Deck 9: Cognitive and Socioemotional Development

Question 1

Define Kohlberg's preconventional, conventional, and postconventional levels of moral thinking. Then give a real-life example of each kind of reasoning.

Answer 1

Preconventional: Morality revolves around concrete punishments and rewards. Examples are, "I won't cheat on this test, because if I get caught, I'll be kicked out of school"; "I will cheat on this test, because then I'll get an A." Conventional: Morality centers on upholding the social rules or laws. An example is, "I won't cheat on this test because society says cheating is wrong." Postconventional: Morality is anchored in internal values apart from what the culture says. Examples are, "I personally believe that being honest is vital, so even if cheating on this test would get me into grad school, I couldn't live with myself if I committed this act"; "If I'm drafted, I won't go to war, because killing goes against my ethical beliefs"; "Even though my boss wants me to lie and cook the books in order to help the company, I can't . . . although it might cost me my job, I may even have to blow the whistle on these behaviors."

Question 2

Three risk factors for serious teenage delinquency are feeling disengaged from parents, living in a risk-taking environment, and having prior problems with _____ regulation.

Answer 2

emotion

Question 3

Discuss parent-teen conflict. Who initiates the push to separate from parents? When is conflict at its peak, and why? What issues do teens argue about? How does the content of teenage arguments differ by culture? Are there gender differences in the teenage push to separate?

Answer 3

Parent-teen conflict tends to erupt when teens become more rebellious and secretive during the early teens. Undergoing puberty may unleash hormonal changes that propel the impulse to separate. Parents respond by giving their children more freedom somewhat later, after a child reaches the mid-teens. While parent-teen conflicts relating to rules (that is, freedom) loom large in every culture, the topics families argue about are somewhat dependent on a given society's priorities (that is, in the United States, getting good grades; in the Middle East, friendship choices). Ideally, older teens reach a new equilibrium when they are given more independence and can relate as fellow adults to their parents. However, there also is a gender split, with girls reaching out to share feelings with their mothers during the older teenage years, and boys remaining more secretive about their inner lives as they travel into adult life.

Question 4

Parent-teen conflict tends to _____ in late adolescence.

Question 5

To make the world better fit the teenage mind, the text advises encouragement of teenage strengths and, also, starting the school day _____.

Question 6

Describe a high school acquaintance who was a member of a "bad crowd." Evaluate the specific influences discussed in the text that caused this person to join this group; also evaluate the ways in which this crowd promoted getting into trouble.

Question 7

Describe the crowd or crowds that you belonged to in high school. How did being a member of this crowd help or hinder your development?

Question 8

Parent-teen conflict reaches its peak during _____.

Question 9

Discuss three early warning signs and risk factors that predict if a child might get into serious trouble as a teen. Cite real-life examples to illustrate your points.

Question 10

When reasoning at Kohlberg's _____ stage, a person's morality focuses on punishment or reward.

Question 11

Compared to adults, teenagers are _____ socially sensitive, emotional, and likely to take risks.

Question 12

Describe the changes in thinking that occur during Piaget's formal operational stage, and cite real-life examples.

Question 13

If Hector's morality involves the need to obey society's norms, he is operating at Kohlberg's _____ level of moral reasoning.

Question 14

Discuss three traits that make young teens different from other age groups.

Question 15

Describe three interventions to help the wider world better fit the teenage mind. Explain why these changes are appropriate, based on your understanding of teenage brain development and/or the positive changes that occur at this time of life.

Question 16

According to neuroscientists, teens are MORE prone to take risks because the brain's _____ has (have) not yet matured.

Question 17

G. Stanley Hall first used the term "adolescence," which he labeled as a period of _____.

Question 18

Provide real-world examples of Elkind's imaginary audience and personal fable. Then, explain why the personal fable promotes teenage risk-taking.

Question 19

When upset, 16-year-old Dale cuts his body in order to feel a sense of self-control. Dale is engaging in _____.

Question 20

The _____ refers to young teens' sense that that they are constantly being evaluated and observed.

Question 21

John has reached formal operations. John's unique new talent is that he now can:

A) debate the merits of positions even if he is opposed to those ideas.
B) read complex novels and do math problems much faster than before.
C) get along with people better.
D) act more assertively in his life and in school.

Question 22

Kohlberg would NOT agree with which statement?

A) "Most adults end up reasoning at the conventional stage."
B) "During elementary school, people begin to develop their moral code for life."
C) "Few people reason at the highest postconventional level."
D) "Moral development takes place in the teens."

Question 23

An adult would MOST likely show formal operational thought when:

A) reasoning about his or her own future.
B) reasoning scientifically.
C) arguing the pros and cons of an issue.
D) arguing with his or her mother.

Question 24

Using Kohlberg's terms, identify the level of moral reasoning in each statement: (1) "He only cares if he gets punished or rewarded"; (2) "He has a personal code of ethics that transcends what society says"; (3) "His morality is focused on what the culture says is legal or right."

A) (1) preconventional; (2) postconventional; (3) conventional
B) (1) conventional; (2) preconventional; (3) postconventional
C) (1) postconventional; (2) preconventional; (3) conventional
D) (1) premoral; (2) postmoral; (3) traditionally moral

Question 25

According to Lawrence Kohlberg, postconventional thought depends on reaching formal operations, because this most advanced moral milestone involves:

A) thinking about possible rewards and punishments.
B) imagining what people might think about the self.
C) understanding the realities of society's laws.
D) using abstract ethical principles in reasoning about life.

Question 26

Nien decides not to rob a backpack from an open locker at school because he feels that good people don't steal. Nien is operating at Kohlberg's _____ level of moral reasoning.

A) preconventional
B) conventional
C) postconventional
D) formal operational

Question 27

When G. Stanley Hall described adolescence as a time of "storm and stress," he meant that teenagers:

A) have a stressful life.
B) are moody, sensitive, and prone to take risks.
C) cause parents a lot of stress.
D) put society under a lot of stress.

Question 28

Adolescence:

A) is a life stage for all people around the world.
B) is a result of people who lived in the twentieth-century developed world.
C) has been a life stage throughout history, over many centuries.
D) has been a life stage only since the seventeenth century.

Question 29

Teenage rebellion against the older generation reached its peak during the:

A) late 1800s, when teenagers left the farm to find factory work in urban centers.
B) early 1900s, when young people had to go off to World War I.
C) late 1960s, when the baby boom cohort rejected conventional rules about adult roles.
D) 1980s, when the "me" generation of individuals who cared mainly about themselves reached their teens.

Question 30

Which of the following is a property of formal operational thought?

A) believing that inanimate objects are alive
B) thinking abstractly
C) physical appearance represents reality
D) using reversibility for the first time

Question 31

Adolescence became a defined life stage in the United States when:

A) Sigmund Freud developed his theories in the early 1900s.
B) Jean Piaget identified formal operational thinking as a separate stage.
C) President Franklin Roosevelt encouraged universal high school attendance.
D) the baby boom generation rebelled against the establishment.

Question 32

A core change unique to formal operations is that teens can:

A) conserve much better.
B) really take another person's point of view.
C) reason abstractly about hypothetical possibilities.
D) read at a much higher level.

Question 33

When people enter formal operations, they can do which of the following?

A) think like "true scientists"
B) reason illogically about abstract ideas
C) reason only about real things
D) enter a zone of proximal development

Question 34

Which change is NOT unique to formal operations?

A) logically arguing both sides of an issue
B) approaching problems scientifically
C) reasoning about things that are not real
D) understanding the meanings of new words

Question 35

High school made adolescence a defined life stage because teens now:

A) understood the world better.
B) spent their days together as a separate group.
C) acted more like an adult.
D) worked in factories.

Question 36

_____ is the label for small teenage groups of intimate friends.

Question 37

Which is NOT a reason why adolescence earned consideration as a separate life stage?

A) People spent their days in high school as an isolated, separate group.
B) Teens stayed in school, rather than immediately going to work.
C) People understood the world better.
D) Teenagers were marketed to as a special age group with their own interests.

Question 38

Adults show formal operational thinking:

A) rarely.
B) usually.
C) when they reason about their own lives, but not on Piaget's scientific tests.
D) when they reason on Piaget's scientific tests, but not in their own lives.

Question 39

Hanging out with the "bad kids" group _____ the risk of delinquency.

Question 40

Teenage _____ get children connected with the opposite sex in nonthreatening ways.

Question 41

Feliciano decides not to rob a backpack from an open locker at school because he is afraid of getting caught. Feliciano is operating at Kohlberg's _____ level of moral reasoning.

A) preconventional
B) conventional
C) postconventional
D) formal operational

Question 42

Young people who get arrested for participating in illegal demonstrations that protest what they feel are unfair laws may be operating according to Kohlberg's _____ level of moral reasoning.

A) preconventional
B) conventional
C) postconventional
D) formal operational

Question 43

Rashid is 14 years old. Based on the research, he is MOST at risk of getting into trouble when he is:

A) with a group of friends.
B) alone in his room.
C) walking to school.
D) with his family.

Question 44

The text's criticisms of Kohlberg's moral reasoning scale all relate to which measurement concept?

A) reliability
B) validity
C) accuracy
D) morality

Question 45

Teenagers tend to be more sensitive to _____ than other age groups.

A) being rejected
B) failing at school
C) getting hurt physically
D) unfamiliar foods

Question 46

You are taking this test, and it's so, so easy to look over to the next person's answers, but you think, "No." What would be your reasoning if you are at Kohlberg's postconventional stage of moral development?

A) I might get caught.
B) It's not right to go against the rules.
C) I personally believe that cheating is morally wrong.
D) This person might know less than me.

Question 47

When Sheila walks to the lunchroom, she thinks that everyone is evaluating every move she makes. According to David Elkind, Shelia is showing signs of:

A) egotistic thinking.
B) the personal fable.
C) narcissism.
D) the imaginary audience.

Question 48

Kohlberg's scale may NOT be valid because it:

A) doesn't illustrate the caring, action-oriented qualities defining real-life moral acts.
B) is too long.
C) is biased against men.
D) has no clear-cut defined criteria for measuring the levels of moral thought.

Question 49

You are taking this test, and it's so, so easy to look at the next person's answers, but you decide, "No." What would be your reasoning if you are at Kohlberg's conventional stage of moral development?

A) I might get caught.
B) Going against the rules is wrong.
C) I personally believe that cheating is morally wrong.
D) That person next to me might know less than me.

Question 50

As you are taking this test, it's so, so easy to look at the next person's answers, but you decide, "No." Using Kohlberg's categories, pick out the correct level of moral reasoning: (1) "I won't because I might get caught"; (2) "I won't because I believe that cheating is morally wrong"; (3) "I won't because I took a pledge to uphold the school's honor code."

A) (1) conventional; (2) postconventional; (3) preconventional
B) (1) preconventional; (2) postconventional; (3) conventional
C) (1) preconventional; (2) conventional; (3) postconventional
D) (1) conventional; (2) preconventional; (3) postconventional

Question 51

According to David Elkind, young teens become angry, resentful, and rebellious because they:

A) are tired of adults telling them what to do.
B) are entering formal operations, and so understand the contradictions between what adults say and how they act.
C) are too emotional to understand life.
D) can't intellectually grasp the facts about adult life, and are too emotional and out of control to behave well.

Question 52

A mother feels ill at a family picnic, so her husband drives her to the hospital at 90 miles an hour and with their three teenage children in the car. Billy says "Dad, you can't go this fast. We might be stopped for speeding." Josh says, "Slow down, Dad. It's crucially important, no matter what, to obey the law." Sarah, furious, yells, "You guys are crazy! Saving mom's life is more important than ANY law." Using Kohlberg's categories, pick each sibling's level of moral reasoning.

A) Billy-conventional; Josh-preconventional; Sarah-postconventional
B) Billy-preconventional; Josh-conventional; Sarah- postconventional
C) Billy-premoral; Josh-fairly moral; Sarah-extremely moral
D) Billy-amoral; Josh-postmoral; Sarah-overly moral

Question 53

Ayana is arguing that Kohlberg's moral reasoning scale is not valid (that is, it does not accurately reflect real-world morality). Based specifically on the text critique, which is NOT a critique Ayana can make?

A) "The way people talk in abstract situations is different from how they act."
B) "Unlike what Kohlberg believes, very young children show moral thought."
C) "The most prosocial people only score at average levels on Kohlberg's tests."
D) "Everyone routinely cheats and lies."

Question 54

Ning has a new pimple on her chin this morning. She is mortified and tells her mother that she must transfer to another school because everyone will make fun of her. David Elkind would label Ning's reaction as showing:

A) delusional thinking.
B) social referencing.
C) the personal fable.
D) adolescent egocentrism.

Question 55

Link each situation to a component of adolescent egocentrism: (1) A boy thinks that everyone is constantly watching him and commenting on his behavior; (2) a girl takes incredible risks because she thinks that she cannot ever die.

A) (1) imaginary audience; (2) personal fable
B) (1) personal fable; (2) imaginary audience
C) (1 & 2) in both cases, imaginary audience
D) (1 & 2) in both cases, personal fable

Question 56

Which teenage stereotype is FALSE?

A) Most teens drink and abuse drugs.
B) Teenagers are more prone to take risks when in a group of peers.
C) Teenagers are more emotional than adults.
D) Teenagers are more sensitive to what their friends think than adults.

Question 57

Jayden is 14 years old. Compared to a 24-year-old, Jayden should have which quality?

A) an intense fear of social events
B) being more prone to get into trouble when alone
C) terrible worries about what other people think
D) more understanding of different perspectives and points of view

Question 58

According to David Elkind, teenagers question society's rules and become involved in idealistic causes because they can:

A) reason abstractly and so realize that adult rules are often arbitrary and wrong.
B) think too concretely to understand the world.
C) be too naive to understand why things are the way they are.
D) rebel against the older generation, because they now physically look adult.

Question 59

A teenager thinks, "I'm never going to have an accident if I drive drunk- that happens to other kids, not me." This type of thinking reflects:

A) egocentric monitoring.
B) the imaginary audience.
C) the personal fable.
D) formal operational thinking.

Question 60

"Everyone is watching me and judging me." In Elkind's framework, this is a classic example of _____, and this young person is roughly 12 or 13.

A) a postconventional level of morality
B) the personal fable
C) social referencing
D) adolescent egocentrism

Question 61

Aidan is a counselor for adolescents. Which emotional problem is he MOST likely to encounter among his clients?

A) drug abuse
B) suicide
C) nonsuicidal self-injury
D) feeling utterly demoralized about life

Question 62

The age group that a judge MOST likely would see in her court are males in their:

A) early teens.
B) late teens and early twenties.
C) early thirties.
D) late forties.

Question 63

Dr. Down is lecturing on depression. Which is NOT a statement he can make on this subject?

A) "Depression rates rise for females during the teenage years."
B) "Depression rates rise for males during the teenage years."
C) "Women are roughly twice as likely to suffer from depression as men."
D) "If a person is prone to battle severe depression, that problem typically first erupts during the late teenage or early adult years."

Question 64

The pre-teen push to be popular has:

A) negative emotional effects if kids succeed or fail.
B) positive emotional effects.
C) positive emotional effects, but only when kids succeed.
D) negative effects, but only when kids fail.

Question 65

In general, a mother's main emotional concern is acting-out behaviors in a teenage son and _____ in a teenage daughter.

A) depression
B) acting-out behaviors
C) suicide
D) nonsuicidal self-injury

Question 66

Which is a quality of thriving teens?

A) caring adults who nurture the teens' passions
B) poor family relationships
C) limited executive functions
D) no interest in taking risks

Question 67

Children at risk of having a troubled adolescence tend to be:

A) from "good" homes, but who fall in with the wrong crowd.
B) alienated from their parents and have impulse-control issues.
C) well behaved in elementary school.
D) set up for a life of crime.

Question 68

If 13-year-old Nadzia has made it into the popular "in crowd" at school, her mother might expect:

A) increasing academic performance.
B) caring only about social status.
C) an increase in physical aggression.
D) an upsurge in severe depression.

Question 69

Joan is giving a scale to fourth-graders to predict their risk of having a "stormy adolescence." Which question should NOT be on her measure?

A) Does this child have emotion regulation problems?
B) Does this child feel alienated from his parents?
C) Is this child highly emotional?
D) Does this child live in an environment that encourages taking dangerous risks?

Question 70

Darla is giving a questionnaire to a college class to predict the risk of alcohol abuse during adulthood. According to the research, which item should NOT appear on her scale?

A) Do you drink heavily now that you are in college?
B) Did you begin to drink heavily during puberty?
C) Did you have "acting out" problems as a child?
D) Do you call yourself a "jock," and are you seriously into sports?

Question 71

Which of the following qualities is MOST likely to occur during the teens?

A) drug abuse
B) depression
C) feeling upbeat about life
D) suicidal feelings

Question 72

Which of the following is the LEAST likely symptom a high school counselor would encounter among his students?

A) cutting (nonsuicidal self-injury)
B) depression
C) drug abuse
D) heavy drinking

Question 73

According to the research, which feeling BEST describes the average teenager's general worldview?

A) upbeat and happy about the future
B) demoralized and depressed
C) fearful and stressed out
D) distant and angry at the world

Question 74

Anesia is worried that her 10-year-old nephew might be headed toward a difficult adolescence. Which of the following predicts future problems for her nephew?

A) He is getting into trouble now and has antisocial friends.
B) He feels connected to his parents.
C) He has internalizing problems.
D) He has high academic achievement.

Question 75

Dr. Abstinence is lecturing about the prevalence of alcohol and drug use among today's teens. According to the text, she should say:

A) "A significant minority of teens both drink and use drugs."
B) "Very few teens drink and use drugs."
C) "A significant minority of teens drink, but only a very small fraction use drugs."
D) "Almost all teens drink and use drugs."

Question 76

Which teenage stereotype is TRUE?

A) Most teens drink and abuse drugs.
B) Teenagers are more emotionally disturbed than adults.
C) Teenagers commit suicide at higher rates than adults.
D) Teenagers are more emotional than adults.

Question 77

Fudo has been getting into trouble with the law, and his parents are angry and have emotionally withdrawn from him. According to the text, which statement is MOST likely true?

A) The parents are to blame for Fudo's problems because they haven't been sensitive to his needs.
B) Fudo is to blame for not confiding in his parents.
C) No one is necessarily to blame, as the cause can be found in the dynamics of the relationship (that is, due to bidirectional effects).
D) Either Fudo or his parents are to blame, but not both.

Question 78

Since entering middle school, Julie's grades are dropping, and all she cares about is being in the popular crowd. Julie's behavior is:

A) relatively common at her age.
B) a sign of serious abnormality.
C) a predictor of good mental health.
D) okay, but only if she makes it into the popular group.

Question 79

Martez is entering his teens. Statistically speaking, which is a good prediction for Martez?

A) becoming more emotional
B) becoming unhappy
C) taking more risks when he is alone
D) drinking alcohol on a regular basis

Question 80

A mother seeks advice from a developmentalist about problems her 11-year-old daughter might experience during the next few years. Which is NOT a problem the developmentalist should predict?

A) "Expect more risk taking, particularly when your daughter is with friends."
B) "Expect more intense emotional ups and downs."
C) "Look for a higher risk of depression."
D) "Brace yourself for your daughter's serious emotional problems."