Question 1

Cutting with scissors would best be considered an example of which type of motor skill?
A) fine motor skill
B) gross motor skill
C) intrinsic motor skill
D) extrinsic motor skill

Accepted Answer

Fine motor skills are those that require the coordinated and dexterous use of hand, fingers, and thumb. These are the skills involved in cutting with scissors. The terms intrinsic and extrinsic refer to motivation, not to motor skills. Gross motor skills involve movements of the major muscles of the body in activities such as running and jumping.

Question 2

Research suggests that a person's preference for right- versus left-handedness develops at about what age?
A) prenatally
B) at about 1 year of age
C) at about 2 ½ years of age
D) at about 4 years of age, as the child is learning to draw

Accepted Answer

Research has shown that handedness may develop prenatally. Using ultrasound, fetuses were observed sucking their thumbs, and they were 8 times more likely to be sucking the thumb on their right hand (Hepper, Wells, & Lynch, 2005). When these fetuses were followed to ages 10 to 12 years, all 60 of the "right-thumb" fetuses were right-handed, but of the 15 "left-thumb" fetuses, 5 had become right-handed. Thus, early hand preferences seem more predictive for later development among right-handers.

Question 3

Generalizing from information in the text about the age at which children's activity levels peak, which of the following children would you expect to be most active?
A) Fred, who is 1 year old
B) Tom, who is 2 ½ years old
C) Nelson, who is 4 years old
D) Bennett, who is 6 years old

Accepted Answer

According to the text, children's activity levels peak at age 2 or 3.

Question 4

Suppose you examine an ultrasound image of a fetus, who is sucking her right thumb. Generalizing from research presented in the text, what is the probability that this fetus will be right-handed at age 15?
A) about 50%
B) about 67%
C) about 85 %
D) about 100%

Accepted Answer

Research has shown that handedness may develop very early. Using ultrasound, fetuses were observed sucking their thumbs, and they were 8 times more likely to be sucking the thumb on their right hand (Hepper, Wells, & Lynch, 2005). When these fetuses were followed to ages 10 to 12 years, all 60 of the "right-thumb" fetuses were right-handed.

Question 5

Dr. Lansing emphasizes that just as the environment influences the child's development, the child also acts on the environment, changing it. The concept that best describes this two-way interchange is:
A) lateralization
B) egocentrism
C) interaction
D) pragmatics

Accepted Answer

As noted in the textbook, it is important to emphasize that brain development and other aspects of development interact; that is, they influence each other and, in turn, are influenced by each other. Likewise, the various aspects of a child's development act on the environment and vise versa.
Motor Skills Development

Question 6

For people who are right-handed, language functions are generally found in _____ hemisphere(s) of the brain; for people who are left-handed, language functions are generally found in _____ hemisphere(s) of the brain.
A) the right; the left
B) the left; the right
C) both; the left
D) the left; both

Accepted Answer

For right-handed individuals, language functions are typically located in the left hemisphere. For left-handed individuals, language functions can be found in both hemispheres, though the left hemisphere is still often dominant.

Question 7

If Mary Ann is right-handed, your best guess would be that her language abilities are localized in which part of her brain?
A) the left hemisphere
B) the right hemisphere
C) both the left and right hemisphere
D) in neither the left nor the right hemisphere

Accepted Answer

As noted in the text, for the large majority of right-handed people, language is highly localized in areas of the left hemisphere.

Question 8

A child who is running and kicking a soccer ball is making use of what set of skills?
A) intuitive skills
B) animism skills
C) fine motor skills
D) gross motor skills

Accepted Answer

As noted in the textbook, gross motor skills include skills such as running, hopping, and throwing.

Question 9

Skipping would best be considered an example of which type of motor skill:
A) fine motor skill
B) gross motor skill
C) intrinsic motor skill
D) extrinsic motor skill

Accepted Answer

Gross motor skills involve movements of the major muscles of the body in activities such as running and jumping. Skipping is a similar skill. Fine motor skills are those that require the coordinated and dexterous use of hand, fingers, and thumb. The terms intrinsic and extrinsic refer to motivation, not to motor skills.

Question 10

The ability to perform motor behaviors without consciously thinking about them is called
A) telepathy
B) automaticity
C) self-efficacy
D) ossification

Accepted Answer

Automaticity refers to the ability to perform motor behaviors without conscious effort or attention. Telepathy refers to the supposed ability to communicate with others through thoughts, self-efficacy refers to the belief in one's ability to succeed in a particular situation, and ossification refers to the hardening or solidification of tissues in the body.

Question 11

Lateefah can vary the rhythm of her running, skip awkwardly, and jump. However, she cannot tie her shoes or completely dress herself. If her motor development is typical for children her age, how old would she be?
A) 2 years old
B) 3 years old
C) 4 years old
D) 5 years old

Accepted Answer

According to the text, by age 4, children can vary the rhythm of their running. Many 4-year-olds can skip, although awkwardly, and they can execute a running jump or a standing broad jump. A 3- to 4-year-old child can fasten and unfasten items of clothing and independently serve food, although children of this age sometimes make a mess while doing so.

Question 12

Handedness is especially interesting to developmentalists because it is intimately linked to:
A) physical size at maturity
B) homosexuality
C) language lateralization
D) intelligence as measured on an IQ test

Accepted Answer

Handedness is linked to language lateralization, which refers to the specialization of the two hemispheres of the brain for different functions. In most individuals, language is primarily processed in the left hemisphere, which is also typically the dominant hemisphere for right-handed individuals. Left-handed individuals, however, may have more distributed language processing across both hemispheres or have language lateralization in the right hemisphere. This suggests that handedness is closely tied to brain organization and function, specifically with respect to language processing.

Question 13

If Joshua is left-handed, your best guess would be that his language abilities are localized in which part of his brain?
A) the left hemisphere
B) the right hemisphere
C) both the left and right hemisphere
D) in neither the left nor the right hemisphere

Accepted Answer

For the 10% or so of the population who are left-handed, language is often shared by the two sides of the brain. This finding suggests that the brains of left-handed people may be less lateralized, in general, than the brains of right-handed people.

Question 14

According to the text, at what age do children's overall activity levels peak?
A) about age 1
B) about age 2 ½
C) about age 4
D) about age 6

Accepted Answer

The text states that children's overall activity levels peak around age 2 ½.

Question 15

Suppose that you can place a child with developmental disabilities into one of four programs. Which of these would you choose because it would likely produce the best outcome for the child?
A) a program that begins in infancy and focuses broadly, addressing both cognitive and health-related needs
B) a program that begins at age 4 and focuses broadly, addressing both cognitive and health-related needs
C) a program that begins in infancy and focuses narrowly and directly on cognitive development
D) a program that begins at age 4 and focuses narrowly and directly on cognitive development

Accepted Answer

Other things being equal, those educational programs and intervention projects that enroll high-risk children in early infancy generally have a much greater impact than those that are begun later in life (Walker, 2011). Of course, the quality of the program also matters. Day-care programs that emphasize a comprehensive approach and therefore address broad issues-such as nutritional needs, other health needs, social development, cognitive development, family functioning, as well as child functioning-are more likely to produce positive results (NICHD, 2009).

Question 16

Which of the following children would you expect to have the highest activity level and consequently the hardest time sitting still?
A) Judy (a girl) who is 3 years old
B) Janice (a girl) who is 6 years old
C) Renaldo (a boy) who is 3 years old
D) Jose (a boy) who is 6 years old

Accepted Answer

According to the text, children's activity levels peak at age 2 or 3, but activity level declines earlier for girls than boys.

Question 17

At first, Mike has to concentrate very hard when typing, thinking where each letter on the keyboard is. However, after practicing a great deal, he now types without even thinking about how his fingers are moving. The concept that best describes Mike's development is:
A) automaticity
B) lateralization
C) functional subordination
D) readiness

Accepted Answer

Automaticity refers to the ability to perform motor behaviors without consciously thinking about them.

Question 18

Which of the following is the best example of a gross motor skill?
A) writing
B) handling a fork and spoon
C) drawing
D) running

Accepted Answer

As noted in the textbook, gross motor skills include skills such as running, hopping, and throwing.

Question 19

When he was younger, Tommy stacked blocks for the sheer joy of doing so. Now, Tommy only stacks blocks when he is trying to build something or when he is playing a game. The term that best describes Tommy's development is:
A) interaction
B) automaticity
C) extrinsically motivated behavior
D) functional subordination

Accepted Answer

Functional subordination is the integration of a number of separate, simple actions or schemas into a more complex pattern of behavior. Actions that are initially performed for their own sake later become integrated into more complex, purposeful skills. For example, when a child first learns to hop, hopping is an end in itself; later, hopping becomes part of a dance or game as it is functionally subordinated to more complex sports skills.

Question 20

Suppose you examine an ultrasound image of a fetus, who is sucking her left thumb. Generalizing from research presented in the text, what is the probability that this fetus will be left-handed at age 15?
A) about 50%
B) about 67%
C) about 85 %
D) about 100%

Accepted Answer

Research has shown that handedness may develop very early. Using ultrasound, fetuses were observed sucking their thumbs, and they were 8 times more likely to be sucking the thumb on their right hand (Hepper, Wells, & Lynch, 2005). When these fetuses were followed to ages 10 to 12 years, of the 15 "left-thumb" fetuses, 5 had become right-handed.

Quiz 6: Early Childhood: Physical, Cognitive, and Language Development

Cutting with scissors would best be considered an example of which type of motor skill?

Research suggests that a person's preference for right- versus left-handedness develops at about what age?

Generalizing from information in the text about the age at which children's activity levels peak, which of the following children would you expect to be most active?

Suppose you examine an ultrasound image of a fetus, who is sucking her right thumb. Generalizing from research presented in the text, what is the probability that this fetus will be right-handed at age 15?

Dr. Lansing emphasizes that just as the environment influences the child's development, the child also acts on the environment, changing it. The concept that best describes this two-way interchange is:

For people who are right-handed, language functions are generally found in _ hemisphere(s) of the brain; for people who are left-handed, language functions are generally found in _ hemisphere(s) of the brain.

If Mary Ann is right-handed, your best guess would be that her language abilities are localized in which part of her brain?

A child who is running and kicking a soccer ball is making use of what set of skills?

Skipping would best be considered an example of which type of motor skill:

The ability to perform motor behaviors without consciously thinking about them is called

Lateefah can vary the rhythm of her running, skip awkwardly, and jump. However, she cannot tie her shoes or completely dress herself. If her motor development is typical for children her age, how old would she be?

Handedness is especially interesting to developmentalists because it is intimately linked to:

If Joshua is left-handed, your best guess would be that his language abilities are localized in which part of his brain?

According to the text, at what age do children's overall activity levels peak?

Suppose that you can place a child with developmental disabilities into one of four programs. Which of these would you choose because it would likely produce the best outcome for the child?

Which of the following children would you expect to have the highest activity level and consequently the hardest time sitting still?

At first, Mike has to concentrate very hard when typing, thinking where each letter on the keyboard is. However, after practicing a great deal, he now types without even thinking about how his fingers are moving. The concept that best describes Mike's development is:

Which of the following is the best example of a gross motor skill?

When he was younger, Tommy stacked blocks for the sheer joy of doing so. Now, Tommy only stacks blocks when he is trying to build something or when he is playing a game. The term that best describes Tommy's development is:

Suppose you examine an ultrasound image of a fetus, who is sucking her left thumb. Generalizing from research presented in the text, what is the probability that this fetus will be left-handed at age 15?