Gerontology Exam Study Guide Questions and
Answers 100% Pass
Define the study of gerontology. - ✔✔the study of the human aging process from maturity to old age, as
well as the study of the older adult as a special population.
Provide an understanding that aging is a powerful process and that growth and development do
continue in later life. - ✔✔Aging is only your body changing over time. You continue to grow and
develop as time moves on as well as learning new things
Establish the impact on society of the increasing adult population that is living longer. - ✔✔In today's
world people are living longer than ever before which is creating a huge need for housing and other
needs. This also impacts the elderlies because of the stereotyping that happens nowadays.
chronological - ✔✔number of years after birth
biological - ✔✔the changes reducing efficiency of organ systems
Psychological - ✔✔memory, learning, adaptive capacity, personality and mental functioning
Social - ✔✔referring to social roles, relationships, and the overall social context in which we grow old
Explain factors that contribute to the social problem of ageism today and how attitudes about the elderly
have changed since early America. - ✔✔With ageism today we often look down on elders and fear them
and the thought of growing older scares most people. Back in early america people looked up to elders
because they were wise and had lots of knowledge and were appreciated more.
personal ageism - ✔✔person's attitudes, ideas, and beliefs that are unfair against older people
Institutional ageism - ✔✔establish rules, missions that discriminate against older people
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,Intentional ageism - ✔✔rules that are biased against older people with knowledge
Unintentional ageism - ✔✔practice without person responsible for recognizing the unfairness
Distinguish the various generations (general period of time). - ✔✔early life, midlife, and late life, Baby
boomers 1946-64, Millennials
Describe and explain the reasons for the increase in the elderly population. - ✔✔With advances in
medicine and healthy lifestyles the elderly are living longer
stereotypes - ✔✔generalized beliefs or opinions based on individual experience, often produced by
irrational thinking
why stereotyping is common in societies and why they are inaccurate depictions of reality. - ✔✔It is
common in societies because it is easy for people to make quick assessments of other people. It is either
indirect or direct and is usually inaccurate. We generalize by putting people into categories and we
oversimplify reality. Also it can be positive or negative.
Illness (stereotyping negative) - ✔✔many younger people always think that older people are sick or get
sick often,
mental decline (stereotyping negative) - ✔✔younger people view older people as forgetful and don't
know what is going on around them.
Golden agers (stereotyping Positive) - ✔✔lively, adventurous, active, sociable, witty
Perfect grandparents (stereotyping positive) - ✔✔kind, loving, family oriented, generous, grateful
Explain the problems with defining "who is old." - ✔✔No clear definition;
-chronologically: it is 65+
-biology: how well one functions
Page 2/25
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, -social standards: when someone is too old to be looking a certain way
Explain the legal definition of old and where it was established. - ✔✔On retirement, a person's lifestyle
generally changes dramatically, creating a point of entry from one phase of life to another that has
become a social event for celebration and congratulations
Explain variations in biological decline. - ✔✔Genetic variation describes naturally occurring genetic
differences among individuals of the same species. This variation permits flexibility and survival of a
population in the face of changing environmental circumstances.
Explain how self-concept affects aging. - ✔✔Is the way in which people see themselves as being
Describe college students' stereotypes of the elderly and how these differ from reality. - ✔✔They have
mixed emotions on the elderly. They base it mainly on a biological model of decrement and excludes
personality, skill, and interactional factors. This can be a particularly problematic perspective among
students training for the health and healing professions. Most college kids don't think the elderly have
enough money to live on.
Describe media portrayals of the elderly and the problems with these portrayals. - ✔✔They have a very
negative outlook on elderly people. They both reflect and create perception that has a strong impact on
our views of life. They want you to look younger to be more attractive and be desirable. They tell you to
not be old and stay as young as you can.
Authoritarian personality - ✔✔less-educated, rigid, untrusting, insecure people are the ones who hold
prejudices
Frustration-aggression hypothesis - ✔✔those who are frustrated, perhaps by poverty and low status, take
it out in aggression toward others
Selective perception - ✔✔we see what we expect to see and selectively ignore what we do not expect to
see
Page 3/25
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Answers 100% Pass
Define the study of gerontology. - ✔✔the study of the human aging process from maturity to old age, as
well as the study of the older adult as a special population.
Provide an understanding that aging is a powerful process and that growth and development do
continue in later life. - ✔✔Aging is only your body changing over time. You continue to grow and
develop as time moves on as well as learning new things
Establish the impact on society of the increasing adult population that is living longer. - ✔✔In today's
world people are living longer than ever before which is creating a huge need for housing and other
needs. This also impacts the elderlies because of the stereotyping that happens nowadays.
chronological - ✔✔number of years after birth
biological - ✔✔the changes reducing efficiency of organ systems
Psychological - ✔✔memory, learning, adaptive capacity, personality and mental functioning
Social - ✔✔referring to social roles, relationships, and the overall social context in which we grow old
Explain factors that contribute to the social problem of ageism today and how attitudes about the elderly
have changed since early America. - ✔✔With ageism today we often look down on elders and fear them
and the thought of growing older scares most people. Back in early america people looked up to elders
because they were wise and had lots of knowledge and were appreciated more.
personal ageism - ✔✔person's attitudes, ideas, and beliefs that are unfair against older people
Institutional ageism - ✔✔establish rules, missions that discriminate against older people
Page 1/25
Crafted for Academic Insight by KatelynWhitman. All rights reserved © 2025
,Intentional ageism - ✔✔rules that are biased against older people with knowledge
Unintentional ageism - ✔✔practice without person responsible for recognizing the unfairness
Distinguish the various generations (general period of time). - ✔✔early life, midlife, and late life, Baby
boomers 1946-64, Millennials
Describe and explain the reasons for the increase in the elderly population. - ✔✔With advances in
medicine and healthy lifestyles the elderly are living longer
stereotypes - ✔✔generalized beliefs or opinions based on individual experience, often produced by
irrational thinking
why stereotyping is common in societies and why they are inaccurate depictions of reality. - ✔✔It is
common in societies because it is easy for people to make quick assessments of other people. It is either
indirect or direct and is usually inaccurate. We generalize by putting people into categories and we
oversimplify reality. Also it can be positive or negative.
Illness (stereotyping negative) - ✔✔many younger people always think that older people are sick or get
sick often,
mental decline (stereotyping negative) - ✔✔younger people view older people as forgetful and don't
know what is going on around them.
Golden agers (stereotyping Positive) - ✔✔lively, adventurous, active, sociable, witty
Perfect grandparents (stereotyping positive) - ✔✔kind, loving, family oriented, generous, grateful
Explain the problems with defining "who is old." - ✔✔No clear definition;
-chronologically: it is 65+
-biology: how well one functions
Page 2/25
Crafted for Academic Insight by KatelynWhitman. All rights reserved © 2025
, -social standards: when someone is too old to be looking a certain way
Explain the legal definition of old and where it was established. - ✔✔On retirement, a person's lifestyle
generally changes dramatically, creating a point of entry from one phase of life to another that has
become a social event for celebration and congratulations
Explain variations in biological decline. - ✔✔Genetic variation describes naturally occurring genetic
differences among individuals of the same species. This variation permits flexibility and survival of a
population in the face of changing environmental circumstances.
Explain how self-concept affects aging. - ✔✔Is the way in which people see themselves as being
Describe college students' stereotypes of the elderly and how these differ from reality. - ✔✔They have
mixed emotions on the elderly. They base it mainly on a biological model of decrement and excludes
personality, skill, and interactional factors. This can be a particularly problematic perspective among
students training for the health and healing professions. Most college kids don't think the elderly have
enough money to live on.
Describe media portrayals of the elderly and the problems with these portrayals. - ✔✔They have a very
negative outlook on elderly people. They both reflect and create perception that has a strong impact on
our views of life. They want you to look younger to be more attractive and be desirable. They tell you to
not be old and stay as young as you can.
Authoritarian personality - ✔✔less-educated, rigid, untrusting, insecure people are the ones who hold
prejudices
Frustration-aggression hypothesis - ✔✔those who are frustrated, perhaps by poverty and low status, take
it out in aggression toward others
Selective perception - ✔✔we see what we expect to see and selectively ignore what we do not expect to
see
Page 3/25
Crafted for Academic Insight by KatelynWhitman. All rights reserved © 2025
