Child and Adolescent
Psychology 2026 | Study
Guide, Practice Questions,
Answers, Rationales &
Exam Review
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Rationales
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, What is the purpose of Developmental Psych? to seek and to understand how people change and remain the same over time
using empirical data
the study of humans across the life span
Describe the important features of the 3 basic issues 1- Nature vs Nurture:
covered in class. Illustrate with examples. nature = genes
nuture = environment
2- Stability vs Change:
-stability = characteristics emerge early due to heredity and early experience. gap
maintains itself
-change = altering characteristics is possible and lik
3- Continuous vs Discotinuous
-continuous = viewing development as CUMULATIVE process of adding more of the
same types of skills (s curve)
-Discontinuous = development taking place in stages (steps)
What is the history of studying children? Think major Medieval= kids not treated with care/ high mortality rate
events/ people and what the perspective was
1700/Enlightenment = theorists argued NATURE. (Everything is
PREDETERMINED).
-Locke= "Tabula Rasa" = blank slate => kids can be shaped
-Rousseau= "noble savages"
18th Century= Darwin = "survival of the fittest", natural selection, survival value
passed on
19th Century= Industrial Age(factories)/ child labor laws begin
1920-1960's = modern behaviorists argue NURTURE. (everything can be
MANIPULATED)
Now= not one or the other, but rather HOW MUCH of each
Psychology 2026 | Study
Guide, Practice Questions,
Answers, Rationales &
Exam Review
Updated Questions and Answers
100% Verified Exam Prep and Comprehensive
Rationales
Included
, What is the purpose of Developmental Psych? to seek and to understand how people change and remain the same over time
using empirical data
the study of humans across the life span
Describe the important features of the 3 basic issues 1- Nature vs Nurture:
covered in class. Illustrate with examples. nature = genes
nuture = environment
2- Stability vs Change:
-stability = characteristics emerge early due to heredity and early experience. gap
maintains itself
-change = altering characteristics is possible and lik
3- Continuous vs Discotinuous
-continuous = viewing development as CUMULATIVE process of adding more of the
same types of skills (s curve)
-Discontinuous = development taking place in stages (steps)
What is the history of studying children? Think major Medieval= kids not treated with care/ high mortality rate
events/ people and what the perspective was
1700/Enlightenment = theorists argued NATURE. (Everything is
PREDETERMINED).
-Locke= "Tabula Rasa" = blank slate => kids can be shaped
-Rousseau= "noble savages"
18th Century= Darwin = "survival of the fittest", natural selection, survival value
passed on
19th Century= Industrial Age(factories)/ child labor laws begin
1920-1960's = modern behaviorists argue NURTURE. (everything can be
MANIPULATED)
Now= not one or the other, but rather HOW MUCH of each
