Life course development tends to follow specific __________, or expectations of how one is to behave at any stage in life.

• A. Age norms
• B. Social patterns
• C. Functional prerequisites
• D. Demographic prescriptions

Answer: (A)

Age norms are the expectations about how someone at a given age should behave. In life course development, people move through stages that come with culturally defined timelines, guiding what roles and activities are considered appropriate at each point. This creates a predictable script for transitions such as starting school, entering the workforce, marrying, parenting, and eventually retiring. When society expects you to act in a certain way at a certain age, it helps shape your choices and the path your life takes.

Other terms don’t fit as neatly. Social patterns are broader recurring ways societies organize behavior, not tied to a specific age. Functional prerequisites refer to the basic needs a social system must meet to survive, not to age-based expectations. Demographic prescriptions isn’t a standard term for the expectations tied to life stages.