HUMAN DEVELOPMENT

What is development? How is it different from growth and

maturation?

An individual evolves and grows during the course of their life cycle through a process
called development.

o Changes having a clear direction and a clear connection to what came before are referred
to be developments.
o It involves changes in size (physical development), proportion (from child to adult),
characteristics (such as the loss of baby teeth), and development of new traits.
Growth is one of the qualities of development:
o When we talk about growth, we mean when bodily parts or an organism as a whole get
bigger.
o It may be quantified or measured, like as through weight and height gain. The term
“maturation” refers to changes that occur in a predictable pattern and are mostly
determined by our genetic makeup, which results in commonality in our growth and
development.

e correct order of the

three stages of human
prenatal development are
a) Differentiation,
implantation,
strengthening
 e correct order of the
three stages of human
prenatal development are
a) Differentiation,
implantation,
strengthening
e correct order of the
three stages of human
prenatal development are
a) Differentiation,
implantation,
strengthening
Describe the main features of life-span perspective on
development.

o By development, we imply a series of gradual transformations brought on by experience

and maturation.
o Development entails the qualitative modification of behaviour.

o Development is more complex than simply gaining height or developing

one’s skills.
o It involves merging a variety of structures and functions.
 The study of development according to the Life-span perspective (LSP) includes the
following assumptions:
Development occurs throughout life, spanning all age groups from conception to old age.
It contains both gains and losses that interact over the course of a person’s life in a
dynamic way (change in one element causes change in others).
The many stages of human development, such as biological, cognitive, and
socioemotional, are intertwined in how a person develops over the course of a lifetime.
There are multiple paths for development. Some aspects or elements of a particular
dimension of development may advance, while others may regress. For instance, adult
experiences may make someone wiser and more dexterous. However, one’s
performance is expected to decline with increasing age on tasks demanding speed, like
running.
Growth is very plastic; hence, psychological development within an individual is
modifiable, though plasticity differs among individuals.
Historical circumstances have an impact on development. For instance, students today
have significantly different career orientations than students did fifty years ago.
Many fields are concerned with development. Human growth is studied from various
angles by several disciplines, including psychology, anthropology, sociology, and the
neuro-science.
A person reacts and behaves in a specific situation, for example, not everyone’s life
experiences are the same, such as parent deaths, accidents, earthquakes, etc. These
occurrences, as well as positive effects like receiving an award or landing a good job,
determine how one’s life turns out.

What are developmental tasks? Explain by giving examples.

o A task that comes up at or around a specific time in a person’s life and whose successful
completion results in enjoyment and success with subsequent tasks.
o Some skills, like learning to walk, are primarily the outcome of bodily development.
o Some people learn to read primarily as a result of societal cultural forces, while others
learn to read because they value it personally.
o Still other emerges from the individual’s own ideals and goals, such as picking and
pursuing a career.

Purposes of Developmental Tasks:

1. Three extremely important goals are served by developmental tasks.

2. They serve as benchmarks that help people understand what society expects of them at
various ages. Parents can be guided in teaching their young children various abilities, for
instance, by the awareness that society expects the children to master these skills at
particular ages and that their adjustments will be highly influenced by how successfully
they do so.
3. Developmental tasks encourage people to act in ways that the social group expects
them to act at particular life stages.
4. Last but not least, developmental tasks help people prepare for the future and
understand what to anticipate from them once they reach the next stage of growth.

Environment of the child has a major role in the development of the

child. Support your answer with examples.

Because it encompasses the settings in which the child develops various motor and
cognitive skills, the child’s environment has a significant impact on how they grow.
Additionally, it affects the child’s physical growth within the boundaries imposed by
hereditary traits.
The socioeconomic and cultural environment plays a significant effect in the
development of the child’s process; for instance, a child who is sent to school is more
likely than a child who is not educated to acquire confidence and self-reliance.
Therefore, the environment is crucial to a child’s growth.
How do socio-cultural factors influence development?
Environmental variables are everything that affects an organism from the outside and
has an impact on its structure and behaviour.
The new-born is exposed to a complex external environment after birth, including its
range of physical and chemical energies and the social forces that result from interaction
with other people.
The impact on people varies depending on the surroundings. Even within the same
environment, different people behave differently. They form various views and interests
as well as affiliations with political, religious, and recreational groups.
The ‘potential’ source of a man’s behaviour development is his genotype. The
interactions between a person’s genetics and environmental variables, however,
determine whether or not these potentials are realised. An averagely intelligent child who
grew up in a “fertile” environment would succeed in life. A pleasant environment
promotes positive development, while an unpleasant environment has the opposite
effect.

Attachment bonds formed in childhood years have long-term effects.

Explain taking examples from daily life.
Childhood attachment relationships have long-lasting impacts since they are notably
formed between parents and children. During the formative years of childhood, these
relationships define the degree of trust and perception of the world; for instance, a child
growing up in a stable family with sensitive, attentive, and affectionate parents will not be
them.
The youngster will make decisions with the parents and, as a result, enjoy positive
relationships. A youngster will, however, lack communication if they do not have a
consistent and positive relationship with their parents.
Lack of parental bonding is the third factor that contributes to juvenile delinquency
issues.

Describe the Development Stages of Infancy in details.

 Age Range: Age Range of Infancy is 0-2 years’ old
Physical Development:
Reflexes, which are characterised as automatic responses to stimuli, control the
behaviour of newborns.
Reflexes can include walking, yawning, blinking, and other actions.
Children are able to hear and respond to touch well from the moment they are born.
Cognitive Development:
According to Jean Piaget, kids are like tiny scientists because they actively investigate
and try to understand the world around them.
Kids lack the concept of object permanence
Socio-Emotional Development:
They fear strangers, prefer familiar faces, and develop what is known as an attachment
relationship with their careers.
Parents who are caregivers show their children love and affection in return.

Describe the Development Stages of Childhood in details.

Age Range: Age Range of Childhood is 2-12 years

Physical Development:
 Cephalocaudal and proximodorsal principles govern early development
 Compared to other bodily parts, the brain and skull develop the fastest.

 Weight gain in middle and late childhood is brought on by an expansion of the

skeletal and muscular systems.

Cognitive Development:
Kids learn the concept of object permanence
Language development, sometimes referred to as symbolic thinking, is one of the
defining characteristics of this time.
Egocentrism, in which children only consider their own point of view, and animism, in
which children attribute feelings to inanimate objects, are important concepts during this
stage.
Socio-Emotional Development:
Self, gender, and moral development are essential components of children’s
socioemotional development
Parents and the socialisation process aid in a child’s development of a positive self-
image.

Describe the Development Stages of Adolescence in details.

Age Range: The Age Range of adolescence is 12-19 years
Physical Development:
With the onset of puberty, childhood ends and adolescence, which is characterised by
significant physical changes to both growth rate and sexual traits, begins.
Puberty hormones aid in the development of primary and sexual characteristics
In boys, puberty is characterised by an acceleration of growth, the development of facial
 hair, as well as voice and height changes.
In girls, menarche, the beginning of menstruation, and the rapid increase in height are
indicative of puberty.

Explain the mode of development in India.

After independence, India got the colonial legacy at the social, economic, and political
levels. India decided to build a mixed economy. The anticipated economic development
was to begin with the Planning Commission. In 1951–1956, the first five-year plan was
initiated. The ten-year plan has so far been effectively accomplished, which has
significantly aided in the transformation of Indian society and the economy.

India is moving toward being a modern society. The pace of development has
accelerated due to the processes of liberalisation, globalisation, and privatisation. The
development process in India is proceeding within a liberal, secular democratic
framework. Through their participation at all levels, all attempts are being made to
spread the advantages of development to all societal segments.

What is the impact of development in India?

India has had great expansion in a variety of sectors, including agriculture, roads,
housing, industry, medicine, and health, as well as more employment prospects,
improved educational chances, and the construction of infrastructure. India has been
able to change Indian society in the previous 60 years through doses of modernisation.
In actuality, India’s face has transformed through progress from an agrarian, traditional,
and underdeveloped country to a modern, secular, democratic, and developing society.

However, we haven’t yet succeeded in achieving the aims of development in the truest
sense and according to the definition of development. Inequalities, inequities, and
imbalances still hold us hostage. Still, 26% of our population does not yet meet their
basic necessities. Even so, there are still instances of excess and deprivation. Utilizing
resources responsibly and passing on the benefits of development to the last man are
development’s ultimate goals. We believe that we are quite distant from achieving these
two development objectives.

Q1
Piaget’s stage of cognitive development in which an infant
explores the world by coordination of sensory experiences
with physical actions is called as
[A]. Sensorimotor stage
[B]. Preoperational stage
[C]. Concrete operational stage
[D]. Formal operational stage
 View Answer
 Q2
Development is influenced by an interplay of
[A]. Biological and socio-emotional process.
[B]. Socio-emotional processes
[C]. Cognitive processes.
[D]. Biological, cognitive and socio-emotional processes.
Answer: Option D
Explanation:
Development is influenced by interplay of biological, cognitive, and socio-emotional
processes. Development due to genes inherited from parents, such as in height and
weight, brain and lungs development etc. all point towards the role of biological
processes.

 View Answer

Q3
Which of the following reflects socio-emotional processes?
[A]. A child hugs to her mother.
[B]. A young girl affectionate gesture to his/her sibling.
[C]. An adolescent’s sorrow at losing a match.
[D]. Old man driving a car.
Answer: Option C
Explanation:
Typically, a child’s sensorimotor period occurs in the first two years of life. The child’s
realisation that they are different from their surroundings marks it. When that happens,
they will start using their senses to discover more about themselves and their
surroundings.

The close emotional bonds of affection that develop between infants and their parents is
called:
[A] Attachment
[B] Close relationship
[C] Close bond
[D] Open bond
Solution:
[A] Attachment
Attachment is the deep emotional bond between a baby and the person who provides
most of their care. Just as most parents feel a strong connection with their newborn after
birth, babies also become attached to their parents.

The adolescent can apply logic more abstractly on:

[A] Concrete operational stage
[B] Formal operational stage
[C] Preoperatioraal stage
[D] Sensorimotor stage
Solution:
[B] Formal operational stage
The capacity to formulate hypotheses and subject them to methodical testing in order to
 find a solution to a problem characterise the formal operational stage. In addition to
being able to reason abstractly, someone in the formal stage may comprehend the
shape or structure of a mathematical problem.

Q4
The changes that follow an orderly sequence and are largely
dictated by the genetic blueprint which produces
commonalities in our growth and development, is termed as
[A]. Maturation
[B]. Evolution
[C]. Development
[D]. Growing
Answer: Option A
Explanation:
Learning to cope and respond in a way that is emotionally suitable is the process of
maturation. It is a part of growth and development but does not always occur in tandem
with age or physical development.

Q4
The changes that follow an orderly sequence and are largely
dictated by the genetic blueprint which produces
commonalities in our growth and development, is termed as
[A]. Maturation
[B]. Evolution
[C]. Development
[D]. Growing
Answer: Option A
Explanation:
Learning to cope and respond in a way that is emotionally suitable is the process of
maturation. It is a part of growth and development but does not always occur in tandem
with age or physical development.

 View Answer

Q5
The process by which an individual grows and changes
throughout the life cycle is termed as
[A]. Growth
[B]. Development
[C]. Maturation
[D]. Evolution
Answer: Option B
 Explanation:
Development is a process by which an individual grow and change throughout the life
cycle. The term Development refers to the change that have a direction and hold definite
relationship with what precedes it.

Q4
The changes that follow an orderly sequence and are largely
dictated by the genetic blueprint which produces
commonalities in our growth and development, is termed as
[A]. Maturation
[B]. Evolution
[C]. Development
[D]. Growing
Answer: Option A
Explanation:
Learning to cope and respond in a way that is emotionally suitable is the process of
maturation. It is a part of growth and development but does not always occur in tandem
with age or physical development.

 View Answer

Q5
The process by which an individual grows and changes
throughout the life cycle is termed as
[A]. Growth
[B]. Development
[C]. Maturation
[D]. Evolution
Answer: Option B
Explanation:
Development is a process by which an individual grow and change throughout the life
cycle. The term Development refers to the change that have a direction and hold definite
relationship with what precedes it.

 View Answer

Q6
Evolution proceeds at
[A]. A very fast pace
[B]. A slow pace
[C]. A very slow pace
[D]. None of these
Answer: Option C
Explanation:
Evolution is usually thought to be a very slow process, something happens over many
generation, thank to adaptive mutation. But Environmental change due to things like
climate change, habitat destruction, pollution, etc. is happening very fast.
 Fit Jigsaw puzzle precisely is a fine motor skill for the children of:
[A] 3 years old
[B] 4 years old
[C] 5 years old
[D] 6 years old
Solution:
[B] 4 years old
Jigsaw puzzles simultaneously work the left and right parts of your brain. Your right brain
is creative and intuitive, whereas your left brain is rational and operates in a sequential
manner. Consider it a mental exercise that strengthens your capacity for problem-solving
and sustained attention.
Which of the following can be considered as gross motor skills of three years old
child?
[A] Hopping
[B] Jumping
[C] Running
[D] Clapping
Solution:
[C] Running
Large muscle movements are a part of gross motor skills, which include autonomous
sitting, crawling, walking, and running. The usage of smaller muscles is required for fine
motor activities like gripping, manipulating objects, and sketching.

Distinctly observable characteristics are called

[A]. Genotype
[B]. Phenotype
[C]. Genetics
[D]. DNA
Answer: Option B
Explanation:
The term “phenotype” describes the outward manifestation of genetic information in an
individual (known as genotype). This encompasses any aspect of a person’s physical,
psychological, and biological nature that can be measured or seen.

 View Answer

Q8
Homo sapiens came into existence only about
[A]. 20,000 years ago
[B]. 30,000 years ago
[C]. 10,000 years ago
[D]. 40,000 years ago
Answer: Option D
Explanation:
15,000 to 40,000 Years Ago: Genetics and Fossil show homo sapiens became the Only
Surviving human Species.

 View Answer
 Q9
The environment where the child directly interacts with social
agents (such as family, peers, teachers, and neighborhoo[D],
is termed as
[A]. Mesosystem
[B]. Microsystem
[C]. Macrosystem
[D]. Exosystem
Answer: Option B
Explanation:
The pattern of activities, social positions, and interpersonal interactions that a person
engages in within a certain context is referred to as the microsystem.

 View Answer

Q10
Which of the following is socio-historical circumstances?
[A]. Divorce of parents
[B]. Parent’s economic setback
[C]. Both [A] and [B]
[D]. Buying a new car.
Answer: Option C
Explanation:
The foundation of the socio-historical context of psychology is the psychological
component that involves the social and historical processes in the individual or is
connected to the social history of an event that might have happened in the past.

 View Answer

Homo sapiens came into existence only about

[A]. 20,000 years ago
[B]. 30,000 years ago
[C]. 10,000 years ago
[D]. 40,000 years ago
Answer: Option D
Explanation:
15,000 to 40,000 Years Ago: Genetics and Fossil show homo sapiens became the Only
Surviving human Species.

Q9
The environment where the child directly interacts with social
agents (such as family, peers, teachers, and neighborhoo[D],
is termed as
 [A]. Mesosystem
[B]. Microsystem
[C]. Macrosystem
[D]. Exosystem
Answer: Option B
Explanation:
The pattern of activities, social positions, and interpersonal interactions that a person
engages in within a certain context is referred to as the microsystem.

 View Answer

Q10
Which of the following is socio-historical circumstances?
[A]. Divorce of parents
[B]. Parent’s economic setback
[C]. Both [A] and [B]
[D]. Buying a new car.
Answer: Option C
Explanation:
The foundation of the socio-historical context of psychology is the psychological
component that involves the social and historical processes in the individual or is
connected to the social history of an event that might have happened in the past.

 View Answer
Focusing on a single characteristics is:
[A] Egocentrism
[B] Animism
[C] Centration
[D] None of these
Solution:
[C] Centration
Centration is the psychological term for the propensity to concentrate on one prominent
component of a situation while ignoring other, potentially significant aspects. Centration
is a behaviour that is frequently displayed in the preoperational stage and was first
described by the Swiss psychologist Jean Piaget through his theory of cognitive-
developmental stages

Which of the following is egocentrism?

[A] Self-focus
[B] Thinking that all things are living
[C] Thinking that all things are non-living
[D]Lack of focus
Solution:
[A] Self-focus
You could question if narcissism and egocentrism are the same thing because
egocentrism is the term used to describe someone who is self-centered and unable to
 see things from perspectives other than their own. There are clear distinctions between
egocentric and narcissistic personalities, despite certain similarities.

Which of the following reflex is shown by a newborn?

[A]. Rooting
[B]. More
[C]. Babinski
[D]. Grasp
Answer: Option D
Explanation:
A person’s unintentional clutching of anything that comes into contact with their hand.
Although this reaction is common in young children, it can indicate sickness or injury to
the frontal lobe in older people.

 View Answer

Q12
Babinski disappears in
[A]. 3 to 6 months
[B]. 8 to 12 months
[C]. 12 to 14 months
[D]. 12 to 14 months
Answer: Option B
Explanation:
Children up to the age of two are not abnormal in this reaction. As the child gets older, it
goes away. It might go away as soon as a year.

 View Answer

Q13
When a finger or some other objects is pressed against the
baby’s palm, the baby’s fingers close around it. It shows the
[A]. Grasp reflex
[B]. More reflex
[C]. Rooting reflex
[D]. Babinski reflex
Answer: Option A
Explanation:
A person’s unintentional clutching of anything that comes into contact with their hand.
Although this reaction is common in young children, it can indicate sickness or injury to
the frontal lobe in older people.

 View Answer

Q14
The approximate age of sensorimotor stage is
[A]. 0-2 years
[B]. 2-7 years
[C]. 7-11 years
[D]. 11-18 years
Answer: Option A
Explanation:
When infants begin to crawl, stand, and walk, their enhanced physical mobility promotes
greater cognitive growth. Infants reach another significant milestone near the end of the
sensorimotor stage (18–24 months): early language development, a sign that they are
beginning to develop some symbolic abilities.

According to Piaget the formal operational thought appears between the age of:
[A] 8—10 years
[B] 10—11 years
[C] 11—15 years
[D] 16—18 years
Solution:
[C] 11—15 years
Approximately 11 to 12 years old is when it starts, and it lasts until maturity, but Piaget
does note that some people may never reach this stage of cognitive development.
The stage of life that begins at the onset of puberty when sexual maturity or the ability to
reproduce is attained is called:
[A] Adulthood
[B] Adolescence
[C] Middle aged
[D] Old aged
Solution:
[B] Adolescence
Adolescence is a time of transition characterised by significant changes in social
relationships, cognitive development, and physical growth. The most noticeable
difference between adolescence and childhood is physical development.