Final answer:
Bernice Neugarten researched the different ways people cope with aging, focusing on psychosocial development and the societal attitudes toward the elderly and the affecting challenges. The correct answer is option: b) different ways people cope with aging.
Step-by-step explanation:
Bernice Neugarten's research primarily focused on different ways people cope with aging. This involves examining the psychosocial aspects of aging, including activities, social connectedness, and cultural roles. Neugarten's work contributed to our understanding of how individuals seek meaning throughout their lives and the importance of societal attitudes towards aging and the elderly.
The social study of aging looks at both how society functions as a whole with an aging population and the individual's own experience of aging. The challenges of aging can include loss of independence and diminished physical abilities, as well as age discrimination, shaping both the personal and societal responses to the aging process.
Geriatrics, the study of health and disease in older adults, aims to improve the quality of life for the elderly by countering the biological aspects of aging, such as diseases that have genetic bases like Alzheimer's, and by exploring potential treatments, including cognitive rehabilitation and dietary considerations.