Developmental psychology worksheet with answers

Free printable Developmental psychology worksheet: 8 problems from easy to exam level, with an answer key. Print it or save it as a PDF.

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Name: ____________________   Date: ____________

1.Easy

A teratogen is:

  1. AAn outside agent that can harm prenatal development
  2. BA reflex that is present in newborn babies only
  3. CA hormone released by the placenta to start labour
  4. DA gene that controls the timing of puberty in teens
2.Easy

A newborn turns its head towards a touch on the cheek and opens its mouth. This is the:

  1. ABabinski reflex
  2. BMoro reflex
  3. CRooting reflex
  4. DGrasping reflex
3.Easy

Understanding that an action can be mentally undone, such as pouring water back into the first glass, is called:

  1. AAnimism
  2. BReversibility
  3. CEgocentrism
  4. DCentration
4.Medium

Older adults often prefer spending time with a few close friends rather than meeting new people. Carstensen's socioemotional selectivity theory explains this as:

  1. AFocusing on emotionally meaningful goals as time feels shorter
  2. BFear of strangers that grows steadily in later life
  3. CA decline in crystallised intelligence and memory
  4. DA gradual loss of social skills that tends to come with increasing age
5.Medium

A 9-month-old finds a toy hidden under cloth A several times. The toy is then hidden under cloth B in full view, but the infant searches under A again. This is:

  1. AThe A-not-B error
  2. BAnimism
  3. CCentration
  4. DConservation failure
6.Medium

Which statement about the formal operational stage is correct?

  1. AChildren cannot yet use symbols
  2. BThinking is limited to concrete objects that are physically in front of them
  3. CChildren first develop object permanence
  4. DAdolescents can reason about abstract and hypothetical problems
7.Hard

An irritable, difficult baby tends to receive harsher parenting than a calm baby. This is an example of which gene–environment correlation?

  1. AEvocative
  2. BActive (niche-picking)
  3. CGene–environment independence
  4. DPassive
8.Hard

A longitudinal design is preferred over a cross-sectional design when a researcher wants to:

  1. ATrack how the same individuals change over time
  2. BAvoid any participant drop-out
  3. CCompare different age groups at a single time point
  4. DGet results as quickly as possible

Answer key

  1. 1. A · An outside agent that can harm prenatal development
  2. 2. C · Rooting reflex
  3. 3. B · Reversibility
  4. 4. A · Focusing on emotionally meaningful goals as time feels shorter
  5. 5. A · The A-not-B error
  6. 6. D · Adolescents can reason about abstract and hypothetical problems
  7. 7. A · Evocative
  8. 8. A · Track how the same individuals change over time

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