Deck 8: Psychosocial Theory

Question 1

Psychosocial evolution is best described as ____________?

A) gathering knowledge from ancestors and passing it to future generations
B) strengthening groups of people through selective breeding
C) transmitting biochemical information through the mechanisms of genetics
D) the evolving nature of genetic counseling

Answer 1

A

Question 2

Which of the following statements about psychosocial stages is most accurate?

A) once a stage is passed, the achievements of that period are never challenged again
B) at each stage, one struggles with one, and only one, major developmental issue
C) the way one perceives and experiences life varies qualitatively from stage to stage
D) once a stage is passed, the achievements of earlier stages are no longer relevant

Answer 2

C

Question 3

Which of the following terms refers to the tension that is experienced as a person strives to adjust to societal demands at each life stage of development?

A) psychosocial crisis
B) radius of significant relationships
C) epigenetic principle
D) sensitive period

Answer 3

A

Question 4

What is a characteristic of a "good" formal theory?

A) it is logical and internally consistent
B) it is unrelated to previous research
C) it is focused on a relatively narrow, specific subject area
D) it includes contradictory statements that can be tested

Question 5

Which of the following is considered a function of the core pathologies?

A) provide new resources for coping with the next psychosocial crisis
B) protect the person from unwanted interaction with the societal system
C) provide new information
D) promote an optimistic worldview

Question 6

Which of the following reflects a new direction in the conceptualization of psychosocial stages in the life span?

A) consideration of the prenatal period as a product of the interaction of the biological, psychological, and societal systems
B) division of adolescence into two stages, reflecting the prolonged process of socialization and maturation required for entry into adulthood
C) the addition of a period of elderhood, reflecting changes in longevity and active engagement in later life
D) all of the above

Question 7

Developmental tasks can be viewed as _________________?

A) the physical challenges in a stage of development
B) the unfolding of the epigenetic principle
C) skills and competencies that lead to increased mastery of the environment
D) assessments that determine stages of a person's development

Question 8

Which of the following statements about developmental tasks is most accurate?

A) a relatively small number of major developmental tasks dominate a person's problem-solving efforts and learning during a given stage
B) a concept that bridges the individual and the society, assuming an active learner who is interacting with an active social environment
C) people are equally ready to learn developmental tasks at each stage of life
D) both A and B

Question 9

Which of the following terms refers to the way that the person takes in or makes sense of cultural expectations and undergoes adaptive modifications of the self as the psychosocial crisis is resolved?

A) core pathology
B) central process
C) collective efficacy
D) archetypal wisdoms

Question 10

One of the most well-researched concepts from psychosocial theory is the idea of personal identity. Identity status has been assessed on the basis of which two criteria?

A) crisis and commitment
B) hope and despair
C) worldview and role adaptation
D) autonomy and dependence

Question 11

Which of the following identity statuses is viewed as the most mature?

A) foreclosure
B) moratorium
C) achievement
D) diffusion

Question 12

A positive resolution of the psychosocial crisis of trust vs mistrust leads to the establishment of the prime adaptive ego quality of ___________?

A) persistence
B) willfulness
C) hope
D) wisdom

Question 13

Among college students, those with higher levels of hopefulness are also __________?

A) more likely to graduate from college
B) more focused on their goals
C) better able to identify several different paths toward their goals
D) all of the above

Question 14

What is the basic mechanism that accounts for growth in psychosocial theory?

A) resolution of the psychosocial crisis
B) the prime adaptive ego qualities
C) revisitation of earlier crises
D) role strain

Question 15

Which of the following is considered to be a strength of psychosocial theory?

A) explanations about the mechanisms for resolving crises and moving from one stage to the next have been translated into valid measures
B) the emphasis on ego development and ego processes provides insight into the directions of healthy development throughout life
C) the focus and number of life stages have been shown to be identical across all cultures
D) at each stage, the people who comprise the radius of significant relationships is specified

Question 16

Compare and contrast psychosocial theory with psychoanalytic theory and social role theory. What are some ideas that are common to these three? What are some salient distinctions?

Question 17

Explain the concept of psychosocial crisis. What are some unique contributions of this idea to the study of development? What are some adaptive features of the negative poles of these crises?

Question 18

Explain the idea of identity status as a combination of crisis or questioning and commitment. What are the identity statuses that emerge from this conceptualization? How is identity similar or different from the idea of ego? Describe the interaction of person and environment that is implicated in the emergence of a personal identity.

Question 19

What is the nature of hope? How does it serve to support adaptive functioning? Review the six theories covered up to this point and identify any other constructs that are similar to the idea of prime adaptive ego qualities. What ideas from other theoretical perspectives might account for the emergence of a sense of hope?