Question 1

In one study,a researcher monitored newborns' responses to the sound sequence "ba-ba-ba-ba-ba..." until their response habituated,and then substituted the sound "pa." What happened to the infants' responses,and what conclusion follows?

Accepted Answer

The answer of In one study,a researcher monitored newborns' responses...

Question 2

In pairs of twins where one baby was born much heavier than the other,which baby is at greater risk for developmental problems,such as mental retardation?

Accepted Answer

The answer of In pairs of twins where one baby...

Question 3

We now know that the detrimental effects of alcohol in infants is caused by

Accepted Answer

Alcohol causes a decrease in the total excitation of neurons, leading to their eventual self-destruction. This can result in developmental delays, cognitive impairment, and other neurological problems in infants exposed to alcohol in utero.

Question 4

What is the evidence that a newborn infant can detect the difference between "ba" and "pa" sounds?

Accepted Answer

The answer of What is the evidence that a newborn...

Question 5

What evidence do we have that newborn infants can distinguish between the sounds "ba" and "pa"?

Accepted Answer

The habituation-dishabituation method has been used to demonstrate that newborn infants can distinguish between the sounds "ba" and "pa." In this method, the infant is first presented with the sound "ba" repeatedly until they habituate, or become bored with it, which can be measured through a decrease in their sucking rate. When a new sound, "pa," is presented, infants typically increase their sucking rate, indicating they can distinguish between the two sounds. This method has been used with a variety of speech sounds and has shown that infants have the ability to discriminate between many different sounds of their native language(s) from birth.

Question 6

An investigator repeatedly plays a recording of the sound "ba" while checking the rate that an infant sucks on a nipple.After the infant's rate of sucking decreases,the investigator switches to the sound "pa." What is the investigator probably trying to determine?

Accepted Answer

The investigator is most likely trying to determine if the infant can detect the difference between the two sounds "ba" and "pa." This is because if the infant's rate of sucking changes in response to the change in sound, it suggests that the infant is able to discriminate between the two sounds. The other answer choices are less likely given the context of the experiment.

Question 7

Someone claims that "if a characteristic is highly heritable,then we cannot change that characteristic by changing the environment." An example that argues strongly against this claim is that

Accepted Answer

This example shows that even though a condition may have a strong genetic component (in the case of PKU, it is caused by a single gene), it can still be prevented or mitigated by changing the environment (in this case, through dietary intervention). This undermines the claim that highly heritable characteristics cannot be changed by changing the environment.

Question 8

Studies of phenylketonuria (PKU)provide particularly strong evidence for the conclusion that

Accepted Answer

Phenylketonuria (PKU) is a genetic disorder in which the body cannot process phenylalanine, an amino acid found in many foods. This results in the accumulation of phenylalanine in the blood and can lead to intellectual disability, seizures, and other complications. However, the severity of the condition can be affected by the environment, specifically by the amount of phenylalanine in the person's diet. Therefore, changes in the environment can alter the outcome of PKU, providing strong evidence that genetic conditions can be influenced by environmental factors.

Question 9

An infant is sucking on a nipple.Meanwhile,an investigator plays the sound "ba" repeatedly until the infant habituates to it.Then the investigator plays the sound "pa." What does the infant do,and what does that behavior indicate?

Accepted Answer

If the infant sucks more rapidly after hearing the sound "pa," it indicates that the infant can detect the difference between "pa" and "ba." This is because the infant is showing a preference for the new sound, which suggests that it can discriminate between the two sounds. This is a common method in studying infant perceptual abilities, known as the high-amplitude sucking method.

Question 10

We know that newborns weighing less than 4 pounds at birth have a high risk for developing mental retardation and experiencing low academic achievement later in life.What type of research would uncover these associations?

Accepted Answer

Correlational studies would be the best choice to uncover the associations between low birth weight and later intellectual outcomes. Correlational studies examine the relationship between two variables without manipulation of an independent variable, which is appropriate in this case since it is not ethical to intentionally manipulate birth weight. By examining the correlation between birth weight and later intellectual outcomes, researchers can determine the strength and direction of the relationship between the two variables.

Question 11

Occasionally someone claims that "if some behavioral condition is controlled by genes,then there is nothing we can do to change it." Which of the following phenomena provides the strongest,clearest evidence against that claim?

Accepted Answer

Phenylketonuria is a genetic disorder that affects the body's ability to process a specific amino acid called phenylalanine. Individuals with this disorder must follow a specific diet low in phenylalanine to prevent cognitive impairment and other health problems. The fact that diet can make a significant difference in the outcome of this genetic condition clearly demonstrates that genetics do not necessarily determine the end result and that environmental factors can have a substantial impact on gene expression.

Question 12

Beginning at about 8 weeks after conception and throughout the remainder of the prenatal period,a developing human is called

Accepted Answer

At about 8 weeks after conception, the developing human is considered a fetus, not an embryo or an infant. Blastula is an early stage of embryonic development, and is not the correct term for a developing human during the prenatal period.

Question 13

A small head,malformed face,heart,and ears,seizures,hyperactivity,and learning disabilities are all associated with

Accepted Answer

These are common symptoms of fetal alcohol syndrome, which occurs when a pregnant woman consumes alcohol and it harms the developing fetus. Parkinson's disease and prenatal exposure to caffeine are not known to cause these specific symptoms, and while there may be an increased risk of certain health issues with offspring of teenaged pregnancies, it is not necessarily linked to the specific symptoms mentioned.

Question 14

Women who smoke during pregnancy are more likely to give birth to infants that have

Accepted Answer

Smoking during pregnancy is linked with a range of negative outcomes for the child, including low birth weight, conduct disorders (especially with sons), and increased risk of serious health problems later in life. Therefore, the best choice is D - all of the above.

Question 15

Newborn babies weighing less than 4 pounds at birth are at considerable risk for eventual mental retardation and various behavior problems.Which of the following seems to be most responsible for this relationship?

Accepted Answer

Mothers of low-weight babies tend to be young or poor and unlikely to get proper medical or nutritional care for themselves or the babies, leading to increased risk for mental retardation and behavior problems in the newborns. Genetic factors (A) may play a role in low birth weight, but are not necessarily responsible for the negative outcomes. Hospitals typically provide specialized care for premature or low-weight infants (B), which may actually improve outcomes. While some small babies may have identifiable medical disorders (C), this does not account for the majority of cases.

Question 16

Two-day-old infants typically would spend the most time looking at a

Accepted Answer

Two-day-old infants are known to spend the most time looking at faces, particularly those with more prominent facial features such as eyes and a mouth. Therefore, a drawing of a human face is the best choice for the infants to spend the most time looking at.

Question 17

If children less than one year old get earlier than normal experience of locomotion,such as by crawling,then those children will be quicker than normal to develop signs of

Accepted Answer

Research in developmental psychology suggests that early locomotion experience, such as crawling, can lead to an earlier development of a fear of heights in infants. This is because as infants become more mobile, they gain more opportunities to learn about their environment, including the potential dangers of heights, leading to an adaptive fear response.

Question 18

When an infant hears a novel sound,the infant increases its sucking rate.After several presentations of the same sound,the sucking rate shows less of a response.This decrease in responding is called

Accepted Answer

Habituation is the decrease in response to a repeated or familiar stimulus, such as a sound. This is what occurs when an infant hears a novel sound and increases their sucking rate, but after several presentations of the same sound, the sucking rate shows less of a response. Sensitization is the opposite of habituation, where an individual becomes more responsive to a repeated stimulus. Reactivity is the general term for an individual's tendency to react to stimuli in their environment, and reflexive attenuation is not a commonly used term in this context.

Question 19

PKU is an inherited condition that can cause mental retardation.The retardation can be prevented by

Accepted Answer

The best choice is a special diet that limits foods containing phenylalanine, the amino acid that builds up to toxic levels in people with PKU. This can prevent mental retardation and other neurological problems. Taking L-DOPA pills or getting more sleep than usual does not treat the underlying cause of PKU. Special education programs may help individuals with PKU develop skills to cope with their condition, but alone they are not sufficient to prevent mental retardation.

Question 20

An infant's heart rate decreases when a tone is presented.After the tone has been presented 20 times,it no longer causes a change in heart rate.Then,on trial 21,the loudness of the tone is decreased.It is most likely that the heart rate will __________ as a result of __________.

Accepted Answer

The infant's heart rate had initially decreased in response to the tone, indicating habituation. After the tone had been presented 20 times, it no longer caused a change in heart rate, indicating that habituation had occurred. When the loudness of the tone is decreased on trial 21, this is a change in the stimulus and can lead to dishabituation, resulting in a change in heart rate. Therefore, it is likely that the heart rate will decrease as a result of dishabituation.

Quiz 5: Nature, nurture, and Human Development