Deck 1: The Beginning: the Science of Human Development

Question 1

A research question becomes a hypothesis when it is stated as a prediction that can be tested.

Answer 1

True

Question 2

The conclusions of a scientific study are based on whether the evidence supports or refutes the hypothesis.

Answer 2

True

Question 3

Friends Jill and Susan both experienced poverty as children. In addition, they were raised by single parents and went to a poor quality school. By the time they were in late adolescence Jill had dropped out of school and had two children. Susan, in contrast, was academically ranked number one in her graduating class and had a full academic scholarship to Harvard. This example illustrates the concept of differential susceptibility.

Answer 3

True

Question 4

Nature is more important than nurture in how a trait or behavior is expressed.

Question 5

Within the context of Bronfenbrenner's ecological-systems approach, a person's immediate surroundings, such as family or peer group, are part of the microsystem.

Question 6

The term cohort refers to individuals born in the same geographical region and within the same social class.

Question 7

Jenny learned to play the piano as a child and played very well until she was in late adolescence, when she stopped playing. In her 40s, she decided to play the piano again. She quickly realized that she had lost most of her ability to play after decades of not playing, so she took lessons. After several years of lessons she once again plays the piano very well. This example illustrates the multi-directional nature of development.

Question 8

Today, developmental science studies mostly adolescents.

Question 9

The influence of nurture begins at birth.

Question 10

The purpose of the scientific method is to conduct research that will only support researchers' hypotheses.

Question 11

Low socioeconomic status can lengthen a person's life expectancy.

Question 12

Since starting school Sam had struggled with math. His teacher offered to help him after school. Now Sam does well on his math assignments. The example of Sam's teacher helping him to improve his math ability is an example of how nature can influence development.

Question 13

The science of human development only examines how people change over time.

Question 14

Individuals in the same cohort are exposed to the same values, events, and technologies of era. They are not necessarily exposed to the same culture.

Question 15

The cohort born between 1965 and 1980 is called the baby boom generation.

Question 16

If Dr. Hall conducts a study in the exact same way that Dr. Jeeves did but uses different participants than Dr. Jeeves does, Dr. Hall is demonstrating replication.

Question 17

Socioeconomic status is also called social class.

Question 18

Most periods of development are critical periods.

Question 19

The term epigenetic refers to the study of the effects of environmental forces on genetic expression.

Question 20

Although past research suggested that depression could be caused by a number of different factors, research has now found that depression is caused by only one factor: genes.

Question 21

The foundation of psychoanalytic theory is inner drives and motives.

Question 22

Erikson's stages of psychosocial development cover only the early years of life.

Question 23

Maslow's first level of needs involves physiological needs.

Question 24

Scientists believe that race is genetic.

Question 25

A developmental theory is a systematic statement of general principles that provides a framework for understanding how and why people change as they grow older.

Question 26

Evolutionary theory is based on the idea that thoughts and expectations affect actions.

Question 27

In operant conditioning, an individual follows a modeled behavior.

Question 28

In classical conditioning, a meaningful stimulus becomes linked to a neutral stimulus.

Question 29

The needs in Maslow's hierarchy are physiological, safety, love and belonging, esteem, and self-actualization.

Question 30

Race and ethnicity are the same thing.

Question 31

Culture refers to a system of shared beliefs, conventions, norms, behaviors, and expectations.

Question 32

Piaget's first stage of cognitive development is the sensorimotor stage.

Question 33

According to the dynamic-systems approach, human development is a static process.

Question 34

Maslow's idea of self-actualization refers to being respected, successful, and admired.

Question 35

According to evolutionary theory, every species has two long-standing, biologically based drives: survival and reproduction.

Question 36

According to John B. Watson, psychologists should study observable behavior.

Question 37

The difference-equals-deficit error may lead people to believe that their nation or culture is better than others.

Question 38

Theories undermine the development of hypotheses.

Question 39

The main advantage of scientific observation as a research method is that it allows the scientist to determine cause and effect.

Question 40

According to Freud, the first stage of psychosexual development during infancy is the genital stage.

Question 41

The purpose of a survey is to allow a researcher to collect data quickly from a large population.

Question 42

A researcher designed and conducted an experiment to learn if 350 mg of a certain drug would help patients with bipolar disorder. By designing and conducting this experiment the researcher was able to _____.

A) draw conclusions
B) demonstrate proof
C) test the hypothesis
D) confirm the results

Question 43

When two variables are not connected, the correlation between them is zero.

Question 44

Dr. Amrit predicts that a certain drug will help patients with schizophrenia. Her prediction is called _____.

A) a conclusion
B) empirical evidence
C) a hypothesis
D) a result

Question 45

Cohort-sequential research is a combination of a cross-sectional approach and a longitudinal approach.

Question 46

In longitudinal research, the same people are measured at multiple assessment points over a period of time.

Question 47

What does the science of human development seek to understand?

A) the meaning of life
B) theories that have not been subjected to scientific testing
C) the works of Freud, Piaget, and Erikson
D) how and why people change over time

Question 48

In an experiment, the group receiving the special treatment is referred to as the comparison group.

Question 49

The second step in the scientific method involves _____.

A) posing a question
B) conducting research
C) developing a hypothesis
D) sharing the results

Question 50

Dr. Whitmore is curious to know more about how children develop over time. To gain an understanding of this subject not based on opinion or personal bias, Dr. Whitmore should _____.

A) use the scientific method to collect data and establish facts
B) have the children undergo psychoanalysis
C) talk with many children's parents
D) read Dr. Spock's book, Baby and Child Care

Question 51

Dr. Webber wonders if a specific brain chemical can be suppressed if a patient is given a large dose of vitamin E. This is a demonstration of the _____ step in the scientific method.

A) first
B) second
C) third
D) fourth

Question 52

Dr. Tucker wanted to learn how aggressive behavior changed as people aged. He designed a study in which he assessed aggression among a hundred 3-year-olds and then re-assessed aggression among these individuals every three years until the participants were 21-year-olds. Dr. Tucker's research design was cross-sectional.

Question 53

The third step in the scientific method involves _____.

A) posing a question
B) conducting research
C) sharing the results
D) developing a hypothesis

Question 54

A hypothesis is a(n) _____.

A) experiment
B) prediction that can be tested
C) conclusion drawn from research
D) replication of a scientific study

Question 55

Empirical evidence is based on _____.

A) theories and speculation
B) observation, experience, or experiment
C) inferences based on personal biases
D) opinions generated by several groups of people

Question 56

A researcher's first step when designing a research study on children's language acquisition is to _____.

A) recruit children and their parents as participants in the study
B) develop a hypothesis on the way language is acquired in children
C) pose a research question about language acquisition
D) draw conclusions on the way children acquire language

Question 57

Most research conducted on humans cannot begin without the approval of the Institutional Review Board.

Question 58

The first step in the scientific method involves _____.

A) posing a question
B) conducting research
C) supporting or refuting a hypothesis
D) developing a hypothesis

Question 59

One problem with the data from surveys is that participants may not tell the truth.

Question 60

Dr. Allen failed to inform a participant in his research study that her participation was voluntary. Dr. Allen was being ethical in conducting the study, as sharing with the participant that research participation is voluntary is not part of informed consent.

Question 61

Dr. Seldor conducts a study in which she finds that alcohol consumption is correlated to an increased risk of diabetes. She publishes her results. Dr. Al-Jaher performs the same study using different participants in another nation. Dr. Al-Jaher's work is an example of _____.

A) scientific controversy
B) replication
C) empirical evidence
D) a hypothesis

Question 62

Which is an example of the influence of nature?

A) having a mother who smoked during pregnancy
B) having the gene for epilepsy
C) eating a healthy diet
D) living in a loud neighborhood

Question 63

Dr. Kong conducts a study in which he finds that smoking is correlated to an increased risk of high blood pressure. He publishes his results. Dr. Meco conducts the same study using different participants in another city. Dr. Meco's work is an example of _____.

A) scientific controversy
B) replication
C) ethics
D) observation

Question 64

Genes and environmental forces both shape development, which has led to the understanding that many human characteristics are _____.

A) plastic
B) epigenetic
C) static
D) diverse

Question 65

In development, nurture refers to _____.

A) universal traits
B) biological traits
C) environmental influences
D) unique traits

Question 66

The final step of the scientific method is to _____.

A) test a hypothesis
B) pose a question
C) conduct research
D) report the results

Question 67

After posing a question, a researcher using the scientific method _____.

A) draws conclusions
B) runs an experiment
C) selects a group of participants
D) develops a hypothesis

Question 68

What is replication of a study?

A) the repetition of a study using different participants
B) the repetition of a study using the same participants
C) designing a new study based on information from a previous study
D) designing a new study using new ideas and information

Question 69

Development is the result of _____ , according to most developmental psychologists.

A) nature and nurture acting separately
B) primarily nature
C) nature and nurture acting together
D) primarily nurture

Question 70

The life-span perspective takes into account development from _____.

A) birth to death
B) childhood to middle age
C) the last decade of life
D) conception to death

Question 71

Greg, who is 5 years old, is the tallest person in his kindergarten class. When his teacher asked him how he thought he got so tall, he said proudly, "My mom and dad are tall and I eat good food!" Greg's statement reflects that he understands that human development comes from _____.

A) heredity
B) the environment
C) learning
D) environment and heredity combined

Question 72

Parents who believe in the importance of _____ as it relates to development are likely to spend a great deal of time and money trying to find the best school for their children.

A) nurture
B) replication
C) nature
D) classical conditioning

Question 73

The different domains of human development are _____, cognitive, and psychosocial.

A) nurture
B) epigenetics
C) differential susceptibility
D) biological

Question 74

What is epigenetics?

A) the study of defective human genes
B) the study of how the environment affects which genes are expressed
C) a theory that states that nature matters more than nurture
D) a theory that explains how motivation can change one's biology

Question 75

The term for all the environmental influences that affect development after conception is _____.

A) proteins
B) nurture
C) nature
D) amino acids

Question 76

Differential susceptibility means that certain people have genes that _____.

A) make them more vulnerable to particular experiences
B) contribute similarly to a specific developmental outcome
C) do not impact development within the context of particular experiences
D) have an unknown impact on individuals

Question 77

Dr. Towne believes that heredity is primarily responsible for personality traits. Dr. West believes that environmental influences are primarily responsible for personality traits. They are on different sides of the _____ debate.

A) nature versus nurture
B) intelligent design versus evolution
C) genes versus development
D) traits versus conditioning

Question 78

The fourth step in the scientific method involves _____.

A) posing a question
B) conducting research
C) developing a hypothesis
D) supporting or refuting a hypothesis

Question 79

_____ is the idea that people vary in how sensitive they are to particular experiences.

A) Nurture
B) Epigenetics
C) Differential susceptibility
D) The life-span perspective

Question 80

Nature refers to _____ in development.

A) the genes people inherit
B) environmental influences
C) patterns of development
D) developmental differences