Lifespan Testbank Social cognition and moral development

1. Zola puts her toys away in the toy chest and goes to eat dinner. Her brother, unbeknownst to her, decides to take all of her toys and put them under his bed. As a child who has a theory of mind, when Zola returns after dinner, she will

a. look for her toys in the toy chest.

b. look for her toys where her brother has hidden them.

c. not remember anything about her toys.

d. try to think of where her brother likes to hide things.

a

2. While watching her friend Veronica picking out a dress, Rosa thinks to herself, "I know that Veronica really likes to look nice and impress the boys. I bet she will pick out a very sexy outfit." Rosa's thoughts indicate that she possesses

a. postconventional moral thought.

b. a morality of justice.

c. joint attention.

d. a theory of mind.

d

3. In a study using the false belief task with four-year-olds of average intelligence, four-year-olds with Down syndrome, and slightly older children with autism, Baron-Cohen found that

a. only the average intelligence children passed the task.

b. both the average intelligence children and the children with Down syndrome passed the task.

c. both the average intelligence children and the children with autism passed the task.

d. all three groups of children passed the task.

b

4. Why do autistic children have difficulty passing the false belief task?

a. They lack the general intelligence.

b. They lack the linguistic skills.

c. They lack a theory of mind.

d. They engage in too many stereotyped movements.

c

5. At or before nine months of age, most children begin to _____. This activity is one of the earliest milestones in developing a theory of mind.

a. delay gratification

b. show prosocial behavior

c. engage in joint attention

d. recognize themselves in a mirror

c

6. Jaycee, who is two years old, loves cupcakes and hates fruit pie. She has observed that her mother hates cupcakes and loves fruit pies. If Jaycee were handed a plate with a piece of pie and a different plate with a cupcake, and was asked to give one to her mother, she would most likely

a. hand mom the pie.

b. hand mom the cupcake.

c. hand mom both plates.

d. keep both plates for herself.

a

7. Someone with a belief-desire psychology understands that

a. people do not always hold accurate beliefs, but these beliefs still influence behavior.

b. beliefs accurately reflect what we desire.

c. desires shape our behavior.

d. people develop accurate beliefs based on interactions with others.

a

8. Pedro has just come to realize that while his dad, Carlos, believes that the Mets are the best professional baseball team, his uncle Alex feels just as strongly that the Yankees are the best team. The realization that two people can have different opinions indicates that Pedro possesses

a. belief-psychology.

b. preconventional morality.

c. power assertion.

d. joint attention.

a

9. Which neurological component has been implicated in the development of a theory of mind?

a. Mirror neurons

b. Glial cells

c. amygdala

d. hypothalamus

a

10. Mirror neurons are activated when a person

a. sees someone doing an action they have previously performed .

b. says what someone else is thinking.

c. engages in an activity witnessed the previous day.

d. sees and speaks a word at the same time.

a

11. Davis was born deaf to deaf parents who signed to him at an early age. How would this be most likely to affect his acquisition of a theory of mind?

a. He would show slightly slower development than that of a sensory-normal child.

b. He would show a similar development as that of a Down syndrome child.

c. He would show a similar development as that of an autistic child.

d. He would show similar development to that of a sensory-normal child.

d

12. What is the most effective way a parent can help instill theory of mind skills in his or her child?

a. Utilize coercive discipline.

b. Encourage the child to consider others' feelings.

c. Discourage empathy.

d. Avoid engaging in joint attention.

b

13. How would a typical four-year-old most likely describe his sister?

a. "She is kind of is moody."

b. "She eats corn flakes."

c. "She is a good friend."

d. "Everyone says she's smart."

b

14. Which is the most developmentally advanced description of a friend?

a. "He is a really good dancer."

b. "He has a cool car and rides around a lot."

c. "He buys me ice cream because he's generous."

d. "He is tall, hairy, and smells like smoke."

c

15. Which is the LEAST developmentally advanced description of a friend?

a. "He has a big head and blue eyes."

b. "He is pretty good at math."

c. "He is so smart that everyone likes him."

d. "He sometimes is nice and other times is mean."

a

16. What important advance in social cognition generally occurs at age 11 or 12?

a. Children begin to describe others in terms of the activities they engage in.

b. Children begin to describe others in terms of inner psychological traits and characteristics.

c. Children begin to attempt to explain why people do what they do.

d. Children begin to focus heavily on others' physical appearance in their descriptions of them.

c

17. Which provides the best example of a perspective-taking skill?

a. Understanding that the person across the table has beliefs in direct opposition to yours.

b. Believing that your position on an issue is the most accurate.

c. Realizing that an object hidden in one place may have been moved to another place.

d. Deciding that the most moral decisions are ones in which you personally benefit.

a

18. Georgia sees her friend Bill running down the street. Without warning, Bill falls flat on his face. While Georgia finds this funny, she does not laugh because she knows that Bill does not find this funny. In not laughing, Georgia is demonstrating

a. egocentrism.

b. role-taking skills.

c. morality of justice.

d. prosocial behavior.

b

19. Which of the following is true regarding the development of role-taking skills?

a. It is not until at least age 20 that people are able to include a mental perspective of some "generalized other."

b. By age four, most children understand that parents may not think the way they do.

c. Concrete-operational thinkers are capable of simultaneously considering several different points of view.

d. Considering a situation from different points of view increases the quality of social relationships.

d

20. The best description of the development of social cognitive skills during adulthood is,

a. "if you use it, you will lose it."

b. "a time of steady decline."

c. "more gains than losses."

d. "a dramatic shift from postconventional to conventional."

c

21. Which of the following is an example of the emotional component of morality?

a. Knowing that you made the right decision in a difficult situation

b. Feeling good about giving money to charity

c. Taking some food from the cafeteria without paying for it

d. Jumping up and down in joy after you win the lottery

b

22. Dawn wanted a doll but didn't have money to buy one. At the mall, when she thought no one was looking, Dawn slipped one into her bag and left without paying for it. Later, when she was playing with it, Dawn found she wasn't enjoying herself and felt bad that she had stolen the toy. Taking the doll from the store represents the _____ component of morality, while the fact that Dawn felt badly represents the _____ component of morality.

a. emotional; cognitive

b. behavioral; emotional

c. cognitive; emotional

d. behavioral; cognitive

b

23. Empathy refers to

a. vicariously experiencing another's feelings.

b. reading minds.

c. being able to resist temptation.

d. knowing that someone holds a false belief.

a

24. Who is experiencing an empathic response?

a. Lily, who is depressed because she lost her job

b. Hector, who feels bad that he did not give money to a street person

c. Priya, who cries watching a mother talk about losing her son to gang violence

d. Bao, who is excited about going on his first date

c

25. Which of the following best exemplifies prosocial behavior?

a. Doing chores to earn allowance

b. Driving no faster than the speed limit

c. Getting homework done on time

d. Stopping to help a stranger change a flat tire

d

26. Which theoretical perspective tends to focus the most attention on the development of moral reasoning?

a. Psychoanalytic

b. Social learning

c. Classical conditioning

d. Cognitive developmental

d

27. Cognitive developmental theorists tend to view moral reasoning as involving

a. the progression through an invariant sequence of ways of thinking.

b. a set of behaviors acquired through observation.

c. a battle between id, ego, and superego.

d. a genetic predisposition toward helping that is based on the evolutionary need to survive.

a

28. According to Piaget, the moral reasoning of children ages 6 to 10 emphasizes

a. religious teachings.

b. intentions.

c. parental beliefs.

d. outcomes.

b

29. According to Piaget, around age 10 or 11, children begin to view rules as

a. moral absolutes.

b. universal.

c. agreements among individuals.

d. more important than intent.

c

30. Kohlberg's theory of moral development claims that

a. regression from a higher to a lower stage of moral reasoning is quite common.

b. through an exploration of moral dilemmas, it is possible to teach someone to skip over the lower stages of moral development.

c. the sequence of stages one goes through may vary from one culture to another.

d. a person's stage of moral development is determined by the person's thoughts, rather than his or her actions.

d

31. Macy really wants the cool new jacket she has just seen in the store, but doesn't have enough money to buy it. She thinks about stealing the jacket but decides that while stealing is not wrong, she might get punished if she is caught. Macy's moral reasoning appears to be at Kohlberg's _____ level.

a. preconventional

b. conventional

c. postconventional

d. unconventional

a

32. Which statement provides the best example of the morality of instrumental hedonism?

a. Doing evil is fun.

b. Wrong is always wrong.

c. I steal for you, you steal for me.

d. The law determines right from wrong.

c

33. Which of the following would Kohlberg consider the LEAST sophisticated stage of moral thinking?

a. Authority and social order-maintaining morality

b. Morality of contract, individual rights, and democratically accepted law

c. Morality of individual principles of conscience

d. Instrumental hedonism

d

34. An individual who is at Kohlberg's conventional level of moral development is most likely to

a. do anything to avoid being punished.

b. do something nice for someone so that the individual will be rewarded in return.

c. ignore the intent of an act and focus on its impact.

d. behave in ways that earn the approval and avoid the disapproval of others.

d

35. Which statement reflects Kohlberg's conventional morality?

a. Do your own thing.

b. It's me against the world.

c. Rules are made to be broken.

d. Buckle up, it's the law.

d

36. Which statement is the best example of postconventional moral reasoning?

a. While it may be legally wrong, it is morally right.

b. Depending on what I get out of the deal, it may be right.

c. My intent is to be nice.

d. Rules are not meant to be broken.

a

37. Sanjay refuses to pay income tax because he believes that the government uses tax revenue to support war efforts, and he doesn't believe that violence is an acceptable way to solve problems. He is willing to go to jail for his belief. Sanjay is best classified as being in Kohlberg's _____ level of moral development.

a. premoral

b. preconventional

c. conventional

d. postconventional

d

38. Kohlberg's highest stage of moral reasoning involves

a. authority and social order-maintaining morality.

b. individual rights and democratically accepted law.

c. individual principles of conscience.

d. instrumental hedonism.

c

39. Regarding Kohlberg's theory of moral development, which of the following is particularly instrumental in promoting movement from one level of moral development to the next?

a. perspective-taking

b. object permanence

c. theory of mind

d. disengagement

a

40. Mr. Acosta's son Jose is a menace. He is cruel to animals and often shoplifts. In attempting to explain Jose's morals, Mr. Acosta says, "I think that his moral habits were learned by watching bad television shows." Mr. Acosta's comments are best associated with the _____ view concerning moral behavior.

a. psychodynamic

b. evolutionary

c. social learning theory

d. cognitive developmental

c

41. Winston sees his brother steal a pack of gum from the drug store and get away with it. The next time Winston goes to the drug store, he steals a pack of gum. According to the _____ perspective on moral development, Winston's behavior is the result of _____.

a. psychoanalytic; observational learning

b. cognitive developmental; an underdeveloped superego

c. social learning; observational learning

d. psychoanalytic; a weak ego

c

42. Moral disengagement

a. tends to only be found in individuals with conduct disorders.

b. allows a person to justify his or her own immoral behavior.

c. is a basic component of the theory of mind.

d. is found exclusively in premoral thinkers.

b

43. Ira has just stolen a purse from a woman on the subway. He then says to himself, "If that woman really wanted her purse, she would have held it closer to her body." This statement provides a good example of

a. morality of justice.

b. moral disengagement.

c. autonomous morality.

d. power assertion.

b

44. Evolutionary theorists have argued that it is in our genetic self-interest to be altruistic because

a. it perfectly matches the premise of survival of the fittest.

b. helping our kin may allow our genes to be passed along.

c. the more we help, the better spouse we will attain.

d. chromosome 13 has been found to have a specific "helping gene."

b

45. Children as young as _____ have been shown to display visible signs of distress when they violate some standard of behavior.

a. newborns

b. two years old

c. four years old

d. six years old

b

46. Which piece of advice would be LEAST effective for a parent trying to foster moral development in a toddler?

a. Discuss the toddler's behavior openly with them.

b. Express your feelings.

c. Minimize the results of a child's actions.

d. Establish a positive and cooperative relationship with the child.

c

47. How do newborns demonstrate a sense of empathy?

a. They become distressed when other infants cry.

b. They look at objects that their parents are looking at.

c. They prefer to be held by other children versus an adult.

d. They pass the false belief task.

a

48. When two-year-old Simoné sees her friend start to cry when his ice cream cone falls to the ground, she walks over and hands him her cone. In performing this act, Simoné is demonstrating

a. amoral behavior.

b. postconventional morality.

c. spirituality.

d. empathy.

d

49. Turiel made a distinction between "moral" rules and "social-conventional" rules. Which statement best exemplifies the concept of a moral rule?

a. Don't run in the halls.

b. Don't take things that don't belong to you.

c. Don't chew gum in school.

d. Don't sneak snacks into the movie theater.

b

50. Sitting in your assigned seat in school is best classified as a

a. moral rule.

b. prosocial behavior.

c. social-conventional rule.

d. mutually responsive orientation.

c

51. Carlos believes that rules such as "don't hit" are more important than "don't eat food in the living room." If Carlos is a normally developing child, what is the earliest age at which he would have come to such a conclusion?

a. 2 years

b. 6 years

c. 10 years

d. 14 years

a

52. Every time his daughter Morgan swears (something he does not like), Lou walks away from her (pays her no attention). This strategy provides a good example of the _____ parental approach.

a. power assertion

b. induction

c. love withdrawal

d. empathy

c

53. Ned tells his son Jacob, "For hitting your brother, you need to be disciplined, so get ready for a spanking." Ned's parenting approach to moral development best matches with the parenting style referred to as

a. power assertion.

b. induction.

c. love withdrawal.

d. empathy.

a

54. Which action is the best example of a power assertion form of discipline?

a. Telling a child that you hate him

b. Taking away a child's television privileges

c. Telling a child that a child who gets hit feels bad

d. Taking away parental love from a child

b

55. Harvey practically killed his pet hamster when he popped him in the tub for a bubble bath. His parents take an inductive approach in responding to this situation by

a. giving the hamster away so Harvey can't do any more damage.

b. spanking Harvey for doing the wrong thing.

c. explaining to Harvey that hamsters don't like baths and can get sick or die from getting too wet.

d. telling Harvey he's a very mean little boy and they are very disappointed in him.

c

56. The fact that a fearful child may become more anxious when disciplined than a fearless child best demonstrates how the factor of _____ can impact moral development.

a. vicarious consequences

b. temperament

c. observational learning

d. unconscious desires

b

57. Throughout adolescence, there is a decrease in _____ moral reasoning and an increase in _____ moral reasoning.

a. conventional; postconventional

b. preconventional; conventional

c. conventional; preconventional

d. rule-based; social-conventional

b

58. Research on antisocial behavior has shown that

a. most antisocial teens grow up to be antisocial adults.

b. juvenile delinquents are more likely to be conventional thinkers.

c. aggressive children tend not to display antisocial behavior until early adulthood.

d. aggressive youth tend to show less empathy.

d

59. Highly aggressive youth tend to

a. belong to groups in which bullying is seen as a punishable offense.

b. consider a variety of reactions before acting aggressively.

c. be highly accepted by most of their age peers.

d. believe that their aggressive acts will produce positive consequences.

d

60. Which decision is a highly aggressive youth most likely to make when a classmate runs into her in the hallway?

a. Concluding that violent actions lead to bad consequences

b. Deciding to set a goal of becomes friends with the classmate

c. Assuming that the classmate's intent was to hurt her

d. Assuming that the incident was an accident

c

61. When considering social cognitive causes of aggression, concern over a person's levels of impulsivity best reflect the extent to which the problem is due to _____ one thinks.

a. how

b. what

c. whether

d. where

c

62. Which statement concerning the role of genetics in determining aggression is true?

a. Behavioral geneticists suggest that 90 percent of aggression can be accounted for by genetics.

b. The fact that males can only have a limited number of children contributes significantly to their evolutionary-based levels of aggression.

c. Children who inherit a predisposition toward aggression may evoke aggressive reactions from their parents.

d. Having parents and children who are both genetically predisposed toward aggression tends to result in a paradox effect, which results in little aggression by either child or parent.

c

63. Regarding moral development in adulthood, which is true?

a. Moral development in older males progresses at a faster rate than in older females.

b. Moral reasoning deteriorates significantly in old age.

c. The majority of older adults are preconventional thinkers.

d. Postconventional thinking emerges only during adulthood.

d

64. Persons in collectivist cultures may look like they are at Kohlberg's _____ of moral reasoning despite having sophisticated ideas about justice.

a. stage 2

b. stage 3

c. stage 4

d. stage 5

b

65. Cross-cultural findings support the ______ perspective on moral development.

a. cognitive-developmental

b. psychodynamic

c. social learning

d. interactionist

c

66. According to Greene, there is a(n) _____ process that allows us to automatically focus on the harm that would be caused were we to violate a moral principle.

a. intuitive

b. deliberative

c. cognitive

d. controlled

a

67. Kohlberg's model of moral development has been characterized as placing too great an emphasis on

a. genes.

b. moral reasoning.

c. peers.

d. unconscious motivation.

b

68. According to Haidt's evolutionary theory, humans have evolved as a species in which

a. quick moral intuitions are common and critical.

b. females are better at suppressing amoral tendencies than males.

c. moral decision-making is based solely on situational context.

d. most moral decision-making involves long, deliberative reasoning.

a

69. Concerning the developmental pattern of religiosity and spirituality,

a. religiosity is strongest in middle age.

b. levels of spirituality are lower than religiosity throughout adulthood.

c. spirituality declines significantly in old age (particularly among women).

d. adolescents tend to be neither spiritual nor show religiosity.

b

70. Which of the following best reflects the concept of social cognition?

a. acting appropriately with others

b. thinking about how people function

c. sharing emotions with groups

d. avoiding unlawful behaviors

b

71. Which of the following situations reflects a theory of mind?

a. April touches the hot stove and pulls her hand away.

b. Donna drinks water to quench her thirst in the hot sun.

c. Jorge wants a cookie so he gets one from the cabinet.

d. Tuan cries because he has a fever and a headache.

c

72. Miyako watches her son Daichi run out of the house on a chilly spring day in a light t-shirt. "He'll be back for a jacket in a few minutes," she thinks to herself. Sure enough, Daichi suddenly bursts in, grabs his jacket, and runs out again. What led Miyako to accurately predict her son's behavior?

a. empathy

b. desire psychology

c. social convention

d. theory of mind

d

73. Matthew works regularly with an autism counselor at his school. Today the focus is practicing emotional response, because Matthew generally has no reaction if a classmate displays sadness or anger or joy. Matthew's behavior is a symptom of his ________.

a. love withdrawal

b. moral disengagement

c. mind blindness

d. conduct disorder

c

74. What is the underlying concept of the false belief task?

a. discerning between right and wrong

b. setting aside moral considerations

c. understanding what others think

d. pretending to feel sympathy for people

c

75. Why is pretend play important for the development of social cognition?

a. It demands joint attention.

b. It takes place in the mind.

c. It requires cooperation.

d. It follows common rules.

b

76. After picking him up from the principal's office, Joel talked with his son Taye about the incident at school. "I bet you were upset that Donte's painting was picked to be in the lobby, but it's not appropriate to hit him. How do you think he feels, with his best friend giving him a black eye?" What is Joel demonstrating with Taye?

a. power assertion

b. prosocial behavior

c. mind-mindedness

d. positive youth development

c

77. When Lamont saw Debbie looking at her neighbor's paper during the spelling test, he immediately raised his hand and told the teacher that Debbie was cheating. Which component of morality is Lamont demonstrating?

a. cognitive

b. reciprocal

c. behavioral

d. emotional

c

78. After sitting on the bench for 15 minutes with the wallet she found, Bonnie decided that a person walking around with $1500 in their pocket clearly didn't have money problems, so she decided to keep the cash and pay off her bills. Which component of morality is Bonnie demonstrating as she sits on the bench?

a. cognitive

b. withdrawal

c. behavioral

d. emotional

a

79. At the vaccination clinic, as soon as the first baby received the injection and started crying, all the other babies in the nurse practitioner's office burst into tears. These infants are demonstrating ________.

a. reciprocity

b. prosocial behavior

c. induction

d. empathy

d

80. Which of the following demonstrates that infants have a conceptual understanding of morality?

a. offering to help someone perform a task

b. giving a hug to someone who is upset

c. expressing surprise at an unfair situation

d. playing together nicely with others

c

81. The fact that babies exhibit physical aggression is evidence that such behavior is ________.

a. learned

b. natural

c. reflexive

d. coercive

b

82. Which of the following children is likely to exhibit the most aggressive behavior?

a. Rico, who is 1 year old

b. Elaine, who is 2 years old

c. Hakim, who is 3 years old

d. Reba, who is 4 years old

c

83. Helena wants to make sure her baby grows into a respectful person who cares for others and is guided by strong moral principles. To achieve this goal, Helena and her husband should practice a ________ orientation in their home.

a. dynamically empathic

b. morally reciprocal

c. prosocially engaged

d. mutually responsive

d

84. Contrary to what Piaget would think, Ben not only knew that Tracey broke the dollhouse, he knew why she did it. How old is Ben?

a. 18 months old

b. 24 months old

c. 3 years old

d. 4 years old

d

85. Once young children develop a theory of mind, their sense of morality and justice becomes more ________.

a. stark

b. assertive

c. punitive

d. relative

d

86. Ms. Chao assigned Leon to be room monitor while she went to the office to take a phone call. Within a minute, the first grade class devolved into chaos. When Ms. Chao returned, what did Leon say warranted the most serious punishment?

a. Tam and Ella passing secret notes

b. Susie sneaking up to take a drink

c. Miguel biting Brad on his elbow

d. Asha scribbling on Paul's desk

c

87. A child who insists on giving every student in the class four cookies - even the ones who misbehaved for the substitute teacher - is practicing which of the following?

a. equity rule

b. reciprocity rule

c. equality rule

d. parity rule

c

88. D'Andre goes around his room and gives each of his classmates a cookie, but he gives two cookies to April and Mykal, who were the best behaved boy and girl this week. What rule is D'Andre following?

a. dual-process rule

b. equity rule

c. parity rule

d. mutuality rule

b

89. Which of the following lists the concepts in the proper causal order?

a. moral reasoning moral action moral identity

b. moral reasoning moral identity moral action

c. moral identity moral reasoning moral action

d. moral action moral identity moral reasoning

c

90. Which of the following will be the most effective indicator that a person will behave ethically at work?

a. having weak power assertion

b. having a strong moral identity

c. being at Kohlberg's Stage 3

d. being at Kohlberg's Stage 4

b

91. Considering the bias that problem teenagers have in processing environmental cues, their aggressive behavior is actually ________.

a. prosocial

b. reciprocal

c. defensive

d. empathic

c

92. A proponent of Patterson's theory who is studying aggressive behavior would be LEAST likely to explore which of the following aspects of research subjects?

a. stressors

b. culture

c. heredity

d. parenting

c

93. Which of the following best reflects the concept of gene-environment correlation in aggressive youth?

a. The roles of genes and environment have a negative correlation in relation to youth aggression.

b. Genetic predisposition to violence promotes aggressive behavior regardless of environment.

c. Aggressive children incite power-based parenting, encouraging further aggression in children.

d. Parents with low genetic tendency for aggression can counteract such behavior in their children.

c

94. Who is most likely to demonstrate aggressive behavior in high school?

a. a Hispanic American teenager

b. a Japanese teenager

c. a European American teenager

d. a Scandinavian teenager

c

95. As director of a positive youth development program working with teens who have been expelled from school for violent behavior, what would be the main focus of your staff's activities?

a. teaching teens the legal consequences of further violent behavior

b. exploring personal assets of each teen and ways to strengthen them

c. coaching the teens' parents in more mutually responsive strategies

d. providing academic tutoring to ensure teens get a GED certificate

b

96. Sasha is a group leader at a positive youth development program working with problem teens. Her primary focus is the impact of the environment on teens' behavior. Which of the program's "Five Cs" does Sasha focus on?

a. Citizenship

b. Competence

c. Character

d. Connection

d

97. A group of ten middle-aged adults are discussing a complex moral issue that is impacting the nation. How many of these people will likely base their opinion on postconventional reasoning?

a. 1

b. 3

c. 5

d. 7

a

98. Which of the following people best reflects a spiritual perspective?

a. Ahmad, who faces Mecca and prays five times a day

b. Rosa, who goes to Catholic mass every morning

c. Samuel, who works with young people at his local temple

d. Martha, who attends monthly yoga and meditation retreats

d

99. Kathleen is 75 years old and has been a Catholic all her life. Which of the following practices does she likely engage in most frequently?

a. attending mass

b. going to confession

c. praying the rosary

d. taking communion

c

100. Walter has never seen any value to being religious or spiritual, and he doesn't see the need to start now that he's in a senior housing facility. According to Erikson, Walter is at risk for which of the following?

a. stagnation

b. despair

c. isolation

d. inferiority

b