Life-span Development: Santrock
Human Development Final Exam and
All Correct Answers 2026 Updated.
Development - Answer The pattern of change that begins at conception and continues
through the life span. Involves growth, although it also includes decline brought on by aging and
dying.
Life-span perspective - Answer The perspective that development is lifelong,
multidimensional, multidirectional, plastic, multidisciplinary, and contextual; involves growth,
maintenance, and regulation; and is constructed through biological, sociocultural, and individual
factors working together.
Normative age-graded influences - Answer Influences that are similar for individuals in a
particular age group. Examples are puberty, menopause, retirement.
Normative history-graded influences - Answer Influences that are common to people of a
particular generation because of historical circumstances.
Non normative life event - Answer Unusual occurrences that have a major impact on the lives
of individual people. (Ex. Death of a parent when a child, pregnancy in early adolescence)
Culture - Answer The behavior patterns, beliefs, and all other products of a group that are
passed on from generation to generation.
Cross-cultural studies - Answer Comparison of one culture with one or more other cultures.
These provide information about the degree to which development is similar, or universal,
across cultures, and the degree to which it is culture-specific.
Ethnicity - Answer A characteristic based on cultural heritage, nationality characteristics,
race, religion, and language.
Socioeconomic status (SES) - Answer Refers to the grouping of people with similar
occupational, educational, and economic characteristics.
Gender - Answer The characteristics of people as males or females.
Social policy - Answer A national government's course of action designed to promote the
welfare of its citizens.
,Biological processes - Answer Changes in an individual's physical nature.
Cognitive processes - Answer Changes in an individual's thought, intelligence, and language.
Socioemotional processes - Answer Changes in an individual's relationships with other
people, emotions, and personality.
Prenatal period - Answer Time from conception to birth
Infancy - Answer Developmental period from birth to 18 or 24 months. Is a time of extreme
dependency on adults. many psychological, activities- language, symbolic thought, sensorimotor
coordination, and social learning- are just beginning
Toddler - Answer A child from 1 1/2 to 3 years of age.
Early childhood - Answer Developmental period from 3 to 5 years of age. Called the
preschool years.young children learn to become more self-sufficient and to care for themselves,
develop school readiness skills, and spending many hours playing with peers. First grade usually
marks the end of early childhood.
Middle and late childhood - Answer Developmental period front about 6 to 10 or 11 years f
Loren master fundamental skills of reading, writing, and arithmetic. Achievement becomes a
more central theme of the child's world and self control increases.
Adolescence - Answer Developmental period of transition from childhood to early adulthood
entered at about 10 to 12 years and ending at 18 to 21 years of age. Rapid physical changes
(weight and height gains, changes in body contour, development of sexual characteristics) and
pursuit of independence and identity. Thought is logical, abstract, and idealistic.
Early adulthood - Answer Developmental. That begins in the early 20s and lasts through the
30s. It is a time of establishing personal and economic independence in a career and for
selecting a mate, learning to live with that person in an intimate way, starting a family, and
rearing children
Middle adulthood - Answer Developmental period that begins from approximately 40 to
about 60 years of age. It is a time of expanding personal and social involvement and
responsibility; of assisting the next generation in becoming competent mature individuals end
of reaching in maintaining satisfaction in a career.
,Late adulthood - Answer Is the developmental period that begins during the 60s or 70s
unless until death. It is a time of life review, retirement, an adjustment to new social roles and
diminishing strength and health. It is the longest span of development.
Four Ages - Answer First age: childhood and adolecences
Second age: prime adulthood ages 20 to 59
Third age: approx 60 to 79 years of age
Fourth age: approx 80 years and older
Chronological Age - Answer is the number of years that have elapsed since birth
Biological Age - Answer Is a person's age in terms of biological age in terms of the biological
health. involves knowing the functional capacities of a person's vital organs.
Psychological Age - Answer is an individual adaptive capacities compared with those of other
individuals of the same chronological age. Older adults who continue to learn, are flexible, are
motivated, have positive personality traits, control their emotions, and thing clearly are
engaging in more adaptive behaviors than their chronological age-mates who do not continue
to learn, are rigid, are unmotivated, do not control their emotions and do not think clearly.
Social Age - Answer refers to connectedness with others and the social roles individuals
adopt. Individuals who have better social relationships with others are happier and more likely
to live longer than individuals who are lonely.
Nature-nurture issue - Answer Debate about whether development is primarily influenced by
nature or nurture. Nature refers to an organism's biological inheritance, nurture to its
environmental experiences.
Stability- Change issue - Answer involves the degree to which early traits and characteristics
persists through life or change.
Continuity and discontinuity - Answer focuses on the degree to which development involves
either gradual, cumulative change (continuity) or distant stages (discontinuity). Continuity: giant
oak tree growing from seedling to tree is continuous (Quantitative). Discontinuity: caterpillar to
chrysalis to butterfly, sequence of stages (Qualitative).
Scientific method - Answer An approach that can be used to obtain accurate information. It
includes the following steps: (1) conceptualize the problem, (2) collect data, (3) draw
conclusions, and (4) revise research conclusions and theory.
, Theory - Answer An interrelated, coherent set of ideas that helps to explain phenomena and
facilitate predictions.
Hypotheses - Answer Specific assumptions and predictions that can be tested to determine
their accuracy.
Psychoanalytic theories - 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 behavior. Early
experiences with parents are emphasized.
Frued's Theory - Answer Theorized that patients problems were the result of experiences
early in life. Focus of pleasure and sexual impulses shift from he mouth to the anus and
eventually to the genitals.
Freud's first stage - Answer Oral stage- infant's pleasure centers on the mouth- Birth to 1 1/2
years
Freud's second stage - Answer Anal stage- Child's pleasure focuses on the anus 1 1/2 to 3
years.
Freud's third stage - Answer Phallic Stage- Child's pleasure focuses not he genitals- 3 to 6
years.
Freud's fourth stage - Answer Latency stage- Child represses sexual interest and develops
social and intellectual skills- 6 years to puberty
Freud's fifth stage - Answer Genital stage- A time of sexual reawakening source of sexual
pleasure becomes someone outside the family- Puberty onward.
Erikson's theory - Answer A theory made up of eight stages of human development. Each
stage consists of a unique developmental task that confronts individuals with a crisis that must
be resolved.
Erikson's theory's first stage - Answer Trust versus mistrust - infancy (first year).
(Trusting caregiver)
Erikson's theory's second stage - Answer Autonomy versus shame and doubt - infancy (1 to 3
years). (Assert independence and if restrained too much shame and doubt)
Human Development Final Exam and
All Correct Answers 2026 Updated.
Development - Answer The pattern of change that begins at conception and continues
through the life span. Involves growth, although it also includes decline brought on by aging and
dying.
Life-span perspective - Answer The perspective that development is lifelong,
multidimensional, multidirectional, plastic, multidisciplinary, and contextual; involves growth,
maintenance, and regulation; and is constructed through biological, sociocultural, and individual
factors working together.
Normative age-graded influences - Answer Influences that are similar for individuals in a
particular age group. Examples are puberty, menopause, retirement.
Normative history-graded influences - Answer Influences that are common to people of a
particular generation because of historical circumstances.
Non normative life event - Answer Unusual occurrences that have a major impact on the lives
of individual people. (Ex. Death of a parent when a child, pregnancy in early adolescence)
Culture - Answer The behavior patterns, beliefs, and all other products of a group that are
passed on from generation to generation.
Cross-cultural studies - Answer Comparison of one culture with one or more other cultures.
These provide information about the degree to which development is similar, or universal,
across cultures, and the degree to which it is culture-specific.
Ethnicity - Answer A characteristic based on cultural heritage, nationality characteristics,
race, religion, and language.
Socioeconomic status (SES) - Answer Refers to the grouping of people with similar
occupational, educational, and economic characteristics.
Gender - Answer The characteristics of people as males or females.
Social policy - Answer A national government's course of action designed to promote the
welfare of its citizens.
,Biological processes - Answer Changes in an individual's physical nature.
Cognitive processes - Answer Changes in an individual's thought, intelligence, and language.
Socioemotional processes - Answer Changes in an individual's relationships with other
people, emotions, and personality.
Prenatal period - Answer Time from conception to birth
Infancy - Answer Developmental period from birth to 18 or 24 months. Is a time of extreme
dependency on adults. many psychological, activities- language, symbolic thought, sensorimotor
coordination, and social learning- are just beginning
Toddler - Answer A child from 1 1/2 to 3 years of age.
Early childhood - Answer Developmental period from 3 to 5 years of age. Called the
preschool years.young children learn to become more self-sufficient and to care for themselves,
develop school readiness skills, and spending many hours playing with peers. First grade usually
marks the end of early childhood.
Middle and late childhood - Answer Developmental period front about 6 to 10 or 11 years f
Loren master fundamental skills of reading, writing, and arithmetic. Achievement becomes a
more central theme of the child's world and self control increases.
Adolescence - Answer Developmental period of transition from childhood to early adulthood
entered at about 10 to 12 years and ending at 18 to 21 years of age. Rapid physical changes
(weight and height gains, changes in body contour, development of sexual characteristics) and
pursuit of independence and identity. Thought is logical, abstract, and idealistic.
Early adulthood - Answer Developmental. That begins in the early 20s and lasts through the
30s. It is a time of establishing personal and economic independence in a career and for
selecting a mate, learning to live with that person in an intimate way, starting a family, and
rearing children
Middle adulthood - Answer Developmental period that begins from approximately 40 to
about 60 years of age. It is a time of expanding personal and social involvement and
responsibility; of assisting the next generation in becoming competent mature individuals end
of reaching in maintaining satisfaction in a career.
,Late adulthood - Answer Is the developmental period that begins during the 60s or 70s
unless until death. It is a time of life review, retirement, an adjustment to new social roles and
diminishing strength and health. It is the longest span of development.
Four Ages - Answer First age: childhood and adolecences
Second age: prime adulthood ages 20 to 59
Third age: approx 60 to 79 years of age
Fourth age: approx 80 years and older
Chronological Age - Answer is the number of years that have elapsed since birth
Biological Age - Answer Is a person's age in terms of biological age in terms of the biological
health. involves knowing the functional capacities of a person's vital organs.
Psychological Age - Answer is an individual adaptive capacities compared with those of other
individuals of the same chronological age. Older adults who continue to learn, are flexible, are
motivated, have positive personality traits, control their emotions, and thing clearly are
engaging in more adaptive behaviors than their chronological age-mates who do not continue
to learn, are rigid, are unmotivated, do not control their emotions and do not think clearly.
Social Age - Answer refers to connectedness with others and the social roles individuals
adopt. Individuals who have better social relationships with others are happier and more likely
to live longer than individuals who are lonely.
Nature-nurture issue - Answer Debate about whether development is primarily influenced by
nature or nurture. Nature refers to an organism's biological inheritance, nurture to its
environmental experiences.
Stability- Change issue - Answer involves the degree to which early traits and characteristics
persists through life or change.
Continuity and discontinuity - Answer focuses on the degree to which development involves
either gradual, cumulative change (continuity) or distant stages (discontinuity). Continuity: giant
oak tree growing from seedling to tree is continuous (Quantitative). Discontinuity: caterpillar to
chrysalis to butterfly, sequence of stages (Qualitative).
Scientific method - Answer An approach that can be used to obtain accurate information. It
includes the following steps: (1) conceptualize the problem, (2) collect data, (3) draw
conclusions, and (4) revise research conclusions and theory.
, Theory - Answer An interrelated, coherent set of ideas that helps to explain phenomena and
facilitate predictions.
Hypotheses - Answer Specific assumptions and predictions that can be tested to determine
their accuracy.
Psychoanalytic theories - 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 behavior. Early
experiences with parents are emphasized.
Frued's Theory - Answer Theorized that patients problems were the result of experiences
early in life. Focus of pleasure and sexual impulses shift from he mouth to the anus and
eventually to the genitals.
Freud's first stage - Answer Oral stage- infant's pleasure centers on the mouth- Birth to 1 1/2
years
Freud's second stage - Answer Anal stage- Child's pleasure focuses on the anus 1 1/2 to 3
years.
Freud's third stage - Answer Phallic Stage- Child's pleasure focuses not he genitals- 3 to 6
years.
Freud's fourth stage - Answer Latency stage- Child represses sexual interest and develops
social and intellectual skills- 6 years to puberty
Freud's fifth stage - Answer Genital stage- A time of sexual reawakening source of sexual
pleasure becomes someone outside the family- Puberty onward.
Erikson's theory - Answer A theory made up of eight stages of human development. Each
stage consists of a unique developmental task that confronts individuals with a crisis that must
be resolved.
Erikson's theory's first stage - Answer Trust versus mistrust - infancy (first year).
(Trusting caregiver)
Erikson's theory's second stage - Answer Autonomy versus shame and doubt - infancy (1 to 3
years). (Assert independence and if restrained too much shame and doubt)
