Human Development Questions from the quizzes

All of the following are means of defining intelligence EXPECT:

*A.) Piaget's constructivist theory B.) sternberg's triarchic theory C.) Gardner's multiple intelligence theory D.) IQ

Sensitive periods are times in an organism's development when:

*A.) a particular experience (or lack of it) has a more pronounced effect on development* B.) certain events must occur for development to proceed normally C.) great emotional growth occurs D.) a particular experience has an "all-or-nothing" effect on development

By the end of puberty:

*A.) boys will be stronger than girls* B.) girls will be stronger than boys C.) girls will have greater capacity for carrying oxygen to their lungs than boys D.) boys will have higher resting heart rate than girls

Lorenz's notion of "babyness" (round protruding cheeks, large eyes, high forehead) is support for which basic concept in child development?

*A.) continuity between species* B.) the primary influence of "nature" C.) the importance of exogenous causes of development change D.) epigenesis

Whether or not communities embrace co-sleeping can primarily be attributed to differences in:

*A.) cultural views and values* B.) access to research on safe sleeping arrangements C.) levels of education of community members D.) financial resources

Uncommitted areas of the brain provide infants with the capacity to develop brain circuits that grow and change depending upon the experiences they encounter as they develop. These uncommitted areas permit __________, and depend heavily on experience-dependent processes.

*A.) developmental plasticity* B.) evolutionary stability C.) synaptic pruning D.) hormonal regulation

Which of the following is NOT a true statement about the principles underlying teratogenic effects?

*A.) each teratogen acts the same on all developing tissue* B.) susceptibility to teratogens varies with the developmental stage of the fetus at the time of exposure C.) the mother's physiological state (e.g. age, hormonal balance) affect susceptibility of the fetus to teratogenic agents D.) teratogens that have little or only a temporary effect on the mother can lead to serious abnormalities in the developing organism

An early example of the interaction between biology and the environment is:

*A.) epigenesis* B.) heterochrony C.) cleavage D.) difference and reintegration

The proximodistal pattern of development refers to which pattern of body development?

*A.) from the middle of the organism to the periphery of the organism* B) from the head down C.) from the periphery of the organism to the middle of the organism D.) upwards from the feet

Which of the following best describes the relationship between vocabulary exposure and vocabulary acquisition

*A.) greater vocabulary exposure leads to greater vocabulary acquisition* B.) greater vocabulary exposure leads to slower vocabulary acquisition C.) the rate at which children acquire vocabulary is not influenced by the amount of language they hear D.) the relationship between vocabulary exposure and vocabulary acquisition is dependent upon genetic and other environmental factors

A trait that is easily influenced by environmental conditions is said to have:

*A.) high phenotype plasticity* B.) low phenotype plasticity C.) high genotype plasticity D.) low genotype plasticity

According to developmentalists, culture is:

*A.) passed on through biological processes* B.) composed of material and symbolic tools C.) stable over time D.) always evolving in advantageous ways

An infant learns that pulling her mother's hair causes her mother to say an amusing vocal sound, "ouch", the mother's "ouch" can be considered an _______________ for hair pulling.

*A.) reinforcement* B.) punishment C.) unconditional response D.) conditional response

During middle childhood, boys are generally better than girls at:

*A.) running* B.) hopping C.) drawing D.) there is no difference in motor skills between boys and girls during middle childhood

Compared to the first year of life, children's physical growth rate during the second year is:

*A.) slower* B.) a little faster C.) about the same D.) about twice as fast

Babies who have the opportunity to practice motor skills develop those skills:

*A.) sooner than children who do not practice* B.) later than children who do not practice C.) at the same time as other children D.) sooner or later than other children in their culture depending upon broad cultural expectations

The process of myelination whereby myelin covers nerve cells, assists in:

*A.) speeding the transmission of neural impulses or signals* B.) increasing the surface area of the brain C.) the assimilation of new experiences D.) generalizability

The brain of an adult is approximately four times larger than that of a newborn. What accounts for this tremendous growth?

*A.) the complexity of networks between neurons increases* B.) the chemical reaction that occurs when myelin begins to dissolve triggers new nerves cells to develop C.) New neurons form in response to experiences occurring in the first five years of life D.) nutritional benefits of breast milk and formula cause an increase in the production of neurons

the information processing approach considers cognitive development:

*A.) to be analogous to the workings of a digital computer* B.) within each child's cultural context C.) to be based on observations of like models D.) to be focused on children's ability to perform mental operations

Cross-cultural differences in performance on conservation tasks suggest:

*A.) training, familiar materials, and use of native languages are important contributors to children's performance on standardized tests* B.) there are few universals in Piaget's stages of cognitive development C.) experience does not affect the acquisition of the cognitive concepts identified by Piaget D.) Culture is not relevant in understanding cognitive development

Which of the following senses is the least well-developed at birth

*A.) vision* B.) hearing C.) tasting D.) smelling

Which of the following is NOT one of the central questions of developmental psychology?

A.) How do people come to have stable individual characteristics that make them different from all the other people? B.) How do genetic and environmental factors combine to shape the developmental process? *C.) Exactly how many stages are there in human development?* D.) Is development a gradual process of change, or is it punctuated by periods of rapid change?

Which of the following statements most accurately describes developmentalists' view on the nature-nurture debate?

A.) Nature is more important than nurture B.) Nurture plays a greater role in development than nature C.) Nature and nurture are not important issues for developmental psychologists *D.) Nature and Nurture are intertwined and cannot be understood in isolation from each other*

Critical periods in development refers to times when

A.) a particular experience has a more pronounced effect on the organism *B.) particular events must occur for development to proceed normally* C.)development proceeds at a faster pace D.) development slows to a near halt

When Sophie, age 9, describes herself as "better at math than Harold", she is using:

A.) a sociometric rating *B.) social comparison* C.) a description od stable trait D.) self concept

Which of the following is a central claim of BOTH Piaget and Vygotsky?

A.) all children of through the same states of development B.) the process of development is universal *C.) children actively construct their own knowledge* D.) development can't be separated from social context

Kaira has just attempted to put her doll's show on her own foot. Judy DeLoache reasons that these kinds of scale errors are made by young children because of:

A.) an inability to perceive the true size of objects B.) playfulness associated with the increase in pretend play during early childhood years C.) a dissociation between perception and action due to lack of experience with similar objects that vary in size *D.) a dissociation between perception and action due to immature brain development*

operant conditioning is one wat to explain how infants:

A.) anticipate aversive events B.) learn to ignore repeated events C.) from expectations about events *D.) add new behaviors to their repertories*

Most genetic or chromosomal abnormalities present at conception:

A.) are corrected by the time of birth *B.) lead to early miscarriages* C.) do not express themselves until late in life D.) cause the offspring to have severe birth defects

Recent research suggests that adolescent brains

A.) are the same as fully formed adult brains *B.) are undergoing transition and thus may be particularly vulnerable to exposure to drugs and alcohol* C.) show an increase in the proportion of gray matter but not white matter D.) contain more neurons than brains of children in middle childhood

Which of the following best describes the relationship between brain development and culturally organized activities in early childhood?

A.) brain development is not influenced by experience *B.) cultural emphasis on activities such as language and spatial skills can promote brain growth in the associated cortical areas* C.) brain development is only influenced by cultural activities that impact nutrition and health D.) Experience can influence myelination processes but not synaptic development

Totipotent stem cells are those that:

A.) can become different sorts of neural cells B.) can become tissue cells of any type, but cannot give rise to an entire organism *C.) can become an entire organism or any type of tissue cell* D.) serve a dedicated purpose and cannot develop into other forms

The reason children's sentences such as "I runned home" are informative in understanding children's language acquisition is that they suggest children:

A.) can learn from simple imitation B.) can be taught grammar directly *C.) are familiar with some grammar rules but often misapply them* D.) do not understand anything about grammar

During the first year, children's heads:

A.) change little in size B.) grow to their full adult size C.) grow to be larger proportion of total body length *D.) grow to be smaller proportion of total body length*

a development psychologist who believes that "nurture" primarily accounts for language acquisition would say:

A.) children are born ready to learn language B.) children have language acquisition device as noted by Chomsky *C.) children acquire language through the experiences they have* D.) every child has an innate ability to learn language

a development psychologist who believes that primarily "nature" accounts for language acquisition would say:

A.) children can learn language because they receive reinforcement for using certain words B.) children learn to talk through imitation C.) children acquire language through the experiences they have *D.) every child has an innate ability to learn language*

Sociodramatic play is viewed by developmentalists as an important example of self-control because:

A.) children now are demonstrating advanced memory skills *B.) this type of play requires the inhibition of immediate impulses* C.) children watch other children and follow their lead D.) children understand the need for taking on the role of "good characters"

Jasmine is attempting to achieve a sense of who she is, what moral and political beliefs to embrace, her career preferences, and her relationship to her culture and community. Jasmine is going through the process of:

A.) cognitive development B.) emotional regulation *C.) identity development* D.) puberty

A trait that is NOT easily altered by changes in the environment is said to be:

A.) concrete B.) plastic *C.) canalized* D.) heritable

Developmental psychologists are interested in:

A.) describing general developmental trajectories B.) individual differences in development C.) the ways in which genetic heredity and environment interact to contribute to development *D.) All of the answers above are correct*

Motor skills such as kicking and throwing:

A.) develop with time for everybody *B.) require practice to develop* C.) develop more quickly for girls D.) get worse in middle childhood

The original intelligence test by Binet and Simon was created to answer the commission by the minister of public instruction in France in order to:

A.) distinguished gifted children from average children *B.) distinguished children with cognitive "defects" or deficits from children who were struggling in school for other reasons* C.) determine what "average" intelligence was D.) determine who would go to college

The periods of prenatal development occur in which order?

A.) embryonic, germinal, fetal *B.) germinal, embryonic, fetal* C.) fetal, embryonic, germinal D.) germinal, fetal, embryonic

In Erkison's theory the main challenge of life is:

A.) establishing positive relationships B.) contributing to meaningful ways to society C.) avoidance of guilt *D.) the quest of identity*

The sense of belonging to an ethnic group is known as:

A.) ethnic formation B.) ethnic socialization C.) ethnic schema *D.) ethnic identity*

which of the following are considered by researchers to be three of the components of identity formation:

A.) ethnic identity, social identity, and gender identity B.) ethnic identity, social identity, and sexual identity C.) sex-role identity, social identity, and personal identity *D.) sex-role identity, personal identity, and ethnic identity*

The range between what between what one can do unsupported and what one can do with optimal social support is referred to as ___________

A.) ethology B.) accommodation C.) equilibrium *D.) the zone of proximal development*

in the first two years of life, infants develop increased abilities to:

A.) focus their attention B.) process information C.) attend to complex stimuli *D.) all of the answers are correct*

Erikson described preschool-aged children as facing the challenge of initiative vs. guilt, and therefore:

A.) focused on establishing relationships of trust with their caregivers B.) struggling to establish a sense of self as separate from their primary caregivers C.) concerned with how they appear to others *D.) motivated to learn about and participate in the world around them*

According to James Marcia, a teenager who has explored her career options and is now actively pursuing a chosen career pathway is in a stage of ___________; while a teenager who has adopted her parents ideas about good career pathways rather than forming her own goals in a stage of ____________.

A.) foreclosure, identity achievement B.) identity achievement, moratorium *C.) identity achievement, foreclosure* D.) identity diffusion, foreclosure

The cephalocaudal pattern of development refers to which pattern of body development?

A.) from the middle of the organism to its periphery *B.) from the head down* C.) from the periphery D.) upwards from the legs and feet

At the age of 5 years, Jessica demonstrates her developing _____________ by printing simple letters, and demonstrates her ___________ by riding her new scooter.

A.) gross motor skills; fine motor skills *B.) fine motor skills; gross motor skills* C.) motor drive; focus D.) focus; motor drive

Variability in the levels of development of different parts of the organism at a given time is called:

A.) heterochrony *B.) heterogeneity* C.) pluripotentiality D.) totipotentiality

___________ reduces the oversupply of neural connections in the brain as part of the experience-expectant process of development

A.) hormonal activity *B.) synaptic pruning* C.) experience D.) a proper diet

During middle childhood, girls are generally better than boys at:

A.) jumping B.) catching *C.) skipping* D.) there is no difference in motor skills between boys and girls during middle childhood

metacognition refers to __________ and is a hallmark of cognitive thought during ________.

A.) knowledge about the process of memory; early childhood *B.) the ability to think about one's own thoughts; middle childhood* C.) the combination of attention, memory, and planning; middle childhood D.) the ability to think more clearly; early childhood

information-processing psychologists agree that preschool age children share the following capacity limitations EXCEPT:

A.) limited memory B.) insufficient or uneven attention *C.) no capacity for precausal reasoning* D.) limited strategies for acquiring and using information

Each person inherits a unique combination of genetic traits through:

A.) mitosis B.) osmosis C.) genetic imitation *D.) sexual reproduction*

The changes in the brain that occur at around 7 to 9 months of age allow the child to:

A.) move from reflex schemas to primary circular reactions *B.) inhibit action, regulate herself, and stop and think* C.) hold his head up and turn it from side to side D.) reach and grasp familiar objects

Studies of motor development highlight the critical role of:

A.) nature or biological capacities B.) nurture or practice C.) cultural expectations *D.) All of the answers are correct*

you are a first grade teacher and you notice your students are having trouble remembering how to spell words for their spelling lists and seem to keep forgetting the key terms in your social studies unit on community. You should:

A.) not spend much time worrying about this, as children of this age do not have good memories *B.) spend the time teaching students memory strategies such as rehearsal and organization* C.) get testing for those children because they should be remembering these types of items at this age D.) wait until they shift to the concrete operational stage, because then they will remember better

According to Erik Erikson, middle childhood is a time in which children must resolve the conflict between __________.

A.) parents and peers *B.) industry and inferiority* C.) chores and homework D.) security and independence

Which of the following represents a consensus of opinions among modern psychologists about human development?

A.) piaget's stage theory fully describes learning and development from birth through adolescence B.) Erikson's description of the challenges faced by individuals over the lifespan are sufficient to understand the process of identity development *C.) no single theoretical framework adequately characterizes all of development* D.) the sociocultural approach offers the optimal approach to understanding development

The following factors can slow down physical growth in middle childhood EXPECT:

A.) poor nutrition B.) major illness C.) mild illness *D.) adequate health care*

Examination of the ages at which children achieve motor milestones show that:

A.) practice has little effect on the ages at which babies master universal skills B.) 90% of infants have begun walking by the time they are 12 months of age *C.) there are wide variations in the ages at which infants begin to sit, walk, and crawl* D.) infants are remarkably uniform in the ages at which they become able to sit, walk, and crawl

Which of the following is NOT considered a privileged domain by Chen and Siegler?

A.) psychology *B.) reasoning* C.) biology D.) physics

Which of the following is relatively unaffected by schooling:

A.) reading fluency B.) memory *C.) concrete operations* D.) metacognitive skills

Marcia(1996) examined which two factors essential to achieving a mature identity:

A.) sensitization and identity assumption *B.) exploration and commitment* C.) independence and interdependence D.) commitment and identity integration

The basic units of heredity are:

A.) somatic cells B.) zygotes C.) mitosis *D.) genes*

The function of some early reflexes are:

A.) the baby's biological survival B.) not clearly understood C.) to serve as building blocks for later development *D.) All of the answers are correct*

Which part of the brain coordinates planning and goal setting?

A.) the brain stem B.) the cerebellum C.) the hypothalamus *D.) the frontal lobes of the cortex*

What have studies of Romanian orphans told us about the importance of early experience for brain development?

A.) the earlier an experience occurs the more influential it is for later development B.) the later in development an experience occurs the more important are its effects C.) the experiences of all periods of development contribute equally to developmental outcomes *D.) during phases of rapid brain growth brain structures are particularly sensitive to infants' experiences*

Which of the following is an example of developmental continuity

A.) the qualitative reorganization of movement required for learning to walk *B.) the gradual growth in memory capacity* C.) the shift from babbling to talking D.) the stage-like transformations that occur as a plant grows from a seed

Which of the following is a valid generalization about gross motor skill development?

A.) the sequence of development of gross motor skills is unpredictable *B.) there can be wide age variations in children's development of certain gross motor skills* C.) Practice has no influence on the development of gross motor skills D.) babies who are not yet walking by 1 year should be examined by a medical professional

The prenatal period of development is important to developmental theorists because:

A.) they now understand the mechanisms by which the undifferentiated cells of the zygote first become the blastocyst and then the multitude of cells present at birth *B.) it serves as a model for development during all subsequent periods* c.) it has helped prove that epigenesis is a faulty explanation for mechanisms that drive developmental change D.) the rate of growth during the period of prenatal development predicts later physical development

Parents who demonstrate the authoritative pattern control their children by:

A.) using physical punishment *B.) explaining their rules or decisions* C.) setting lower standards for their children's behavior D.) encouraging their children to be dependent

The first words that infants in english speaking settings use are generally:

A.) verbs for actions B.) commands for actions *C.) labels for objects* D.) adjectives to describe objects