Lifespan Psychology Final Exam
questions well answered to pass
Chapter 1 - The Science of Human Development - correct answer ✔✔...
What does the science of human development seek to understand?(p. 4) - correct
answer ✔✔Seeks to understand how and why people -all kinds of people,
everywhere, of every age-change over time
Do most developmental psychologists believe that development results from
nature, nurture, or an interaction of the two?(p. 5) - correct answer ✔✔Nature
refers to the influence of the genes that people inherit. Nurture refers to
environmental influences, beginning with the health and diet of embryo's mother
and continuing lifelong. Most developmentalists believe that development results
from the interaction of the two.
What is epigenetics? (p. 5) - correct answer ✔✔A new discipline within genetics,
epigenetics, explores the many ways environmental forces alter genetic
expression
What is the difference between a critical period and a sensitive period in
development? What are some examples? (p. 8) - correct answer ✔✔Critical
period is a time when a particular type of developmental growth (in body or
behavior) must happen if it is ever going to happen. Ex. Human embryo growing
arms, legs, fingers, and toes at 28-54 days is critical period because humans
cannot grow replacement limbs.
Versus
,Sensitive period is a time when a certain type of development is most likely to
happen or happens most easily, although it may still happen later with more
difficulty. Ex. Early childhood is considered a sensitive period for language
learning.
Understand the meaning of "cohort." (p. 10) - correct answer ✔✔All person's
born within a few years of one another are said to be a cohort, a group defined by
its members shared age. They have shared social values, events, technologies, and
culture of the era. Ex. Cohorts on baby boom generation.
To what does plasticity refer? (p. 20) - correct answer ✔✔The term plasticity
denotes two complementary aspects of development: Human traits can be
modeled (as plastic as can be), and yet people maintain a certain durability of
identity (as plastic does). The concept of plasticity in development provides hope
and realism-hope because change is possible, and realism because development
builds on what has come before.
Understand the theory of behaviorism, including classical conditioning, operant
conditioning and social learning (modeling or observational learning). Define
reinforcement (p.26- 28). - correct answer ✔✔John B Watson (1878-1958)
Behaviorism is a theory of human development that studies observable behavior.
Behaviorism is also called learning theory because it describes the laws and
process by which behavior is learned.
Classical Conditioning aka respondent conditioning is a learning process in which a
meaningful stimulus (such as smell of food to a hungry animal) gradually comes to
be connected with a neutral stimulus( such as a particular sound) that had no
special meaning before the learning process began.
, Operant conditioning aka instrumental conditioning is a learning process in which
a particular action is followed either by something desired (which makes the
person or animal more likely to repeat the action) or by something unwanted
( which makes the action less likely to be repeated).
Social learning is an extension of behaviorism that emphasizes that other people
influence each person's behavior. The theory's basic principle is that even without
specific reinforcement, every individual learns many things through observation
and imitation of other people. Modeling is when people learn by observing role
models.
Reinforcement is a technique for conditioning a particular behavior in which that
behavior is followed by something desired, such as food for a hungry animal or a
welcoming smile for a lonely person.
Know Piaget's four stages of cognitive development in order. What do the terms
assimilation and accommodation mean (p. 29-30)? - correct answer
✔✔Sensorimotor, Preoperational, Concrete Operational, and Formal operational.
Assimilation, in which new experiences are interpreted to fit into, or assimilate,
with old ideas
Accommodation, in which old ideas are restructured to include, or accommodate,
new experiences.
Describe evolutionary theory (p. 32). How would they explain why so many people
are afraid of snakes? - correct answer ✔✔According to the evolutionary theory,
nature works to ensure that each species does two things: survive and reproduce.
Thus, many human impulses, needs, and behaviors evolved to help humans
survive and thrive. The evolutionary theory suggests that the fear instinct evolved
to protect life when snakes killed many people, which was true until quite recently
in the history of our species.
questions well answered to pass
Chapter 1 - The Science of Human Development - correct answer ✔✔...
What does the science of human development seek to understand?(p. 4) - correct
answer ✔✔Seeks to understand how and why people -all kinds of people,
everywhere, of every age-change over time
Do most developmental psychologists believe that development results from
nature, nurture, or an interaction of the two?(p. 5) - correct answer ✔✔Nature
refers to the influence of the genes that people inherit. Nurture refers to
environmental influences, beginning with the health and diet of embryo's mother
and continuing lifelong. Most developmentalists believe that development results
from the interaction of the two.
What is epigenetics? (p. 5) - correct answer ✔✔A new discipline within genetics,
epigenetics, explores the many ways environmental forces alter genetic
expression
What is the difference between a critical period and a sensitive period in
development? What are some examples? (p. 8) - correct answer ✔✔Critical
period is a time when a particular type of developmental growth (in body or
behavior) must happen if it is ever going to happen. Ex. Human embryo growing
arms, legs, fingers, and toes at 28-54 days is critical period because humans
cannot grow replacement limbs.
Versus
,Sensitive period is a time when a certain type of development is most likely to
happen or happens most easily, although it may still happen later with more
difficulty. Ex. Early childhood is considered a sensitive period for language
learning.
Understand the meaning of "cohort." (p. 10) - correct answer ✔✔All person's
born within a few years of one another are said to be a cohort, a group defined by
its members shared age. They have shared social values, events, technologies, and
culture of the era. Ex. Cohorts on baby boom generation.
To what does plasticity refer? (p. 20) - correct answer ✔✔The term plasticity
denotes two complementary aspects of development: Human traits can be
modeled (as plastic as can be), and yet people maintain a certain durability of
identity (as plastic does). The concept of plasticity in development provides hope
and realism-hope because change is possible, and realism because development
builds on what has come before.
Understand the theory of behaviorism, including classical conditioning, operant
conditioning and social learning (modeling or observational learning). Define
reinforcement (p.26- 28). - correct answer ✔✔John B Watson (1878-1958)
Behaviorism is a theory of human development that studies observable behavior.
Behaviorism is also called learning theory because it describes the laws and
process by which behavior is learned.
Classical Conditioning aka respondent conditioning is a learning process in which a
meaningful stimulus (such as smell of food to a hungry animal) gradually comes to
be connected with a neutral stimulus( such as a particular sound) that had no
special meaning before the learning process began.
, Operant conditioning aka instrumental conditioning is a learning process in which
a particular action is followed either by something desired (which makes the
person or animal more likely to repeat the action) or by something unwanted
( which makes the action less likely to be repeated).
Social learning is an extension of behaviorism that emphasizes that other people
influence each person's behavior. The theory's basic principle is that even without
specific reinforcement, every individual learns many things through observation
and imitation of other people. Modeling is when people learn by observing role
models.
Reinforcement is a technique for conditioning a particular behavior in which that
behavior is followed by something desired, such as food for a hungry animal or a
welcoming smile for a lonely person.
Know Piaget's four stages of cognitive development in order. What do the terms
assimilation and accommodation mean (p. 29-30)? - correct answer
✔✔Sensorimotor, Preoperational, Concrete Operational, and Formal operational.
Assimilation, in which new experiences are interpreted to fit into, or assimilate,
with old ideas
Accommodation, in which old ideas are restructured to include, or accommodate,
new experiences.
Describe evolutionary theory (p. 32). How would they explain why so many people
are afraid of snakes? - correct answer ✔✔According to the evolutionary theory,
nature works to ensure that each species does two things: survive and reproduce.
Thus, many human impulses, needs, and behaviors evolved to help humans
survive and thrive. The evolutionary theory suggests that the fear instinct evolved
to protect life when snakes killed many people, which was true until quite recently
in the history of our species.
