overview
The Human Growth and Development exam (infancy, childhood, adolescence, adulthood, and old age) covers material typically taught in a one-semester introductory course in developmental psychology or human development. An understanding of the major theories and research related to the broad categories of physical development, cognitive development, and social development is required, as is the ability to apply this knowledge.
CLEP Human Growth and Development exam questions adhere to the terminology, criteria, and classifications outlined in the Fifth Edition. Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5).
The exam has around 90 questions to be answered in 90 minutes. Some of them pretest questions that will not be scored.
Knowledge and skills are required
Human Growth and Development exam questions require test takers to demonstrate one or more of the following skills:
- Knowledge of basic facts and terminology
- Understanding of commonly accepted concepts and principles
- Theory and understanding of recurrent developmental problems
- Application of knowledge to particular problems or situations
The content of the Human Growth and Development exam is taken from the following sections. For each section, a number of key words and phrases identify topics with which candidates should be familiar. The percentages next to key sections indicate the approximate percentage of exam questions in that subject
Theoretical Perspective (10%)
- Cognitive development
- evolutionary
- to learn
- Psychodynamic
- social knowledge
- Socio-cultural
- biological
- environmental
Research Techniques and Methods (6%)
- Case study
- correlated
- Cross sectional
- Cross serial
- experimental
- longitudinal
- observational
Biological development across the lifespan (12%)
- Brain and nervous system development
- Genetic disorders
- Heredity, genetics and genetic testing
- Hormonal effects
- Drug effects
- Motor development
- Nutritional influence
- Perinatal effects
- physical growth and maturation; old age
- Prenatal effects
- sexual maturity
- Teratogen
Cognitive development across the lifespan (6%)
- habit
- sensitive period
- Sensorimotor activity
- Sensory acuity
- Sensory deprivation
Cognitive development across the lifespan (12%)
- attention
- Environmental impact
- Executive function
- skills
- Data processing
- memories
- Jean Piaget’s Theory of Cognitive Development
- the game
- Problem solving and planning
- the thought
- Lev Vygotsky’s Socio-Cultural Theory
- intelligence
Language Development (8%)
- Bilingualism
- Development of syntax
- Environmental, cultural and genetic influences
- Language and thought
- realism
- Semantic development
- voice and sound
Intelligence across the lifespan (6%)
- Concepts of intelligence and creativity
- Developmental stability and change
- gift
- Heredity and environment
- Intelligence test
- response range
Social development across the life span (12%)
- aggression
- attachment
- gender
- social relations
- moral development
- social behavior
- Risk and Resilience
- self
- Social consciousness
- Social learning and modeling
- wellness
Family, home and society across the lifespan (8%)
- Abuse and neglect
- Bronfenbrenner, Yuri
- Death and death
- family relationship
- family structure
- Media and Technology
- Multicultural perspective
- Parenting style
- Social and class dominant
Personality and Emotions (8%)
- Attribution style
- Development of emotions
- Emotional expression and regulation
- mental intelligence
- Erickson, Eric
- Freud, Sigmund
- Psychosocial theory
- Stability and change
- the mood
Schooling, work, and interventions (6%)
- Implementation of developmental policies
- Benefits of changing roles
- Intervention programs and services
- learning style
- Professional development
- Operant conditioning
- Preschool care, day care, and elder care
- retirement
Developmental psychopathology (6%)
- Anti-social activities
- Anxiety and mood disorders
- Social behavior, fears, phobias and obsessions
- Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder
- Autism spectrum disorder
- Chronic illness and physical disability
- Cognitive disorders including dementia
- Learning disability
- Intellectual disability
- Trauma-based syndromes
