Deck 1: Introduction

Question 1

The capacity for acquiring second and third languages decreases after early childhood, whereas experiential wisdom increases with age. This is an example of how development is

A) lifelong.
B) multidisciplinary.
C) multidirectional.
D) contextual.

Answer 1

multidirectional.

Question 2

According to life-span development expert Paul Baltes, which age period dominates development?

A) infancy-childhood
B) adolescence-early adulthood
C) middle-aged to late adulthood
D) No single age group dominates development.

Answer 2

No single age group dominates development.

Question 3

Although the maximum life span of humans has not changed, during the twentieth century, life expectancy

A) in the United States increased by 15 years.
B) in the world increased by 15 years.
C) in the United States increased by 30 years.
D) in the world increased by 30 years.

Answer 3

in the United States increased by 30 years.

Question 4

Life-span development covers the period from __________ to __________.

A) birth; middle adulthood
B) birth; old age
C) conception; early adulthood
D) conception; death

Question 5

Kathy believes that life-span development cannot be studied without considering biological, social, and cognitive aspects. Kathy believes that development is

A) lifelong.
B) multidirectional.
C) multidimensional.
D) plastic.

Question 6

Normative age-graded influences, normative history-graded influences, and nonnormative life events are all ways in which development can be classified as

A) multidirectional.
B) multidimensional.
C) contextual.
D) plastic.

Question 7

Baltes describes development as multidirectional. What does this mean?

A) Development is not dominated by any single age period.
B) Development consists of biological, cognitive, and socioemotional dimensions.
C) Development is characterized by the expansion of some dimensions and the shrinking of others.
D) Development needs psychologists, sociologists, biologists, and neuroscientists to work together in unlocking the mysteries of development.

Question 8

The upper boundary of the human lifespan is __________ years.

A) 105
B) 117
C) 122
D) 131

Question 9

Anna attributes her thriftiness to having been raised during the Great Depression. This is an example of a

A) nonnormative life event.
B) normative history-graded influence.
C) normative age-graded influence.
D) nonnormative age-graded influence.

Question 10

The fact that I use e-mail virtually every day and my mother has never sent or received an e-mail is an example of a difference in

A) normative history-graded influences.
B) nonnormative life events.
C) normative age-graded influences.
D) nonnormative age-graded influence.

Question 11

Researchers increasingly study the development of adulthood. This implies that development is

A) lifelong.
B) multidisciplinary.
C) multidirectional.
D) contextual.

Question 12

Which of the following is an example of how development is contextual?

A) Reasoning ability is biologically finite and cannot be improved through retraining.
B) Parents in the United States are more likely to rear their children to be independent than parents in Japan.
C) Older adults call on experience to guide their decision making.
D) Intelligence may be studied by looking at genetics, anthropology, sociology, and other disciplines.

Question 13

Neleh was on a popular reality TV show and got widespread exposure. This is an example of a

A) nonnormative life event.
B) normative age-graded influence.
C) normative history-graded influence.
D) normative contextual influence.

Question 14

Which of the following is NOT among Paul Baltes' eight characteristics of the life-span perspective on development?

A) lifelong and multidirectional
B) multidimensional and plastic
C) contextual
D) unidirectional

Question 15

Diana feels that her human development course overemphasizes the changes that occur from birth to adolescence and disregards the developmental issues of adulthood. Which developmental perspective would address her concerns?

A) traditional
B) life-span
C) ethological
D) ecological

Question 16

In the United States, most individuals begin school around age 5, whereas in Australia they start at3. This is an illustration of how development is

A) lifelong.
B) multidisciplinary.
C) multidirectional.
D) contextual.

Question 17

Some professors want to teach about the life-span approach in a Human Development course, whereas others want to keep the traditional developmental approach. They disagree about

A) the plasticity of development.
B) the multidimensional nature of development.
C) whether development is lifelong.
D) whether development is multidirectional.

Question 18

Life-span development is the study of human development from conception to death. Historically, however, most of the focus has been on which age group?

A) birth to adolescence
B) young adulthood
C) adulthood
D) old age

Question 19

Which of the following gives the BEST description of how life-span psychologists describe "development"?

A) the pattern of movement or change that begins at conception and lasts through the human life span
B) the pattern or movement of change that begins at conception and forms an adult's personality and physiology
C) the growth in skills and processes experienced from childhood through adolescence
D) the change in personality and perspective experienced by individuals between adolescence and adulthood

Question 20

Biological processes such as puberty and menopause are

A) nonnormative life events.
B) normative age-graded influences.
C) normative history-graded influences.
D) normative contextual influences.

Question 21

The developmental period during which a being grows from a single cell to an organism complete with brain and behavioral capabilities in 9 months is called

A) prenatal.
B) infancy.
C) early childhood.
D) middle childhood.

Question 22

Lauro is 83 years old. Much of his development will now focus on

A) growth and maintenance.
B) maintenance and regulation of loss.
C) increasing plasticity.
D) growth and regulation of loss.

Question 23

Len feels greatly contented in his career. He has more time to spend with his family, contribute to community activities, and mentor young people. What period of development is he most likely in?

A) late adulthood
B) middle adulthood
C) early adulthood
D) stability and regulation

Question 24

Of the following developmental periods, most traditional undergraduate college students would be experiencing

A) late childhood
B) emerging adulthood
C) late adulthood
D) middle adulthood

Question 25

Of special consideration for social policy intervention are children who grow up

A) in poverty.
B) in single-parent homes.
C) in very rural or very urban environments.
D) as part of a minority group.

Question 26

Children living in poverty are more likely to

A) be separated from a parent.
B) be exposed to violence.
C) be exposed to family turmoil.
D) be in all these situations.

Question 27

Margaret spends a lot of time thinking about the choices she has made in her life and the events she has witnessed. However, she needs to pay more attention to her health condition. Margaret is most likely in

A) late adolescence.
B) early adulthood.
C) middle adulthood.
D) late adulthood.

Question 28

The period of early childhood typically ends when the child

A) is toilet trained.
B) learns to dress herself.
C) starts first grade.
D) has mastered reading, writing, and arithmetic.

Question 29

At which of the following ages did the highest percentage of people (in the United States) report that they were happy?

A) 19 years
B) 23 years
C) 42 years
D) 88 years

Question 30

Contemporary concerns in life-span development perspective include

A) health and well-being issues.
B) parenting and education issues.
C) sociocultural, ethnicity, gender, and policy issues.
D) All of these answers are correct.

Question 31

Paulo is struggling to handle his first professional job and a new marriage while becoming more independent and responsible. What period of development is he most likely in?

A) late childhood
B) adolescence
C) early adulthood
D) middle adulthood

Question 32

Jen has mastered the fundamental skills of how to read and write. She is mostly likely in what stage of development?

A) middle childhood
B) late childhood
C) adolescence
D) primary years

Question 33

The U.S. percentage of children living in poverty is

A) only half as much as some other industrialized nations.
B) more than twice as much as that in Canada.
C) lowest among the industrial countries.
D) not high enough to draw people's concerns.

Question 34

Alec is almost completely dependent on his parents and is beginning to develop his language and sensorimotor coordination. What period of development is he most likely in?

A) prenatal
B) infancy
C) early childhood
D) middle/late childhood

Question 35

A primary concern in relation to social policy for older adults is

A) negative public attitudes and prejudices.
B) the increase in elder abuse.
C) access to health care and personal support.
D) the need for funding public pensions.

Question 36

Doctors measure and chart a baby's height, weight, and head growth at each medical checkup. What processes are being tracked?

A) abstract
B) biological
C) socioemotional
D) cognitive

Question 37

Diego feels a strong happiness that he never had before as he holds his newborn child. This signifies development in the _______ process.

A) neurological
B) biological
C) socioemotional
D) cognitive

Question 38

Which of the following statements BEST describes the relationship between biological, cognitive, and socioemotional development?

A) These processes develop independently of one another.
B) The development of these processes is intricately interwoven.
C) Social development is independent of biological and cognitive development.
D) Cognitive development sets the upper limits for biological and social development.

Question 39

Children in preschool years become more self-sufficient and can care for themselves. What period of development are they in?

A) prenatal
B) infancy
C) early childhood
D) middle/late childhood

Question 40

At age 3, Jillian is beginning to engage her imagination. This is the _______ process of Jillian's life-span development.

A) ecological
B) biological
C) socioemotional
D) cognitive

Question 41

A caterpillar spends time as a caterpillar, then a distinct period in a chrysalis, then emerges as a butterfly. In terms of development, this is

A) discontinuity.
B) continuity.
C) gradual change.
D) quantitative change.

Question 42

Although Angie was somewhat irresponsible as a teen, she changed her ways when she entered college and leased her first apartment. This example most directly relates to the developmental issue of

A) stability and nature.
B) stability and change.
C) continuity and discontinuity.
D) nature and nurture.

Question 43

The functional capacities of a person's vital organ system indicate _____ age.

A) chronological
B) biological
C) psychological
D) social

Question 44

Nala decides to explore teenage pregnancy prevention for her Master's thesis. According to the scientific method, what should be her first step in getting started?

A) Analyze the information she has gathered.
B) Draw conclusions from the collected data.
C) Conceptualize the problem to be studied.
D) Begin to collect information.

Question 45

Each fall, the choir teacher faces the task of retraining the deepening voices of some of his male students. What period of development are these students most likely in?

A) middle childhood
B) adolescence
C) young adulthood
D) late childhood

Question 46

Jerry is 60 years old. He has strong muscles, excellent lung capacity and very high cardiovascular health. Jerry is relatively young in his _____ age.

A) chronological
B) biological
C) psychological
D) social

Question 47

Becoming a grandmother is an example of _____ age.

A) biological
B) cognitive
C) social
D) psychological

Question 48

Tammy was shy as a child but became more outgoing and confident when she attended a university far from her hometown. This relates most directly to which developmental issue?

A) multidirectionality
B) multidimensionality
C) nature and nurture
D) stability and change

Question 49

Which of the following is NOT one of the conceptions of age as described in the text?

A) biological age
B) cardiovascular age
C) social age
D) psychological age

Question 50

Leo is 65 years old. He is coping well with his change of lifestyle and is highly motivated to learn new things. Leo is young in his __________ age.

A) social
B) biological
C) chronological
D) psychological

Question 51

The life-span development concept of plasticity aligns most closely with which of the following?

A) stability
B) change
C) nature
D) nurture

Question 52

Brent has a son diagnosed with ADHD and believes that this is primarily due to genetics, given that his father had ADHD as well. Brent most likely believes that ADHD is primarily influenced by

A) nature.
B) nurture.
C) stability.
D) continuity.

Question 53

In the nature/nurture debate, one's _____ is related to "nature," while one's _____ is related to "nurture."

A) biological inheritance; environment
B) age; environment
C) biological inheritance; behavior
D) environment; biological inheritance

Question 54

In the final analysis, most developmentalists tend to believe that

A) development is more continuous than discontinuous.
B) for the most part, people can't change.
C) nature is more important than nurture.
D) development is influenced by nature and nurture, and is characterized by continuity and discontinuity, and also by stability and change.

Question 55

On average, at what age do people enter the "oldest old" age group as classified by Paul Baltes and Jacqui Smith?

A) 50 years
B) 65 years
C) 75 years
D) 85 years

Question 56

During her intake interview, Jody's psychiatrist asks for a familial history of mental disorders, as well as for details about her childhood friends, neighborhood, and schools. The psychiatrist is gathering information related to the influence of _____ on development.

A) biology and environment
B) biology
C) environment
D) cognitive acuity and coping skills

Question 57

What developmental period (as determined by Paul Baltes and Jacqui Smith) is marked by sizeable losses in cognitive potential, chronic stress, and frailty?

A) oldest old
B) young old
C) late adulthood
D) middle adulthood

Question 58

A person's adaptive capacities compared with those of other individuals of the same chronological age are called _____ age.

A) psychological
B) social
C) biological
D) coping

Question 59

Conceptualize a problem to be studied, collect research information, analyze data, and draw conclusions. These steps describe

A) discontinuity in development.
B) the scientific method.
C) a hypothesis.
D) a theory.

Question 60

The controversy of stability versus change is closely linked to which of the following concepts?

A) plasticity.
B) contextualism.
C) multidimensionalism.
D) multidirectionality.

Question 61

The successful outcome of Erikson's stage of _____ results in a healthy sense of independence.

A) autonomy versus shame and doubt
B) initiative versus guilt
C) industry versus inferiority
D) identity versus identity confusion

Question 62

While maintaining that children actively construct their knowledge, Vygotsky focused on _____ in explaining child cognitive development.

A) social interaction.
B) concrete operations.
C) formal operations.
D) organization and adaptation.

Question 63

Which of the following is a central focus of the information-processing approach?

A) the influence of culture on development
B) how individuals store and retrieve information
C) the stage-like advances in an individual's capability to recognize internal cognitive processes
D) the influence of biology and evolution on an individual's development

Question 64

Nathan bites his hand frequently throughout the day. According to Skinner, the BEST way to solve this problem is to

A) explore experiences from Nathan's early childhood.
B) administer an IQ test to determine Nathan's cognitive potential.
C) determine how Nathan's expectations about success have led him to develop this behavior.
D) show disapproval responses whenever Nathan bites his hand, and provide encouragement when he refrains from doing so.

Question 65

Which of the following statements is NOT true of a theory?

A) A theory is an interrelated, coherent set of ideas that helps explain phenomena.
B) A theory is an interrelated, coherent set of ideas that helps make predictions.
C) When studying a topic, it is advisable to choose one developmental theory and disregard all others.
D) A theory is an interrelated, coherent set of ideas that may suggest hypotheses.

Question 66

According to Erikson, a preschooler is in the _____ stage.

A) trust versus mistrust
B) initiative versus guilt
C) industry versus inferiority
D) identity versus identity confusion

Question 67

Which theory would provide the BEST support for your belief in using incentives and time-outs as ways to help children behave?

A) Skinner's behaviorism
B) Piaget's cognitive theory
C) Erikson's psychosocial stages
D) Bronfenbrenner's ecological theory

Question 68

Erikson's theory emphasizes which of the following stages of human development?

A) experiences in early life
B) psychosexual
C) experiences in late life
D) psychosocial

Question 69

Which of the following theories is NOT a stage theory and claims that development is continuous rather than discontinuous?

A) Erikson's theory of psychosocial development
B) Freud's theory of personality development
C) the information-processing theory
D) Piaget's theory of cognitive development

Question 70

Who among the following is a cognitive theorist?

A) Vygotsky
B) Freud
C) Erikson
D) both Freud and Erikson

Question 71

At the airport, 4-year-old Kelly's mom encourages her to help with dragging the bags off the luggage carousel. According to Erikson's stage theory, Kelly's mom is helping Kelly develop

A) trust.
B) her identity.
C) initiative.
D) altruism.

Question 72

Psychoanalytic theories stress what in development?

A) the child's cognitive creativity
B) genes inherited from parents
C) late experiences with parents
D) early experiences with parents

Question 73

Carlos is just starting to learn about the world. According to Vygotsky's sociocultural cognitive theory, which of the following would be among the most important tools he will use to do this?

A) mobility
B) sensory perceptions
C) language
D) physical tools

Question 74

Ben has repressed his sexual urges and has started to develop social and intellectual skills. Ben is in the psychosexual stage called the _____ stage.

A) phallic
B) anal
C) latency
D) oral

Question 75

Behaviorism argues that we should only study scientifically that which can be _____ and _____.

A) observed; measured
B) observed; changed
C) learned; changed
D) rewarded; punished

Question 76

Piaget theorized that children move through distinct stages of cognitive development, with each stage being qualitatively different from the one preceding. His theory reflects which aspect of developmental philosophy?

A) discontinuity
B) multidirectionality
C) stability
D) nature

Question 77

If you believe that development occurs in stages, and you focus on cognitive development in an attempt to explain how children actively construct their own view of the world, then you are mostly likely to believe the development theory of

A) Vygotsky.
B) Piaget.
C) Erikson.
D) Freud.

Question 78

Each stage in Erikson's theory presents a crisis that must be resolved. These crises are

A) developmental landmarks with increased vulnerability.
B) developmental landmarks with both increased vulnerability and enhanced potentials.
C) catastrophic events that toughen the individual for future crises.
D) developmental landmarks with enhanced potentials.

Question 79

Psychoanalytic theories hold that development primarily depends on

A) the unconscious mind.
B) thinking, reasoning, language, and other cognitive processes.
C) behavior's link to environment.
D) biology and evolution.

Question 80

Which of the following theories emphasizes that people manipulate and monitor information and strategize about it?

A) ethological theory
B) Piaget's cognitive development theory
C) information-processing theory
D) psychoanalytic theory