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DSST Lifespan Developmental Psychology Study Guide
Updated: Aug 18
If you're a military student or an adult learner taking courses online, you might be looking for a study guide for the DSST Lifespan Developmental Psychology exam.
If so, you've come to the right place!
Our guide will provide an overview of the content covered on the exam and offer tips to help you prepare.
So, read on for information about what to expect on test day and how to prepare for it!
Table of Contents
1. The Study of Lifespan Development
Models and theories: The lifespan approach studies behaviors, dispositions, skills, and traits over a substantial life span.
Methods of studies: Research design, data collection methods, measurement issues, and drawing samples are all considerations.
Ethical issues: The Society for Research in Child Development and the American Psychological Association created ethical guidelines for researchers.
DSST Lifespan Developmental Psychology Trivia Question #112
2. Biological Development
Genetic factors (including counseling): Genetics represents one of nature's fundamental control mechanisms for directing the kinds and amounts of cells needed for effective adaptation.
Prenatal Development and Birth: Whatever the mother eats, drinks, sniffs, or inhales is passed on to the developing fetus.
Physical Development (nutrition, health): Diet during this period of rapid brain growth is essential, and it takes a substantial amount of high-quality protein to sustain a growth rate of 1.7 grams per day.
Motor Development: Motor development follows through myelinization as the brain develops.
Sexual Development: Children are curious about their bodies and may quickly discover that touching certain parts feels nice.
Neurological Development: At birth, neurons, and synapses are formed. As the neurons mature, more synapses are made.
Sensory Development: Experiences evoke consistent auditory, visual, and kinesthetic responses, stimulate cortically and brain stem electrical activity, and fine-tune brain circuitry.
Aging Process: Aging means physical decline, some of which may result from lifestyle (poor diet and lack of exercise) and illness.
Dying and Death: The process people experience and how they deal with it.
3. Perception, Learning, and Memory
Perceptual Development: Sensory Stimuli are the medium through that babies learn about the world and its operation.
Learning, Conditioning, and Modeling: Learning is a change in behavior or potential behavior due to experience and continuous reinforcement.
Memory Development: The retention of information over some time.
Defining Executive Functioning: Skills developed to organize and act on information.
Attention and Information Processing: The brain can attend to and process information.
DSST Lifespan Developmental Psychology Trivia Question #135
4. Cognition and Language
Cognitive Developmental Theory: Piaget's Stages of Cognitive Development are characterized by four stages.
Problem-Solving: The active attempt individuals make to achieve goals that cannot be easily attained.
Mental abilities: A person's intelligence.
Intelligence and Intelligence Testing: Understanding complex ideas, adapting to the environment, and learning from experience.
Language Development and Theories: Theorist B.F. Skinner proposed that the emergence of language results from imitation and reinforcement.
Social Cognition: Albert Bandura's Social Learning Theory is based on three core concepts.
DSST Lifespan Developmental Psychology Trivia Question #179
5. Social, Emotional, and Personality Development
Personality Development: Development task and life stage theories, attachment and emotional development, gender role development, and stability and change in personality.
Social behaviors: Peer relationships, aggressive behavior, pro-social behavior, moral development, and sexual attitudes and behavior.
Family Life Cycle: Courtship and marriage, parenting, siblings, abuse, etc.
Extra-familial settings (e.g., day-care, school, nursing home, hospice, college): Childcare quality and extent depend on how long a child spends at a facility.
Singlehood, Cohabitation, and Marriage: Living alone and adjusting to living with another person.
Occupational Development and Retirement: Stages and phases one goes through finding a career path leading to the eventual retirement stage.
Adjustment and Life Stress: Stress is the internal or external force that causes a person to become tense, upset, or anxious.
Bereavement and Loss: Coping with the loss of a loved one.
DSST Lifespan Developmental Psychology Trivia Question #722
6. Conclusion: DSST Lifespan Developmental Psychology
Are you ready to learn more about the fascinating world of Lifespan Developmental Psychology?
Our Lifespan Developmental Psychology prep course covers everything from prenatal development to genetic behavioral influences.
With our help, you can access the course content and study resources you need to ace this test and earn college credit.
So what are you waiting for? Start studying today!
7. Student Resources
8. References
DSST Lifespan Developmental Psychology Fact Sheet
DSST Lifespan Developmental Psychology Fact Sheet
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