Human Development & Lifespan Flashcards
6 cards from real TCC practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 6 Human Development & Lifespan flashcards as text
Puberty-related changes in the brain, specifically increased activity in the limbic system relative to the prefrontal cortex, help explain which common adolescent behavior pattern?
Answer: Increased risk-taking and emotional reactivity
During adolescence, the limbic system (emotion and reward processing) matures faster than the prefrontal cortex (reasoning and impulse control), contributing to heightened emotional reactivity, risk-taking, and sensitivity to peer approval.
A Texas counselor working with elderly clients experiencing normal aging should recognize that which cognitive ability is typically best preserved in late adulthood?
Answer: Crystallized intelligence and accumulated wisdom
Crystallized intelligence — the accumulation of knowledge, skills, and experience — is generally well preserved or even continues to grow in healthy late adulthood, whereas fluid intelligence typically declines.
Levinson's Seasons of Life theory describes which transition as a period in which adults reassess and restructure their life structure around the age of 40?
Answer: Midlife transition
Levinson's Midlife Transition (approximately ages 40–45) involves a major reassessment of one's life structure — relationships, career, and values — often experienced as the 'midlife crisis' in popular culture.
In counseling a client experiencing 'empty nest syndrome' after their last child leaves home, the counselor should frame this developmental transition as:
Answer: A normal developmental transition that may require role adjustment and identity renegotiation
Empty nest syndrome represents a normative developmental transition in middle adulthood that involves grief, identity adjustment, and renegotiation of the parental role, which counselors can normalize and help clients navigate.
Which developmental theorist described late adulthood in terms of a 'life review' process in which older adults reflect on and find meaning in their past experiences?
Answer: Robert Butler
Robert Butler coined the term 'life review' to describe the naturally occurring process in late adulthood where individuals reflect on past experiences to find meaning, resolve old conflicts, and achieve ego integrity.
A counselor applying systems theory to understand a child's behavioral problems in school would emphasize which perspective?
Answer: The child's behavior must be understood within the context of family, school, and community systems
Systems theory views behavior as emerging from and maintained by relational contexts — family dynamics, school environment, and community factors — rather than as purely an individual problem.