DEP2004 TEST ONE REVIEW: CHAPTERS 1-6 COMPREHENSIVE EXAM QUESTIONS AND
ANSWERS WITH 100% CORRECT ANSWERS | LATEST VERSION
SECTION A: INTRODUCTION TO DEVELOPMENTAL PSYCHOLOGY AND RESEARCH
METHODS (CHAPTER 1)
1. Which of the following best defines developmental psychology?
A. The study of mental disorders across the lifespan
B. The scientific study of how people change and remain the same from conception to
death
C. The study of childhood behavior only
D. The analysis of personality traits in adults
Answer: B
Rationale: Developmental psychology examines growth, change, and stability across the
entire lifespan, not just childhood or abnormal behavior.
2. The nature versus nurture debate primarily concerns:
A. Whether development is continuous or discontinuous
B. Whether heredity or environment plays a greater role in development
C. Whether development is universal or context-specific
D. Whether research should be longitudinal or cross-sectional
Answer: B
Rationale: Nature refers to genetic inheritance, while nurture refers to environmental
influences; the debate addresses their relative contributions.
3. A researcher who believes development occurs in distinct stages most likely
supports which view?
A. Continuous development
B. Discontinuous development
C. Quantitative development
D. Environmental determinism
,Answer: B
Rationale: Discontinuous development involves distinct stages with qualitative changes,
unlike the gradual, quantitative nature of continuous development.
4. Which theorist is associated with the psychosexual theory of development?
A. Erik Erikson
B. Jean Piaget
C. Sigmund Freud
D. B.F. Skinner
Answer: C
Rationale: Freud proposed psychosexual stages (oral, anal, phallic, latency, genital), while
Erikson developed psychosocial stages.
5. Erikson's psychosocial theory emphasizes:
A. Unconscious sexual urges
B. Social and cultural influences across eight stages
C. Operant conditioning principles
D. Cognitive schemas and assimilation
Answer: B
Rationale: Erikson extended Freud's theory by emphasizing social relationships and
cultural demands across eight psychosocial stages.
6. Piaget's theory focuses primarily on:
A. Moral development through reinforcement
B. Cognitive development through stages of thinking
C. Attachment formation in infancy
D. Language acquisition through imitation
Answer: B
Rationale: Piaget studied how children construct knowledge through cognitive stages:
sensorimotor, preoperational, concrete operational, and formal operational.
7. The learning theory approach to development emphasizes:
A. Unconscious conflicts
B. Observable behavior and environmental influences
C. Genetic predispositions
D. Universal stages of moral reasoning
Answer: B
Rationale: Learning theories, including behaviorism and social learning, focus on how
environment shapes observable behavior.
,8. Bandura's social cognitive theory introduced the concept of:
A. Classical conditioning
B. Operant conditioning
C. Observational learning and self-efficacy
D. Psychosexual stages
Answer: C
Rationale: Bandura demonstrated that people learn by observing models and that self-
efficacy beliefs influence behavior.
9. The ecological systems theory was proposed by:
A. Urie Bronfenbrenner
B. Lev Vygotsky
C. John Bowlby
D. Konrad Lorenz
Answer: A
Rationale: Bronfenbrenner's bioecological model includes microsystem, mesosystem,
exosystem, macrosystem, and chronosystem.
10. Which research design follows the same individuals over a long period?
A. Cross-sectional
B. Longitudinal
C. Sequential
D. Correlational
Answer: B
Rationale: Longitudinal research tracks the same participants over time, allowing
observation of developmental change.
11. A cross-sectional study primarily examines:
A. One cohort over many years
B. Different age groups at one point in time
C. Twin similarities
D. Experimental manipulation of variables
Answer: B
Rationale: Cross-sectional designs compare different age groups simultaneously, which is
efficient but confounds age and cohort.
12. Which correlation coefficient indicates the strongest relationship?
A. +0.25
B. -0.80
C. +0.50
, D. -0.10
Answer: B
Rationale: The strength of a correlation depends on absolute value; -0.80 is strongest
among the options.
13. An experiment differs from correlational research because experiments:
A. Cannot establish causation
B. Involve manipulation of an independent variable
C. Use only surveys
D. Avoid random assignment
Answer: B
Rationale: Experiments manipulate an independent variable and use random assignment
to establish cause-and-effect relationships.
14. Ethical research with children requires:
A. No consent from anyone
B. Informed consent from parents and assent from children
C. Deception at all times
D. Avoidance of debriefing
Answer: B
Rationale: Minors cannot legally consent; parental permission and child assent are
standard ethical requirements.
15. Which theoretical perspective emphasizes unconscious drives and early
experiences?
A. Behavioral
B. Psychodynamic
C. Cognitive
D. Evolutionary
Answer: B
Rationale: Psychodynamic theories, originating with Freud, stress unconscious motives
and early childhood experiences.
SECTION B: GENETIC AND PRENATAL DEVELOPMENT (CHAPTER 2)
16. Genes are composed of:
A. Proteins
B. DNA
C. Lipids
ANSWERS WITH 100% CORRECT ANSWERS | LATEST VERSION
SECTION A: INTRODUCTION TO DEVELOPMENTAL PSYCHOLOGY AND RESEARCH
METHODS (CHAPTER 1)
1. Which of the following best defines developmental psychology?
A. The study of mental disorders across the lifespan
B. The scientific study of how people change and remain the same from conception to
death
C. The study of childhood behavior only
D. The analysis of personality traits in adults
Answer: B
Rationale: Developmental psychology examines growth, change, and stability across the
entire lifespan, not just childhood or abnormal behavior.
2. The nature versus nurture debate primarily concerns:
A. Whether development is continuous or discontinuous
B. Whether heredity or environment plays a greater role in development
C. Whether development is universal or context-specific
D. Whether research should be longitudinal or cross-sectional
Answer: B
Rationale: Nature refers to genetic inheritance, while nurture refers to environmental
influences; the debate addresses their relative contributions.
3. A researcher who believes development occurs in distinct stages most likely
supports which view?
A. Continuous development
B. Discontinuous development
C. Quantitative development
D. Environmental determinism
,Answer: B
Rationale: Discontinuous development involves distinct stages with qualitative changes,
unlike the gradual, quantitative nature of continuous development.
4. Which theorist is associated with the psychosexual theory of development?
A. Erik Erikson
B. Jean Piaget
C. Sigmund Freud
D. B.F. Skinner
Answer: C
Rationale: Freud proposed psychosexual stages (oral, anal, phallic, latency, genital), while
Erikson developed psychosocial stages.
5. Erikson's psychosocial theory emphasizes:
A. Unconscious sexual urges
B. Social and cultural influences across eight stages
C. Operant conditioning principles
D. Cognitive schemas and assimilation
Answer: B
Rationale: Erikson extended Freud's theory by emphasizing social relationships and
cultural demands across eight psychosocial stages.
6. Piaget's theory focuses primarily on:
A. Moral development through reinforcement
B. Cognitive development through stages of thinking
C. Attachment formation in infancy
D. Language acquisition through imitation
Answer: B
Rationale: Piaget studied how children construct knowledge through cognitive stages:
sensorimotor, preoperational, concrete operational, and formal operational.
7. The learning theory approach to development emphasizes:
A. Unconscious conflicts
B. Observable behavior and environmental influences
C. Genetic predispositions
D. Universal stages of moral reasoning
Answer: B
Rationale: Learning theories, including behaviorism and social learning, focus on how
environment shapes observable behavior.
,8. Bandura's social cognitive theory introduced the concept of:
A. Classical conditioning
B. Operant conditioning
C. Observational learning and self-efficacy
D. Psychosexual stages
Answer: C
Rationale: Bandura demonstrated that people learn by observing models and that self-
efficacy beliefs influence behavior.
9. The ecological systems theory was proposed by:
A. Urie Bronfenbrenner
B. Lev Vygotsky
C. John Bowlby
D. Konrad Lorenz
Answer: A
Rationale: Bronfenbrenner's bioecological model includes microsystem, mesosystem,
exosystem, macrosystem, and chronosystem.
10. Which research design follows the same individuals over a long period?
A. Cross-sectional
B. Longitudinal
C. Sequential
D. Correlational
Answer: B
Rationale: Longitudinal research tracks the same participants over time, allowing
observation of developmental change.
11. A cross-sectional study primarily examines:
A. One cohort over many years
B. Different age groups at one point in time
C. Twin similarities
D. Experimental manipulation of variables
Answer: B
Rationale: Cross-sectional designs compare different age groups simultaneously, which is
efficient but confounds age and cohort.
12. Which correlation coefficient indicates the strongest relationship?
A. +0.25
B. -0.80
C. +0.50
, D. -0.10
Answer: B
Rationale: The strength of a correlation depends on absolute value; -0.80 is strongest
among the options.
13. An experiment differs from correlational research because experiments:
A. Cannot establish causation
B. Involve manipulation of an independent variable
C. Use only surveys
D. Avoid random assignment
Answer: B
Rationale: Experiments manipulate an independent variable and use random assignment
to establish cause-and-effect relationships.
14. Ethical research with children requires:
A. No consent from anyone
B. Informed consent from parents and assent from children
C. Deception at all times
D. Avoidance of debriefing
Answer: B
Rationale: Minors cannot legally consent; parental permission and child assent are
standard ethical requirements.
15. Which theoretical perspective emphasizes unconscious drives and early
experiences?
A. Behavioral
B. Psychodynamic
C. Cognitive
D. Evolutionary
Answer: B
Rationale: Psychodynamic theories, originating with Freud, stress unconscious motives
and early childhood experiences.
SECTION B: GENETIC AND PRENATAL DEVELOPMENT (CHAPTER 2)
16. Genes are composed of:
A. Proteins
B. DNA
C. Lipids
