Chapter 16— Flashcards
The definition of death
a. varies within and between cultures.
b. is the same for everyone within a culture.
c. is the same across all cultures.
d. never changes.
a. varies within and between cultures.
In some South Pacific cultures, the life force is thought to leave the body during illness and sleep. What cultural implication toward death does this belief support?
a. There is no such thing as death.
b. People die many times throughout their lives.
c. Death is a living entity.
d. Souls represent the embodiment of God.
b. People die many times throughout their lives.
Jac is living in Ghana and is said to be dying a “good death.” This means that he
a. is in his teens.
b. has made peace with his friends and family.
c. will take his own life.
d. has sacrificed an animal to the “god of the living.”
b. has made peace with his friends and family.
When a death occurs, _____ traditionally cover the mirrors in the house.
a. Muscogee Creek tribespeople c. Greeks
b. Orthodox Jews d. Cubans
b. Orthodox Jews
When Ahmad thinks of death, he thinks of a wake, a funeral, and a memorial service. Ahmad defines death as
a. a statistic. c. a thief of meaning.
b. an event. d. an analogy.
b. an event.
After seeing a cat run over by a car, Felix says, “That thing is as dead as a cooked pig.” This provides an example of death as a(n)
a. boundary. c. analogy.
b. image. d. event.
c. analogy.
Which is not associated with “death as a state of being?”
a. Being transformed into a pure energy
b. Being with God and endlessly happy
c. Being nothingness
d. Being afraid of dying
d. Being afraid of dying
In the country of Rigermortis, dead individuals are buried in bright yellow coats and the bereaved are sent pencils in the mail. In Rigermortis, a yellow coat and a pencil would serve as ____ of death.
a. states c. events
b. objects d. analogies
b. objects
Determining how many people in a culture are killed in accidents, die from AIDS, and how long people in general can expect to live are examples of viewing death as a(n)
a. mystery. c. event.
b. statistic. d. boundary.
b. statistic.
Which question best exemplifies the concept of death as a mystery?
a. Will my crippled body be made whole after I die?
b. Why was I given cancer?
c. Does my family really like me?
d. How many people die from homicide each year?
a. Will my crippled body be made whole after I die?
Believing that the dead lose all contact with the living best exemplifies the concept of death as a(n)
a. mystery. c. statistic.
b. event. d. boundary.
d. boundary.
Kim’s statement, “I cannot believe that I am dying so young, I have so much more to do,” provides a nice example of the concept of death as a
a. mystery. c. fear.
b. thief of meaning. d. boundary.
b. thief of meaning.
A religion that believes that sinners spend eternity in a burning hell supports the notion that death is a
a. mystery. c. punishment.
b. thief of meaning. d. boundary.
c. punishment.
The concern over who will care for family members after one dies best fits with the concept of death as a(n)
a. fear. c. event.
b. thief of meaning. d. statistic.
a. fear.
A chart showing the number of teens who died from homicide during the past year represents death as a(n)
a. statistic. c. boundary.
b. analogy. d. anxiety.
a. statistic
Who is clinically dead?
a. John, who is not responsive to pain
b. Naomi, who is not breathing and whose heart is not beating
c. Helga, who exhibits no cortical functioning
d. John, Naomi, and Helga, would all be considered clinically dead.
b. Naomi, who is not breathing and whose heart is not beating
After an accident, Steve’s heart is not beating and he has stopped breathing. Steve is
a. whole-brain dead. c. in a persistent vegetative state.
b. mourning. d. clinically dead.
d. clinically dead.
A flat electroencephalogram for 10 minutes is one of the criteria for
a. clinical death. c. whole-brain death.
b. euthanasia. d. death as a mystery.
c. whole-brain death.
When attempting to determine if someone is “whole-brain dead,” a physician would be unlikely to ask,
a. “Do the brain cells still contain neurotransmitters?”
b. “Does the body respond to a pinprick?”
c. “Has there been any movement for the past hour?”
d. “Are the pupils responsive?”
a. “Do the brain cells still contain neurotransmitters?”
In the United States,
a. each state has its own definition of death.
b. all 50 states and the District of Columbia use clinical death as the definition of death.
c. all 50 states and the District of Columbia use whole-brain death as the definition of death.
d. all 50 states and the District of Columbia use persistent vegetative state as the definition of death.
c. all 50 states and the District of Columbia use whole-brain death as the definition of death.
Susan’s cortical functioning has ceased, but her brain stem is still active. Susan would be best described as
a. in a persistent vegetative state. c. clinically dead.
b. whole-brain dead. d. consciously aware.
a. in a persistent vegetative state
A person in a persistent vegetative state would be
a. considered clinically dead.
b. capable of keeping his or her heart beating without consciousness.
c. able to engage in primitive thought.
d. considered whole-brain dead.
b. capable of keeping his or her heart beating without consciousness.
In the case of Terri Schiavo, the argument for passive euthanasia was that she would not regain the capacity for ____.
a. consciousness c. motor reflexes
b. respiration d. vocalization
a. consciousness
Individuals in permanent comas or persistent vegetative states
a. are considered dead both clinically and according to the whole-brain standard of death.
b. are considered dead by the clinical but not the whole-brain standard of death.
c. will not regain consciousness but do not meet the whole-brain standard of death.
d. will regain consciousness but do not meet the whole-brain standard of death.
c. will not regain consciousness but do not meet the whole-brain standard of death.
Dr. Axle teaches bioethics. What lecture title would be most representative of his field?
a. “The Reliability of the Electroencephalogram”
b. “Pupillary Responses in Rats”
c. “Mercy Killing: Legal or Illegal?”
d. “Axons and Dendrites: Synaptic Partners”
c. “Mercy Killing: Legal or Illegal?”
Dr. Rahman has made a career out of studying mercy killing and new surgical options to extend life. She is most likely interested in
a. grief. c. bioethics.
b. death as a statistic. d. death as an object.
c. bioethics.
Bioethics concerns the interface between human values and technological advances in
a. philosophy. c. religion.
b. health and life sciences. d. computer science.
b. health and life sciences.
By definition, euthanasia is defined as the practice of ending life for reasons of
a. mercy. c. speed.
b. health. d. religiosity.
a. mercy.
Which of the following is not part of the definition of active euthanasia?
a. Deliberate act of ending a life
b. Based on statement by an individual who wants to die
c. Decision made by someone with legal authority to do so
d. Must involve individual in persistent vegetative state or whole-brain dead
d. Must involve individual in persistent vegetative state or whole-brain dead
Dr. Kelly has just purposely killed a patient by injecting her with a lethal amount of medication. This patient had an incurable illness and requested to die rather than go through a long, painful treatment. This is an example of
a. clinical death. c. active euthanasia.
b. passive euthanasia. d. inducing a persistent vegetative state.
c. active euthanasia.
Which is the best example of active euthanasia?
a. Administering a drug overdose
b. Pulling the plug on a respirator
c. Not performing a potentially life-saving surgery
d. Withdrawing an experimental drug that might prevent a disorder
a. Administering a drug overdose
The Dutch supreme court established a policy in which physicians who engage in assisted suicide will not be prosecuted as long as
a. the patient making the request is incompetent.
b. the patient only makes a suicide request one time.
c. there is only minimal hope that the individual will recover.
d. another physician reviews that case and agrees with the request.
d. another physician reviews that case and agrees with the request.
_____ was the first country to officially legalize physician-assisted suicide.
a. The United States c. Brazil
b. China d. The Netherlands
d. The Netherlands
Which U.S. state passed the first law legalizing physician-assisted suicide?
a. California c. Washington
b. Oregon d. Idaho
b. Oregon
According to Oregon’s physician-assisted suicide law,
a. only older adults can request this procedure.
b. people who have a terminal illness can voluntarily request a lethal dose of medication.
c. family members must request this procedure in person.
d. the deadly drugs must be administered directly by a physician.
b. people who have a terminal illness can voluntarily request a lethal dose of medication.
Between 1998 and 2011, about _____ patients had died under the terms of the Oregon Death with Dignity Act.
a. 50 c. 5000
b. 500 d. 50,000
b. 500
Dr. Steinmetz decides to follow the wishes of her patient and withhold treatment for the patient’s terminal cancer, thus allowing the patient to die. This is an example of
a. a near-death experience. c. bioethics.
b. passive euthanasia. d. active euthanasia.
b. passive euthanasia
After Maxine was in a severe car accident, her parents were informed that she was brain dead but could be kept alive if she was put on a respirator immediately. Her family’s decision to not put her on the respirator would be considered
a. a durable power of attorney. c. murder.
b. active euthanasia. d. passive euthanasia.
d. passive euthanasia.
The “Ethics Task Force” of the European Association of Palliative Care challenged the term “passive euthanasia” arguing that
a. “there is no such thing as ‘mercy killing.’”
b. “ending life is always active.”
c. “this procedure is unethical.”
d. “the definition must include the word physician.”
b. “ending life is always active.”
The first Supreme Court case on passive euthanasia involved a case in which a family wanted to allow Nancy Cruzan to die by
a. taking her off a respirator.
b. giving her a lethal injection.
c. letting her take a lethal dose of medication.
d. ending force feedings.
d. ending force feedings.
What originally led to Terri Schiavo’s life-threatening medical condition?
a. Car accident
b. Head trauma from violent robbery
c. Physiological imbalance as the result of an eating disorder
d. Side effects from treatment for cancer
c. Physiological imbalance as the result of an eating disorder
Why was the controversial intervention with Terri Schiavo considered to be a form of passive euthanasia?
a. She removed her own tube
b. Her parents were involved in the decision
c. No physician was involved in the process
d. Removing the tube did not directly lead to her death
d. Removing the tube did not directly lead to her death
Before she died, Lee completed a document specifying her wishes to be taken off life support should she be in a position where she could not speak for herself and her recovery was all but impossible. Because the form did not give authority to anyone else to speak for her, Lee’s document was most likely a(n)
a. living will.
b. EEG.
c. survey of near-death experiences.
d. durable power of attorney.
a. living will.
Nathan wants to be sure that, in the event he is incapable of communicating, no life support will be used even if doctors want to keep him alive. He also wants to give his wife the legal right to speak for him in that situation. In order to do all this with one document, Nathan should complete a(n)
a. living will.
b. healthcare durable power of attorney.
c. EEG.
d. survey of near-death experiences.
b. healthcare durable power of attorney.
While they differ in some respects, both a living will and a durable power of attorney
a. identify someone to act on your behalf if you become incapacitated.
b. make it legal for a physician to perform active euthanasia.
c. allow others to know one’s preferences concerning issues like whether you want to be put on life support.
d. cannot be written until a person is about to lose the ability to make his or her own decisions.
c. allow others to know one’s preferences concerning issues like whether you want to be put on life support.
For whom would a “Do Not Resuscitate” order be most appropriately applied?
a. Mack, who is brain-dead
b. Mike, whose heart stopped
c. Mort, whose liver failed
d. Mary, who has Alzheimer’s
b. Mike, whose heart stopped
Most people confront the death of their parents when they are
a. adolescents. c. middle-aged.
b. young adults. d. elderly.
c. middle-aged.
Death anxiety would likely be the lowest for
a. Sally, who is 80 years old.
b. Jesse, who is 45 years old.
c. Rikki, who is 30 years old.
d. Lake, who is 21 years old.
a. Sally, who is 80 years old.
According to research presented in your text, understanding how adults deal with death is probably best understood from the perspective of ____ theory.
a. cognitive-developmental
b. attachment
c. psychoanalytic
d. terror management
b. attachment
A(n) ____ is often used to describe the duration of time between the onset of dying and death itself.
a. death trajectory c. hospice
b. end-of-life scenario d. final scenario
a. death trajectory
Which would have a terminal phase with the longest trajectory?
a. Death due to a massive stroke
b. Death due to breast cancer
c. Death due to a car accident
d. Death due to sudden heart failure
b. Death due to breast cancer
Elizabeth Kübler-Ross’s stage theory of dying was initially developed as a research project
a. investigating how the terminally ill cope with dying.
b. probing into the suffering of inmates at Holocaust death camps.
c. designed to determine the impact of hospice care.
d. testing the effectiveness of an antidepressant medication.
a. investigating how the terminally ill cope with dying.
What is the correct sequence of Kübler-Ross’s original “five stages of dying”?
a. Depression, acceptance, denial, bargaining, anger
b. Denial, anger, bargaining, depression, acceptance
c. Anger, depression, denial, acceptance, bargaining
d. Bargaining, denial, acceptance, anger, depression
b. Denial, anger, bargaining, depression, acceptance
Tricia has just been informed that she has terminal cancer. According to Kübler-Ross’s original model, her first reaction would involve
a. depression. c. bargaining.
b. anger. d. denial.
d. denial.
Stacey has been diagnosed with a terminal illness. She is currently going to different doctors to determine whether her diagnosis is correct. Stacey is probably in the ____ stage of dying.
a. depression c. denial
b. anger d. bargaining
c. denial
Devin has been told he only has a few more months to live. He is totally unable to deal with people, because he knows everyone he sees is going to outlive him. “It’s not fair. Why is this happening to me?” is something he says over and over to himself. He feels frustrated and alone. He is most likely in the ____ stage of dying.
a. depression c. denial
b. anger d. bargaining
b. anger
