Practice: Perspectives in Development
Knowledge Check: Perspectives in Development
Topic 1: Growth, Development, Maturation & Principles
Q1: Growth is quantitative and measurable, whereas Development is:
A) Only quantitative
B) Qualitative and functional
C) Only biological
D) Limited to height and weight
Q2: Which principle states that development proceeds from the head downwards to the feet?
A) Proximodistal Principle
B) Cephalocaudal Principle
C) Spiral Principle
D) Principle of Integration
Q3: Maturation is primarily a process of:
A) Learning from the environment
B) Biological unfolding of genetic traits
C) Socialization
D) Cultural conditioning
Q4: The “Proximodistal” trend of development suggests that development proceeds from:
A) Head to Toe
B) Center of the body to the extremities (outwards)
C) Specific to General
D) Feet to Head
Q5: Why is development described as “Spiral” and not “Linear”?
A) Because it is a straight path of constant improvement
B) Because the child advances, then pauses to consolidate, then moves forward again
C) Because it is circular and repetitive
D) Because it is unpredictable
Q6: Which statement correctly differentiates Growth from Development?
A) Growth continues until death; Development stops at maturity
B) Growth is structural; Development is functional
C) Growth is broad; Development is narrow
D) Growth depends on learning; Development depends on food
Q7: The principle of “Individual Differences” implies that:
A) All children learn at the exact same time
B) Every child follows a unique rate and pattern of development
C) Development is purely genetic
D) Schools should have one syllabus for everyone
Q8: Development proceeds from __________ to __________.
A) Specific to General
B) General to Specific
C) Complex to Simple
D) Abstract to Concrete
Q9: Arnold Gesell is most famously associated with which theory?
A) Operant Conditioning
B) Maturation Theory
C) Social Learning
D) Psychoanalysis
Q10: “Development is a continuous process” means:
A) It happens in sudden jumps
B) It starts at birth and ends at adolescence
C) It proceeds gradually from conception to death with no sudden breaks
D) It is reversible
Topic 2: Factors, Milestones & Psychology Branches
Q11: The debate about whether development is influenced more by Heredity or Environment is known as:
A) Continuity vs Discontinuity
B) Nature vs Nurture
C) Active vs Passive
D) Stability vs Change
Q12: Which branch of psychology specifically deals with the changes in human behavior from conception to death?
A) Clinical Psychology
B) Developmental Psychology
C) Industrial Psychology
D) Social Psychology
Q13: Educational Psychology is best described as:
A) A study of mental illness
B) Application of psychological principles to teaching and learning
C) Study of animal behavior
D) A branch of philosophy
Q14: According to Elizabeth Hurlock, “Developmental Hazards” can be:
A) Only Physical
B) Only Psychological
C) Both Physical and Psychological
D) Neither
Q15: The endocrine glands secrete ________ which regulate growth and behavior.
A) Neurons
B) Hormones
C) Enzymes
D) Saliva
Q16: Which factor is an “Internal Factor” influencing development?
A) School environment
B) Nutrition
C) Intelligence and Heredity
D) Family culture
Q17: The “Sigmoid Curve” represents the pattern of:
A) Intellectual growth
B) General physical growth
C) Moral development
D) Emotional stability
Q18: Who established the first Psychology Laboratory in Leipzig (1879), marking the beginning of Experimental Psychology?
A) William James
B) Wilhelm Wundt
C) J.B. Watson
D) Sigmund Freud
Q19: A “Milestone” in development refers to:
A) A stone on the road
B) The average age at which children acquire certain skills
C) A developmental delay
D) The maximum height a child reaches
Q20: Bronfenbrenner’s “Ecological Systems Theory” emphasizes the role of:
A) Genetics only
B) Multiple layers of environment (Microsystem to Macrosystem)
C) Cognitive processing
D) Diet
Topic 3: Physical & Motor Development
Q21: Writing with a pen is an example of:
A) Gross Motor Skill
B) Fine Motor Skill
C) Reflex Action
D) Sensory Skill
Q22: The “Adolescent Growth Spurt” is characterized by:
A) Slow, steady weight gain
B) Sudden, rapid increase in height and weight
C) Decrease in appetite
D) Shrinking of limbs
Q23: Which of the following is a Gross Motor Skill?
A) Threading a needle
B) Buttoning a shirt
C) Running and Jumping
D) Drawing
Q24: Handedness (preference for right or left hand) typically emerges clearly by age:
A) 6 months
B) 3 to 4 years
C) 10 years
D) Birth
Q25: In Physical development, the nervous system develops fastest during:
A) Adolescence
B) Infancy and Early Childhood
C) Adulthood
D) Old age
Q26: Delayed motor development is often a sign of:
A) High intelligence
B) Neurological issues or lack of stimulation
C) Good nutrition
D) Future athletic ability
Q27: Which body part reaches its maximum size first in children?
A) Legs
B) Head/Brain
C) Torso
D) Hands
Q28: “Prehension” refers to the ability to:
A) Walk
B) Grasp objects with hands
C) Speak
D) Understand logic
Q29: During late childhood (School age 6-12), physical growth is:
A) Extremely rapid
B) Slow and steady
C) Stagnant
D) Faster than infancy
Q30: The “Pincer Grasp” (using thumb and forefinger) typically develops around:
A) 1 month
B) 9 to 12 months
C) 3 years
D) 5 years
Topic 4: School Culture, Teachers & Learner Challenges
Q31: The “Pygmalion Effect” or “Self-Fulfilling Prophecy” in classrooms refers to:
A) Students teaching themselves
B) Teacher expectations influencing student performance
C) Curriculum design
D) School infrastructure
Q32: Under the RTE Act 2009, an “Over-age Learner” (a child who enters school late) has the right to:
A) Start from Class 1
B) Be admitted to an age-appropriate class
C) Be denied admission
D) Study in an evening school
Q33: “School Culture” refers to:
A) The subjects taught
B) The beliefs, values, traditions, and relationships within the school
C) The school building design
D) The fees structure
Q34: What is the purpose of “Bridge Courses” for out-of-school children?
A) To teach them civil engineering
B) To bridge the learning gap and mainstream them into regular classes
C) To provide separate permanent schooling
D) To give vocational training only
Q35: An “Authoritative” (Democratic) teacher-student relationship results in:
A) Fear and anxiety in students
B) High self-esteem and independence in students
C) Chaos and lack of discipline
D) Dependency on the teacher
Q36: The “Hidden Curriculum” in schools teaches students:
A) Math and Science shortcuts
B) Social norms, obedience, and punctuality (implicitly)
C) Secret syllabus
D) Sports tricks
Q37: A major psychological challenge for an “Over-age learner” is:
A) Lack of books
B) Difficulty in adjustment and feeling of inferiority
C) Being too tall
D) Not liking the uniform
Q38: Which teacher behavior negatively impacts school achievement the most?
A) Using a blackboard
B) Labeling students (e.g., “dull”, “slow”)
C) Giving homework
D) Taking attendance
Q39: “Mainstreaming” in the context of out-of-school children means:
A) Putting them in a river
B) Integrating them into the regular school system with other children
C) Sending them to special schools
D) Giving them jobs
Q40: Positive teacher-student relationships are most strongly correlated with:
A) The size of the school
B) Student engagement and academic resilience
C) The teacher’s salary
D) The number of holidays