Question 1

In one study,researchers showed infants moving circles,moving circles with scrambled facial features,and moving circles with regular facial features.The researchers measured eye gazes at the objects and found that infants tracked the:

Accepted Answer

The study found that infants tracked the moving circles with regular facial features for the longest time, indicating that they were more interested in and engaged with the faces that had recognizable features.

Question 2

Heavy alcohol use by the mother during pregnancy can lead to which condition in her child?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Heavy alcohol use by the mother during...

Question 3

The tendency for an organism to respond less intensely to a stimulus the more it is presented is termed:

Accepted Answer

Habituation is the tendency of an organism to respond less to a repeated stimulus over time. This is a form of learning in which the organism becomes accustomed to a stimulus and no longer responds to it as strongly as it did initially. Option A, B, and C do not explain this phenomenon.

Question 4

An infant in a visual perception experiment is shown a computerized screen 8 inches from her face that repeats the same visual pattern of wavy line stimuli.How might the infant MOST likely respond?

Accepted Answer

This phenomenon is known as habituation, in which the infant initially responds to the visual stimulus but gradually loses interest as it becomes more familiar. Therefore, the infant is expected to look at the screen less and less over time.

Question 5

Which procedure is BEST for determining whether newborns have noticed a visual object?

Accepted Answer

Determining if habituation is reversed if the object changes is the best method for assessing whether newborns have noticed a visual object. This approach involves observing whether a previously habituated response (decreased attention to a familiar stimulus) increases again when a new stimulus is presented. If the infant shows renewed interest or attention to the changed object, it indicates that they have noticed the object and can differentiate it from the previous one. This method effectively measures perception and discrimination in newborns.

Question 6

To which stimuli are newborns are MOST attentive?

Accepted Answer

Newborns are most attentive to faces, particularly those with contrasting features such as high contrast between the eyes and mouth. This is because they are born with a natural preference for faces, likely due to their importance in social interaction and attachment.

Question 7

_____ are specific patterns of motor responses that are triggered by specific patterns of sensory stimulation.

Accepted Answer

Motor reflexes are specific motor responses that are triggered by specific sensory stimuli without conscious control. Examples include the knee-jerk reflex in response to tapping the patellar tendon, or the withdrawal reflex in response to a painful stimulus. Physiological responses refer to changes in the body's internal state, such as changes in heart rate or blood pressure, that can occur in response to various stimuli. Conditioned reflexes and responses refer to learned associations between stimuli and responses, which are acquired through the process of conditioning.

Question 8

Sunil,who had a very low birth weight,shows problems with attention,perception,and learning deficits in school.Sunil was probably exposed to which teratogen?

Accepted Answer

Tobacco smoke exposure during pregnancy is associated with low birth weight and can lead to attention, perception, and learning deficits in children.

Question 9

What an infant can see at a distance of 20 feet approximates what an adult can see at _____ feet.

Accepted Answer

Infants have limited visual acuity, and what they can see at 20 feet is similar to what an adult with normal vision can see at 600 feet.

Question 10

Motor reflexes are specific patterns of motor responses that are:

Accepted Answer

Motor reflexes are triggered by specific patterns of sensory stimulation, such as the knee-jerk reflex when a doctor taps the patellar tendon. They are not learned behaviors resulting from classical conditioning. While physiological processes are involved in the reflex arc, they are not the trigger for the reflex. Motor reflexes can be present from birth or acquired later in life, so D is not the correct answer.

Question 11

Two-year-old Peter has short eye openings,a flat midface,an indistinct ridge under his nose,and a thin upper lip.An alert pediatrician is likely to diagnose _____ syndrome.

Accepted Answer

The described physical features are common in individuals with fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS). Down syndrome is characterized by a distinct facial appearance with upward slanting of the eyes, while Prader-Willi syndrome is associated with hypotonia and feeding difficulties. Turner syndrome often results in a webbed neck and short stature, but not the facial features described.

Question 12

Which statement given to expectant parents is FALSE?

Accepted Answer

The embryo stage (first 8 weeks after fertilization) is more vulnerable to teratogens than the fetus stage, due to the critical periods of organ development occurring in the embryo stage.

Question 13

Newborns:

Accepted Answer

Newborns are especially sensitive to social stimuli, such as faces and voices, which is crucial for early emotional and social development. This sensitivity helps them bond with caregivers and begin to understand the social world around them.

Question 14

Which statement is TRUE of visual perception in newborns?

Accepted Answer

Newborns only have clear vision at a range of about 8 to 12 inches, called the "primary focal distance." They are not farsighted or seeing objects farther away in more detail than closer objects. Their visual perception is not yet fully developed and does not approximate that of adults. While they are sensitive to certain colors, they do not see them more vividly than adults.

Question 15

_____ development refers to the emergence of the ability to execute physical actions.

Accepted Answer

Motor development refers to the emergence of the ability to execute physical actions, such as crawling, walking, jumping, and throwing. It involves the development and coordination of the muscular, skeletal, and nervous systems.

Question 16

Infants are able to mimic the facial expressions of adults:

Accepted Answer

Infants have the ability to mimic facial expressions within the first hour of life, demonstrating an innate capacity for social interaction and communication.

Question 17

Babies whose mothers smoke tobacco during pregnancy are more NOT likely to have:

Accepted Answer

Distinctive facial features are more commonly associated with specific genetic conditions or syndromes, not with maternal tobacco use during pregnancy. Lower birth weights, perceptual problems, and attention deficits are indeed associated with maternal smoking during pregnancy.

Question 18

A study by Streissguth and colleagues (1999)followed children with fetal alcohol syndrome for 25 years and found that,by the age of 14,about _____% of them had been suspended or expelled from school.

Accepted Answer

The study by Streissguth and colleagues (1999) found that by the age of 14, about 60% of children with fetal alcohol syndrome had been suspended or expelled from school.

Question 19

Twelve-year-old Jon has been suspended from middle school several times and has exhibited behavioral problems beginning in kindergarten.A pediatrician learns that his parents were heavy users of drugs and alcohol before and for a year after Jon's birth.Examining the child's medical records,she learns that Jon had a normal birth weight but has exhibited cognitive deficits his entire life.The pediatrician would be most likely to conclude that Jon's behavioral problems are due to prenatal exposure to which drug?

Accepted Answer

Jon's parents were heavy users of drugs and alcohol before and after his birth, and Jon has exhibited cognitive deficits his entire life, which are consistent with prenatal alcohol exposure. Tobacco, heroin, and methadone exposure during pregnancy can also cause harm, but the symptoms described in the scenario are more characteristic of fetal alcohol spectrum disorders.

Question 20

Maria and Carlos purchase a mobile for their newborn's crib to keep his attention.After a period of time,the infant may stop paying attention to the mobile.This is an example of which process?

Accepted Answer

Habituation refers to the decrease in responsiveness to a stimulus after repeated exposure. In this case, the newborn may become habituated to the mobile and lose interest in it over time. Option A (object permanence) refers to the understanding that an object continues to exist even when it is out of sight. Option C (assimilation) and D (schema development) are both concepts related to Piaget's theory of cognitive development and are not relevant to the scenario described.

Quiz 11: Development-Part A