Life Span Development - Exam 1
Study Guide Questions with Correct
Answers
Lifespan development - ANSWERSfield of study that examines patterns of growth,
change, and stability in behavior that occur throughout the entire lifespan
What type of approach does lifespan development take? - ANSWERSscientific (growth,
change, stability)
The vast majority of lifespan development focuses on - ANSWERShuman development
Cognitive development - ANSWERSinvolves the ways that growth and change in
intellectual capabilities influence a person's behavior
Personality development - ANSWERSinvolves the ways that the enduring
characteristics that differentiate one person from another change over the lifespan
Social development - ANSWERSinvolves the way in which individuals' interactions
w/others and their social relationships grow, change and remain stable over the course
of life
What do lifespan developmentalists typically look at which type of area? - ANSWERSa
particular age-range
In Western culture, what age is considered adulthood? - ANSWERS20
Cohort - ANSWERSgroup of people who are born around the same time in the same
place
Age-graded influences - ANSWERSbiological and environmental influences that are
similar for individuals in a particular age group, regardless of where they are raised
History-graded influences - ANSWERSbiological and environmental factors that are
associated w/a certain historical event (bombing of Pearl Harbor)
Sociocultural-graded influences - ANSWERSwhen social and cultural factors affect an
individual at a particular time and include variables as ethnicity, social class and
subcultural membership
, Continuous change - ANSWERSdevelopment is gradual, w/achievements at one level
building on those of previous levels
Discontinuous change - ANSWERSeach stage is distinct
Critical period - ANSWERSa specific time during development when a particular event
has its greatest consequences and the presence of certain kinds of environmental
stimuli is necessary for development to proceed normally
Sensitive period - ANSWERSorganisms are particularly susceptible to certain kinds of
stimuli in their environments, but the absence of those stimuli does not always produce
irreversible consequences
What issue has dominated much work in lifespan development? - ANSWERSHow much
of people's behavior is due to their genetically determined nature and how much is due
to nurture?
Nature - ANSWERStraits, abilities, and capacities inherited from parents
Nurture - ANSWERSenvironmental influences that shape behavior
Theory - ANSWERSexplanation/prediction concerning phenomena of interest, providing
a framework for understanding the relationships among an organized set of facts or
principles
Unconscious - ANSWERScontains infantile wishes, desires, demands, and needs that
are hidden from conscious awareness because they are disturbing
ID - ANSWERS"pleasure principle"
What is the goal of the pleasure principle? - ANSWERSmaximize satisfaction and
reduce tension
How does pleasure shift in stages with children? - ANSWERSoral, anal, phallic
Fixation - ANSWERSchildren are unable to gratify themselves in a particular stage of
development or are over-gratified in a particular stage of development
Erikson - ANSWERSprovided an alternative psychodynamic view in his theory of
psychosocial development
psychosocial theory: emphasized that society and culture influences and shapes us -
each of his 8 stages represents a crisis that the individual must resolve
trust vs. mistrust - ANSWERSfeelings of trust from environmental support
Study Guide Questions with Correct
Answers
Lifespan development - ANSWERSfield of study that examines patterns of growth,
change, and stability in behavior that occur throughout the entire lifespan
What type of approach does lifespan development take? - ANSWERSscientific (growth,
change, stability)
The vast majority of lifespan development focuses on - ANSWERShuman development
Cognitive development - ANSWERSinvolves the ways that growth and change in
intellectual capabilities influence a person's behavior
Personality development - ANSWERSinvolves the ways that the enduring
characteristics that differentiate one person from another change over the lifespan
Social development - ANSWERSinvolves the way in which individuals' interactions
w/others and their social relationships grow, change and remain stable over the course
of life
What do lifespan developmentalists typically look at which type of area? - ANSWERSa
particular age-range
In Western culture, what age is considered adulthood? - ANSWERS20
Cohort - ANSWERSgroup of people who are born around the same time in the same
place
Age-graded influences - ANSWERSbiological and environmental influences that are
similar for individuals in a particular age group, regardless of where they are raised
History-graded influences - ANSWERSbiological and environmental factors that are
associated w/a certain historical event (bombing of Pearl Harbor)
Sociocultural-graded influences - ANSWERSwhen social and cultural factors affect an
individual at a particular time and include variables as ethnicity, social class and
subcultural membership
, Continuous change - ANSWERSdevelopment is gradual, w/achievements at one level
building on those of previous levels
Discontinuous change - ANSWERSeach stage is distinct
Critical period - ANSWERSa specific time during development when a particular event
has its greatest consequences and the presence of certain kinds of environmental
stimuli is necessary for development to proceed normally
Sensitive period - ANSWERSorganisms are particularly susceptible to certain kinds of
stimuli in their environments, but the absence of those stimuli does not always produce
irreversible consequences
What issue has dominated much work in lifespan development? - ANSWERSHow much
of people's behavior is due to their genetically determined nature and how much is due
to nurture?
Nature - ANSWERStraits, abilities, and capacities inherited from parents
Nurture - ANSWERSenvironmental influences that shape behavior
Theory - ANSWERSexplanation/prediction concerning phenomena of interest, providing
a framework for understanding the relationships among an organized set of facts or
principles
Unconscious - ANSWERScontains infantile wishes, desires, demands, and needs that
are hidden from conscious awareness because they are disturbing
ID - ANSWERS"pleasure principle"
What is the goal of the pleasure principle? - ANSWERSmaximize satisfaction and
reduce tension
How does pleasure shift in stages with children? - ANSWERSoral, anal, phallic
Fixation - ANSWERSchildren are unable to gratify themselves in a particular stage of
development or are over-gratified in a particular stage of development
Erikson - ANSWERSprovided an alternative psychodynamic view in his theory of
psychosocial development
psychosocial theory: emphasized that society and culture influences and shapes us -
each of his 8 stages represents a crisis that the individual must resolve
trust vs. mistrust - ANSWERSfeelings of trust from environmental support
