PSYCH 464 midterm Exam Questions and Answers Already Passed Latest Update 2025-2026
Describe the field of life-span development. - Answers Scientific approach to questions about
growth, change, and stability in the physical, cognitive, social, and personality characteristics.
What are the major features of life span perspective - Answers Multiple contexts, Collaborative
relationships, Scientific, and Change
Normative age-graded - Answers Influences are universal for persons within a particular age
range
EX: puberty for adolescent
Normative history graded - Answers Influences common to people of a particular generation
EX: baby boomers experiencing association of JFK
non-normative influences - Answers Influences that are specific to an individual
EX: death of parent for a young child
independent variable - Answers The experimental factor that is manipulated; the variable whose
effect is being studied.
dependent variable - Answers The outcome factor; the variable that may change in response to
manipulations of the independent variable.
treatment variables - Answers factors researchers change/manipulate to a change in outcome
subject variable - Answers interested in the independent variable, but cannot be manipulated
internal validity - Answers it is whether independent is related to the dependent variable
selection bias - Answers draw participants from settings that aren't equivalent
history - Answers events outside the experiments, but occurs during the study and affects
responses
maturation - Answers changes in participants over time affect the results of a study
testing effects - Answers using the same measures so participants copy responses
selective dropout - Answers study people overtime, people dropout
reactivity - Answers unattended changes in result of participation in study
external validity - Answers the extent to which the results of a study can be generalized to other
situations and to other people
, sample - Answers A relatively small proportion of people who are chosen in a survey so as to be
representative of the whole.
setting - Answers environment of setting
threats to external validity - Answers researcher and sample. with researcher its whether results
are specific to a research team. with sample, its whether your results generalize to a wider
group
random sampling - Answers a sample that fairly represents a population because each member
has an equal chance of inclusion
stratified random sampling - Answers resample people, stratify different demographics
oversampling - Answers picking out groups that doesn't have as much in population
convenience sampling - Answers already having access to a group
self selected sampling - Answers Also called volunteer sampling. Participants choose to
become part of a study because they volunteer by responding to an advert or a request to take
part in a study.
snowball sampling - Answers recruit initial people in investigation and they give
recommendations of other potential participants
longitudinal design - Answers pick people from a single age group and then follow them for
certain time
EX: a study that follows a group of children from birth to adulthood
advantages of longitudinal design - Answers assess change, assess stability, no selection bias,
allow prediction of future behavior
Disadvantages of longitudinal design - Answers time consuming, difficult to complete, time
commitment, repeated testing, issues of less interest
cross-sectional design - Answers people in different ages in the same point of time
EX: surveying a group of different ages at a single point of time to assess a specific disease
advantages of cross sectional - Answers quick and inexpensive,
no dropping out cause its one-time point
disadvantages of cross sectional - Answers cohort differences, no age changes, selection bias
time-lag design - Answers pulling different age groups
Describe the field of life-span development. - Answers Scientific approach to questions about
growth, change, and stability in the physical, cognitive, social, and personality characteristics.
What are the major features of life span perspective - Answers Multiple contexts, Collaborative
relationships, Scientific, and Change
Normative age-graded - Answers Influences are universal for persons within a particular age
range
EX: puberty for adolescent
Normative history graded - Answers Influences common to people of a particular generation
EX: baby boomers experiencing association of JFK
non-normative influences - Answers Influences that are specific to an individual
EX: death of parent for a young child
independent variable - Answers The experimental factor that is manipulated; the variable whose
effect is being studied.
dependent variable - Answers The outcome factor; the variable that may change in response to
manipulations of the independent variable.
treatment variables - Answers factors researchers change/manipulate to a change in outcome
subject variable - Answers interested in the independent variable, but cannot be manipulated
internal validity - Answers it is whether independent is related to the dependent variable
selection bias - Answers draw participants from settings that aren't equivalent
history - Answers events outside the experiments, but occurs during the study and affects
responses
maturation - Answers changes in participants over time affect the results of a study
testing effects - Answers using the same measures so participants copy responses
selective dropout - Answers study people overtime, people dropout
reactivity - Answers unattended changes in result of participation in study
external validity - Answers the extent to which the results of a study can be generalized to other
situations and to other people
, sample - Answers A relatively small proportion of people who are chosen in a survey so as to be
representative of the whole.
setting - Answers environment of setting
threats to external validity - Answers researcher and sample. with researcher its whether results
are specific to a research team. with sample, its whether your results generalize to a wider
group
random sampling - Answers a sample that fairly represents a population because each member
has an equal chance of inclusion
stratified random sampling - Answers resample people, stratify different demographics
oversampling - Answers picking out groups that doesn't have as much in population
convenience sampling - Answers already having access to a group
self selected sampling - Answers Also called volunteer sampling. Participants choose to
become part of a study because they volunteer by responding to an advert or a request to take
part in a study.
snowball sampling - Answers recruit initial people in investigation and they give
recommendations of other potential participants
longitudinal design - Answers pick people from a single age group and then follow them for
certain time
EX: a study that follows a group of children from birth to adulthood
advantages of longitudinal design - Answers assess change, assess stability, no selection bias,
allow prediction of future behavior
Disadvantages of longitudinal design - Answers time consuming, difficult to complete, time
commitment, repeated testing, issues of less interest
cross-sectional design - Answers people in different ages in the same point of time
EX: surveying a group of different ages at a single point of time to assess a specific disease
advantages of cross sectional - Answers quick and inexpensive,
no dropping out cause its one-time point
disadvantages of cross sectional - Answers cohort differences, no age changes, selection bias
time-lag design - Answers pulling different age groups
