Deck 5: Developmental Psychology

Question 1

_______ psychologists study how the mind and behavior progress as people age.

A) Developmental
B) Differential
C) Adaptive
D) Evolutionary

Answer 1

A

Question 2

The difference between a zygote and an embryo is that the embryo is

A) more complex.
B) unfertilized.
C) more fragile.
D) less developed.

Answer 2

A

Question 3

The _______, formed when the cells in the outer layer of the embryo divide, provides oxygen and nutrients to the embryo.

A) inner cell mass
B) fetus
C) placenta
D) neural tube

Answer 3

C

Question 4

In a developing placenta, the inner cell mass is the part of the embryo that

A) is shed throughout gestation.
B) develops into the body.
C) remains unfertilized.
D) develops into the zygote.

Question 5

Both the spinal cord and the brain develop from the fetal structure called the

A) placenta.
B) inner cell mass.
C) neural tube.
D) teratogen.

Question 6

Which of the following lists the first four stages of neural development in the correct order?

A) Cell migration $\rightarrow$ neurogenesis $\rightarrow$ differentiation $\rightarrow$ synaptic pruning
B) Synaptogenesis $\rightarrow$ neurogenesis $\rightarrow$ differentiation $\rightarrow$ cell migration
C) Neurogenesis $\rightarrow$ cell migration $\rightarrow$ differentiation $\rightarrow$ synaptogenesis
D) Synaptogenesis $\rightarrow$ differentiation $\rightarrow$ neurogenesis $\rightarrow$ cell migration

Question 7

The first stage of neural development is _______, the continuous division of cells at a rate of up to 250,000 a minute.

A) synaptogenesis
B) cell migration
C) differentiation
D) neurogenesis

Question 8

During cell migration, neurons

A) differentiate to perform different functions.
B) clump together to form various brain structures.
C) begin to connect with other neurons for communication.
D) are pruned to reduce their numbers.

Question 9

During _______, neurons grow into the body shape and dendrites appropriate for their specific functions.

A) neurogenesis
B) synaptogenesis
C) cell migration
D) differentiation

Question 10

During which stage of neural development do the neurons begin to branch out to form connections with one another?

A) Neurogenesis
B) Synaptogenesis
C) Cell migration
D) Synapse rearrangement

Question 11

Which of the following is true regarding normal neuronal cell death?

A) Neurons normally continue to die until adolescence.
B) We form just over half of our neurons before we are born.
C) Nearly half of the neurons that develop prenatally die before we are born.
D) Loss of neurons indicates that something in the aging process has gone wrong.

Question 12

The final stage of brain development that facilitates neuronal communication is called

A) synapse rearrangement.
B) synaptogenesis.
C) cell migration.
D) differentiation.

Question 13

Synapses are

A) tiny particles that carry neurotransmitters.
B) part of the network of barriers between the blood and the brain.
C) tiny gaps between cells that are important for neural communication.
D) cells that support neural functions and waste maintenance.

Question 14

In order to fit a growing number of synapses into the skull, a human brain

A) decreases in overall size and function.
B) becomes increasingly wrinkled.
C) sheds neurons and supports more glial cells.
D) loses a third of its original weight.

Question 15

Any substance that disrupts the flow of nutrients to the brain, or in any way harms the fetus, is called

A) a synapse.
B) differentiation.
C) a teratogen.
D) migration.

Question 16

Which of the following conditions affects the appearance of the child's face and causes significant damage to the developing brain?

A) Autism spectrum disorder
B) Asperger's syndrome
C) Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder
D) Fetal alcohol syndrome

Question 17

Which statement best captures the concept of a sensitive period?

A) Children under age five are overly sensitive to criticism by their parents and should not be scolded.
B) A parent should be patient with a child who is learning to read.
C) Events that take place early in life have little effect on development.
D) Some abilities, such as 3-D vision, will not develop if a child does not have proper sensory input early in life.

Question 18

Of the following people, whose brain would be most plastic?

A) A 51-year-old schoolteacher
B) A 21-year-old college student
C) A 15-year-old athlete
D) A 5-year-old child

Question 19

When a touch to the cheek elicits a turn of an infant's head, the infant is displaying a simple reflex called

A) grasping.
B) rooting.
C) sucking.
D) conserving.

Question 20

Which reflex helps the infant feed on breast milk?

A) Grasping
B) Simple
C) Sucking
D) Conserving

Question 21

Infants progressively show more complex motor behaviors, which is primarily the result of

A) strengthening of muscles.
B) fine-tuning of sensory systems.
C) maturation of the brain.
D) modeling by adults.

Question 22

Which option shows four motor milestones in the order in which they normally occur?

A) Rolling over $\rightarrow$ lifting the head $\rightarrow$ sitting upright $\rightarrow$ standing without support
B) Lifting the head $\rightarrow$ rolling over $\rightarrow$ sitting upright $\rightarrow$ standing without support
C) Standing without support $\rightarrow$ rolling over $\rightarrow$ sitting upright $\rightarrow$ walking
D) Lifting the head $\rightarrow$ sitting upright $\rightarrow$ lying on one side $\rightarrow$ fixating on objects

Question 23

Which situation might increase the risk of a child succumbing to sudden infant death syndrome?

A) A six-month-old begins to roll from his back to his belly.
B) An infant is put to bed on her back instead of on her belly.
C) Family pets sleep in the same room as a new baby.
D) Caregivers of an infant in full-time daycare are cigarette smokers.

Question 24

An infant's vision improves from about 20/120 to about 20/30 by approximately eight months of age because the

A) eyes grow in size and can detect more visual stimuli.
B) neurons connecting the retinas and the brain mature.
C) initial connections between the retinas and the brain are pruned.
D) eyes are able to open wider as the infant's face develops.

Question 25

The visual cliff is a method used by researchers to measure an infant's ability to

A) see a shallow gulf between themselves and an experimenter.
B) see a steep drop under the clear surface on which they are crawling.
C) recognize an image of a mountain that is shown on a computer screen.
D) find an experimenter who is hidden behind a screen.

Question 26

Researchers can tell if an infant prefers a visual stimulus, such as a face, to another stimulus by

A) observing the infant's crawling behavior.
B) counting how many seconds it takes for the infant to smile at each one.
C) tracking how long an infant looks at each stimulus.
D) asking the infant's mother to read the child's facial expression.

Question 27

Your baby cousin gazes at a new ball for several seconds, then turns her attention to other objects in the room. She is demonstrating

A) the visual cliff.
B) the rooting reflex.
C) habituation.
D) sensitization.

Question 28

Which of the following is most consistent with psychologists' understanding of infantile amnesia?

A) All of the memories from early life are repressed in an effort to avoid a lifetime of trauma.
B) For adults, many of the problems associated with retrieving information from childhood are a matter of interference.
C) Children develop working hippocampi later in life, so they are unable to store visual memories before age three.
D) Older children and adults more effectively establish concrete and lasting memories because verbal skills facilitate encoding.

Question 29

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is characterized by problems directing attention, which are also accompanied by

A) weak effects of methylphenidate in the brain.
B) increased physical activity and fidgeting.
C) severely limited verbal communication.
D) avoidance of eye contact with others.

Question 30

The cognitive theory that states that children adapt to the world by actively building and organizing their experiences is called

A) theory of mind.
B) assimilation.
C) constructivism.
D) accommodation.

Question 31

According to Piaget's theory, the two processes that drive children's mental development are called

A) assimilation and accommodation.
B) conservation and assimilation.
C) association and constructivism.
D) accommodation and association.

Question 32

Which of the following shows Piaget's stages of development in the correct order?

A) Sensorimotor $\rightarrow$ preoperational $\rightarrow$ concrete operational $\rightarrow$ formal operational
B) Preoperational $\rightarrow$ concrete operational $\rightarrow$ sensorimotor $\rightarrow$ formal operational
C) Concrete operational $\rightarrow$ formal operational $\rightarrow$ preoperational $\rightarrow$ sensorimotor
D) Formal operational $\rightarrow$ concrete operational $\rightarrow$ preoperational $\rightarrow$ sensorimotor

Question 33

Juan is thirteen months old and is no longer surprised when his mother hides his toy train, only to reveal it again in a different position in front of him. What cognitive milestone is Juan displaying?

A) Concrete operations
B) Object permanence
C) Conservation
D) Object recognition

Question 34

Preoperational children are often called "egocentric" because they

A) are not capable of experiencing empathy toward others.
B) do not understand what others know and do not know.
C) prefer to play alone rather than with adults or other children.
D) cannot yet understand the notion of sharing.

Question 35

Children's theory of mind can be assessed with the

A) strange situation task.
B) Sally and Anne test.
C) preferential looking task.
D) conservation test.

Question 36

Evan has developed articulate verbal skills, often rattling off the details of the workings of his various toys. However, Evan finds it very difficult to understand what other people think and feel. As a result, he has trouble forming relationships with other children at school. Evan likely has

A) severe autism.
B) schizophrenia.
C) Asperger's syndrome.
D) ADHD.

Question 37

Which scenario describes a child who has mastered the concept of conservation of mass?

A) Trent knows that objects still exist, even when he cannot see them.
B) Keisha understands that she can get more milk if she finishes the milk she has.
C) Jeremy remembers that he ate all of the crackers that his father put in his lunch box.
D) Jane knows that she has the same amount of clay in her round ball as Rico has in his flat disk.

Question 38

All of the following are major milestones of the preoperational stage of cognitive development, except

A) language development.
B) conservation of physical quantities.
C) formal logic.
D) theory of mind.

Question 39

Jessica has mastered addition and subtraction with two- and three-digit numbers. She still struggles to understand more general mathematical rules, such as the fact that multiplying a number by -1 will always yield a negative number. She is likely in the _______ stage of cognitive development.

A) concrete operational
B) formal operational
C) preoperational
D) sensorimotor

Question 40

Which conclusion is most consistent with research on the developmental implications of infant temperament?

A) Slow-to-warm-up babies are likely to become civic leaders.
B) High reactive babies tend to develop the fewest antisocial behaviors.
C) Low reactive infants transition easily from daycare to school.
D) Infant temperament is short-lived and has little effect on lifetime success.

Question 41

Baby chicks born on a farm will often follow the human that they first see when they hatch. This is a result of _______, the innate process of learning to recognizing a parent.

A) attachment
B) imprinting
C) stranger anxiety
D) implicit learning

Question 42

What can be concluded from the psychological study of attachment?

A) It is an emotional bond and is necessary for children and parents to remain engaged.
B) It is the physical sensation of touching a caregiver, but it is unimportant for development.
C) It is a key indicator of whether or not a child with an easy temperament is adjusting to school.
D) It is an indicator of how children and their peers are able to form social groups.

Question 43

Mary Ainsworth found that infants vary in their attachment styles by using an experimental procedure called the

A) strange situation task.
B) visual cliff test.
C) habituation technique.
D) preferential looking task.

Question 44

A securely attached child is one who

A) cries uncontrollably when left with a caregiver who cannot console her.
B) is indifferent to her mother's attempts to play with her.
C) is often upset when her caregiver comes and her parents leave, but quickly warms to the situation.
D) is unable to soothe herself when she is upset and cannot fall asleep when left alone in her room.

Question 45

Which child displays the signs of disorganized attachment?

A) James is usually upset when his mother leaves him, but when she returns he sometimes shows no reaction and other times runs directly to her.
B) Maggie is visibly upset when her mother leaves her with her caregiver but is always happy when her mother returns.
C) Brendan is usually upset when his mother leaves him with his caregiver and is visibly angry with his mother when she returns.
D) Juliana is never distressed when her mother leaves her and does not show any visible signs of emotion when her mother returns.

Question 46

Ashley's mother, Janice, has noticed that her child gets very upset when she leaves her with her caregiver. When Janice returns home from work, Ashley often resists her attempt to hold her. Ashley is displaying

A) disorganized attachment.
B) ambivalent attachment.
C) secure attachment.
D) avoidant attachment.

Question 47

Gina is very attached to her father, who is her primary caregiver. She is usually upset when he leaves her with her grandmother to go to work, but Gina is always happy when he returns in the evening. Gina is displaying

A) disorganized attachment.
B) ambivalent attachment.
C) secure attachment.
D) avoidant attachment.

Question 48

A child who regularly displays avoidant attachment will show little or no distress when her mother leaves her with a new caregiver. The next time the caregiver comes, the child will most likely

A) show affection for the caregiver.
B) show little or no response to the caregiver.
C) alternate between attachment and rejection.
D) behave aggressively toward the caregiver.

Question 49

What can be concluded from developmental studies of children in daycare?

A) Children in low-quality daycare do not develop attachment styles.
B) Children in high-quality daycare tend to perform better academically.
C) Children raised by their grandparents tend to show greater levels of secure attachment.
D) There is little relationship between the quality of daycare and social or academic success.

Question 50

The landmark in development when an individual becomes capable of reproduction is called

A) adolescence.
B) adulthood.
C) puberty.
D) menarche.

Question 51

Developmental researchers distinguish puberty from adolescence by characterizing adolescence as a developmental

A) milestone.
B) landmark.
C) event.
D) process.

Question 52

The development of secondary sex characteristics, such as breast development in girls, is driven by

A) neurotransmitters.
B) amyloid protein.
C) hormones.
D) gene expression.

Question 53

All of the following are secondary sex characteristics except

A) wide hips in females.
B) wide jaws in males.
C) beard growth in males.
D) reproductive organs in females.

Question 54

The observation that adolescent brains show thinning in the top region of the cortex is evidence of the neural developmental process called

A) synapse rearrangement.
B) myelination.
C) differentiation.
D) cell death.

Question 55

Though our brains are almost fully developed by the time we reach adolescence, enormous changes continue in the brain region called the _______ lobe.

A) frontal
B) parietal
C) temporal
D) occipital

Question 56

Which of the following may indicate that someone you know might be considering suicide?

A) He has recently given up drinking, saying it leaves him depressed.
B) He mentions that he has been searching online for a handgun.
C) He is often tired, though he sleeps seven or eight hours a night.
D) His relationships with his parents are deteriorating.

Question 57

Developing a sense of morality is one of the toughest challenges for adolescents because it

A) requires higher-order thought processes and conflicting information.
B) happens just as a child is preparing to leave home and become independent.
C) is a major step in letting go of the innocence of childhood.
D) means going against many generally accepted behaviors.

Question 58

Kohlberg described the type of moral reasoning used by most adults as

A) preconventional.
B) conventional.
C) postconventional.
D) unconventional.

Question 59

What was Kohlberg most interested in when examining people's responses to the fictional story of Heinz stealing a drug for his ailing wife?

A) Whether they said it was okay for Heinz to steal the drug
B) The nature of their reasoning about their choice
C) The number of times they asked about Heinz's age
D) Whether or not they mentioned Heinz's wife when responding

Question 60

A friend asks you to help him steal a car so he can drive his roommate to a doctor's appointment. You refuse, reasoning that laws and rules are a part of society for a reason and you do not want to disrupt the status quo. According to Kohlberg's theory, you are using _______ reasoning.

A) preconventional
B) postconventional
C) conventional
D) hindsight

Question 61

When asked if she would steal food for a homeless person, Samantha balked, stating that she did not want to go to jail. According to Kohlberg's theory, Samantha's moral reasoning is consistent with the stage known as

A) preconventional.
B) conventional.
C) postconventional.
D) metaconventional.

Question 62

Which theory of development is a progression of eight stages that vary in terms of how we relate to other people?

A) Freud's psychosexual theory
B) Erikson's psychosocial theory
C) Piaget's constructivist theory
D) Kohlberg's moral reasoning theory

Question 63

Adolescents are in the fifth stage of psychosocial development, and according to Erikson, are most concerned with developing

A) initiative.
B) intimacy.
C) an identity.
D) a sense of purpose.

Question 64

Menopause is characterized by

A) the start of monthly menstrual cycles.
B) a pause in monthly menstrual cycles during pregnancy.
C) menstrual cycles that occur despite pregnancy.
D) the end of monthly menstrual cycles.

Question 65

The loss of sensory capacity in hearing as we age is most evident for sounds that are

A) in the low-pitch range (20-500 Hz).
B) in the mid-pitch range (1,000-3,000 Hz).
C) in the high-pitch range (over 12,000 Hz).
D) equally distributed across the sound spectrum.

Question 66

Many people over age forty develop presbyopia, a condition in which it becomes difficult to

A) hear high-pitched sounds.
B) fend off infections such as pneumonia.
C) react quickly to moving objects.
D) focus on nearby objects.

Question 67

Which statement is not consistent with research on cognitive processing and aging?

A) Older people typically respond faster than younger people in memory experiments.
B) Fluid intelligence peaks in adolescence but then begins to decline.
C) Memory decline in older people is the result of a shrinking of the hippocampus.
D) Crystallized intelligence continues to grow through the aging process.

Question 68

_______ intelligence is the ability to reason abstractly and solve novel problems, and _______ intelligence is the accumulation of facts, experience, and historical references.

A) Crystallized; fluid
B) Fluid; crystallized
C) Adaptive; creative
D) Creative; adaptive

Question 69

By asking participants to find images on a page and then compare them quickly and accurately, researchers can measure the aspect of cognition known as

A) crystallized intelligence.
B) fluid intelligence.
C) visual acuity.
D) perceptual speed.

Question 70

Though generally satisfied with life, older people do experience a sense of loss and longing after the death of a friend or loved one. This is called

A) stagnation.
B) bereavement.
C) dementia.
D) isolation.

Question 71

In older people, a decline in cognitive functioning as a result of damage or disease, rather than aging, is called

A) myelination.
B) Parkinson's disease.
C) presbyopia.
D) dementia.

Question 72

Which statement provides the most accurate description of Alzheimer's disease?

A) A normal slowing of cognition due to rapid aging of the frontal cortex
B) Damage caused by random cell death primarily in the temporal lobe
C) Dementia caused by the build-up of amyloid inside and outside of acetylcholine neurons
D) A condition associated with diets high in fat in which the brain slowly disintegrates

Question 73

The brains of patients with Alzheimer's disease are typically littered with clumps of dead and dying neurons, called

A) ApoE.
B) acetylcholine.
C) neuritic plaques.
D) neurotransmitters.

Question 74

All of the following activities have been shown to prevent the development of Alzheimer's disease except

A) resting the brain by avoiding complex cognitive tasks.
B) engaging daily in mild physical exercise.
C) engaging in intellectual activities such as daily crossword puzzles.
D) regular participation in social activities.

Question 75

The interactive quality of neurons begins with the stage of neural development called _______.

Question 76

Common advice to pregnant women includes avoiding alcohol and nicotine. With regard to a developing fetus, these two substances are called _______.

Question 77

Perhaps the easiest time for learning to play an instrument is during what is referred to as the _______ period for musical development.

Question 78

While the _______ reflex is directly related to the baby's need for breast milk, the _______ reflex is also important, as it helps the baby orient to the direction of the breast.

Question 79

Over time, your cat responds less and less intensely to the sound of your hands clapping. This is an example of _______.

Question 80

In Piaget's view, cognitive skills develop through _______, or the taking in of information about the external world, and through _______, or changing one's mind as a result of engaging with the world.