Question 1

Describe procedural, semantic, and episodic memory, and give a concrete example from your own life for each system. Also, indicate how vulnerable each facet of memory is to deterioration.

Accepted Answer

Procedural: automatic, skill-oriented memories; highly resilient; located in a lower brain center; preserved into Alzheimer's disease. Semantic: memory of basic life facts or a person's fund of knowledge; moderately resilient. Episodic: memory of ongoing life events, highly vulnerable to deterioration. Examples students might mention: an "unconscious" motor skill or activity (procedural); a well-preserved factual memory (semantic); and a random life experience (episodic). .

Question 2

To minimize age-related memory changes, older people should avoid _____ pressures.

Accepted Answer

time

Question 3

Discuss the basic principles of Laura Carstensen's socioemotional selectivity theory. What is your opinion of Carstensen's idea that people get happier in later life?

Accepted Answer

Basic premise of socioemotional selectivity theory: (1) As people get older and feel their life may soon end, their priority shifts to making the most of their present life. People avoid unpleasant situations and emotions. 
(2) People center their priorities on their closest attachment figures-preferring to spend time with family and our closest friends. Students' opinions will vary about Carstensen's idea that people get happier in older age.

Question 4

Describe trends in the median age of the population in the developed world and the forces underlying these changes.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Describe trends in the median age of...

Question 5

Of the three memory systems, _____ memory is the most durable and can stay intact well into Alzheimer's disease.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Of the three memory systems, _____ memory...

Question 6

_____ tasks, in which people must monitor something else while simultaneously memorizing material, are unusually difficult for older adults.

Accepted Answer

The answer of _____ tasks, in which people must monitor...

Question 7

Describe the challenges that widowed people face and, also, list some predictors of having a rocky time in widowhood. If possible, make reference to a widowed person you know to illustrate your points.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Describe the challenges that widowed people face...

Question 8

Spell out the predictors of happiness in later life, and then draw on two principles to help an older loved one feel more fulfilled.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Spell out the predictors of happiness in...

Question 9

Older people tend to selectively focus on _____ events.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Older people tend to selectively focus on...

Question 10

Recently retirement has become a(n) _____ phase of life than before.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Recently retirement has become a(n) _____ phase...

Question 11

Social Security offers a(n) _____ but guaranteed retirement stipend.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Social Security offers a(n) _____ but guaranteed...

Question 12

Using a vivid emotional image to remember material is a(n) _____ technique.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Using a vivid emotional image to remember...

Question 13

Describe one crucial social policy retirement-related issue. Then, suggest at least one creative antidote to this problem.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Describe one crucial social policy retirement-related issue....

Question 14

Discuss ways in which the research on memory may help you study most effectively.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Discuss ways in which the research on...

Question 15

Two main sources of retirement income in the United States are Social Security and _____.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Two main sources of retirement income in...

Question 16

Laura Carstensen's _____ theory explains that older people prioritize spending time with their closest attachment figures and maximizing the quality of their present experiences.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Laura Carstensen's _____ theory explains that older...

Question 17

According to the text, people's _____ is one key to being happy and living longer in old age.

Accepted Answer

The answer of According to the text, people's _____ is...

Question 18

Explain the forces predicting retiring or not retiring and explain how these decision-making influences apply to a baby boomer you know. Do this person's retirement choices fit the text chapter points? If the person is still working and over age 65, why is that individual still in the labor force?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Explain the forces predicting retiring or not...

Question 19

_____, or strategies to make information emotionally vivid, help people remember episodic material best.

Accepted Answer

The answer of _____, or strategies to make information emotionally...

Question 20

Baby boomers entering later life, plus _____ life expectancies, contribute to the rising median age in the developed world.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Baby boomers entering later life, plus _____...

Quiz 13: Later Life: Cognitive and Socioemotional Development