questions for PSY quizes

UNIT 1

What social change in the early twentieth century fueled the demand for knowledge about what and how to teach children of different ages?

the beginning of public education

The questions addressed in developmental science are chosen primarily to ______ and to ______.

satisfy scientific interest; address practical problems

Theories that regard development as taking place in a series of steps accept the ______ view of development.

discontinuous

The nature-nurture controversy is a debate about ______.

whether hereditary or environmental factors are more important

As a generation, baby boomers ______.

are healthier, better educated, and financially better off than any previous mid- or late-life cohort

According to the lifespan perspective, ______.

development is a joint expression of growth and decline at all ages

The first successful intelligence test was constructed for the purpose of ______.

identifying children with learning problems

Darwin’s emphasis on ______ found its way into important developmental theories.

the adaptive value of physical characteristics and behavior

Central to Piaget’s cognitive-developmental theory is the biological concept of ______.

adaptation

Behaviorism and social learning theory have been criticized for ______.

underestimating people’s contributions to their own development

According to Vygotsky’s sociocultural theory, children acquire the ways of thinking and behaving that make up a community’s culture through ______.

cooperative dialogues with more knowledgeable members of society

In Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems theory, a parent’s workplace ______.

influences family functioning through policies such as flexible schedules and paid parental leave

Information-processing theorists are mainly interested in the ______.

precise steps individuals use to solve problems

Which of the following views development as both continuous and discontinuous?

evolutionary developmental psychology and Vygotsky’s sociocultural theory

Behaviorism, social learning theory, Vygotsky’s sociocultural theory, and ecological systems theory all emphasize ______.

many possible courses of development

A researcher who wants to uncover the cultural meanings of children’s and adults’ behaviors would most likely use ______.

the ethnographic method

A major limitation of the clinical interview is that ______.

participants may not accurately report their thoughts, feelings, and experiences

A longitudinal study revealed that children who witnessed the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, were far more likely than other children to display persistent emotional problems. This example illustrates that ______ can occur when specific experiences influence only some groups of individuals.

cohort effects

Ultimate responsibility for the ethical integrity of research lies with the ______.

investigator

What strategy should researchers use to ensure that they protect older adult participants who are cognitively impaired or who reside in settings for the chronically ill?

Ask potential participants or the institutional review board to appoint a surrogate decision-maker.

Distinguish age-graded, history-graded, and nonnormative influences on lifespan development. Cite an example of each in Sofie’s story.

Age-graded influences are related to age and are predictable when they occur and how long they last. This type of milestone is influenced by biology and some social customs. This starts around age 6 when school begins, another when getting driver's license at 16, graduating from school and beginning college at 18. History-graded influences are when development is affected by forces unique to a particular historical era. For example: wars, pandemics, economic depressions, technical introductions, cultural values, etc. This explains why individuals who are born around the same time are called 'cohorts' because they are similar in ways and different from others who grew up in a different time with different experiences. Nonnormative influences are irregular events. They randomly happen to just ONE person or a few and do not follow predictable life occurrences. The text states, Nonnormative influences that had a major impact on the direction of Sofie's life included piano lessons in childhood with an inspiring teacher; delayed marriage, parenthood, and career entry; and a battle with cancer."

Sample response: Age-graded influences are events that are strongly related to age and therefore fairly predictable in when they occur and how long they last. As a baby, Sofie experienced age-graded influences when she engaged in exploratory play, crawled, and pulled herself up, as would be expected. She entered elementary school at the typical age.

History-graded influences are forces unique to a particular era. For Sofie, the rise of the Nazis and World War II had a significant impact on the events of her life. Her family had to flee Germany, eventually moving to the United States. She also lost many of her loved ones in the Holocaust. In the United States, Sofie was able to launch a teaching career in midlife, which might not have been possible in another time or place.

Sofie’s story also includes several nonnormative influences—irregular events that do not follow a predictable timetable. By adolescence, she had become an accomplished pianist. And although most German girls of her time married by age 20, Sofie decided to postpone marriage and childbearing in favor of attending university. At age 50, after returning to school for her teaching credential, she launched a career—not a typical path for a woman of her generation. Finally, Sofie’s struggle with cancer and her premature death represent events that were unique to her experience.

What strengths and limitations do the clinical, or case study, method and ethnography have in common?

Sample response: Both the clinical method and ethnography are descriptive, qualitative techniques. Whereas the aim of the clinical method is to obtain as complete a picture as possible of a single individual’s psychological functioning, ethnography is directed toward understanding a culture or a distinct social group. A major strength of both methods is that they yield richly detailed descriptions that offer insights into many aspects of experience and the many factors influencing development. A limitation of both methods is that investigators’ cultural values or theoretical commitments may lead them to observe selectively or misinterpret what they see. Another limitation of both methods is that findings cannot be assumed to generalize to other individuals or cultures.


A researcher compares older adults with chronic heart disease to those with no major health problems and finds that the first group scores lower on mental tests. Can the researcher conclude that heart disease causes a decline in intellectual functioning in late adulthood? Explain.

The researcher should take more into account, but yes, this could conclude that heart disease causes a decline in intellectual functioning. The relation between heart disease and scoring lower on mental tests to no health problems can show an effect of a decline in intellectual functioning. The researcher should conclude their past experiences and adulthood to see if that has an effect as well with a decline in intellectual functioning in late adulthood.

Sample response: Because this study uses a correlational design, the researcher cannot conclude that heart disease causes declines in intellectual functioning. The study does not reveal whether heart disease is the cause of the lower mental test scores or if, instead, a third variable—for example, poor diet and lack of exercise—is causing both heart disease and declines in intellectual functioning in late adulthood.

UNIT 3

During the germinal period, the fertilized ovum duplicates and forms a blastocyst. This hollow ball of cells ______.

contains the embryonic disk

Which of the following occurs by the end of the second trimester of pregnancy?

Most of the brain’s billions of neurons are in place.

During the third trimester, fetuses ______.

can distinguish their mother’s from their father’s or a stranger’s voice

During the ______, the groundwork is laid for all body structures and internal organs.

period of the embryo

Severe emotional stress during pregnancy can place the fetus at risk because ______.

it can permanently impair the neurological capacity to manage stress

Persistent intake of antidepressant medication during pregnancy is associated with ______.

respiratory distress at birth and low birth weight

Babies born to users of cocaine or heroin ______.

are at risk for a variety of problems, including low birth weight, physical defects, and death around the time of birth

Prenatal malnutrition can cause serious damage to the ______.

central nervous system

During dilation and effacement of the cervix, uterine contractions cause the cervix to widen and thin, ______.

forming a clear channel from the uterus into the birth canal

Which statement about childbirth practices is true?

Before the late 1800s, childbirth in Western nations usually took place at home and was a family-centered event.

Home birth has always been popular in certain nations such as…

England, Netherlands, Sweden

Which statement about fetal monitoring is true?

It is linked to an increase in the number of cesarean deliveries.

In the United States, the federal government mandates ______ weeks of ______ leave for employees in companies with at least 50 workers.

12; unpaid

In one experiment, preterm newborns, born between the 25th and 32nd prenatal weeks, were exposed to recordings of their mother’s voice and heartbeat for several hours each day. When assessed at 1 month, these babies, compared to those who heard regular hospital noise, ______.

had thicker auditory areas in the cerebral cortex

In developing countries, ______ is/are the most readily available intervention for promoting the recovery of preterm babies.

“kangaroo care”

Research on newborn sensory capacities reveals that ________ causes infant mammals to release endorphins.

physical touch

Which statement about the rooting reflex is true?

It helps a breastfed baby find the mother’s nipple.

Researchers believe that the stimulation of rapid-eye-movement (REM) sleep is vital for ______.

growth of the central nervous system

Which of the following strategies can reduce the incidence of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS)?

Refrain from smoking during pregnancy.

Foster and adoptive mothers ______ when they hold and interact with their nonbiological infants.

typically release oxytocin

UNIT 4

Which statement about early body growth is true?

Between birth and 2 years, a baby’s weight usually quadruples.

Which of the following statements about skeletal age is true?

Girls are considerably ahead of boys.

In early growth, the head, chest, and trunk grow first, then the arms and legs, and finally the hands and feet. This is known as ______ of physical growth.

the proximodistal trend

The ______ contains the greatest number of neurons and synapses.

cerebral cortex

In most newborns, the ______
right hemisphere reacts more strongly to stimuli that evoke negative emotion

In a process called synaptic pruning, seldom-stimulated neurons ______.

lose their synapses, so they can support future development

Neurobiological findings indicate that early, prolonged institutionalization ______.

leads to a generalized decrease in activity of the cerebral cortex, especially the prefrontal cortex

Which of the following statements about breastfeeding is true?

Breastfeeding transfers antibodies and other infection-fighting agents from mother to baby.

One possible reason for rising rates of overweight in young children is ______.

the rise in overweight among adults, who promote unhealthy eating habits in their young children

If a child suffers from extreme malnutrition but then experiences dietary improvement, which of the following could be expected?

excessive weight gain

As a result of classical conditioning, babies ______.

experience their environment as orderly and predictable

Following habituation, recovery to a new stimulus assesses an infant’s ______.

recent memory

Which statement about imitation is true?

Infants use imitation to explore their social world and learn from other people.

UNIT 5

According to Piaget’s cognitive-developmental theory, children’s ______ change with age.

schemes

Around 1 month, as babies enter Piaget’s Substage 2, they start to gain voluntary control over their behavior through ______.

repetition of chance behaviors largely motivated by basic needs

Research shows that 6-month-olds can distinguish among large sets of items ______.

as long as the difference between those sets is very great

Critics of violation-of-expectation findings, suggesting that infants are capable of object permanence in the first few months of life, claim that results ______.

indicate only limited, implicit awareness