What does the term regress mean?

The term "regress" refers specifically to the idea of moving backward or returning to an earlier state or condition. In contexts such as psychology or development, it can describe a situation where an individual or system falls back to a less advanced or less effective stage than what was previously achieved. This is why the choice indicating moving backward aligns perfectly with the definition of regress.

The other terms like "progress," "evolve," and "return" do not capture the same notion of moving backward within a developmental framework, which is why they are not fitting definitions in this case. While "return" may seem somewhat similar, it doesn’t convey the specific implication of declining or reversing in progress that "regress" does.