PSYC 2101 CH. 1-4 Question and
answers 100% correct 2025
What is life-span development? Why should we study it? - correct answer ✔-
The pattern of change that begins at conception and continues through the
lifespan. It involves both growth and decline caused by aging and dying.
-Studying life-span development helps prepare us take responsibility for
children, gives us insight about our own lives, and gives us knowledge about
what our lives will be like as we age.
Life Expectancy - correct answer ✔· It took 5000 yrs. to extend human life
expectancy from 18-41 yrs. of age
· People are living longer in part due to sanitation, nutrition, and medicine
· Life expectancy in the U.S. is about 79 years
· Currently, more people are over 60 than under 18 while 65+, 80+, 100+ are
increasing
o Implications: Fewer people trying to support more people because more
people are growing old than being born.
Life-span perspective - correct answer ✔Perspective that development is:
o Lifelong: No age period dominates as it occurs across your lifetime.
o Multidimensional: Involves physical, emotional, and psychosocial
development.
o Multidirectional: People looking back at the things they've done and what
they'll do following that. Both backward and forward looking.
o Plastic: Capacity to change. Characteristics are changeable.
o Multidisciplinary: Considering many different areas of thought and ideas
o Contextual: Occurs in context and varies, depending on a person's biology,
family, etc. Involves 3 systems of bio and environmental influences.
,· Development involves growth, maintenance, and regulation; and is
constructed through biological, sociocultural, and individual factors working
together.
· Three important sources of contextual influences include: - correct answer
✔o (1) Normative age-graded influences: Similar for individuals in a particular
age group.
~Influences include bio processes (puberty, menopause), and
sociocultural/environmental processes such as starting education (~age 6) or
retiring (~50-60s)
o (2) Normative history-graded influences: Common generational
experiences because of historical circumstances.
~Includes economic, political, and social upheavals (ex. the Great
Depression, WWII). Also, long-term changes in the genetics/culture of a
population (due to immigration and fertility changes).
o (3) Nonnormative (highly individualized) life events: Unusual occurrences
that have a major impact on the lives. Doesn't happen to everyone and may
influence people in diff. ways.
~E.g., death of parent with a young child, teen pregnancy, winning the lottery,
etc.
Diversity in Development - correct answer ✔· Culture: Customs and beliefs,
passed on from generation to generation
· Ethnicity: A characteristic based on cultural inheritance, nationality
characteristics, race, religion, and language. **Pride of ethnic identity has
positive outcomes
· Socioeconomic status: A person's position within society based on
occupational, educational, and economic characteristics.
· Gender: Characteristics of people as males or females.
o E.g., Transgender: Those who adopt a gender identity different than
assigned at birth.
, Economic Determinants of Stress - correct answer ✔· Systemic disparities?
· Social policy (a govt's course of action used to promote the welfare of its
citizens) issues include:
o Increase in impoverished children or escalating healthcare costs for older
adults.
Resilience - correct answer ✔· Demographic differences are studied in terms
of groups (probabilities)
· Other factors come together to form individuals
· Some are implicated in resilience
· Health and well-being, parenting and education, sociocultural
contexts/diversity, social policy, and technology are areas of contemporary
concern closely tied to life-span development.
· Recently there's been a dramatic infusion of technology in the lives of people
of all ages, and the influence of technology on development is an important
contemporary issue.
· Three key categories of developmental processes include: - correct answer
✔o (1) Biological: Produces changes in an individual's physical nature.
~EX. Genetics, physiology, biomechanics (Inherited genes, brain
development, motor skill changes, nutrition/exercise, hormonal changes in
puberty, etc.).
~With new technologies to study one's genetics, there's been a great
increase in studies on the role of genes in development at diff. points in life.
Also more research on how the brain influences development at diff. points.
o (2) Cognitive: Changes in an individual's thought, intelligence, and
language.
~EX. Creating a two-word sentence, solving a puzzle, etc.
o (3) Socioeconomic: Changes in an individual's relationships, emotions, and
personality.
answers 100% correct 2025
What is life-span development? Why should we study it? - correct answer ✔-
The pattern of change that begins at conception and continues through the
lifespan. It involves both growth and decline caused by aging and dying.
-Studying life-span development helps prepare us take responsibility for
children, gives us insight about our own lives, and gives us knowledge about
what our lives will be like as we age.
Life Expectancy - correct answer ✔· It took 5000 yrs. to extend human life
expectancy from 18-41 yrs. of age
· People are living longer in part due to sanitation, nutrition, and medicine
· Life expectancy in the U.S. is about 79 years
· Currently, more people are over 60 than under 18 while 65+, 80+, 100+ are
increasing
o Implications: Fewer people trying to support more people because more
people are growing old than being born.
Life-span perspective - correct answer ✔Perspective that development is:
o Lifelong: No age period dominates as it occurs across your lifetime.
o Multidimensional: Involves physical, emotional, and psychosocial
development.
o Multidirectional: People looking back at the things they've done and what
they'll do following that. Both backward and forward looking.
o Plastic: Capacity to change. Characteristics are changeable.
o Multidisciplinary: Considering many different areas of thought and ideas
o Contextual: Occurs in context and varies, depending on a person's biology,
family, etc. Involves 3 systems of bio and environmental influences.
,· Development involves growth, maintenance, and regulation; and is
constructed through biological, sociocultural, and individual factors working
together.
· Three important sources of contextual influences include: - correct answer
✔o (1) Normative age-graded influences: Similar for individuals in a particular
age group.
~Influences include bio processes (puberty, menopause), and
sociocultural/environmental processes such as starting education (~age 6) or
retiring (~50-60s)
o (2) Normative history-graded influences: Common generational
experiences because of historical circumstances.
~Includes economic, political, and social upheavals (ex. the Great
Depression, WWII). Also, long-term changes in the genetics/culture of a
population (due to immigration and fertility changes).
o (3) Nonnormative (highly individualized) life events: Unusual occurrences
that have a major impact on the lives. Doesn't happen to everyone and may
influence people in diff. ways.
~E.g., death of parent with a young child, teen pregnancy, winning the lottery,
etc.
Diversity in Development - correct answer ✔· Culture: Customs and beliefs,
passed on from generation to generation
· Ethnicity: A characteristic based on cultural inheritance, nationality
characteristics, race, religion, and language. **Pride of ethnic identity has
positive outcomes
· Socioeconomic status: A person's position within society based on
occupational, educational, and economic characteristics.
· Gender: Characteristics of people as males or females.
o E.g., Transgender: Those who adopt a gender identity different than
assigned at birth.
, Economic Determinants of Stress - correct answer ✔· Systemic disparities?
· Social policy (a govt's course of action used to promote the welfare of its
citizens) issues include:
o Increase in impoverished children or escalating healthcare costs for older
adults.
Resilience - correct answer ✔· Demographic differences are studied in terms
of groups (probabilities)
· Other factors come together to form individuals
· Some are implicated in resilience
· Health and well-being, parenting and education, sociocultural
contexts/diversity, social policy, and technology are areas of contemporary
concern closely tied to life-span development.
· Recently there's been a dramatic infusion of technology in the lives of people
of all ages, and the influence of technology on development is an important
contemporary issue.
· Three key categories of developmental processes include: - correct answer
✔o (1) Biological: Produces changes in an individual's physical nature.
~EX. Genetics, physiology, biomechanics (Inherited genes, brain
development, motor skill changes, nutrition/exercise, hormonal changes in
puberty, etc.).
~With new technologies to study one's genetics, there's been a great
increase in studies on the role of genes in development at diff. points in life.
Also more research on how the brain influences development at diff. points.
o (2) Cognitive: Changes in an individual's thought, intelligence, and
language.
~EX. Creating a two-word sentence, solving a puzzle, etc.
o (3) Socioeconomic: Changes in an individual's relationships, emotions, and
personality.
