APA Developmental Psychology 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What is 'temperament' in developmental psychology?
- A learned pattern of emotional responses
- Biologically-based individual differences in reactivity and self-regulation (Correct answer)
- A child's attachment style
- The cognitive stage a child has reached
Correct answer: Biologically-based individual differences in reactivity and self-regulation
Temperament refers to innate, relatively stable individual differences in emotional reactivity, activity level, and self-regulation that appear early in life.
Question 2: During Piaget's preoperational stage, egocentrism is best demonstrated by:
- Failure to pass conservation tasks
- Inability to solve hypothetical problems
- Assuming others see the world from their own perspective (Correct answer)
- Lack of object permanence
Correct answer: Assuming others see the world from their own perspective
Preoperational egocentrism is the child's difficulty recognizing that others may have different perspectives, as shown in the classic three-mountain task.
Question 3: Which parenting style, identified by Baumrind, is associated with the best developmental outcomes in U.S. children?
- Authoritarian
- Permissive
- Uninvolved
- Authoritative (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Authoritative
Authoritative parenting — warm yet firm, with clear expectations and explanations — is associated with higher self-esteem, academic success, and social competence.
Question 4: What does 'scaffolding' mean in the context of Vygotsky's theory?
- Structuring a classroom environment
- Temporary support provided by a more skilled person to help a learner succeed (Correct answer)
- Testing a child's independent capabilities
- Breaking tasks into developmental stages
Correct answer: Temporary support provided by a more skilled person to help a learner succeed
Scaffolding is the adjustable support given by a teacher or peer that is gradually withdrawn as the learner becomes more competent.
Question 5: In Erikson's framework, the primary developmental challenge of adolescence is:
- Industry vs. Inferiority
- Intimacy vs. Isolation
- Identity vs. Role Confusion (Correct answer)
- Generativity vs. Stagnation
Correct answer: Identity vs. Role Confusion
Erikson's fifth stage, Identity vs. Role Confusion, occurs during adolescence, when individuals explore and commit to a coherent sense of self.
Question 6: Which research method is best suited to studying age-related changes across time by following the same group of participants?
- Cross-sectional study
- Case study
- Longitudinal study (Correct answer)
- Cross-sequential study
Correct answer: Longitudinal study
A longitudinal study follows the same cohort over time, allowing researchers to track genuine developmental changes in individuals.
APA Developmental Psychology 2
What is 'temperament' in developmental psychology?