, CHAPTER 1: Issues to Consider in the Study of Adult Development
MULTIPLE CHOICE
1. Which of the following describes Dr. McKinna, a scientist who specializes in the study of
aging?
a. gerontologist
b. geriatric psychiatrist
c. developmental psychologist
d. chronologist
ANS: A
RAT: The term gerontologist is used to refer to scientists who study aging.
REF: p. 2 Historical Aspects of the Study of Adult Development
BLM: Bloom’s Taxonomy: Apply
2. Dr. Li is writing a research paper that she plans to submit to a journal published by the
American Psychological Association. Dr. Li is describing a study she conducted where the
participants were between the ages of 55 and 75. Which of the following terms should Dr. Li use
to describe her participants?
a. senior citizens
b. elderly persons
c. older adults
d. baby boomers
ANS: C
RAT: Older adult is preferred because it does not have negative connotations and can be used to
refer to older people from different generations.
REF: p. 2 A Word on Terminology
BLM: Bloom’s Taxonomy: Apply
3. Which researcher is known for championing the study of development across the entire
lifespan rather than focusing on children and adolescents?
a. Gilligan
b. Vygotsky
c. Piaget
d. Baltes
ANS: D
RAT: Gilligan did not study development and Vygotsky and Piaget focused on development in
childhood and adolescence.
REF: p. 4 The Lifespan Developmental Perspective
BLM: Bloom’s Taxonomy: Remember
,4. The fact that development involves both increases and decreases and that this varies within
people and between people reflects which of the key principles to the study of development?
a. history and context
b. plasticity
c. multiple causality
d. multi-directionality
ANS: D
RAT: The term multi-directionality implies that a person may have gains in one area and losses
in another area as they develop.
REF: p. 4 What Influences Lifespan Development?
BLM: Bloom’s Taxonomy: Remember
5. Norman was in a serious car accident when he was 20 years old. A developmental
psychologist would MOST likely classify this event as which of the following?
a. a normative age-graded influence
b. a normative history-graded influence
c. a non-normative influence
d. an environmental influence
ANS: C
RAT: The accident would be considered a non-normative influence because it is a rare event not
linked to age or other people in Norman’s society.
REF: p. 4 What Influences Lifespan Development?
BLM: Bloom’s Taxonomy: Apply
6. Which of the following is an example of a normative history-graded influence?
a. retiring at age 65
b. being in a single-car accident at age 30
c. getting married at age 25
d. experiencing Quebec’s ice storm at age 20
ANS: D
RAT: Many people of all ages experienced Quebec’s devastating ice storm in 1998, making it a
normative history-graded influence.
REF: p. 4 What Influences Lifespan Development?
BLM: Bloom’s Taxonomy: Understand
7. What is the term for a person’s development based on the aging of various physical systems?
a. chronological age
b. biological age
, c. psychological age
d. social age
ANS: A
RAT: Two people who have lived the same number of years may have different biological ages
because of different health profiles.
REF: p. 6 Chronological, Biological, Psychological, and Social Age
BLM: Bloom’s Taxonomy: Remember
8. Martin and Deepak are both 54 years old. Martin has just become a father for the first time and
is healthy, while Deepak suffers from cardiovascular disease. Based on this description you can
conclude that Martin and Deepak differ in which of the following?
a. chronological age and biological age
b. biological age and social age
c. social age and psychological age
d. psychological age and chronological age
ANS: B
RAT: Martin has a younger social age than Deepak because he has just become a father for the
first time. Deepak has an older biological age than Martin because he has cardiovascular disease.
REF: p. 6 Chronological, Biological, Psychological, and Social Age
BLM: Bloom’s Taxonomy: Apply
9. Functional age is determined by considering which of the following?
a. psychological age, biological age, and social age
b. biological age, social age, and chronological age
c. social age, chronological age, and psychological age
d. chronological age, psychological age, and biological age
ANS: A
RAT: Psychological age, biological age, and social age are better determinants of how well a
person functions in their environment than chronological age.
REF: p. 6 Chronological, Biological, Psychological, and Social Age
BLM: Bloom’s Taxonomy: Remember
10. Which type of age can be measured through stage theories such as those proposed by Erikson
and Piaget?
a. chronological age
b. biological age
c. psychological age
d. social age
ANS: C
MULTIPLE CHOICE
1. Which of the following describes Dr. McKinna, a scientist who specializes in the study of
aging?
a. gerontologist
b. geriatric psychiatrist
c. developmental psychologist
d. chronologist
ANS: A
RAT: The term gerontologist is used to refer to scientists who study aging.
REF: p. 2 Historical Aspects of the Study of Adult Development
BLM: Bloom’s Taxonomy: Apply
2. Dr. Li is writing a research paper that she plans to submit to a journal published by the
American Psychological Association. Dr. Li is describing a study she conducted where the
participants were between the ages of 55 and 75. Which of the following terms should Dr. Li use
to describe her participants?
a. senior citizens
b. elderly persons
c. older adults
d. baby boomers
ANS: C
RAT: Older adult is preferred because it does not have negative connotations and can be used to
refer to older people from different generations.
REF: p. 2 A Word on Terminology
BLM: Bloom’s Taxonomy: Apply
3. Which researcher is known for championing the study of development across the entire
lifespan rather than focusing on children and adolescents?
a. Gilligan
b. Vygotsky
c. Piaget
d. Baltes
ANS: D
RAT: Gilligan did not study development and Vygotsky and Piaget focused on development in
childhood and adolescence.
REF: p. 4 The Lifespan Developmental Perspective
BLM: Bloom’s Taxonomy: Remember
,4. The fact that development involves both increases and decreases and that this varies within
people and between people reflects which of the key principles to the study of development?
a. history and context
b. plasticity
c. multiple causality
d. multi-directionality
ANS: D
RAT: The term multi-directionality implies that a person may have gains in one area and losses
in another area as they develop.
REF: p. 4 What Influences Lifespan Development?
BLM: Bloom’s Taxonomy: Remember
5. Norman was in a serious car accident when he was 20 years old. A developmental
psychologist would MOST likely classify this event as which of the following?
a. a normative age-graded influence
b. a normative history-graded influence
c. a non-normative influence
d. an environmental influence
ANS: C
RAT: The accident would be considered a non-normative influence because it is a rare event not
linked to age or other people in Norman’s society.
REF: p. 4 What Influences Lifespan Development?
BLM: Bloom’s Taxonomy: Apply
6. Which of the following is an example of a normative history-graded influence?
a. retiring at age 65
b. being in a single-car accident at age 30
c. getting married at age 25
d. experiencing Quebec’s ice storm at age 20
ANS: D
RAT: Many people of all ages experienced Quebec’s devastating ice storm in 1998, making it a
normative history-graded influence.
REF: p. 4 What Influences Lifespan Development?
BLM: Bloom’s Taxonomy: Understand
7. What is the term for a person’s development based on the aging of various physical systems?
a. chronological age
b. biological age
, c. psychological age
d. social age
ANS: A
RAT: Two people who have lived the same number of years may have different biological ages
because of different health profiles.
REF: p. 6 Chronological, Biological, Psychological, and Social Age
BLM: Bloom’s Taxonomy: Remember
8. Martin and Deepak are both 54 years old. Martin has just become a father for the first time and
is healthy, while Deepak suffers from cardiovascular disease. Based on this description you can
conclude that Martin and Deepak differ in which of the following?
a. chronological age and biological age
b. biological age and social age
c. social age and psychological age
d. psychological age and chronological age
ANS: B
RAT: Martin has a younger social age than Deepak because he has just become a father for the
first time. Deepak has an older biological age than Martin because he has cardiovascular disease.
REF: p. 6 Chronological, Biological, Psychological, and Social Age
BLM: Bloom’s Taxonomy: Apply
9. Functional age is determined by considering which of the following?
a. psychological age, biological age, and social age
b. biological age, social age, and chronological age
c. social age, chronological age, and psychological age
d. chronological age, psychological age, and biological age
ANS: A
RAT: Psychological age, biological age, and social age are better determinants of how well a
person functions in their environment than chronological age.
REF: p. 6 Chronological, Biological, Psychological, and Social Age
BLM: Bloom’s Taxonomy: Remember
10. Which type of age can be measured through stage theories such as those proposed by Erikson
and Piaget?
a. chronological age
b. biological age
c. psychological age
d. social age
ANS: C
