1
PSYC 140 Module 1 Exam Actual Exam
2026/2027 – Complete Exam-Style Questions
with Detailed Rationales | 100% Verified –
Pass Guaranteed – A+ Graded
Foundations of Developmental Psychology – Key Theories & Pioneers
Q1: Which developmental debate considers the relative contributions of genetic inheritance and
environmental factors to human development?
A. Stability vs. change
B. Nature vs. nurture
C. Continuity vs. discontinuity
D. Early vs. later experience
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: The nature vs. nurture debate centers on how much of our development is determined
by our biology (nature) and how much is determined by our environment and experiences
(nurture).
Q2: Dr. Chen believes that development occurs gradually, in a smooth and cumulative fashion,
much like a maple tree growing steadily taller. Her view best aligns with which side of the
continuity-discontinuity debate?
A. Discontinuity
B. Nature
C. Continuity
D. Stability
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: The continuity perspective views development as a gradual, continuous process of
adding more of the same types of skills, similar to a seedling growing into a tree without abrupt
changes.
,2
Q3: According to Sigmund Freud’s psychosexual theory, if a child experiences excessive
parental restriction or punishment during the anal stage of development, which fixation are they
most likely to develop in adulthood?
A. An oral-passive personality
B. An anal-retentive personality
C. An Oedipus complex
D. A phallic fixation
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Freud argued that harsh toilet training during the anal stage could lead to an anal-
retentive personality, characterized by stubbornness, orderliness, and excessive neatness.
Q4: Which of Erik Erikson’s psychosocial crises occurs during infancy (birth to 1 year) and is
resolved when a baby’s needs are met consistently and with affection?
A. Trust vs. Mistrust
B. Autonomy vs. Shame and Doubt
C. Initiative vs. Guilt
D. Intimacy vs. Isolation
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: Erikson theorized that the first year of life is defined by Trust vs. Mistrust. When
caregivers provide reliable care and warmth, the infant develops a sense of trust in the world.
Q5: A toddler insists on dressing himself, even if he puts his shirt on backward. According to
Erikson, this behavior reflects the successful resolution of which crisis?
A. Trust vs. Mistrust
B. Autonomy vs. Shame and Doubt
C. Initiative vs. Guilt
D. Industry vs. Inferiority
Correct Answer: B
, 3
Rationale: During the toddler years (ages 1–3), children strive for independence. Erikson called
this stage Autonomy vs. Shame and Doubt; doing things oneself, like dressing, supports a sense
of autonomy.
Q6: Jean Piaget’s theory of cognitive development is centered on the concept of:
A. Conditioning and reinforcement
B. Schemas and adaptation processes
C. Psychosexual stages
D. Psychosocial crises
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Piaget believed that children construct knowledge through the interaction of their
biological maturation and experiences with the environment, specifically by organizing
information into schemas and adjusting them through assimilation and accommodation.
Q7: Little 10-month-old Marcus watches his father hide a toy under a blanket. Marcus lifts the
blanket to retrieve it. According to Piaget, this demonstrates that Marcus has developed:
A. Object permanence
B. Egocentrism
C. Conservation
D. Abstract thinking
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: Object permanence is the understanding that objects continue to exist even when they
are out of sight, a hallmark cognitive achievement of the sensorimotor stage (birth to 2 years).
Q8: Lev Vygotsky’s sociocultural theory emphasizes the role of social interaction in learning.
Which concept describes the difference between what a child can do independently and what
they can do with guidance?
A. Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD)
B. Schema
C. Operational thought
PSYC 140 Module 1 Exam Actual Exam
2026/2027 – Complete Exam-Style Questions
with Detailed Rationales | 100% Verified –
Pass Guaranteed – A+ Graded
Foundations of Developmental Psychology – Key Theories & Pioneers
Q1: Which developmental debate considers the relative contributions of genetic inheritance and
environmental factors to human development?
A. Stability vs. change
B. Nature vs. nurture
C. Continuity vs. discontinuity
D. Early vs. later experience
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: The nature vs. nurture debate centers on how much of our development is determined
by our biology (nature) and how much is determined by our environment and experiences
(nurture).
Q2: Dr. Chen believes that development occurs gradually, in a smooth and cumulative fashion,
much like a maple tree growing steadily taller. Her view best aligns with which side of the
continuity-discontinuity debate?
A. Discontinuity
B. Nature
C. Continuity
D. Stability
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: The continuity perspective views development as a gradual, continuous process of
adding more of the same types of skills, similar to a seedling growing into a tree without abrupt
changes.
,2
Q3: According to Sigmund Freud’s psychosexual theory, if a child experiences excessive
parental restriction or punishment during the anal stage of development, which fixation are they
most likely to develop in adulthood?
A. An oral-passive personality
B. An anal-retentive personality
C. An Oedipus complex
D. A phallic fixation
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Freud argued that harsh toilet training during the anal stage could lead to an anal-
retentive personality, characterized by stubbornness, orderliness, and excessive neatness.
Q4: Which of Erik Erikson’s psychosocial crises occurs during infancy (birth to 1 year) and is
resolved when a baby’s needs are met consistently and with affection?
A. Trust vs. Mistrust
B. Autonomy vs. Shame and Doubt
C. Initiative vs. Guilt
D. Intimacy vs. Isolation
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: Erikson theorized that the first year of life is defined by Trust vs. Mistrust. When
caregivers provide reliable care and warmth, the infant develops a sense of trust in the world.
Q5: A toddler insists on dressing himself, even if he puts his shirt on backward. According to
Erikson, this behavior reflects the successful resolution of which crisis?
A. Trust vs. Mistrust
B. Autonomy vs. Shame and Doubt
C. Initiative vs. Guilt
D. Industry vs. Inferiority
Correct Answer: B
, 3
Rationale: During the toddler years (ages 1–3), children strive for independence. Erikson called
this stage Autonomy vs. Shame and Doubt; doing things oneself, like dressing, supports a sense
of autonomy.
Q6: Jean Piaget’s theory of cognitive development is centered on the concept of:
A. Conditioning and reinforcement
B. Schemas and adaptation processes
C. Psychosexual stages
D. Psychosocial crises
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Piaget believed that children construct knowledge through the interaction of their
biological maturation and experiences with the environment, specifically by organizing
information into schemas and adjusting them through assimilation and accommodation.
Q7: Little 10-month-old Marcus watches his father hide a toy under a blanket. Marcus lifts the
blanket to retrieve it. According to Piaget, this demonstrates that Marcus has developed:
A. Object permanence
B. Egocentrism
C. Conservation
D. Abstract thinking
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: Object permanence is the understanding that objects continue to exist even when they
are out of sight, a hallmark cognitive achievement of the sensorimotor stage (birth to 2 years).
Q8: Lev Vygotsky’s sociocultural theory emphasizes the role of social interaction in learning.
Which concept describes the difference between what a child can do independently and what
they can do with guidance?
A. Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD)
B. Schema
C. Operational thought
