Question 1

Empathy means that the child can

Accepted Answer

Empathy is the ability to understand and share the feelings of others. It means being able to recognize and respond to the emotional experiences of other people. None of the other choices accurately describe empathy.

Question 2

Which factor does NOT contribute to children's altruism in collectivistic cultures, such as China?

Accepted Answer

The factor that does not contribute to children's altruism in collectivistic cultures, such as China, is that children are encouraged to act independently. Collectivistic cultures emphasize cooperation and interdependence within the group, rather than individualism and independence. Children are taught to prioritize the needs of the group over their own individual desires.

Question 3

A parent shuts off the TV when an injured victim of terrorism describes what it was like to be crushed under tons of debris. The parent is now personally upset and feels

Accepted Answer

The parent is experiencing self-oriented distress, which is a type of personal distress. They are upset due to their own feelings of discomfort or anxiety, rather than feeling empathy or guilt for the victim.

Question 4

Parents should try to encourage the child to develop a sense of ____ because it promotes altruism.

Accepted Answer

Sympathetic empathic arousal refers to the ability to understand and feel the emotions of others. Developing this sense can lead to increased empathy and altruism in children. It can also help children build stronger relationships and ultimately lead to greater social and emotional well-being. Situational compliance refers to adjusting one's behavior to fit the demands of a specific situation, negative reinforcement involves increasing a behavior by removing an aversive stimulus, and hostile attributional bias involves perceiving ambiguous actions of others as intentionally harmful. None of these are directly related to promoting altruism in children.

Question 5

Following a televised terrorist bombing, a viewer turns off the TV because the images of injured victims are highly upsetting to her. This illustrates

Accepted Answer

The viewer's reaction can be attributed to self-oriented distress, which is an emotional state triggered by witnessing or hearing about a traumatic event that does not directly affect one's own life. The viewer turns off the TV to avoid continued exposure to the upsetting images and protect herself from the distress. This is a common coping mechanism for individuals who experience distress from exposure to traumatic events in the media. The other options do not accurately describe the situation.

Question 6

A girl imagines that an unknown boy shown on TV will feel lonely and sorry because he just lost both parents during a terrorist attack. The girl experiences

Accepted Answer

Sympathetic empathic arousal refers to feeling emotional resonance with the suffering of another. In this scenario, the girl is imagining the pain and loneliness the boy is experiencing, which elicits sympathetic empathic arousal in her. Inhibitory control refers to the ability to control one's impulses and emotions, which is not applicable here as the girl is feeling emotions. Passive victimization refers to becoming a victim without actively engaging in any harm or wrongdoing, which is also not applicable here. Lastly, self-oriented distress refers to distress experienced due to personal situations or problems, which is not applicable here as the distress the girl is feeling is due to imagining the boy's situation.

Question 7

Altruism is inhibited by

Accepted Answer

Self-oriented distress, such as personal discomfort or anxiety, can inhibit altruistic behavior because the individual is focused on their own emotional state rather than the needs of others. This can lead to a decreased willingness to help others, even if it is the morally or socially expected behavior.

Question 8

The motto of Presbyterian College is, "As We Live, We Serve." Among PC graduates, this motto aims to elicit altruistic behavior based on

Accepted Answer

The motto "As We Live, We Serve" suggests that PC graduates should be guided by a sense of responsibility to help others, indicating that the motto aims to elicit altruistic behavior based on felt responsibility.

Question 9

In the 1954 movie, The Magnificent Obsession, Rock Hudson portrays a rich playboy who becomes a physician to atone for a serious accidental injury he caused. His character's medical career was motivated by

Accepted Answer

Rock Hudson's character's medical career was motivated by felt responsibility, as he felt guilty about the injury he caused and sought to make amends by becoming a physician. This is evident throughout the movie as he takes great care in treating his patients and tries to live up to the high standard set by his mentor, who believed in serving others before oneself.

Question 10

Nursery-school children often act out prosocially with kindness

Accepted Answer

Nursery-school children often act out prosocially with kindness during pretend play because they are able to explore different roles and scenarios in a safe and imaginative environment.

Question 11

In which of these countries do children display the LEAST altruistic behavior?

Accepted Answer

Research studies on children's altruistic behavior have shown that children in the United States display the least altruistic behavior compared to children in other countries such as Mexico, the Philippines, and Kenya. Studies have attributed this to cultural differences in individualism versus collectivism and the emphasis on competition and self-promotion in American society.

Question 12

Jonas Salk developed the first polio vaccine. When he accepted the Nobel Prize, he said, "The greatest reward for serving others is the opportunity to do further service." Salk's statement suggests that his efforts were motivated by

Accepted Answer

Salk's statement implies that his motivation for developing the polio vaccine was not driven by personal gain or curiosity, but rather a desire to serve others. This aligns with the concept of altruism, or selfless concern for the welfare of others, which is reflected in his statement.

Question 13

Children's altruism is ____ in collectivist cultures as compared with individualistic cultures.

Accepted Answer

Collectivist cultures prioritize group harmony and cooperation over individual achievement, leading children to be more likely to exhibit altruistic behaviors. In contrast, individualistic cultures value autonomy and individual success, which may lead children to prioritize their own needs over others.

Question 14

A child feels compassion for family members of the victims of a televised terrorist attack, even though the attack occurred in a distant city. The child expresses

Accepted Answer

The child's feeling of compassion for family members of the victims of a televised terrorist attack in a distant city suggests sympathetic empathic arousal. This means the child is able to empathize with the suffering of others and feel their pain. Option A, self-oriented distress, refers to feelings of personal discomfort or anxiety, which are not relevant in this context. Option C, a hostile attributional bias, is an inclination to attribute negative actions to others without sufficient evidence. This option is also irrelevant in this scenario. Option D, negative reinforcement refers to the removal of an unpleasant stimulus in response to a behavior, which is not applicable here.

Question 15

With regard to altruism, girls tend to

Accepted Answer

The answer of With regard to altruism, girls tend to
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Question 16

Self-serving responses to moral dilemmas, emphasizing one's own needs or interests, is especially common among

Accepted Answer

Preschoolers are more likely to exhibit self-serving responses to moral dilemmas because their cognitive and moral development is at a stage where understanding others' perspectives and empathizing with them is still developing. They tend to focus on their own needs and desires.

Question 17

During a disaster, a doctor refuses to rest because she feels obliged to do all that she can to save more victims. Her efforts are motivated by

Accepted Answer

The doctor's actions are motivated by a felt responsibility to do all she can to save more victims.

Question 18

____ discourages altruism, while ____ encourages altruism.

Accepted Answer

Self-oriented distress, or feeling upset by someone else's distress, can lead to sympathetic empathic arousal, or a desire to help ease their distress. This encourages altruism. On the other hand, power assertion, or the use of force or coercion to get one's way, can discourage altruism.

Question 19

During the preschool years, there is a shift in altruism from

Accepted Answer

During the preschool years, children begin to engage in more real acts of helpfulness toward others, rather than just pretend play. This indicates a shift in altruism from egocentric self-directed concerns to concern for others.

Question 20

The child's prosocial moral reasoning

Accepted Answer

Prosocial moral reasoning refers to reasoning that promotes altruistic or helpful behavior towards others. Therefore, option C is the correct answer as it states that this type of reasoning encourages altruistic behavior. The other options are incorrect as instrumental aggression (option A) involves using aggression as a means of achieving a goal, and this is not aligned with prosocial moral reasoning. Similarly, option B stating that prosocial moral reasoning develops in a coercive home environment is not supported by research. Finally, option D, stating that prosocial moral reasoning encourages egocentric, selfish actions, is also incorrect as these two approaches are in opposition to each other.

Quiz 13: Aggression, Altruism, and Moral Development