CPCE Human Development Theories Practice Questions (15 Free)
Published 2026-10-20 · Facts and text checked 2026-10-16 · Questions from our CPCE study guide · Reviewed by Hana N., Quality Reviewer
These free CPCE practice questions cover Human Development Theories, part of 3. Human Growth and Development on the exam. The developmental theorists the exam expects you to know and how to tell their stages apart. Each question comes from a practice test in our CPCE study guide and shows the correct answer with an explanation.
The developmental theorists the exam expects you to know and how to tell their stages apart. On the exam this is part of 3. Human Growth and Development. Open each answer to read the explanation.
Question 1Easy
According to Freud's psychosexual theory, which of the following best characterizes the genital stage?
- A.Focus on the genitals as the erogenous zone with the primary conflict being castration anxiety
- B.Reemergence of sexual drives directed toward mature adult relationships
- C.Sublimation of sexual and aggressive drives into socially acceptable activities
- D.Resolution of the Oedipus complex and formation of the superego
Show answer and explanation
Correct answer: B. Reemergence of sexual drives directed toward mature adult relationships
The genital stage begins at puberty and involves the reawakening of sexual urges, now directed toward mature adult relationships. Option C describes the latency stage, not the genital stage. Options A and D describe the phallic stage.
From practice test 3 of our CPCE study guide (question 144). Original question, not an official exam item.
Question 2Hard
A child understands that if a ball of clay is flattened into a pancake, it can be rolled back into a ball. This ability to mentally reverse a transformation is a key achievement of which Piagetian stage?
- A.Preoperational stage
- B.Concrete operational stage
- C.Sensorimotor stage
- D.Formal operational stage
Show answer and explanation
Correct answer: B. Concrete operational stage
Reversibility, the capacity to mentally reverse an action, is acquired during the concrete operational stage and underlies conservation. Preoperational children lack this ability.
From practice test 5 of our CPCE study guide (question 141). Original question, not an official exam item.
Question 3Easy
According to Erikson's psychosocial theory, which virtue is achieved when an individual successfully resolves the crisis of generativity versus stagnation?
- A.Will
- B.Care
- C.Love
- D.Hope
Show answer and explanation
Correct answer: B. Care
Erikson identified care as the virtue that emerges from resolving generativity versus stagnation; love is from intimacy, will from autonomy, and hope from trust.
From practice test 3 of our CPCE study guide (question 77). Original question, not an official exam item.
Question 4Medium
In Pavlov's original experiment, a dog salivates when it hears a bell that was repeatedly paired with food. In this example, the bell is the:
- A.Conditioned stimulus
- B.Unconditioned response
- C.Unconditioned stimulus
- D.Conditioned response
Show answer and explanation
Correct answer: A. Conditioned stimulus
The bell, originally neutral, becomes a conditioned stimulus after pairing with food (unconditioned stimulus), eliciting a conditioned response. The unconditioned stimulus is the food; salivation to food is unconditioned response.
From practice test 6 of our CPCE study guide (question 40). Original question, not an official exam item.
Question 5Easy
A client who is overly dependent on others and has a habit of nail-biting may be fixated at which of Freud's psychosexual stages?
- A.Genital stage
- B.Phallic stage
- C.Oral stage
- D.Anal stage
Show answer and explanation
Correct answer: C. Oral stage
Fixation at the oral stage, due to weaning issues, can lead to adult behaviors such as dependency, smoking, and nail-biting. The anal stage relates to control issues, the phallic to Oedipal conflicts, and the genital to mature sexuality.
From practice test 8 of our CPCE study guide (question 35). Original question, not an official exam item.
Question 6Easy
In Piaget's theory, the preoperational stage occurs approximately between which ages?
- A.Birth to 2 years
- B.11 years and older
- C.7 to 11 years
- D.2 to 7 years
Show answer and explanation
Correct answer: D. 2 to 7 years
Piaget's preoperational stage spans from about age 2 to 7, characterized by symbolic thought and egocentrism. The sensorimotor stage is birth to 2, concrete operational is 7 to 11, and formal operational is 11+.
From practice test 5 of our CPCE study guide (question 111). Original question, not an official exam item.
Question 7Hard
According to Mahler, during the practicing subphase of separation-individuation, which of the following behaviors is most characteristic?
- A.Moving away from the mother to explore but returning for emotional refueling
- B.Developing a mental representation of the mother as a separate person
- C.Showing anxiety when separated from the mother even momentarily
- D.Clinging to the mother and fear of strangers
Show answer and explanation
Correct answer: A. Moving away from the mother to explore but returning for emotional refueling
Practicing subphase (9-14 months) is marked by increased motor skills and active exploration, with periodic returns to the mother for emotional refueling. Clinging and stranger anxiety are typical of earlier phases.
From practice test 4 of our CPCE study guide (question 156). Original question, not an official exam item.
Question 8Medium
A student connects new material about the Civil War to previously learned concepts about conflict. This approach illustrates:
- A.Rote memorization
- B.Rehearsal
- C.Elaboration
- D.Maintenance rehearsal
Show answer and explanation
Correct answer: C. Elaboration
Elaboration involves making connections between new information and existing knowledge, enhancing encoding. Rehearsal is repetition without deeper meaning; maintenance rehearsal is rote repetition; rote memorization lacks relational links.
From practice test 3 of our CPCE study guide (question 32). Original question, not an official exam item.
Question 9Medium
An adult can typically hold about seven digits in immediate recall. This capacity limitation is a characteristic of:
- A.Elaborative rehearsal
- B.Long-term memory
- C.Working memory
- D.Sensory memory
Show answer and explanation
Correct answer: C. Working memory
Working memory has a limited capacity of about 5-9 chunks in adults. Sensory memory is shorter and larger; long-term memory has vast capacity; elaborative rehearsal is a strategy to transfer to long-term memory.
From practice test 9 of our CPCE study guide (question 143). Original question, not an official exam item.
Question 10Medium
An elderly client reflects on her life with a sense of satisfaction and accomplishment, but occasionally regrets missed opportunities. According to Erikson, successful resolution of this stage leads to the virtue of:
- A.Hope
- B.Wisdom
- C.Care
- D.Fidelity
Show answer and explanation
Correct answer: B. Wisdom
Ego integrity vs. despair (late adulthood, 65+) involves reflecting on life; integrity yields wisdom. Care is the virtue of generativity, hope of trust, fidelity of identity.
From practice test 4 of our CPCE study guide (question 99). Original question, not an official exam item.
Question 11Easy
According to Freud, at which psychosexual stage do sexual urges reawaken and become directed toward mature adult relationships?
- A.Oral stage
- B.Genital stage
- C.Phallic stage
- D.Latency stage
Show answer and explanation
Correct answer: B. Genital stage
The genital stage begins at puberty and continues through adulthood, characterized by mature sexual interests and the capacity for healthy relationships. Latency is a calm period with sublimated drives.
From practice test 4 of our CPCE study guide (question 125). Original question, not an official exam item.
Question 12Medium
According to information-processing theory, the typical capacity of working memory in adults is:
- A.11 +/- 2 chunks
- B.unlimited
- C.3 +/- 1 chunks
- D.7 +/- 2 chunks
Show answer and explanation
Correct answer: D. 7 +/- 2 chunks
Classic research by George Miller found that working memory can hold approximately 7 (plus or minus 2) chunks of information.
From practice test 6 of our CPCE study guide (question 124). Original question, not an official exam item.
Question 13Medium
A counselor asks a client to repeat a list of words immediately after hearing them. The client recites the list correctly. In information processing theory, what is the term for the temporary storage that held these words while the client repeated them?
- A.Long-term memory
- B.Working memory (also called short-term memory)
- C.Implicit memory
- D.Sensory memory
Show answer and explanation
Correct answer: B. Working memory (also called short-term memory)
Working memory, also known as short-term memory, temporarily holds a limited amount of information for conscious processing. Sensory memory would have faded before repetition. Long-term memory stores information more permanently. Implicit memory is a type of long-term memory.
From practice test 5 of our CPCE study guide (question 41). Original question, not an official exam item.
Question 14Medium
A 7-year-old child with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) struggles to wait for her turn in a game and frequently blurts out answers. According to developmental research on executive functions, these difficulties most directly reflect deficits in:
- A.Emotional regulation
- B.Inhibition (impulse control)
- C.Cognitive flexibility
- D.Working memory updating
Show answer and explanation
Correct answer: B. Inhibition (impulse control)
Inhibition is the executive function responsible for stopping automatic or impulsive responses. Working memory updating involves keeping information active and manipulating it; cognitive flexibility is switching between tasks or perspectives; emotional regulation is managing affective states, which is less directly related to these specific behaviors.
From practice test 8 of our CPCE study guide (question 158). Original question, not an official exam item.
Question 15Hard
According to Freud, the successful resolution of the Oedipus complex in the phallic stage leads to:
- A.the formation of a weak ego due to unresolved conflict
- B.the development of a strong superego through identification with the same-sex parent
- C.fixation in the oral stage
- D.the onset of the latency stage due to repression
Show answer and explanation
Correct answer: B. the development of a strong superego through identification with the same-sex parent
Resolution of the Oedipus complex involves the child identifying with the same-sex parent, internalizing their values, thereby forming the superego.
From practice test 6 of our CPCE study guide (question 59). Original question, not an official exam item.
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