Fundamentals of Developmental Psychology: MCQ Test for Beginners

Questions (20)

1. Which of the following is a primary focus of developmental psychology?

   • a) Understanding changes in individuals over time
   • b) Diagnosing mental disorders in children
   • c) Exploring the impact of group dynamics on behavior
   • d) Developing treatment plans for personality disorders
   View Answer

   Correct Understanding changes in individuals over time

2. Who is considered the pioneer of the psychosexual stages of development?

   • a) Erik Erikson
   • b) Sigmund Freud
   • c) Jean Piaget
   • d) Lev Vygotsky
   View Answer

   Correct Sigmund Freud

3. What does Piaget's theory primarily address?

   • a) Cognitive development in children
   • b) Emotional regulation across the lifespan
   • c) Moral reasoning in adults
   • d) Behavioral conditioning in adolescents
   View Answer

   Correct Cognitive development in children

4. What is the term for a child's ability to understand that objects continue to exist even when they cannot be seen?

   • a) Conservation
   • b) Object permanence
   • c) Schema formation
   • d) Egocentrism
   View Answer

   Correct Object permanence

5. Which method is commonly used in developmental psychology research?

   • a) Longitudinal studies
   • b) Clinical trials
   • c) Case studies
   • d) Correlational analysis
   View Answer

   Correct Longitudinal studies

6. Kohlberg's theory of moral development includes which of the following levels?

   • a) Preoperational
   • b) Preconventional
   • c) Postconventional
   • d) Operational
   View Answer

   Correct Preconventional

7. At what stage in Piaget's theory does a child begin to think logically about concrete events?

   • a) Sensorimotor
   • b) Preoperational
   • c) Concrete operational
   • d) Formal operational
   View Answer

   Correct Concrete operational

8. What is the primary focus of developmental psychology?

   • a) Behavioral changes in groups
   • b) Personality disorders
   • c) Changes in behavior across the lifespan
   • d) Social interactions in adulthood
   View Answer

   Correct Changes in behavior across the lifespan

9. What is the zone of proximal development (ZPD) in Vygotsky's theory?

   • a) The gap between independent performance and potential performance with guidance
   • b) The period of rapid brain growth in early childhood
   • c) The stage when children develop object permanence
   • d) The level of moral reasoning a child can achieve
   View Answer

   Correct The gap between independent performance and potential performance with guidance

10. Which of the following is an example of a longitudinal study?

    • a) Comparing two groups of different ages at the same time
    • b) Observing a single group of people over many years
    • c) Conducting a one-time survey of high school students
    • d) Interviewing multiple groups from various schools
    View Answer

    Correct Observing a single group of people over many years

11. What is a critical period in development?

    • a) A time when development must occur for certain abilities to be achieved
    • b) A stage where all physical growth takes place
    • c) The time when social skills are learned
    • d) A phase of intense emotional regulation
    View Answer

    Correct A time when development must occur for certain abilities to be achieved

12. Who proposed the ecological systems theory?

    • a) Lev Vygotsky
    • b) Jean Piaget
    • c) Urie Bronfenbrenner
    • d) Erik Erikson
    View Answer

    Correct Urie Bronfenbrenner

13. Which of the following describes egocentrism in Piaget's theory?

    • a) The inability to differentiate one's own perspective from others
    • b) A focus on concrete reasoning skills
    • c) The development of abstract thinking
    • d) A child's ability to conserve quantities
    View Answer

    Correct The inability to differentiate one's own perspective from others

14. What is the main premise of nature vs. nurture debate in developmental psychology?

    • a) Whether genetic inheritance or environment plays a larger role in development
    • b) Whether individuals can change their personality over time
    • c) How intelligence is measured across cultures
    • d) The impact of parenting styles on moral reasoning
    View Answer

    Correct Whether genetic inheritance or environment plays a larger role in development

15. Which psychologist is associated with the theory of attachment?

    • a) Abraham Maslow
    • b) John Bowlby
    • c) Erik Erikson
    • d) Lev Vygotsky
    View Answer

    Correct John Bowlby

16. What is a teratogen?

    • a) A factor that can cause harm to a developing fetus
    • b) A type of genetic mutation
    • c) A hormone critical for brain development
    • d) A substance that enhances learning abilities
    View Answer

    Correct A factor that can cause harm to a developing fetus

17. During which stage of Erikson's psychosocial development does identity vs. role confusion occur?

    • a) Adolescence
    • b) Early adulthood
    • c) Middle adulthood
    • d) Infancy
    View Answer

    Correct Adolescence

18. What is the primary goal of developmental psychology research?

    • a) To study behavior in isolation
    • b) To identify abnormalities in human behavior
    • c) To understand and explain changes throughout the human lifespan
    • d) To create interventions for mental health disorders
    View Answer

    Correct To understand and explain changes throughout the human lifespan

19. Which of the following is an example of a milestone in fine motor skill development?

    • a) Learning to walk
    • b) Picking up small objects with fingers
    • c) Saying their first word
    • d) Recognizing their own reflection in the mirror
    View Answer

    Correct Picking up small objects with fingers

20. What is scaffolding in Vygotsky's theory?

    • a) Providing temporary support to help a child achieve a task
    • b) Encouraging children to learn through play
    • c) Measuring intelligence through standardized tests
    • d) Guiding children to learn independently
    View Answer

    Correct Providing temporary support to help a child achieve a task