Developmental Psychology: 2026
Life-Span Study
Theories, Milestones & Digital Age Development (100 Questions)
1. What is the primary focus of developmental psychology?
A) Only the physical growth of the human body
B) Changes in thinking, feeling, and behavior across the entire lifespan
C) Exclusively the educational methods used in schools
D) Only mental pathologies in elderly populations
Correct Answer: B) Changes in thinking, feeling, and behavior across the entire lifespan
2. Who developed the four-stage theory of cognitive development (sensorimotor,
preoperational, concrete operational, formal operational)?
A) Sigmund Freud
B) Jean Piaget
C) Lev Vygotsky
D) Abraham Maslow
Correct Answer: B) Jean Piaget
3. Lev Vygotsky's concept describing the difference between what a child can do
independently and what they can do with guidance is called:
A) The Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD)
B) The egocentrism stage
C) The psychosocial crisis
D) Object constancy
Correct Answer: A) The Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD)
4. According to Erik Erikson, the first stage of psychosocial development (birth to 1 year)
centers around:
A) Autonomy
B) Basic Trust vs. Mistrust
C) Initiative
D) Identity
Correct Answer: B) Basic Trust vs. Mistrust
5. What is "Object Permanence" in infant psychology?
A) A child's ability to play with physical toys
,B) The understanding that objects continue to exist even when they cannot be seen, heard, or
touched
C) The ability to differentiate colors
D) The physical attachment to a caregiver
Correct Answer: B) The understanding that objects continue to exist even when they
cannot be seen, heard, or touched
6. Which attachment style, identified by Mary Ainsworth, is characterized by a child
becoming upset when the caregiver leaves but easily comforted upon their return?
A) Anxious-ambivalent
B) Secure attachment
C) Avoidant attachment
D) Disorganized attachment
Correct Answer: B) Secure attachment
7. The period of "storm and stress," characterized by hormonal changes and identity
exploration, is traditionally associated with:
A) Infancy
B) Adolescence
C) Middle adulthood
D) Late adulthood
Correct Answer: B) Adolescence
8. According to 2026 developmental research, how does prolonged social media use
primarily affect prefrontal cortex development in adolescents?
A) It accelerates the development of critical thinking skills
B) It can contribute to a "dopamine feedback loop" and reduce sustained concentration spans
C) It entirely replaces organic brain development
D) It has zero neurological impact
Correct Answer: B) It can contribute to a "dopamine feedback loop" and reduce
sustained concentration spans
9. What does "Brain Plasticity" refer to?
A) The brain's ability to physically change its structure and functions in response to experience
and environment
B) A disease associated with the destruction of neurons
C) The brain's capacity to memorize numbers
D) The physical shape of the skull
, Correct Answer: A) The brain's ability to physically change its structure and functions in
response to experience and environment
10. In Erikson's theory, what is the primary psychosocial conflict in late adulthood?
A) Intimacy vs. Isolation
B) Ego Integrity vs. Despair
C) Generativity vs. Stagnation
D) Identity vs. Role Confusion
Correct Answer: B) Ego Integrity vs. Despair
11. "Egocentrism" in Piaget's preoperational stage means:
A) The child is intentionally selfish
B) The child's inability to understand that other people have different perspectives or see the
world differently than they do
C) The child's belief that they are the boss of the family
D) The refusal to share toys
Correct Answer: B) The child's inability to understand that other people have different
perspectives or see the world differently than they do
12. Which type of thinking becomes dominant during Piaget's formal operational stage?
A) Abstract, hypothetico-deductive reasoning
B) Purely trial-and-error physical learning
C) Concrete thinking based solely on tangible objects
D) Magical thinking
Correct Answer: A) Abstract, hypothetico-deductive reasoning
13. What is "Scaffolding" in the context of child learning?
A) Physically holding a child up while they learn to walk
B) The temporary support given by an adult that is gradually withdrawn as the child's
competence increases
C) Building a physical toy structure
D) Punishing a child for a wrong answer
Correct Answer: B) The temporary support given by an adult that is gradually withdrawn
as the child's competence increases
14. According to modern longitudinal data (2026), "cognitive aging" can be effectively
slowed down by:
A) Avoiding reading
B) Continuous cognitive learning, physical exercise, and maintaining social integration
C) Complete social isolation
Life-Span Study
Theories, Milestones & Digital Age Development (100 Questions)
1. What is the primary focus of developmental psychology?
A) Only the physical growth of the human body
B) Changes in thinking, feeling, and behavior across the entire lifespan
C) Exclusively the educational methods used in schools
D) Only mental pathologies in elderly populations
Correct Answer: B) Changes in thinking, feeling, and behavior across the entire lifespan
2. Who developed the four-stage theory of cognitive development (sensorimotor,
preoperational, concrete operational, formal operational)?
A) Sigmund Freud
B) Jean Piaget
C) Lev Vygotsky
D) Abraham Maslow
Correct Answer: B) Jean Piaget
3. Lev Vygotsky's concept describing the difference between what a child can do
independently and what they can do with guidance is called:
A) The Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD)
B) The egocentrism stage
C) The psychosocial crisis
D) Object constancy
Correct Answer: A) The Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD)
4. According to Erik Erikson, the first stage of psychosocial development (birth to 1 year)
centers around:
A) Autonomy
B) Basic Trust vs. Mistrust
C) Initiative
D) Identity
Correct Answer: B) Basic Trust vs. Mistrust
5. What is "Object Permanence" in infant psychology?
A) A child's ability to play with physical toys
,B) The understanding that objects continue to exist even when they cannot be seen, heard, or
touched
C) The ability to differentiate colors
D) The physical attachment to a caregiver
Correct Answer: B) The understanding that objects continue to exist even when they
cannot be seen, heard, or touched
6. Which attachment style, identified by Mary Ainsworth, is characterized by a child
becoming upset when the caregiver leaves but easily comforted upon their return?
A) Anxious-ambivalent
B) Secure attachment
C) Avoidant attachment
D) Disorganized attachment
Correct Answer: B) Secure attachment
7. The period of "storm and stress," characterized by hormonal changes and identity
exploration, is traditionally associated with:
A) Infancy
B) Adolescence
C) Middle adulthood
D) Late adulthood
Correct Answer: B) Adolescence
8. According to 2026 developmental research, how does prolonged social media use
primarily affect prefrontal cortex development in adolescents?
A) It accelerates the development of critical thinking skills
B) It can contribute to a "dopamine feedback loop" and reduce sustained concentration spans
C) It entirely replaces organic brain development
D) It has zero neurological impact
Correct Answer: B) It can contribute to a "dopamine feedback loop" and reduce
sustained concentration spans
9. What does "Brain Plasticity" refer to?
A) The brain's ability to physically change its structure and functions in response to experience
and environment
B) A disease associated with the destruction of neurons
C) The brain's capacity to memorize numbers
D) The physical shape of the skull
, Correct Answer: A) The brain's ability to physically change its structure and functions in
response to experience and environment
10. In Erikson's theory, what is the primary psychosocial conflict in late adulthood?
A) Intimacy vs. Isolation
B) Ego Integrity vs. Despair
C) Generativity vs. Stagnation
D) Identity vs. Role Confusion
Correct Answer: B) Ego Integrity vs. Despair
11. "Egocentrism" in Piaget's preoperational stage means:
A) The child is intentionally selfish
B) The child's inability to understand that other people have different perspectives or see the
world differently than they do
C) The child's belief that they are the boss of the family
D) The refusal to share toys
Correct Answer: B) The child's inability to understand that other people have different
perspectives or see the world differently than they do
12. Which type of thinking becomes dominant during Piaget's formal operational stage?
A) Abstract, hypothetico-deductive reasoning
B) Purely trial-and-error physical learning
C) Concrete thinking based solely on tangible objects
D) Magical thinking
Correct Answer: A) Abstract, hypothetico-deductive reasoning
13. What is "Scaffolding" in the context of child learning?
A) Physically holding a child up while they learn to walk
B) The temporary support given by an adult that is gradually withdrawn as the child's
competence increases
C) Building a physical toy structure
D) Punishing a child for a wrong answer
Correct Answer: B) The temporary support given by an adult that is gradually withdrawn
as the child's competence increases
14. According to modern longitudinal data (2026), "cognitive aging" can be effectively
slowed down by:
A) Avoiding reading
B) Continuous cognitive learning, physical exercise, and maintaining social integration
C) Complete social isolation
