PSYC 290 EXAM PREP Lifespan Development COMPLETED 2026/2027 5pages

1. What are the three domains of human development and how do they interact? Give an example of each domain. - The three domains of human development are physical, cognitive and psychosocial. They interact in complex and dynamic ways throughout the lifespan. For example, physical development includes changes in the body, such as growth, maturation, health and aging. Cognitive development includes changes in mental abilities, such as learning, memory, reasoning and language. Psychosocial development includes changes in personality, emotions, relationships and social contexts. An example of physical development is puberty, which affects cognitive development by influencing brain structure and function, and psychosocial development by influencing self-concept and peer relations. 2. What are the four main goals of developmental psychology and why are they important? - The four main goals of developmental psychology are to describe, explain, predict and optimize human development. They are important because they help us understand how people change and grow across the lifespan, what factors influence these changes and how we can enhance human potential and well-being. 3. What are the main differences between longitudinal, cross-sectional and sequential designs in developmental research? What are some advantages and disadvantages of each design? - Longitudinal design is a research method that follows the same individuals over time and measures changes in their development. Cross-sectional design is a research method that compares individuals of different ages or cohorts at one point in time. Sequential design is a research method that combines longitudinal and cross-sectional approaches by following multiple cohorts over time. Some advantages of longitudinal design are that it can capture individual differences, developmental patterns and causal relationships. Some disadvantages are that it is costly, time-consuming and prone to attrition and cohort effects. Some advantages of cross-sectional design are that it is quick, easy and economical. Some disadvantages are that it cannot measure change or causality and may confound age and cohort effects. Some advantages of sequential design are that it can overcome some limitations of longitudinal and crosssectional designs by controlling for cohort effects, testing for cross-sectional differences and longitudinal changes, and examining interactions between age and time. Some disadvantages are that it is complex, demanding and still subject to attrition. 4. What are the main principles of Piaget's theory of cognitive development? How does Piaget explain the process of cognitive change? - The main principles of Piaget's theory of cognitive development are that children construct their own knowledge through active exploration of the environment, that cognitive development proceeds through four qualitatively distinct stages (sensorimotor, preoperational, concrete operational and formal operational), and that cognitive development is influenced by biological maturation, experience, social interaction and equilibration. Piaget explains the process of cognitive change as a balance between assimilation (incorporating new information into existing schemas) and accommodation (modifying existing schemas to fit new information).