Question 1

Julianna is interested in studying how family relationships affect development. Julianna is probably most interested in studying ____ influences.

Accepted Answer

Family relationships are considered part of the sociocultural influences on development, as they involve the social and cultural contexts in which a person grows and develops.

Question 2

Viviana notices that children seem to mature socially much faster in Costa Rica than in the Canada. Viviana is most likely to support a ____ position regarding human development.

Accepted Answer

Viviana's observation that social maturation rates vary between Costa Rica and Canada suggests she believes environment and cultural context significantly influence human development. This aligns with the context-specific position, which emphasizes the role of environmental and cultural factors in shaping development.

Question 3

Your friend David has decided to start studying human development because he hates studying biology. According to your text, will David find happiness in his new area of interest?

Accepted Answer

Studying human development requires an understanding of biological influences as they are integral to understanding overall human growth and development processes. Ignoring these factors would result in an incomplete understanding of the subject.

Question 4

Daisy and Rose are identical twins who were separated at birth. Daisy was raised in the United States, whereas Rose spent her childhood in Austria. Which force would likely explain most of the differences between their behaviors as teens?

Accepted Answer

Sociocultural forces would likely explain most of the differences between Daisy and Rose's behaviors as teens, given their upbringing in different cultural environments (the United States and Austria), which would influence their social norms, values, and behaviors.

Question 5

Lotte is listening to a lecture in which her professor states, "Genetic and cultural factors are important, but they alone cannot explain the development of human beings." Lotte's professor seems to be supporting the

Accepted Answer

The biopsychosocial framework integrates biological, psychological, and social factors to explain human development, aligning with the professor's statement that neither genetic (biological) nor cultural (social) factors alone can account for human development.

Question 6

Dr. Kim takes a strong nature position with regard to the origins of intellectual disabilities. Therefore, she would most likely hypothesize that her son's intellectual disability (formally known as mental retardation) is due to

Accepted Answer

The nature position emphasizes genetic, hereditary factors in the development of certain conditions, including intellectual disabilities. Therefore, Dr. Kim would likely hypothesize that her son's intellectual disability is due to his genes.

Question 7

The notion that development is best described in terms of a series of abrupt shifts in behavior best fits with the ____ approach.

Accepted Answer

The discontinuity approach to development posits that development occurs in distinct stages or steps, each characterized by abrupt changes in behavior or abilities, contrasting with the continuity approach which sees development as a gradual, continuous process.

Question 8

Because Dr. Bryant is interested in researching how people of different ages are affected by events, it would be most accurate to say that Dr. Bryant is most interested in studying ____ forces.

Accepted Answer

Life-cycle forces examine how different stages of life impact human behavior and experiences, fitting Dr. Bryant's interest in how events affect people of different ages.

Question 9

Cleo, a director of a daycare, uses terms like "pre-K," "K-3," and the "upper-elementary." These ideas are most compatible with a ____ view.

Accepted Answer

The terms "pre-K," "K-3," and "upper-elementary" suggest a categorization of developmental stages, which aligns with a discontinuity view. This perspective posits that development occurs in distinct stages that are qualitatively different from each other.

Question 10

When Clarisse says, "It doesn't matter if they are French, Swedish, or Chinese, kids are kids," she is espousing a ____ position concerning human development.

Accepted Answer

Clarisse's statement reflects a belief in universal characteristics of human development, suggesting that children's basic nature or behaviors do not significantly vary across different cultures or nationalities.

Question 11

Which item does not constitute a "psychological force"?

Accepted Answer

Heredity is a biological factor, not a psychological force, as it refers to the genetic transmission of traits from parents to offspring.

Question 12

Marcelia has been promoted and is moving her family to a new city in a different part of the country. Though four-year-old Fernando is very happy and makes the transition easily, 12-year-old Jorge is unhappy and has a very difficult time adjusting to the move. Both children generally adapt well to change. Which single set of factors best explains the different responses of Fernando and Jorge to the move?

Accepted Answer

The different responses of Fernando and Jorge can best be explained by life-cycle factors, which consider the different stages of development each child is in. At four years old, Fernando is likely more adaptable and less tied to his social environment than Jorge, who at 12 years old may have stronger social connections and a more developed sense of identity tied to his previous location.

Question 13

The field of ____ gives us information about how the four developmental forces interact with each other.

Accepted Answer

The answer of The field of ____ gives us information...

Question 14

Which term does not belong in this group?

Accepted Answer

"Hereditary" does not belong because it refers to genetic inheritance, while the other terms relate to external influences on development.

Question 15

Dr. Fletcher is attempting to determine whether adult criminals were rule-breakers throughout their childhood or whether they suddenly turned to a life of crime. Her research is most concerned with which issue of human development?

Accepted Answer

Dr. Fletcher's research focuses on whether the behavior of being a rule-breaker and turning to a life of crime is something that develops gradually over time (continuity) or appears suddenly (discontinuity). This directly relates to the issue of continuity versus discontinuity in human development.

Question 16

When asked why her sister Yvonne ended up in jail, Penny says, "She was always a mean, aggressive person. She really liked hurting people." Penny is relying on ____ forces to explain Yvonne's development.

Accepted Answer

Penny attributes Yvonne's behavior and subsequent jail time to her inherent personality traits, such as being mean and aggressive, which is an explanation based on psychological forces. These forces focus on internal processes, such as emotions, personality traits, and mental health issues.

Question 17

Mustafa is interested in determining whether children develop virtually the same way in Algeria as they do in other parts of the world. Mustafa's research deals primarily with the ____ issue of human development.

Accepted Answer

Mustafa's research focuses on whether developmental processes are similar worldwide or vary significantly across different contexts, which directly relates to the universal versus context-specific development issue.

Question 18

The scientific study of human development can best be described as

Accepted Answer

The scientific study of human development is multidisciplinary because it incorporates insights and methods from various fields such as psychology, biology, sociology, and education to understand the complexities of human growth and changes throughout the lifespan.

Question 19

What is a problem encountered by researchers assessing the effects of sociocultural forces?

Accepted Answer

Changing ethnic labels can lead to confusion and inconsistency in research, making it difficult to accurately assess and compare the effects of sociocultural forces over time.

Question 20

Benoit is interested in studying the effects of various biological forces on human development. Which topic is probably of least interest to him?

Accepted Answer

Cognition is more related to mental processes such as thinking, memory, and problem-solving, rather than biological forces directly influencing human development.

Quiz 1: The Study of Human Development