Development across the Life Span 349Practice Quiz How much do you remember?
Pick the best answer.
- As Conrad has gotten older, he finds that it is becoming more
difficult to remember certain words or the name of a new
acquaintance. What is the most likely explanation for this change
in memory?
a. Alzheimer’s disease c. stress
b. the aging process d. heredity - According to Erikson, the primary task of early adulthood is
a. completing your education.
b. finding a mate.
c. starting a career.
d. taking care of aging parents. - According to Baumrind, which type of parent would most likely say,
“Because I said so” or “It’s my way or the highway!”
a. authoritarian c. permissive neglectful
b. authoritative d. permissive indulgent
4. Which theory of aging is compared to the limited number of repairs
you can have before your car’s warranty runs out?
a. wear-and-tear theory c. free-radical theory
b. cellular-clock theory d. activity theory
5. According to research, the reason many older people are no longer
involved in their community is because
a. they are not asked to take part.
b. they quite often are unable to take part.
c. they do not wish to be involved.
d. they die.
6. What stage might terminally ill patients be in if they refuse to write a
last will and testament because they believe that in doing so, they
are admitting they will die?
a. bargaining c. depression
b. anger d. denial
Applying Psychology to Everyday Life
Cross-Cultural Views on Death
8.17 Compare and contrast some cross-cultural differences in views of
death and dying.
In the 1987 movie The Princess Bride, a character called Miracle Max says, “It just so
happens that your friend here is only MOSTLY dead. There’s a big difference between
mostly dead and all dead. Mostly dead is slightly alive.” As it turns out, that far-fetched
idea of “mostly dead” is not unheard of in other cultures. While Westerners see a person
as either dead or alive, in some cultures a person who, by Western standards, is clearly
alive, is mourned as already dead—as is the case in many Native American cultures.
Let’s take a look at three diverse cultures and their views on death and dying, remem-
bering to contrast them with what you know of death and funeral rites common in your
own culture.- In a wealthy Hindu family in India, the dying person is sur-
rounded by family members, even while in the hospital.
In addition, many visitors will attend to the dying person,
creating a nearly constant flow of visitors in and out of the
room. Once the person has passed away, preparations for
the funeral period—which can take nearly 2 weeks—are
begun. The body is not sent to a funeral home but rather is
taken into the family home until the actual day of the funeral,
where a cremation will take place. During the funeral prepa-
ration period, visitors and family stream in and out of the
deceased’s home, and an abundance of food—all vegetar-
ian at this time—is prepared and eaten. Until the day of the
funeral, mattresses are placed on the floor, and all but the
very old and infirm are expected to sleep there; the body of
the deceased is also placed on the floor. The family mem-
bers themselves will eventually wash the body in preparation
The washed and wrapped body of a Hindu man is being carried to the
crematorium by his family members.