Question 1

Critics of Goleman's concept of emotional intelligence note that it may simply be a different word to describe personality and cognitive traits that others have studied previously.

Accepted Answer

Some researchers have argued that many of the traits included in emotional intelligence, such as self-awareness, empathy, and self-regulation, have been studied in the past under other names, such as social intelligence or personality traits. Therefore, they question whether emotional intelligence is a unique and distinct concept or simply a rebranding of existing constructs.

Question 2

When a person is capable of weighing both the cognitive and emotional aspects of a situation, this style of thought is called postformal thought.

Accepted Answer

Postformal thought is a type of thinking that goes beyond formal operational thinking (which focuses on logical analysis and abstract thinking) and includes the ability to recognize the complex interplay between cognitive and emotional factors in a situation.

Question 3

Gould considered growth in adulthood to be the process of casting off false assumptions.

Accepted Answer

Gould believed in the concept of "unlearning" or shedding incorrect beliefs and assumptions that were acquired during childhood and adolescence in order to achieve personal growth and maturity in adulthood.

Question 4

Most researchers studying sexual preference today agree that sexual orientation is, for the most part, a choice made by men and women who would otherwise be heterosexual.

Accepted Answer

Although there is some disagreement in the research community about the degree to which biological versus social forces are involved in homosexuality, nearly all agree that homosexuality is much more complex than simply making a choice as to be homosexual versus heterosexual.

Question 5

Context models focus attention on the specific experiences that shape each individual's life, whereas stage models focus on how adults move through life in similar patterns.

Accepted Answer

Context models emphasize the unique experiences and influences that shape an individual's development, while stage models propose that adults progress through a series of developmental stages or phases that are common to many people.

Question 6

According to Schaie's view of adult development, young adults first enter a period of social responsibility, in which they learn to behave like adults, and then they enter a period called acquisition, in which they develop a set of career and life goals.

Accepted Answer

According to Schaie, young adults first enter the stage of acquisition, in which they use their intellectual abilities to pursue a career and choose a lifestyle. Later, individuals who successful establish themselves enter a period called social responsibility, in which they solve problems for others in the family and the community.

Question 7

Compared to the theories proposed by Levinson and Erikson, the theory advanced by Gould is much more social in focus.

Accepted Answer

Gould's theory is primarily cognitive in focus, whereas Levinson focused more on social roles including career choice and Erikson focused on psychosocial changes.

Question 8

Dialectical thought occurs when people who have mastered formal operational thought regress back to using thought more characteristic of the period of concrete operations.

Accepted Answer

Dialectical thought is more complex than formal operational thought and it involves the ability to integrate opposing or conflicting ideas and observations. This is not consistent with concrete operational thinking.

Question 9

According to Levinson, women follow much the same developmental trajectory as men do.

Accepted Answer

Levinson's theory of adult development suggests that women and men follow similar developmental trajectories, with predictable stages and transitions throughout their lives.

Question 10

During the decades of the 1970s, the average duration of sexual intercourse declined, although the frequency of sexual intercourse increased.

Accepted Answer

During the 1970s, the duration of sexual intercourse increased markedly, suggesting that partners were experiencing greater enjoyment from sex.

Question 11

A study by the University of Illinois suggested that sexual satisfaction is very closely tied to having an orgasm.

Accepted Answer

This study in fact showed that sexual satisfaction was NOT closely tied to having an orgasm.

Question 12

The primary developmental tasks of early adulthood according to Havighurst are to establish a family and find a career.

Accepted Answer

Havighurst's developmental tasks for early adulthood include establishing a family and finding a career, as well as achieving independence, developing intimate relationships, and assuming civic and social responsibilities.

Question 13

Jean Piaget proposed that the last stage of cognitive development, formal operational thought, was followed by at least three more stages of more advanced thinking, although he did not describe these stages in detail.

Accepted Answer

According to Piaget, cognitive development was complete when the stage of formal operational thought was reached, at around age 12 for most people.

Question 14

Gay men and lesbian women are more likely than their heterosexual counterparts to live is urban areas and to graduate from college.

Accepted Answer

Studies and research have shown that gay men and lesbian women are more likely to reside in urban areas and oftentimes have higher rates of education, including college degrees, compared to their heterosexual peers.

Question 15

There are three general patterns of sexual relations: About 80% of couples have sex two or more times a week, about 10% have sex several times a month, and about 10% have sex only a few times a year or not at all.

Accepted Answer

According to statistics cited from a study conducted at the University of Chicago, about a third of the adults in this study engaged in each of the three patterns described in this question.

Question 16

Today, more than half of men and women ages 18 to 49 engage in oral sex.

Accepted Answer

This is supported by various studies and surveys conducted in recent years.

Question 17

Homophobia is not a true phobia.

Accepted Answer

Homophobia is not an irrational fear or anxiety, but rather a prejudice or discrimination against people who identify as LGBTQ+. Therefore, it is not considered a true phobia in psychological terms.

Question 18

Erik Erikson saw the central developmental conflict of early adulthood to be one of identity versus confusion.

Accepted Answer

For Erikson, the developmental crisis of early adulthood centers on intimacy versus isolation. The identity conflict is associated with adolescence.

Question 19

Gould conceptualized the period of adulthood as one in which individuals need to challenge and resolve a series of "false assumptions," such as "I'll always belong to my parents and believe in their world."

Accepted Answer

This statement accurately reflects Gould's theory of adult development, which suggests that individuals must confront and question the assumptions and beliefs they formed earlier in life in order to continue growing and changing.

Question 20

Research suggests that there may be a genetic link on the X chromosome for women who have a lesbian orientation, but no such genetic factor has been identified for men.

Accepted Answer

Research has identified a particular gene sequence on the X chromosome that may be implicated for male homosexuality, although no such link appears for female homosexuality.

Quiz 12: Young Adulthood: Physical and Cognitive Development