Nursing Prerequisite – Developmental
Psychology
3 Credits
Final Assessment Review
(Questions & Solutions)
2025
1
,1. Question:
A patient in early childhood exhibits separation anxiety and struggles to
form secure attachments after prolonged hospitalization. Which
developmental theory most directly explains these behaviors?
- A) Piaget’s Theory of Cognitive Development
- B) Erikson’s Psychosocial Stages
- C) Kohlberg’s Moral Development
- D) Vygotsky’s Sociocultural Theory
Correct ANS: B) Erikson’s Psychosocial Stages
Rationale:
Erikson’s theory emphasizes issues of trust versus mistrust in infancy
and early childhood. Difficulties with attachment in the hospital setting
can be understood as disruptions in the expected development of trust,
directly impacting the child’s psychosocial well-being and future coping in
health settings.
2. Question:
A nursing student observes that an adolescent patient uses peer opinions
to validate personal decisions about treatment adherence. This behavior
is best explained by:
- A) Piaget’s Formal Operational Stage
- B) Erikson’s Identity vs. Role Confusion
- C) Freud’s Psychosexual Stage
- D) Vygotsky’s Zone of Proximal Development
Correct ANS: B) Erikson’s Identity vs. Role Confusion
Rationale:
During adolescence, individuals are in the identity versus role confusion
stage. They often rely on peer feedback to establish personal values and
identity, which can affect their decisions regarding adherence to
2
,treatment or health behaviors.
3. Question:
A nurse is planning interventions for an elderly patient showing signs of
cognitive decline. Which developmental concept is most helpful in
understanding how aging affects information processing and problem-
solving?
- A) Piaget’s Preoperational Stage
- B) Information Processing Theory
- C) Freud’s Oral Stage
- D) Erikson’s Integrity vs. Despair
Correct ANS: B) Information Processing Theory
Rationale:
Information processing theory explains age-related changes in cognitive
functions such as memory, attention, and problem-solving, which is
critical when designing interventions for older adults with cognitive
decline.
4. Question:
A patient’s resistance to modifying long-held health beliefs is best
understood through which concept from developmental psychology?
- A) Conservation (Piaget)
- B) Egocentrism (Piaget)
- C) Schema rigidity
- D) Object permanence
Correct ANS: C) Schema rigidity
Rationale:
Schema rigidity refers to the fixed cognitive frameworks that guide
perception and behavior. In adulthood, these schemas become resistant
to change, explaining why some patients may resist new health
information or behavior changes.
5. Question:
3
, When evaluating a mother’s sensitivity and responsiveness toward her
infant, which attachment style is most likely to result in positive long-
term health outcomes in children?
- A) Anxious-Ambivalent Attachment
- B) Avoidant Attachment
- C) Secure Attachment
- D) Disorganized Attachment
Correct ANS: C) Secure Attachment
Rationale:
Secure attachment develops when caregivers consistently respond to
their infant’s needs, fostering a sense of safety and trust. This secure
base is associated with positive psychosocial outcomes and better stress
management throughout life.
6. Question:
During mid-adulthood, a patient reflects positively on past achievements
while accepting emerging limitations due to aging. This integration is best
represented by which Eriksonian stage?
- A) Identity vs. Role Confusion
- B) Initiative vs. Guilt
- C) Generativity vs. Stagnation
- D) Integrity vs. Despair
Correct ANS: D) Integrity vs. Despair
Rationale:
In the later stage of life, individuals assess their lives. Achieving integrity
involves accepting both accomplishments and limitations, while a lack of
acceptance may lead to despair. Understanding this helps nurses address
the emotional needs of elderly patients.
7. Question:
A pediatric patient with developmental delays struggles with language
acquisition compared to peers. Which theory would a nurse use to
explain the importance of social interaction in learning language?
4
Psychology
3 Credits
Final Assessment Review
(Questions & Solutions)
2025
1
,1. Question:
A patient in early childhood exhibits separation anxiety and struggles to
form secure attachments after prolonged hospitalization. Which
developmental theory most directly explains these behaviors?
- A) Piaget’s Theory of Cognitive Development
- B) Erikson’s Psychosocial Stages
- C) Kohlberg’s Moral Development
- D) Vygotsky’s Sociocultural Theory
Correct ANS: B) Erikson’s Psychosocial Stages
Rationale:
Erikson’s theory emphasizes issues of trust versus mistrust in infancy
and early childhood. Difficulties with attachment in the hospital setting
can be understood as disruptions in the expected development of trust,
directly impacting the child’s psychosocial well-being and future coping in
health settings.
2. Question:
A nursing student observes that an adolescent patient uses peer opinions
to validate personal decisions about treatment adherence. This behavior
is best explained by:
- A) Piaget’s Formal Operational Stage
- B) Erikson’s Identity vs. Role Confusion
- C) Freud’s Psychosexual Stage
- D) Vygotsky’s Zone of Proximal Development
Correct ANS: B) Erikson’s Identity vs. Role Confusion
Rationale:
During adolescence, individuals are in the identity versus role confusion
stage. They often rely on peer feedback to establish personal values and
identity, which can affect their decisions regarding adherence to
2
,treatment or health behaviors.
3. Question:
A nurse is planning interventions for an elderly patient showing signs of
cognitive decline. Which developmental concept is most helpful in
understanding how aging affects information processing and problem-
solving?
- A) Piaget’s Preoperational Stage
- B) Information Processing Theory
- C) Freud’s Oral Stage
- D) Erikson’s Integrity vs. Despair
Correct ANS: B) Information Processing Theory
Rationale:
Information processing theory explains age-related changes in cognitive
functions such as memory, attention, and problem-solving, which is
critical when designing interventions for older adults with cognitive
decline.
4. Question:
A patient’s resistance to modifying long-held health beliefs is best
understood through which concept from developmental psychology?
- A) Conservation (Piaget)
- B) Egocentrism (Piaget)
- C) Schema rigidity
- D) Object permanence
Correct ANS: C) Schema rigidity
Rationale:
Schema rigidity refers to the fixed cognitive frameworks that guide
perception and behavior. In adulthood, these schemas become resistant
to change, explaining why some patients may resist new health
information or behavior changes.
5. Question:
3
, When evaluating a mother’s sensitivity and responsiveness toward her
infant, which attachment style is most likely to result in positive long-
term health outcomes in children?
- A) Anxious-Ambivalent Attachment
- B) Avoidant Attachment
- C) Secure Attachment
- D) Disorganized Attachment
Correct ANS: C) Secure Attachment
Rationale:
Secure attachment develops when caregivers consistently respond to
their infant’s needs, fostering a sense of safety and trust. This secure
base is associated with positive psychosocial outcomes and better stress
management throughout life.
6. Question:
During mid-adulthood, a patient reflects positively on past achievements
while accepting emerging limitations due to aging. This integration is best
represented by which Eriksonian stage?
- A) Identity vs. Role Confusion
- B) Initiative vs. Guilt
- C) Generativity vs. Stagnation
- D) Integrity vs. Despair
Correct ANS: D) Integrity vs. Despair
Rationale:
In the later stage of life, individuals assess their lives. Achieving integrity
involves accepting both accomplishments and limitations, while a lack of
acceptance may lead to despair. Understanding this helps nurses address
the emotional needs of elderly patients.
7. Question:
A pediatric patient with developmental delays struggles with language
acquisition compared to peers. Which theory would a nurse use to
explain the importance of social interaction in learning language?
4
