Multiple Choice Questions
1. According to the life-span perspective, development is:
A) Limited to childhood and adolescence
B) A lifelong process
C) Strictly dictated by genetics
D) Entirely predictable based on age
CORRECT ANSWER>: B
Rationale: The life-span perspective emphasizes that development does not end at adulthood
but continues throughout the entire lifespan.
2. Which of the following is a key characteristic of the life-span perspective?
A) Plasticity
B) Multidirectionality
C) Historical context
D) All of the above
CORRECT ANSWER>: D
Rationale: Paul Baltes identified plasticity, multidirectionality, and historical context (among
others) as key tenets of the life-span perspective.
3. A researcher studying how the introduction of smartphones has affected the social lives of
current older adults is focusing on which type of influence?
A) Normative age-graded
B) Normative history-graded
C) Normative non-normative
D) Non-normative life events
CORRECT ANSWER>: B
,Rationale: Events experienced by a specific cohort (like the introduction of smartphones) are
considered normative history-graded influences.
4. The maximum number of years a human can live is known as:
A) Life expectancy
B) Life span
C) Maximum life potential
D) Survival threshold
CORRECT ANSWER>: B
Rationale: Life span refers to the maximum documented age a species can live, while life
expectancy is the average number of years a person is expected to live.
5. Which theory suggests that as people age, they become more selective about their social
networks to maximize emotional well-being?
A) Activity Theory
B) Disengagement Theory
C) Socioemotional Selectivity Theory
D) Continuity Theory
CORRECT ANSWER>: C
Rationale: Socioemotional Selectivity Theory, proposed by Carstensen, posits that older adults
narrow their social circles to focus on emotionally meaningful relationships.
6. According to Erik Erikson, the primary psychosocial crisis of middle adulthood is:
A) Intimacy vs. Isolation
B) Generativity vs. Stagnation
C) Integrity vs. Despair
D) Identity vs. Role Confusion
, CORRECT ANSWER>: B
Rationale: Generativity vs. Stagnation occurs in middle adulthood, where individuals focus on
guiding the next generation or feeling unproductive.
7. The period of life between ages 18 and 25, characterized by exploration, is known as:
A) Middle adulthood
B) Emerging adulthood
C) Late adolescence
D) Transition to adulthood
CORRECT ANSWER>: B
Rationale: Jeffrey Arnett coined the term "emerging adulthood" to describe the transitional
phase from late teens to the mid-twenties.
8. Which of the following is an example of a normative age-graded influence?
A) Winning the lottery at age 40
B) Experiencing menopause in the early 50s
C) Living through the Great Depression
D) Getting a divorce at age 35
CORRECT ANSWER>: B
Rationale: Menopause is a biological event tied closely to age, making it a normative age-graded
influence.
9. The study of the biological, psychological, and sociological aspects of aging is called:
A) Sociology
B) Developmental psychology
C) Gerontology
D) Pediatrics
1. According to the life-span perspective, development is:
A) Limited to childhood and adolescence
B) A lifelong process
C) Strictly dictated by genetics
D) Entirely predictable based on age
CORRECT ANSWER>: B
Rationale: The life-span perspective emphasizes that development does not end at adulthood
but continues throughout the entire lifespan.
2. Which of the following is a key characteristic of the life-span perspective?
A) Plasticity
B) Multidirectionality
C) Historical context
D) All of the above
CORRECT ANSWER>: D
Rationale: Paul Baltes identified plasticity, multidirectionality, and historical context (among
others) as key tenets of the life-span perspective.
3. A researcher studying how the introduction of smartphones has affected the social lives of
current older adults is focusing on which type of influence?
A) Normative age-graded
B) Normative history-graded
C) Normative non-normative
D) Non-normative life events
CORRECT ANSWER>: B
,Rationale: Events experienced by a specific cohort (like the introduction of smartphones) are
considered normative history-graded influences.
4. The maximum number of years a human can live is known as:
A) Life expectancy
B) Life span
C) Maximum life potential
D) Survival threshold
CORRECT ANSWER>: B
Rationale: Life span refers to the maximum documented age a species can live, while life
expectancy is the average number of years a person is expected to live.
5. Which theory suggests that as people age, they become more selective about their social
networks to maximize emotional well-being?
A) Activity Theory
B) Disengagement Theory
C) Socioemotional Selectivity Theory
D) Continuity Theory
CORRECT ANSWER>: C
Rationale: Socioemotional Selectivity Theory, proposed by Carstensen, posits that older adults
narrow their social circles to focus on emotionally meaningful relationships.
6. According to Erik Erikson, the primary psychosocial crisis of middle adulthood is:
A) Intimacy vs. Isolation
B) Generativity vs. Stagnation
C) Integrity vs. Despair
D) Identity vs. Role Confusion
, CORRECT ANSWER>: B
Rationale: Generativity vs. Stagnation occurs in middle adulthood, where individuals focus on
guiding the next generation or feeling unproductive.
7. The period of life between ages 18 and 25, characterized by exploration, is known as:
A) Middle adulthood
B) Emerging adulthood
C) Late adolescence
D) Transition to adulthood
CORRECT ANSWER>: B
Rationale: Jeffrey Arnett coined the term "emerging adulthood" to describe the transitional
phase from late teens to the mid-twenties.
8. Which of the following is an example of a normative age-graded influence?
A) Winning the lottery at age 40
B) Experiencing menopause in the early 50s
C) Living through the Great Depression
D) Getting a divorce at age 35
CORRECT ANSWER>: B
Rationale: Menopause is a biological event tied closely to age, making it a normative age-graded
influence.
9. The study of the biological, psychological, and sociological aspects of aging is called:
A) Sociology
B) Developmental psychology
C) Gerontology
D) Pediatrics
