NBCOT Human Development Across the Lifespan — Questions and Answers
Question 1: According to Erikson's stages of psychosocial development, the primary task of adolescence (ages 12–18) is resolution of which conflict?
- Trust vs. Mistrust
- Identity vs. Role Confusion (Correct answer)
- Intimacy vs. Isolation
- Generativity vs. Stagnation
Correct answer: Identity vs. Role Confusion
Erikson's adolescent stage is Identity vs. Role Confusion, during which the young person explores roles, values, and beliefs to form a coherent self-concept. Intimacy vs. Isolation is young adulthood; Generativity vs. Stagnation is middle adulthood.
Question 2: A 4-year-old child is MOST likely to demonstrate which of the following fine motor skills?
- Tying shoelaces independently
- Drawing a recognizable person with six body parts
- Cutting along a straight line with scissors (Correct answer)
- Writing all uppercase letters legibly
Correct answer: Cutting along a straight line with scissors
By age 4, most children can cut along a straight line with scissors. Tying shoelaces emerges around age 5–6; drawing a person with six parts is typical near age 5; writing legible letters is a kindergarten-age skill.
Question 3: Normal aging changes an OT should anticipate when treating a healthy 75-year-old client include:
- Increased processing speed and improved multitasking ability
- Decreased proprioception, reduced grip strength, and slower reaction time (Correct answer)
- Improved near vision and enhanced color discrimination
- Increased muscle fiber density and bone density
Correct answer: Decreased proprioception, reduced grip strength, and slower reaction time
Typical aging includes reduced proprioception, diminished grip strength, and slower processing and reaction time. Processing speed decreases with age; near vision and color discrimination worsen; both muscle mass and bone density decline.
Question 4: According to Piaget, a child in the preoperational stage (ages 2–7) would have MOST difficulty with which task?
- Object permanence
- Conservation of volume (Correct answer)
- Engaging in symbolic play
- Using language to represent objects
Correct answer: Conservation of volume
Conservation — understanding that quantity remains constant despite changes in appearance — develops in the concrete operational stage (ages 7–11) and is absent in preoperational thought. Object permanence develops in the sensorimotor stage; symbolic play and language are hallmarks of preoperational development.
Question 5: A premature infant born at 32 weeks gestation is now 4 months old (chronological age). The OT should compare the infant's developmental skills against which age?
- 4 months chronological age
- 2 months corrected age (Correct answer)
- 6 months to allow for catch-up development
- 32-week gestational milestones only
Correct answer: 2 months corrected age
Corrected age (chronological age minus weeks of prematurity) is used for developmental assessment in premature infants until approximately 2 years. A 32-week gestation infant is 8 weeks early, so at 4 months chronological the corrected age is 2 months.
Question 6: Which developmental theory emphasizes the role of social and cultural environment in shaping cognitive development and introduces the Zone of Proximal Development?
- Piaget's cognitive-developmental theory
- Erikson's psychosocial theory
- Vygotsky's sociocultural theory (Correct answer)
- Bronfenbrenner's ecological systems theory
Correct answer: Vygotsky's sociocultural theory
Vygotsky's sociocultural theory holds that cognitive development occurs through social interaction within cultural contexts and introduces the ZPD — the gap between what a child can do alone versus with guided support. Piaget emphasizes internal cognitive structures; Bronfenbrenner emphasizes nested environmental systems.
NBCOT Human Development Across the Lifespan
According to Erikson's stages of psychosocial development, the primary task of adolescence (ages 12–18) is resolution of which conflict?