Model Answers for Examination Essays:                                                                                 Last updated 18 November 03 

Examination 1

1.  Explain what genes are, what they do, and how they affect development.

This question has three parts, and each part must be explained.

a.  Genes are segments of DNA on chromosomes in the nucleus of cells.
b.  Genes direct cell processes.  They are the code for production of enzymes that turn cell processes on or off, or regulate cell processes.
c.  Genes orchestrate proliferation, migration, organization, and differentiation of cells.  By regulating body structure and function, genes create the potential responses of the body to environment and experiences.  Genes create a range of possibilities from which a particular phenotype will emerge through transactions with the environment across development.

2.  Explain the relationships between the environment, motor skills, and brain development..

This question also has three parts, since there are three relationships possible among three components, and each must be described as a bi-directional relationship.  Thus, there are six types of effects possible to describe.

a.  Experience in the environment affects motor skills, and motor skills as they are developed affect further experience in the environment.
b.  Brain development makes changes in motor activity possible, thus constructing motor skills, and as motor skills are refined, patterns of connections in the brain are formed.
c.  As connections in the brain become more organized and complex, the potential interactions with the environment the child can have become more complex, and the complexity of the environment determines how complex the connections in the brain can become.

This is an interconnected set of cycles involving all three components.

3.  Aging refers to declines in capacity and efficiency of the body's organ systems.  Why do some people age faster than others?  Why does a healthy lifestyle contribute to longevity?

This is a two part question.  Each part should be answered fully; examples help.

a.  Differences in the rate of aging are caused by differences in genes, lifestyle [what you do to your body], and luck [what happens to you that you have no control over, such as accidents, exposure to pollutants, etc].  It is also acceptable to add connections to socioeconomic status, etc.
b.  Particular aspects of lifestyle affect organ system functions and life maintenance reserve, which should be explained.

4.  Briefly explain an example from biological or physical development that illustrates the relationship between differentiation and integration.

The perfect answer would present one example and describe it fully.  It would start with the undifferentiated state, then describe how differentiation occurs and what the differentiated state would be.  Then it would continue with the same example, describing how integration occurs, and what the integrated system would be.

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Examination 2


1.  What are three of the major changes in thinking that occur across adulthood, and why do they happen?

There should be three clearly different changes that take place during adulthood.  Each should be explained.  Some of the possibilities include the transition to post-formal operational reasoning, increased tolerance of ambiguity, increased use of personal experience to solve problems, differentiation of fluid and crystallized skills, transitions in what intellectual skills are used for [in Schaie's description], changes in memory, etc.  Some of the problems encountered:  Just describing Schaie's stages doesn't work unless you describe the change from one stage to the next and explain why it happens.  And if you do that, you have to use four stages to make three changes.  Describing a stage is not describing a change.  "Why" means explaining the cause of the change, not describing the change.  


2.  Give and explain two examples that illustrate the relationship between cognitive development and physical or biological development.

Two separate examples.  Each should be described and explained.  Each should refer to a change or development in thinking and to a biological or physical change.  And the relationship between the two changes should be explained.  How are they connected?  How does one change affect the other?  Happening at the same time is not a relationship.  Being affected by the same third change is not a relationship. Being similar is not a relationship.  Both affecting the same third change is not a relationship.


3.  Give and explain an example that illustrates the relationship of differentiation and integration in the construction or use of language or knowledge.

See question number 4 from Exam 1.  Choose one example, from construction of language or knowledge.  Begin by describing the undifferentiated state and then explain how the parts become differentiated.  And conclude by explaining how the differentiated parts become integrated with each other [not some other element].


4.  Adolescents develop formal operational reasoning skills.  Describe three ways an adolescent's thinking would be different from a child's thinking because the adolescent could use these additional skills.

The three different examples should each be a skill based on formal operational reasoning.  And then for each describe the contrast between a pre-operational or a concrete operational child's thinking and the formal operational adolescent's thinking.