Discovering the Life Span 5th Edition Robert S
Feldman Test Bank Complete Exam Prep
Resource 2026/2027
PART 1: QUESTIONS 1–50
1. According to Erikson's psychosocial theory, the primary developmental task of
adolescence is:
A. Trust versus mistrust
B. Initiative versus guilt
C. Identity versus role confusion
D. Generativity versus stagnation
Rationale: Erikson's fifth stage, identity versus role confusion, occurs during adolescence
(approximately ages 12–18) and involves developing a sense of self and personal identity.
Trust versus mistrust is the infancy stage. Initiative versus guilt is the preschool stage.
Generativity versus stagnation is the middle adulthood stage.
2. A social worker is assessing a 10-year-old child who has been diagnosed with
ADHD. The child's parents report difficulty with homework completion and
impulsive behavior. According to research on ADHD, which of the following is
most accurate?
,A. ADHD is primarily caused by poor parenting.
B. ADHD has a strong genetic component and involves differences in brain
structure and function.
C. ADHD is typically outgrown by adolescence.
D. ADHD affects only boys.
Rationale: Research shows that ADHD has a strong genetic basis and is associated with
differences in brain structure and neurotransmitter function. It is not caused by poor
parenting. While some symptoms may improve with age, many individuals continue to
experience symptoms into adulthood. ADHD affects both boys and girls, though it is more
commonly diagnosed in boys.
3. A 75-year-old client is experiencing difficulty remembering recent events but
can recall childhood memories vividly. This pattern is most consistent with:
A. Normal aging
B. Alzheimer's disease
C. Parkinson's disease
D. Huntington's disease
Rationale: The pattern of losing recent memories while retaining remote memories is
characteristic of Alzheimer's disease, which typically affects the hippocampus and
temporal lobes first. Normal aging may involve some memory decline but not this
pronounced pattern. Parkinson's disease primarily affects motor function. Huntington's
disease involves motor, cognitive, and psychiatric symptoms with a different progression
pattern.
4. A researcher is studying the effects of a new parenting program on child
behavior. She randomly assigns families to either the program or a waitlist control
group. After six months, she measures child behavior using standardized
assessments. Which ethical principle requires that participants be informed about
the purpose and procedures of the study?
A. Beneficence
B. Informed consent
,C. Confidentiality
D. Debriefing
Rationale: Informed consent requires that research participants be fully informed about
the purpose, procedures, risks, and benefits of a study before agreeing to participate.
Beneficence refers to maximizing benefits and minimizing harm. Confidentiality involves
protecting participants' privacy. Debriefing occurs after the study to explain its purpose
and results.
5. A researcher is studying whether a new educational intervention improves
reading comprehension in elementary school children. She assigns one classroom
to the intervention and another to the standard curriculum, then compares their
test scores at the end of the year. Which research design is being used?
A. Correlational study
B. Experimental design
C. Naturalistic observation
D. Case study
Rationale: An experimental design involves manipulating an independent variable (the
educational intervention) and measuring its effect on a dependent variable (reading
comprehension) while controlling extraneous variables. Correlational studies examine
relationships without manipulation; naturalistic observation involves observing behavior in
natural settings without intervention; case studies involve in-depth analysis of a single
individual or group.
6. A developmental psychologist is interested in how problem-solving abilities
change as people age. She tests the same group of participants at ages 20, 40, and
60. Which research method is she using?
A. Cross-sectional study
B. Longitudinal study
C. Sequential study
D. Ethnographic study
, Rationale: A longitudinal study follows the same participants over an extended period,
allowing researchers to observe developmental changes within individuals. Cross-sectional
studies compare different age groups at one point in time. Sequential studies combine
longitudinal and cross-sectional approaches. Ethnographic research involves immersion in
a cultural setting.
7. According to Piaget's theory of cognitive development, a 4-year-old child who
believes that the amount of water changes when poured from a short, wide glass
into a tall, narrow glass is demonstrating:
A. Conservation
B. Object permanence
C. Centration
D. Abstract reasoning
Rationale: Centration is the tendency to focus on one aspect of a situation while ignoring
others—in this case, focusing on the height of the water rather than the volume.
Conservation is the understanding that quantity remains the same despite changes in
appearance, which this child lacks. Object permanence develops in infancy. Abstract
reasoning emerges in the formal operational stage.
8. A nurse is counseling a pregnant woman who is concerned about the effects of
stress on her unborn child. Research on prenatal stress suggests that high maternal
stress is most strongly associated with which outcome?
A. Increased birth weight
B. Preterm birth and low birth weight
C. Enhanced cognitive development
D. Decreased risk of postpartum depression
Rationale: Research indicates that high maternal stress during pregnancy is associated
with preterm birth and low birth weight, likely due to elevated cortisol levels affecting fetal
development. It is not associated with increased birth weight or enhanced cognitive
development, and it may increase, not decrease, the risk of postpartum depression.
Feldman Test Bank Complete Exam Prep
Resource 2026/2027
PART 1: QUESTIONS 1–50
1. According to Erikson's psychosocial theory, the primary developmental task of
adolescence is:
A. Trust versus mistrust
B. Initiative versus guilt
C. Identity versus role confusion
D. Generativity versus stagnation
Rationale: Erikson's fifth stage, identity versus role confusion, occurs during adolescence
(approximately ages 12–18) and involves developing a sense of self and personal identity.
Trust versus mistrust is the infancy stage. Initiative versus guilt is the preschool stage.
Generativity versus stagnation is the middle adulthood stage.
2. A social worker is assessing a 10-year-old child who has been diagnosed with
ADHD. The child's parents report difficulty with homework completion and
impulsive behavior. According to research on ADHD, which of the following is
most accurate?
,A. ADHD is primarily caused by poor parenting.
B. ADHD has a strong genetic component and involves differences in brain
structure and function.
C. ADHD is typically outgrown by adolescence.
D. ADHD affects only boys.
Rationale: Research shows that ADHD has a strong genetic basis and is associated with
differences in brain structure and neurotransmitter function. It is not caused by poor
parenting. While some symptoms may improve with age, many individuals continue to
experience symptoms into adulthood. ADHD affects both boys and girls, though it is more
commonly diagnosed in boys.
3. A 75-year-old client is experiencing difficulty remembering recent events but
can recall childhood memories vividly. This pattern is most consistent with:
A. Normal aging
B. Alzheimer's disease
C. Parkinson's disease
D. Huntington's disease
Rationale: The pattern of losing recent memories while retaining remote memories is
characteristic of Alzheimer's disease, which typically affects the hippocampus and
temporal lobes first. Normal aging may involve some memory decline but not this
pronounced pattern. Parkinson's disease primarily affects motor function. Huntington's
disease involves motor, cognitive, and psychiatric symptoms with a different progression
pattern.
4. A researcher is studying the effects of a new parenting program on child
behavior. She randomly assigns families to either the program or a waitlist control
group. After six months, she measures child behavior using standardized
assessments. Which ethical principle requires that participants be informed about
the purpose and procedures of the study?
A. Beneficence
B. Informed consent
,C. Confidentiality
D. Debriefing
Rationale: Informed consent requires that research participants be fully informed about
the purpose, procedures, risks, and benefits of a study before agreeing to participate.
Beneficence refers to maximizing benefits and minimizing harm. Confidentiality involves
protecting participants' privacy. Debriefing occurs after the study to explain its purpose
and results.
5. A researcher is studying whether a new educational intervention improves
reading comprehension in elementary school children. She assigns one classroom
to the intervention and another to the standard curriculum, then compares their
test scores at the end of the year. Which research design is being used?
A. Correlational study
B. Experimental design
C. Naturalistic observation
D. Case study
Rationale: An experimental design involves manipulating an independent variable (the
educational intervention) and measuring its effect on a dependent variable (reading
comprehension) while controlling extraneous variables. Correlational studies examine
relationships without manipulation; naturalistic observation involves observing behavior in
natural settings without intervention; case studies involve in-depth analysis of a single
individual or group.
6. A developmental psychologist is interested in how problem-solving abilities
change as people age. She tests the same group of participants at ages 20, 40, and
60. Which research method is she using?
A. Cross-sectional study
B. Longitudinal study
C. Sequential study
D. Ethnographic study
, Rationale: A longitudinal study follows the same participants over an extended period,
allowing researchers to observe developmental changes within individuals. Cross-sectional
studies compare different age groups at one point in time. Sequential studies combine
longitudinal and cross-sectional approaches. Ethnographic research involves immersion in
a cultural setting.
7. According to Piaget's theory of cognitive development, a 4-year-old child who
believes that the amount of water changes when poured from a short, wide glass
into a tall, narrow glass is demonstrating:
A. Conservation
B. Object permanence
C. Centration
D. Abstract reasoning
Rationale: Centration is the tendency to focus on one aspect of a situation while ignoring
others—in this case, focusing on the height of the water rather than the volume.
Conservation is the understanding that quantity remains the same despite changes in
appearance, which this child lacks. Object permanence develops in infancy. Abstract
reasoning emerges in the formal operational stage.
8. A nurse is counseling a pregnant woman who is concerned about the effects of
stress on her unborn child. Research on prenatal stress suggests that high maternal
stress is most strongly associated with which outcome?
A. Increased birth weight
B. Preterm birth and low birth weight
C. Enhanced cognitive development
D. Decreased risk of postpartum depression
Rationale: Research indicates that high maternal stress during pregnancy is associated
with preterm birth and low birth weight, likely due to elevated cortisol levels affecting fetal
development. It is not associated with increased birth weight or enhanced cognitive
development, and it may increase, not decrease, the risk of postpartum depression.
