MCAT Psychological Social Foundations Flashcards: 9b Demographic Structure Age Gender

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This deck focuses on 9b Demographic Structure Age Gender, giving you a quick way to review the definitions, rules, and examples that matter most for MCAT Psychological Social Foundations.

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Flashcard 1: Identify the age groups typically counted as dependents in the dependency ratio.

Answer: Ages $0$–$14$ and $65+$. Children and elderly who typically don't work full-time.

Flashcard 2: In the DTM, which stage is characterized by falling death rates with high birth rates?

Answer: Stage $2$ (transitional/early industrial). Improved healthcare reduces deaths; births stay high.

Flashcard 3: What is the definition of net migration rate?

Answer: Immigration minus emigration, usually expressed per $1{,}000$ population. This rate quantifies migration's net effect on population change, crucial for urban planning and resource allocation.

Flashcard 4: Identify the term for the process by which older adults gradually withdraw from social roles.

Answer: Disengagement theory. Controversial theory suggesting mutual withdrawal benefits society.

Flashcard 5: What is the life course perspective in sociology?

Answer: How age-graded roles and historical context shape individual trajectories. Examines timing of life events and social expectations.

Flashcard 6: What characterizes Stage 4 of the demographic transition model?

Answer: Low birth rate and low death rate; stable or slow growth. Post-industrial equilibrium with both rates at low levels.

Flashcard 7: What is role strain?

Answer: Stress from competing demands within a single social role. Occurs when one role has conflicting expectations.

Flashcard 8: What is the difference between sex and gender in social science terminology?

Answer: Sex is biological traits; gender is socially constructed roles/identity. Sex is chromosomes/anatomy; gender is cultural expectations.

Flashcard 9: In the DTM, which stage is marked by falling death rates while birth rates remain high?

Answer: Stage $2$ (early industrializing). Medical advances reduce mortality before fertility declines.

Flashcard 10: Identify the age groups typically counted as dependents in the dependency ratio.

Answer: Ages $0$-$14$ and $65+$. Non-working ages requiring economic support.

Flashcard 11: What is the dependency ratio intended to capture in demographic structure?

Answer: Relative burden of dependents compared with the working-age population. Measures economic pressure on productive population.

Flashcard 12: Which population pyramid shape is most associated with aging and low fertility?

Answer: Constrictive pyramid (narrow base, wider middle/older cohorts). Inverted shape shows declining births and population aging.

Flashcard 13: State the formula for sex ratio as males per $100$ females.

Answer: Sex ratio $=\frac{M}{F}\times 100$. Multiplied by $100$ to express as males per $100$ females.

Flashcard 14: What is the sex ratio?

Answer: Number of males per $100$ females in a population. Calculated as $\frac{\text{males}}{\text{females}} \times 100$.

Flashcard 15: Identify the population pyramid shape most consistent with rapid growth.

Answer: Broad base and narrow top (expansive pyramid). Many young people and high birth rates create a triangular shape.

Flashcard 16: What is dependency ratio?

Answer: Ratio of dependents (young and old) to working-age population. Measures economic burden on productive population.

Flashcard 17: What does a population pyramid with a broad base and narrow top indicate?

Answer: High fertility, youthful population, and rapid growth. Triangle shape shows many births and young dependents.

Flashcard 18: What is the definition of fertility rate as used in demographic analyses?

Answer: Number of live births per woman in a population. It measures reproductive behavior, influencing population growth and age structure in demographic models.

Flashcard 19: What is the demographic transition model (DTM)?

Answer: Model linking development to shifts in birth and death rates over time. Explains population changes through stages of birth/death rate transitions.

Flashcard 20: What characterizes Stage 1 of the demographic transition model (DTM)?

Answer: High birth rate and high death rate; slow population growth. Pre-industrial societies with limited healthcare/sanitation.

Flashcard 21: What is the definition of a turning point in the life course perspective?

Answer: Major event that produces a lasting shift in life direction. Turning points disrupt established paths, often leading to significant personal growth or challenges in adaptation.

Flashcard 22: What is the definition of the life course perspective in sociology?

Answer: Approach emphasizing how age-graded roles and transitions shape lives over time. Examines timing, sequencing, and social contexts of life transitions.

Flashcard 23: What is the crude death rate (CDR)?

Answer: Annual deaths per $1{,}000$ people in a population. Standardized measure for comparing death rates.

Flashcard 24: What is the dependency ratio?

Answer: Ratio of dependents (young + old) to the working-age population. Measures economic pressure on productive age groups.

Flashcard 25: State the demographic balancing equation for population change.

Answer: $\Delta N=(B-D)+(I-E)$. $B$=births, $D$=deaths, $I$=immigration, $E$=emigration.

Flashcard 26: What is a cohort effect?

Answer: Differences due to being born in the same time period and sharing historical context. Shared experiences create generational similarities.

Flashcard 27: What characterizes Stage 1 of the demographic transition model?

Answer: High birth rate and high death rate; low population growth. Pre-industrial societies with minimal medical care and agriculture.

Flashcard 28: What is a population pyramid?

Answer: A bar graph showing age distribution by sex for a population. Visualizes population structure by age and sex simultaneously.

Flashcard 29: What is a population pyramid designed to display about a population?

Answer: Age and sex distribution across cohorts in a population. Visualizes population structure as horizontal bars by age and gender.

Flashcard 30: What is the difference between sex and gender in sociological terms?

Answer: Sex is biological; gender is socially constructed roles/identity. Sex is chromosomal; gender involves cultural expectations.

Flashcard 31: Which population pyramid shape indicates rapid growth and a high fertility rate?

Answer: Expansive pyramid with a broad base. Young populations form wide-based triangular shapes.

Flashcard 32: What is demographic transition theory (DTT)?

Answer: Model of population change with shifts in birth and death rates. Describes how societies progress through predictable fertility and mortality patterns.

Flashcard 33: What is the dependency ratio?

Answer: Ratio of dependents (young and old) to working-age population. Higher ratios indicate greater economic burden on workers.

Flashcard 34: What is total fertility rate (TFR) in demography?

Answer: Average number of children a woman is expected to have. Measures fertility levels across a population.

Flashcard 35: What characterizes Stage 1 of the demographic transition model?

Answer: High birth rate and high death rate; slow population growth. Pre-industrial societies have balanced high rates, resulting in minimal growth.

Flashcard 36: Which population pyramid shape is most consistent with population decline?

Answer: Constrictive pyramid (narrow base relative to middle). Low birth rates create smaller younger cohorts than middle-aged.

Flashcard 37: What is the replacement-level fertility rate in developed countries?

Answer: Approximately $2.1$ children per woman. Accounts for infant mortality; maintains stable population size.

Flashcard 38: What is the demographic transition model (DTM) describing?

Answer: Changes in birth and death rates as a society industrializes. Model showing population changes during economic development.

Flashcard 39: Which term describes the unequal ratio of males to females caused by migration, war, or selection?

Answer: Skewed sex ratio (sex ratio imbalance). Demographic imbalance from selective factors affecting one sex more.

Flashcard 40: What best defines the crude death rate (CDR)?

Answer: Annual deaths per $1{,}000$ people in a population. Measures deaths relative to total population size annually.

Flashcard 41: What is an age-graded influence in the life course perspective?

Answer: Effects linked to chronological age (for example, puberty or retirement). Biological and social changes tied to specific ages.

Flashcard 42: What is the sex ratio in a population?

Answer: Number of males per number of females, often per $100$ females. Typically expressed as males per $100$ females.

Flashcard 43: What is a cohort effect?

Answer: Differences due to being born in different historical periods. Shared experiences shape generational characteristics.

Flashcard 44: What is a population pyramid designed to display about a population?

Answer: Age and sex distribution across cohorts. Visual representation of population structure by age/sex.

Flashcard 45: Which population pyramid shape indicates slow growth and an aging population?

Answer: Constrictive pyramid (narrow base, wider middle/older cohorts). Low fertility creates smaller younger cohorts.

Flashcard 46: What characterizes Stage 3 of the demographic transition model?

Answer: Falling birth rate with low death rate; growth slows. Urbanization and contraception reduce births as deaths stabilize.

Flashcard 47: Which population pyramid shape most strongly indicates an aging, slow-growth population?

Answer: Constrictive or rectangular shape with a narrower base. Narrow base shows low birth rates in developed countries.

Flashcard 48: What is the sex ratio in demography, and how is it commonly expressed?

Answer: Number of males per $100$ females. Standard demographic measure of gender balance.

Flashcard 49: What does the life course concept of a trajectory refer to?

Answer: Long-term pattern of stability and change across the life span. Trajectories capture cumulative experiences, illustrating how early events influence long-term health and socioeconomic status.

Flashcard 50: What is the total fertility rate (TFR)?

Answer: Average number of children born per woman over her lifetime. Key measure of population replacement potential.

Flashcard 51: Which population pyramid shape most strongly indicates slow growth and aging?

Answer: Constrictive pyramid: narrow base with relatively larger middle/older cohorts. Low birth rates create narrow base typical of aging societies.

Flashcard 52: What is the concept of intersectionality intended to capture in demographic outcomes?

Answer: Overlapping identities (e.g., gender, race, class) producing combined inequality. Intersectionality reveals how multiple social categories interact to create unique experiences of discrimination and privilege.

Flashcard 53: Identify the term for prejudice or discrimination based on age, especially toward older adults.

Answer: Ageism. Systematic stereotyping and discrimination by age.

Flashcard 54: State the formula for the dependency ratio using age groups.

Answer: Dependency ratio $=\frac{(0\text{–}14)+(65+)}{15\text{–}64}$. Compares non-working ages to working-age population.

Flashcard 55: What is meant by socialization across the life course?

Answer: Ongoing process of learning norms, roles, and behaviors at each life stage. Socialization ensures individuals adapt to evolving societal expectations, fostering continuity and change across generations.

Flashcard 56: Identify the population pyramid shape most consistent with negative growth.

Answer: Narrow base relative to middle cohorts (constrictive pyramid). Low birth rates create fewer young people than middle-aged adults.

Flashcard 57: Which population pyramid shape is most consistent with an aging population and low fertility?

Answer: Constrictive pyramid (narrow base, larger middle/older cohorts). Reflects declining birth rates and increasing life expectancy.

Flashcard 58: State the formula for rate of natural increase (RNI) using CBR and CDR.

Answer: rac{ ext{CBR}- ext{CDR}}{10} (percent per year, if rates per $1000$). Divide by $10$ to convert from per $1000$ to percentage.

Flashcard 59: What is meant by the term "feminization of aging"?

Answer: Older age groups contain proportionally more women due to longer female life expectancy. Women outlive men, creating female-majority elderly populations.

Flashcard 60: What is the definition of the sex ratio in demography?

Answer: Number of males per $100$ females in a population. Standard demographic measure of gender balance.

Flashcard 61: State the formula for the dependency ratio using ages $0$–$14$, $15$–$64$, and $65+$.

Answer: $\frac{(0\text{–}14)+(65+)}{15\text{–}64}\times 100$. Sums young and old dependents over working age.

Flashcard 62: What demographic pattern defines a population pyramid with a broad base and narrow top?

Answer: Rapid growth with a large proportion of young individuals. A broad base indicates high birth rates and youthful demographics, driving exponential population increase if mortality is low.

Flashcard 63: What is life expectancy at birth intended to estimate for a population?

Answer: Average number of years a newborn is expected to live. This metric reflects overall health, nutrition, and medical access, projecting future population needs.

Flashcard 64: What is the crude birth rate (CBR)?

Answer: Annual births per $1000$ people in a population. Standardized measure allowing comparison across populations.

Flashcard 65: Identify the concept: differences due to historical time period affecting all ages.

Answer: Period effects. Period effects result from widespread events like wars or recessions, uniformly impacting behaviors and outcomes across age groups.

Flashcard 66: Identify the concept: shared expectations for behavior at a given age (for example, "appropriate" milestones).

Answer: Age norms. Social rules about age-appropriate behaviors and life transitions.

Flashcard 67: What characterizes Stage 2 of the demographic transition model?

Answer: High birth rate with falling death rate; rapid population growth. Improved sanitation and medicine reduce deaths while births remain high.

Flashcard 68: What is the definition of an age-graded role in the life course perspective?

Answer: Social role linked to age norms (for example, student, retiree). Society assigns different expectations based on life stage.

Flashcard 69: What does a roughly rectangular population pyramid most strongly suggest about growth?

Answer: Stable or slow growth with similar cohort sizes. Equal cohort sizes indicate replacement-level fertility.

Flashcard 70: What characterizes Stage 1 of the demographic transition model?

Answer: High birth rate and high death rate; low population growth. Pre-industrial societies with limited healthcare and agriculture.

Flashcard 71: State the formula for sex ratio (males per $100$ females).

Answer: $\frac{\text{males}}{\text{females}}\times 100$. Calculates males per 100 females for comparison.

Flashcard 72: What is a cohort effect?

Answer: Differences due to being born in the same time period. Shared experiences shape generational characteristics.

Flashcard 73: What characterizes Stage 3 of the demographic transition model (DTM)?

Answer: Birth rate falls; death rate low; growth slows. Urbanization and education lead to smaller family preferences.

Flashcard 74: What is the replacement-level fertility in developed countries?

Answer: About $2.1$ children per woman. Accounts for infant mortality to maintain stable population.

Flashcard 75: What is the difference between sex and gender in social science terms?

Answer: Sex is biological traits; gender is socially constructed roles and identities. Sex = chromosomes/anatomy; gender = cultural norms.

Flashcard 76: What is the demographic transition model (DTM)?

Answer: Model describing shifts in birth and death rates during development. Explains population changes during modernization.

Flashcard 77: State the dependency ratio formula using ages $0$–$14$, $15$–$64$, and $65+$.

Answer: $\frac{(0\text{–}14)+(65+)}{15\text{–}64}$. Formula divides non-working ages by working-age population.

Flashcard 78: Which population pyramid shape indicates low growth and an aging population?

Answer: Constrictive/columnar pyramid with a narrow base and larger middle/older ages. Reflects declining birth rates and increased longevity.

Flashcard 79: What is the total fertility rate (TFR) in demography?

Answer: Average number of children a woman is expected to have in her lifetime. Key indicator of population growth potential.

Flashcard 80: What characterizes Stage 4 of the demographic transition model?

Answer: Low birth rate and low death rate; stable or slow growth. Post-industrial equilibrium with controlled fertility and longevity.

Flashcard 81: What is the total fertility rate (TFR)?

Answer: Average number of children a woman is expected to have. Calculated over her reproductive years, typically ages 15-49.

Flashcard 82: Which population pyramid shape most strongly suggests an aging, slow-growth population?

Answer: Narrow base with more even or top-heavy distribution. Low birth rates create smaller younger cohorts.

Flashcard 83: What is the life course perspective in sociology?

Answer: Framework emphasizing how age-graded roles change across the lifespan. Examines transitions, timing, and social contexts of life events.

Flashcard 84: What is the typical sex ratio at birth in humans?

Answer: About $105$ males per $100$ females. Natural biological pattern slightly favoring male births.

Flashcard 85: What defines DTM Stage 4 (postindustrial) in terms of birth and death rates?

Answer: Low birth rate and low death rate; stable or slow growth. Characteristic of developed nations with family planning.

Flashcard 86: What is a population pyramid used to display?

Answer: Age and sex distribution of a population. Visual representation showing demographic structure.

Flashcard 87: What is a population pyramid used to display?

Answer: Age and sex distribution of a population (typically in $5$-year cohorts). Visual representation showing population structure.

Flashcard 88: What is an age effect?

Answer: Differences attributable to biological or social processes of aging. Changes from maturation, not historical timing.

Flashcard 89: What characterizes Stage 2 of the demographic transition model?

Answer: Death rate drops; birth rate remains high; rapid population growth. Medical advances reduce mortality while fertility remains unchanged.

Flashcard 90: What is an age effect?

Answer: Differences attributable to biological or social processes of aging. Changes linked to maturation and life stage progression.

Flashcard 91: What characterizes Stage 3 of the demographic transition model?

Answer: Birth rate declines; population growth slows as deaths remain low. Urbanization and education lead to smaller family preferences.

Flashcard 92: What characterizes Stage 1 of the demographic transition model (DTM)?

Answer: High birth rate and high death rate; low population growth. Pre-industrial societies with limited healthcare and agriculture.

Flashcard 93: Identify the term for unequal treatment based on age that affects life outcomes.

Answer: Ageism. Discrimination that can limit opportunities across the lifespan.

Flashcard 94: Which population pyramid shape most strongly indicates rapid growth: wide base or narrow base?

Answer: Wide base. Indicates high birth rates and young population.

Flashcard 95: What does the life course perspective emphasize about human development?

Answer: Development shaped by timing of life events and historical/social context. Recognizes that timing and context shape life trajectories.

Flashcard 96: State the formula for rate of natural increase (RNI) using CBR and CDR.

Answer: $\text{RNI} = \text{CBR} - \text{CDR}$ (per $1{,}000$ per year). Natural increase equals births minus deaths per thousand.

Flashcard 97: What is the dependency ratio?

Answer: Ratio of dependents to working-age population. Measures economic burden on productive population.

Flashcard 98: What is demographic transition theory (DTT) intended to explain about populations over time?

Answer: How birth and death rates change with industrialization and development. Links population changes to economic development stages.

Flashcard 99: What is the sex ratio, and how is it commonly expressed?

Answer: Males per females, often per $100$ females. Indicates gender balance; $>100$ means more males.

Flashcard 100: State the sex ratio formula as males per $100$ females.

Answer: $\frac{\text{males}}{\text{females}}\times 100$. Standard demographic calculation for gender comparison.