Question 1

Diana's mother greets a stranger with a smiling face and a cheery "Hello." Consequently, Diana is more positive toward the stranger. The term that best describes this situation is:

Accepted Answer

Social referencing refers to the subtle emotional signals, usually from the parent, that influence the infant's behavior, and is thus a cultural phenomenon.

Question 2

When 2-year-old Shania says to her father, "Me do it!" she is expressing the sense of which of the following developmental processes?

Accepted Answer

Although they continue to rely on their caregivers for emotional support, toddlers in their second year begin to reach out on their own in their quest for autonomy- their need to be independent and separate from their caregivers.

Question 3

According to Erik Erikson, securely attached infants are able to develop:

Accepted Answer

According to Erikson's theory of psychosocial development, the first stage (infancy) is characterized by the development of trust vs mistrust. Babies who develop a secure attachment with their caregivers are able to trust others and the world around them, which is the foundation for the development of healthy relationships and a positive outlook on life. Therefore, the correct answer is D - securely attached infants are able to develop trust. While initiative, independence, and self-confidence are important developmental outcomes, these are not directly linked to the development of secure attachment as described by Erikson.

Question 4

According to Erik Erikson's view of child development, which of the following children would most likely have recently resolved their initial developmental conflict between autonomy and shame and doubt:

Accepted Answer

Although they continue to rely on their caregivers for emotional support, toddlers in their second year begin to reach out on their own in their quest for autonomy- their need to be independent and separate from their caregivers. This pattern of separating from one's caregivers is known as Erikson's stage of autonomy versus shame and doubt, which is resolved in the second and third years of a child's life.

Question 5

A toddler bumps his head on a table and then looks at the mother's reaction before getting upset. This example best demonstrates the principle of:

Accepted Answer

Social referencing refers to the subtle emotional signals, usually from the parent, that influence the infant's behavior, and is thus a cultural phenomenon.

Question 6

Erik Erikson believed that the second critical developmental challenge experienced by toddlers centers on the development of:

Accepted Answer

According to Erikson's stages of psychosocial development, the second stage is autonomy vs. shame and doubt, which occurs during the toddler years (ages 1-3). This stage is focused on toddlers learning to assert their independence and control over their environment, while also learning to cope with the potential feelings of shame or doubt that may arise as a result of challenges or failures.

Question 7

Cultural values are transmitted from parents to children through many processes. Which of the following concepts is most closely tied to this cultural transmission across the generations?

Accepted Answer

Social referencing refers to the subtle emotional signals, usually from the parent, that influence the infant's behavior, and is thus a cultural phenomenon. The other choices refer to maturational processes.

Question 8

Baby Chuck is picked up by a stranger. He immediately looks at his mother's face, and judges his reaction based on whether she expresses pleasure or concern. Chuck's reliance on cues from his mother in forming his own reaction is best considered an example of:

Accepted Answer

Social referencing refers to the subtle emotional signals, usually from the parent, that influence the infant's behavior.

Question 9

Which of the following phrases best captures the essence of what is meant by the term synchrony?

Accepted Answer

Synchrony is defined as the back-and-forth (that is, two-way) interactions between an infant and a caregiver.

Question 10

A mother lets her toddler pick out which shirt he wants to wear to the playground, rather than insisting that he wear a particular shirt she chooses for him. This type of behavior encourages the development of:

Accepted Answer

Although they continue to rely on their caregivers for emotional support, toddlers in their second year begin to reach out on their own in their quest for autonomy- their need to be independent and separate from their caregivers.

Question 11

Little Susie has been a very easy baby to love, since she smiles at everyone who holds her and engages them with eye contact. Recently, however, Susie has become anxious when anyone other than her mother or father holds her, and she wails whenever she is picked up by a stranger. Based on a knowledge of child development, your best guess is that Susie is about how old:

Accepted Answer

Susie's change in behavior most likely results from the development of stranger anxiety or separation anxiety, a normal developmental change that occurs in all normal children. Stranger anxiety begins to develop at about 7 months of age.

Question 12

Stranger anxiety is tied most closely to:

Accepted Answer

Most developmental psychologists see stranger and separation anxiety as being closely tied to the infant's cognitive development. As cognitive processes mature, infants develop schemas for what is familiar, and they notice anything that is new and strange. Once such schemas develop, infants can distinguish caregivers from strangers, and they often become keenly aware when the primary caregiver is absent.

Question 13

According to John Bowlby, which of the following theories provides the best explanation for the development of attachment?

Accepted Answer

Bowlby takes an evolutionary perspective in arguing that biologically preprogrammed behaviors, which serve to enhance the prospect of infant survival and normal development, occur in both the infant and the caregiver. As development proceeds, early biologically programmed behaviors are displayed and reinforced.

Question 14

Molly and her infant son often engage each other in a "love-stare" in which each looks and smiles at the other for extended periods of time. The word that best describes this back-and-forth relationship would be:

Accepted Answer

Synchrony is defined as the back-and-forth interactions between an infant and a caregiver.

Question 15

Which of the following children would likely have the easiest time developing a healthy sense of autonomy?

Accepted Answer

As noted in the textbook, children who have developed a trusting relationship with their caregivers during the first year of life, thereby developing a healthy autonomy from their caregivers, are better prepared to take the first steps toward independence than those who are insecurely attached. Toddlers who have failed to form secure attachments, however, are likely to have a more difficult time.

Question 16

Suppose you study two mothers who have new babies but who have different attitudes about how to care for a crying baby. Ruthie believes that every time her baby cries, she should be picked up and comforted. Glenda believes that picking up a crying baby will reinforce the crying and the child will become harder to care for. Research on this topic suggests that whose child is likely to cry less at age 1 year?

Accepted Answer

Research has shown that, contrary to what reinforcement theory would predict, mothers who quickly and consistently respond to their infants' crying over the first few months are more likely to have infants who cry less by the end of the first year.

Question 17

The discrepancy hypothesis explains:

Accepted Answer

According to the discrepancy hypothesis, separation anxiety results when infants become capable of detecting departures from the known or the expected.

Question 18

Emotional signals, usually from a child's parents, that influence the child's behavior are referred to as:

Accepted Answer

Social referencing is the practice of using emotional signals from caregivers or other trusted adults to inform a child's own emotional reactions and behavior. This can include things like facial expressions, tone of voice, and body language, and helps a child learn how to interpret and respond to new situations and stimuli. Option A is incorrect because "social adaptation cues" is not a commonly used term in the context of child development. Option C refers specifically to the coordinated behaviors and emotions between infants and caregivers, but may not fully capture the broader concept of emotional signals. Option D describes a separate process in which parents provide support and guidance as children learn new skills, but does not directly relate to the influence of emotional signals.

Question 19

According to Freud, if toilet training is begun too early or is too strict, the child is at greater risk for developing:

Accepted Answer

Freud believed that toilet training that was begun too early or that was too strict could produce an anal fixation that would be carried forward in development, interfering with normal development later in life. Similarly, a too lax approach to toilet training could cause other problems to develop.

Question 20

Studies of the Kung San culture described in the text showed that parents in this culture pay a great deal of attention to their infants' sharing of objects, but pay very little attention to their infants' exploration of objects. This study is cited to demonstrate the point that:

Accepted Answer

For the Kung San, sharing is highly valued (collectivist culture). When cultural anthropologists looked at mothers and their 10- to 12-month-old infants, they were surprised to find that, in contrast to many U.S. parents (individualistic culture), the Kung San parents seemed to pay no attention to the infant's exploration of objects and paid close attention to the sharing of objects, reflecting their collectivist cultural values.

Quiz 5: Infancy and Toddlerhood: Personality and Sociocultural Development