Chapter 8: Life Span Development

1) When you place your finger in an infant's palm, she grasps it with her fingers. This is an example of which reflex?

A) Sucking

B) Palmar

C) Rooting

D) Moro

B) Palmar. The palmar reflex causes an infant to grasp an object placed into her palm.

2) Which of the following is the feeling infants get when they know all their needs will be met?

A) Scaffolding

B) Bonding

C) Trust

D) Moro reflex

B) Bonding. Bonding is the sense that all of the infant's needs will be met, such as receiving food when hungry and comfort when upset.

3) Infancy is defined as the stage of life from birth to:

A) 9 months.

B) 18 months.

C) 15 months.

D) 12 months.

D) 12 months. Infancy is the stage of life from birth to 12 months.

4) When you startle a 4-month-old, he throws his arms out, spreads his fingers, then grabs with his fingers and arms. The reaction is known as the:

A) rooting reflex.

B) startle reflex.

C) Moro reflex.

D) scaffolding reflex.

C) Moro reflex. The Moro reflex causes a startled infant to throw his arms out, spread his fingers, and grab with his arms and fingers.

5) A 26-month-old toddler is reported to have fallen and lacerated his chin. His mother did not witness the fall. As you proceed through your assessment, your partner reports that she's concerned about his heart rate, which she measures as 64. She's checked it twice. Your knowledge of normal vital signs for a patient this age suggests that his heart rate is:

A) too slow.

B) too fast.

C) within normal range.

D) not reliable.

A) too slow. A toddler (12 to 36 months) normally has a heart rate in the range of 80 to 140 per minute, so 64 is below normal and should prompt further assessment.

6) At which of the following stages is toilet-training most likely to begin?

A) Preschool age

B) Infant

C) Toddler

D) School age

C) Toddler. Toilet-training generally begins during the toddler stage.

7) Which of the following would be a normal set of vitals for a 4-year-old male patient?

A) Heart rate 140/minute, respiratory rate 30/minute, and systolic blood pressure of 60 mmHg

B) Heart rate 100/minute, respiratory rate 44/minute, and systolic blood pressure of 100 mmHg

C) Heart rate 60/minute, respiratory rate 24/minute, and systolic blood pressure of 96 mmHg

D) Heart rate 110/minute, respiratory rate 24/minute, and systolic blood pressure of 98 mmHg

D) Heart rate 110/minute, respiratory rate 24/minute, and systolic blood pressure of 98 mmHg. For a normal 4-year-old, the heart rate and respiratory rate are within normal limits and the systolic pressure fits the age-based expectation (about 90 + [age × 2]).

8) What is a normal heart rate for a school age child?

A) 90-160/minute

B) 80-140/minute

C) 70-120/minute

D) 65-120/minute

D) 65-120/minute. The normal heart rate of a school age child is 65-120 per minute.

9) The transition from childhood to adulthood is known as which of the following?

A) Transitional

B) Young adult

C) Adolescence

D) Early adulthood

C) Adolescence. The transition from childhood to adulthood is known as adolescence.

10) During which age group is the body in peak physical condition?

A) Preschool

B) Adolescence

C) Early adult

D) Middle adult

C) Early adult. Peak physical condition is typically during early adulthood, specifically between nineteen and twenty-six years of age.

11) Middle adulthood is the stage of life from ________ to ________ years.

A) 35, 55

B) 35, 65

C) 41, 60

D) 31, 60

C) 41, 60. Middle adulthood is considered to be between 41 and 60 years.

12) Which of the following stages is commonly referred to as "the twilight years"?

A) Middle adulthood

B) Late adulthood

C) Adolescence

D) Early adulthood

B) Late adulthood. Late adulthood is commonly referred to as "the twilight years."

13) Which of the following is not a common psychosocial challenge of late adulthood?

A) Self-destructive behaviors

B) Concern about death and dying

C) Financial burdens

D) Issues of self-worth

A) Self-destructive behaviors. Late adulthood is not usually associated with self-destructive behaviors.

14) Which of the following is the term used to describe an infant's reaction to his environment?

A) Attitude

B) Bonding

C) Personality

D) Temperament

D) Temperament. Temperament refers to an infant's reaction to his environment.

15) Patients in late adulthood are likely to face which of the following challenges?

A) Self-worth

B) Hygiene

C) Tax burden

D) All of the above

A) Self-worth. Patients in late adulthood may be concerned about their value to those around them, leading to questions of self-worth.

16) Patients in which age group tend to be very concerned with body image?

A) School age

B) Adolescence

C) Middle adulthood

D) Early adulthood

B) Adolescence. Body image is a great concern for adolescents.

17) What is the stage of development where there are several physiological and psychosocial changes, second only to those seen in infancy or adolescence?

A) Late adulthood

B) Middle adulthood

C) Toddler

D) Preschool age

A) Late adulthood. Late adulthood brings several physiological and psychosocial changes, second only to those seen during infancy or adolescence.

18) You are assessing a 6-month-old female patient who, according to the parents, is not acting normally. At this stage of development, the patient should be able to do which of the following?

A) Sit alone on the floor

B) Sit upright in a high chair

C) Sleep

D) Respond to the word "no"

B) Sit upright in a high chair. A 6-month-old should be able to sit upright in a high chair (and typically make one-syllable sounds).

19) You are assessing a female patient with depression. She tells you that her psychologist said that she is dealing with "empty-nest syndrome." What age group is this associated with?

A) Middle adulthood

B) Middle-aged adulthood

C) Late adulthood

D) Early adulthood

A) Middle adulthood. "Empty-nest syndrome" is a characteristic associated with middle adulthood.

20) In which age group do you anticipate seeing patients who have less efficient cardiovascular systems and a reduction of previous blood volume?

A) Infancy

B) Late adulthood

C) Early adulthood

D) Middle adulthood

B) Late adulthood. In late adulthood, the cardiovascular system becomes less efficient and overall blood volume decreases.

21) You are assessing a 12-year-old male patient who has been involved in a bicycle accident. This patient would be classified as being in which stage of life?

A) Middle school age

B) School age

C) Adolescence

D) Junior school age

B) School age. Any patient between 6 and 12 years old is considered school age.

22) You have been dispatched to a shopping mall to assess a 1-month-old female patient that tumbled out of her stroller while her mother was shopping. Upon your arrival, the baby is awake, alert, and happily smiling and cooing at her mom. The mother reports that the child did not appear to suffer any injuries as a result of the fall. As you assess the patient and place your finger in her hand, she grasps it tightly. This is known as the:

A) sucking reflex.

B) Moro reflex.

C) palmar reflex.

D) rooting reflex.

C) palmar reflex. In the palmar reflex, the child grasps your finger when it is placed in her palm.

23) Your 4-month-old patient is reported to be irritable and lethargic after feeding poorly for two days. One method for assessing the patient's level of hydration is to look at one of the soft spots on the surface of the skull. This soft spot is known as the:

A) anterior fontanelle.

B) acromion process.

C) mandibles.

D) carpals.

A) anterior fontanelle. The "soft spot" where skull bones meet is a fontanelle, and palpating it can help assess hydration status.

24) You have been called to a private residence where a 16-year-old female patient is reported by her parents to be "acting strangely" and possibly "on something." Upon your arrival, the patient is locked in her bedroom refusing to open the door. The patient refuses to speak to you and will only come out if her best friend is present. Your knowledge of life-span development indicates that the following characteristics are common with a patient of this age.

A) Depression and suicide

B) Preoccupation with body image

C) Self-destructive behaviors such as tobacco, alcohol, and drug use

D) All of the above

D) All of the above. Adolescents commonly face issues like body image concerns, risk-taking/self-destructive behaviors, and higher rates of depression and suicide.

25) Your 89-year-old male patient has called for help because he almost passed out after bringing in his garbage cans from the curb. The patient lives alone and says that he became panicked when he started feeling so lightheaded and dizzy. Patients in this age group often undergo all of the following changes to their health except:

A) a decrease in blood volume.

B) an increase in metabolism.

C) sleep-wake cycle disruption.

D) deterioration of the respiratory system.

B) an increase in metabolism. Late adulthood is associated with decreased metabolism (from endocrine changes), not increased metabolism.

26) You are caring for a 4-month-old male patient who is reported to have vomited five times today. His parents describe no other associated symptoms or complaints. The patient is lying on the couch with a pacifier in his mouth, smiling at you. Developmentally, you would expect a patient of this age to be able to:

A) sit up without assistance.

B) drool without swallowing.

C) say the word "no."

D) have attachment anxiety or fear strangers.

B) drool without swallowing. Most patients around 4 months can drool without swallowing - - sitting up and speaking typically develop later, and stranger/attachment anxiety develops later as well.