Deck 5: Physical Development in Infancy and Toddlerhood

Question 1

A surprising aspect of brain growth is that

A) the neural tube produces far less neurons than the brain will need.
B) as synapses form, 20 to 80 percent of the surrounding neurons die.
C) during infancy and toddlerhood, neural fibers stagnate.
D) once neurons are in place, they cannot differentiate.

Answer 1

B

Question 2

Which of the following statements about changes in body size over the first two years of life is true?

A) Infants and toddlers have remarkably similar physical capabilities.
B) By the end of the second year, a typical infant's height is about 36 inches.
C) Typically, by five months of age, birth weight has tripled.
D) An average 1-year-old's height is 75 percent greater than at birth.

Answer 2

B

Question 3

Which of the following statements about brain development is true?

A) At birth, the brain is nearly 70 percent of its adult weight.
B) By age 2, the brain is approximately 50 percent of its adult weight.
C) Brain growth is especially rapid in the first year, when the brain more than doubles in size.
D) Brain development is complete by the end of the first year.

Answer 3

C

Question 4

__________ improves the efficiency of message transfer.

A) Stimulation
B) Synaptic pruning
C) Tomography
D) Myelination

Question 5

Near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS)

A) enables identification of general regions of stimulus-induced activity.
B) detects changes in electrical brain-wave activity in the cerebral cortex.
C) is appropriate for infants and young children, who can move within limited range during testing.
D) records the frequency and amplitude of brain waves in response to particular stimuli using the EEG.

Question 6

Throughout childhood and adolescence, girls

A) are slightly taller than boys.
B) are slightly heavier than boys.
C) have a higher ratio of fat to muscle than boys.
D) have more "baby fat" than boys.

Question 7

At age 2, which of the following children is most likely to be ahead of the others in skeletal age?

A) Randy, a Caucasian-American boy
B) Ruby, an African-American girl
C) Armand, an African-American boy
D) Nguyen, an Asian boy

Question 8

Neurons

A) store and transmit information.
B) are tightly packed together.
C) do not directly connect with each other.
D) that are stimulated too soon lose their synapses.

Question 9

Which of the following statements demonstrates the cephalocaudal trend?

A) During infancy and childhood, the legs and arms grow somewhat ahead of the hands and feet.
B) At birth, the head takes up one-fourth of total body length, the legs only one-third.
C) In the prenatal period, the head, chest, and trunk grow first; then the arms and legs; and finally the hands and feet.
D) During infancy and childhood, the hands and feet grow somewhat ahead of the fingers and toes.

Question 10

When Samer was born, stimulation in his brain resulted in a massive overabundance of synapses. Neurons that were seldom stimulated soon lost their synapses. This process is known as

A) myelination.
B) synaptic pruning.
C) neuroimaging.
D) neurotransmission.

Question 11

When measuring Avery's brain functioning with __________, researchers use a tool called a geodesic sensor net (GSN) to hold up to 128 interconnected electrodes in place.

A) an electroencephalogram (EEG)
B) functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI)
C) positron emission tomography (PET)
D) near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS)

Question 12

__________ are responsible for coating neural fibers with an insulating fatty sheath.

A) Glial cells
B) Neurotransmitters
C) Brain waves
D) Synapses

Question 13

The best estimate of a child's physical maturity is

A) height.
B) weight.
C) skeletal age.
D) chronological age.

Question 14

Which of the following statements is consistent with the proximodistal trend of body growth?

A) During the prenatal period, the head develops more rapidly than the lower part of the body.
B) During infancy and childhood, the body grows from "head to tail."
C) During the prenatal period, the trunk grows first, followed by the chest and the head.
D) During infancy and childhood, the arms and legs grow somewhat ahead of the hands and feet.

Question 15

Damon is injected with a radioactive substance and then lies on an apparatus with a scanner that emits fine streams of X-rays, which detect increased blood flow and oxygen metabolism in areas of the brain as Damon processes particular stimuli. Damon's brain functioning is being measured using

A) an electroencephalogram (EEG).
B) event-related potentials (ERPs).
C) functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI).
D) position emission tomography (PET).

Question 16

At birth, the __________ is nearer to its adult size than any other physical structure.

A) heart
B) liver
C) brain
D) skull

Question 17

Infants and toddlers grow

A) by making steady gains over time.
B) slower than at any other time during childhood.
C) in little spurts.
D) in dramatic leaps.

Question 18

"Baby fat"

A) helps the infant maintain a constant body temperature.
B) peaks at about 6 months.
C) increases very slowly during infancy.
D) helps the infant gain strength and physical coordination.

Question 19

Skeletal age is determined by __________ to see the extent to which soft, pliable cartilage has hardened into bone.

A) X-raying the long bones of the body
B) measuring the circumference of the skull
C) X-raying the spinal cord and teeth
D) measuring the length of the arms and legs

Question 20

Which of the following children is most likely to be above North American growth norms?

A) Timmy, a Caucasian-American boy
B) June, an Asian girl
C) Freddy, an African-American boy
D) Kim, an Asian boy

Question 21

Alexia was born with cataracts in both eyes. What can you tell her parents about when she should have corrective surgery?

A) Alexia should wait to have corrective surgery until adulthood when her eyes are fully mature.
B) Alexia should not have corrective surgery during the first six months of life because her vision would be severely and permanently impaired.
C) The longer cataract surgery is postponed beyond infancy, the less complete Alexia's recovery in visual skills.
D) Alexia should wait until later in childhood to have corrective surgery because there are no sensitive periods in visual development.

Question 22

Nicole is considering sending her 8-month-old son Austin to a new academic learning center where infants are trained with letter and number flash cards. You can advise Nicole that

A) Austin will likely score 10 to 15 points higher in IQ than agemates who attend traditional early childhood programs.
B) although this program will not likely raise Austin's IQ, it will probably help him learn to read more quickly.
C) this program is as effective as a traditional early childhood program in promoting cognitive development.
D) this program could overwhelm Austin and cause him to withdraw, thereby threatening his interest in learning.

Question 23

When a 1-month-old kitten is put in the dark and kept there during the fourth week of life and beyond, damage to visual centers of the brain is severe and permanent. This example provides evidence of

A) brain plasticity.
B) synaptic pruning.
C) lateralization of the cerebral cortex.
D) sensitive periods in brain development.

Question 24

Sharon's 46-year-old husband suffered a traumatic brain injury in an automobile accident. What information about brain plasticity can you provide to Sharon?

A) Brain plasticity is restricted to early childhood, when the brain is forming many new synapses.
B) At older ages, specialized brain structures are in place, and after injury they cannot reorganize.
C) Adults with brain injuries rarely show deficits in spatial skills, even if language development is impaired.
D) Though far more limited than in early childhood, reorganization in the brain can occur in adulthood.

Question 25

Studies using fMRI reveal that the right hemisphere is specialized for processing information in a(n) __________ manner.

A) sequential
B) analytical
C) piece-by-piece
D) holistic, integrative

Question 26

For most people, the left hemisphere of the cerebral cortex is largely responsible for

A) judging distances.
B) negative emotion.
C) verbal abilities.
D) recognizing geometric shapes.

Question 27

Experience-expectant brain growth

A) is a result of specific learning experiences that vary widely across cultures.
B) usually occurs later than experience-dependent brain growth.
C) occurs naturally, as caregivers engage babies in enjoyable daily routines.
D) provides mastery of skills that depend on extensive training.

Question 28

The cortical regions with the most extended period of development are the __________ lobes.

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

Question 29

Experience-dependent brain growth

A) takes place through naturally occurring interactions with caregivers.
B) provides a foundation for later-occurring, experience-expectant development.
C) depends on ordinary experiences, such as moving about and exploring the environment.
D) relies on specific learning experiences that vary widely across individuals and cultures.

Question 30

A study of children who had spent their first eight months or more in Romanian institutions and were then adopted into Canadian homes found that the longer the children spent in orphanage care, the __________ their __________.

A) higher; cortisol levels
B) lower; cortisol levels
C) greater; anger control
D) greater; impulse control

Question 31

Newborn Will is likely to show greater activation in the left hemisphere while

A) displaying a positive state of arousal.
B) listening to nonspeech sounds.
C) drinking a sour-tasting fluid.
D) feeling distress.

Question 32

Which of the following is an activity associated with experience-expectant brain growth?

A) coloring a picture
B) playing peekaboo
C) learning to ride a bike
D) playing the piano

Question 33

The cerebral cortex

A) contains the greatest number of neurons and synapses in the brain.
B) is the first part of the brain to stop growing.
C) is less sensitive to environmental influences than other parts of the brain.
D) fully develops during the third trimester of pregnancy.

Question 34

A study of children who were transferred between birth and 3½ years from extremely deprived Romanian orphanages to adoptive families in Great Britain found that

A) the longer the children spent in orphanage care, the higher their mental test scores during middle childhood and adolescence.
B) most children were impaired in all domains of development, but those who were adopted before 6 months of age showed impressive cognitive catch-up.
C) children who experienced adequate early nutrition were not negatively affected by early orphanage rearing.
D) serious mental health problems only appeared in those children who spent more than 2 years in an orphanage.

Question 35

In a large study of children with injuries to the cerebral cortex that occurred around the time of birth or in the first six months of life, researchers found that

A) delays in language development persisted into adolescence if injury occurred in the left hemisphere.
B) delays in language development persisted into adolescence if injury occurred in the right hemisphere.
C) undamaged areas-in either the left or the right hemisphere-took over vocabulary and grammatical skills by ?age 5.
D) language skills were more likely to be permanently damaged than spatial skills.

Question 36

Compared to their U.S. agemates, Dutch babies

A) are put to bed later.
B) sleep, on average, 2 hours less per day.
C) sleep, on average, 2 hours more per day.
D) have less predictable sleep schedules.

Question 37

Which of the following is an activity associated with experience-dependent brain growth?

A) writing a poem
B) singing a song
C) imitating facial expressions
D) playing peekaboo

Question 38

In a highly plastic cerebral cortex,

A) the areas of the brain are strongly committed to specific functions, and there is a high capacity for learning.
B) if a part of the cortex is damaged, other parts can take over the tasks it would have handled.
C) spatial skills develop more rapidly than language skills and are easier to recover after injury.
D) the right and left hemispheres of the brain have become strongly lateralized.

Question 39

The prefrontal cortex

A) reaches an adult level of synaptic connections during the first two months of life.
B) undergoes especially rapid pruning of synapses during the preschool and school years.
C) is responsible for body movement over the first year of life.
D) fully develops before any of the other cortical regions.

Question 40

Between birth and 2 years,

A) fussiness increases.
B) crying increases.
C) the organization of sleep and wakefulness changes substantially.
D) total sleep time increases slowly.

Question 41

Zahara, age 3 months, is painfully thin. Her mother is too malnourished to produce enough breast milk, and the supply of formula is inadequate for bottle-feeding. Zahara is probably in danger of dying from

A) marasmus.
B) growth faltering.
C) kwashiorkor.
D) nonorganic failure to thrive.

Question 42

Which of the following statements regarding breastfeeding is true?

A) Breastfeeding should be combined with formula for a balanced diet.
B) Breastfeeding helps increase spacing among siblings.
C) Breastfeeding has become less common in industrialized nations.
D) Breastfeeding is a reliable method of birth control.

Question 43

Garrett, age 2 months, is an enthusiastic eater who nurses vigorously and gains weight quickly. Garrett's mom, Christine, is concerned that Garrett might be at risk of being permanently overweight. You can advise Christine that

A) most chubby babies will continue to gain weight during toddlerhood and the preschool years.
B) there is no evidence that rapid weight gain in infancy is related to later obesity.
C) she should start supplementing Garrett's diet with cereal.
D) breastfeeding for the first six months is associated with a leaner body build through early childhood.

Question 44

Which of the following statements about breastfeeding is true?

A) Human milk is lower in fat and higher in protein than the milk of other mammals.
B) A mother who breastfeeds needs to add solid foods to her infant's diet around 4 months.
C) Breastfed babies suffer from more gastrointestinal problems than do bottle-fed infants.
D) Breastfed infants accept new solid foods more easily than do bottle-fed infants.

Question 45

Which of the following was a result of recent policy changes by the U.S. Special Supplemental Nutritional Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC)?

A) a lengthening of the duration of breastfeeding
B) a decrease in enrollment in the fully breastfeeding option
C) an increase in enrollment in the formula-only package option
D) a decrease in funding for breastfeeding counseling for new mothers

Question 46

A study in which researchers made periodic home visits to several hundred low-income first-time mothers and their babies found that

A) the majority of infants were breastfed.
B) inappropriate feeding practices were pervasive.
C) the majority of infants did not receive solid food soon enough.
D) only about 25 percent of infants received juices by 6 months.

Question 47

__________ percent of infants' total caloric intake is devoted to growth.

A) Ten
B) Fifteen
C) Twenty-five
D) Forty

Question 48

Breastfed babies in poverty-stricken regions of the world

A) are more likely than bottle-fed babies to be malnourished.
B) should be given a vitamin-enriched supplement of commercial formula at least weekly.
C) are far more likely than bottle-fed babies to survive the first year of life.
D) should be breastfed until age 9 months, with solid food added at 3 months of age.

Question 49

In cultures where parent-child cosleeping is widespread,

A) the rate of infant mortality from sudden infant death syndrome is high.
B) parents and infants usually sleep on soft mattresses.
C) infants often sleep in a cradle or hammock next to the parents' bed.
D) infants tend to lie on their stomach or side facing away from the mother.

Question 50

One possible explanation for the high frequency of bedtime struggles in Western homes is that children

A) are much more dependent than children from other cultures.
B) are expected to sleep for more hours than children from other cultures.
C) often eat late in the evening, which interferes with sleep.
D) may feel stressed when they must fall asleep without assistance.

Question 51

In the United States,

A) 77 percent of mothers begin breastfeeding after birth, but more than one-third stop by 6 months.
B) most mothers follow the advice of the World Health Organization regarding when to stop breastfeeding.
C) breastfeeding has become more common, especially among low-income minority women.
D) only 25 percent of preterm babies are breastfed at hospital discharge, despite the benefits of breast milk.

Question 52

An estimated 22 percent of U.S. children suffer from

A) marasmus.
B) food insecurity.
C) kwashiorkor.
D) iron deficiency anemia.

Question 53

As long as negative environmental influences such as poor nutrition or illness are not severe,

A) children and adolescents typically show catch-up growth once conditions improve.
B) adopted children typically reach a height closer to their adoptive than biological parents' heights.
C) body weight is more acutely influenced by eating habits rather than heredity.
D) height and rate of physical growth are largely determined by the environment.

Question 54

Osita is a 4-year-old Ethiopian boy. He survived kwashiorkor and was recently adopted by a Canadian couple. Osita will probably

A) continue to undereat even when food is plentiful.
B) gain very little weight as his diet improves.
C) have an average to high basal metabolism rate.
D) suffer from lasting damage to the brain, heart, or other organs.

Question 55

Ariana showed signs of growth faltering. An observant nurse intervened early, helping Ariana's parents with their own life challenges, encouraging sensitive caregiving, and coaching the family through Ariana's feeding problems. Ariana will probably

A) remain small.
B) show lasting cognitive difficulties.
C) show quick catch-up growth.
D) show lasting emotional difficulties.

Question 56

In classical conditioning, once a baby's nervous system makes the connection between two stimuli, the __________ stimulus produces __________.

A) conditioned; a neutral response
B) conditioned; a reflexive response
C) unconditioned; an unconditioned response
D) neutral; the behavior by itself

Question 57

Six-month-old Luka's weight, height, and head circumference are substantially below age-related growth norms. Luka is withdrawn and apathetic. Luka's mother sometimes appears depressed and distant, at other times impatient and hostile. Luka most likely suffers from

A) growth faltering.
B) malnutrition.
C) marasmus.
D) food insecurity.

Question 58

Bulous is 20 months old and was recently weaned. He has an unbalanced diet very low in protein. Bulous has an enlarged belly, swollen feet, a skin rash, and thinning hair. Bulous most likely has

A) iron-deficiency anemia.
B) kwashiorkor.
C) nonorganic failure to thrive.
D) marasmus.

Question 59

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services advises

A) exclusive breastfeeding for the first 2 years.
B) exclusive breastfeeding for the first 3 months.
C) inclusion of breast milk in the baby's diet until at least 1 year.
D) weaning from breast milk by age 6 months.

Question 60

The World Health Organization recommends breastfeeding until age __________, with solid foods added at __________.

A) 3 months; 4 months
B) 6 months; 6 months
C) 1 year; 4 months
D) 2 years; 6 months

Question 61

In operant conditioning, a(n) __________ increases the occurrence of a response.

A) neutral stimulus
B) conditioned stimulus
C) reinforcer
D) unconditioned stimulus

Question 62

Young infants can be classically conditioned most easily when

A) a conditioned stimulus is no longer paired with an unconditioned stimulus.
B) the conditioned response is fear.
C) the association between two stimuli has survival value.
D) a neutral stimulus is paired with an unconditioned response.

Question 63

__________ preference assesses infants' __________.

A) Familiarity; recent memory
B) Novelty; remote memory
C) Novelty; recent memory
D) Familiarity; reflexes

Question 64

__________ refers to a gradual reduction in the strength of a response due to repetitive stimulation.

A) Imitation
B) Recovery
C) Habituation
D) Reinforcement

Question 65

Baby Paul's mother strokes his hair just before he eats. Now when Paul's mother strokes his hair, Paul begins to suck. The stroking is the __________, and the taste of milk is the __________.

A) conditioned stimulus; neutral stimulus
B) unconditioned stimulus; conditioned stimulus
C) neutral stimulus; unconditioned stimulus
D) neutral stimulus; conditioned response

Question 66

Which of the following is an example of a fine-motor skill?

A) standing
B) throwing
C) sitting up
D) grasping

Question 67

Which of the following responses is very difficult to classically condition in young babies?

A) contentment
B) fear
C) hunger
D) sucking

Question 68

Prya has classically conditioned young Raj to suck when Prya touches Raj's stomach during feeding. If Prya repeatedly touches Raj's stomach without feeding him, Raj will

A) gradually stop sucking in response to having his stomach touched.
B) learn to suck without having his stomach touched.
C) stop eating until Prim touches his stomach and feeds him again.
D) increase his level of sucking in response to having his stomach touched.

Question 69

The newborn's capacity to imitate

A) has primarily been observed in Western cultures.
B) disappears by two weeks of age.
C) has been demonstrated in many ethnic groups and cultures.
D) is limited to tongue protrusions.

Question 70

In classical conditioning, if learning occurs, the neutral stimulus is then called a(n)

A) unconditioned response.
B) neutral response.
C) conditioned stimulus.
D) conditioned response.

Question 71

When baby Rico whimpers and whines, his mother responds by ignoring him and refusing to pick him up. This decreases Rico's whining. The mother's behavior is an example of

A) habituation.
B) a reinforcer.
C) recovery.
D) punishment.

Question 72

Baby Calinda sucks on a bottle. The taste of the sweet liquid increases Calinda's sucking. This is an example of

A) operant conditioning.
B) habituation.
C) classical conditioning.
D) extinction.

Question 73

In classical conditioning, if the conditioned stimulus is presented alone enough times, without being paired with the unconditioned stimulus, __________ occurs.

A) habituation
B) extinction
C) imitation
D) recovery

Question 74

__________ fire identically when a primate hears or sees an action and when it carries out that action on its own.

A) Imitation neurons
B) Glial cells
C) Mirror neurons
D) Neurotransmitters

Question 75

Which of the following motor skills typically develops first?

A) walking alone
B) scribbling vigorously
C) walking up stairs with help
D) jumping in place

Question 76

Once habituation occurs, a new stimulus causes responsiveness to return to a high level, an increase called

A) imitation.
B) recovery.
C) extinction.
D) punishment.

Question 77

A researcher hangs a mobile over the crib of 4-month-old Anya. When the researcher attaches Anya's foot to the mobile with a long cord, Anya can, by kicking, make the mobile turn. The turning of the mobile is an example of

A) a reinforcer.
B) punishment.
C) an unconditioned stimulus.
D) an conditioned response.

Question 78

At birth, the human brain is set up to be

A) attracted to novelty.
B) wary of change.
C) attracted to familiarity.
D) bored by repetition.

Question 79

Which of the following is an example of a gross-motor skill?

A) climbing
B) pointing
C) reaching
D) scribbling

Question 80

Classical conditioning

A) helps infants anticipate what is about to happen next.
B) disappears once reflexive behaviors become voluntary.
C) plays a vital role in the formation of social relationships.
D) emerges only after newborn reflexes have begun to wane.