Developmental Psychology 1 MCQs [set-1]

1. Who is credited with conducting the first systematic study of developmental

psychology?
A. charles darwin
B. jean piaget
C. john bowlby
D. lev vygotsky
Answer: A

2. One among the options is not dominated in the field with their extensive theories
of human development.
A. jean piaget
o m
B. lev vygotsky
. c
C. john bowlby te
a
D. b f skinner
Answer: D
q M
c
M
3. The id is the part of our personality which is made up of ……………. drives.
A. basic
B. unconscious
C. instinctual
D. conscious
Answer: C

4. Erik Erikson (1902-1990) proposed a theory of development which emphasized

the role of ………………….. .
A. cognitive and behavioural factors in development
B. cognitive factors in development
C. social and cultural factors in development
D. emotional factors in development
Answer: C

5. Stages of psychosocial development: industry versus inferiority

 A. 6 to 11 years
B. adolescence
C. young adulthood
D. middle adulthood
Answer: A

6. Stages of psychosocial development: Basic trust versus mistrust

A. 1 to 3 years
B. birth to 1 year
C. 3 to 6 years
D. 6 to 11 years
Answer: B
JOHN B.
7. Watson wanted to create an objective science of psychology and he believed that
………………. events should be the focus of the study.
A. experimental
B. directly observable
C. inner mental
D. cognitive
Answer: B
URIE
8. Bronfenbrenner's bioecological model of human development include
A. microsystem, mesosystem, exosystems, macrosystem, chronosystem
B. microsystem, mesosystem, ecosystem, macrosystem, chronosystem
C. exosystems, microsystem, mesosystem, macrosystem, tetrosystem
D. microsystem, nanosystem, exosystem, macrosystem, chronosystem
Answer: A

9. As per Piaget children's ………….. development is progressing through four

stages.
A. physical
B. emotional
C. cognitive
D. functional
Answer: C

10. Sensorimotor stage of development is lasting from …………….. of age.

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 A. birth to about 2 years
B. about 2 to 7 years
C. about 7 to 11 years
D. about 12 to 15 years
Answer: A

11. Vygotsky emphasis the role of ……………………… in development of a child.

A. cognitive element
B. environment
C. social interaction
D. parents
Answer: C

12. Which is the developmental stage in Eriksons theory represent 1 to 3 years

A. autonomy vs. shame
B. initiative vs. guilt
C. trust vs. mistrust
D. identity vs. identity diffusion
Answer: A

13. In which stage of Ericksons development theory an individual develop a sense

of mastery over aspects of one's environment, cope with challenges and increase
responsibility.
A. autonomy vs. shame
B. initiative vs. guilt
C. trust vs. mistrust
D. identity vs. identity diffusion
Answer: B

14. An unconscious reflex action in newborn child i.e., If their palms are touched,
they will make a very tight fist which is called as.
A. unconscious reflex
B. reflection action
C. none of the above
D. darwinian reflex
Answer: D

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15. Which achievement is considered an important milestone in fine motor
development?
A. top-level reaching
B. palmar grasp
C. finger dexterity
D. balancing
Answer: B

16. ………………. is a decrease in response to a stimulus after repeated exposure

to the same stimulus.
A. habituation
B. extinction
C. discrimination
D. negative learning
Answer: A

17. Children are born with reflexes that allow them to suck and grasp and they
begin to follow objects with their eyes. What are these reflexes known as
A. simple reflexes
B. biological reflexes
C. motor reflexes
D. primary circular reactions
Answer: A

18. Piaget’s had a background in Biology. What he called this theoretical

framework?
A. emotional epistemology
B. epistemology
C. genetic epistemology
D. social epistemology
Answer: C

19. What was Piaget’s primary interest in human organisms?

A. how knowledge developed
B. how language developed
C. how emotions developed
D. how interpersonal relations developed

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Answer: A

20. According Piaget the basic unit with which the cognitive structure is built up is
……………………… .
A. schema
B. accommodation
C. equilibrium
D. assimilation
Answer: A

21. According to Piaget biologically every living organism would like to remain in
the existing state of ………………………… without being disturbed.
A. accommodation
B. disequilibrium
C. assimilation
D. equilibriu
Answer: D

22. Children of the same age may …………….. in terms of possession of mental
abilities
A. differ
B. almost same
C. equal
D. none of the above
Answer: A

23. Sensory-motor Stage

A. about 2 to 7 years
B. from birth to about 2 years
C. about 7 to 11 years
D. about 12 to 15 years
Answer: B

24. Which stage the child begins to utter words to ask for something rather than
just reaching out to get it
A. preoperational stage
B. concrete operational stage
C. formal operation

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 D. sensory motor stage
Answer: A

25. His thinking becomes more logical and systematic

A. preoperational stage
B. concrete operational stage
C. formal operation
D. sensory motor stage
Answer: B

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 Developmental Psychology 1 MCQs [set-2]

26. The developmental stage in which the child is no longer ego-centric in his
thinking. He does not think of himself as the centre of the external world and does
not perceive the world only from his own standpoint.
A. formal operation
B. sensory motor stage
C. concrete operational stage
D. preoperational stage
Answer: C

27. Generalizations and framing of rules by operating in abstract terms become

quite possible at this stage.
o m
A. formal operation stage
. c
B. formal operation
te
a
C. sensory motor stage
D. preoperational stage
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Answer: D
c
M
28. Human languages have a ……………………. structure.
A. hierarchical
B. vertical
C. parallel
D. long
Answer: A

29. The smallest speech units in a language that can be distinguished perceptually.
A. phonemes
B. morphemes
C. grammar
D. prefix
Answer: A

30. …………………………are the smallest units of meaning in a language.

 A. phonemes
B. morphemes
C. grammar
D. prefix
Answer: B

31. …………………… is a system of rules that specify how words can be arranged
into sentences.
A. syntax
B. semantics
C. morphemes
D. phonemes
Answer: A

32. .…………………. is the knowledge, independent of semantics and syntax etc, of

what kind of response would be appropriate in a given social situation.
A. semantics
B. pragmatics
C. morphemes
D. syntax
Answer: B

33. …………………….. is the stage at which the individually meaningless

phonemes are assembled to produce meaningful portions of language, called
morphemes.
A. semantics
B. morphemes
C. syntax
D. pragmatics
Answer: A

34. Attachment theory is the joint work of ……………… and Mary Ainsworth.
A. b f skinner
B. j piaget
C. john bowlby
D. vygotsky
Answer: C

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35. …………….. is a psychological, evolutionary, and ethological theory concerning
relationships between humans
A. attachment theory
B. emotional theory
C. learning theory
D. developmental theory
Answer: A

36. Which mostly affects the development of emotional self-regulation?

A. temperament
B. learning
C. perception
D. motivation
Answer: A

37. In child-to-adult relationships, the child's tie is called the "attachment" and the
caregiver's reciprocal equivalent is referred to as ……………….. .
A. attachment bond
B. care-giving bond
C. relationship bond
D. bonding
Answer: B

38. Who is known as the principle attachment figure?

A. father
B. significant others
C. mothers
D. care givers
Answer: C

39. ……………….. is the anticipation or fear of being cut off from the attachment
figure.
A. anxiety
B. stress
C. alarm
D. distress
Answer: A

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40. In which stage attachment behaviours such as clinging and following decline
and selfreliance increases.
A. early childhood
B. late childhood
C. middle childhood
D. early adulthood
Answer: C

41. Types of Bowlby’s theory of attachment (Child and caregiver behaviour

patterns before the age of 18 months)
A. secure, avoidant, ambivalent/resistant & organized
B. secure, avoidant, ambivalent/resistant & disorganized
C. safe, avoidant, ambivalent/resistant & organized
D. safe, avoidant, ambivalent/resistant & disorganized
Answer: B

42. In which attachment pattern of Bowlby children show a pattern of alternate

aggression and withdrawal?
A. secure
B. avoidant
C. ambivalent/resistant
D. disorganized
Answer: D

43. Who extended the Attachment theory to adult romantic relationships?

A. cindy hazan and phillip shaver
B. j bowlby and mary ainsworth
C. piaget and vygotsky
D. none of them
Answer: A

44. In Freud's view, development is a …………….. process.

A. continuous
B. discontinuous
C. automatic
D. loose
Answer: B

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45. In Freud’s oral developmental stage the pleasure is centered around the
……………..
A. mouth
B. genitals
C. faeces
D. opposite sex
Answer: A

46. Freud's theory relied mainly on the use of methods such as

A. free association, empirical testing, dream analysis & introspection
B. free association, dream analysis, case study & empirical testing
C. free association, dream analysis, experiments & testing.
D. free association, dream analysis, case study & introspection
Answer: D

47. Who proposed the psychosocial theory?

A. erik erickson
B. vygostky
C. piaget
D. freud
Answer: A

48. Watson applied ………….. principles of classical conditioning to children's

behaviour.
A. skinner’s
B. pavlov\s
C. bandura’s
D. erickson’s
Answer: B

49. What is the name of the child whom the classical condioning was tested by J.
Watson?
A. albert
B. sultan
C. bob
D. ted
Answer: A

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50. Who proposed the operant conditioning learning theory?
A. pavlov
B. skinner
C. bandura
D. j. watson
Answer: B

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 Developmental Psychology 1 MCQs [set-3]

51. Who among the learning theorist proposed the Modelling principle?
A. pavlov
B. skinner
C. bandura
D. j. watson
Answer: B

52. Strength of Bandura's social learning theory is its emphasis on particular

aspects of the environment, such as the nature of the ……………. available to
children.
A. role models
o m
B. rewards
. c
C. reinforcement te
a
D. rewards and punishment
Answer: A
q M
c
M
53. Which is the correct sequence of stages in Piaget's theory of cognitive
development?
A. sensorimotor, preoperational, concrete operational, formal operational
B. sensorimotor, preoperational, formal operational, concrete operational
C. preoperational, sensorimotor, concrete operational, formal operational
D. preoperational, sensorimotor, formal operational, concrete operational
Answer: A

54. During which stage of cognitive development do children acquire object

permanence?
A. sensorimotor
B. preoperational
C. concrete operational
D. formal operational
Answer: A
55. As a child observes, liquid is transferred from a tall, thin tube into a short, wide
jar. The child is asked if there is now less liquid in order to determine if she has
mastered:
A. the schema for liquids.
B. the concept of object permanence.
C. the concept of conservation.
D. the ability to reason abstractl
Answer: C

56. Piaget held that egocentrism is characteristic of the:

A. sensorimotor stage.
B. preoperational stage.
C. concrete operational stage.
D. formal operational stage
Answer: B

57. According to Piaget, the ability to think logically about abstract propositions is
indicative of the stage of:
A. preoperational thought.
B. concrete operations.
C. formal operations.
D. fluid intelligence.
Answer: C

58. Whose stage theory of moral development was based on how people reasoned
about ethical dilemmas?
A. erikson
B. piaget
C. harlow
D. kohlberg
Answer: D

59. To which of Kohlberg's levels would moral reasoning based on the existence of
fundamental human rights pertain?
A. preconventional morality
B. conventional morality
C. postconventional morality

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 D. generative morality
Answer: C

60. Sam, a junior in high school, regularly attends church because his family and
friends think he should. Which stage of moral reasoning is Sam in?
A. preconventional
B. conventional
C. postconventional
D. too little information to tell
Answer: B

61. In preconventional morality, the person:

A. obeys out of a sense of social duty.
B. conforms to gain social approval.
C. obeys to avoid punishment or to gain concrete rewards.
D. follows the dictates of his or her conscience.
Answer: C

62. According to Erikson, the central psychological challenges pertaining to

adolescence, young adulthood, and middle age, respectively, are:
A. identity formation; intimacy; generativity.
B. intimacy; identity formation; generativity.
C. generativity; intimacy; identity formation.
D. intimacy; generativity; identity formation.
Answer: A

63. In Erikson's theory, individuals generally focus on developing during

adolescence and then during young adulthood.
A. identity; intimacy
B. intimacy; identity
C. basic trust; identity
D. identity; basic trust
Answer: A

64. After a series of unfulfilling relationships, 30-year-old Carlos tells a friend that
he doesn't want to marry because he is afraid of losing his freedom and
independence. Erikson would say that Carlos is having difficulty with the
psychosocial task of:

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 A. trust versus mistrust.
B. autonomy versus doubt.
C. intimacy versus isolation.
D. identity versus role confusion. 65. what is the response pattern of securely attached children in
the strange situationwhen their mothers return?
Answer: C

65. Motor development in babies develops in a proximodistal fashion. This is best

described as:
A. from nearest to the center of the body to the farthest from the center
B. from the top of the head to the bottom of the feet
C. from the farthest from the center to the nearest to the center
D. from the bottom of the body to the top of the body
Answer: A

66. According to Sigmund Freud, what is the correct order of the five psychosexual
stages of development?
A. oral, anal, phallic, early, genital
B. oral, anal, phallic, latency, genital
C. anal, phallic, latency, genital, oral
D. genital, oral, latency, phallic, ana
Answer: B

67. Authoritative parents can best be defined as:

A. parents who befriend their children and do not use discipline
B. parents who are less controlling and behave with a more accepting attitude
C. parents who try to control the behavior of their children in accordance with a set standard of
conduct
D. supportive parents who discuss their rules and policies with their children
Answer: D

68. Which of the following is NOT one of Kohlberg’s stages of moral reasoning?
A. conventional
B. unconventional
C. postconventional
D. preconventional
Answer: B

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69. According to the cognitive developmental perspective of development, the child
is ______ and development is _____.
A. passive, continuous
B. active, continuous
C. passive, discontinuous
D. active, discontinuous
Answer: D

70. Which of the following statements about the heritability of temperament is

TRUE?
A. temperament is only influenced by genetic factors
B. temperament is not influenced by genetic factors
C. heritability is demonstrated by mz twins being more similar than dz twins
D. heritability is demonstrated by mz twin and dz twins being equally similar in
Answer: C

71. By what age do children typically succeed on false-belief and appearance

reality problems?
A. 2 years
B. 3 years
C. 5 years
D. 8 years
Answer: C

72. Which of the following comparisons between Piaget and Kohlberg’s theories of
moral judgement is TRUE:
A. both agreed that to young children, right and wrong is determined by obedience to rules and
authority figures
B. both agreed on the number of stages individuals passed through before achieving mature
moral reasoning
C. both agreed that all normal individuals advance to the highest level of moral reasoning
D. piaget believed that development of moral reasoning was continuous, whereas kohlberg
believed it was discontinuous
Answer: A

73. At what age do children begin to differentiate between others’ emotional

distress and their own?

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 A. 3-12 months
B. 6-14 months
C. 9-18 months
D. 2 years
Answer: B

74. The realization that all sets of a particular number of objects (e.g. 5) have
something in common is referred to as:
A. numerical equality
B. numerical inequality
C. subitising
D. counting commonalities
Answer: A

75. Piaget believed that young infants’ failure to reach for a hidden object
indicated that they:
A. were no longer interested in the object
B. were unaware of the existence of the object
C. were unable to reach the object
D. were unable to uncover the object
Answer: B

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 Developmental Psychology 1 MCQs [set-4]

76. At what age do children typically develop gender identity (the ability to label
each correctly)?
A. 1 -1/2 years
B. 2-1/2 years
C. 3-1/2 years
D. 6 years
Answer: B

77. Which of Erikson's Psychosocial Stages characterizes adolescence?

A. industry vs. inferiority
B. intimacy vs. isolation
o m
C. identity vs identity diffusion
. c
D. initiative vs guilt te
Answer: C a
q M
c
78. The rooting reflex occurs when a:
M
A. newborn\s foot is tickled.
B. newborn\s cheek is touched.
C. newborn hears a loud noise.
D. newborn makes eye contact with his or her caregiver.
Answer: B

79. In Piaget's theory, conservation is to egocentrism as the stage is to the stage.

A. sensorimotor; formal operational
B. formal operational; sensorimotor
C. preoperational; sensorimotor
D. concrete operational; preoperational
Answer: D

80. In Piaget's stage of concrete operational intelligence, the child acquires an

understanding of the principle of:
A. conservation.
 B. deduction.
C. attachment.
D. object permanence.
Answer: A

81. In a 1998 movie, a young girl finds that a gaggle of geese follows her wherever
she goes because she was the first “object” they saw after they were born. This is
an example of:
A. conservation.
B. imprinting.
C. egocentrism.
D. basic trust.
Answer: B

82. The developmental theorist who suggested that securely attached children
develop an attitude of basic trust is:
A. piaget.
B. harlow.
C. vygotsky.
D. erikson.
Answer: D

83. Which of the following was not mentioned in the text as a criticism of
Kohlberg's theory of moral development?
A. it does not account for the fact that the development of moral reasoning is culture- specific.
B. postconventional morality appears mostly in educated, middle-class persons.
C. the theory is biased against the moral reasoning of people in communal societies such as
china.
D. the theory is biased in favor of moral reasoning in men
Answer: A

84. In Erikson's theory, individuals generally focus on developing during

adolescence and then during young adulthood.
A. identity; intimacy
B. intimacy; identity
C. basic trust; identity
D. identity; basic trust

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Answer: A

85. Which of the following theories best exemplifies continuity?

A. erikson\s psychosocial theory
B. vygotsky\s sociocultural theory
C. piaget\s cognitive development theory
D. kohlberg’s theory of moral development
Answer: B

86. Jean Piaget defined egocentrism as:

A. the belief that young adults don\t listen to their parents
B. the idea that preschool children cannot see things from another\s point of view
C. the understanding that young children cannot learn outside of a structured classroom
D. the idea that young children are selfish and grow out of it over time
Answer: B

87. Monica is extremely neat and orderly. She cannot stand it when people touch
things on her desk. She also has a problem lending money to even her closest
friends. Freud would say she is stuck in what psychosexual stage?
A. oral
B. anal
C. phallic
D. latency
Answer: B

88. According to Erik Erikson, what is one major conflict teenagers deal with
during the identity versus role confusion stage of psychosocial development?
A. finding a more purposeful life as an adult
B. achieving personal satisfaction
C. reflecting on previous life challenges
D. finding intimacy by developing loving relationships
Answer: A

89. According to Erik Erikson, as a young adult you are most interested in
developing:
A. initiative
B. integrity
C. trust

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 D. intimacy
Answer: D

90. As children begin their elementary school years, they enter Erikson's stage of:
A. trust versus mistrust
B. autonomy versus doubt
C. initiative versus guilt
D. industry versus inferiority
Answer: D

91. Which of the following is a similarity between the cognitive developmental

theory of Piaget and the moral developmental theory of Kohlberg?
A. both theories stress the importance of changes in thinking in their stages.
B. both believe personality is formed in the first 5 years.
C. both theories stress the importance of the third stage in the developmental process.
D. both developed a life span theory and had eight stages.
Answer: A

92. According to social learning theory, gender identity is I. A process which occurs
when young children unconsciously identify with the same-sex parent. II. A result
of being positively reinforced for acting in ways that conform to male and female
roles. III. Learned through observing and imitating role models like their parents.
A. i only
B. ii only
C. iii only
D. ii and iii only
Answer: D

93. Which of the following theories best exemplifies continuity?

A. erikson\s psychosocial theory
B. vygotsky\s sociocultural theory
C. piaget\s cognitive development theory
D. kohlberg\s theory of moral development
Answer: B

94. Which of the following reflexes is not a reflex infants enter the world equipped
with?
A. sucking

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 B. swallowing
C. stepping
D. licking
Answer: D

95. Temperament is best defined as:

A. personality traits inherited from biological parents
B. learned behavioral tendencies of a young child
C. physical and emotional characteristics of a newborn child and young infant
D. psychological and physiological personality traits a young child models from his
Answer: D

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