Psychology 250 Exam One Questions and
Verified Answers
Prenatal Period Correct Answer: the time from conception to birth
Infancy Correct Answer: the developmental period that extends from birth to about 18 to 24 months
Early Childhood Correct Answer: the developmental period that extend from the end of infancy to about
5 or 6 years of ages, sometimes called the preschool years
Middle and late childhood Correct Answer: the developmental period that extends from about 6 to 11
years of age, sometimes called the elementary school years
Adolescence Correct Answer: the developmental period of transitions from childhood to early adulthood
entered at approximately 10 to 12 years of age and ending at 18 or 19 years of age
Cohort effects Correct Answer: effect due to a person's time of birth, era, or generation but not to actual
age
Millennial Correct Answer: the generation born after 1980, the first to come of age and enter emerging
adulthood in the new millennium
Development Correct Answer: the pattern of movement or change that begins at conception and
continues through the lifespan
Context Correct Answer: the settings, influenced by historical, economic, social and cultural factors, in
which development occurs
Culture Correct Answer: the behavior patterns, beliefs, and all other products of a group that are passed
on from generation to generation
Resilience Correct Answer: when children triumph over adversities
Characteristics of Resilience Correct Answer: 1) Individual- good intellectual functioning, appealing,
social able, self confidence, self esteem, talents, faith 2) Family- close relationship to caring parent figure,
SES advantages, connections to supportive family networks, 3) Extra familial Context- bond to caring
adults, connections to positive organizations, attending effective schools
Nature-nurture issue Correct Answer: debate about whether development is primarily influence by
nature or nurture. The nature proponents claim biological inheritance is the most important influence of
,development; the nurture proponents claim that environmental experiences are the most influential
factors
Continuity-discontinuity issue Correct Answer: question about whether development involves gradual,
cumulative change (cont.) or distinct changes (discount)
Early-later issue Correct Answer: controversy regarding the degree to which early experiences
(especially during infancy) or later experiences are the key determinants of children's development
Scientific method Correct Answer: an approach that can be used to obtain accurate information by
carrying out four steps; conceptualization, collecting data, drawing conclusions, revise research
conclusions and theory
Theory Correct Answer: an interrelated coherent set of ideas that helps to explain and make predictions
Hypotheses Correct Answer: specific assumptions and predictions that can be tested to determine their
accuracy
Laboratory Correct Answer: a controlled setting from which many of the complex factors of the 'real
world' have been removed
Naturalistic Observation Correct Answer: behavioral observation that take places in real world settings
Standardized test Correct Answer: a test with uniform procedures for administration and scoring. Many
standardized tests allow a person's performance to be compared to the performance of others
Case study Correct Answer: in depth look at an individual
Descriptive research Correct Answer: involves observing and recording behavior
Correlational research Correct Answer: goal is to describe the strength of the relationship between two
or more characteristics
Correlational coefficient Correct Answer: a number based on a stats analysis to describe the degree of
association between two variables
Experiment Correct Answer: carefully regulated procedure in which one or more of the factors believed
to influence the behavior being studied are manipulated while all other factors are held constant
Cross Sectional Approach Correct Answer: individuals of different ages are compared at the same point in
time
, Longitudinal approach Correct Answer: same individuals are studied across a period of time
Ethical research Correct Answer: informed consent, confidentiality, debriefing, and deception
Special interest bias Correct Answer: gender & culture/ethnic
Ethnic gloss Correct Answer: using an ethnic label, such as African American or Latino, in a superficial
way, that portrays an ethnic group as being more homogenous than it really is
Theories Correct Answer: often guide the conceptualization of a process or problem to be studied, wide
ranging theories make understanding children's development a challenging under taking, each theory
contributes an important piece of the puzzle of understanding children's development. Although the
theories disagree about certain aspects of development, many of their ideas are complementary rather
than contradictory. Together they let us see the total landscape of children's development in all its
richness
Psychoanalytic theories Correct Answer: theories that describe development as primarily unconscious
and heavily colored by emotion. Behavior is merely a surface characteristic, and the symbolic workings
of the mind have to be analyzed to understand behaviors. Early experiences with parents are
emphasized.
Contributions of psychoanalytic theories Correct Answer: Emphasis on a developmental framework,
family relationships, and unconscious aspects of the mind.
Criticisms of psychoanalytic theories Correct Answer: A lack of scientific support, too much emphasis on
sexual underpinnings (Freud's theory), too much credit given to the unconscious mind, and an image of
children that is too negative (Freud's theory)
Freudian Stages Correct Answer: Oral Stage, pleasure centers mouth (birth to 1.5 years), Anal stage,
pleasure centers anus (1.5 to 3 years), Phallic Stage, focus on genitals (3 to 6), Latency Stage, represses
sexual interests and develops social/intellectual skills (6 to puberty), Genital Stage, sexual reawakening
(puberty on)
Erikson's theory Correct Answer: eight stages of development, each stage consists of a unique
development task that confronts individuals with a crisis that must be resolved
Trust vs mistrust Correct Answer: first year of life, trust in infancy sets the stage for a lifelong
expectation that the world will be a good and pleasant place to live
Autonomy vs shame and doubt Correct Answer: 1-3, realize their will or are restrained too much by
parenting and feel doubt and shame
Verified Answers
Prenatal Period Correct Answer: the time from conception to birth
Infancy Correct Answer: the developmental period that extends from birth to about 18 to 24 months
Early Childhood Correct Answer: the developmental period that extend from the end of infancy to about
5 or 6 years of ages, sometimes called the preschool years
Middle and late childhood Correct Answer: the developmental period that extends from about 6 to 11
years of age, sometimes called the elementary school years
Adolescence Correct Answer: the developmental period of transitions from childhood to early adulthood
entered at approximately 10 to 12 years of age and ending at 18 or 19 years of age
Cohort effects Correct Answer: effect due to a person's time of birth, era, or generation but not to actual
age
Millennial Correct Answer: the generation born after 1980, the first to come of age and enter emerging
adulthood in the new millennium
Development Correct Answer: the pattern of movement or change that begins at conception and
continues through the lifespan
Context Correct Answer: the settings, influenced by historical, economic, social and cultural factors, in
which development occurs
Culture Correct Answer: the behavior patterns, beliefs, and all other products of a group that are passed
on from generation to generation
Resilience Correct Answer: when children triumph over adversities
Characteristics of Resilience Correct Answer: 1) Individual- good intellectual functioning, appealing,
social able, self confidence, self esteem, talents, faith 2) Family- close relationship to caring parent figure,
SES advantages, connections to supportive family networks, 3) Extra familial Context- bond to caring
adults, connections to positive organizations, attending effective schools
Nature-nurture issue Correct Answer: debate about whether development is primarily influence by
nature or nurture. The nature proponents claim biological inheritance is the most important influence of
,development; the nurture proponents claim that environmental experiences are the most influential
factors
Continuity-discontinuity issue Correct Answer: question about whether development involves gradual,
cumulative change (cont.) or distinct changes (discount)
Early-later issue Correct Answer: controversy regarding the degree to which early experiences
(especially during infancy) or later experiences are the key determinants of children's development
Scientific method Correct Answer: an approach that can be used to obtain accurate information by
carrying out four steps; conceptualization, collecting data, drawing conclusions, revise research
conclusions and theory
Theory Correct Answer: an interrelated coherent set of ideas that helps to explain and make predictions
Hypotheses Correct Answer: specific assumptions and predictions that can be tested to determine their
accuracy
Laboratory Correct Answer: a controlled setting from which many of the complex factors of the 'real
world' have been removed
Naturalistic Observation Correct Answer: behavioral observation that take places in real world settings
Standardized test Correct Answer: a test with uniform procedures for administration and scoring. Many
standardized tests allow a person's performance to be compared to the performance of others
Case study Correct Answer: in depth look at an individual
Descriptive research Correct Answer: involves observing and recording behavior
Correlational research Correct Answer: goal is to describe the strength of the relationship between two
or more characteristics
Correlational coefficient Correct Answer: a number based on a stats analysis to describe the degree of
association between two variables
Experiment Correct Answer: carefully regulated procedure in which one or more of the factors believed
to influence the behavior being studied are manipulated while all other factors are held constant
Cross Sectional Approach Correct Answer: individuals of different ages are compared at the same point in
time
, Longitudinal approach Correct Answer: same individuals are studied across a period of time
Ethical research Correct Answer: informed consent, confidentiality, debriefing, and deception
Special interest bias Correct Answer: gender & culture/ethnic
Ethnic gloss Correct Answer: using an ethnic label, such as African American or Latino, in a superficial
way, that portrays an ethnic group as being more homogenous than it really is
Theories Correct Answer: often guide the conceptualization of a process or problem to be studied, wide
ranging theories make understanding children's development a challenging under taking, each theory
contributes an important piece of the puzzle of understanding children's development. Although the
theories disagree about certain aspects of development, many of their ideas are complementary rather
than contradictory. Together they let us see the total landscape of children's development in all its
richness
Psychoanalytic theories Correct Answer: theories that describe development as primarily unconscious
and heavily colored by emotion. Behavior is merely a surface characteristic, and the symbolic workings
of the mind have to be analyzed to understand behaviors. Early experiences with parents are
emphasized.
Contributions of psychoanalytic theories Correct Answer: Emphasis on a developmental framework,
family relationships, and unconscious aspects of the mind.
Criticisms of psychoanalytic theories Correct Answer: A lack of scientific support, too much emphasis on
sexual underpinnings (Freud's theory), too much credit given to the unconscious mind, and an image of
children that is too negative (Freud's theory)
Freudian Stages Correct Answer: Oral Stage, pleasure centers mouth (birth to 1.5 years), Anal stage,
pleasure centers anus (1.5 to 3 years), Phallic Stage, focus on genitals (3 to 6), Latency Stage, represses
sexual interests and develops social/intellectual skills (6 to puberty), Genital Stage, sexual reawakening
(puberty on)
Erikson's theory Correct Answer: eight stages of development, each stage consists of a unique
development task that confronts individuals with a crisis that must be resolved
Trust vs mistrust Correct Answer: first year of life, trust in infancy sets the stage for a lifelong
expectation that the world will be a good and pleasant place to live
Autonomy vs shame and doubt Correct Answer: 1-3, realize their will or are restrained too much by
parenting and feel doubt and shame
