Question 1

Which of the following statements is illustrative of the post hoc fallacy?

Accepted Answer

The post hoc fallacy (also known as correlation fallacy) is the assumption that because one event follows another, the first event caused the second event. In this case, the belief that weightlifting produces professional athletes is based on observing that most professional athletes lift weights, but there is no direct cause-and-effect relationship between these two factors.

Question 2

Which of the following is true concerning the nature-nurture debate?

Accepted Answer

Most researchers believe that genes and environment interact to influence human behaviour. This means that both nature (genes) and nurture (environment) play a role in shaping our behavior, and they do not view it as an "either-or" situation.

Question 3

________ studies collect data from the same individuals over a period of time to track age changes.

Accepted Answer

Longitudinal studies collect data from the same individuals over a period of time to track age changes. Cross-sectional studies collect data from different individuals at one point in time, while continual and contiguous are not commonly used terms in research design.

Question 4

Charmaine is interested in going to graduate school to gain expertise into the way in which people's behaviours change over the course of their lives. The type of programme that Charmaine should be applying to is ________ psychology.

Accepted Answer

Charmaine is interested in studying how people's behaviors change over the course of their lives, which falls under the scope of developmental psychology. Child psychology focuses specifically on the development of children, social psychology focuses on how individuals interact with and influence each other, and ecological psychology studies the dynamic interactions between individuals and their environments, none of which align with Charmaine's interests as closely as developmental psychology does.

Question 5

Xiao is gathering research on the number of meals people eat. He gathers data about the number of daily meals eaten by 25 people at each of the following ages-10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, and 70 years-over the course of one week, and looks for developmental differences. What type of research design is Xiao using?

Accepted Answer

Xiao is using a cross-sectional research design as he is gathering data from participants of different ages at one point in time. This design allows for quick and cost-effective data collection, as well as the ability to examine age-related differences in the number of meals eaten.

Question 6

If you wanted to study developmental effects, which type of research would be the best to conduct?

Accepted Answer

A longitudinal study tracks the same group of individuals over a period of time, allowing researchers to observe changes in behavior or development. This type of study is ideal for studying developmental effects because it allows researchers to see how individuals change over time and can provide insights into the causes of these changes. This is in contrast to cross-sectional studies, which compare different groups at the same time, and quasi-experimental studies, which involve manipulating variables but do not track individuals over time. Naturalistic observation can be useful for generating hypotheses about behavior, but it is not ideal for studying developmental effects, as it does not allow researchers to control for external factors that may influence development.

Question 7

________ psychology is the study of how behaviour changes over time.

Accepted Answer

Developmental psychology focuses on how behavior and mental processes change and develop over a person's lifetime, from infancy to old age, including physical, cognitive, social, and emotional development.

Question 8

Cross-sectional research studies gather data from many people who are of the same age, and compare them to others who are at a different age, and thus a different level of development. The name for a group of people who are the same age and thus were raised during the same time period is a(n)________.

Accepted Answer

A group of people who are the same age and thus were raised during the same time period is called a cohort.

Question 9

________ studies observe different individuals at different ages at a single point in time to track age differences.

Accepted Answer

Cross-sectional studies observe different individuals at different ages at a single point in time to track age differences.

Question 10

A(n)________ refers to a group of people who lived during the same time period.

Accepted Answer

A cohort specifically refers to a group of individuals who were born or lived during the same time period, whereas the other choices do not necessarily imply a temporal association.

Question 11

When attempting to understand developmental transitions that people face throughout their life span, which of the following research designs would be most informative?

Accepted Answer

Longitudinal designs are the most informative when attempting to understand developmental transitions that people face throughout their life span. In this type of research design, the same individuals are followed and tested over an extended period of time, allowing researchers to observe changes and patterns in their development. Cross-sectional designs compare different age groups at a single point in time and do not allow for observations of changes over time. Correlational research designs investigate the relationship between variables but do not necessarily provide information on developmental transitions. Cohort research designs compare individuals born in the same time period but do not necessarily follow individuals over time.

Question 12

The belief that children will have increased cognitive abilities if their parents play classical music for them during infancy reflects

Accepted Answer

The belief that playing classical music for infants can increase their cognitive abilities reflects a pro-nurture perspective, as it suggests that environmental influences such as music can shape and enhance a child's cognitive development.

Question 13

Daniel is interested in studying how children's behaviour changes when they grow up in high-risk environments. He enlists 500 children and their parents to take part in his research, and observes these children once a year for 20 years. Despite the fact that this research is very time consuming and expensive, it gives very good information about how the children age over time. This type of research is an example of a ________ study.

Accepted Answer

This study is following the same individuals over a long period of time, making it a longitudinal study. Sequential studies involve following different cohorts at different points in time, and cross-sectional studies involve comparing different age groups at the same point in time. Continuous study is not a recognized type of research design.

Question 14

Gene ________ refers to the fact that the environmental experiences that one has throughout their development can turn on or off specific genes that are located in every cell in the human body.

Accepted Answer

Gene expression refers to the process by which information in a gene is used to synthesize a functional gene product, such as a protein. Environmental experiences can affect gene expression, meaning certain genes may be turned on or off based on one's experiences. Choices A, B, and D do not accurately describe this concept.

Question 15

The major issue of ________ explores how development is influenced by both genetics and life experiences.

Accepted Answer

The issue of nature-nurture explores how genetics and life experiences interact to shape development. The other options do not specifically address this issue.

Question 16

Which research method is most suitable for studying factors that influence behavioural change over time?

Accepted Answer

Longitudinal research method is most suitable for studying factors that influence behavioural change over time because it involves collecting data from the same group of individuals at several points in time, which allows researchers to track changes in behaviour over time and identify the factors that contribute to those changes. Cohort studies also follow a group of individuals over time, but they focus on specific subpopulations, such as people born in a particular year or decade, whereas longitudinal studies typically involve a more diverse sample. Cross-sectional studies and correlational studies are not as suitable for studying behavioural change over time because they involve collecting data from different people at one point in time, without the ability to track changes over time.

Question 17

Children with certain genetic predispositions often seek out and create their own environments, a phenomenon termed by some developmentalists as

Accepted Answer

The term "nature via nurture" refers to the idea that genetic endowments can influence environment selection and creation. This suggests that a child's genetics may lead them to seek out certain environments that are in line with their predispositions, and in turn, shape their development.

Question 18

In a(n)________ research design, a psychologist would track the same group of participants over time, which would allow the determination of developmental effects on various psychological qualities.

Accepted Answer

The answer of In a(n)________ research design, a psychologist would...

Question 19

Gino went out one evening and got himself a shiny new tattoo of a tribal symbol across his back. The next day, Gino's girlfriend, Shanae, ended their relationship. Mutual friends of theirs assumed that Shanae ended the relationship because of the new tattoo. These friends have not read your textbook carefully because they have just fallen prey to the ________ fallacy.

Accepted Answer

The friends have fallen prey to the post hoc fallacy, which assumes that because one event occurred before another, it must have caused it. In this case, they assume that Shanae ending the relationship was caused by Gino's new tattoo simply because it happened after he got the tattoo. However, there may be other reasons for the breakup that had nothing to do with Gino's tattoo.

Question 20

Markus is very athletic, and thus he tends to participate in a lot of sports. His regular practise at football, basketball, and hockey increases his athletic skills, which makes him want to spend more time participating in these activities. This example demonstrates the ________ nature of development.

Accepted Answer

The bidirectional nature of development refers to the fact that ongoing interactions between an individual and their environment shape their development. In this case, Markus' participation in sports is shaping his athletic skills, which in turn is motivating him to spend more time participating in these activities, creating a bidirectional relationship between his development and his environment.

Quiz 10: Human Development