PSYC 230 Midterm UPDATED Questions
and CORRECT Answers
Baltes' 7 principles of lifespan development - CORRECT ANSWER -lifespan
development perspective
development is
-lifelong
-multidirectional and multidimensional (different pathways/levels)
-characterized by both gains/losses
-malleable (plasticity - we have the potential to change)
-embedded in historical and cultural contexts
-multiply determined (nature + nurture)
-multidisciplinary
normative age-graded influence (developmental system of influence) - CORRECT
ANSWER -events depend on biological age; developmental milestones
-puberty marks adolescence = ~age 18
-emerging adulthood = ~age 25
normative history-graded influence (developmental system of influence) - CORRECT
ANSWER -experiences that are correlated with history and that the majority experience at
the same time that influence development
-ex: elections, pandemic, social media
-cohorts: people born around the same time that experience events similarly
non-normative influence (developmental system of influence) - CORRECT ANSWER -
not experienced by everybody
-ex: mental health problems, divorce, siblings
,assumptions about development - CORRECT ANSWER --human nature (inherent
goodness/badness vs. blank slate - tabula rasa)
-nature vs. nurture (it's both)
-active vs. passive (does development happen to us or do we play a role?)
-stability vs. change (permanence vs. changing)
-continuity vs. discontinuity
-universal vs. context-specific
why assumptions differ across individuals - CORRECT ANSWER --roles: adolescent,
parent, teacher, observer, etc.
-proximity: all adults were adolescents, but some more recently than others
-cultural context: language, religion, art, jokes, manners, norms around alcohol
maturational meta-theory (plant) - CORRECT ANSWER --passively grow according to
genetic program (genes = seeds)
-gets nutrients from environment
-development is limited by genetics
-personality psychology is not maturational since it is due in part to interactions with others
mechanistic meta-theory (machine) - CORRECT ANSWER --passively grow as
environment (elements, pieces), changes
-continuously develop in increments
-development limited by environmental conditions
organismic meta-theory (butterfly) - CORRECT ANSWER --actively grow via structural
reorganization
-discontinuous development (stages)
-development is progressive and unidirectional
, contextual meta-theory (tennis game) - CORRECT ANSWER --actively grow via person-
context interactions
-person + environment are partners in a system
-development is malleable and multidirectional
Erik Erikson's psychosocial theory (organismic) - CORRECT ANSWER -each period of
life has a unique crisis that person who reaches it must face
-8 stages
-ex: 12-18 years = identity vs. role confusion crisis
-ORGANISMIC
-both nature/nurture, active, discontinuous, universal
B. F. Skinner's behaviorism (mechanistic) - CORRECT ANSWER -it is not possible to
study the mind, so psychologists should only study behavior
-operant conditioning through rewards/reinforcements
-nurture, passive, continuous, context-specific
-MECHANISTIC
Brofenbrenner's ecological systems theory (CONTEXTUAL) - CORRECT ANSWER -
framework for understanding and studying many influences on human development
-the individual is situated in interrelated layers; there are systems/contexts in which we live and
are embedded
-human interaction is influenced by larger social forces and understanding these forces is
essential for understanding an individual
-individual is impacted by micro-, meso-, exo-, macro-, and chronosystems
-peers/parents/social media --> school system/workplace --> public policy, government, etc.
-PROXIMAL (family, peers, etc.) vs. DISTAL (government, society, etc.)
-CONTEXTUAL
-it is difficult to research/determine the impact of different variables
-ex: systemic racism works through closer levels to impact the individual
and CORRECT Answers
Baltes' 7 principles of lifespan development - CORRECT ANSWER -lifespan
development perspective
development is
-lifelong
-multidirectional and multidimensional (different pathways/levels)
-characterized by both gains/losses
-malleable (plasticity - we have the potential to change)
-embedded in historical and cultural contexts
-multiply determined (nature + nurture)
-multidisciplinary
normative age-graded influence (developmental system of influence) - CORRECT
ANSWER -events depend on biological age; developmental milestones
-puberty marks adolescence = ~age 18
-emerging adulthood = ~age 25
normative history-graded influence (developmental system of influence) - CORRECT
ANSWER -experiences that are correlated with history and that the majority experience at
the same time that influence development
-ex: elections, pandemic, social media
-cohorts: people born around the same time that experience events similarly
non-normative influence (developmental system of influence) - CORRECT ANSWER -
not experienced by everybody
-ex: mental health problems, divorce, siblings
,assumptions about development - CORRECT ANSWER --human nature (inherent
goodness/badness vs. blank slate - tabula rasa)
-nature vs. nurture (it's both)
-active vs. passive (does development happen to us or do we play a role?)
-stability vs. change (permanence vs. changing)
-continuity vs. discontinuity
-universal vs. context-specific
why assumptions differ across individuals - CORRECT ANSWER --roles: adolescent,
parent, teacher, observer, etc.
-proximity: all adults were adolescents, but some more recently than others
-cultural context: language, religion, art, jokes, manners, norms around alcohol
maturational meta-theory (plant) - CORRECT ANSWER --passively grow according to
genetic program (genes = seeds)
-gets nutrients from environment
-development is limited by genetics
-personality psychology is not maturational since it is due in part to interactions with others
mechanistic meta-theory (machine) - CORRECT ANSWER --passively grow as
environment (elements, pieces), changes
-continuously develop in increments
-development limited by environmental conditions
organismic meta-theory (butterfly) - CORRECT ANSWER --actively grow via structural
reorganization
-discontinuous development (stages)
-development is progressive and unidirectional
, contextual meta-theory (tennis game) - CORRECT ANSWER --actively grow via person-
context interactions
-person + environment are partners in a system
-development is malleable and multidirectional
Erik Erikson's psychosocial theory (organismic) - CORRECT ANSWER -each period of
life has a unique crisis that person who reaches it must face
-8 stages
-ex: 12-18 years = identity vs. role confusion crisis
-ORGANISMIC
-both nature/nurture, active, discontinuous, universal
B. F. Skinner's behaviorism (mechanistic) - CORRECT ANSWER -it is not possible to
study the mind, so psychologists should only study behavior
-operant conditioning through rewards/reinforcements
-nurture, passive, continuous, context-specific
-MECHANISTIC
Brofenbrenner's ecological systems theory (CONTEXTUAL) - CORRECT ANSWER -
framework for understanding and studying many influences on human development
-the individual is situated in interrelated layers; there are systems/contexts in which we live and
are embedded
-human interaction is influenced by larger social forces and understanding these forces is
essential for understanding an individual
-individual is impacted by micro-, meso-, exo-, macro-, and chronosystems
-peers/parents/social media --> school system/workplace --> public policy, government, etc.
-PROXIMAL (family, peers, etc.) vs. DISTAL (government, society, etc.)
-CONTEXTUAL
-it is difficult to research/determine the impact of different variables
-ex: systemic racism works through closer levels to impact the individual
