Human Growth and Development Clep Practice Exam

Correct Answer: B

Rationale: According to Erikson's theory of psychosocial development, despair is the stage that aging adults face when they reflect on their life and feel they have not achieved their goals, with little time left to correct their mistakes. Mistrust (choice A) is associated with infancy, stagnation (choice C) with middle adulthood, and isolation (choice D) with young adulthood, and are not relevant to the described scenario of aging adults reflecting on their life decisions.

Correct Answer: C

Rationale: The correct answer is C: 'self-indulgence'. Stagnation in Erikson's midlife stage refers to a lack of growth and self-indulgence, leading to a feeling of unproductiveness. This contrasts with 'role confusion' (A), which is associated with Erikson's adolescence stage, 'selflessness' (B) which is a positive trait, and 'guilt and shame' (D) which are emotions typically associated with earlier stages of development.

Correct Answer: A

Rationale: Possible selves are ideas about what one might become in the future, which increase during the transition from early to middle adulthood. This period is characterized by individuals exploring and considering different potential future selves. Self-doubt (choice B) typically decreases as individuals become more confident and self-assured in middle adulthood. Destructiveness (choice C) is not a common developmental trend during this period. Autonomy (choice D) is a concept related to independence and self-governance, which may develop over a person's lifespan but does not specifically increase during the transition from early to middle adulthood.

Correct Answer: B

Rationale: Correct answer: School-age children master concrete operational tasks gradually, in a continuum of acquisition. Piaget's theory suggests that children develop cognitive abilities in stages, with concrete operational tasks being acquired gradually as part of this process. Choices A, C, and D are incorrect because concrete operational tasks are not typically mastered all at once, much later than Piaget believed, or necessarily after mastering abstract thinking.

Correct Answer: D

Rationale: The correct answer is Lev Vygotsky. Vygotsky emphasized the role of social interaction and cultural tools in the development of higher cognitive functions. Jean Piaget focused more on individual cognitive development stages, Ren�e Baillargeon is known for her work in infant cognition and object permanence, and Noam Chomsky is renowned for his theories in linguistics and the study of language.