Lifespan Development Final Exam Guide
Questions and CORRECT Answers
Dr. Jones encountered a problem with a new client in therapy. Using the model of reflective
practice described in Chapter 1, what is the sequence of steps he should use in order to work
with this client effectively? - CORRECT ANSWER- Reflect on well-established theories;
apply the theoretical knowledge to the individual's case; and then test out new ways of
thinking about the problem if prior theory does not suffice.
Theories of development differ from opinion primarily because - CORRECT ANSWER- they
are based on scientific research.
Which of the following helpers is most likely to have an implicit "incrementalist" belief about
intelligence? - CORRECT ANSWER- A counselor who recommends a strategy of academic
skill building for a client who is experiencing academic problems.
Stage theories of development typically describe ____________ changes in behavior,
cognition, or social relationships. - CORRECT ANSWER- qualitative
Using Erikson's developmental theory as a framework, which of the following statements is
an accurate representation of his ideas? - CORRECT ANSWER- Successful resolution of a
psychosocial crisis at each stage depends upon having more positive than negative
experiences in the area of major concern.
Models of development which hold that change typically occurs in shifts between periods of
relative stability and periods of disequilibrium are called - CORRECT ANSWER- stage
models
Models of development which hold that change occurs as a continuous process are called -
CORRECT ANSWER- incremental models.
Models of development which hold that change occurs as a function of reciprocal influences,
both from within the person and from the external environment are called - CORRECT
ANSWER- multidimensional models.
,In Bronfenbrenner's model, proximal processes refer to - CORRECT ANSWER- reciprocal
interactions between an organism and its immediate environment.
Juan, a 7-month-old infant, lives in a city where the availability of high quality child care is
very limited. His mother is forced to leave Juan in the care of a young woman who also cares
for five other infants and toddlers in her small apartment. According to Bronfenbrenner's
theory, which of the following influences on Juan's development represents an example of a
proximal process? - CORRECT ANSWER- The quality of care-giving Juan receives in day
care.
Juan, a 7-month-old infant, lives in a city where the availability of high quality child care is
very limited. His mother is forced to leave Juan in the care of a young woman who also cares
for five other infants and toddlers in her small apartment. Which of the following influences
represents an example of a distal process? - CORRECT ANSWER- Governmental policies
and subsidies for child care that apply in the city.
Seven-month-old Juan and his mother live in a small rented apartment in a large city.
Affordable, high quality child care centers are very hard to find in her neighborhood. Which
level of the environment, according to Bronfenbrenner's model, is limiting her access to high
quality day care in her community? - CORRECT ANSWER- Exosystem
Contemporary developmentalists focus on which question concerning nature and nurture? -
CORRECT ANSWER- How do we explain the mechanisms by which nature and nurture
interact to affect development?
A group of people characterized by shared traditions, attitudes, values, and beliefs handed
down from one generation to another constitute ______________. - CORRECT ANSWER-
an ethnic group.
The measure of social status that combines aspects of education background, income, and
occupation is called - CORRECT ANSWER- socioeconomic status.
The belief that individuals create their own knowledge by interpreting new experience in the
light of past experience is a fundamental proposition of - CORRECT ANSWER-
constructivism.
,Counselors must recognize the principle of ___________: Individual pathways of
development may result in a wide range of possible outcomes. - CORRECT ANSWER-
multifinality
An attempt to forestall the development of problems by promoting health and wellness in the
general population is called - CORRECT ANSWER- primary prevention.
The epigenome is the full set of factors, from the cell to the outside world, that controls the
expression of - CORRECT ANSWER- hereditary material.
In one animal study of the influence of genes on behavior, offspring of rats with genes for
low stress reactivity were reared by unrelated mother rats with genes for high stress
reactivity. This is an example of - CORRECT ANSWER- a cross-fostering study.
In one study, young rats exposed to stress vocalized their anxiety. Their mothers, alerted to
this distress, responded with diligent caregiving behavior that altered the development of the
hippocampus. Which of the following processes or principles does this example demonstrate?
- CORRECT ANSWER- Epigenesis.
Based on your knowledge of prenatal development, which of the following sequences
would you expect to be correct? - CORRECT ANSWER- The heart begins to form before the
hands.
Which of the following statements is true about the effects of teratogens on the
developing fetus? - CORRECT ANSWER- The kind of damage done depends on the stage of
development during exposure.
When she was pregnant with Joey, Joey's mother had a poor diet because food was in short
supply in her war-torn country. The war ended after Joey was born, and his middle-class
mother was able to provide him with adequate, nutritious food throughout his childhood.
Which of the following outcomes is the most likely for Joey? - CORRECT ANSWER- Joey
is at greater risk of serious ongoing health problems than youngsters who have adequate
prenatal nutrition.
The available data indicate that chronic maternal stress during pregnancy has which of the
following effects on the fetus? - CORRECT ANSWER- Is related to newborn hyperactivity
and irritability
, Which of the following is an accurate description of the long-term effects of chronic
stress on the body? - CORRECT ANSWER- The ability of the immune system to fight
infection and ward off disease is
compromised.
The brain is commonly classified into three main parts. They are - CORRECT ANSWER-
forebrain, midbrain and hindbrain.
The process of myelination is not completed until - CORRECT ANSWER- well into
adulthood.
Which of the following is true with respect to the impact of nurture on the fetus' developing
brain? - CORRECT ANSWER- The establishment of some synaptic connections in the fetal
brain depends upon environmental input, like sound.
Sally, age 28, recently married John, age 45. They would like to have a child, but they are
concerned that they may be at high risk to have a child with a chromosomal abnormality, like
Down's syndrome, because of John's age. What is their genetic counselor likely to tell them? -
CORRECT ANSWER- They are at higher than average risk for some chromosomal disorders
because of John's age, but not for Down's syndrome.
For most mental illnesses and behavioral disorders, like alcoholism and clinical depression,
the genetic contribution can best be described as - CORRECT ANSWER- polygenic.
Symptoms of fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) include - CORRECT ANSWER- widely spaced
eyes and flattened nose.
Children who suffer severe protein and calorie shortages at any age may experience stunted
growth, a protuberant belly, and extreme apathy. This severe starvation syndrome is called -
CORRECT ANSWER- kwashiorkor.
Of the following, which is the most accurate example of coaction? - CORRECT ANSWER-
Genes that are related to a specific disorder may be expressed phenotypically only in a certain
kind of environment.
