Jeremy becomes fluent in English at the age of 4. At the age of 6, he becomes fluent in French. However, when Jeremy's parents try to teach him Spanish when he is 8 years old, they find that Jeremy's capacity to acquire a new language has decreased. This scenario most likely illustrates Paul Baltes's view that development is ________.
A) plastic
B) contextual
C) multidisciplinary
D) multidirectional

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

According to Paul Baltes's theory of development, multidirectionality refers to the fact that capacities and skills can expand or shrink over time depending on the specific life circumstances. The scenario provided shows that Jeremy's language learning ability decreased as he got older, indicating a shrinkage or reduction in his capacity for language acquisition. Thus, this scenario best illustrates multidirectionality.

Jeremy Becomes Fluent in English at the Age of 4