BAPSY Developmental Psychology Across Lifespan 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: During Piaget's concrete operational stage (ages 7–11), children gain which key ability?
- Abstract hypothetical reasoning
- Symbolic thinking through language
- Conservation and logical operations on concrete objects (Correct answer)
- Object permanence
Correct answer: Conservation and logical operations on concrete objects
Concrete operational children can perform logical operations on tangible objects and understand conservation of quantity, mass, and volume.
Question 2: The concept of 'scaffolding' in developmental psychology involves:
- Removing all assistance so children learn independently
- Providing temporary support adjusted to a learner's current level (Correct answer)
- Standardized testing across developmental stages
- Punishing incorrect responses to shape behavior
Correct answer: Providing temporary support adjusted to a learner's current level
Scaffolding, derived from Vygotsky's ZPD, involves adjusting support so it matches the learner's needs and gradually fading it as competence grows.
Question 3: Longitudinal research designs in developmental psychology involve:
- Comparing different age groups at a single point in time
- Following the same individuals over an extended period (Correct answer)
- Studying development across multiple cultures simultaneously
- Randomly assigning participants to experimental conditions
Correct answer: Following the same individuals over an extended period
Longitudinal designs track the same participants over time, allowing researchers to observe individual change but taking years to complete.
Question 4: According to Erikson, the primary conflict of adolescence is:
- Autonomy vs. shame and doubt
- Initiative vs. guilt
- Identity vs. role confusion (Correct answer)
- Intimacy vs. isolation
Correct answer: Identity vs. role confusion
Erikson described adolescence as the stage where individuals explore who they are and work toward a stable sense of identity.
Question 5: Habituation paradigms are commonly used in infant research because they measure:
- Motor milestone achievement
- Selective attention and discrimination ability (Correct answer)
- Vocabulary acquisition
- Social smile onset
Correct answer: Selective attention and discrimination ability
When infants habituate to a repeated stimulus and then show renewed attention (dishabituation) to a novel one, researchers can infer perceptual discrimination.
Question 6: Resilience in developmental psychology is best defined as:
- The absence of any adverse childhood experiences
- Positive adaptation despite significant adversity or risk (Correct answer)
- High IQ scores in children from disadvantaged backgrounds
- Emotional numbness as a coping strategy
Correct answer: Positive adaptation despite significant adversity or risk
Resilience refers to the dynamic process of successful adaptation when facing significant challenges, not the absence of stress.
Question 7: Which aging theory proposes that older adults who remain active and engaged maintain higher well-being than those who disengage?
- Disengagement theory
- Activity theory (Correct answer)
- Socioemotional selectivity theory
- Selective optimization with compensation
Correct answer: Activity theory
Activity theory argues that continued social engagement and role maintenance are key to well-being in late adulthood.
BAPSY Developmental Psychology Across Lifespan 3
During Piaget's concrete operational stage (ages 7–11), children gain which key ability?