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UIC NUEL 250 MIDTERM (ACTUAL 2025/2026)
QUESTIONS & VERIFIED CORRECT ANSWERS (LATEST
UPDATE
Three broad dimensions, or domains, of development & why are they studied
separately? - (answer)1. Biological
2. Cognitive
3. Personal-social
-studied separately because development doesn't necessarily advance
simultaneously on all fronts (thinking, problem solving, social behavior can all
occur at different stages)
-domains are not independent but rather interrelated
According the 6 tenets of lifespan Perspective
Development is: - (answer)• A life long process
• Multidimensional & multidirectional
• A process that shows plasticity
• An interactive process
• Contextual
• A multidisciplinary field of study
Plasticity - (answer)Refers to the ability of the brain to be shaped or reshaped by
experience (environmental input)
The individual and his/her environment form a system
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Influence is bi-directional ("reciprocal"); the environment influences the
individual's development, but the individual influences environmental processes
as well
Contextual - (answer)includes a person's:
- Biological makeup
- Physical environment
- Cognitive (thought) processes
- Historical contexts
- Social contexts
- Cultural context
• The individual continually responds to and acts on these contexts
-Shared context make people alike non shared make people more diverse
continuity veres discontinuity - (answer)Development of Species
Refers to whether development proceeds as gradual, cumulative change or if it
has set distinct stages
-applies to how all of that given species develop (in general)
stability vs change - (answer)Development of individuals
refers to degree to which individuals become older renditions of their earlier
selves or do they develop into someone different from who they were at an
earlier age
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Critical period - (answer)specific time during development when a particular
event has its greatest consequences
-occur when presence of certain developmental stimuli is necessary for
development to proceed normally (absence of stimuli could be harmful)
Sensitive period - (answer)Point in development when organisms are particularly
susceptible to certain kinds of stimuli in their environment but absence does not
always produce irreversible consequences
Multidimensional & multidirectional - (answer)-leads to individual diversity as
development occurs
-involves gains and loses at all points in development
Sources of Influence That Make Individuals More or Less Like Each Other Each
Other (3) explain each - (answer)• Normative age-graded influences are
biological and environmental influences that are similar for persons in an age
group
• Normative history-graded influences are common to people of a particular
generation because of the historical circumstances they experience (ex: baby
boomers)
• Non-normative life events are unusual occurrences that have a major impact on
an individual but usually are not applicable to many people (diabetes, disabled)
UIC NUEL 250 MIDTERM (ACTUAL 2025/2026)
QUESTIONS & VERIFIED CORRECT ANSWERS (LATEST
UPDATE
Three broad dimensions, or domains, of development & why are they studied
separately? - (answer)1. Biological
2. Cognitive
3. Personal-social
-studied separately because development doesn't necessarily advance
simultaneously on all fronts (thinking, problem solving, social behavior can all
occur at different stages)
-domains are not independent but rather interrelated
According the 6 tenets of lifespan Perspective
Development is: - (answer)• A life long process
• Multidimensional & multidirectional
• A process that shows plasticity
• An interactive process
• Contextual
• A multidisciplinary field of study
Plasticity - (answer)Refers to the ability of the brain to be shaped or reshaped by
experience (environmental input)
The individual and his/her environment form a system
,2|Page
Influence is bi-directional ("reciprocal"); the environment influences the
individual's development, but the individual influences environmental processes
as well
Contextual - (answer)includes a person's:
- Biological makeup
- Physical environment
- Cognitive (thought) processes
- Historical contexts
- Social contexts
- Cultural context
• The individual continually responds to and acts on these contexts
-Shared context make people alike non shared make people more diverse
continuity veres discontinuity - (answer)Development of Species
Refers to whether development proceeds as gradual, cumulative change or if it
has set distinct stages
-applies to how all of that given species develop (in general)
stability vs change - (answer)Development of individuals
refers to degree to which individuals become older renditions of their earlier
selves or do they develop into someone different from who they were at an
earlier age
, 3|Page
Critical period - (answer)specific time during development when a particular
event has its greatest consequences
-occur when presence of certain developmental stimuli is necessary for
development to proceed normally (absence of stimuli could be harmful)
Sensitive period - (answer)Point in development when organisms are particularly
susceptible to certain kinds of stimuli in their environment but absence does not
always produce irreversible consequences
Multidimensional & multidirectional - (answer)-leads to individual diversity as
development occurs
-involves gains and loses at all points in development
Sources of Influence That Make Individuals More or Less Like Each Other Each
Other (3) explain each - (answer)• Normative age-graded influences are
biological and environmental influences that are similar for persons in an age
group
• Normative history-graded influences are common to people of a particular
generation because of the historical circumstances they experience (ex: baby
boomers)
• Non-normative life events are unusual occurrences that have a major impact on
an individual but usually are not applicable to many people (diabetes, disabled)
