psych 350 midterm 2

puberty rite

A "coming of age" ritual, usually beginning at some event such as first menstruation, held in traditional cultures to celebrate children's transition to adulthood.

childhood obesity

A body mass index at or above the 95th percentile compared to the U.S. norms established for children in the 1970s.

spermarche

A boy's first ejaculation of live sperm.

secular trend in puberty

A century-long decline in the average age at which children reach puberty in the developed world.

gang

A close-knit, delinquent peer group. Gangs form mainly under conditions of economic deprivation; they offer their members protection from harm and engage in a variety of criminal activities.

sexual double standard

A cultural code that gives men greater sexual freedom than women. Specifically, society expects males to want to have intercourse and expects females to remain virgins until they marry and to be more interested in relationships than in having sex.

growth spurt

A dramatic increase in height and weight that occurs during puberty.

menarche

A girl's first menstruation.

selective attention

A learning strategy in which people manage their awareness so as to attend only to what is relevant and to filter out unneeded information.

rehearsal

A learning strategy in which people repeat information to embed it in memory.

eating disorder

A pathological obsession with getting and staying thin. The two best-known eating disorders are anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa.

anorexia nervosa

A potentially life-threatening eating disorder characterized by pathological dieting (resulting in severe weight loss) and by a distorted body image.

crowd

A relatively large teenage peer group

experience-sampling technique

A research procedure designed to capture moment-to-moment experiences by having people carry pagers and take notes describing their activities and emotions whenever the signal sounds.

clique

A small peer group composed of roughly six teenagers who have similar attitudes and who share activities.

Who is likely to become sexually active at the youngest age?

Franklin, a low-SES Black male

"storm and stress"

G. Stanley Hall's phrase for the intense moodiness, emotional sensitivity, and risk-taking tendencies that characterize the life stage he labeled adolescence.

The hormonal system that programs the physical changes of puberty is the:

HPG axis

adrenal androgens

Hormones produced by the adrenal glands that program various aspects of puberty, such as growth of body hair, skin changes, and sexual desire.

postconventional level of morality

In Lawrence Kohlberg's theory, the highest level of moral reasoning, in which people respond to ethical issues by applying their own moral guidelines apart from society's rules.

conventional level of morality

In Lawrence Kohlberg's theory, the intermediate level of moral reasoning, in which people respond to ethical issues by considering the need to uphold social norms.

preconventional level of morality

In Lawrence Kohlberg's theory, the lowest level of moral reasoning, in which people approach ethical issues by considering the personal punishments or rewards of taking a particular action.

decentering

In Piaget's conservation tasks, the concrete operational child's ability to look at several dimensions of an object or substance.

reversibility

In Piaget's conservation tasks, the concrete operational child's knowledge that a specific change in the way a given substance looks can be reversed.

centering

In Piaget's conservation tasks, the preoperational child's tendency to fix on the most visually striking feature of a substance and not take other dimensions into account.

concrete operational thinking

In Piaget's framework, the type of cognition characteristic of children aged 8 to 11, marked by the ability to reason about the world in a more logical, adult way.

artificialism

In Piaget's theory, the preoperational child's belief that human beings make everything in nature.

animism

In Piaget's theory, the preoperational child's belief that inanimate objects are alive.

identity constancy

In Piaget's theory, the preoperational child's inability to grasp that a person's core "self" stays the same despite changes in external appearance.

egocentrism

In Piaget's theory, the preoperational child's inability to understand that other people have different points of view from his or her own.

preoperational thinking

In Piaget's theory, the type of cognition characteristic of children aged 2 to 7, marked by an inability to step back from one's immediate perceptions and think conceptually.

Which term refers to young children's belief that everything in nature was created by humans?

artificialism

Adolescents use ______ memories to construct an identity.

autobiographical

The frontal lobes develop:

slowly; they let people consider options and inhibit immediate responses

Tawanda uses induction when disciplining her child. After witnessing her daughter teasing a playmate, she says:

"Think of how terrible that child feels being teased."

Approximately 1 to 4 percent of U.S. teens and adults meet the diagnostic criteria for eating disorders. But approximately _____ may have some symptoms of eating disorders.

10%

bulimia nervosa

An eating disorder characterized by at least biweekly cycles of binging and purging (by inducing vomiting or taking laxatives) in an obsessive attempt to lose weight.

overextension

An error in early language development in which young children apply verbal labels too broadly.

underextension

An error in early language development in which young children apply verbal labels too narrowly.

life-course difficulties

Antisocial behavior that, for a fraction of adolescents, persists into adult life.

adolescence-limited turmoil

Antisocial behavior that, for most teens, is specific to adolescence and does not persist into adult life.

youth development program

Any after-school program, or structured activity outside of the school day, that is devoted to promoting flourishing in teenagers.

executive functions

Any frontal-lobe ability that allows us to inhibit our responses and to plan and direct our thinking.

What question would one ask a teen to best predict whether that teen has high self-esteem?

Are you attractive?

During and after puberty:

Boys become much stronger than girls

Why does self-esteem decline during elementary school?

Children can realistically compare their abilities to their peers.

theory of mind

Children's first cognitive understanding, which appears at about age 4, that other people have different beliefs and perspectives from their own.

nonsuicidal self-injury

Cutting, burning, or purposely injuring one's body to cope with stress.

personal fable

David Elkind's term for the tendency of young teenagers to believe that their lives are special and heroic; a component of adolescent egocentrism.

imaginary audience

David Elkind's term for the tendency of young teenagers to feel that everyone is watching their every action; a component of adolescent egocentrism.

adolescent egocentrism

David Elkind's term for the tendency of young teenagers to feel that their actions are at the center of everyone else's consciousness.

zone of proximal development (ZPD)

In Vygotsky's theory, the gap between a child's ability to solve a problem totally on his own and his potential knowledge if taught by a more accomplished person.

inner speech

In Vygotsky's theory, the way by which human beings learn to regulate their behavior and master cognitive challenges, through silently repeating information or talking to themselves.

working memory

In information-processing theory, the limited-capacity gateway system, containing all the material that we can keep in awareness at a single time. The material in this system is either processed for more permanent storage or lost.

Which is an attribute of formal operations?

It consists of the ability to reason like a real scientist. It consists of the ability to reason about hypothetical possibilities. It consists of the ability to think abstractly.

Pick the most accurate statement referring to the "sexual double standard."

It is overrated; the highest priority for both genders is intimacy.

Which statement is true about bulimia?

Its victims often weigh within the normal range

formal operational stage

Jean Piaget's fourth and final stage of cognitive development, reached at around age 12 and characterized by teenagers' ability to reason at an abstract, scientific level.

thin ideal

Media-driven cultural idea that females need to be abnormally thin.

gross motor skills

Physical abilities that involve large muscle movements, such as running and jumping.

fine motor skills

Physical abilities that involve small, coordinated movements, such as drawing and writing one's name.

secondary sexual characteristics

Physical changes of puberty that are not directly involved in reproduction.

primary sexual characteristics

Physical changes of puberty that directly involve the organs of reproduction, such as the growth of the penis and the onset of menstruation.

conservation tasks

Piagetian tasks that involve changing the shape of a substance to see whether children can go beyond the way that substance visually appears to understand that the amount is still the same.

Which statement is true about popular children as they move into middle school?

Popular middle school children may not be well liked

autobiographical memories

Recollections of events and experiences that make up one's life history.

Who is likely to reach puberty at the earliest age?

Shyvonne, a 9-year-old African-American girl

Sixteen-year-old Donna is experimenting with smoking and drinking and often argues with her parents. From an evolutionary standpoint, why is it developmentally logical for Donna to start adolescence with risk-taking tendencies?

So she is pushed to leave the nest and venture forth into the world

deviancy training

Socialization of a young teenager into delinquency through conversations centered on performing antisocial acts.

As a new elementary school teacher, Chloe is trying to figure out how to be a more effective scaffolder. Which recommendation would NOT help her?

Stick to the recommended curriculum for every child

seriation

The ability to put objects in order according to some principle, such as size.

frontal lobes

The area at the uppermost front of the brain, responsible for reasoning and planning our actions.

immigrant paradox

The fact that despite living in poverty, going to substandard schools, and not having parents who speak the language, many immigrant children do far better than we might expect at school.

early childhood

The first phase of childhood, lasting from age 3 through kindergarten, or about age 5.

puberty

The hormonal and physical changes by which children become sexually mature human beings and reach their adult height.

testosterone

The hormone responsible for the maturation of the organs of reproduction and other signs of puberty in men, and for hair and skin changes during puberty and for sexual desire in both sexes.

HPG axis

The main hormonal system programming puberty; it involves a triggering hypothalamic hormone that causes the pituitary to secrete its hormones, which in turn cause the ovaries and testes to develop and secrete the hormones that produce the major body changes.

Pick the first sign of puberty in boys.

The penis and testes grow.

scaffolding

The process of teaching new skills by entering a child's zone of proximal development and tailoring one's efforts to that person's competence level.

body mass index (BMI)

The ratio of weight to height; the main indicator of overweight or underweight.

middle childhood

The second phase of childhood, covering the elementary school years, from about age 6 to 11.

gonads

The sex organs—the ovaries in girls and the testes in boys.

morpheme

The smallest unit of meaning in a particular language—for example, "boys" contains two morphemes: boy and the plural suffix s.

phoneme

The sound units that convey meaning in a given language—for example, in English, the c sound of cat and the b sound of bat.

What might be a tip-off that a teen boy or girl wants to become sexually active?

The teen gravitates to sexually explicit media.

class inclusion

The understanding that a general category can encompass several subordinate elements.

_____ is the essential ability that lets humans relate to other people in a give-and-take way.

Theory of mind

Which child is MOST likely to be rejected by his or her peers?

a low-income child in a middle-class school

Which is NOT a feature of anorexia nervosa?

a total obsession with health

Jeremy's mother asks her son where he put his new tractor. Jeremy replies, "My tractor is sleeping." Jeremy is showing signs of _____, and he is probably _____.

animism; in preschool

Karen weighs about 82 perecent of her ideal body weight, yet she sees herself as obese and has severely restricted her diet, frequently skipping meals. Karen suffers from:

anorexia nervosa

Girls tend to _____ after puberty.

become stronger

Suzuki is a 16-year-old boy. Which activity that he does now will best predict Suzuki's competence, confidence, and occupational success in adulthood?

being involved in school-related clubs

Pick the factor that does NOT encourage an early "transition to intercourse."

being the youngest sibling in a family

Raedon is in seventh grade. The BEST predictor of his eighth grade grades is most likely his:

best friend's GPA.

Children who bully others, get bullied, and then bully others again are

bully-victims.

Girls' play often involves:

cooperating and collaborating in small groups

In what group structure do younger teens typically start to really connect with the opposite sex?

crowds

At 15, Jeremiah's parents are having a lot of difficulty with him. He frequently argues with them and tests their rules. According to the research, as Jeremiah reaches late adolescence this intense urge to rebel will probably:

decrease

Racial stereotypes can lead black children to:

develop learned helplessness

The capacity to manage one's feelings is called

emotion regulation

The hallmark of ADHD is deficits in

executive functions.

The research method in which people report their activities and emotions when randomly beeped during the day is called the:

experience-sampling technique.

Six-year-old Beth is loud, disruptive, and aggressive. Beth may have _____ tendencies.

externalizing

Which environmental factor is NOT tied to an earlier onset of puberty?

family size

The hormone leptin is sensitive to the amount of _____ in the body

fat

The talents involved in drawing or writing letters are _____skills.

fine motor

A friend is running for a position in local government. During a debate, he may be asked how the legal system should manage illegal teen behaviors. Given your knowledge of neurological development during the teen years, you suggest to your friend that the legal system should:

focus on rehabilitation, not punishment.

Long-term research on adolescents with eating disorders shows that most will:

grow out of the disorder.

Pick the primary sexual characteristic.

growth of the penis

Nine-year-old Nanette realizes that she is not a scholar, but she is a star athlete, which is the life domain she really cares about. Nancy most likely has:

high self-esteem.

Boys' play is defined by

high-energy competition and the effort to establish dominance in large groups.

When is a teen most likely to take risks?

in emotionally charged situations with friends

"Imagine how hurt you would feel if your friend treated you that way." This type of child-rearing intervention is called:

induction.

Which of the following qualities is found in young adults with eating disorders?

insecure attachment

Which substance is critically involved in the onset of puberty?

leptin

As a brainy elementary school kid, Twyla may become _____during high school if she attends a large public high school.

less self-confident

Compared to White girls, African-American girls are _____ the media messages that stress being thin.

less vulnerable to

Antisocial behaviors that occur during the teenage years and continue into adult life are called:

life-course difficulties.

Synaptogenesis refers to the process of

making billions of connections between neurons

A female's first menstruation is called

menarche

People who feel sympathy rather than empathy for others are _____ to help people in need because _____.

more likely; empathy can cause anxiety and the desire to run away

Children in the West base their self-esteem on all of these factors EXCEPT:

organizational abilities

Overregularization shows an incorrect knowledge of _____, while overextensions show that the child doesn't understand _____.

plurals and past tenses; word meanings

"His morality centers around whether he will be punished or rewarded." According to Kohlberg, this person is operating at the _____ level of moral development.

preconventional

The internal and external changes related to physically becoming an adult are called:

puberty

Being obese or having a high BMI predicts:

reaching puberty at a younger age for girls.

When a person feels guilty, that person is motivated to:

reconnect with others

Simon and Rhonda are both 8 years old. Statistically speaking, Simon is:

roughly the same size as Rhonda.

Mrs. Taylor gives help to her class when needed and then backs off when a student masters a given skill. Mrs Taylor is using a teaching technique called:

scaffolding

All are criticisms of Kohlberg's ideas on morality:

some of the most prosocial people score very low on Kohlberg's scale. even young children understand basic moral standards. real-world behaviors may not reflect what a person says on tests.

Adolescence is called a time of _____ due to the intense moodiness, emotional sensitivity, and risk-taking tendencies during this life phase.

storm and stress

The name for a system of grammatical rules in language is

syntax

What causes the increase in adolescent boys' muscle mass?

testosterone

Ovaries are to estrogen as testes are to

testosterone.

Another name for the testes and ovaries is:

the gonads

The facet of adolescent egocentrism called _____ refers to teenagers' belief that everyone is watching everything they do.

the imaginary audience

Piaget's concept of egocentrism means that young children are

unable to consider another's point of view.

The top-ranking children's health issue in the developing world is _____; in the developed world it's _____.

undernutrition; obesity

Pamela is a 14-year-old girl. Statistically, her first sexual experience will MOST likely occur:

within a steady relationship.