GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT EXAM
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
Fine or gross
A 3-month-old infant can follow an object to midline with her eyes. - ANSWER -Fine
Fine or gross
A 7-month-old infant rolls from side to side. - ANSWER -Gross
Fine or gross
A 5-year-old uses scissors to cut out shapes of paper. - ANSWER -Fine
A 4-year-old thinks that his temper tantrum caused the thunderstorm.
Sensorimotor
Preoperational
Intuitive - ANSWER -Preoperational
Magical thinking occurs from the ages of 2 to 4 in Piaget's preoperational stage. In this
stage children think that their thoughts influence the world.
An infant searches for an object placed under a pillow, exhibiting understanding of
object permanence.
Sensorimotor
Preoperational
Intuitive - ANSWER -Sensorimotor
During this stage, which lasts from birth to 2 years, infants develop a sense of object
permanence. They begin to realize an object or person still exists when it is hidden.
Examples include peekaboo or hiding an object under a pillow.
A 9-year-old boy is able to explain how his injury happened to the nurse.
Intuitive
Concrete operational
Formal operational - ANSWER -Concrete operational
Children can have more logical thought processes while beginning to think abstractly.
During the concrete operational stage, children become less self-centered and their
thought processes are more coherent and logical, but they are still unable to think
abstractly.
An infant cries and the mother picks up the baby for a feeding.
Trust vs mistrust
Autonomy vs shame an doubt
Initiative vs guilt - ANSWER -Trust vs mistrust
During the trust vs. mistrust stage, the infant will develop trust if basic needs are met
and mistrust if basic needs are unmet. A sense of trust in his or her parents and
surroundings allows the infant to see the world as a safe place.
,A 4-year-old hides from his mother after hitting his younger brother.
Autonomy Vs. Shame/Doubt
Initiative Vs. Guilt
Industry Vs. Inferiority - ANSWER -Initiative vs guilt
During the preschool years, children are learning right from wrong and will establish a
sense of conscience as part of the initiative vs. guilt stage. They learn about their
environment through play. At this time, the child develops a conscience. Children who
are constantly criticized will have feelings of guilt.
Infant - ANSWER -Birth to 1 year
Toddler - ANSWER -1-3 years
neonate - ANSWER -newborn baby
Preschool - ANSWER -3-6 years
School-age - ANSWER -6-12 years
Adolescence - ANSWER -12-18 years
Toilet training as a major skill learned
Autonomy Vs. Shame/Doubt
Initiative Vs. Guilt
Industry Vs. Inferiority - ANSWER -Autonomy vs shame/doubt
During the toddler years, children become more independent and learn how to toilet
train. They gain more control over their bodies and environment.
The desire to follow the rules and maintain social order.
preconventional, conventional, or postconventional - ANSWER -Conventional
This level follows the preconventional level in which rules are set by those in authority.
The child adjusts behaviors to conform to good-bad/right-wrong thinking. In the
conventional level the focus is on conformity and loyalty, following rules, and
maintaining social order.
Using personal judgments to determine what is right and wrong
preconventional, conventional, or postconventional - ANSWER -Post conventional
Children 12 years and older will place their value in their own individual rights
regardless of authority figures and peers according to Kohlberg's moral development
theory.
Following parent's orders to eat dinner before having candy
preconventional, conventional, or postconventional - ANSWER -Preconventional
,Children ages 2 to 7 years follow rules set by those in authority and know the difference
between right and wrong, good and bad, according to Kohlberg's moral development
theory.
Teaching a child to toilet train is most likely to occur during which psychosocial
developmental stage?
Trust vs. mistrust
Autonomy vs. shame/doubt
Initiative vs. guilt
Industry vs. inferiority - ANSWER -Autonomy
Billy is in the emergency room for chronic history of vomiting and diarrhea with unknown
origin. The nurse plots the child's measurements, realizing Billy is below the 5th
percentile for both weight and height for age. Which statement is most accurate?
As long as the child is meeting normal developmental milestones, waiting until illness
resolves will allow the child time to increase weight gain.
The Department of Human Resources should be notified as this is a sign of abuse.
Immunologic conditions typically cause significant decrease in weight and height; Billy's
condition should resolve spontaneously.
This finding is consistent with a diagnosis of failure to thrive. - ANSWER -Failure to
thrive
Understanding that basic needs will be met, such as being picked up by a parent when
crying, is a task in what psychosocial development stage?
Trust vs. mistrust
Autonomy vs. shame/doubt
Initiative vs. guilt
Industry vs. inferiority - ANSWER -Trust vs mistrust
The nurse is caring for a newborn infant. When teaching the mother about physical
development, the nurse explains that infants can control their head and neck before
they can control their arms and legs. This type of development is referred to as:
1.Differentiation
2.Head-to-toe movement
3.Cephalocaudal
4.Proximodistal - ANSWER -3
A nurse is caring for a toddler on an inpatient unit. Which developmental milestones
should be expected at this stage by the nurse? Select all that apply.
Gross motor development milestones include learning to ride a bike.
Speech and language milestones include learning to put three or more words together
to form a sentence.
Fine motor development milestones include learning to use a fine pincer grasp.
Fine motor development milestones include stacking 6 or more blocks on top of one
another.
, Cognitive development milestones include understanding the concept of object
permanence. - ANSWER -2, 4
The nurse is assessing a 6-year-old child. According to Piaget, what should the nurse
expect to observe in the child at this stage? Select all that apply.
The child's thinking is influenced by fantasy.
The child understands the concept of time.
The child is able to think abstractly.
The child is able to think about things that are not in the present.
The child's language skills are fully developed. - ANSWER -The child's thinking is
influenced by fantasy.
The child is able to think about things that are not in the present.
Which anticipatory guideline does the nurse identify as appropriate for a preschool aged
child?
A child this age will be learning to run.
A child this age will be learning how to draw a circle with a pencil.
A child this age will be learning dress themselves.
A child this age will be learning to go down and upstairs independently. - ANSWER -
Dress themselves
Which statement would the nurse identify as an example of medical abuse of a child?
An ill child is not allowed to be taken for care due to parents' religious objections.
Parents choose not to provide a hearing aid for a school-aged child due to the stigma of
wearing it.
A child is alone at home after school for several hours every day.
A child is left alone prior to school in the morning and is expected to take their own
medications. - ANSWER -Religious objections
Which term does the nurse understand to describe the process of development in which
simple to more complex progression of developmental milestones is achieved?
Differentiation
Cephalocaudal
Proximodistal
Interdependent - ANSWER -Differentiation
The nurse asks the nursing student to provide an example of proximodistal
development. Which would be an appropriate response by the student?
A child is able to sit unsupported before being able to grasp objects with the fingers.
An infant is able to hold the head up steadily before standing.
A child learns to crawl before walking.
A child is able to sit unsupported before pulling to stand. - ANSWER -A child is able to
sit unsupported before being able to grasp objects with the fingers.
A two-and-one-half-year-old child does not search for an object when it is removed from
the field of vision. The nurse correctly interprets this finding as:
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
Fine or gross
A 3-month-old infant can follow an object to midline with her eyes. - ANSWER -Fine
Fine or gross
A 7-month-old infant rolls from side to side. - ANSWER -Gross
Fine or gross
A 5-year-old uses scissors to cut out shapes of paper. - ANSWER -Fine
A 4-year-old thinks that his temper tantrum caused the thunderstorm.
Sensorimotor
Preoperational
Intuitive - ANSWER -Preoperational
Magical thinking occurs from the ages of 2 to 4 in Piaget's preoperational stage. In this
stage children think that their thoughts influence the world.
An infant searches for an object placed under a pillow, exhibiting understanding of
object permanence.
Sensorimotor
Preoperational
Intuitive - ANSWER -Sensorimotor
During this stage, which lasts from birth to 2 years, infants develop a sense of object
permanence. They begin to realize an object or person still exists when it is hidden.
Examples include peekaboo or hiding an object under a pillow.
A 9-year-old boy is able to explain how his injury happened to the nurse.
Intuitive
Concrete operational
Formal operational - ANSWER -Concrete operational
Children can have more logical thought processes while beginning to think abstractly.
During the concrete operational stage, children become less self-centered and their
thought processes are more coherent and logical, but they are still unable to think
abstractly.
An infant cries and the mother picks up the baby for a feeding.
Trust vs mistrust
Autonomy vs shame an doubt
Initiative vs guilt - ANSWER -Trust vs mistrust
During the trust vs. mistrust stage, the infant will develop trust if basic needs are met
and mistrust if basic needs are unmet. A sense of trust in his or her parents and
surroundings allows the infant to see the world as a safe place.
,A 4-year-old hides from his mother after hitting his younger brother.
Autonomy Vs. Shame/Doubt
Initiative Vs. Guilt
Industry Vs. Inferiority - ANSWER -Initiative vs guilt
During the preschool years, children are learning right from wrong and will establish a
sense of conscience as part of the initiative vs. guilt stage. They learn about their
environment through play. At this time, the child develops a conscience. Children who
are constantly criticized will have feelings of guilt.
Infant - ANSWER -Birth to 1 year
Toddler - ANSWER -1-3 years
neonate - ANSWER -newborn baby
Preschool - ANSWER -3-6 years
School-age - ANSWER -6-12 years
Adolescence - ANSWER -12-18 years
Toilet training as a major skill learned
Autonomy Vs. Shame/Doubt
Initiative Vs. Guilt
Industry Vs. Inferiority - ANSWER -Autonomy vs shame/doubt
During the toddler years, children become more independent and learn how to toilet
train. They gain more control over their bodies and environment.
The desire to follow the rules and maintain social order.
preconventional, conventional, or postconventional - ANSWER -Conventional
This level follows the preconventional level in which rules are set by those in authority.
The child adjusts behaviors to conform to good-bad/right-wrong thinking. In the
conventional level the focus is on conformity and loyalty, following rules, and
maintaining social order.
Using personal judgments to determine what is right and wrong
preconventional, conventional, or postconventional - ANSWER -Post conventional
Children 12 years and older will place their value in their own individual rights
regardless of authority figures and peers according to Kohlberg's moral development
theory.
Following parent's orders to eat dinner before having candy
preconventional, conventional, or postconventional - ANSWER -Preconventional
,Children ages 2 to 7 years follow rules set by those in authority and know the difference
between right and wrong, good and bad, according to Kohlberg's moral development
theory.
Teaching a child to toilet train is most likely to occur during which psychosocial
developmental stage?
Trust vs. mistrust
Autonomy vs. shame/doubt
Initiative vs. guilt
Industry vs. inferiority - ANSWER -Autonomy
Billy is in the emergency room for chronic history of vomiting and diarrhea with unknown
origin. The nurse plots the child's measurements, realizing Billy is below the 5th
percentile for both weight and height for age. Which statement is most accurate?
As long as the child is meeting normal developmental milestones, waiting until illness
resolves will allow the child time to increase weight gain.
The Department of Human Resources should be notified as this is a sign of abuse.
Immunologic conditions typically cause significant decrease in weight and height; Billy's
condition should resolve spontaneously.
This finding is consistent with a diagnosis of failure to thrive. - ANSWER -Failure to
thrive
Understanding that basic needs will be met, such as being picked up by a parent when
crying, is a task in what psychosocial development stage?
Trust vs. mistrust
Autonomy vs. shame/doubt
Initiative vs. guilt
Industry vs. inferiority - ANSWER -Trust vs mistrust
The nurse is caring for a newborn infant. When teaching the mother about physical
development, the nurse explains that infants can control their head and neck before
they can control their arms and legs. This type of development is referred to as:
1.Differentiation
2.Head-to-toe movement
3.Cephalocaudal
4.Proximodistal - ANSWER -3
A nurse is caring for a toddler on an inpatient unit. Which developmental milestones
should be expected at this stage by the nurse? Select all that apply.
Gross motor development milestones include learning to ride a bike.
Speech and language milestones include learning to put three or more words together
to form a sentence.
Fine motor development milestones include learning to use a fine pincer grasp.
Fine motor development milestones include stacking 6 or more blocks on top of one
another.
, Cognitive development milestones include understanding the concept of object
permanence. - ANSWER -2, 4
The nurse is assessing a 6-year-old child. According to Piaget, what should the nurse
expect to observe in the child at this stage? Select all that apply.
The child's thinking is influenced by fantasy.
The child understands the concept of time.
The child is able to think abstractly.
The child is able to think about things that are not in the present.
The child's language skills are fully developed. - ANSWER -The child's thinking is
influenced by fantasy.
The child is able to think about things that are not in the present.
Which anticipatory guideline does the nurse identify as appropriate for a preschool aged
child?
A child this age will be learning to run.
A child this age will be learning how to draw a circle with a pencil.
A child this age will be learning dress themselves.
A child this age will be learning to go down and upstairs independently. - ANSWER -
Dress themselves
Which statement would the nurse identify as an example of medical abuse of a child?
An ill child is not allowed to be taken for care due to parents' religious objections.
Parents choose not to provide a hearing aid for a school-aged child due to the stigma of
wearing it.
A child is alone at home after school for several hours every day.
A child is left alone prior to school in the morning and is expected to take their own
medications. - ANSWER -Religious objections
Which term does the nurse understand to describe the process of development in which
simple to more complex progression of developmental milestones is achieved?
Differentiation
Cephalocaudal
Proximodistal
Interdependent - ANSWER -Differentiation
The nurse asks the nursing student to provide an example of proximodistal
development. Which would be an appropriate response by the student?
A child is able to sit unsupported before being able to grasp objects with the fingers.
An infant is able to hold the head up steadily before standing.
A child learns to crawl before walking.
A child is able to sit unsupported before pulling to stand. - ANSWER -A child is able to
sit unsupported before being able to grasp objects with the fingers.
A two-and-one-half-year-old child does not search for an object when it is removed from
the field of vision. The nurse correctly interprets this finding as:
