Chapter 12. Life Span Perspective on Development Textbook Solutions

NIOS Class 12 Psychology Chapter 12 Answers

INTEXT QUESTIONS 12.1

Put the following words into the most appropriate columns based on whether they are associated with growth or development-

Quantitative
Qualitative
Growing tall
Becoming heavier in weight
Change in body proportions
Maturity
Management of emotions
Continues throughout lifespan
Disappearance of baby teeth

Ans:

Growth	Development
Quantitative	Qualitative
Growing tall	Maturity
Change in body proportions	Continues throughout lifespan
Becoming heavier in weight	Management of emotions
Disappearance of baby teeth

Match the following

1. Quantitative	a. Lifespan
2. Qualitative	b. Growth
3. Height and weight charts	c. Assessment of health
4. Continuous development	d. Development

Ans:

1-b

2-d

3-c

4-a

INTEXT QUESTIONS 12.2

State whether the following statements are true or false

Principles of Development

a. Domains of development are not related.

Ans: False

b. Development follows a predictable pattern.

Ans: True

c. All children are alike and by a certain age all must attain same abilities.

Ans: False

d. Physical development during early years of life and puberty is rapid as compared to other stages of life.

Ans: True

INTEXT QUESTIONS 12.3

Multiple choice: Select the best answer for each question

1. The primary cause of developmental change is

a. Maturation

b. Learning

c. Experience

d. The product of both maturation and experience

Ans: d

2. Pre-natal development is not affected by

a. Mother’s nutrition

b. Environmental pollution

c. Peer relations

d. Mother’s emotional state

Ans: c

TERMINAL QUESTIONS

1. State the differences between growth and development.

Ans: Growth refers to quantitative changes in the body. Development refers to qualitative changes in the body as well as changes in behaviour and attitude.

2. Elaborate different principles of development with examples from each of the domains.

Ans:

Development is continuous: Development happens continuously and gradually over a period of time. From the moment of conception till death, the individual is continuously changing.
Development is sequential and follows a pattern: Development of all human beings follows a universal or similar pattern and direction. All children follow these developmental patterns.
Development proceeds from general to specific: In all phases of development, changes proceed from general to specific.
Development is predictable: One may predict the pattern and rates of development for periods of growth and development in children. It is easily predictable what milestones in different stages of development can be expected from children of different ages. Likewise, the steps in development may also be predicted.
Development occurs at different rates: It is notable to mention here that development occurs at different rates for different domains. For instance, physical development is rapid during the first few years of life until it slows down and again picks up pace during adolescence. Development in other domains may not follow the same trajectory.
There are individual differences in development: There are certain expected patterns of development for a particular age range, which are called milestones of development. These milestones are usually achieved by most of the children in a particular age range.
All aspects of development are interrelated: All domains of development are related to each of the other domains, and a child develops as a unified whole. Each domain of development affects the other and is, in turn, affected by the other. Any lag in one domain is likely to affect other domains.

3. Each child’s development is different and this makes each child unique. Do you agree or disagree with this statement? Support your answer with suitable examples.

Ans: Yes, each child is unique as development is a product of both heredity and environmental factors. Some psychologists believe that heredity impacts our development more than environmental factors and vice versa. Our genetic make-up and the inputs we get from the environment both impact us and make us what we are.

4. Make a web of factors that influence development. Discuss two hereditary and environmental factors each that affect development.

Ans: Heredity is the primary factor that influences development. The other factors are environmentals which are

Prenatal environment
Maternal health and age during pregnancy
Potentially harmful environmental factors during pregnancy
Socio-economic background
Family structure
Child-rearing practices
Siblings and Peer group members

Hereditary factors

Genes are found to influence an individual’s height, weight, colour and quality of our skin and hair, even the susceptibility to diseases and medical conditions that one may have at different ages, especially during old age.
The sex of the child gives rise to many variations that are related to sex differences.

Environmental factors

Socio-economic background of a child’s family impacts the child in both the short and the long run.
Apart from parents, children’s growth and development are also strongly influenced by their siblings and peers. Siblings at home become playmates, and interaction with them provides context to learn so many lessons. All these contribute to cognitive, language, socio-emotional, moral and physical development.

5. Explain lifespan development taking examples from your own life changes.

Ans: Human lifespan can be divided into stages. Human lifespan can be followed in a chronological format that begins from birth (or even conception) and continues until adulthood and old age.

After birth, from 0 to 2 years, children are in the stage of infancy.
From 2-3 years, they are considered to be in toddlerhood.
From 3-6 years of age, children inhabit the stage of early childhood, and from 6-8 and 8-11 years they are considered to be in middle and late childhood, respectively.
Adolescence begins by the age of 12 in most societies and continues till the age of 18 years.
Early Adulthood emerges at the age of 18 years and continues until the age of 40.
People from 40 to 65 years of age continue to be in adulthood, following which they enter the stage of old age.

6. What are some of the changes that take place in child’s physical development and growth, and how can they be measured?

Ans: Development proceeds in more than one direction. As people gain in one, they may lose in another. Children grow up in one direction, i.e., they grow up in size and abilities. However, as adolescents typically gain in physical abilities, they lose their ability to learn language. Although vocabulary continues to increase throughout adulthood, other abilities, such as the ability to solve unfamiliar problems, may diminish.

7. What is the difference between growth and development, and how is development measured?

Ans: Growth refers to quantitative changes in the body. One of the significant features of growth is that these changes are measurable. Even when people stop growing in height, the structure and proportion of the body keep changing during their entire lifespan.

Development refers to qualitative changes in the body as well as changes in behaviour and attitude. It is difficult to measure development as these changes are qualitative in nature. Development is a rather broader term that entails overall changes in the body and mind. It is a continuous process that continues throughout the entire life span of an individual. It is said to be more complex than growth. It is understood by the change in quality of relationships, emotions, reasoning and so forth.

8. What are the general principles of development, and how does the process of development occur in a sequential and patterned manner, following a cephalo-caudal and proximodistal sequence?

Ans: The general principles of development are,

Development is continuous
Development is sequential and follows a pattern
Development proceeds from general to specific
Development is predictable
Development occurs at different rates
There are individual differences in development
All aspects of development are interrelated

Development of all human beings follows a universal or similar pattern and direction. All children follow these developmental patterns. This sequential pattern can be seen in two directions

i. Cephalo-caudal sequence: This means that development takes place from head to toe, i.e. an individual child begins to grow from the head region to the toe. This is why their heads develop first, followed by the trunk and legs.
ii. Proximodistal sequence: This means that development proceeds from the central part of the body to the peripheries or outer parts of the body. This can be observed in the fact that children first attain control over their arms and later on their hands. Likewise, children’s first teeth erupt towards the centre of their bodies, and later the teeth towards the sides of the mouth appear.

9. How does lag in one domain of development affect other domains and child’s overall development?

Ans: All domains of development are related to each of the other domains and a child develops as a unified whole. Each domain of development affects the other and is, in turn, affected by the other. Any lag in one domain is likely to affect other domains. For instance, if a child lags in communication and language development, then the child may not understand how to maintain healthy social relationships with her/his peers. This may impact the interaction that the child will have with other children. They may not involve this child in their play. This will further impede the child’s cognitive, emotional and physical abilities. This impact may vary, sometimes serious and permanent and sometimes minor and temporary.

10. What are the key principles of the lifespan development perspective proposed by Baltes?

Ans: Baltes have identified the following key principles for understanding the lifespan approach. These are as under-

i. Development is lifelong: As life keeps changing, one encounters new situations each day. This requires a person to adapt and change as per the demands of the new situations. Each period of the lifespan is affected by what happened before and will affect what is to come.
ii. Development is multidirectional and involves both gain and loss: Development proceeds in more than one direction. As people gain in one, they may lose in another. Children grow up in one direction, i.e., they grow up in size and abilities. However, as adolescents typically gain in physical abilities, they lose their ability to learn language.
iii. Relative influences of biology and culture shift over the lifespan: Development is influenced by both biology and culture; the balance between them changes over time. Biological influences such as muscular growth, strength and coordination become weaker as the person gets older, but cultural supports such as education, relationships, and technological support from the environment help to compensate.
iv. Development is characterised by plasticity: Many abilities, such as memory, strength, and endurance, keep changing over the lifespan, and we can also recover physically and mentally from injuries and accidents.
v. Development is influenced by the historical and cultural context: Each person develops within multiple contexts, including circumstances or conditions defined in part by biology, in part by place and time. In addition to that age grade (specific age group an individual is in, such as toddlerhood, adolescence) and non-normative life influences, such as those experiences that are unique to each human being, also influence our development.