Chapter 1

Question 1

It is the scientific study of the systematic processes of change and stability throughout the human lifespan.

Answer 1

Human development

Question 2

It is the scientific study of human development as a lifelong process, encompassing systematic changes and stability from conception to death.

Answer 2

Life-span development

Question 3

These are individuals engaged in the professional study of human development.

Answer 3

Developmental Scientists or Developmentalists

Question 4

What are the 4 Goals of Development?

Answer 4

1. Describe/Description
2. Explain/Explanation
3. Predict/Prediction
4. Intervene/Intervention

Question 5

One of the goals in development wherein you are identifying when and how developmental milestones occur.

Answer 5

Describe/description

Question 6

In this goal of development, you are understanding the causes
and mechanisms behind development.

Answer 6

Explain/explanation

Question 7

In this goal of development, you are anticipating future behaviors based on developmental patterns.

Answer 7

Predict/prediction

Question 8

In this goal of development, you are applying knowledge to
support or improve development.

Answer 8

Intervene/intervention

Question 9

What are the 3 domains of development?

Answer 9

1. Physical development
2. Cognitive development
3. Psychosocial development

Question 10

One of the domains of development that tackles the growth of body and brain, including patterns of change in sensory capacities, motor skills, and health.

Answer 10

Physical development

Question 11

One of the domains of development that tackles a pattern of change in mental abilities, such as learning, attention, memory, language, thinking, reasoning, and creativity.

Answer 11

Cognitive development

Question 12

One of the domains of development that tackles a pattern of change in emotions, personality, and social relationships.

Answer 12

Psychosocial development

Question 13

It is a concept or practice created by a specific culture or society that may seem natural but is not inherently universal.

Answer 13

Social construction

Question 14

● Conception to Birth
● Physical Developments: Rapid growth; organ and brain development; high environmental sensitivity.
● Cognitive Developments: Early sensory responses; memory and learning begin.
● Psychosocial Developments: Early bonding with mother.

Answer 14

Prenatal period

Question 15

● Birth to Age 3
● Physical Developments: Rapid motor skill and brain development; sensory systems functional.
● Cognitive Developments: Early learning, memory, problem-solving, and language acquisition.
● Psychosocial Developments: Attachment formation; increasing autonomy; early peer interactions.

Answer 15

Infancy and Toddlerhood

Question 16

● Ages 3 to 6
● Physical Developments: Steady growth; improved motor skills; sleep and appetite changes.
● Cognitive Developments: Egocentric thinking; language and memory growth; early schooling.
● Psychosocial Developments: Gender identity; increasing independence; social play.

Answer 16

Early Childhood

Question 17

● Ages 6 to 11
● Physical Developments: Slower growth; improved strength and coordination.
● Cognitive Developments: Logical thinking develops; literacy and problem-solving skills increase.
● Psychosocial Developments: Complex self-concept; peer influence strengthens.

Answer 17

Middle Childhood

Question 18

● Ages 11 to About 20
● Physical Developments: Puberty; reproductive maturity; health risks (e.g., substance use).
● Cognitive Developments: Abstract reasoning; identity exploration.
● Psychosocial Developments: Peer influence; evolving parent relationships; identity formation.

Answer 18

Adolescence

Question 19

● Ages 20 to 40
● Physical Developments: Peak health; lifestyle choices affect long-term well-being.
● Cognitive Developments: Advanced moral reasoning; career and education choices.
● Psychosocial Developments: Stable personality; intimate relationships and family formation.

Answer 19

Emerging and Young Adulthood

Question 20

● Ages 40 to 65
● Physical Developments: Gradual decline in strength and senses; menopause in women.
● Cognitive Developments: Peak expertise and problem-solving; career transitions.
● Psychosocial Developments: Midlife transitions; balancing work, family, and aging parents.

Answer 20

Middle Adulthood

Question 21

● Age 65 and Over
● Physical Developments: Health declines; slower reaction times.
● Cognitive Developments: Memory changes; intelligence mostly stable with adaptations.
● Psychosocial Developments: Retirement; coping with aging and loss; focus on life’s meaning.

Answer 21

Late Adulthood

Question 22

Differences in characteristics, influences, or developmental outcomes.

Answer 22

Individual differences

Question 23

Inborn traits or characteristics inherited from the biological parents.

Answer 23

Heredity

Question 24

It refers to all nonhereditary influences on development, including external surroundings and experiential learning from the womb onward.

Answer 24

Environment

Question 25

It is the natural unfolding of physical and behavioral changes following a predetermined sequence.

Answer 25

Maturation

Question 26

Two-generational kinship, economic, and household unit consisting of one or two parents and their biological children, adopted children, or stepchildren.

Answer 26

Nuclear family

Question 27

Multigenerational kinship network of parents, children, and other relatives, sometimes living together in an extended-family household.

Answer 27

Extended family

Question 28

It is a measure of an individual or family's social and economic position, based on income, education, and occupation.

Answer 28

Socioeconomic status

Question 29

Conditions that increase the likelihood of a negative developmental outcome.

Answer 29

Risk factors

Question 30

A society or group's shared way of life, including customs, traditions, beliefs, values, language, and learned behaviors passed across generations.

Answer 30

Culture

Question 31

A community of people connected by shared ancestry, culture, religion, language, or national origin, fostering a common identity.

Answer 31

Ethnic group

Question 32

An overgeneralization that oversimplifies and obscures differences within an ethnic or cultural group. (e.g. A term such as black or Hispanic)

Answer 32

Ethnic gloss

Question 33

Biological or environmental events that affect many or most people in a society in similar ways and events that touch only certain individuals.

Answer 33

Normative influences

Question 34

Characteristic of an event that occurs in a similar way for most people in a group.

Answer 34

Normative

Question 35

Highly similar for people in a particular age group. The timing of biological events is fairly predictable within a normal range.

Answer 35

Normative age-graded influences

Question 36

Significant events (such as the Great Depression or World War II) that shape the behavior and attitudes of a historical generation: a group of people who experience the event at a formative time in their lives.

Answer 36

Normative history-graded influences

Question 37

A group of people strongly influenced by a major historical event during their formative period.

Answer 37

Historical generation

Question 38

A group of people born at about the same time.

Answer 38

Cohort

Question 39

An unusual event that happens to a particular person or a typical event that happens at an unusual time of life.

Answer 39

Nonnormative

Question 40

These are unusual life events that significantly impact an individual’s development. These may be unexpected events (e.g., losing a parent in childhood) or rare experiences (e.g., surviving a plane crash). Some occur by chance, while others result from personal choices, shaping life’s trajectory in unique ways (by deciding to have a baby in their mid-fifties or taking up a risky hobby such as skydiving)

Answer 40

Nonnormative influences

Question 41

Instinctive form of learning in which, during a critical period in early development, a young animal forms an attachment to the first moving object it sees, usually the mother.

Answer 41

Imprinting

Question 42

The readiness of an organism’s nervous system to acquire certain information during a brief critical period in early life.

Answer 42

Predisposition towards learning

Question 43

A specific time when an event, or its absence, has a crucial impact on development.

Answer 43

Critical period

Question 44

Range of modifiability of performance.

Answer 44

Plasticity

Question 45

The time in development when a person is particularly open to certain kinds of experiences.

Answer 45

Sensitive period

Question 46

Development continues throughout life, with each stage influencing the next. No stage is more important than another.

Answer 46

Development is lifelong

Question 47

Development occurs across biological, psychological, and social dimensions, which progress at different rates.

Answer 47

Development is multidimensional

Question 48

Growth in one area may lead to decline in another. Some abilities improve with age, while others fade, but new skills can emerge.

Answer 48

Development is multidirectional

Question 49

Biological abilities decline with age, but cultural factors like education and social support can help compensate.

Answer 49

Relative influences of biology and culture shift over the life span

Question 50

People invest time, energy, and resources in growth, maintenance, or coping with loss, with priorities shifting over life stages.

Answer 50

Development involves changing resource allocations

Question 51

Many abilities can improve with training and practice, though limits exist based on individual and environmental factors.

Answer 51

Development shows plasticity

Question 52

Development is shaped by the time, place, and cultural context in which a person lives.

Answer 52

Development is influenced by the historical and cultural context