CHAPTER 1: AGING TODAY
MULTIPLE CHOICE
1. Which of the following is given in the text as a reason for studying aging?
A. to help oneself live the best old age possible
B. to enable people to avoid or reverse the effects of aging
C. to enable people to make old age as inexpensive a time of life as it can
be
D. to learn how to work with elderly clients
ANSWER: D REF: 2-3 BLM: REM
2. As of 2011, what percentage of the population
comprised older Canadians?
A. 16.0%
B. 15%
C. 9.1%
D. 6.8%
ANSWER: B REF: 2 BLM: REM
3. By 2036, approximately what percentage of the population will comprise
older Canadians as predicted by Statistics Canada?
A. 9%
B. 19%
C. 25%
D. 34%
ANSWER: C REF: 2 BLM: REM
4. As society ages, what will change in the Canadian social structure?
A. Poverty will increase as more people enter old age.
B. The government will face economic crisis as pension costs rise.
C. The mass media will promote ageism.
D. The healthcare system will add programs to prevent
illness before it occurs.
ANSWER: D REF: 2 BLM: HO
5. Which of the following is an example of a social structure?
A. the education system
B. the aging process
C. the government
D. the police
ANSWER: A REF: 2 BLM: HO
6. What effect does an aging society have on the Canadian family?
A. an increase in the number of people living in three- and four-generation
families
B. a decrease in the number of people who become grandparents during
their lifetime
C. an erosion of values as extended family structures fragment
D. an increase in financial responsibility placed on
elder family members
, ANSWER: A REF: 2 BLM: HO
7. How will the healthcare system have to adapt as Canadian society ages?
A. by decreasing the attention given to chronic ailments such as diabetes
and arthritis
B. by favouring the treatment of more acute illnesses
C. by changing public opinion about old age
D. by trying to prevent illness before it happens
ANSWER: D REF: 2 BLM: HO
8. Dr. Clarke is conducting a research experiment that is studying the
process of aging among older Canadians. What is the name for
this social science?
A. tautology
B. ageism
C. gerontology
D. aeonology
ANSWER: C REF: 2 BLM: HO
9. What are the two points of view that gerontologists use to study aging?
A. economics and social structures
B. the family and the education system
C. bioethics and economics
D. the individual and society
ANSWER: D REF: 2 BLM: REM
10. What did Unwin and colleagues’ (2008) research find out about perceptions of
aging?
A. People know little about aging.
B. Old age is seen as a time of weakness and death.
C. Some attitudes towards the elderly have possibly worsened.
D. Most people’s knowledge about older people is
based on myth or fear.
ANSWER: C REF: 3 BLM: REM
11. Your uncle Ken has just retired from the workforce, and he needs to find an
activity that will keep him in touch with his community. According to
recent research found in your textbook, which of the following activities
would be a beneficial activity for your uncle?
A. reading books to his grandchildren
B. baking cookies
C. working in his woodshop
D. playing cards at a local library
ANSWER: D REF: 4 BLM: HO
12. Which of the following accurately describes stereotypes?
A. They prevent discrimination and ageism.
B. They force people to confront the truth about the elderly.
C. They often have some basis in reality.
D. They exaggerate and distort the bad, while ignoring the
good qualities of a group of people.
, ANSWER: C REF: 5 BLM: HO
13. Which of the following presents a negative stereotype of aging?
A. an elderly 84 year-old gentleman who plays with his grandchildren
B. a 95-year-old woman who drives erratically
C. a 76 year-old male who lives in a nursing home but has an alert
memory
D. an 82-year-old female who learns to do yoga at her recreational
centre
ANSWER: B REF: 5 BLM: HO
14. While playing shuffleboard at the local seniors club, Mr. Jones jokes about Mr.
Smith’s poor eyesight after Mr. Smith misses the scoring area. Mr. Jones’
derogatory comment is an example of which type of insult?
A. the old goat curse
B. the black sheep effect
C. elderspeak
D. ageism
ANSWER: B REF: 6 BLM: HO
15. What do gerontologists call prejudice against older people?
A. a negative stereotype
B. geriatrics
C. age dichotomy syndrome
D. ageism
ANSWER: D REF: 6-7 BLM: REM
16. Which of the following describes ageism in our culture?
A. It is acquired from experience with the aged.
B. It is a social component of the biological process.
C. It is learned from a variety of sources.
D. It is useful for maintaining cultural diversity.
ANSWER: C REF: 8-9 BLM: HO
17. Researchers including Henneberg, Gilbert, and Ricketts (2010, 2008) have
studied the treatment of older people in literature. What have these
studies found?
A. Overall, positive views of older people predominate.
B. Negative traits in literature outnumber those in philosophy by two to one.
C. Older people are stereotyped and children then hold negative views
about them.
D. Mysteries often portray older people as
devious or manipulative.
ANSWER: C REF: 8-9 BLM: REM
18. Sally has been researching mass media and the portrayal of older Canadians
in the media. Her studies have generally shown that the mass media (such
as television and the newspapers) tend to create which type of common
image of older people?
A. positive
B. negative
, C. neutral
D. colourful
ANSWER: B REF: 8-9 BLM: HO
19. What did Palmore’s study of contemporary jokes find?
A. that the elderly are always portrayed in a positive light
B. that the elderly are never referred to jokingly
C. that the elderly are stereotyped as impotent or unattractive
D. that the elderly are often background
characters
ANSWER: C REF: 10 BLM:
REM
20. What is true of most humour connected to aging?
A. It has a negative view of aging.
B. It glosses over the real problems of aging in modern society.
C. It has a neutral outlook on the aged.
D. It actually reflects real problems that the aged face.
ANSWER: A REF: 10 BLM:
HO
21. What did George (2006) find in a review of the literature on life satisfaction in
old age?
A. Life satisfaction in old age increased.
B. Life satisfaction in old age decreased.
C. Life satisfaction in old age did not change.
D. Life satisfaction in old age remains high.
ANSWER: D REF: 10 BLM: REM
22. What did Cooke find in the observation of older workers?
A. Most older workers did their work poorly.
B. Employers valued experience over strength.
C. Employers valued strong, young workers.
D. Employers try to force older workers to retire early.
ANSWER: D REF: 10 BLM: REM
23. According to the AARP study, what is the largest barrier for those aged 50
years and older when it comes to finding a job?
A. age discrimination
B. health status
C. lack of skills
D. higher absenteeism rates
ANSWER: A REF: 10 BLM: REM
24. You are 49 years old and you were rejected for a job. You later find out
that someone 10 years younger than you received the job because the
employer thought that someone younger than you “would be more
suitable to handle the rapid pace of the job environment.” What term is
used to describe the excuse as to why an older person is rejected for a
MULTIPLE CHOICE
1. Which of the following is given in the text as a reason for studying aging?
A. to help oneself live the best old age possible
B. to enable people to avoid or reverse the effects of aging
C. to enable people to make old age as inexpensive a time of life as it can
be
D. to learn how to work with elderly clients
ANSWER: D REF: 2-3 BLM: REM
2. As of 2011, what percentage of the population
comprised older Canadians?
A. 16.0%
B. 15%
C. 9.1%
D. 6.8%
ANSWER: B REF: 2 BLM: REM
3. By 2036, approximately what percentage of the population will comprise
older Canadians as predicted by Statistics Canada?
A. 9%
B. 19%
C. 25%
D. 34%
ANSWER: C REF: 2 BLM: REM
4. As society ages, what will change in the Canadian social structure?
A. Poverty will increase as more people enter old age.
B. The government will face economic crisis as pension costs rise.
C. The mass media will promote ageism.
D. The healthcare system will add programs to prevent
illness before it occurs.
ANSWER: D REF: 2 BLM: HO
5. Which of the following is an example of a social structure?
A. the education system
B. the aging process
C. the government
D. the police
ANSWER: A REF: 2 BLM: HO
6. What effect does an aging society have on the Canadian family?
A. an increase in the number of people living in three- and four-generation
families
B. a decrease in the number of people who become grandparents during
their lifetime
C. an erosion of values as extended family structures fragment
D. an increase in financial responsibility placed on
elder family members
, ANSWER: A REF: 2 BLM: HO
7. How will the healthcare system have to adapt as Canadian society ages?
A. by decreasing the attention given to chronic ailments such as diabetes
and arthritis
B. by favouring the treatment of more acute illnesses
C. by changing public opinion about old age
D. by trying to prevent illness before it happens
ANSWER: D REF: 2 BLM: HO
8. Dr. Clarke is conducting a research experiment that is studying the
process of aging among older Canadians. What is the name for
this social science?
A. tautology
B. ageism
C. gerontology
D. aeonology
ANSWER: C REF: 2 BLM: HO
9. What are the two points of view that gerontologists use to study aging?
A. economics and social structures
B. the family and the education system
C. bioethics and economics
D. the individual and society
ANSWER: D REF: 2 BLM: REM
10. What did Unwin and colleagues’ (2008) research find out about perceptions of
aging?
A. People know little about aging.
B. Old age is seen as a time of weakness and death.
C. Some attitudes towards the elderly have possibly worsened.
D. Most people’s knowledge about older people is
based on myth or fear.
ANSWER: C REF: 3 BLM: REM
11. Your uncle Ken has just retired from the workforce, and he needs to find an
activity that will keep him in touch with his community. According to
recent research found in your textbook, which of the following activities
would be a beneficial activity for your uncle?
A. reading books to his grandchildren
B. baking cookies
C. working in his woodshop
D. playing cards at a local library
ANSWER: D REF: 4 BLM: HO
12. Which of the following accurately describes stereotypes?
A. They prevent discrimination and ageism.
B. They force people to confront the truth about the elderly.
C. They often have some basis in reality.
D. They exaggerate and distort the bad, while ignoring the
good qualities of a group of people.
, ANSWER: C REF: 5 BLM: HO
13. Which of the following presents a negative stereotype of aging?
A. an elderly 84 year-old gentleman who plays with his grandchildren
B. a 95-year-old woman who drives erratically
C. a 76 year-old male who lives in a nursing home but has an alert
memory
D. an 82-year-old female who learns to do yoga at her recreational
centre
ANSWER: B REF: 5 BLM: HO
14. While playing shuffleboard at the local seniors club, Mr. Jones jokes about Mr.
Smith’s poor eyesight after Mr. Smith misses the scoring area. Mr. Jones’
derogatory comment is an example of which type of insult?
A. the old goat curse
B. the black sheep effect
C. elderspeak
D. ageism
ANSWER: B REF: 6 BLM: HO
15. What do gerontologists call prejudice against older people?
A. a negative stereotype
B. geriatrics
C. age dichotomy syndrome
D. ageism
ANSWER: D REF: 6-7 BLM: REM
16. Which of the following describes ageism in our culture?
A. It is acquired from experience with the aged.
B. It is a social component of the biological process.
C. It is learned from a variety of sources.
D. It is useful for maintaining cultural diversity.
ANSWER: C REF: 8-9 BLM: HO
17. Researchers including Henneberg, Gilbert, and Ricketts (2010, 2008) have
studied the treatment of older people in literature. What have these
studies found?
A. Overall, positive views of older people predominate.
B. Negative traits in literature outnumber those in philosophy by two to one.
C. Older people are stereotyped and children then hold negative views
about them.
D. Mysteries often portray older people as
devious or manipulative.
ANSWER: C REF: 8-9 BLM: REM
18. Sally has been researching mass media and the portrayal of older Canadians
in the media. Her studies have generally shown that the mass media (such
as television and the newspapers) tend to create which type of common
image of older people?
A. positive
B. negative
, C. neutral
D. colourful
ANSWER: B REF: 8-9 BLM: HO
19. What did Palmore’s study of contemporary jokes find?
A. that the elderly are always portrayed in a positive light
B. that the elderly are never referred to jokingly
C. that the elderly are stereotyped as impotent or unattractive
D. that the elderly are often background
characters
ANSWER: C REF: 10 BLM:
REM
20. What is true of most humour connected to aging?
A. It has a negative view of aging.
B. It glosses over the real problems of aging in modern society.
C. It has a neutral outlook on the aged.
D. It actually reflects real problems that the aged face.
ANSWER: A REF: 10 BLM:
HO
21. What did George (2006) find in a review of the literature on life satisfaction in
old age?
A. Life satisfaction in old age increased.
B. Life satisfaction in old age decreased.
C. Life satisfaction in old age did not change.
D. Life satisfaction in old age remains high.
ANSWER: D REF: 10 BLM: REM
22. What did Cooke find in the observation of older workers?
A. Most older workers did their work poorly.
B. Employers valued experience over strength.
C. Employers valued strong, young workers.
D. Employers try to force older workers to retire early.
ANSWER: D REF: 10 BLM: REM
23. According to the AARP study, what is the largest barrier for those aged 50
years and older when it comes to finding a job?
A. age discrimination
B. health status
C. lack of skills
D. higher absenteeism rates
ANSWER: A REF: 10 BLM: REM
24. You are 49 years old and you were rejected for a job. You later find out
that someone 10 years younger than you received the job because the
employer thought that someone younger than you “would be more
suitable to handle the rapid pace of the job environment.” What term is
used to describe the excuse as to why an older person is rejected for a
