BAPSY Bachelor of Arts in Psychology Developmental Psychology Across Lifespan Questions and Answers

Question 1

A 4-year-old child is shown two identical short, wide glasses with the same amount of water. When the water from one glass is poured into a tall, thin glass, the child insists that the tall glass now has more water. According to Jean Piaget, this child's error is due to a lack of:

Accepted Answer

Conservation

Answer

This is a classic example of a conservation task. The child in the preoperational stage (ages 2-7) has not yet developed the logical thinking ability to understand that a quantity remains the same despite adjustments to its container's shape or apparent size. They focus on a single dimension (in this case, height) and are unable to mentally reverse the action.

Question 2

According to Erik Erikson's stages of psychosocial development, what is the primary conflict faced by individuals in late adulthood (65+ years)?

Accepted Answer

Integrity vs. Despair

Answer

In the final stage of Erikson's theory, individuals in late adulthood reflect on their lives. A sense of fulfillment and accomplishment leads to wisdom and integrity, while a life viewed as unproductive or full of regrets leads to feelings of despair.

Question 3

In Mary Ainsworth's "Strange Situation" experiment, a toddler shows little to no distress when their mother leaves the room and actively ignores or avoids her upon her return. This pattern of behavior is characteristic of which attachment style?

Accepted Answer

Avoidant attachment

Answer

Insecure-avoidant attachment is characterized by a child's apparent indifference to the caregiver's presence. They do not seem distressed by separation and will actively avoid contact or interaction when the caregiver returns.

Question 4

Which of the following best describes the authoritative parenting style as defined by Diana Baumrind?

Accepted Answer

Parents are both demanding and responsive; they set clear rules and expectations but are also warm, supportive, and value open communication.

Answer

The authoritative parenting style is characterized by a balance of high demands (demandingness) and high warmth/support (responsiveness). These parents set clear standards, enforce rules, but also explain their reasoning and encourage independence.

Question 5

Lev Vygotsky's concept of the "Zone of Proximal Development" (ZPD) refers to the range of tasks that a child:

Accepted Answer

can perform with the help of a more knowledgeable other but not yet independently.

Answer

The ZPD is the crucial gap between what a learner can already do on their own and what they can achieve with guidance and encouragement from a skilled partner (like a teacher or peer). It is the area where instruction is most effective.

BAPSY - Bachelor of Arts in Psychology Practice Test

BAPSY - Bachelor of Arts in Psychology Practice Test

BAPSY Bachelor of Arts in Psychology Developmental Psychology Across Lifespan Questions and Answers