔negative attitudes help by people towards older people
robert butler - Answer✔first director of the national institute of aging (nia) who coined the term,
"ageism"
fields of gerontology - Answer✔a. psychology: seeks ways to improve quality of life for older
adults
b. psychiatry
c. sociology
d. physical and occupational therapy
e. nursing
f. social work
g. medicine
h. biology: describes the cellular process of aging
i. dentistry
j. economics
k. political sciences
dual process of adaptation of older adults to the environment - Answer✔1. adjust to some
qualities of physical and social environment (ex: extensive paperwork for medicare)
1|Page
, ©EVERLY 2025 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
2. induce changes in others/environment (Ex: lobbying to expand Medicare benefits in order to
cover dental care)
4 distinct processes of aging viewed by gerontologist - Answer✔1. chronological aging
2. biological aging
3. psychological aging
4. social aging
chronological aging - Answer✔based on persons years from birth
biological aging - Answer✔based on physical changes that impact the efficiency of the body's
organ systems negatively. process of bodily changes over time
psychological aging - Answer✔based on sensory and perceptual changes, changes in mental
functioning, personality and adaptive capacity
social aging - Answer✔based on people's changing relationships and roles within society,
relative to work, friendship, religious and political groups.
cohort - Answer✔a group of people born at roughly the same time
4 environment comprises - Answer✔1. the community
2. the larger society
3. the neighborhood
4. the home
person-environment perspective: the perspective of social gerontology = the belief that the
environment changes as a function of older adults: - Answer✔a) Taking from the environment
what they need
b) Controlling what can be manipulated
c) Adjusting to conditions that cannot be changed
environmental press - Answer✔the demands put on people by physical and social environments
to adapt, respond or change
competence - Answer✔the higher people's competence, the higher the tolerance level for
environmental press (ex: physical disability limits the level of physical and social demand a
person can meet) (coping skills)
ex:- sometimes families may do too much for older family members who may no longer feel that
they are contributing to the needs of the family.
2|Page
