,Verified PSYC 140 Final Module Exam -
Developmental (Lifespan) Psychology - Portage -
26/27 (PDF)
1. According to the lifespan perspective, development is considered lifelong, multidimensional, and
multidirectional. What does "multidirectional" specifically refer to?
A) Development proceeds in a single, linear trajectory toward maturity
B) Development involves both growth and decline across different domains
C) Development is influenced equally by biology and environment
D) Development occurs in the same sequence for all individuals
Correct Answer: B) Development involves both growth and decline across different domains
Rationale: Multidirectionality means development is not a one-way path of improvement; some
capacities grow while others decline over time. For example, fluid intelligence may decline while
crystallized intelligence increases. Option A describes a unidirectional view, C refers to nature/nurture
interaction, and D describes universality.
2. A researcher administers the same cognitive ability test to a group of 8-year-olds, 12-year-olds, and
16-year-olds in the same year. This is an example of which research design?
A) Longitudinal design
B) Cross-sectional design
C) Sequential design
D) Experimental design
Correct Answer: B) Cross-sectional design
Rationale: A cross-sectional design compares different age groups at a single point in time. Testing 8-,
12-, and 16-year-olds at the same time fits this definition. Longitudinal (A) follows the same
individuals over time, sequential (C) combines approaches, and experimental (D) involves
manipulation of variables.
3. According to Erikson, unsuccessful completion of the first psychosocial stage (trust vs. mistrust)
results in:
A) A sense of guilt
B) A sense of inferiority
,C) A sense of mistrust
D) A sense of shame
Correct Answer: C) A sense of mistrust
Rationale: Erikson's first stage, trust vs. mistrust, if not resolved successfully, results in a fundamental
sense of mistrust toward the world and others. Guilt (A) comes from initiative vs. guilt, inferiority (B)
from industry vs. inferiority, and shame (D) from autonomy vs. shame/doubt.
4. According to Piaget, the process by which children incorporate new information into existing
cognitive structures is called:
A) Accommodation
B) Assimilation
C) Equilibration
D) Conservation
Correct Answer: B) Assimilation
Rationale: Assimilation is Piaget's term for interpreting new experiences in terms of existing schemas.
Accommodation (A) involves modifying schemas to fit new information. Equilibration (C) is the drive
to maintain cognitive balance, and conservation (D) is understanding that quantity remains constant
despite appearance changes.
5. Bronfenbrenner's ecological systems theory includes the microsystem, which refers to:
A) The broader cultural values and beliefs that influence development
B) The immediate environment with which the individual directly interacts
C) The connections between different immediate environments
D) The historical context in which development occurs
Correct Answer: B) The immediate environment with which the individual directly interacts
Rationale: The microsystem is the innermost level of Bronfenbrenner's model, consisting of direct
interactions with family, peers, school, and neighborhood. Option A describes the macrosystem, C
describes the mesosystem, and D describes the chronosystem.
6. Vygotsky's concept of the zone of proximal development refers to:
A) The skills a child can perform independently without assistance
B) The difference between what a child can do alone and with guidance
, C) The stage at which a child becomes capable of abstract reasoning
D) The genetic potential inherited from biological parents
Correct Answer: B) The difference between what a child can do alone and with guidance
Rationale: The zone of proximal development (ZPD) is the gap between a learner's independent
problem-solving ability and what they can achieve with adult guidance or peer collaboration. Option A
describes actual developmental level, C describes Piaget's formal operational stage, and D is
unrelated.
7. The prenatal period of development is defined as:
A) The first year after birth
B) The period from conception until birth
C) The period from birth to age 2
D) The period from conception through the first month of life
Correct Answer: B) The period from conception until birth
Rationale: The prenatal period encompasses development from conception through the completion of
gestation, ending at birth. Option A describes infancy, C describes infancy and toddlerhood, and D
incorrectly limits prenatal development to the first month after conception.
8. During which prenatal stage does the developing organism implant in the uterine wall and the
placenta begin to form?
A) Fetal stage
B) Embryonic stage
C) Germinal stage
D) Neonatal stage
Correct Answer: C) Germinal stage
Rationale: The germinal stage (conception to approximately 2 weeks) involves cell division, blastocyst
formation, and implantation into the uterine wall. The embryonic stage (B) begins after implantation,
the fetal stage (A) begins at week 9, and the neonatal stage (D) occurs after birth.
9. A teratogen is best defined as:
A) A genetic disorder inherited from a parent
B) An environmental agent that can cause developmental abnormalities
Developmental (Lifespan) Psychology - Portage -
26/27 (PDF)
1. According to the lifespan perspective, development is considered lifelong, multidimensional, and
multidirectional. What does "multidirectional" specifically refer to?
A) Development proceeds in a single, linear trajectory toward maturity
B) Development involves both growth and decline across different domains
C) Development is influenced equally by biology and environment
D) Development occurs in the same sequence for all individuals
Correct Answer: B) Development involves both growth and decline across different domains
Rationale: Multidirectionality means development is not a one-way path of improvement; some
capacities grow while others decline over time. For example, fluid intelligence may decline while
crystallized intelligence increases. Option A describes a unidirectional view, C refers to nature/nurture
interaction, and D describes universality.
2. A researcher administers the same cognitive ability test to a group of 8-year-olds, 12-year-olds, and
16-year-olds in the same year. This is an example of which research design?
A) Longitudinal design
B) Cross-sectional design
C) Sequential design
D) Experimental design
Correct Answer: B) Cross-sectional design
Rationale: A cross-sectional design compares different age groups at a single point in time. Testing 8-,
12-, and 16-year-olds at the same time fits this definition. Longitudinal (A) follows the same
individuals over time, sequential (C) combines approaches, and experimental (D) involves
manipulation of variables.
3. According to Erikson, unsuccessful completion of the first psychosocial stage (trust vs. mistrust)
results in:
A) A sense of guilt
B) A sense of inferiority
,C) A sense of mistrust
D) A sense of shame
Correct Answer: C) A sense of mistrust
Rationale: Erikson's first stage, trust vs. mistrust, if not resolved successfully, results in a fundamental
sense of mistrust toward the world and others. Guilt (A) comes from initiative vs. guilt, inferiority (B)
from industry vs. inferiority, and shame (D) from autonomy vs. shame/doubt.
4. According to Piaget, the process by which children incorporate new information into existing
cognitive structures is called:
A) Accommodation
B) Assimilation
C) Equilibration
D) Conservation
Correct Answer: B) Assimilation
Rationale: Assimilation is Piaget's term for interpreting new experiences in terms of existing schemas.
Accommodation (A) involves modifying schemas to fit new information. Equilibration (C) is the drive
to maintain cognitive balance, and conservation (D) is understanding that quantity remains constant
despite appearance changes.
5. Bronfenbrenner's ecological systems theory includes the microsystem, which refers to:
A) The broader cultural values and beliefs that influence development
B) The immediate environment with which the individual directly interacts
C) The connections between different immediate environments
D) The historical context in which development occurs
Correct Answer: B) The immediate environment with which the individual directly interacts
Rationale: The microsystem is the innermost level of Bronfenbrenner's model, consisting of direct
interactions with family, peers, school, and neighborhood. Option A describes the macrosystem, C
describes the mesosystem, and D describes the chronosystem.
6. Vygotsky's concept of the zone of proximal development refers to:
A) The skills a child can perform independently without assistance
B) The difference between what a child can do alone and with guidance
, C) The stage at which a child becomes capable of abstract reasoning
D) The genetic potential inherited from biological parents
Correct Answer: B) The difference between what a child can do alone and with guidance
Rationale: The zone of proximal development (ZPD) is the gap between a learner's independent
problem-solving ability and what they can achieve with adult guidance or peer collaboration. Option A
describes actual developmental level, C describes Piaget's formal operational stage, and D is
unrelated.
7. The prenatal period of development is defined as:
A) The first year after birth
B) The period from conception until birth
C) The period from birth to age 2
D) The period from conception through the first month of life
Correct Answer: B) The period from conception until birth
Rationale: The prenatal period encompasses development from conception through the completion of
gestation, ending at birth. Option A describes infancy, C describes infancy and toddlerhood, and D
incorrectly limits prenatal development to the first month after conception.
8. During which prenatal stage does the developing organism implant in the uterine wall and the
placenta begin to form?
A) Fetal stage
B) Embryonic stage
C) Germinal stage
D) Neonatal stage
Correct Answer: C) Germinal stage
Rationale: The germinal stage (conception to approximately 2 weeks) involves cell division, blastocyst
formation, and implantation into the uterine wall. The embryonic stage (B) begins after implantation,
the fetal stage (A) begins at week 9, and the neonatal stage (D) occurs after birth.
9. A teratogen is best defined as:
A) A genetic disorder inherited from a parent
B) An environmental agent that can cause developmental abnormalities
