EDPSYCH EXAM 1 REVIEW

At what grade level do most children first begin to realize that learning and recall are governed by cognitive processes that one can control? a. preschool/kindergarten b. primary grades c. elementary grades d. middle school

B

According to the text, which of the following is the best explanation for why girls, more than boys, experience anxiety over same-sex friendships? a. Girls mature at a faster rate. b. Girls engage in more mature moral thinking than boys. c. Girls tend to seek intimacy more than boys. d. Girls are more concerned about popularity than boys.

C

Advocates of mastery learning believe that this approach a. can help foster all students' perseverance if time allotted for learning, teaching methods, and assessment techniques are appropriate. b. should be restricted to those students who have sufficient aptitude for the subject matter. c. can compensate for a student's lack of prerequisite knowledge and skills. d. is appropriate for vaguely defined learning objectives.

A

For the most part, IQ scores are a. subject to change. b. changeable early in life but not thereafter. c. not subject to change. d. useless.

A

A characteristic of scientific research in educational psychology is that it a. has a fairly broad scope because most studies simultaneously manipulate many variables. b. has a fairly narrow scope because most studies manipulate one or a few variables at a time. c. is largely conducted in laboratory rather than classroom settings. d. has little relevance to the typical classroom teacher.

B

If you decided to design your classroom assessments so they were consistent with the research on learning styles, which of the following would you do? a. Devote more time to test preparation. b. Use different assessment methods across all tests given during a grading period. c. Let students choose the assessment method they prefer. d. All of the above.

B

Mrs. Leoni designed her preschool program to encourage rule following, polite social behavior, and the development of fine motor skills for all of the boys and girls who attend her class. Which one of the following concepts does her methodology illustrate? a. gender equity b. gender bias c. reflective teaching d. constructivism

B

On the basis of research summarized in the text, which of the following groups will most likely be popular and carefree during adolescence but experience difficulties in adulthood? a. early-maturing males and females b. late-maturing females c. late-maturing males d. early-maturing females

B

The middle school student most likely to have low self-esteem and suffer from depression, yet be popular with members of the opposite sex is the a. early-maturing boy. b. early-maturing girl. c. late-maturing boy. d. late-maturing girl.

B

Eight-year-old Elizabeth is given a butterfly net for her birthday. She spends hours and hours capturing all kinds of creatures: butterflies, moths, crickets, grasshoppers, beetles, aphids, and pill bugs, to name just a few. She notices that some of the creatures have six legs and some have eight. She also notices that some have hard covers over their wings and others don't. She takes note of these differences and begins to separate her creatures according to the differences she notes. Which of the following, according to Piaget, is the process in which Elizabeth is engaging? a. equilibrium b. assimilation c. foreclosure d. organization

D

Why should teachers be on the lookout for students who show signs of severe depression? a. They are most likely to disrupt the classroom and make it difficult to teach. b. They can depress other students' motivation to learn. c. Students who are severely depressed are at a higher risk for developing schizophrenia. d. Students who are severely depressed are at a higher risk for attempting suicide.

D

You have a student who is a first-generation immigrant from Thailand. You notice that he doesn't look at you when you speak to him. The child probably acts this way because he a. isn't interested in what you have to say. b. is upset about having left his homeland. c. is dishonest and feels guilty. d. uses different patterns of nonverbal communication.

D

Within ethnically diverse groups of students, cooperative learning is likely to a. foster resentment among members of different ethnic groups. b. result in a widening achievement gap among different ethnic groups of students. c. foster an increased understanding of classmates from different ethnic groups. d. result in increased competition among members of different ethnic groups.

C

Bilingual programs that try to improve non-English-speaking students' native-language competence are known as ________________ programs. a. bicultural b. transition c. pluralistic d. maintenance

D

As a kindergarten teacher, you would most likely observe which of the following play behaviors? a. boys playing next to each other with trucks and cranes b. boys and girls playing together with trucks and cranes c. boys and girls acting out a story, using dolls d. girls experimenting with construction toys

A

As part of an ongoing debate about cognitive development and the role of instruction, two recent reviews on the subject have concluded that a. good-quality instruction can, at the right time, enhance schema development. b. schema development is purely heredity and is influenced little, if at all, by the environment. c. schema development is governed primarily by good-quality instruction. d. instruction has no role in the assimilation and accommodation of new experiences.

A

Does it make any sense for teachers to be concerned about the fact that some students come from one-parent families? a. Yes, because students from one-parent families are at greater risk of academic failure than are students who grow up in two-parent families. b. No, because students from one-parent families are likely to do as well as the average student. c. Yes, because students from one-parent families are likely to compensate for their deprived background by performing above average in school. d. No, because students from one-parent families place as high a value on education as students from other types of families.

A

Maria was administered an IQ test in fourth grade. She received an overall score of 135 on this test (which is more than two standard deviations above average). On the basis of this score, we can infer that Maria a. will probably do very well as she moves through the school system. b. will be successful at any career she chooses. c. will have fewer life crises than most other people. d. has no learning disabilities.

A

One mark of good teachers is that they a. are constantly evaluating the worth of their goals and their methods for trying to attain them. b. are always sure that their educational goals are worthwhile. c. generally find a single teaching approach that works with virtually all of their students. d. are able to use any new approach or technique, even if scientific evidence suggests that those techniques are questionable.

A

Stella, who has always believed that wolves stalk and kill human beings, learns that they are actually quite wary of humans and rarely attack them. Consequently, she joins an environmental group that is dedicated to reintroducing wolves to areas where they once lived. This behavior is a reflection of a. accommodation. b. assimilation. c. conservation. d. preoperational stage thinking.

A

Attempts to validate the universality of Piaget's stages of development have found that a. while rates of development appear to be culturally consistent, the sequence of the stages varies. b. while the sequence of the stages is consistent, rates of development vary. c. genetics shapes rates of development, but culture has no influence. d. both the sequence of stages and rates of development are uniform across cultures.

B

Erikson uses the epigenetic principle to hypothesize that personality development is related to a. genetic factors rather than environmental factors. b. a series of interrelated stages of development, all of which have a critical period. c. the prenatal period of development because each psychosocial stage is genetically determined. d. factors that for the most part are independent of chronological age.

B

You have been hired by a large, inner-city school to coordinate an after-school mentoring program for at-risk children. On the first day of your new job you sit in your office as the rules and regulations you put into place are broken. You later hear from one of your coworkers that the children you are working with have, in the past, responded positively to the disciplinary efforts of another administrator in their regular school. It will most likely be in your best interest to a. continue with your current plan until the desired result is obtained. b. reprimand your coworker for questioning your judgment. c. reflect on your course of action and work on a new plan. d. dismiss the trouble since it is just the first day.

C

Peer tutoring has been shown to improve the achievement of which of the following groups? a. low-SES students b. primary grade students c. ethnic minority students d. all of the above

D

Strengths of the scientific method include all of the following except a. the simultaneous manipulation of many variables in order to reveal the complexities of behavior. b. the formulation of plausible hypotheses, which are then tested systematically. c. the use of a representative sample of participants. d. a dissemination of results so that similar scientific inquiry may be further stimulated in other settings.

A

The idea that personality development follows a predictable pattern with identifiable benchmarks best reflects the a. principle of formal operations. b. law of psychosocial development. c. heredity versus environment issue. d. epigenetic principle.

D

Teaching children or adolescents is challenging because it requires a. flexible decision making and a working knowledge of the topics being discussed. b. the development of instructional techniques that work with virtually all students. c. rapid use of the latest methods of instruction. d. strict adherence to carefully designed lesson plans.

A

Which of the following is most consistent with the concept of cultural pluralism? a. All cultures within a society should be maintained and respected by others. b. A national goal of the United States should be to assimilate our many cultural groups into the national mainstream. c. All cultures are basically the same and should be considered equal. d. Different cultures have their own beliefs and behavioral norms, but cultural values are universal.

A

Enriqué, who is in ninth grade, has exhibited a high level of logical-mathematical ability but a low level of spatial ability. His parents want him to pursue a career in math or science but are concerned that he may choose a career that does not place such a heavy emphasis on spatial ability. Enriqué's parents approach you asking for advice on how his spatial ability could be improved. If you shared Howard Gardner's views about intelligence, which of the following statements would guide your response to Enriqué's parents? a. Intelligence test scores are stable indicators of ability and cannot be changed significantly. b. Many factors, in addition to intelligence, influence an individual's interests and career choice. c. Instruction should be aimed at each intelligence across every subject in order to develop all intelligences. d. Levels of specific intelligences can be increased only for very young children.

B

Mr. Fradigio would like to investigate the effectiveness of forehead bandages on the retention of information among high school seniors in his school district. He believes that the tighter students tie their bandages the better they will recall lecture material. To see if his theory is correct, one-third of his morning history class wear extremely tight bandages, one-third wear moderately tight bandages, and one-third wear loose fitting bandages. To control for morning daydreamers, he asks his afternoon class to do the same. Each class does as he requests for each lecture. He then administers the regularly scheduled exam to each of the classes. He scores the exams without knowing which class or bandage group they came from. He repeats the same experiment the following term with a new group of students. He then writes about his experiment and reports the results in the weekly school newsletter. Mr. Fradigio's inquiry is an example of a. using constructivist teaching methods. b. the scientific method. c. selection and interpretation of data. d. unsystematic observation.

B

One aspect of making observations and drawing inferences from those observations is that a. the more systematic our observations are, the less likely we are to draw reasonable conclusions. b. unsystematic observations may lead to faulty conclusions. c. either systematic or unsystematic observations generally lead to correct decisions, as long as our hypotheses are well formulated. d. generally speaking, the first explanation that comes to mind is likely to be the correct one.

B

One way to encourage a sense of industry in an elementary school child who consistently fails to complete homework assignments is to a. gently admonish the child in front of the class that homework assignments need to be taken seriously. b. provide praise or a small reward when the child does finish assignments on time. c. suggest that the child rely on classmates to help with the assignments. d. ignore the problem and let the child suffer the consequences.

B

The primary focus of educational psychology is to understand how a. students develop physically, cognitively, and emotionally over time. b. different factors influence learning in classroom settings. c. problem-solving tactics and self-esteem influence psychosocial well-being. d. achievement test scores relate to general aptitude.

B

To avoid putting students with particular learning styles at a disadvantage, teachers should a. use an approach to instruction that most students like and stick to it. b. vary their approach to instruction. c. teach students how to adjust to the teacher's learning style. d. determine a new approach at the beginning of each school year.

B

To say that teaching is an art means that teaching a. is a relatively easy profession to master. b. requires flexibility in decision making. c. should be based entirely on scientific findings. d. is an undisciplined activity.

B

What conclusions can we draw from the results of research in the area of gender differences and computer use? a. There are essentially no gender differences in computer access and use. b. Although boys and girls have equal access to computers, more girls experience computer anxiety. c. Boys have less computer anxiety than girls because they see themselves as being more capable at using computers. d. Boys are more interested in computers than girls, and use them more often to complete school assignments.

B

Which of the following is most likely to promote a sense of industry among students? a. Encourage intense competition for top grades by limiting the number of available A's and B's. b. Create reasonable performance standards and communicate those standards to students. c. Encourage communication with local businesses to keep students informed of available job opportunities. d. Set a class "curve," making sure that equal percentages of students receive A's, B's C's, D's, and F's.

B

Which of the following is not likely to be a characteristic that identifies someone as being from a different culture? a. the belief a person has about what happens when we die b. the size of a person's frame and the color of the person's skin c. the behavior a person exhibits around family elders d. the attitude a wife has toward her husband

B

Which of the following statements concerning children's play activity in preschool and kindergarten is generally supported by research? a. Young children show little interest in play activities. b. Free play contributes to young children's social, emotional, and cognitive development. c. Time devoted to free play activities should be limited since they provide no noticeable academic benefits. d. Young children's play activities should be structured and supervised by adults since children engage in the same type of play over and over.

B

. Effective teachers recognize that teaching a. doesn't need a scientific basis because it is such a straightforward enterprise. b. is propelled primarily by commonly understood anecdotes of what works in the classroom. c. is an art that should nonetheless have a good scientific basis. d. should be viewed solely as the ability to be objective in evaluation and to have a good grasp of the subject matter.

C

After Mateo, a student in your class, reads a series of scientific articles discussing the value of multiple vitamin supplements in preventing heart disease, he approaches you and remarks, "I'm confused. If all of these scientists are studying the same issue and they are all using the scientific method, why aren't they all coming to the same conclusions?" Your response should emphasize that a. not all scientists adhere to the scientific method. b. one of the articles is obviously biased. c. scientists differ in the ways in which they select and interpret data. d. many scientists intentionally alter their data because of their own preconceived ideas.

C

An eighth-grade male who exhibits feelings of confusion, anxiety, depression, and dramatic mood swings is a. demonstrating behavior that is highly common for this age group. b. demonstrating behavior that is highly unusual for this age group. c. demonstrating behavior that occurs in varying degrees of frequency within this age group. d. exhibiting behavior that is common among males in this age group, but not females.

C

Erik Erikson's theory of psychosocial development a. is child centered because it fails to address important psychological changes in adulthood. b. has educational utility with young children but not with adolescents. c. emphasizes that societal expectations and opportunities can powerfully impact development. d. suggests that children can passively absorb information as long as it is presented in a developmentally appropriate manner.

C

Juvenile delinquents are least likely to exhibit which of the following characteristics? a. lack of respect for rules and authority figures b. an unstable family structure c. respect for the role of education d. rejection by most of their classmates

C

Many advancements in teaching and learning are due in large part to a. the accumulation of traditional practices. b. philanthropic contributions. c. the research of educational psychologists. d. suggestions from parents and school board members.

C

Organized patterns of actions and thoughts, such as kicking a football or realizing that there are many different types of footballs, are defined by Piaget as a. organizations. b. adaptations. c. schemes. d. equilibrations.

C

Part of your lesson plan for your seventh-grade class is to have them debate the merits of the following argument: Teenagers should have strict limits set on the amount of time they spend each day on social networking websites (such as Facebook). This idea is a. likely to be well received because students love to debate controversial issues. b. likely to be well received because it means less time having to listen to the teacher lecture. c. likely to be poorly received because adolescents are more interested in being like one another than standing out. d. likely to be poorly received because no adolescent believes he or she should have limits placed on his or her social behavior.

C

Piaget would probably view the development of a system of classification of animals and plants as evidence of our need to a. view the parts of any whole in some kind of hierarchy. b. adjust to our environment in an effort to maintain equilibrium. c. organize the elements of our world into some kind of interrelated system. d. change existing schemes in order to incorporate new experiences.

C

Research concerning a behavior known as loss of voice indicates that a. females are more likely than males to suppress their true thoughts when they are in the company of same-sex peers. b. girls who strongly identify with stereotypical female gender roles were no more likely than androgynous females to suppress true thoughts in the presence of male teachers and classmates. c. the reported incidence of loss of voice, for boys and girls, did not increase between grades. d. encouragement from teachers did not affect the likelihood that boys or girls would suppress their true thoughts in the classroom.

C

Researchers who study the play patterns of preschool and kindergarten children have noted that a. children of this age do not really play at all because of their egocentric tendencies. b. because of egocentrism, children of this age engage in one type of play activity over and over. c. young children are capable of engaging in many different types of play. d. children's play activities should be limited since they do not make much of a contribution to children's social, emotional, and cognitive development.

C

The concept of cultural pluralism holds that a. all cultures are basically the same and should be considered equal. b. people can rise above their particular culture and become culture-free. c. all cultures within a society should be respected by all members of that society. d. different cultures have their own beliefs and behavioral norms, but cultural values are universal.

C

The grade retention policies of many schools are examples of a. the implementation of practices based on sound scientific research. b. practices based on studies that verify teachers' beliefs about intellectual development. c. practices that have little scientific merit because they are based on unsystematic observation. d. practices stemming from research that suggests that repeating a grade is beneficial to a student.

C

What can be said about the numbers and ethnic origins of the population of the United States as the twenty-first century begins? a. The United States is becoming less culturally diverse because of policies originating in the 1960s to restrict immigration b. The United States is becoming less culturally diverse because the birthrates of Asian and European immigrants have declined. c. The United States is becoming more culturally diverse because immigration and the birthrates of immigrants have increased. d. The ethnic makeup of the population is much the same as in the mid-1970s and is expected to remain that way, with the exception of a gradual decrease in the number of Latino/Latina children.

C

Learning styles are thought of as a. abilities that determine academic success. b. the willingness of learners to adapt to the demands of the classroom. c. the ability to respond in different ways to tasks that have different contents and demands. d. a consistent preference for responding to intellectual tasks in a particular way.

D

Which of the following scenarios demonstrates the teacher expectancy effect? a. Karrie's reading achievement declines from one testing to the next because she does not like her teacher. b. Lonnie's reading achievement increases dramatically after he is criticized by his teacher for being a poorly motivated student. c. Linda's achievement test scores increase because her teacher, who feels Linda is gifted, begins to expect more of her. d. Bobby's achievement test scores increase because he wants to show his teacher that he is smarter than everyone else in class.

C

Which of the following student characteristics is not likely to lead to positive teacher expectancy? a. physical attractiveness b. prior high achievement c. neutral background information d. low-SES

C

. Current research supports which of the following statements? a. IQ scores of very young children show the most stability over time. b. IQ scores provide definitive measures of intelligence. c. IQ scores are derived from the direct observation of intelligence. d. IQ scores can be affected by systematic instruction.

D

A four-year-old child sees an adult dwarf walking down the street and exclaims, "Look at that little boy!" This child, who has no previous reference point for dwarfs, is engaging in which process? a. accommodation b. organization c. equilibration d. assimilation

D

A teacher who views the discipline of teaching as both an art and a science is likely to a. be mechanical and indecisive. b. continue to use methods that have scientific support but appear not to be working well in the classroom. c. experiment with new teaching methods as soon as they appear in the literature. d. be inspiring and exciting while at the same time aware of current scientific research in the field of teaching.

D

According to Howard Gardner's theory of intelligence a. intelligence is best conceptualized as a single score, such as IQ. b. there are at least three types of intelligence: verbal ability, spatial ability, and logical mathematical ability. c. human beings have multiple intelligences that are presumed to be dependent on one another and hierarchically integrated. d. there are eight distinct forms of intelligence.

D

An eleven-year-old girl who appears to be going through puberty is a. probably maturing earlier than the average eleven-year-old girl. b. probably not yet curious about sex, in spite of her developing body. c. behind boys in terms of the average age of puberty. d. average in terms of female adolescent development.

D

An eleven-year-old girl who is taller and heavier than an eleven-year-old male classmate is a. unusual, since size differences between boys and girls are virtually nonexistent at this age. b. likely to excel in sports because of her size. c. probably not interested in the things most girls are interested in at the age of eleven. d. not at all unusual for this age.

D

Brian is an only child whose father is a president of a large corporation, while his mother is a lawyer at a busy law firm. Brian has always enjoyed the company of other children partly, he believes, because he wasn't around children much except at school. He is particularly intrigued with young children's development and is thinking of majoring in early-childhood education in college. His parents are not happy with Brian's decision, and his father puts a great deal of pressure on him to major in business or pre-law. Brian isn't sure what to do. His situation is an example of a. identity achievement. b. negative identity. c. psychosocial moratorium. d. role confusion.

D

Contrary to the findings of Piaget, several researchers have concluded that a. many youngsters are capable of formal operational thought as early as eight years of age. b. 70 to 80 percent of college freshmen have the ability to think abstractly. c. formal operational thought is the rule rather than the exception throughout adolescence. d. he probably overestimated the extent to which most adolescents are mature formal operators.

D

Educational psychology research offers strong support for which of the following instructional practices? a. giving students positive reinforcement when their performance meets or exceeds the teacher's objectives b. teaching students how to improve their own learning skills c. having students work cooperatively in small learning groups d. All of these answers.

D

Erikson's concept of the psychosocial moratorium is most like a. avoiding social contacts for several months. b. consulting a counselor about social problems. c. asking someone to help you make a decision. d. sleeping on a problem or decision.

D

It has been argued that the concept of intelligence encompasses more than the sum of one's tested abilities. According to the text, which of the following might suggest an aspect of intelligence that is not measured by traditional intelligence tests? a. the ability to pick out major and minor themes in a piece of classical literature b. the ability to score well on law or medical school boards c. the ability to develop a logical counterargument to a point of view d. moral reasoning at the level of Kohlberg's postconventional stage

D

Proponents of a transition approach to bilingual education advocate a. helping non-English-speaking students become even more proficient in their native language b. placing all non-English-speaking students, regardless of native language, in the same classroom. c. keeping non-English-speaking students together even after they have mastered English. d. teaching non-English-speaking students in their native language until they can function adequately in English.

D

Researchers have found that significantly more males than females choose careers in math or science. The most likely reason for this imbalance is that a. the learning styles of most teachers are more compatible with the learning styles of males. b. the quality of instruction in math and science tends to be rather poor. c. males have higher levels of logical-mathematical ability. d. males receive more encouragement to consider careers in math and science.

D

Students from low-SES homes are more likely than students from upper-SES homes to have difficulty studying because low-SES students typically a. live in smaller, more crowded conditions. b. receive less supervision from parents. c. lack a good place to study. d. all of the above

D

The early-maturing male middle school student is likely to draw favorable responses from adults because he a. is no longer concerned about the impact of puberty. b. tends to be more sophisticated socially than his age-mates. c. is more capable of formal operations than his age-mates. d. looks more like an adult.

D

What is meant by the term "achievement gap"? a. The difference between standardized test scores and scores on teacher-made tests. b. The difference between the test scores of African American students and Latino students. c. The difference between students' test scores in the elementary grades and their test scores in high school. d. The difference between the test scores of students of color and middle-SES White students.

D

Which of the following examples best illustrates Piaget's concept of assimilation? a. A person who quits the baseball team after learning that you must wear extremely tight, nylon pants. b. A child who changes her scheme of "all snakes are poisonous and deadly" after easily surviving a bite from a common grass snake. c. A woman who, after being stuck on an elevator, decides that all cable-driven devices are unsafe. d. A student who learns that opossums can hang from tree branches by their tail and therefore adds opossums to her scheme of animals with prehensile tails.

D

Which of the following statements best sums up current findings on gender differences and technology? a. Computers are more available to boys than to girls. b. Girls and boys are equal in time online but girls exceed boys in interest. c. Boys are likely to feel more capable than girls at using computers. d. Boys and girls have equal access to computers, but girls report higher levels of computer anxiety.

D

Which of the following statements represents the most appropriate application of learning styles research to one's teaching practices? a. Use an instructional method that matches most students' styles. b. Use an instructional method that matches the teacher's learning style. c. Teach each subject using eight instructional methods that relate to the eight intelligences so that each student may develop to his/her full potential. d. Use a variety of instructional methods so that students will have opportunities to excel in their strong areas and to develop weaker areas.

D