Chapter 14 Childhood Development

Only one of the following statements is accurate regarding similarities or differences in moral standards across cultures. Which one? 1. Virtually all cultures tend to value both individual rights and compassion for others. 2. Intentionally telling lies is considered to be morally wrong in all cultures. 3. Because cultures can be so very different from one another, similarities in moral standards are few and far between. 4. Because youngsters' notions of right and wrong are based on universal (and possibly inherited) moral principles, there are cultural differences only in social conventions, not in moral standards.

1.

Three of the following are accurate statements about the shortcomings of Kohlberg's theory of moral reasoning. Which one is inaccurate? 1. Children often show conventional thinking for several years and then revert back to preconventional thinking when they reach adolescence. 2. The same child may reason at different levels depending on the situation. 3. Kohlberg overlooked the importance of caring and compassion in moral reasoning and behavior. 4. Most elementary school children distinguish between two kinds of "wrong" behaviors-those that are morally wrong and those that violate cultural standards.

1.

Which one of the following is most typical of the moral development of high school students? 1. Empathy for the victims of a widespread famine or epidemic 2. Shame, but not guilt, about harm that one has unintentionally caused another 3. Reluctance to share possessions with others 4. Tendency to disregard rules if no authority figure is present

1.

Which one of the following statements reflects Kohlberg's preconventional moral reasoning? 1. "It's okay to cheat on this exam because the teacher isn't watching me." 2. "The most popular boy in school cheats all the time, so I guess I can too." 3. "It isn't fair to the students who studied hard if I cheat." 4. "Cheating is against school rules, so I shouldn't do it."

1.

Children are likely to integrate moral values into their overall sense of self when they: 1. Participate in a just community, in which they discuss recent moral violations and to establish new rules 2. Become actively involved in service to others even before they reach adolescence 3. Discuss religions within the context of curricula about history, culture, or other academic topics 4. Understand that violations of moral standards are more serious than other transgressions

2.

Which one of the following forms of aggression are you most apt to see in girls' behavior? 1. Poking a nearby classmate 2. Spreading a malicious rumor 3. Throwing a pencil at someone across the room 4. Pulling someone's hair

2.

Three of the following prosocial behaviors are typical for the age group. Which one is not typical? 1. Fourteen-year-old Rose volunteers to help serve Thanksgiving dinner at a homeless shelter because she thinks that doing so will make her more popular at school. 2. Two-year-old Mohammed tries to comfort a crying infant by offering her the blanket he usually sleeps with at naptime. 3. Four-year-old Molly donates her favorite teddy bear to a toy collection for earthquake victims in Asia. 4. Ten-year-old Jack helps his mother organize materials for a school fundraiser.

3.

Three of the following statements are accurate about children's and/or adolescents' moral behavior. Which statement is not accurate? 1. Youngsters are more likely to behave morally if they know they will gain others' approval by doing so. 2. Youngsters are more likely to behave morally if doing so does not cause them much inconvenience. 3. Children become less generous with age, apparently because they gain greater appreciation for the value of money. 4. Some adolescents incorporate a commitment to helping others into their overall sense of self.

3.

When school lunch is delayed for an hour due to an unexpected power outage in the cafeteria, 14-year-old Henrietta is asked to share her box of home-baked cookies with her classmates. Given what developmental researchers have learned about how distributive justice and children's sense of fairness change with age, we would expect Henrietta to: 1. Hide about a third of the cookies for herself and hand out the rest 2. Refuse to share any of the cookies, arguing that she baked them herself and so has every right to keep them for herself 3. Share the cookies equally, but give any extra cookies to classmates whose families don't have much money 4. Share the cookies equally among her classmates

3.

Which one of the following behaviors is a kindergartner most likely to say is (morally) "bad" or "wrong"? 1. Arriving at school after class has started 2. Giving someone food that doesn't taste very good 3. Pushing someone off the top of a slide 4. Stating an obvious untruth (e.g., "Grass is red")

3.

Which one of the following statements is most accurate regarding the origins of prosocial and aggressive behavior? 1. Prosocial and aggressive behaviors are primarily determined by environmental influences. 2. Prosocial and aggressive behaviors are primarily determined by genetic heritage. 3. Prosocial and aggressive behaviors are influenced by both genetic heritage and environmental influences. 4. Prosocial behaviors spring from environmental influences while aggressive behaviors are largely genetic in origin.

3.

Only of the following statements about guilt and shame is accurate. Which one is true? 1. Adults should avoid making children feel guilty and ashamed, as such emotions adversely affect their self-esteem. 2. In certain circumstances guilt can enhance social-emotional development, but shame is almost always detrimental to children's long-term emotional well-being 3. Children begin to experience guilt and shame sometime around their first birthday. 4. Both emotions play an important role in motivating moral and prosocial behavior.

4.

When we see signs that a child feels ashamed or guilty about something that he or she has done, we can reasonably conclude that the child: 1. Will become socially withdrawn unless an adult intervenes 2. Will show a temporary increase in aggressive behavior 3. Has a poor sense of self-worth 4. Has developed a sense of right and wrong

4.