Deck 3: Psychosocial Theory

Question 1

Why did the authors of the text alter the life stages in Erikson's original theory?

A) To generalize them
B) To better explain them
C) To expand upon them
D) To abbreviate them

Answer 1

C

Question 2

Which of the following statements is considered an assumption of psychosocial theory?

A) At every stage of life, individuals may contribute to their own development.
B) The direction of growth follows a genetically guided course that is impervious to cultural influences.
C) Development is shaped largely through experiences in the first six years of life.
D) The combination of differences among cultures and individual differences make it impossible to speak of patterns of development.

Answer 2

A

Question 3

Which example is LEAST illustrative of the relationship between psychosocial theory and psychosocial evolution?

A) Your biological evolution
B) Emailing your children
C) Following your parents' childrearing techniques
D) Passing down traditional rituals

Answer 3

A

Question 4

Psychosocial theory is considered a stage theory because at each stage,________ .

A) failures at each stage prevent an individual from growing and developing to the next stage
B) accomplishments from previous stages provide resources for mastering challenges at new stages
C) there is no specific direction or order for the stages
D) there is no underlying organization for progressive stages

Question 5

How is a developmental stage best defined?

A) As the ability to manage stress and emotions associated with that stress
B) As a set of skills and competencies that one performs
C) As people who are important sources of support and information at each period of life
D) As a period of life that is characterized by a specific underlying organization

Question 6

Why is Erik Erikson typically associated with psychosocial theory?

A) Because he identified and developed the theory
B) Because his work was influenced by the work of many others
C) Because he collaborated with his wife
D) Because he rejected the theory over the course of his life

Question 7

Which of the following is TRUE of the stage theory concept?

A) It proposes a specific direction of development.
B) It follows a haphazard pattern.
C) It focuses on correlations.
D) It uses naturalized relationships.

Question 8

Erikson suggested that there is a biological plan for growth that allows each function to emerge in a systematic way until the fully functioning organism is developed. What is this concept called?

A) Epigenetic principle
B) Coping
C) Psychosocial crisis
D) Moratorium

Question 9

The process of psychosocial evolution is centered on________  .

A) gathering knowledge from ancestors and passing it to future generations
B) strengthening groups of people through selective breeding
C) transmitting biochemical information through the mechanisms of genetics
D) the evolving nature of genetic counseling

Question 10

Which of the following is NOT one of the six basic concepts of psychosocial theory as defined by the text?

A) Operational definitions
B) Radiating networks of significant relationships
C) Stages of development
D) Developmental tasks

Question 11

Which of the following statements best describes the concept of stages?

A) Ages correspond directly to stages.
B) Poverty can alter the sequence of stages.
C) The length of each stage remains constant.
D) All individuals follow the same basic stage sequence.

Question 12

In developing the eight stages, which of the following did Erik Erikson utilize?

A) Jean Piaget's cognitive development stages
B) Peter Blos's theory of identity
C) Sigmund Freud's psychosexual stages
D) Urie Brofenbrenner's ecological context

Question 13

The epigenetic principle refers to

A) ages and stages in psychosocial theory.
B) a biological plan for growth.
C) societal expectations.
D) age-graded expectations.

Question 14

Which of the following statements is considered a strength of Erikson's theory of psychosocial stages?

A) Presentation of stages makes each stage look similar in length of time to complete.
B) Stages appear to be discreet and separate.
C) Stages are complete; no new stages are needed.
D) Stages incorporate biological and societal influences.

Question 15

In Erikson's original model, life stages were given names but no ages because Erikson wanted to

A) incorporate all ages into all stages.
B) conduct research first prior to determining ages.
C) leave something unfinished in order to continue theorizing about life stages.
D) emphasize an individual developmental timetable as unique, guided by biological maturation and cultural expectations.

Question 16

How is Samuel able to gather knowledge from his grandparents and great grandparents and transmit that knowledge to his grandchildren and great grandchildren?

A) Through the stages of development
B) Through coping
C) Through psychosocial evolution
D) Through psychosocial crises

Question 17

Why is psychosocial theory useful as an organizing framework?

A) It focuses solely on the age ranges of adolescence and adulthood.
B) It ignores the role of culture in a person's development.
C) It assumes people actively contribute to their development.
D) It focuses only on the biological influences on human development.

Question 18

Which of the following statements reflects a psychosocial stage approach to development?

A) Psychological growth occurs in a patterned sequence.
B) One can reinterpret previous stages in light of new experiences.
C) Each stage brings a unique set of problems to solve.
D) All of these reflect a psychosocial approach.

Question 19

Psychosocial theory presents human development as a product of________.

A) the culmination of human experience calculated in older adulthood
B) the interaction between biological and psychological needs and societal expectations
C) infantile experiences of the id, ego, and superego
D) genetic influences on personality development

Question 20

Which of the following best describes the range of applicability of psychosocial theory?

A) Changes in unconscious processes during childhood
B) Patterns of psychological and social change and growth over the life course
C) Habits created and sustained in adulthood
D) Logical thinking changes from infancy through adolescence

Question 21

Which of the following is most influential in the demands for growth based on developmental tasks?

A) Cultural values
B) Age of the individual
C) Physical maturation
D) The sensitive period of growth

Question 22

When Alana was 2 years old, she was able to burp at the dinner table because she was considered "a kid." Now at age 16, Alana is expected to be polite at the dinner table. This most illustrates the concept of

A) life stages.
B) developmental tasks.
C) age-graded expectations.
D) life roles.

Question 23

Ellie received a "big" bike for her birthday without training wheels attached. She was both eager and apprehensive about riding her new bike. According to Havighurst, this is an example of a

A) teachable moment.
B) developmental task.
C) transformation.
D) psychosocial crisis.

Question 24

Which of the following best describes Joanna's psychosocial crisis?

A) Her unusual set of stresses and strains
B) Her absence of societal demands
C) Her normal set of stresses and strains
D) Her unpredictable life events

Question 25

According to psychosocial theory, development occurs as a result of which of the following crises?

A) Reinforcements and punishments
B) Modeling and imitation
C) Interaction between individual needs and societal demands
D) Modification of boundaries as a result of feedback and adaptive self-regulation

Question 26

Which of the following would Erik Erikson be LEAST likely to argue?

A) Each new developmental stage of psychosocial theory incorporates gains made in earlier stages.
B) The developmental stages of psychosocial theory reflect a biologically based plan for the nature and direction and growth.
C) Each new development stage of psychosocial theory brings a qualitatively new approach for understanding oneself and others.
D) Once a developmental stage of psychosocial theory is passed, there is no way to review or reinterpret events from that stage.

Question 27

According to Robert Havighurst, which of the following terms is considered a time when a person is most ready to acquire a new ability?

A) Coping situation
B) Sensitive period
C) Psychosocial conflict
D) Developmental task

Question 28

Which of the following statements about the psychosocial crisis is most accurate?

A) Only infants and toddlers have psychosocial crises.
B) The psychosocial crisis is expressed as polarities with positive and negative ends on a continuum.
C) Most people do not experience a psychosocial crisis during their lifetime.
D) The psychosocial crisis is a result of vulnerability in the biological system without societal influence.

Question 29

Which of the following terms refer to the set of skills and competencies that contribute to increased mastery over one's environment at a particular life stage?

A) Developmental tasks
B) Psychosocial evolution
C) Psychosocial crises
D) Prime adaptive ego qualities

Question 30

Robert Havighurst introduced the concept of developmental tasks and argued that developmental tasks change with age because

A) society has age-graded expectations.
B) infants form social attachments that last throughout life.
C) language skills change with age.
D) children have greater physical strength at older ages.

Question 31

Which of the following statements best reflects a potential risk of thinking about development as a sequence of stages?

A) Stages highlight qualitative differences in outlook.
B) Stages emphasize a mixture of new needs, capabilities, and expectations at each period of life.
C) Stages may be misconstrued to assume that a person in one stage cannot function at other levels.
D) Stages build one upon the other.

Question 32

Which of the following statements about developmental tasks is most accurate?

A) Developmental tasks are universal and are not related to societal expectations.
B) Learning about team play is a developmental task for all stages of life.
C) There is no relationship between developmental tasks of one life stage and the psychosocial crisis of previous stages.
D) Achieving developmental tasks in one stage contributes to greater chances of achieving developmental tasks of future stages.

Question 33

Which of the following statements about psychosocial stages is most accurate?

A) Once a stage is passed, the achievements of that period are never challenged again.
B) At each stage, one struggles with one, and only one, major developmental issue.
C) Once a stage is passed, the achievements of earlier stages are no longer relevant.
D) The way one perceives and experiences life varies qualitatively from stage to stage.

Question 34

Which of the following is the best definition of developmental tasks?

A) Tasks that need to be completed around the house.
B) Rituals that are performed at various ages.
C) Planning for a goal and reaching that goal.
D) Skills and competencies that contribute to increased mastery.

Question 35

Developmental tasks can be viewed as

A) the physical challenges in a stage of development.
B) the unfolding of the epigenetic principle.
C) competencies that lead to mastery of the environment.
D) unrelated to stages of a person's development.

Question 36

Which example illustrates how a person might anticipate the challenges and roles of a future stage?

A) A teenager worries about taking a test.
B) A preschool child pretends to get married and have a family.
C) A middle adult woman plans Thanksgiving dinner.
D) A grandfather regrets not having spent enough time with his granddaughter.

Question 37

Which of the following explains the tension Julio feels each time he strives to adjust to societal demands at each life stage of development?

A) Psychosocial crisis
B) Radius of significant relationships
C) Epigenetic principle
D) Sensitive period

Question 38

Which of the following statements best describes the relationship between developmental tasks and the psychosocial crisis?

A) Mastery of developmental tasks is not related to the resolution of the psychosocial crisis.
B) Mastery of developmental tasks is influenced by the resolution of the psychosocial crisis.
C) Developmental tasks are resolved independently of the psychosocial crisis.
D) Skills learned from developmental tasks allow individuals to skip resolving the psychosocial crisis.

Question 39

According to psychosocial theory, prior to the end of each life stage, individuals try to adjust to societal demands based on their personal terms. This process produces tension that must be reduced in order to develop to the next stage. This tension produces

A) sensitive periods of life.
B) transformational change.
C) teachable moments.
D) psychosocial crisis.

Question 40

Izekial was preparing for his marriage at the age of 13. His upcoming marriage is typical of his peers in Iran. This example best illustrates which of the following influences of developmental tasks?

A) Biological age of individuals
B) Cultural values
C) Physical growth and development
D) Teachable moment and sensitive period

Question 41

How is a psychosocial crisis best resolved?

A) Through hard work and persistence
B) Through an orderly unfolding of functions
C) Through age-graded expectations based on biological maturity
D) Through a central process linking individuals' needs with cultural expectations

Question 42

Which of the following statements concerning the resolution of psychosocial crisis is most accurate?

A) Individuals are most likely to have a completely positive resolution of the crisis based on epigenetic principle.
B) Individuals are most likely to have a completely negative resolution of the crisis based on societal influence.
C) Most people resolve crisis in a generally positive direction based on developmental task achievement.
D) Most people resolve crisis in a generally negative direction based on complex developmental tasks as one ages.

Question 43

The psychosocial crisis serves as a mechanism for development by

A) highlighting the tension and conflict between positive and negative poles.
B) speeding up the biological maturation process.
C) focusing on the sensitive period of an infant's development.
D) experiencing only the negative of a conflict.

Question 44

Psychosocial crises arise because

A) most people are not prepared for the level of intimacy and identity required in adult life.
B) of the unsatisfactory relationship developed between parents and children.
C) of a discrepancy between a person's competence and societal expectations.
D) society benefits when most of the people are in some kind of conflict.

Question 45

Cheria wanted to attend the local community college rather than attend a prestigious college where she was awarded a full scholarship. Her decision was based on the family expectation that she would be near her parents to assist with their care. Her other siblings were unable to provide care, and she was raised to believe that it was her responsibility. Cheria's perception is an example of

A) core pathology.
B) cultural context.
C) stage of development.
D) central process.

Question 46

The key function of the radius of significant relationships is to

A) help individuals learn their spoken language.
B) recognize the demands of society brought to bear on the individual.
C) determine a person's fame based on network size.
D) determine the age of adulthood.

Question 47

Which of the following statements best describes the central process, an organizing concept of psychosocial theory?

A) The central process identifies a discrepancy between a developmental task and stage.
B) The central process identifies a discrepancy between a developmental task and stage.
C) The central process helps to resolve the psychosocial crisis.
D) The epigenetic principle allows internalization of processes central to development.

Question 48

Joel just graduated from college and is about to start his first job as a family life educator. He has planned to ask his college sweetheart to marry him after about 3 months in his new job. When Joel came home last weekend, he learned that his parents are divorcing, partially in order to dedicate more time to their careers. According to psychosocial theory, a combination of Joel's needs for development and the unexpected divorce of his parents may lead to

A) Joel being able to resolve his current psychosocial crisis more quickly.
B) Joel ignoring his developmental needs.
C) Joel needing to revisit and reinterpret earlier psychosocial stages.
D) Joel focusing only on his intimate relationship.

Question 49

Which of the following statements best describes the pattern of change in the radius of significant relationships from infancy through adolescence?

A) There is a deepening and narrowing of significant relationships.
B) There is a new focus on one's relationship with humankind with the radius of significant others.
C) The radius of significant relationships does not change much during these years.
D) The range and variety of significant relationships expand.

Question 50

Unpredictable life stresses, such as divorce and death, may contribute to the

A) re-working of earlier life stages.
B) progression to future life stages.
C) speeding up of resolving a psychosocial crisis.
D) sequential progression of life stage development.

Question 51

Which of the following represent Dolores's three primary social contexts for development?

A) Her family, her culture, and her ethnic group
B) Her school, her job, and her community
C) Her home, her neighborhood, and her country
D) Her friends, her family, and her job

Question 52

The central process in psychosocial theory refers to

A) stages of development.
B) how a person resolves a psychosocial crisis.
C) important people in an individual's life.
D) a dichotomy between positive and negative poles.

Question 53

Which of the following statements is most accurate with regard to a psychosocial crisis?

A) Most people resolve the crisis with an entirely negative resolution.
B) Most people never resolve the first crisis of trust versus mistrust.
C) Most people resolve the crisis positively along with some negative experience.
D) Most people resolve the crisis with an entirely positive resolution.

Question 54

When an individual engages in a central process, the result is

A) a stabilization of boundaries and identity.
B) a reworking of an individual's psychological system.
C) a stagnation in growth and development.
D) a decrease in the acquisition of new skills.

Question 55

Ignacio is a typical 7-year-old boy. What is most likely his primary social context of childhood?

A) His family
B) His community
C) His nation
D) His religion

Question 56

Dylan wants to drop out of high school and go to New York to be a musician. Her parents, friends, and high school teachers encourage her to graduate from high school prior to moving to New York. This encouragement is an example of what organizing principle of psychosocial theory?

A) Stages of development
B) Central process
C) Radius of significant others
D) Coping behavior

Question 57

Which of the following statements about the negative pole of the psychosocial crisis is most accurate?

A) Most people experience both the negative as well as the positive poles of each psychosocial crisis.
B) The negative pole is only relevant for understanding extreme cases of mental illness.
C) Any exposure to the negative pole is likely to result in a negative resolution to the crisis.
D) The negative pole is produced by individual vulnerability and genetic predisposition, not by society.

Question 58

Which of the following statements best describes the importance of the negative poles at each psychosocial crisis?

A) The negative poles define specific types of mental illness.
B) The negative poles reflect areas of vulnerability at each stage.
C) The negative poles predict the possibility of criminal activity at a later stage.
D) The negative poles highlight issues where the rights of the individual outweigh the rights of the group.

Question 59

The term radius of significant others refers to

A) a geometric pattern illustrating the life stages and psychosocial crisis.
B) a process for resolving a psychosocial crisis.
C) the tension between individual development and societal pressures.
D) a network of relationships important to an individual.

Question 60

According to the epigenetic principle, the succession of psychosocial crises

A) is unpredictable and haphazard in nature.
B) occurs in a predictable sequence over the life course.
C) is non-sequential over the life course, especially during adolescence.
D) occurs in an unpredictable sequence over the life course.

Question 61

Jeremy is hopeful, competent, caring, and wise. These attributes represent Jeremy's ___________.

A) prime adaptive ego qualities
B) psychosocial crises
C) core pathologies
D) central processes

Question 62

Coping is an important concept in psychosocial theory because

A) no other theory uses it.
B) it is determined by the epigenetic principle.
C) it explains how unique and inventive behaviors occur.
D) it always involves gathering new information that changes the biological system.

Question 63

______develop from the positive resolution of the psychosocial crisis, and  ___  develop from the negative resolution of the psychosocial crisis.

A) Worldviews; insider views
B) Prime adaptive ego qualities; core pathologies
C) Adaptation techniques; self-approaching techniques
D) Core pathologies; ego qualities

Question 64

Michele is coping with the death of her father by redefining the meaning of the loss. This process is referred to as

A) reappraisal.
B) emotional-focused coping.
C) stage progression.
D) central process identification.

Question 65

Robin has moved to a new town during her sophomore year in high school. In order to find a new group of friends, she joins the staff of the school paper and tries out for the girls' swim team. These efforts are examples of which of the following?

A) Developmental stage
B) Core pathology
C) Psychosocial crisis
D) Coping behavior

Question 66

The emphasis on the interplay between individual development and society is considered a

A) weakness of psychosocial theory.
B) factor that is not considered in psychosocial theory.
C) strength of psychosocial theory.
D) psychosocial crisis embedded in psychosocial theory.

Question 67

The ability to enlist affective and behavioral strategies is a key element of

A) coping behavior.
B) defensive behavior.
C) core pathologies.
D) life crises.

Question 68

In terms of the context of development, culture refers to

A) socially standardized ways of thinking, feeling, and acting shared by members of a society.
B) a group of individuals who co-reside with one another in a community.
C) the exclusion of technology and religion in age-graded expectations.
D) uncommon threads of standardization of an ethnic group.

Question 69

Dr. Know and Dr. Shore are discussing the merits of psychosocial theory while drinking lattés. Dr. Know asserts that the basic concepts of psychosocial theory are not well developed or defined. Dr. Shore concurs and feels that the theory is further hampered because its concepts are based on its European American male context. As a student of human development, how would you characterize these comments?

A) Both comments are inaccurate and hinder the advancement of the theory.
B) Both comments are accurate portrayals of the weaknesses associated with the theory.
C) Dr. Know's comment is accurate; Dr. Shore's is inaccurate.
D) Dr. Shore's comment is accurate; Dr. Know's comment is inaccurate.

Question 70

Longitudinal research using psychosocial theory as a framework has found

A) general support for many of the psychosocial concepts.
B) lack of support for many of the psychosocial concepts.
C) that individuals do not preview themes prior to entering a life stage.
D) mixed results focusing on developmental tasks.

Question 71

Consistent efforts to cope with a psychosocial crisis are likely to result in

A) additional developmental tasks.
B) appraisal needs.
C) prime adaptive ego qualities.
D) a radius of significant others.

Question 72

Core pathologies

A) provide new resources for coping with the next psychosocial crisis.
B) protect the person from unwanted interaction with the societal system.
C) provide new information.
D) promote an optimistic worldview.

Question 73

Helen actively tries to resolve her stress and find new solutions to challenges. Which of the following best explains her efforts to do so?

A) Developmental stage
B) Coping
C) Defense
D) Equilibrium

Question 74

Which of the following is considered a strength of psychosocial theory?

A) It provides insight into directions of healthy development across the lifespan.
B) It has fully developed the mechanisms of crisis resolution.
C) Its theory and research have been based on a diverse population.
D) Its supporting research is gender neutral.

Question 75

Anna started dating Chris soon after breaking up with Hayden. She wants to continue to explore intimate relationships and doesn't like being alone. Anna strives to be with others and has acquired new skills and coping that can be classified as

A) a psychosocial crisis.
B) progression through stages.
C) her radius of significant others.
D) the central process of coping.

Question 76

Which of the following statements is considered a weakness of psychosocial theory?

A) It focuses on childhood rather than adulthood.
B) It hypothesizes a specific direction for healthy growth at each life stage.
C) The process of moving from one stage to another needs more development.
D) The psychosocial crisis is not the same from one stage to the next.

Question 77

Which of the following is LEAST likely to be a factor in a person's coping strategy?

A) The range of resources available
B) The hidden meaning of the stressor
C) The nature of the stressor
D) How the situation is perceived

Question 78

Which of the following should Trevor do if he wants to utilize problem-focused coping?

A) He should control his emotions associated with a particular stressor.
B) He should change something about the source of his stress.
C) He should control the emotions of others involved.
D) He should change his stages of development.

Question 79

Prime adaptive ego qualities and core pathologies influence one's

A) physical development.
B) subcultural or ethnic identity.
C) worldview.
D) generational cohort.

Question 80

Lou was uncomfortable when he arrived at summer camp, so he began to walk around and learn where the activities were held. He next observed the boys in his age group playing a game of ball. According to psychosocial theory, Lou was

A) negatively resolving the identity crisis.
B) determining members of his radius of significant others
C) following the epigenetic principle.
D) appraising the situation as a coping behavior.