Lifespan and Development Exam Questions and Answers

320 Questions and Answers

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Deepen your understanding of human growth and change across every stage of life with the Lifespan and Development Exam Questions and Answers. This expertly designed exam prep resource is perfect for psychology students, educators, counselors, nursing professionals, and anyone preparing for exams focused on human development across the lifespan.

Covering physical, cognitive, emotional, and social changes from infancy through late adulthood, this practice test features carefully constructed questions that reflect real exam formats. Each question is followed by a detailed explanation that enhances comprehension, reinforces theory, and supports real-world application of developmental principles.

Exam Topics Covered:

  • Major theories of human development (Piaget, Erikson, Vygotsky, Freud, etc.)

  • Prenatal development and early childhood milestones

  • Cognitive and language development across life stages

  • Emotional and social development in children, adolescents, and adults

  • Identity formation, gender roles, and cultural influences

  • Aging, physical decline, and end-of-life issues

  • Family, peer, and societal impacts on development

  • Developmental disorders and special populations

  • Research methods in developmental psychology

  • Application of theory to education, counseling, and healthcare

Learning Material Highlights:


The Lifespan and Development Exam Questions and Answers resource is ideal for preparing for exams in developmental psychology, early childhood education, nursing, or counseling licensure. It includes both scenario-based and theoretical questions that challenge your ability to analyze, interpret, and apply developmental concepts across diverse populations.

Whether you’re studying for a midterm, final exam, or a standardized test like the NCE, this resource supports a deep understanding of how humans grow and change—physically, mentally, and emotionally—over time.

By using this exam prep tool, you’ll strengthen your ability to recognize developmental patterns, support age-appropriate interventions, and apply developmental theories in academic, clinical, and educational settings.

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Sample Questions and Answers

According to Jean Piaget, during the “preoperational stage,” children are limited in their thinking because they:

A) Cannot understand object permanence
B) Are unable to perform logical operations mentally
C) Can understand cause-and-effect relationships
D) Are capable of abstract thinking

Answer: B

A child who demonstrates the ability to focus on multiple aspects of a problem at once is displaying:

A) Conservation
B) Transitivity
C) Egocentrism
D) Decentration

Answer: D

In Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, self-actualization is:

A) The need for food and water
B) The desire for esteem and respect from others
C) The need to fulfill one’s potential and become the best version of oneself
D) The requirement to form loving, meaningful relationships

Answer: C

Which of the following best describes the term “life review” in the context of late adulthood?

A) A retrospective process where older adults reflect on their life and its meaning
B) A type of cognitive test used to assess memory in older adults
C) The process of adjusting to the loss of a spouse or close family member
D) A practice where elderly people evaluate their role in society

Answer: A

The “biopsychosocial model” of development emphasizes:

A) The importance of biological processes over psychological and social factors
B) The integration of biology, psychology, and social factors in understanding development
C) The focus on cognitive and emotional development exclusively
D) The impact of social influences alone on human development

Answer: B

According to research on “aging and health,” which of the following is true?

A) Cognitive decline is inevitable in all older adults
B) Healthy lifestyle choices can help mitigate the effects of aging
C) Older adults are not capable of experiencing positive psychological growth
D) All older adults experience a loss of social relationships

Answer: B

Which of the following is an example of “socioemotional selectivity” theory in older adulthood?

A) Older adults focus on developing new relationships with peers
B) Older adults seek to maximize their emotional well-being by prioritizing meaningful relationships
C) Older adults begin to isolate themselves from their communities
D) Older adults express greater cognitive flexibility than younger adults

Answer: B

In the context of family development, the “empty nest” syndrome refers to:

A) The phase when parents are confronted with the idea of having children leave the home
B) The period when parents face the return of children to live at home
C) The transition when parents become caregivers to aging parents
D) The moment when children reach adulthood and begin families of their own

Answer: A

In developmental psychology, “nature vs. nurture” refers to:

A) The relationship between biological inheritance and environmental influences in shaping development
B) The impact of genetics on intelligence
C) The effects of childhood experiences on future development
D) The difference between genetic diseases and environmental illnesses

Answer: A

The term “life expectancy” refers to:

A) The age at which an individual will retire from the workforce
B) The average number of years an individual is expected to live, based on current mortality rates
C) The age at which an individual will become a parent
D) The maximum age that humans can potentially live

Answer: B

Which of the following factors is considered a “protective factor” in child development?

A) Chronic exposure to stressful life events
B) High levels of parental involvement and emotional support
C) High rates of childhood illness
D) Social isolation and lack of social support

Answer: B

 

In Erikson’s theory of psychosocial development, the challenge faced by young adults is:

A) Integrity vs. Despair
B) Autonomy vs. Shame and Doubt
C) Intimacy vs. Isolation
D) Trust vs. Mistrust

Answer: C

Which of the following is true regarding the “critical period” in development?

A) It is a time when individuals are particularly sensitive to environmental influences
B) It is a time when all aspects of development occur at a rapid pace
C) It is the same for all children across the world
D) It refers to a time when the brain is not capable of adapting to environmental changes

Answer: A

In the context of family development, “nuclear families” refer to:

A) Families that consist of a father, mother, and their biological children
B) Families that include extended relatives such as grandparents and cousins
C) Families formed through adoption and fostering
D) Families in which parents live separately but maintain a strong co-parenting relationship

Answer: A

According to Piaget, the “formal operational stage” is characterized by:

A) The ability to think logically about concrete events
B) The development of abstract thinking and problem-solving abilities
C) The focus on using symbolic play to represent objects
D) The ability to understand conservation concepts

Answer: B

Which of the following best describes the “secure base” concept in attachment theory?

A) A caregiver who is emotionally unavailable and unresponsive to the child
B) A caregiver who provides emotional support and stability for exploration
C) A child’s ability to explore their environment without fear of danger
D) A family member who provides material resources for the child’s growth

Answer: B

In the context of aging, “fluid intelligence” refers to:

A) The ability to process new information and think abstractly
B) The knowledge and skills that are accumulated over time
C) The ability to remember and retrieve facts from long-term memory
D) The decline in processing speed as people age

Answer: A

The “correlation between socioeconomic status and academic achievement” is best explained by which concept in developmental psychology?

A) Nature vs. Nurture
B) The critical period
C) The role of environmental factors in shaping cognitive development
D) The principle of differentiation in development

Answer: C

Which of the following best describes “self-regulation” in early childhood development?

A) The ability to delay gratification and control impulses
B) The process of mastering complex motor skills
C) The emotional responses to social rejection
D) The development of language skills

Answer: A

According to Lawrence Kohlberg, which of the following is the highest level of moral reasoning?

A) Preconventional morality
B) Conventional morality
C) Postconventional morality
D) Postformal morality

Answer: C

Which of the following is an example of “vicarious reinforcement” in social learning theory?

A) A child observes a peer being praised for good behavior and imitates the same behavior
B) A child receives praise directly from a teacher for following instructions
C) A child learns to avoid a behavior after being punished
D) A child learns through trial and error without external feedback

Answer: A

The “midlife crisis” is most commonly associated with which stage of life development?

A) Adolescence
B) Early adulthood
C) Middle adulthood
D) Late adulthood

Answer: C

Which of the following factors most influences the development of “empathy” in children?

A) The level of exposure to academic content
B) The availability of social media
C) The emotional responsiveness of caregivers
D) The social class of the family

Answer: C

The concept of “retirement” in late adulthood is most associated with which of the following developmental changes?

A) Increased social engagement
B) A shift in roles and identity from work to leisure activities
C) A decrease in cognitive abilities
D) A shift from physical health to emotional concerns

Answer: B

“Cognitive dissonance” refers to:

A) The ability to form new memories despite cognitive decline
B) The discomfort that occurs when there are contradictions between beliefs and behavior
C) The development of a consistent sense of self over time
D) The cognitive ability to understand different perspectives

Answer: B

Which of the following best describes “crystallized intelligence” in late adulthood?

A) The ability to solve novel problems quickly
B) The accumulated knowledge and experience over a lifetime
C) The decline in memory and recall
D) The ability to think abstractly and logically

Answer: B

The “zone of proximal development” (ZPD) is a concept associated with:

A) Erikson’s stages of psychosocial development
B) Vygotsky’s sociocultural theory of cognitive development
C) Piaget’s theory of cognitive stages
D) Kohlberg’s stages of moral development

Answer: B

Which of the following is a key characteristic of the “growing child” in the “preoperational stage” (according to Piaget)?

A) Concrete problem-solving abilities
B) The use of formal logic to solve problems
C) The development of the ability to perform mental operations but not necessarily logic
D) The understanding of abstract concepts such as justice

Answer: C

According to the “stranger anxiety” concept, infants begin to show fear when exposed to strangers around the age of:

A) 3-4 months
B) 6-8 months
C) 12-14 months
D) 18-24 months

Answer: B

Which of the following best describes “retirement preparation” in middle adulthood?

A) A time when individuals experience substantial emotional distress and confusion
B) The stage when individuals begin to plan for financial independence after work
C) The final stage of life when cognitive decline is most pronounced
D) A phase marked by emotional disengagement and withdrawal

Answer: B

The term “regression” in adulthood refers to:

A) The ability to perform tasks and solve problems more efficiently
B) The return to earlier, less mature forms of behavior in response to stress
C) The process of adapting to new life roles such as marriage or parenthood
D) The improvement of emotional control with age

Answer: B

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