Deck 9: Theories of Social Development

Question 1

A person who believes that intelligence is fixed is considered by Dweck and her colleagues to have a(n) _____ theory of intelligence.

A) learning
B) entity
C) incremental
D) mastery

Answer 1

B

Question 2

Which statement describes a weakness concerning the majority of learning theories?

A) They fail to consider biological influences on development and behavior outcomes.
B) They fail to consider genetic and environmental influences on development and behavior outcomes.
C) The fail to consider social and cultural influences on development and behavior outcomes.
D) A major weakness of learning theories does not exist.

Answer 2

A

Question 3

With his information-processing theory of social problem solving, Kenneth Dodge is particularly interested in children's

A) ability to take the perspective of others.
B) use of aggression as a strategy.
C) propensity to learn from others' rewards and punishment.
D) reactions to failure.

Answer 3

B

Question 4

Which statement provides an example of reciprocal determinism?

A) A child becomes fearful of snakes after being bitten by one.
B) A child who tends to treat others with kindness influences her peers' behavior, which in turn influences the child.
C) A child with poor academic self-efficacy is more likely than other children to withdraw from school work.
D) A child continues to throw temper tantrums because he gets what he wants as a result.

Question 5

Bronfenbrenner contributed to which of the following theories?

A) the bioecological model
B) the theory of social cognition
C) the psychosexual perspective
D) behaviorism

Question 6

Which factor is NOT emphasized in ecological theories?

A) sociocultural context
B) continuity
C) active role of the child
D) genetic influences

Question 7

The active role children play in their own development is a central focus of

A) the bioecological approach.
B) all ecological theories of development.
C) ethology.
D) evolutionary psychology.

Question 8

The behavior modification strategy of "time-outs" is based on the idea that _____ is a positive reinforcement.

A) whining
B) learning
C) withdrawal
D) attention

Question 9

Which property is NOT a goal theorized by Erikson first five stages of development to be important?

A) differentiation
B) trust
C) identity
D) initiative

Question 10

Which stage of development, according to Freud, begins in adolescence and includes completion of sexual maturation?

A) phallic stage
B) oral stage
C) genital stage
D) latency period

Question 11

According to Freud, which personality structure is primitive?

A) the id
B) the superid
C) the ego
D) the superego

Question 12

According to Selman, young children's thinking about other people is

A) surprisingly abstract.
B) less egocentric.
C) complex.
D) unrelated to their level of cognitive development.

Question 13

The _____ is NOT a personality structure hypothesized by Freud.

A) ego
B) superego
C) id
D) superid

Question 14

According to the text, which type of praise or criticism would be MOST likely to be associated with children developing an incremental/mastery orientation in response to failure?

A) "I think you need to try harder."
B) "You're very smart at these problems."
C) "You just can't do math."
D) "I'm proud of you."

Question 15

Evolutionary psychologists suggest that the prolonged period of human children's immaturity is

A) wasteful.
B) a result of the nested structure of human contexts.
C) caused by parents' reinforcement of children's immature behavior.
D) adaptive.

Question 16

According to Selman, children in stage 4

A) believe that others' different perspectives stem from possession of different knowledge.
B) realize that others have different perspectives and are able to think about others' points of view.
C) are able to systematically compare their own and another person's points of view.
D) attempt to understand others' views by comparing them to the generalized other.

Question 17

Freud's contributions to developmental psychology do NOT include an emphasis on the importance of

A) unconscious processes.
B) close relationships.
C) early experience.
D) objective experience.

Question 18

Parental-investment theory can be used to explain

A) differences in rates of child abuse perpetrated against biological children versus stepchildren.
B) imprinting.
C) societal changes in views of women in the workforce.
D) hostile attributional biases.

Question 19

Using social media platforms would be located in the _____ bioecological level.

A) exosystem
B) macrosystem
C) microsystem
D) mesosystem

Question 20

What can parents do to help their children successfully resolve Erikson's basic trust versus mistrust stage?

A) be consistent and warm in their caretaking
B) help the children have successful experiences
C) not be highly controlling
D) instill socially acceptable behaviors

Question 21

_____ can be used to fight against the negative effects of media on children at the macrosystem level.

A) Parental control of children's access
B) Community center programs aimed at children
C) Violent media
D) Regulation of advertising

Question 22

Which personality structure is considered the conscience?

A) the ego
B) the id
C) the superego
D) the subego

Question 23

According to Erikson, successful resolution of the industry versus inferiority crisis involves

A) achieving a core sense of identity.
B) developing a conscience.
C) mastering important skills and cooperating with others.
D) identifying with one's powerful parent.

Question 24

Michael is 16 years old. Which stage of development is he currently in, according to Freud?

A) phallic stage
B) oral stage
C) genital stage
D) latency period

Question 25

Long-standing contributions of psychoanalytic theories to developmental psychology do NOT include

A) significance of early experience.
B) notion that a great portion of one's mental life occurs outside consciousness.
C) emphasis on the development of identity.
D) influence of one's sexual nature on development.

Question 26

Which statement about media and children is TRUE?

A) Media violence has been found to have little impact on children's aggressive behavior.
B) It is still unclear whether media violence has an impact on children's aggressive behavior.
C) The evidence is clear that media violence has an immediate but not long-term effect on children's aggressive behavior.
D) The evidence is clear that media violence has both an immediate effect and a long-term effect on children's aggressive behavior.

Question 27

According to Freud's theory, infants fear

A) delay of gratification.
B) loss of love.
C) potty training.
D) hunger.

Question 28

Research by Dweck and colleagues on the association between individuals' theories of intelligence and their math achievement demonstrated that

A) ability-focused praise had a positive influence on math achievement.
B) 7th-grade students with an entity theory of intelligence had stable math scores over 2 years.
C) teaching students to modify their theory of intelligence can lead to an improvement in their grades.
D) all of these are true.

Question 29

During which stage does the ego develop?

A) phallic
B) latency
C) oral
D) anal

Question 30

On the issue of continuous versus discontinuous development, theories of social cognition

A) view development as continuous.
B) view development as discontinuous.
C) vary as to whether they view development as continuous or discontinuous.
D) see the issue of continuity versus discontinuity as irrelevant.

Question 31

Eliza tends to base her self-worth on her own effort and learning. When given a choice, she is likely to choose situations in which she can _____. She is considered to have an _____ orientation.

A) be assured of success; entity/helpless
B) be assured of success; incremental/mastery
C) enjoy the challenge of a difficult problem; entity/helpless
D) enjoy the challenge of a difficult problem; incremental/mastery

Question 32

Playing video games would be located in the _____ bioecological level.

A) exosystem
B) macrosystem
C) microsystem
D) mesosystem

Question 33

The parents of 2-year-old Joshua are frustrated with his screaming when he wants something. According to Skinner, which of these would be the BEST advice to give Joshua's parents if they wish to stop Joshua's screaming?

A) Give Joshua what he wants whether or not he screams.
B) Always give Joshua what he wants when he screams.
C) Sometimes give Joshua what he wants when he screams, and sometimes refuse to give him what he wants when he screams.
D) Never give Joshua what he wants when he screams.

Question 34

Which factor associated with child maltreatment is NOT within the microsystem?

A) parental alcohol dependence
B) community violence
C) children who are handicapped
D) abusive spousal relationship

Question 35

Which of the following theories is primarily concerned with the survival value of particular behaviors?

A) social learning
B) ethological
C) psychoanalytic
D) social cognitive

Question 36

The mesosystem involves the

A) settings in which the child is not a direct participant.
B) general beliefs, values, customs, and laws of the larger society.
C) activities, roles, and relationships in which the child directly participates.
D) connections among the contexts in which the child directly participates.

Question 37

According to Freud, children's identification with the same-sex parent begins when

A) they imprint onto him or her.
B) their biological urges come into play.
C) they must repress their sexual feelings for their opposite-sex parent.
D) they internalize their parents' beliefs, values, and attitudes.

Question 38

Erikson's stages are characterized by

A) the personality structure that emerges during the particular stage.
B) a specific crisis that must be resolved.
C) the erogenous zones in which the psychic energy is focused.
D) a particular manner of responding to reward and reinforcement.

Question 39

Evolutionary psychology is primarily concerned with

A) the effects of various levels of context on human development.
B) understanding how humans are similar to and different from other animals, especially other primates.
C) the differences between developing within species-typical environments and developing within species-atypical environments.
D) the application of natural selection and adaptation to human behavior.

Question 40

Which characteristic does NOT describe the id?

A) unconscious
B) primitive
C) impulsive
D) realistic

Question 41

Which statement is a criticism of evolutionary psychology?

A) There is a lack of emphasis on biological factors.
B) It is not possible to test its hypotheses.
C) There is a lack of emphasis on the social environment.
D) It uses experimental measures to examine the theory.

Question 42

According to Freud, if a person's fundamental needs are not met during a particular stage, the person may

A) become fixated on the issues relevant to that stage.
B) experience an identity crisis.
C) make hostile attributions.
D) develop infantile amnesia.

Question 43

On which point do Freud and current developmental psychologists disagree?

A) existence of infantile amnesia
B) effect of repression on early memory
C) importance of close early relationships
D) idea that much of human behavior stems from unconscious processes

Question 44

Watson employed _____ to create fear of a white rat in "Little Albert."

A) systematic desensitization
B) operant conditioning
C) classical conditioning
D) role taking

Question 45

Melissa uses "time-outs" for her child when he misbehaves, which is based on the idea that _____ is a positive reinforcement to misbehavior.

A) whining
B) learning
C) withdrawal
D) attention

Question 46

According to Erikson, children develop a conscience during which stage?

A) initiative versus guilt
B) autonomy versus shame and doubt
C) basic trust versus mistrust
D) identity versus role confusion

Question 47

The exosystem involves the

A) settings in which the child is not a direct participant.
B) temporal dimension.
C) general beliefs, values, customs, and laws of the larger society.
D) connections among the contexts in which the child directly participates.

Question 48

Which statement does NOT describe an effect of media violence on children?

A) Media violence heightens viewers' psychological arousal.
B) Media violence increases viewers' emotional sensitivity to violence.
C) Media violence teaches new behaviors and inspires imitation.
D) Media violence increases accessibility of viewers' own aggressive thoughts and tendencies.

Question 49

In a study that examined the amount of time male and female newborns looked at human faces and at mobiles, results demonstrated that

A) both male and female infants primarily looked at mobiles.
B) both male and female infants primarily looked at faces.
C) male infants looked longer at mobiles and female infants looked longer at faces.
D) female infants looked longer at mobiles and male infants looked longer at faces.

Question 50

Which statement about Selman's stage theory of role taking is TRUE?

A) Before adolescence, children are unable to acknowledge the existence of perspectives different from their own.
B) Children's progress through the stages is strongly related to their progress through Piaget's stages.
C) Although the theory describes stages, Selman believed that most individuals progress through these changes in a simultaneous fashion.
D) By approximately age 10, children can assess whether another person's view is typical of most people in their social group.

Question 51

Social-learning theory emphasizes the importance of _____ as a mechanism of development.

A) imitation
B) punishment
C) contexts
D) reinforcement

Question 52

The parents of 2-year-old Joshua are frustrated with his screaming when he wants something. Which scenario is an example of intermittent reinforcement?

A) His parents always give Joshua what he wants whether or not he screams.
B) His parents always give Joshua what he wants only when he screams.
C) Sometimes his parents give Joshua what he wants when he screams, and sometimes they refuse to give him what he wants when he screams.
D) His parents never give Joshua what he wants when he screams.

Question 53

Role taking can be best defined as

A) adopting the perspective of another person.
B) forming a solid identity.
C) becoming intimate with another person.
D) deciding on a career path.

Question 54

Behavior modification is a(n)

A) way to help children overcome a hostile attributional bias.
B) approach used to help people conquer their fears.
C) form of therapy that is useful for changing undesirable behaviors.
D) treatment to cure autism.

Question 55

Children with ADHD

A) tend to be of below-average intelligence.
B) typically show severe emotional disturbances.
C) have difficulty inhibiting impulses to act.
D) are more likely to be female.

Question 56

Children spend the MOST time in which activity?

A) going to school
B) nonspecific play with friends
C) athletics
D) media interaction

Question 57

Which stage begins with the start of sexual maturation?

A) phallic
B) latency
C) genital
D) oral

Question 58

According to Freud, the phallic stage encompasses approximately what age(s)?

A) ages 2 to 3
B) ages 3 to 6
C) ages 6 to 12
D) beginning of sexual maturation through adulthood

Question 59

_____ is part of the mesosystem.

A) Parents' contact with a child's soccer coach
B) Societal importance placed on athletic prowess of boys
C) A child's favorite TV show
D) A father's job as a truck driver

Question 60

Which theorist claimed that he could train any child to become any kind of specialist, regardless of the characteristics of the child's ancestors?

A) Skinner
B) Watson
C) Freud
D) Bandura

Question 61

The macrosystem involves the

A) settings in which the child is not a direct participant.
B) temporal dimension.
C) general beliefs, values, customs, and laws of the larger society.
D) activities, roles, and relationships in which the child directly participates.

Question 62

Parental-investment theory explains the higher rate of murder committed by stepfathers against stepchildren than of murder committed by fathers against biological children in terms of the difference in

A) time spent with the children.
B) genetic similarity.
C) attachment.
D) societal endorsement.

Question 63

According to evolutionary psychologists, which situation is NOT associated with the large size of the human brain (relative to body size) in comparison with other species?

A) birth occurring at a more mature stage of development
B) increased social complexity
C) prolonged period of immaturity and dependence
D) high level of neural plasticity

Question 64

_____ is part of the chronosystem.

A) The societal belief that men should be breadwinners
B) A father's job loss
C) The societal shift in the employment status of women over the past decade
D) A mother's practice of taking her daughter to work on Take Your Daughter to Work Day

Question 65

Contemporary learning theorists emphasize the importance of _____ on children's development.

A) socialization
B) internal forces
C) subjective experience
D) context

Question 66

Matt is watching his older brother, Zach, get punished for breaking a house rule. Matt is experiencing

A) vicarious reinforcement
B) intermittent reinforcement
C) behavior modification
D) reciprocal determinism

Question 67

A person who believes that intelligence can grow as a function of experience is considered by Dweck and her colleagues to have a(n) _____ theory of intelligence.

A) learning
B) entity
C) incremental
D) mastery

Question 68

The family is part of which level of the bioecological model?

A) the mesosystem
B) the microsystem
C) the macrosystem
D) the chronosystem

Question 69

Social cognitive theories are considered somewhat incomplete because they fail to

A) discuss the role of biological factors in development.
B) see children as actively involved in their own development.
C) fully consider cognitive factors.
D) have any real-world implications.

Question 70

Traditional learning theorists emphasize the importance of _____ on children's development.

A) cognitive factors
B) internal forces
C) subjective experience
D) external factors

Question 71

_____ is an example of an aspect of SES that occurs at the level of the exosystem.

A) Government policies
B) Employment status of parents
C) Neighborhood
D) Changes in types of jobs over time

Question 72

According to Freud, which personality structure develops into the individual's sense of self? A) the id

A)
B) the superid
C) the ego
D) the superego

Question 73

If the ego, as theorized by Freud, could speak, which statement would it be MOST likely to say?

A) "Let's figure out how to make this work."
B) "I want it NOW!"
C) "That's not the right thing to do."
D) "That's going to cause problems in the future."

Question 74

Evolutionary psychologists posit that parents spend the great deal of time and resources that they do in raising their children because their

A) genes will be perpetuated only if their children survive long enough to reproduce.
B) have been socialized to do so by imitating their own parents.
C) children's affection and attention serve as positive reinforcements.
D) children are imprinted on them.

Question 75

Rhonda believes that her intelligence can grow with experience. When Rhonda encounters failure, she would be expected to

A) work persistently to solve the problem.
B) believe that her failure is due to a lack of ability.
C) believe she is dumb.
D) feel helpless.

Question 76

This developmental issue is of main concern for ecological theories

A) continuity versus discontinuity.
B) critical periods.
C) nature versus nurture.
D) active learning versus passive learning.

Question 77

Carlos feels guilty when he disobeys his parents' rule about not eating cookies before dinner. Freud would see Carlos's guilt as a sign that he has developed a(n)

A) superego.
B) fixation.
C) id.
D) ego.

Question 78

Individuals in the anal stage are focused on conflict surrounding

A) breastfeeding.
B) parents' choice of intellectual pursuits for the child.
C) toilet training.
D) the conscience.

Question 79

According to Selman, 6- to 8-year-old children

A) believe that others' different perspectives stem from possession of different knowledge.
B) realize that others have different perspectives and are able to think about others' points of view.
C) are able to systematically compare their own and another person's points of view.
D) believe that others cannot have a different perspective from their own.

Question 80

With respect to the nature of children and development, theories of social cognition emphasize

A) self-socialization.
B) reinforcement and imitation.
C) the stages children progress through as they develop.
D) the contexts of which children are a part.