Ch01
Student: ___________________________________________________________________________
1. In the Werner and Smith study (1992), of the children originally identified as high-risk, how many
developed into confident, competent young adults?
A. One in five
B. One in three
C. One in ten
D. None of them
2. Which of the following does Barack Obama's life story exemplify?
A. That a person tends to follow the same path that his parents did
B. That lifespan development often proceeds nonlinearly, with both trials and successes
C. That the majority of developmental change happens within the first ten to twelve years of life
D. That Obama is an example of an individual who failed to overcome risk factors
3. As identified by the authors, all of the following represent objectives of lifespan psychology as a
discipline with the EXCEPTION of
A. Providing an organized account of development across the lifespan
B. Identifying interconnections between later and earlier events
C. Accounting for mechanisms responsible for lifespan development
D. Controlling or redirecting unfavorable aspects of development
4. Lifespan psychology refers to a process beginning
A. At conception and ending in death
B. At birth and ending in death
C. In infancy and ending in adolescence
D. In adolescence and ending in death
5. Lifespan development can best be summed up in terms of
A. Aging
B. Maturation
C. Growth
D. Change
6. One of the most important features of development is __________________ and as such is the major
focus of your text.
A. Change
B. Stability
C. Genetics
D. Environmental plasticity
7. The textbook authors specifically warn against reliance on __________________ alone to explain
development.
A. Change
B. Plasticity
C. Age
D. Dynamic processes
8. What does Rutter believe regarding age as an explanation for behavior?
A. Individuals tend to respond to the events in their lives in a manner consistent with their age
B. Age alone can typically inform us of the psychological mechanism underlying a developmental
phenomenon
C. Age is an ambiguous explanation for behavior
D. Age tells us much about the underlying causal mechanisms for developmental phenomena
,9. The ____________________ period of development involves nine months of rapid growth during which
organs appear.
A. Conceptual
B. Infantile
C. Neonatal
D. Prenatal
10. The __________________ period of development extends from conception to birth.
A. Neonatal
B. Infantile
C. Premature
D. Prenatal
11. The developmental period known as infancy lasts from birth to
A. About four years of age
B. About three years of age
C. About two years of age
D. About one year of age
12. The developmental period marked by rapid growth not equaled by other stages after birth is
A. Infancy
B. Early childhood
C. Middle childhood
D. Adolescence
13. The developmental period that occurs from two to six years of age is
A. Pre-childhood
B. Preschool age
C. Middle childhood
D. Early childhood
14. Lamont is 3 years old and has amazed his parents with his ever-increasing vocabulary. Lamont is in the
__________________ period of development.
A. Early childhood
B. Middle childhood
C. Infancy
D. Toddler
15. The outward manifestation of psychosocial abilities becomes readily apparent during
A. Infancy
B. Early childhood
C. Middle childhood
D. Adolescence
16. During __________________, school becomes a major force in development.
A. Preschool age
B. Early childhood
C. Adolescence
D. Middle childhood
17. During ________________________, the main focus is the search for identity, often complicated by the
changes brought on by puberty.
A. Adolescence
B. Middle childhood
C. Early adulthood
D. Late childhood
,18. Karola is distressed by changes in body hair and apparent weight gain, which has necessitated shopping
in the women's section rather than the junior department. She feels like she hardly knows who she is
anymore. Karola is likely in the period of development known as
A. Middle childhood
B. Late childhood
C. Adolescence
D. Early adulthood
19. According to your text, adolescence begins ___________________ and ends ___________________.
A. At age 12; at age 18
B. With the onset of puberty; with events such as the right to vote
C. When one completes elementary school; when one completes high school
D. With the onset of puberty; with completion of physical growth
20. Marriage and children are the central concerns of the __________________ period of development.
A. Adolescent
B. Early adult
C. Middle adult
D. Late adolescent
21. The peak period for leadership and an increase in community involvement is
A. Middle adulthood
B. Late adulthood
C. Early adulthood
D. Adolescence
22. Although declining health may be a concern, increased wisdom is considered a benefit of
A. Middle adulthood
B. Late middle adulthood
C. Later adulthood
D. The "old old"
23. What determines the interpretation of childhood?
A. The prevailing view of children at any particular time
B. The way children behave at any particular time
C. The intelligence of children at any particular time
D. None of these
24. How are children viewed today?
A. As miniature adults
B. As unworthy of scientific study
C. As the product of their parent's genes
D. As the product of genetic, biological, behavioral and contextual forces that are constantly interacting
25. Petersen (1988) said that adolescence begins in ___________ and ends in ___________.
A. Culture; puberty
B. Biology; culture
C. Storm; stress
D. Uncertainty; biology
26. Who said that adolescence is a time of storm and stress?
A. Sigmund Freud
B. John Locke
C. G. Stanley Hall
D. Charles Darwin
, 27. Which of the following is not one of the modern challenges facing young adults that Lerner and
Galambos (1998) identify?
A. Sexual behavior
B. School underachievement, failure and dropout
C. Delinquency, crime and violence
D. Friction between the generations
28. Which of the following statements best suits the concept of adulthood?
A. Adulthood is the beginning of inevitable decline
B. Adulthood is just as important as childhood in understanding the lifespan
C. Adulthood is a time of stability as exemplified by the saying "You can't teach an old dog new tricks"
D. Development is complete at the end of adolescence
29. Gary is a 60-year-old man who runs marathons competitively. What is most likely true about his
cognitive abilities now compared to when he was 20 years old?
A. He probably has significantly poorer cognitive performance now
B. It is impossible to tell from the information given
C. He probably has only slightly poorer cognitive performance now
D. He probably has significantly better cognitive performance now
30. Are people in later adulthood less intelligent than younger people?
A. Yes, they tend to be significantly less intelligent
B. No, they tend to be significantly more intelligent
C. On intelligence tests they score as less intelligent, but we are probably underestimating their abilities
D. There is no data available to answer this question
31. Which of the following was NOT found to be related to intelligence scores in the Seattle Longitudinal
Study of Adult Intelligence?
A. Stability of marriage
B. Level of income
C. Level of education
D. Personality type
32. Cognitive declines in adulthood are associated with
A. Test anxiety in familiar settings
B. An increasing speed of response
C. Poor physical health
D. Increases in verbal speed
33. What is meant by "biopsychosocial interactions" on development?
A. The interplay of genetics and biology determines our developmental outcomes
B. Genetic, biological, environmental and social forces all impact development
C. Development is a process of both gain and loss
D. Many forces impact development, except for genetics
34. Development progresses through the interaction of biological, environmental and psychological forces
according to the idea of
A. Biopsychosocial interactions
B. Proximal process interactions
C. Cultural interactions
D. Intermediate interactions
35. ___________ refers to the customs, values and traditions inherent in one's environment.
A. Culture
B. Biopsychosocial interactions
C. Development
D. None of these
Student: ___________________________________________________________________________
1. In the Werner and Smith study (1992), of the children originally identified as high-risk, how many
developed into confident, competent young adults?
A. One in five
B. One in three
C. One in ten
D. None of them
2. Which of the following does Barack Obama's life story exemplify?
A. That a person tends to follow the same path that his parents did
B. That lifespan development often proceeds nonlinearly, with both trials and successes
C. That the majority of developmental change happens within the first ten to twelve years of life
D. That Obama is an example of an individual who failed to overcome risk factors
3. As identified by the authors, all of the following represent objectives of lifespan psychology as a
discipline with the EXCEPTION of
A. Providing an organized account of development across the lifespan
B. Identifying interconnections between later and earlier events
C. Accounting for mechanisms responsible for lifespan development
D. Controlling or redirecting unfavorable aspects of development
4. Lifespan psychology refers to a process beginning
A. At conception and ending in death
B. At birth and ending in death
C. In infancy and ending in adolescence
D. In adolescence and ending in death
5. Lifespan development can best be summed up in terms of
A. Aging
B. Maturation
C. Growth
D. Change
6. One of the most important features of development is __________________ and as such is the major
focus of your text.
A. Change
B. Stability
C. Genetics
D. Environmental plasticity
7. The textbook authors specifically warn against reliance on __________________ alone to explain
development.
A. Change
B. Plasticity
C. Age
D. Dynamic processes
8. What does Rutter believe regarding age as an explanation for behavior?
A. Individuals tend to respond to the events in their lives in a manner consistent with their age
B. Age alone can typically inform us of the psychological mechanism underlying a developmental
phenomenon
C. Age is an ambiguous explanation for behavior
D. Age tells us much about the underlying causal mechanisms for developmental phenomena
,9. The ____________________ period of development involves nine months of rapid growth during which
organs appear.
A. Conceptual
B. Infantile
C. Neonatal
D. Prenatal
10. The __________________ period of development extends from conception to birth.
A. Neonatal
B. Infantile
C. Premature
D. Prenatal
11. The developmental period known as infancy lasts from birth to
A. About four years of age
B. About three years of age
C. About two years of age
D. About one year of age
12. The developmental period marked by rapid growth not equaled by other stages after birth is
A. Infancy
B. Early childhood
C. Middle childhood
D. Adolescence
13. The developmental period that occurs from two to six years of age is
A. Pre-childhood
B. Preschool age
C. Middle childhood
D. Early childhood
14. Lamont is 3 years old and has amazed his parents with his ever-increasing vocabulary. Lamont is in the
__________________ period of development.
A. Early childhood
B. Middle childhood
C. Infancy
D. Toddler
15. The outward manifestation of psychosocial abilities becomes readily apparent during
A. Infancy
B. Early childhood
C. Middle childhood
D. Adolescence
16. During __________________, school becomes a major force in development.
A. Preschool age
B. Early childhood
C. Adolescence
D. Middle childhood
17. During ________________________, the main focus is the search for identity, often complicated by the
changes brought on by puberty.
A. Adolescence
B. Middle childhood
C. Early adulthood
D. Late childhood
,18. Karola is distressed by changes in body hair and apparent weight gain, which has necessitated shopping
in the women's section rather than the junior department. She feels like she hardly knows who she is
anymore. Karola is likely in the period of development known as
A. Middle childhood
B. Late childhood
C. Adolescence
D. Early adulthood
19. According to your text, adolescence begins ___________________ and ends ___________________.
A. At age 12; at age 18
B. With the onset of puberty; with events such as the right to vote
C. When one completes elementary school; when one completes high school
D. With the onset of puberty; with completion of physical growth
20. Marriage and children are the central concerns of the __________________ period of development.
A. Adolescent
B. Early adult
C. Middle adult
D. Late adolescent
21. The peak period for leadership and an increase in community involvement is
A. Middle adulthood
B. Late adulthood
C. Early adulthood
D. Adolescence
22. Although declining health may be a concern, increased wisdom is considered a benefit of
A. Middle adulthood
B. Late middle adulthood
C. Later adulthood
D. The "old old"
23. What determines the interpretation of childhood?
A. The prevailing view of children at any particular time
B. The way children behave at any particular time
C. The intelligence of children at any particular time
D. None of these
24. How are children viewed today?
A. As miniature adults
B. As unworthy of scientific study
C. As the product of their parent's genes
D. As the product of genetic, biological, behavioral and contextual forces that are constantly interacting
25. Petersen (1988) said that adolescence begins in ___________ and ends in ___________.
A. Culture; puberty
B. Biology; culture
C. Storm; stress
D. Uncertainty; biology
26. Who said that adolescence is a time of storm and stress?
A. Sigmund Freud
B. John Locke
C. G. Stanley Hall
D. Charles Darwin
, 27. Which of the following is not one of the modern challenges facing young adults that Lerner and
Galambos (1998) identify?
A. Sexual behavior
B. School underachievement, failure and dropout
C. Delinquency, crime and violence
D. Friction between the generations
28. Which of the following statements best suits the concept of adulthood?
A. Adulthood is the beginning of inevitable decline
B. Adulthood is just as important as childhood in understanding the lifespan
C. Adulthood is a time of stability as exemplified by the saying "You can't teach an old dog new tricks"
D. Development is complete at the end of adolescence
29. Gary is a 60-year-old man who runs marathons competitively. What is most likely true about his
cognitive abilities now compared to when he was 20 years old?
A. He probably has significantly poorer cognitive performance now
B. It is impossible to tell from the information given
C. He probably has only slightly poorer cognitive performance now
D. He probably has significantly better cognitive performance now
30. Are people in later adulthood less intelligent than younger people?
A. Yes, they tend to be significantly less intelligent
B. No, they tend to be significantly more intelligent
C. On intelligence tests they score as less intelligent, but we are probably underestimating their abilities
D. There is no data available to answer this question
31. Which of the following was NOT found to be related to intelligence scores in the Seattle Longitudinal
Study of Adult Intelligence?
A. Stability of marriage
B. Level of income
C. Level of education
D. Personality type
32. Cognitive declines in adulthood are associated with
A. Test anxiety in familiar settings
B. An increasing speed of response
C. Poor physical health
D. Increases in verbal speed
33. What is meant by "biopsychosocial interactions" on development?
A. The interplay of genetics and biology determines our developmental outcomes
B. Genetic, biological, environmental and social forces all impact development
C. Development is a process of both gain and loss
D. Many forces impact development, except for genetics
34. Development progresses through the interaction of biological, environmental and psychological forces
according to the idea of
A. Biopsychosocial interactions
B. Proximal process interactions
C. Cultural interactions
D. Intermediate interactions
35. ___________ refers to the customs, values and traditions inherent in one's environment.
A. Culture
B. Biopsychosocial interactions
C. Development
D. None of these
