A. This is not the best answer. Development is systematic and adaptive; Sternberg assess individuals’ ability to adapt, select, and shape the context in which they live.
B. This is not the best answer. Lifespan development is lifelong, influenced by history and context, multidimensional and multidirectional, and plastic; creativity depends on similar dimensions.
C. This is the best answer. Theory on periods of adulthood for young, middle-aged, and older adults, suggests characteristically different behavior typical of each age group; the Seattle Longitudinal Study of Intelligence identified overall stability across adulthood until age 60 or later.
D. This is not the best answer. Meanings of age are based on chronological age compared to functional, biological, and social age; fluid intelligence is influenced by biological age and crystallized intelligence is influenced by social age.
E. Not the best answer. Normative versus nonnormative life events, typical versus atypical events, are seen in patterns of change in IQ. IQ changes gradually unless a catastrophic event occurs.