Question 1

Which statement BEST describes the neurological explanation for risk-taking behavior in teens?
A) Myelination of the temporal lobe results in poor decision-making.
B) Due to neurotic pruning, the pleasure centers of the brain become "super-charged."
C) Estrogen and testosterone act like "cocaine" in the brain.
D) The pleasure areas develop prior to the areas that control behavior.

Accepted Answer

The neurological explanation for risk-taking behavior in teens is that the areas of the brain responsible for pleasure and reward (such as the amygdala) develop faster than the prefrontal cortex, which is responsible for decision-making, impulse control, and understanding consequences. This developmental imbalance leads to a greater propensity for risk-taking behaviors.

Question 2

According to Kohlberg's original theory, there are ____ levels of moral reasoning, each containing ____ stages.
A) two; two
B) three; two
C) two; three
D) three; three

Accepted Answer

Kohlberg's original theory of moral development includes three levels of moral reasoning, each containing two stages.

Question 3

Which statement concerning cognitive development in adolescence is TRUE?
A) Working memory and processing speed are more childlike than adultlike.
B) Working memory becomes adultlike, but processing speed remains childlike.
C) Processing speed becomes adultlike, but working memory remains childlike.
D) Working memory and processing speed are more adultlike than childlike.

Accepted Answer

During adolescence, both working memory and processing speed develop to become more adultlike, reflecting the significant cognitive growth that occurs during this period.

Question 4

While spending a day at Funtasia amusement park with their family, Polly (age 5) and her sister Dinah (age 15) met   Funder Dog, the theme park mascot, who gave them both a hug and waited patiently for both girls to take selfies with him. When drawing conclusions about theme park mascots:
A) both Polly and Dinah will conclude that all theme park mascots are friendly.
B) both Polly and Dinah will be wary of concluding that all theme park mascots are friendly.
C) Dinah will conclude that all theme park mascots are friendly, and Polly will be wary of concluding that all theme park mascots are friendly.
D) Polly will conclude that all theme park mascots are friendly, and Dinah will be wary of concluding that all theme park mascots are friendly.

Accepted Answer

Due to their age difference, Polly, being younger, is more likely to generalize her positive experience with Funder Dog to all theme park mascots, thinking they are all friendly. Dinah, being older, is more likely to understand that one positive experience does not necessarily apply to all individuals in a group, making her more cautious about generalizing her experience.

Question 5

Heuristics tend to be very:
A) sophisticated.
B) fast.
C) accurate.
D) analytical.

Accepted Answer

Heuristics are designed to be fast, allowing for quick decisions or problem-solving without the need for complex processing.

Question 6

Which concept describes the development of processing speed between ages 8 and 18?
A) Time needed to respond decreases at a consistent rate.
B) Time needed to respond decreases for the first years and then levels off.
C) Time needed to respond is constant for the first years and then decreases significantly.
D) Time needed to respond increases at a consistent rate.

Accepted Answer

The time needed to respond typically decreases during the early years of this age range and then levels off, reflecting the maturation of cognitive and neural processes.

Question 7

Which concept is best associated with increased content knowledge?
A) Increased ability to identify strategies appropriate for a specific task
B) Increased memory capacity
C) Increased processing speed
D) Increased metacognitive skills

Accepted Answer

Increased content knowledge enhances the ability to identify strategies appropriate for specific tasks, as it provides a deeper understanding of the subject matter and how to approach it effectively.

Question 8

The illusion of invulnerability is best defined by the phrase:
A) "it won't happen to me."
B) "slow and steady wins the race."
C) "once bitten, twice shy."
D) "nothing is worth the risk of dying."

Accepted Answer

The illusion of invulnerability refers to the belief that one is less likely to experience a negative event compared to others, encapsulated by the phrase "it won't happen to me."

Question 9

What basic moral question underlies the Heinz dilemma?
A) Are humans naturally violent or passive?
B) Can stealing be justified?
C) Is there a God?
D) Is there a basis for the concept of race?

Accepted Answer

The Heinz dilemma, a famous ethical dilemma used by Lawrence Kohlberg in his stages of moral development research, asks whether it is justified for a man named Heinz to steal a drug he cannot afford in order to save his wife's life. The central moral question it poses is whether stealing can be justified under certain circumstances.

Question 10

What technique did Kohlberg use to assess moral thinking?
A) He presented participants with moral dilemmas.
B) He observed moral behavior in laboratory experiments.
C) He observed moral behavior in real-life experiments.
D) He reviewed newspaper accounts on acts of bravery and acts of violence.

Accepted Answer

Kohlberg used moral dilemmas, such as the Heinz dilemma, to assess moral reasoning by asking participants what the protagonist should do and why, thereby evaluating the reasoning behind their moral judgments rather than the judgments themselves.

Question 11

As a typical young teen, Maurice would be best at detecting ____ flaws in arguments.
A) heuristic
B) logical
C) post operational
D) egocentric

Accepted Answer

Young teens, like Maurice, are in the stage of cognitive development where they begin to think more logically and abstractly, allowing them to better detect logical flaws in arguments. This stage is known as formal operational stage according to Piaget's theory of cognitive development.

Question 12

In ____ reasoning, adolescents recognize the hazards in making generalizations from extremely small samples.
A) scientific
B) heuristic
C) logical
D) formal operations

Accepted Answer

The answer of In ____ reasoning, adolescents recognize the hazards...

Question 13

In the Victor Hugo story Les Misérables , a character named Jean Valjean steals a loaf of bread to feed a starving child. How would psychologist Lawrence Kohlberg describe this act?
A) Kohlberg would not be surprised because he saw humans as morally corrupt.
B) Kohlberg would argue that the act of theft is not in and of itself immoral, depending on the rationale for the theft.
C) Kohlberg would have expected the theft if the child were Valjean's, but not if the child belonged to someone else.
D) Kohlberg would have expected the theft, but only if Valjean were operating at the lowest level of moral reasoning.

Accepted Answer

Kohlberg's theory of moral development suggests that moral reasoning is the basis for ethical behavior and that the morality of an action depends on the perspective and reasoning behind it. In this case, stealing to feed a starving child could be seen as an act of higher moral reasoning, where the welfare of another is prioritized over strict adherence to laws.

Question 14

Fourteen-year-old Jean-Claude, an avid video game player, reads a flawed study showing that video game players are smarter than most people. Then he reads a second study with similar flaws proposing that video game players are poor leaders. What would you predict will happen?
A) He would overlook the flaws in the first study and dismiss the findings of the second study.
B) He would now believe that video game players are poor leaders.
C) He would now believe that video game players are both smarter and poor leaders.
D) He would dismiss the findings of the first study and overlook the flaws in the second study.

Accepted Answer

This prediction is based on the concept of confirmation bias, where individuals tend to favor information that confirms their preexisting beliefs or values. In this case, Jean-Claude, being an avid video game player, is likely to embrace the study that portrays video game players in a positive light (smarter) and disregard or rationalize away the study that casts them negatively (poor leaders).

Question 15

Typical American teenagers tend to:
A) underestimate the danger of most risky behaviors and overestimate the likelihood that they will experience these consequences.
B) overestimate the danger of most risky behaviors and underestimate the likelihood that they will experience these consequences.
C) underestimate the danger of most risky behaviors as well as the likelihood that they will experience these consequences.
D) overestimate the danger of most risky behaviors as well as the likelihood that they will experience these consequences.

Accepted Answer

Typical American teenagers often underestimate both the danger of risky behaviors and the likelihood that they will personally experience the consequences of these behaviors, reflecting a sense of invulnerability common in adolescence.

Question 16

What would you predict would happen when Walt, a white supremacist teen, reads a scientific study indicating that Asians have higher IQs than whites?
A) He would begin to reconsider his anti-Asian stance.
B) He would dismiss the study as being flawed.
C) He would now view Asians as more intelligent.
D) He would now view Asians as even less intelligent.

Accepted Answer

Walt, holding white supremacist beliefs, is likely to experience cognitive dissonance when presented with information that contradicts his worldview. To resolve this discomfort, he is more likely to dismiss the study as flawed rather than change his beliefs. This is a common psychological response known as the backfire effect, where contradicting evidence strengthens one's preexisting beliefs.

Question 17

The illusion of invulnerability is best demonstrated by:
A) postconventional thinking about sex.
B) unprotected sex by teens.
C) a girl's first menstrual cycle.
D) male masturbation.

Accepted Answer

The illusion of invulnerability is a cognitive bias that leads individuals to underestimate the risks they face, often resulting in risky behaviors. Unprotected sex by teens is a prime example of this, as many teenagers engage in this behavior under the false belief that they are unlikely to face consequences such as sexually transmitted infections or unintended pregnancy.

Question 18

According to Kohlberg:
A) there is only one correct response to any moral dilemma.
B) religious arguments concerning moral issues are the strongest.
C) the reason underlying a moral decision is more important than the action taken.
D) moral reasoning is too complex to be accurately assessed.

Accepted Answer

Kohlberg's theory of moral development emphasizes the importance of the reasoning behind moral choices over the actions themselves. He proposed that moral reasoning develops through a series of stages, and the rationale for a moral decision is crucial in understanding an individual's moral development.

Question 19

Chris is 17 and his brother Liam is 10. When trying to pick the winner of a violent competition:
A) Chris will be more analytic, and Liam will be likely to use a heuristic.
B) Liam will be more analytic, and Chris will be likely to use a heuristic.
C) Chris will be more likely to use postconventional thinking, and Liam will be likely to use a universal ethical principle.
D) Liam will be more likely to use postconventional thinking, and Chris will be likely to use a universal ethical principle.

Accepted Answer

Adolescents and young adults (like Chris) are more capable of abstract thinking and can analyze situations more deeply than children (like Liam), who are more likely to rely on simpler decision-making strategies or heuristics.

Question 20

Adolescents develop ____ reasoning, which allows them to find weaknesses in arguments.
A) heuristic
B) logical
C) egocentric
D) inflative

Accepted Answer

Adolescents develop logical reasoning, which is a cognitive process that allows them to systematically analyze arguments, identify logical fallacies, and evaluate the strength of evidence. This development is a part of their cognitive growth, enabling them to think more abstractly and critically.

Quiz 8: Rites of Passage: Physical and Cognitive Development in Adolescence

Which statement BEST describes the neurological explanation for risk-taking behavior in teens?

According to Kohlberg's original theory, there are levels of moral reasoning, each containing stages.

Which statement concerning cognitive development in adolescence is TRUE?

While spending a day at Funtasia amusement park with their family, Polly (age 5) and her sister Dinah (age 15) met Funder Dog, the theme park mascot, who gave them both a hug and waited patiently for both girls to take selfies with him. When drawing conclusions about theme park mascots:

Heuristics tend to be very:

Which concept describes the development of processing speed between ages 8 and 18?

Which concept is best associated with increased content knowledge?

The illusion of invulnerability is best defined by the phrase:

What basic moral question underlies the Heinz dilemma?

What technique did Kohlberg use to assess moral thinking?

As a typical young teen, Maurice would be best at detecting ____ flaws in arguments.

In ____ reasoning, adolescents recognize the hazards in making generalizations from extremely small samples.

In the Victor Hugo story Les Misérables , a character named Jean Valjean steals a loaf of bread to feed a starving child. How would psychologist Lawrence Kohlberg describe this act?

Fourteen-year-old Jean-Claude, an avid video game player, reads a flawed study showing that video game players are smarter than most people. Then he reads a second study with similar flaws proposing that video game players are poor leaders. What would you predict will happen?

Typical American teenagers tend to:

What would you predict would happen when Walt, a white supremacist teen, reads a scientific study indicating that Asians have higher IQs than whites?

The illusion of invulnerability is best demonstrated by:

According to Kohlberg:

Chris is 17 and his brother Liam is 10. When trying to pick the winner of a violent competition:

Adolescents develop ____ reasoning, which allows them to find weaknesses in arguments.