PSYC 420 Exam 1 Questions With
100% Correct Answers
\.What is development as defined in the textbook? - Answer-✔The pattern of movement or
change that begins at conception and continues through the human lifespan
\.What is development? - Answer-✔Change that is characterized by increase or decrease in
complexity, capability, and function.
\.What is lifespan perspective? - Answer-✔The scientific study of human growth & behavior
throughout life
\.What is biological processes? - Answer-✔Changes in an individual's physical nature such as
height, weight, motor abilities, brain size, hormone levels.
\.What are cognitive processes? - Answer-✔Changes in an individual's thinking, intelligence, and
language.
\.What are social/emotional processes? - Answer-✔Changes in the individual's relationships
with other people, emotions and personality.
\.What are normative age graded influences? - Answer-✔Transitions and milestones that mark
certain age periods
\.What are normative historical influences? - Answer-✔Influences on development that are
similar for individuals in a particular generation
,\.What are non-normative life events? - Answer-✔Unusual occurrences that have a major
impact on the individual's life. They do not happen to all people and can influence people in
different ways.
\.What is the impact of socioeconomic status on development (main theme)? - Answer-✔The
main theme is poverty = vulnerability.
\.What is a collectivist culture? - Answer-✔Place premium on social harmony, good of the group
over good of the individual. (ex is asian and african countries)
\.What is an individualistic culture? - Answer-✔Emphasize independence, competition and
personal success. (ex is US, europe)
\.What is nature vs nurture? - Answer-✔genetics vs environment
\.Why do we have developmental theories? - Answer-✔To explain why we do what we do,
predict our developments, and determine ways to intervene.
\.operant conditioning - Answer-✔-B.F. Skinner
-We behave a certain way because we are reinforced (rewarded) for certain behaviors.
-reinforced behavior is repeated
-not reinforced, is extinguished
\.What is behaviorism? - Answer-✔-Nurture theory
-A real science: study observable, measurable responses
-If we understand the scientific laws of learning we can produce any behavior we want!
, \.What are the problems with behaviorism? - Answer-✔-Fails to consider nature and genetic
predispositions
-Does not acknowledge that emotions, thoughts, and feelings play an important role in
development and behavior
\.What is social learning theory? - Answer-✔-Albert Bandura
-Combination of reinforcement and cognition predict behavior.
-we learn by modeling nurturing people
-models can be negative
\.What is self-efficacy? - Answer-✔Our belief in our competence (i.e., our confidence)
determines the goals we set
\.What is the ethological theory? - Answer-✔babies have early programmed behaviors that
facilitate care of babies.
\.What is ecological theory? - Answer-✔believe we must look at the interaction of processes
(genes, environment, family, friends, society, culture)
\.What are evocative forces? - Answer-✔Inborn talents and temperamental tendencies naturally
evoke certain responses from others.
\.what are active forces? - Answer-✔We actively select our environments based on our genetic
tendencies.
\.what is behavioral genetics? - Answer-✔Field devoted to scientifically determining the role
that hereditary forces play in individual differences in behavior.
100% Correct Answers
\.What is development as defined in the textbook? - Answer-✔The pattern of movement or
change that begins at conception and continues through the human lifespan
\.What is development? - Answer-✔Change that is characterized by increase or decrease in
complexity, capability, and function.
\.What is lifespan perspective? - Answer-✔The scientific study of human growth & behavior
throughout life
\.What is biological processes? - Answer-✔Changes in an individual's physical nature such as
height, weight, motor abilities, brain size, hormone levels.
\.What are cognitive processes? - Answer-✔Changes in an individual's thinking, intelligence, and
language.
\.What are social/emotional processes? - Answer-✔Changes in the individual's relationships
with other people, emotions and personality.
\.What are normative age graded influences? - Answer-✔Transitions and milestones that mark
certain age periods
\.What are normative historical influences? - Answer-✔Influences on development that are
similar for individuals in a particular generation
,\.What are non-normative life events? - Answer-✔Unusual occurrences that have a major
impact on the individual's life. They do not happen to all people and can influence people in
different ways.
\.What is the impact of socioeconomic status on development (main theme)? - Answer-✔The
main theme is poverty = vulnerability.
\.What is a collectivist culture? - Answer-✔Place premium on social harmony, good of the group
over good of the individual. (ex is asian and african countries)
\.What is an individualistic culture? - Answer-✔Emphasize independence, competition and
personal success. (ex is US, europe)
\.What is nature vs nurture? - Answer-✔genetics vs environment
\.Why do we have developmental theories? - Answer-✔To explain why we do what we do,
predict our developments, and determine ways to intervene.
\.operant conditioning - Answer-✔-B.F. Skinner
-We behave a certain way because we are reinforced (rewarded) for certain behaviors.
-reinforced behavior is repeated
-not reinforced, is extinguished
\.What is behaviorism? - Answer-✔-Nurture theory
-A real science: study observable, measurable responses
-If we understand the scientific laws of learning we can produce any behavior we want!
, \.What are the problems with behaviorism? - Answer-✔-Fails to consider nature and genetic
predispositions
-Does not acknowledge that emotions, thoughts, and feelings play an important role in
development and behavior
\.What is social learning theory? - Answer-✔-Albert Bandura
-Combination of reinforcement and cognition predict behavior.
-we learn by modeling nurturing people
-models can be negative
\.What is self-efficacy? - Answer-✔Our belief in our competence (i.e., our confidence)
determines the goals we set
\.What is the ethological theory? - Answer-✔babies have early programmed behaviors that
facilitate care of babies.
\.What is ecological theory? - Answer-✔believe we must look at the interaction of processes
(genes, environment, family, friends, society, culture)
\.What are evocative forces? - Answer-✔Inborn talents and temperamental tendencies naturally
evoke certain responses from others.
\.what are active forces? - Answer-✔We actively select our environments based on our genetic
tendencies.
\.what is behavioral genetics? - Answer-✔Field devoted to scientifically determining the role
that hereditary forces play in individual differences in behavior.
