Deck 11: The Developing Mind Life Span Development

Question 1

A 40-year-old woman has a greater probability of giving birth to a child with Down syndrome than a 25-year-old woman because the 40-year-old woman is more likely to

A) produce a flawed egg due to body aging, leading to chromosomal abnormalities.
B) have eggs that suffer genetic mutations, leading to recessive illnesses.
C) experience more exposure to harmful environmental influences, leading to faulty cell division.
D) fail to produce eggs rapidly enough, leading to eggs that are not fully developed at the time of ovulation.

Answer 1

experience more exposure to harmful environmental influences, leading to faulty cell division.

Question 2

In whose life have epigenetic processes likely played the most dominant role?

A) 5-year-old Blanca, who is a happy girl with many friends.
B) 20-year-old Tristan, who grew up in a neighborhood of poverty and violence and went on to become a successful architect.
C) 30-year-old Naomi, who is from a wealthy family that has experienced a number of tragedies.
D) 65-year-old Oliver, who has worked hard as a truck driver since he was 19.

Answer 2

65-year-old Oliver, who has worked hard as a truck driver since he was 19.

Question 3

The ectoderm develops into

A) muscle and skeleton.
B) nerve tissue and skin.
C) endocrine and respiratory organs.
D) reproductive and excretory organs.

Answer 3

nerve tissue and skin.

Question 4

What is a teratogen?

A) A stimulus that results in heightened reflexes in the fetus
B) An abnormality in physiological development
C) A condition resulting from alcohol consumption by the mother during pregnancy
D) Any agent that can harm the zygote, embryo, or fetus

Question 5

The study of human development considers changes in behavior

A) due to genetic history.
B) that correlate with growth or maturation.
C) due to experience with one's surroundings.
D) that correlate with environmental factors.

Question 6

Which scenario best exemplifies an ecological approach to development?

A) Eileen first walked on her own around the time of her first birthday.
B) Gwen was born at 39 weeks and weighed 8½ pounds.
C) Leo was toilet trained at 20 months, a standard approach for his community.
D) As a newborn, Loren would grasp his father's finger when he placed it in his hand.

Question 7

In the United States, about _____ % of babies are born prematurely or before 37 weeks of pregnancy.

A) 5
B) 12
C) 19
D) 24

Question 8

How can parents positively influence earlier formation and timing of autobiographical memories in children?

A) By encouraging more emotion knowledge
B) By encouraging more general information knowledge
C) By encouraging more collective culture knowledge
D) By modeling the customary roles of children and adults

Question 9

A mother's use of alcohol, tobacco, marijuana, or cocaine during pregnancy can significantly reduce

A) the development of the amygdala in her child's brain.
B) the volume of gray matter in her child's brain.
C) the development of the hippocampus in her child's brain.
D) the volume of white matter in her child's brain.

Question 10

When referring to humans, which of these terms describes a developing organism from 3 weeks to 8 weeks following conception?

A) Embryo
B) Fetus
C) Zygote
D) Ovum

Question 11

Which of the following is not a common teratogen?

A) SSRI antidepressant medications
B) Alcohol
C) Folic acid
D) HIV infection

Question 12

Development is believed to

A) proceed gradually and smoothly over time.
B) be continuous in some aspects and discontinuous in others.
C) be discontinuous in underlying processes and continuous in their observable aspect.
D) proceed somewhat abruptly from one stage to the next.

Question 13

Which of the following is an accurate statement?

A) Epigenetic tags continue to accumulate in response to ongoing experience throughout the life span.
B) Epigenetic tags are formed in the early life span but deteriorate in old age.
C) Epigenetic tags replace internal signals in driving physical growth after birth.
D) Epigenetic tags only form during prenatal development due to external influences such as the mother's diet.

Question 14

With regard to developmental themes, your text emphasizes the

A) genetic heritage of individuals.
B) influence of families on behavior.
C) interactions between nature and nurture.
D) environmental influences on development.

Question 15

Which term describes a developing organism between 8 and approximately 40 weeks following conception in humans?

A) Zygote
B) Ovum
C) Embryo
D) Fetus

Question 16

Contemporary views of human development focus on age-related changes that occur

A) from infancy to puberty.
B) during childhood and adolescence.
C) until the brain is fully developed.
D) across the entire life span.

Question 17

During prenatal development the _____ begins to differentiate into the cells of the ectoderm, mesoderm, and endoderm?

A) placenta
B) fetus
C) zygote
D) embryo

Question 18

In humans, zygote is the correct term for a developing organism during which period of time?

A) Between 8 and 40 weeks after conception
B) During the first 2 weeks following conception
C) During the period of greatest growth and maturation
D) Between 3 and 8 weeks following conception

Question 19

During pregnancy, which organ provides the developing fetus with nutrients and oxygen, and protects it from exposure to a variety of toxins and disease-causing agents?

A) Placenta
B) Ovaries
C) Uterus
D) Endoderm

Question 20

Amie continued to drink heavily after work throughout her pregnancy. Her daughter, now 4 years old, has physical abnormalities, including an underdeveloped jaw and thin upper lip, and cognitive and behavioral problems. She most likely has

A) Down syndrome.
B) fetal alcohol syndrome.
C) hydrocephalus.
D) spina bifida.

Question 21

Newborns show an innate preference for looking at faces. This preference

A) is uniquely human and has never been observed in primates or lower animals.
B) lacks an adaptive advantage and, in the modern world, may have no use at all.
C) quickly recedes after the first month and disappears by three months.
D) provides advantages relative to the importance of social relationships.

Question 22

Which of the following is characteristic of 5-alpha-reductase syndrome?

A) Small head, thin upper lip, and folds under the eyes
B) Ambiguous genitalia at birth with later masculinization at puberty
C) Masculinized external genitalia of genetic females
D) Premature birth and being underweight

Question 23

What role does habituation play in evaluating a baby's sensory capacities?

A) When the baby spends equal time looking at two stimuli, he or she has likely learned to distinguish between them.
B) When the baby cries while looking at a familiar stimulus, he or she likely is not yet habituated to it.
C) When the baby cries while looking at an unfamiliar stimulus, he or she has likely become habituated to it.
D) When the baby spends equal time looking at two stimuli, he or she likely cannot tell the difference between them.

Question 24

Jasper is just 2 weeks old. His mother strokes his cheek and he turns toward the touch and opens his mouth. This is called the _____ reflex.

A) palmar
B) sucking
C) Moro
D) rooting

Question 25

Penny has decided to nurse her newborn son instead of using bottles and formula. She noticed that her son nurses for different amounts of time based on what Penelope has eaten that day. Which of the following snacks would be likely to lead the baby to breastfeed for the longest amount of time?

A) A salad with bitter greens
B) A snack of sour gumdrops
C) A bowl of salty pretzels
D) A plate of sweet pastries

Question 26

Bilingual individuals who learn language after the age of 10 or so process their second languages

A) the same as native-language speakers but with an accent.
B) the same as trilingual language speakers that learned their languages before 10.
C) differently from native-language speakers.
D) the same as native-language speakers but with more difficulty in learning the language.

Question 27

We produce many more synapses than we need, and then retain only those that are used in a "use it or lose it" fashion. What does this demonstrate?

A) The discontinuous model of development
B) The universal approach to development
C) The dominance of nature over nurture
D) The important role of experience in wiring the brain

Question 28

The average age at which each motor milestone is met

A) applies equally to almost all children.
B) falls within a wide range of normal development.
C) varies greatly depending on culture.
D) is a fairly precise measure of how each child is likely to develop.

Question 29

Research has shown that young infants do not see detail at a distance as well as adults do and need more contrast than adults in order to see well. According to the text, what research method was used?

A) Assessment of anxiety levels when the primary caregiver is at various distances
B) Observation of facial expressions and head movements as well as the duration and intensity of suckling during feedings
C) Measurement of the amount of time the baby spends viewing a pattern rather than a uniform screen
D) Qualitative interviews with parents and other caretaking adults

Question 30

To which of the following tastes will a newborn react most favorably?

A) Bitter
B) Sour
C) Salty
D) Sweet

Question 31

A spurt in myelination occurs between the ages of 6 and 13 years in parts of the brain associated with

A) visual acuity.
B) emotional functioning.
C) language and spatial relations.
D) memory.

Question 32

In what order do the following steps of development occur?

A) Roll, sit, hop, raise head, walk
B) Raise head, roll, sit, walk, hop
C) Raise head, sit, roll, hop, walk
D) Sit, roll, raise head, hop, walk

Question 33

All of the following are characteristic of fetal alcohol syndrome EXCEPT

A) thin upper lip.
B) underdeveloped jaw.
C) large eye openings.
D) folds near eyes.

Question 34

Leanne is in first grade and works hard to print her alphabet letters on the lines on her notebook. In which direction is this motor development proceeding?

A) From toe to head
B) From waist to head and feet at the same time
C) From fingers to hands and from toes to feet
D) From midline to extremities

Question 35

Madelyn traveled to Brazil during her pregnancy. At her 7-month checkup it was found that her baby had an abnormally small brain. It is likely that Madelyn's baby was exposed to the mosquito-borne

A) Herpes Simplex B virus.
B) Ebola virus.
C) HERV-W (syncytin) virus.
D) Zika virus.

Question 36

Ada is almost 1 month old. What does he spend most of his day doing?

A) Crying
B) Eating
C) Sleeping
D) Defecating and urinating

Question 37

What is the likely purpose of the palmar reflex?

A) Unknown as it disappears as nervous system matures
B) A possible evolutionary remnant allowing primates to cling to an adult's fur
C) A possible precursor to walking
D) A behavior that helps the baby nurse

Question 38

During what time period does the human brain show rapid growth in gray matter?

A) During the first two trimesters of the pregnancy
B) In the latter months of pregnancy and for the first 18 months of life
C) From birth through middle to late childhood
D) All the way through adolescence and into early adulthood

Question 39

HIV can be passed from mother to baby at any of the following times EXCEPT

A) during pregnancy.
B) through close cuddling.
C) at birth.
D) while breast-feeding.

Question 40

Sam was 7 pounds at birth. He is a healthy baby. How much does he likely weigh now that he is 1 year old?

A) 10 pounds
B) 14 pounds
C) 21 pounds
D) 28 pounds

Question 41

Which of the following is an accurate definition of assimilation?

A) The incorporation of new learning into an existing schema that requires revision of the schema
B) The ability to understand that changing the form or appearance of an object does not change its quantity
C) The incorporation of new learning into an existing schema, without the need to revise the schema
D) The ability to form mental representations of objects that are no longer present

Question 42

Which of the following is true of Lev Vygotsky's view of cognitive development?

A) A child gains knowledge of the world by interacting socially and collaboratively with parents, teachers, and other members of the community.
B) A child learns to understand the world by actively exploring it, like a miniature scientist.
C) A child has a "zone" of development in which to learn how to accomplish tasks without help.
D) A child develops according to a species perspective, largely independent of culture.

Question 43

What is Piaget's name for the stage of development that begins at the age of 2 years and ends at the age of 6 years and is characterized by use of symbols, egocentrism, and limits on the ability to reason logically?

A) Formal operational stage
B) Concrete operational stage
C) Sensorimotor stage
D) Preoperational stage

Question 44

Alex is 15 years old. He doesn't have a part-time job, his grades are poor, and his parents are worried that he is skipping school. Recently Alex has become highly involved in political issues, including the legalization of medical use marijuana. According to Piaget, Alex is in the _____ stage of cognitive development.

A) concrete operational
B) formal operational
C) sensorimotor
D) preoperational

Question 45

For which of the following has Piaget's theory of cognitive development been criticized?

A) Piaget overestimated the capabilities of young children.
B) Piaget viewed the developing child in relative isolation from his or her family, community, and culture.
C) Piaget specified the wrong mechanisms responsible for moving from one stage to the next.
D) Piaget focused too much on the variability of individual cognitive development.

Question 46

According to the theory of Jean Piaget, how is egocentrism defined?

A) The limited ability to understand the point of view of other people
B) The ability to form mental representations of objects that are no longer present
C) The emotional bonding between an infant and a parent or caregiver
D) The ability to understand that others have thoughts that are different from one's own

Question 47

What is object permanence?

A) The ability to form mental representations of objects that are no longer present
B) The ability to understand the concept of "me" and "it"
C) The ability to incorporate new learning into an existing schema without the need to revise the schema
D) The ability to understand that changing the form or appearance of an object does not change its essence

Question 48

Children begin to prefer sex-typed toys between the ages of

A) 4 and 5 months.
B) 6 and 8 months.
C) 10 and 12 months.
D) 12 and 18 months.

Question 49

Stephan is 5 years old, and is able to put moderate-sized jigsaw puzzles together with the help of his older brother. If he tries to do the puzzle on his own, he will usually be unsuccessful. According to Lev Vygotsky, putting together these puzzles falls in Stephan's

A) zone of optimal development.
B) zone of proximal development.
C) schema of preoperational development.
D) range of accommodation.

Question 50

In some cultures, children are encouraged to walk earlier or later than what would be considered the average age in the United States (Super, 1976). With this in mind, which of the following statements is accurate?

A) Changes in the developmental timeline are virtually imperceptible because motor milestones are genetic.
B) Changes in the developmental timeline are generally quite dramatic depending on the culture.
C) Changes in the developmental timeline are usually slight because myelination of motor nerves usually just precedes the achievement of a new skill.
D) Changes in the developmental timeline can take place only during the spurt of myelination that occurs between ages 6 and 13.

Question 51

Baby Asha is sitting on the floor when her older brother sits down next to her. He takes her favorite stuffed rabbit out of her hands, holds it up, and then puts it behind his back. Within just a few seconds, Asha begins to cry. Her brother hands her back the rabbit, which stops the crying, but he doesn't understand why she didn't just look behind his back for the toy. What would be the reason for this?

A) Asha is in Piaget's formal operations stage of cognitive development and has not yet overcome centration.
B) Asha is in Piaget's concrete operations stage of cognitive development and has not yet overcome conservation.
C) Asha is in Piaget's preoperational stage of cognitive development and has not yet overcome egocentrism.
D) Asha is in Piaget's sensorimotor stage of cognitive development and has not yet mastered object permanence.

Question 52

The notion that even very young children seem to understand a great deal about objects and how they work, even before they've had much experience interacting with those objects, is called _____ theory.

A) naïve
B) operational
C) sociocultural
D) egocentric

Question 53

When Zach first started playing video games, he was able to focus very attentively on the game, but only for limited periods of time. By about sixth grade, his attention span started to lengthen significantly each year. Which model or theory does this exemplify?

A) Theory of mind
B) Zone of proximal development
C) Information processing model
D) Ecological development

Question 54

Which of the following is an accurate definition of accommodation?

A) The ability to form mental representations of objects that are no longer present
B) The incorporation of new learning into an existing schema, without the need to revise the schema
C) The ability to understand that changing the form or appearance of an object does not change its quantity
D) The incorporation of new learning into an existing schema that requires revision of the schema

Question 55

Vito, age 5, and his uncle are playing with cookie dough. They make two round balls of the same size. Vito flattens one ball of cookie dough into a pancake shape on the baking sheet and says, "Look, now this one has more dough." In this context, Vito does not yet understand

A) assimilation.
B) egocentrism.
C) conservation.
D) object permanence.

Question 56

Which of the following reflects the view of contemporary developmental psychologists and is in contrast to Piaget's analysis?

A) Children's abilities to understand objects in their world depend on their development of language abilities.
B) Very young children seem to understand a great deal about objects and how they work, even before they have had much experience interacting with them.
C) Very young children seem to understand a great deal about objects and how they work, once they have gained substantial experience interacting with them.
D) Children's abilities to understand objects in their world develop slowly over time.

Question 57

Little Janie is visiting the zoo for the first time and sees a wolf. She says, "Look, Mommy, a doggy." This is an example of

A) adaptation.
B) assimilation.
C) accommodation.
D) conservation.

Question 58

According to Lev Vygotsky's theory, cultures teach children not only what to think but also

A) what to remember.
B) how to achieve.
C) what to do.
D) how to think.

Question 59

Which of the following describes Piaget's sensorimotor stage of development?

A) The stage of development beginning at the age of 6 years and ending at the age of 12 years and characterized by logical but not abstract reasoning
B) The stage of development beginning at birth and ending at the age of 2 years and characterized by active exploration of the environment
C) The stage of development beginning at age 12 and extending through adulthood and characterized by mature reasoning capabilities
D) The stage of development beginning at the age of 2 years and ending at the age of 6 years and characterized by use of symbols, egocentrism, and limits on the ability to reason logically

Question 60

Louie is 10 years old. He is becoming quite good at arguing with his parents over such topics as what his bedtime should be and whether he has eaten enough of his dinner to have dessert. He loves toys and projects that involve hands-on learning but cannot yet handle abstract concepts. According to Piaget, Louie is in the _____ stage of cognitive development.

A) formal operational
B) sensorimotor
C) preoperational
D) concrete operational

Question 61

In which of the following two scenarios does Grace demonstrate that she has developed theory of mind? (1) Grace accidentally pops Max's red balloon. Max is furious and heartbroken. Grace tells her mother "Max thinks I did it on purpose."
(2) Grace and Max play contentedly side by side with their blocks. Max builds a tower and Grace pushes it over believing that Max will think, as she does, that watching it fall is fun.

A) Scenario (1) only
B) Scenario (2) only
C) Scenarios (1) and (2)
D) Neither scenario

Question 62

What is the pattern of infant - caregiver bonding that can take several different forms, but is generally characterized as less desirable for the child's outcomes than secure attachment?

A) Disorganized attachment
B) Insecure attachment
C) Anxious-ambivalent attachment
D) Avoidant attachment

Question 63

Marcus is about 1½ years old. His mother left him at a friend's house to play for the first time while she took the family car in for maintenance. Marcus did not show distress when his mother left nor did he immediately approach her when she returned. What pattern of attachment is this?

A) Avoidant
B) Secure
C) Disorganized
D) Anxious-ambivalent

Question 64

In the United States, but not in China, children with _____ showed lower levels of negative affect, such as anger.

A) lower negative affect
B) higher negative affect
C) higher effortful control
D) lower effortful control

Question 65

Behavioral regulation involves

A) empathy.
B) recognition of the child's perspective.
C) supervision.
D) inconsistent discipline.

Question 66

The parenting style that combines high behavioral regulation with low support is

A) authoritative.
B) indulgent.
C) authoritarian.
D) uninvolved.

Question 67

Parenting styles can be divided into four categories, which vary along _____ (Baumrind, 1975; Maccoby & Martin, 1983).

A) four dimensions: empathy, recognition, discipline, and expectations
B) two dimensions: parental support and behavioral regulation
C) three dimensions: empathy, supervision, and expectations
D) two dimensions: recognition and expectations

Question 68

What is an important elaboration of Piaget's concept of egocentrism?

A) Naïve theories
B) The information processing model
C) Attachment theory
D) Theory of mind

Question 69

Which of the following is a finding from Harry Harlow's study (1958) of rhesus monkeys and attachment?

A) The pleasure obtained through feeding formed the basis of the infant-mother bond.
B) The wire mothers with an attached milk bottle were the preferred source of comfort for food and emotional needs.
C) The infant was positively reinforced with food for staying near the mother.
D) The mother's ability to provide contact comfort was critical in forming a strong attachment on the part of her infant.

Question 70

Which of the following statements is true regarding studies that compared the frequencies of Ainsworth's three attachment types in the United States to frequencies in Japan and Germany?

A) The German sample had about the same number of securely attached infants as in the United States.
B) The German sample had many more infants with avoidant attachment than in the United States.
C) The Japanese sample had zero cases of anxious-ambivalent attachment.
D) The Japanese sample had higher proportions of avoidant attachments.

Question 71

The temperament traits of children, which are visible within the first few months of life, have been described along three dimensions (Mary Rothbart et al., 2007): surgency or extroversion, negative affect or mood, and

A) innate resilience.
B) effortful control.
C) empathy.
D) agreeableness.

Question 72

About the same time that infants begin to crawl, usually between 6 and 8 months, they also begin to show separation anxiety. This indicates that they

A) now recognize who does and does not belong in their social world.
B) have not bonded with any particular person or persons.
C) have an insecure form of attachment.
D) have an avoidant form of attachment.

Question 73

Mario is a high-school sophomore. His parents are strict but loving. They provide clear standards that are reasonable for his age and enforce them fairly. When he is given consequences for his actions, they are meant more to teach than to punish. Mario is sometimes invited to share his input on the rules that his parents set in the home. Mario's parents are using a(n) _____ parenting style.

A) authoritarian
B) authoritative
C) indulgent
D) uninvolved

Question 74

A failure to develop a typical theory of mind has been linked to the development of _____ (Gopnik, Capps, & Meltzoff, 2000).

A) Down syndrome
B) depression
C) autism spectrum disorder
D) language anomalies

Question 75

Fearful children with gentle parents tend to develop

A) fear of other adults.
B) self-confidence issues later in life.
C) aggressive behavior toward other children.
D) a strong internal sense of right and wrong.

Question 76

Rosa is 15 months of age. A new babysitter came to the house so Rosa's mother could focus on her writing in her office upstairs. Rosa was fine while her mother was still in the room with them but cried and cried when she left. Her mother returned an hour later, and Rosa ran over to her right away. What pattern of attachment is this?

A) Avoidant
B) Anxious-ambivalent
C) Disorganized
D) Secure

Question 77

A pattern of infant - caregiver bonding in which children explore confidently and return to the parent or caregiver for reassurance is called _____ attachment.

A) avoidant
B) insecure
C) secure
D) disorganized

Question 78

Which scenario exemplifies a key factor in predicting the timing of attachment?

A) Jayce has learned to sit up.
B) Jayce can say small sentences.
C) Jayce is starting to crawl.
D) Jayce can grasp his mother's hoop earring but does not let go.

Question 79

The emotional bonding linking an infant to a parent or caregiver is called

A) attachment.
B) reinforcement.
C) dependency.
D) goodness of fit.

Question 80

Children with disorganized attachment seem

A) disinterested when their mother leaves and upset at her when she returns.
B) distressed when their mother leaves and distressed when their mother returns.
C) happy when their mother leaves and sad when she returns.
D) confused and not well attached.