Free Developmental Psychology MCQs with Answers

• A. accommodation
• B. going from bad to worse
• C. association
• D. assimilation

Explanation: Assimilation occurs when Yasmin fits a new experience, KFC, into an existing schema for similar fast-food restaurants.

• A. object permanence
• B. the rooting reflex
• C. insecure attachment
• D. habituation

Explanation: A child who does not confidently explore an unfamiliar setting may be showing insecure attachment, because secure attachment usually…

• A. Just before conception
• B. Second trimester
• C. First two months
• D. First trimester

Explanation: The first two months are a critical period of embryonic development, when major organs and body structures are forming and are especially…

• A. concrete operational
• B. preconventional
• C. conventional
• D. postconventional

Explanation: Mr. Lambers follows an internal ethical principle even though it conflicts with the law, which reflects Kohlberg's postconventional…

• A. movement
• B. delight
• C. affection
• D. excitement

Explanation: Theories proposing that emotions are inborn describe the newborn's earliest emotional state as generalized excitement, which later…

• A. interpretation of new information in terms of existing schemas
• B. adjustment of current schemas to make sense of new information
• C. awareness that things continue to exist when not perceived
• D. decreasing responsiveness to a stimulus to which one is repeatedly exposed

Explanation: Habituation is the gradual reduction in response after repeated exposure to the same stimulus, such as an infant losing interest in a…

• A. have low self-esteem and completely dependent
• B. have high self-esteem and are self-reliant
• C. are rebellious and have low self-esteem
• D. have high self-esteem but are somewhat dependent

Explanation: Authoritative parents combine warmth with reasonable limits, encouraging competence and independence while maintaining support.

• A. their cohabitation will not influence the success of their marriage
• B. but their marriage will have higher-than-average probability of ending in divorce
• C. they have more positive attitudes toward the institution of marriage than the average couple
• D. most of their college friends and acquaintances have viewed their cohabitation negatively

Explanation: Traditional research found that couples who cohabited before marriage had a higher-than-average likelihood of divorce, although selection…

• A. basic trust
• B. egocentrism
• C. imprinting
• D. inner speech

Explanation: Vygotsky argued that language supports thought and problem solving, especially through inner speech, the internalized form of social…

• A. slightly advanced language skills and an increased rate of aggressiveness
• B. no influence on language skills or aggressiveness
• C. slightly advanced language skills and a decreased rate of aggressiveness
• D. slightly inferior language skills and a decreased rate of aggressiveness

Explanation: Research on extensive day-care experience found a small language advantage but also somewhat higher aggressiveness, possibly because of…

• A. temperament
• B. genetic makeup
• C. gene type
• D. phenotype

Explanation: A phenotype consists of observable characteristics, such as hair, eye colour, skin colour, and blood type.

• A. conventional
• B. post-conventional
• C. pre-conventional
• D. unconventionalHire Local Nannies

Explanation: Avoiding punishment reflects Kohlberg's pre-conventional level, especially the punishment-and-obedience orientation.

• A. on the quality of bonding in the first few hours of life
• B. exclusively on the infant's temperament
• C. on this interaction between the infant's temperament and the caregiver's responsiveness
• D. on how stranger anxiety is handled

Explanation: Attachment quality develops through the interaction between the infant's characteristics and the caregiver's sensitive, responsive care.

• A. superiority
• B. industry
• C. generativity
• D. autonomy

Explanation: Erikson called the second psychosocial stage autonomy versus shame and doubt.

• A. can be used to make extremely precise predictions about the age at which an individual child will reach various developmental milestones
• B. indicate the maximum age at which a child can reach a particular developmental milestone, and still be considered "normal."
• C. indicate the average age at which individuals reach various developmental milestones
• D. involve both a and bHire Local Nannies

Explanation: Developmental norms give the average age or typical age range at which children achieve milestones.

• A. visual impairments
• B. habituation
• C. egocentrism
• D. mental retardationGet Study Guides

Explanation: Fetal alcohol syndrome commonly involves prenatal growth deficiency, facial abnormalities, and intellectual or cognitive impairment…

• A. zygotic stage
• B. germinal stage
• C. embryonic stage
• D. fetal stage

Explanation: The embryonic stage, from roughly the third to the eighth week, is especially vulnerable because major organs and body structures are…

• A. head-to-foot direction
• B. center-outward direction
• C. foot-to-head direction
• D. body-appendages direction

Explanation: Cephalocaudal development proceeds from the head downward toward the feet, so children generally gain head and upper-body control before…

• A. high levels of parental control and high levels of parental responsiveness
• B. low levels of parental control and no parental responsiveness
• C. low levels of parental control and low levels of parental responsiveness
• D. high levels of parental control and low levels of parental responsiveness

Explanation: Authoritarian parents are demanding and controlling but relatively low in warmth and responsiveness.

• A. situational referencing
• B. learned referencing
• C. perceptual referencing
• D. social referencing

Explanation: Social referencing occurs when infants look to a caregiver’s emotional reaction to interpret an unfamiliar situation and guide their own…