According to life-span experts in developmental psychology, which of the following statements about chronological age is accurate?

• A. Chronological age always matches a person's biological and social age.
• B. Chronological age is the best indicator of a person's psychological maturity.
• C. Chronological age refers to the number of years a person has lived since birth.
• D. Chronological age is determined by cognitive abilities rather than time.

Answer: (C)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Step 1: Understand the concept of chronological age in developmental psychology. Chronological age is defined as the actual amount of time a person has been alive, measured in years from their birth date.
2. Step 2: Differentiate chronological age from other age concepts such as biological age (which relates to physical health and bodily functions) and social age (which relates to social roles and expectations). Recognize that these ages may not always align with chronological age.
3. Step 3: Evaluate the accuracy of statements by comparing them to the definition of chronological age. For example, chronological age does not always match biological or social age, so statements claiming they always match are inaccurate.
4. Step 4: Consider psychological maturity and cognitive abilities. Understand that psychological maturity is influenced by many factors and is not solely determined by chronological age, so statements claiming chronological age is the best indicator of psychological maturity are incorrect.
5. Step 5: Conclude that the accurate statement is the one that correctly defines chronological age as the number of years a person has lived since birth, which is a straightforward and factual description.