Dynamics of Human Development and Behavior Flashcards

Which concept describes the cumulative advantage or disadvantage in health, resources, and opportunities that accumulates as people age?

Answer: Cumulative inequality

Cumulative inequality theory holds that social advantages and disadvantages compound over time, producing increasingly divergent outcomes among older adults.

A child raised with consistent rules but warm emotional support is most likely to develop which personality traits according to developmental research?

Answer: High self-esteem, independence, and social competence

Authoritative parenting—combining warmth with clear structure—is consistently linked to high self-esteem, social competence, and autonomous decision-making.

According to Sternberg's triarchic theory of intelligence, which component involves applying mental processes to everyday real-world situations?

Answer: Practical intelligence

Practical intelligence (sometimes called 'street smarts') refers to the ability to apply knowledge effectively in everyday, real-world contexts.

The phenomenon called 'reminiscence bump' refers to the finding that older adults have the best recall for autobiographical events that occurred during:

Answer: Late adolescence and early adulthood (ages 15–25)

The reminiscence bump describes older adults' enhanced recall of events from late adolescence and early adulthood, a period rich in novel identity-forming experiences.

Which developmental concept explains why children raised in the same family can turn out very differently in personality due to unique individual experiences?

Answer: Nonshared environmental influences

Nonshared environmental influences are the experiences unique to each individual child within a family, such as different peer groups, teachers, or birth-order effects.

Kübler-Ross's stage model of grief has been criticized primarily because:

Answer: People rarely progress through the stages in a fixed linear order

Research shows that grief responses are highly variable; many people skip stages, revisit them, or experience them simultaneously rather than in the proposed sequence.

Which concept describes the way individuals actively select, shape, and evoke environments based on their genetic predispositions, linking nature and nurture?

Answer: Gene-environment correlation

Gene-environment correlation refers to the systematic relationship between a person's genetic tendencies and the environments they are exposed to or seek out.