Exam 1 Quiz Questions

Question 1

A child who is in preschool would be in which of the following broad developmental periods, as defined by developmentalists

a.infancy
b.prenatal period
c.middle childhood
d.early childhood

Answer 1

d.early childhood

Question 2

Which of the following statements about developmental science is FALSE?

a.Developmental science focuses on physical, social, emotional, and intellectual changes.
b.A goal of developmental science is to understand how biology and culture influence development.
c.In recent decades, the study of development has become so much more specialized that only psychologists are able to study it.
d.Developmental science is concerned with devising ways to keep children safe and healthy.

Answer 2

c.In recent decades, the study of development has become so much more specialized that only psychologists are able to study it.

Question 3

Physical environments, cultural beliefs and practices, as well as families and peers are all part of a child’s:

a.context.
b.cohort.
c.socioeconomic status.
d.domain.

Answer 3

a.context.

Question 4

In your text, development is divided into four domains:

a.social, emotional, cognitive, and physical.
b.infancy, childhood, adolescence, and adulthood.
c.individual, family, community, and society.
d.race, ethnicity, religion, and culture.

Answer 4

a.social, emotional, cognitive, and physical.

Question 5

Why did the publication of Charles Darwin’sThe Origin ofSpeciesstimulate interest in development?

a.People hoped to influence the direction of future human evolution.
b.People thought Darwin’s work would prove that humans are not related to other animals.
c.People came to view children as imperfect adults who, without intervention, would behave like lower animals.
d.People thought that, in studying children, they would see how humans might have evolved from lower animals.

Answer 5

d.People thought that, in studying children, they would see how humans might have evolved from lower animals.

Question 6

Which of the following is an appropriate example of how physical development directly influences social development?

a.as an infant develops the physical strength to sit up and crawl, he or she is able to join in peer activities at daycare
b.as an infant develops the strength to walk he or she falls often
c.when a child cries he or she learns the comfort of their parent
d.when a child begins to attend school and learn to read he or she develops greater cognitive abilities

Answer 6

a.as an infant develops the physical strength to sit up and crawl, he or she is able to join in peer activities at daycare

Question 7

Which of the following is an appropriate example of how cognitive development directly influences emotional development?

a.As children develop peer relationships, they are more skilled at running and jumping.
b.As children develop fine and gross motor skills, they are better able to understand the feelings of others.
c.As children develop more effective decision making and learning strategies, they are able to better understand how others make decisions and their feelings.
d.As children develop more effective decision making and learning strategies, they are able to strengthen both fine and gross motor skills.

Answer 7

c.As children develop more effective decision making and learning strategies, they are able to better understand how others make decisions and their feelings.

Question 8

The term developmentalist refers to:

a.practitioners in hospitals, schools, and child-care centers.
b.those who engage in research on child development but are not practitioners.
c.those who contribute to knowledge of children’s development, regardless of area of expertise.
d.a child who is being studied.

Answer 8

c.those who contribute to knowledge of children’s development, regardless of area of expertise.

Question 9

Which of the following is NOT considered a context in children’s development?

a.families and peers
b.genes
c.neighborhoods
d.cultural beliefs

Answer 9

b.genes

Question 10

A qualitatively distinct, coherent pattern of behavior that emerges during the course of development is referred to as ______.

a.a developmental stage
b.a sensitive period
c.plasticity
d.continuity

Answer 10

a.a developmental stage

Question 11

Sensitive periods are times in an organism’s development when:

a.a particular experience (or lack of it) has a more pronounced effect on development.
b.certain events must occur for development to proceed normally.
c.great emotional growth occurs.
d.a particular experience has an all-or-nothing effect on development.

Answer 11

a.a particular experience (or lack of it) has a more pronounced effect on development.

Question 12

Which of the following is an example of developmental continuity?

a.the qualitative reorganization of movement required for learning to walk
b.the gradual growth in memory capacity
c.the shift from babbling to talking
d.the stage-like transformations that occur as a plant grows from a seed

Answer 12

b.the gradual growth in memory capacity

Question 13

A study has validity if:

a.the data actually reflect the phenomena the researcher is trying to study.
b.the data a collected in a laboratory setting.
c.similar results are obtained when the study is repeated.
d.the researcher was not biased when collecting and analyzing data.

Answer 13

a.the data actually reflect the phenomena the researcher is trying to study.

Question 14

The only way to determine whether a particular factor causes an event or behavior is to:

a.determine whether the event is correlated with environmental factors.
b.adjust study techniques to each individual subject.
c.observe subjects in a naturalistic setting.
d.conduct an experiment.

Answer 14

d.conduct an experiment.

Question 15

What assumption did Piaget make about children’s learning?

a.Children are like sponges and absorb knowledge from the world around them.
b.Children are most likely to learn behaviors that contribute to the survival of the species.
c.Children actively construct understandings of the world around them.
d.Children’s learning is motivated by the satisfaction of biological drives.

Answer 15

c.Children actively construct understandings of the world around them.

Question 16

Which of the following is a central claim of BOTH Piaget and Vygotsky?

a.All children go through the same stages of development.
b.The process of development is universal.
c.Children actively construct their own knowledge.
d.Development can’t be separated from its social context.

Answer 16

c.Children actively construct their own

Question 17

According to Vygotsky, the difference between what a child can do on her own, without support from others, and what she can do with optimal social support is referred to as _____.

a.ethology
b.accommodation
c.equilibration
d.the zone of proximal development

Answer 17

d.the zone of proximal development

Question 18

Social learning theory extends the ideas of behaviorism by:

a.revealing that the challenge of early adulthood is to establish intimate relationships
b.identifying the importance for learning of models of behavior
c.proposing that children construct their own understandings about the world
d.suggesting that neurological health is a key component in learning

Answer 18

b.identifying the importance for learning of models of behavior

Question 19

According to the ____________ perspective, unresolved traumaticexperiences in childhood underlie adult psychological functioning.

a.psychodynamic
b.social learning
c.constructivist
d.sociocultural

Answer 19

a.psychodynamic

Question 20

Erikson departed from Freud’s basic ideas about development by arguing that:

a.biological drives motivate all human action.
b.the developmental process is essentially complete by the end of adolescence.
c.social and cultural factors play critical roles in development.
d.development proceeds through a series of stages.

Answer 20

c.social and cultural factors play critical roles in development.

Question 21

The third stage of labor ends when the baby emerges from the birth canal.

a.true
b.false

Answer 21

b.false

Question 22

Although breech births were once considered to be very dangerous, modern medicine has alleviated concerns about delivering breech babies vaginally.

a.true
b.false

Answer 22

b.false

Question 23

Infant mortality rates are always higher for babies born at home instead of in hospitals.

a.true
b.false

Answer 23

b.false

Question 24

Nurse-midwives are less likely than physicians to use medical interventions such as electronic fetal monitoring and labor induction.

a.true
b.false

Answer 24

a.true

Question 25

The microbiome includes the millions of microorganisms that live on and in our bodies.

a.true
b.false

Answer 25

a.true

Question 26

In the last ten years, there has been a decline in the percentage of U.S. newborns with excellent Apgar scores.

a.true
b.false

Answer 26

a.true

Question 27

A supportive environment can help a child overcome the potential risks associated with premature birth.

a.true
b.false

Answer 27

a.true

Question 28

Adults pay more attention to “cute” infants than to those they consider to be less attractive.

a.true
b.false

Answer 28

a.true

Question 29

Newborns whose birth weight falls in the lowest 10 percent for their gestational age are said to be of low birth weight.

a.true
b.false

Answer 29

b.false

Question 30

Learning their baby’s sex during an ultrasound appointment has very little influence on parents’ perceptions of their developing fetus.

a.true
b.false

Answer 30

b.false

Question 31

The length of time from the woman’s last menstruation until birth is typically ___________ weeks.

a.36
b.38
c.40
d.42

Answer 31

c.40

Question 32

The first stage of labor lasts until the:

a.cervix is fully dilated.
b.baby emerges from the mother’s body.
c.placenta becomes detached from the uterine wall.
d.baby’s head becomes visible at the outside opening of the birth canal.

Answer 32

a.cervix is fully dilated.

Question 33

Which stage of labor may last 14 hours or longer?

a.The first.
b.The second.
c.The third.
d.All stages are equal in length.

Answer 33

a.The first.

Question 34

The range in length of the first stage of labor is:

a.1 hour to 2 hours.
b.3 hours to 1 day.
c.less than 1 hour to several days
d.3 hours to 14 hours.

Answer 34

c.less than 1 hour to several days

Question 35

When a baby is born in a “breech” position, the:

a.arms emerge first.
b.head emerges first.
c.placenta emerges first.
d.feet or buttocks emerge first.

Answer 35

d.feet or buttocks emerge first.

Question 36

The word “afterbirth” refers to:

a.rituals practiced in some cultures after birth takes place.
b.the period during the first few hours after a baby is born.
c.the placenta and fetal membranes that are expelled shortly after a baby isborn.
d.the time after birth during which mother and baby become emotionally bonded.

Answer 36

c.the placenta and fetal membranes that are expelled shortly after a baby isborn.

Question 37

During the second stage of labor, ____________, while during the third stage of labor, ____________.

a.the baby emerges from the vagina; the baby is pushed through the cervix into the vagina
b.the baby emerges from the vagina; the placenta is delivered
c.the cervix begins to dilate; the baby is pushed through the cervix into the vagina
d.the cervix begins to dilate; the baby emerges from the vagina

Answer 37

c.the cervix begins to dilate; the baby is pushed through the cervix into the vagina

Question 38

Jada has just delivered her baby in a hospital setting assisted by a physician. In what area of the world is this type of birth MOST likely to occur?

a.East Africa.
b.Nepal.
c.Holland.
d.The United States.

Answer 38

d.The United States.

Question 39

Customs relating to childbirth:

a.vary widely between cultures.
b.are basically the same in all cultures.
c.involve, in most cultures, women giving birth in hospitals.
d.involve, in most cultures, women giving birth without assistance.

Answer 39

a.vary widely between cultures.

Question 40

Which of the following is a true statement about the shift from home births to hospital births?

a.The shift occurred due to a growing shortage of qualified people willing to assist with home births.
b.The shift occurred as hospitals were better equipped to provide antiseptic surroundings.
c.The shift occurred as drugs to relieve pain during childbirth became available without a prescription.
d.The shift occurred because greater rates of infant death were found in home births.

Answer 40

a.The shift occurred due to a growing shortage of qualified people willing to assist with home births.

Question 41

A new parent notices that her week-old infant has several “soft spots” on his skull. When she calls her pediatrician, she is MOST likely told to:

a.bring the baby in for immediate medical attention as such spots are indications of serious developmental concerns.
b.relax because these spots are nature’s way of allowing the skull to accommodate brain growth.
c.relax because these spots will allow for positional skull flattening as her baby ages.
d.purchase a helmet-like device to help protect her baby’s skull while the bones harden.

Answer 41

b.relax because these spots are nature’s way of allowing the skull to accommodate brain growth.

Question 42

The brain of an adult is approximately four times larger than that of a newborn. What accounts for this tremendous growth?

a.The complexity of networks between neurons increases.
b.The chemical reaction that occurs when myelin begins to dissolve triggers new nerve cells to develop.
c.New neurons form in response to experiences occurring in the first five years of life.
d.Nutritional benefits of breast milk and formula cause an increase in the production of neurons.

Answer 42

a.The complexity of networks between neurons increases.

Question 43

Axons, dendrites, and synapses perform the function of:

a.sending and receiving messages within the central nervous system.
b.neurotransmitters.
c.voluntary motor control, primarily.
d.myelination.

Answer 43

a.sending and receiving messages within the central nervous system.

Question 44

The process of myelination, in which myelin covers nerve cells, assists in:

a.increasing the surface area of the brain.
b.the assimilation of new experiences.
c.speeding the transmission of neural impulses or signals.
d.generalizability.

Answer 44

c.speeding the transmission of neural impulses or signals

Question 45

The central nervous system is divided into three major sections, including:

a.cerebral cortex, neurons, brain stem.
b.brainstem, spinal cord, cerebral cortex.
c.brainstem, spinal cord, dendrites.
d.axon, dendrites, synapses.

Answer 45

b.brainstem, spinal cord, cerebral cortex.

Question 46

Uncommitted areas of the brain provide infants with the capacity to develop brain circuits that grow and change depending upon the experiences infants encounter as they develop. These uncommitted areas permit developmental plasticity, and depend heavily on:

a.cultural influences.
b.evolutionary influences.
c.experience-expectant processes.
d.experience-dependent processes.

Answer 46

d.experience-dependent processes.

Question 47

Danielle was born severely visually impaired; as a result, the visual areas of her brain failed to develop normally. This is an example of:

a.synaptogenesis.
b.experience-expectant brain development.
c.experience-dependent brain development.
d.plasticity.

Answer 47

b.experience-expectant brain development.

Question 48

Which of the following senses is the LEAST well-developed at birth?

a.vision
b.hearing
c.tasting
d.smelling

Answer 48

a.vision

Question 49

Researchers assume that infants can tell the difference between two stimuli if they:

a.look at only one stimulus.
b.refuse to look at either stimulus.
c.pay more attention to one stimulus than to the other.
d.spend equal amounts of time looking at both stimuli.

Answer 49

c.pay more attention to one stimulus than to the other.

Question 50

One of the MOST striking discoveries about the hearing of very young infants (Eimas, 1985) is that they are particularly sensitive to thesound categoryknown as:

a.the purr of a cat.
b.baby talk register.
c.phonemes.
d.their mother’s voice.

Answer 50

c.phonemes.

Question 51

According to Piaget’s theory, infants are in which of the following stages of development?

a.concrete operational
b.preoperational
c.sensorimotor
d.formal operational

Answer 51

c.sensorimotor

Question 52

According to Piaget, infants’ earliest schemas are:

a.the reflexes they have at birth.
b.learned through reinforcement or lack of reinforcement.
c.sensory in nature, but not presently including a motor component.
d.conditioned responses learned during the first few months after birth.

Answer 52

a.the reflexes they have at birth.

Question 53

Which is an example of a primary circular reaction?

a.A newborn sticks out her tongue after she sees an adult model do so.
b.An infant repeatedly brings his hand to his mouth and sucks his fingers.
c.An infant learns to open her mouth in anticipation of feeding when her mother picks her up.
d.An infant turns his head to the side more frequently when head turning is followed by a sip of sugar solution.

Answer 53

b.An infant repeatedly brings his hand to his mouth and sucks his fingers.

Question 54

The process by which an infant learns that events in the environment go together, such as a loud noise and a light, is:

a.operant conditioning.
b.classical conditioning.
c.accommodation.
d.modeling.

Answer 54

b.classical conditioning.

Question 55

A newborn’s temperamental qualities include which of the following characteristics?

a.activity level, intensity of reactions, and sociability
b.assimilation and accommodation
c.classical and operant conditioning
d.visual acuity and developmental reflexes

Answer 55

a.activity level, intensity of reactions, and sociability

Question 56

Co-sleeping is a common practice across the world. It fits well with which of the following culturally valued long-term goal(s) for development?

a.nursing on schedule
b.motoric stimulation and myths about appropriate nutrition
c.independence
d.interdependence and reliance on others

Answer 56

d.interdependence and reliance on others

Question 57

Chess and Thomas and their colleagues developed a widely influential classification of babies’ temperaments.They classified temperament as:

a.trusting, wary, and suspicious.
b.happy, irritable, and unresponsive.
c.easy, difficult, and slow to warm up.
d.responsive, unresponsive, and depressed.

Answer 57

c.easy, difficult, and slow to warm up.

Question 58

For many American babies, a marked shift toward the adult night/day cycle occurs in the first few weeks after birth. This is probably a result of:

a.maturation of the central nervous system.
b.the development of the peripheral nervous system.
c.the expectations of American parents.
d.learning to feed only during the day.

Answer 58

c.the expectations of American parents.

Question 59

Parents begin to report that their children start to “cry on purpose” within a few months after birth. These reports are:

a.not correct as crying is coordinated by the brain stem until about 1 year of age.
b.correct because crying becomes voluntarily controlled as the cerebral cortex develops within the first few months of life.
c.not correct because the parents are simply hearing a lower pitch in cry due to changes in the vocal tract.
d.correct because after a few months of life, children can coordinate breathing and movements of the vocal tract.

Answer 59

b.correct because crying becomes voluntarily controlled as the cerebral cortex develops within the first few months of life.

Question 60

A summary of the key developmental accomplishments in the first 3 months of life would include:

a.rapid growth in the frontal cortex, the sucking reflex leading to efficient feeding, and the coordination of sleeping and feeding schedules.
b.the sucking reflex leading to efficient feeding, the disappearance of all developmental reflexes, and coordination of sleeping and feeding schedules.
c.the sucking reflex leading to efficient feeding, sleeping through the entire night, and rapid maturation of the central nervous system.
d.rapid maturation of the central nervous system, the sucking reflex leading to efficient feeding, and coordination of sleeping and feeding schedules.

Answer 60

d.rapid maturation of the central nervous system, the sucking reflex leading to efficient feeding, and coordination of sleeping and feeding schedules.

Question 61

During the first year, children’s heads:

a.change little in size.
b.grow to their full adult size.
c.grow to be a larger proportion of total body length.
d.grow to be a smaller proportion of total body length.

Answer 61

d.grow to be a smaller proportion of total body length.

Question 62

The changes in body proportion that occur by 12 months of age allow children to do which of the following?
a.reach and grasp
b.hold their heads up
c.balance on two legs and begin to walk
d.coordinate their arm movements

Answer 62

c.balance on two legs and begin to walk

Question 63

Just before toddlers make rapid advances in language ability, we could expect to see:

a.rapid growth of neurons in the prefrontal cortex.
b.inhibition of prefrontal cortex activity.
c.synaptic pruning in the language-related areas of the cortex.
d.myelination of the language-related areas of the cortex.

Answer 63

d.myelination of the language-related areas of the cortex.

Question 64

Studies of children adopted from unstimulating orphanages clearly showed that the children:

a.developed better the longer they remained in the orphanage.
b.were more likely to recover if they were adopted by 6 months of age.
c.never recovered from this early experience.
d.were able to fully recover when placed with adoptive families.

Answer 64

b.were more likely to recover if they were adopted by 6 months of age.

Question 65

Which of the following is a valid generalization about gross motor skill development?

a.The sequence of development of gross motor skills is unpredictable.
b.There can be wide age variations in children’s development of certain gross motor skills.
c.Practice has no influence on the development of gross motor skills.
d.Babies who are not walking by 1 year of age should be examined by a medical professional.

Answer 65

b.There can be wide age variations in children’s development of certain gross motor skills.

Question 66

The visual feedback that one gets from moving around is called:

a.social referencing.
b.visual proprioception.
c.locomotion.
d.object permanence.

Answer 66

b.visual proprioception.

Question 67

Infants’ tendency to look to their caregiver for an indication of how to feel and act in unfamiliar circumstances is referred to as:

a.social referencing.
b.visual proprioception.
c.locomotion.
d.object permanence.

Answer 67

a.social referencing.

Question 68

Psychologists generally agree on the ages at which children acquire various cognitive milestones.

Select one:
True
False

Answer 68

False

Question 69

Piaget’s work regarding the knowledge that infants possess has been criticized because he relied on the limited motor abilities of infants.

Select one:
True
False

Answer 69

False

Question 70

Which of the following results was obtained in studies investigating infants’ behavior on the virtual cliff apparatus?

a.Infants in these studies never demonstrated wariness of the apparent drop-off.
b.Infants in these studies were afraid to cross over to the “deep” side of the apparatus.
c.Infants’ wariness was related to their experience with crawling.
d.Infants’ wariness was related to their experience with object permanence.

Answer 70

c.Infants’ wariness was related to their experience with crawling.

Question 71

Since many infants in the United States are put to sleep on their backs as a measure to prevent SIDS, pediatricians are recommending “tummy time to play” because it:

a.aids digestion in the early years.
b.is a more comfortable position for young infants.
c.helps prevent bed sores on the infant’s back and bottom.
d.helps the development of locomotion.

Answer 71

d.helps the development of locomotion.

Question 72

Secondary circular reactions are of interest because they are the first sign that infants understand:

a.their own bodies can serve as a source of pleasurable experience.
b.objects have their own identities.
c.they can deliberately solve problems and explore the world.
d.objects continue to exist even when out of sight.

Answer 72

b.objects have their own identities.

Question 73

Piaget would be most likely to support which of the following statements about cognitive development?

a.Cognitive development is a continuous process.
b.Children have the ability to represent the world conceptually from birth.
c.Children undergo a radical shift in cognitive abilities at the end of infancy.
d.Sensorimotor knowledge emerges out of conceptual understandings.

Answer 73

c.Children undergo a radical shift in cognitive abilities at the end of infancy.

Question 74

According to Piaget, if an infant discovers that when she kicks the mobile above her crib the fairy-tale characters flutter, then repeats this action many times, this is an example of:

a.habituation.
b.classical conditioning.
c.a primary circular reaction.
d.a secondary circular reaction.

Answer 74

d.a secondary circular reaction.

Question 75

Tertiary circular reactions differ from earlier forms of circular reactions because they:

a.make interesting sights last.
b.are examples of representational thought.
c.involve deliberate varying of action sequences.
d.involve actions on the infant’s own body (e.g., thumb-sucking).

Answer 75

c.involve deliberate varying of action sequences.

Question 76

Piaget’s notion of object permanence refers to the idea that:

a.particular objects will exist forever.
b.an object’s identification never changes even when its appearance changes.
c.the existence of objects is dependent on a person’s belief in their existence.
d.objects exist even when out of sight.

Answer 76

d.objects exist even when out of sight.

Question 77

A criticism of traditional Piagetian tasks is that:

a.infants may be able to perform successfully on the tasks without having the underlying representational competencies.
b.infants may have underlying representational competencies that they are unable to express through their performance on the tasks.
c.the tasks are only reliable when infants from certain cultural groups are tested.
d.the procedures are so complex that other researchers are unable to reproduce Piaget’s methods.

Answer 77

b.infants may have underlying representational competencies that they are unable to express through their performance on the tasks.

Question 78

The finding that infants are able to successfully find hidden objects when allowed to search for them immediately suggests that the A-not-B error:

a.may be a result of limited representational abilities.
b.may reflect limitations of infants’ memories.
c.may be due to motor perseveration.
d.does not actually exist.

Answer 78

b.may reflect limitations of infants’ memories.

Question 79

Which of the following would be evidence to support the conclusion that an infant made an A-not-B error due to motor perseveration?

a.The infant looked at location B but reached toward location A.
b.The infant looked at location A but reached toward location B.
c.The infant looked in a new location each time the object was hidden.
d.The infant was later able to find the object when allowed to search immediately.

Answer 79

a.The infant looked at location B but reached toward location A.

Question 80

Studies by Baillargeon and her colleagues using violation-of-expectation techniques have provided some evidence that infants’ knowledge of objects:

a.most likely develops earlier than 4 weeks of age.
b.most likely develops earlier than 8 months of age.
c.is highly unstable until their first birthday.
d.is most likely the result of specific cultural practices by parents.

Answer 80

b.most likely develops earlier than 8 months of age.