Question 1

You have noticed that your sister's baby, Carrie, is relatively inactive and does not seem to like new situations. She typically shows a mild dislike for new foods and unfamiliar places. After reading about Thomas and Chess's temperament classifications, you decide that Carrie has a(n) ________ temperament.

Accepted Answer

The description of Carrie's behavior matches the slow-to-warm-up temperament, which is characterized by mild discomfort with new situations and slow adaptation to change. The other options do not fit the description of Carrie's temperament.

Question 2

Adam's father likes to play with him because they both enjoy vigorous play. Adam's mother complains of having a hard time keeping up with Adam because he is a very busy infant who always seems to be getting into things. Adam is high on which dimension of temperament?

Accepted Answer

Activity level refers to the frequency and intensity of gross motor movements. Adam's behavior of always getting into things and his father's enjoyment of vigorous play suggests that he is high on the activity dimension of temperament.

Question 3

Six-month-old Erin eats and sleeps on a very regular schedule whereas 6-month-old Annie has very irregular eating and sleeping patterns. Erin and Annie differ in which of the following dimensions of temperament in the New York Longitudinal Study?

Accepted Answer

Rhythmicity refers to the regularity and predictability of biological functions, such as eating and sleeping patterns. Erin's regular schedule indicates a higher level of rhythmicity, while Annie's irregular patterns indicate a lower level of rhythmicity. A, therefore, is the correct choice. Activity level refers to the intensity of motor movements, adaptability refers to how easily a child can adjust to changes in their environment, and attention span and persistence refer to the child's ability to focus on a task for an extended period, which are not relevant to the scenario described.

Question 4

Who is most likely to say, "Mine!" while playing with toys?

Accepted Answer

According to developmental psychology, the concept of 'mine' emerges in toddlers at around 2 years of age as they develop self-awareness and a sense of ownership. Therefore, Parker, who is self-aware, is more likely to say "Mine!" during play compared to Denton, who is not self-aware.

Question 5

Evidence for growing self-awareness between the ages of 18 and 24 months includes the fact that children of this age

Accepted Answer

The statement "sometimes know their own age and gender" provides evidence for growing self-awareness between the ages of 18 and 24 months. Children at this age may not yet be able to recognize themselves in a mirror, refer to themselves by name, or differentiate between photos of themselves and other children. However, research shows that they may have some basic knowledge of their own identity, such as knowing their age and gender.

Question 6

Studies of temperament in twins have found that

Accepted Answer

Identical twins are more alike in temperament than fraternal twins. This suggests that genetics play a larger role in determining temperament than environmental factors.

Question 7

According to Thomas and Chess's temperament categories, a difficult baby and a slow-to-warm-up baby would be alike in that they both would

Accepted Answer

Both difficult and slow-to-warm-up babies would show a dislike for new situations, as they are more hesitant and cautious when it comes to unfamiliar experiences.

Question 8

While Whitney is an infant who seems to prefer being with other people to being alone, Jill is an infant who appears to be perfectly content to play by herself. On which dimension of temperament do Whitney and Jill differ?

Accepted Answer

The dimension of temperament that Whitney and Jill differ on is sociability. Whitney prefers being with other people while Jill is content playing by herself. The other dimensions of temperament (emotionality, approach/avoidance, and activity) are not relevant to the difference between Whitney and Jill's behavior in this scenario.

Question 9

Adriana often cries, responds intensely to new situations, does not have regular eating and sleeping schedules, and is very active. Adriana most closely fits Thomas and Chess's ________ temperament classification.

Accepted Answer

The characteristics described (intense reactions, irregular eating and sleeping, and high activity level) are all associated with the difficult temperament classification according to Thomas and Chess.

Question 10

Jevan is an infant who seems to cry easily and who is difficult to console once he starts crying. Jevan would be high on which dimension of temperament?

Accepted Answer

Jevan's crying easily and being difficult to console are both indicative of high emotionality, which refers to the intensity of emotional reactions.

Question 11

Irina tends to be a happy and cheerful baby who adjusts well to new situations. She sleeps, eats, and toilets on a regular schedule. Thomas and Chess would categorize Irina's temperament as

Accepted Answer

Thomas and Chess identified three temperament categories: easy, difficult, and slow-to-warm-up. Babies with an easy temperament "tended to be happy, regular in their schedules of eating, sleeping, and bowel movements, adaptable to new situations, accepting of new experiences, and not overly sensitive or reactive to stimuli." This description matches Irina's behavior, so she would be categorized as having an easy temperament.

Question 12

Buss and Plomin define emotionality as

Accepted Answer

Buss and Plomin define emotionality as the strength of an infant's response to a situation, how easily a response is triggered, and how easily an infant can be returned to a nonemotional state. This definition emphasizes the emotional reactivity of the infant and their ability to regulate their emotions. Options A, B, and C do not reflect this definition.

Question 13

________ refers to a preference for being with other people.

Accepted Answer

Sociability refers to a person's preference for being with other people. It is a trait associated with extroversion, which is characterized by outgoing, sociable, and talkative behavior. Emotionality, approach/avoidance, and activity are traits that are not directly related to a preference for being with other people.

Question 14

Which of the following is not one of the dimensions of temperament that was proposed by Buss and Plomin?

Accepted Answer

Buss and Plomin proposed four dimensions of temperament: emotionality, activity, sociability, and impulsivity. Rhythmicity is not one of their proposed dimensions.

Question 15

According to the dimensions of temperament used in the New York Longitudinal Study, approach/withdrawal refers to

Accepted Answer

Approach/withdrawal refers to the child's initial response of either accepting or rejecting a novel object or situation. The other options refer to different dimensions of temperament, such as activity level and distractibility.

Question 16

An infant's consistent mood and style of behaviour is called

Accepted Answer

Temperament refers to an infant's consistent mood and style of behaviour, which can include factors such as activity level, adaptability, and emotional reactivity. Emotionality, rhythmicity, and intensity of reaction can all be part of an infant's temperament, but they do not encompass the full range of traits and characteristics that make up an individual's temperament.

Question 17

Temperament is defined as

Accepted Answer

Temperament refers to an infant's consistent mood and style of behaviour, so option D is correct. Option A describes activity level, option B describes adaptability, and option C describes the regularity of biological functions, all of which are related to but different from temperament.

Question 18

Twenty- to twenty-eight-month-olds who are self-aware are

Accepted Answer

Self-awareness is the ability to recognize oneself as an individual separate from others. This sense of individuality and ownership can lead to possessiveness over objects, hence, self-aware 20- to 28-month-olds are more likely to say "Mine!" when playing with toys than children who are not self-aware.

Question 19

Your friend, Sandy, interacts with her baby very abruptly. You would expect her baby to be

Accepted Answer

Abrupt and inconsistent interactions with a caregiver can lead to a difficult temperament in babies, characterized by negative moods, low adaptability, and intense reactions. Research suggests that parenting practices and early experiences contribute to the development of a child's temperament, rather than solely being determined by heredity.

Question 20

Results of the New York Longitudinal Study indicated that the largest group of babies was the group referred to as

Accepted Answer

The New York Longitudinal Study found that the largest group of babies (approximately 40%) was the group of "easy" babies who had regular eating, sleeping, and elimination patterns and were generally happy and adaptable.

Quiz 7: Social and Emotional Development in Infants and Toddlers