Developmental psychology worksheet with answers

Noam Chomsky proposed that children have an innate "language acquisition device". This view emphasises:

1. ALanguage as a product of formal schooling
2. BBiological readiness to learn language
3. CLearning language only through reinforcement
4. DImitation as the only source of grammar

According to Erikson, the main challenge of young adulthood is:

1. AIdentity versus role confusion
2. BIntimacy versus isolation
3. CIntegrity versus despair
4. DGenerativity versus stagnation

A preoperational child says the sun is following her because it wants to play. This is an example of:

1. AAnimism
2. BSeriation
3. CConservation
4. DReversibility

A study finds that the heritability of height in a population is about 0.8. What does this mean?

1. AHeight in that group cannot be changed by the environment
2. B80% of each person's own height is caused by their genes
3. C80% of people in that group inherit height from their mother
4. D80% of height differences in that group are linked to genes

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. AA decline in crystallised intelligence and memory
2. BA gradual loss of social skills that tends to come with increasing age
3. CFear of strangers that grows steadily in later life
4. DFocusing on emotionally meaningful goals as time feels shorter

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. AAnimism
2. BCentration
3. CConservation failure
4. DThe A-not-B error

In Tronick's "still-face" procedure, a mother suddenly stops responding and keeps a neutral face. Infants typically react by:

1. ASmiling and babbling much more than before the change
2. BIgnoring the change and carrying on playing as before
3. CTrying to re-engage her, then becoming upset and looking away
4. DTurning to the experimenter instead and staying calm throughout

Cross-sectional studies suggested large declines in intelligence after middle age, but Schaie's longitudinal data showed smaller declines. A main reason for the difference is:

1. ACross-sectional studies follow the same people over a long period of time
2. BCohort effects, such as differences in education between generations
3. CIntelligence tests do not work with older adults
4. DLongitudinal studies always use younger samples