Deck 1: The Study of Human Development

Question 1

There are three fundamental characteristics of human development, according to your authors. Which of the following is NOT one of them?

A) nature and nurture
B) external and internal
C) continuity and discontinuity
D) universal and context-specific development

Answer 1

B

Question 2

Which term does NOT belong in this group?

A) Experiential
B) Nurture
C) Environmental
D) Hereditary

Answer 2

D

Question 3

Prenatal development, brain maturation, puberty, and menopause are all examples of __________ forces.

A) psychological
B) biological
C) life-cycle
D) sociocultural

Answer 3

B

Question 4

Iggy wakes up one day and suddenly decides, "I am tired of being the nice guy that everyone pushes around. Starting today, I am going to be more assertive and less accommodating of other people's needs. And if others don't like it, I'm not going to care about that anymore." Iggy's belief that he can rapidly change a basic part of his own character demonstrates a belief in

A) continuity.
B) stability.
C) discontinuity.
D) context-specific development.

Question 5

A _________ is an organized set of ideas that is designed to explain development.

A) theory
B) prediction
C) correlation coefficient
D) structured observation

Question 6

The biopsychosocial framework organizes the contributions of many different forces in human development. Which of the following is NOT one of them?

A) biological forces
B) spiritual forces
C) sociocultural forces
D) psychological forces

Question 7

Emotional, personality, and perceptual factors are all examples of ________ forces.

A) psychological
B) biological
C) life-cycle
D) sociocultural

Question 8

When Jordan, who is a 25-year-old, married father of one infant daughter, is laid off from his job, it impacts him with a devastating amount of worry and fear. When Jackson, who is a 72-year-old married man with five grandchildren, is laid off from his job, he seems to take it in stride and decides that this is a good time to retire. Which of the following forces BEST explains the different reactions of Jordan and Jackson?

A) biological forces
B) sociocultural forces
C) psychological forces
D) life-cycle forces

Question 9

When people in the United States watch television programs about children in other cultures, they are often surprised to find out that children from other countries often have very different skills and abilities than their own kids, even though they are the same age. This difference demonstrates the concept of

A) context-specific development.
B) universal development.
C) nomothetic development.
D) nature-based development.

Question 10

Which of the following BEST summarizes the current thinking in human development with regard to the nature and nurture question?

A) Development is always shaped by both nature- and nurture-related factors.
B) While nature is important, it is truly our environment (or "nurture") that determines who we are.
C) While nurture is important, it is truly our genetics (or "nature") that determines who we are.
D) Because there are no reliable and valid ways to scientifically test the different influences of nature- and nurture-related factors, this question has become widely ignored in the study of human development.

Question 11

Marielle and Dominic have not seen each other since high school, and they are both getting ready to attend their 30-year reunion. Marielle remembers Dominic as being a very playful, funny, and easy-going person. She is looking forward to seeing him, and expects that he will be very much the same as he was 30 years ago. Marielle's expectation demonstrates a belief in

A) universal development.
B) continuity.
C) nurture.
D) nature.

Question 12

________ is the study of the brain and the nervous system, especially in terms of brain-behavior relationships.

A) Neuroscience
B) Biopsychology
C) Physiology
D) Teratology

Question 13

Which of the following is NOT one of the key aspects of human development, as described by your textbook?

A) It is a multidisciplinary field.
B) It is interested in how people change over time.
C) It is based upon the sound, scientific theories of philosophy.
D) It is interested in how people remain the same over time.

Question 14

Regarding comprehensive theories that guide all research in the field of human development, which of the following is the most accurate statement?

A) The most widely accepted comprehensive theories in human development come from the psychodynamic school of thought.
B) The most widely accepted comprehensive theories in human development come from the learning school of thought.
C) There are no truly comprehensive theories that guide all research
D) The concept of selective optimization with compensation is the only truly comprehensive theory in the area of human development.

Question 15

Marjorie believes that her husband, Tom, is an excellent father because he was born with a gentle nature and an abundance of patience. Tom, on the other hand, believes that he is a good father because he learned to be one from his own parents. Which fundamental question of human development does this issue address?

A) nature and nurture
B) external and internal
C) continuity and discontinuity
D) universal and context-specific development

Question 16

The fact that babies from around the world tend to develop language skills at approximately the same age is support for which of the following concepts from the study of human development?

A) continuity
B) discontinuity
C) context-specific development
D) universal development

Question 17

Influences such as one's parents and siblings, teachers and co-workers, peers, schools, television, and the workplace are all examples of __________ forces.

A) psychological
B) biological
C) life-cycle
D) sociocultural

Question 18

Why are theories such an important part of the understanding of human development?

A) They provide the "whys" for development.
B) They give definitive proof of relationships between various developmental factors.
C) They allow us to understand the similarity between the developmental paths of human beings and higher animals, such as chimpanzees.
D) They are scientifically irrefutable.

Question 19

Which BEST describes the relationship between biological, psychological, and sociocultural forces in human development?

A) unimportant
B) interactive
C) independent
D) non-normative

Question 20

The notion that development is best described in terms of a series of abrupt shifts in behavior BEST fits with the _____ approach.

A) nature
B) nurture
C) continuity
D) discontinuity

Question 21

When Dr. Bentley is asked to explain troubled adolescents, she says, "The only way to explain the problems of adolescents is to study them in relation to their parents and the culture that surrounds them." Dr. Bentley is most likely a proponent of ____ theory.

A) Psychodynamic
B) cognitive developmental
C) ecological
D) social cognitive

Question 22

Focusing on how people think and how those thinking processes change over time is the central feature of the __________ theory.

A) learning
B) constructivist
C) cognitive-developmental
D) ecological and systems

Question 23

The idea that a child's sociocultural backdrop was an essential factor in their development as crucial to the theory of

A) Julian Rotter.
B) Urie Bronfenbrenner.
C) Lev Vygotsky.
D) John Watson.

Question 24

Gracie helps her mother set the table for dinner without being asked. She lays out napkins and silverware, places the plates in their correct spots, and puts ice in all of the glasses. When her mother realizes that she has done this, she gives Gracie a big hug, thanks her repeatedly, and later gives her a little extra dessert as a treat. In learning theory, we would say that Gracie's behavior has been:

A) punished.
B) extinguished.
C) reinforced.
D) differentiated.

Question 25

The most influential developmental psychologist of the 20ᵗʰ century was

A) Lev Vygotsky.
B) Sigmund Freud.
C) Paul Baltes.
D) Jean Piaget.

Question 26

Imitation is most closely related to the concept of

A) positive reinforcement.
B) life-cycle forces.
C) selective optimization.
D) observational learning.

Question 27

According to your textbook, the very first comprehensive life-span view of human development was forwarded by

A) Sigmund Freud.
B) Erik Erikson.
C) E.L. Thorndike
D) Urie Bronfenbrenner

Question 28

The fact that hope is important in early childhood, that development of identity is most important in adolescence, and that wisdom is most important in late life is an example of

A) external societal demands.
B) the epigenetic principle.
C) naturalistic observation.
D) identity versus identity confusion.

Question 29

Peter is doing a study where psychology students are asked how confident they are that they will do well on an exam immediately before taking that test. Peter seems to be assessing the ___________ of the students.

A) life-cycle forces
B) exosystems
C) internal maturational plans
D) self-efficacy

Question 30

Self-________ refers to a person's beliefs about their own abilities and talents.

A) efficacy
B) esteem
C) image
D) concept

Question 31

The information-processing theory of development likens human cognitive processes to the functions of a

A) motorcycle.
B) cellular phone.
C) computer.
D) television

Question 32

The concept that personality emerges from conflicts that children experience when what they want to do differs from what society wants them to do is the basis of ________'s psychodynamic theory

A) Erik Erikson
B) Sigmund Freud
C) Alfred Adler
D) Rollo May

Question 33

The role of experience, focusing on whether actions are rewarded or punished, is a central tenet in ________ theory.

A) learning
B) epigenetic
C) lifespan
D) cognitive-developmental

Question 34

Whenever Ridgley has a headache, he takes two aspirin tablets. Shortly thereafter, the pain goes away. The next time the headache shows up, Ridgley is more likely to take an aspirin. In learning theory, we would say that Ridgley's behavior of taking the aspirin has been

A) negatively reinforced.
B) positively reinforced.
C) negatively punished.
D) positively punished.

Question 35

David is a pharmacist, and has worked as such for nearly 30 years. He hopes that someday his son will take over his drugstore, and so from an early age he has been "grooming" young Daniel to follow in his footsteps. He has taught Daniel about how to dispense medications, has let Daniel watch as he prepares difficult prescriptions, and has encouraged his son to enjoy chemistry and biology in school. In a very real way, Daniel has been serving as a young apprentice to his father for most of his life. Which theorist would be most attentive to this sociocultural influence on Daniel's life?

A) Lev Vygotsky
B) Erik Erikson
C) Margaret Meade
D) B.F. Skinner

Question 36

Which of the following is NOT one of the stages of development, according to the theory of Jean Piaget?

A) sensorimotor
B) diffused operational thought
C) formal operational thought
D) concrete operational thought

Question 37

Brandon's developmental psychology teacher believes human development is best conceptualized as progressing through several qualitatively different stages of thinking that change radically at specific ages. His instructor is likely a(n)

A) Piagetian.
B) social learning theorist.
C) ecological theorist.
D) behaviorist.

Question 38

The idea that children act like little scientists, constantly creating theories about the relationships between their physical and social worlds, is central to the theory of

A) Jean Piaget.
B) Lev Vygotsky.
C) Urie Bronfenbrenner.
D) Erik Erikson.

Question 39

Which of the following is NOT one of the levels of one's environment as postulated by the ecological theory of Urie Bronfenbrenner?

A) the metasystem
B) the mesosystem
C) the exosystem
D) the macrosystem

Question 40

The idea that development is determined largely as a result of the manner in which people resolve the conflicts that they face at different ages is the central concept of the ________ theories.

A) epigenetic
B) learning
C) context-specific
D) psychodynamic

Question 41

A researcher is studying the effects of the revolution and political unrest taking place in the Middle East on the development of cognitive skills in children from that region of the world. According to the ecological theory of human development, this study is focusing on the children's __________.

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

Question 42

The fact that a teen growing up during the Vietnam War will develop in a different manner than a teen growing up during the Iraq War is best explained in terms of

A) multidirectionality.
B) multiple causation.
C) plasticity.
D) historical context.

Question 43

What is the first step in doing research in the field of human development?

A) deciding how to measure the topic or behavior of interest
B) creating an operational definition of the research variables being explored
C) coming up with a way to assess the validity and reliability of the measurement instruments
D) scouring the existing research literature for holes that can be filled with more new research

Question 44

Which research study would you most expect to see from a researcher with a life-course perspective?

A) the effect of smoking on neurotransmitter systems and memory
B) how memory processes change from infancy to old age
C) growing up in the 1960s, and its influence on drug-taking behavior in middle adulthood
D) sex differences in marital satisfaction

Question 45

As Florence gets older, passing her 50s and 60s, she finds that she has become more patient, less emotional, and finds it easier to deal with the challenges of life. At the same time, she is acutely aware that her physical functioning has declined, her eyesight is becoming problematic, and she now requires the use of a hearing aid. Florence's various changes demonstrate Baltes's feature of

A) multiple causation.
B) plasticity.
C) mutidirectionality.
D) context-specific development.

Question 46

The interactive influence of one's many microsystems is believed to make up that person's ________, according to the ecological theory of human development.

A) megasystem
B) mesosystem
C) chronosystem
D) exosystem

Question 47

Monroe wants to conduct a research study assessing the way children play with each other at different ages. After getting the appropriate permissions, he sits on a bench near a school playground and surreptitiously takes notes on the children's behaviors. Monroe would be best described as engaging in

A) case studies.
B) self-report data collection.
C) structured observation.
D) naturalistic observation.

Question 48

Sally steps on her bathroom scale, and it tells her that she weighs 145 pounds. When she steps on it again after her shower, she gets the same result. In fact, it has told her that her weight is stable at 145 pounds for several days now. Which of the following qualities is demonstrated by this very consistent scale?

A) standardization
B) validity
C) reliability
D) normalization

Question 49

Martika is an accomplished businesswoman, and has decided to retire at the age of 53 years. She has begun taking cello lessons, something in which she has always been interested. While her friends keep telling her that it is too late for her to learn such a complex skill, she has started getting rather good on her instrument. Martika's midlife development of a new skill demonstrates

A) multidimensionality.
B) plasticity.
C) life-cycle forces.
D) multidirectionality.

Question 50

Which method of measuring behavior is most likely to be used in combination with other behavioral measures?

A) Physiological measures
B) Self-reports
C) Naturalistic observation
D) Sampling behavior with tasks

Question 51

Marcia has started to have difficulty with her nighttime vision, and thus has decided that it is better if she no longer drives after dusk, except in emergency situations. She has asked her friends, with whom she often gets together, if they would mind either (a) getting together at her house more often than normal, or (b) if one of them would mind giving her regular rides to other social events that take place at night. Marcia's behaviors best demonstrate which model of human development?

A) ecological theory
B) selective optimization with compensation
C) social learning theory
D) information processing theory

Question 52

On the hit reality television show, "Hell's Kitchen," contestants vying for a position of Executive Chef at a posh restaurant are often placed in circumstances where their culinary skills are tested in creative and novel ways. According to ________, the one most likely to succeed would be the one whose skills are most fully consistent with the tasks laid before them.

A) the psychosocial theory of development
B) Bronfenbrenner's ecological theory of development
C) the competence-environmental press theory of development
D) Kohlberg's theory of moral development

Question 53

Which two perspectives share the common feature of drawing attention to the role of aging in the broader context of human development?

A) the competence-environmental press and selective optimization with
Compensation perspectives
B) the learning and psychodynamic perspectives
C) the life-span and life-course perspectives
D) the information-processing and ecological perspectives

Question 54

Which of the following perspectives in human development allows researchers to examine the effects of historical time on how people create their lives?

A) the life-span perspective
B) the life-course perspective
C) the epigenetic perspective
D) the psychodynamic perspective

Question 55

What is the major distinction between a structured observation and a naturalistic observation?

A) Structured observation involves the manipulation of an independent variable, while naturalistic observation involves manipulation of a dependent variable.
B) Naturalistic observation involves creating a setting that is likely to evoke the behavior being studied, while a structured observation involves watching people as they behave in real-life situations.
C) Naturalistic observation involves the manipulation of an independent variable, while structured observation involves manipulation of a dependent variable.
D) Structured observation involves creating a setting that is likely to evoke the behavior being studied, while a naturalistic observation involves watching people as they behave in real-life situations.

Question 56

Which of the following methods of collecting research data has the benefit of being easy to administer to large groups of participants?

A) self-reports
B) structured observations
C) naturalistic observations
D) correlational experiments

Question 57

Matti finds himself unable to adjust to college because he doesn't seem to have the study skills necessary to earn passing grades. Matti's predicament would probably best be explained by

A) psychosocial theory.
B) Bronfenbrenner's ecological theory.
C) the competence-environmental press theory.
D) Kohlberg's theory of moral development.

Question 58

According to Paul Baltes, the life-span perspective includes several features that are central to the study of human development. They include all EXCEPT which of the following?

A) multidirectionality
B) multiple causation
C) plasticity
D) epigenesis

Question 59

Your textbook measures several different types of physiological measures that can be used to gather data for research. They include each of the following EXCEPT

A) measuring brain activity.
B) measuring heart rate.
C) assessing body temperature.
D) assessing the cortisol levels a person shows in response to stress.

Question 60

According to the ________ perspective, no single period of life (e.g., infancy, childhood, adolescence, adulthood) can be understood apart from its origins and its consequences.

A) contextual
B) life-span
C) psychodynamic
D) ecological

Question 61

Why is it necessary to study a sample of individuals that is representative of a larger population?

A) because a sample gives better statistical strength than a population, and this allows a research to "confirm" any hypothesis (s)he has made
B) because there are ethical restrictions against gathering data from a population, but not a sample.
C) because a population will include too many people who would be unwilling to answer questions honestly.
D) because it would be impractical, perhaps even impossible, to attempt to gather data from an entire population of individuals.

Question 62

Which of the following are the two general designs that can be used to conduct research?

A) experimental studies and quasi-experimental studies
B) observational studies and self-report studies
C) case studies and self-report studies
D) correlational studies and experimental studies

Question 63

Validity is to reliability as

A) study is to experiment.
B) cause is to correlation.
C) positive is to negative.
D) accuracy is to consistency.

Question 64

If Hamid wants to do one study to determine whether or not playing violent video games causes children to act more aggressively, he would be best served by doing a(n)

A) experiment.
B) correlational study.
C) longitudinal study.
D) cross-sectional study.

Question 65

Which of the following is the primary limitation of using correlational research methods?

A) They are most susceptible to the double-blind error effect.
B) They only use one research participant, which limits their generalizability.
C) They make it impossible to operationalize variables.
D) They do not allow for conclusions about cause-and-effect relationships.

Question 66

Cosella is conducting an experiment where she assesses how quickly teenagers can run a 100-meter race after consuming specific amounts of caffeine. She divides her sample up into three groups. Group 1 receives a glass of water (zero caffeine). Group 2 receives the equivalent of the caffeine in one cup of coffee. Group 3 receives the equivalent of two cups of coffee. Each participant is then timed as they run the course. In this study, the dependent variable is

A) the previous running experience of each participant.
B) the teenagers who are being studied.
C) the time it takes to run the 100-meter race.
D) the amount of caffeine being ingested.

Question 67

The direction of a relationship between two variables is indicated by the ________ of the correlation coefficient.

A) number
B) mode
C) sign
D) median

Question 68

Which of the following ranges represent the possible values of a correlation between two variables?

A) -1.00 to +1.00
B) -1.00 to 0
C) 0 to +1.00
D) -100 to 100

Question 69

The statistic that is used to depict the relationship between to variables that has been uncovered in a correlational study is called the correlational ________.

A) multiplicand
B) deviation
C) permutation
D) coefficient

Question 70

Marcella is interested in studying the physical development of girls between 7 and 10 years of age. It is impractical to think that she could study every such girl in the country, so instead she selects a smaller group of girls in this age range to study. The group that Marcella studies is a(n) ________, and the larger group that they represent is a(n) ________.

A) population; sample
B) out-group; in-group
C) in-group; out-group
D) sample; population

Question 71

Suzy wants to study whether there is a relationship between the phases of the moon and the tides that occur in the ocean. She does so by making nightly observations of the moon and recording its phases, and by measuring the tides of the ocean at regular intervals every day and night. The type of research that Suzy is conducting-examining relationships as they naturally exist in the world-is called

A) quasi-experimental research.
B) experimental research.
C) correlational research.
D) analogue research.

Question 72

When a measure being used in a research study produces a consistent index of a characteristic, it would be described as being

A) reliable.
B) valid.
C) standardized.
D) experimental.

Question 73

Cosella is conducting an experiment where she assesses how quickly teenagers can run a 100-meter race after consuming specific amounts of caffeine. She divides her sample up into three groups. Group 1 receives a glass of water (zero caffeine). Group 2 receives the equivalent of the caffeine in one cup of coffee. Group 3 receives the equivalent of two cups of coffee. Each participant is then timed as they run the course. In this study, the independent variable is

A) the previous running experience of each participant.
B) the teenagers who are being studied.
C) the time it takes to run the 100-meter race.
D) the amount of caffeine being ingested.

Question 74

In a correlational study, variables are always studied

A) as they exist naturally.
B) after some manipulation.
C) during an experiment.
D) at the population level.

Question 75

Sally steps on her bathroom scale, and it tells her that she weighs 145 pounds. When she steps on it again after her shower, she gets the same result. In fact, it has told her that her weight is stable at 145 pounds for several days now. This is very distressing to Sally, because she actually only weighs around 127 pounds. Which of the following could be said about Sally's scale?

A) It is unreliable.
B) It is invalid.
C) It lacks standardization.
D) It has not been properly normed.

Question 76

When a measure being used in a research study actually assesses what the research thinks it measures, it would be described as being

A) reliable.
B) valid.
C) standardized.
D) experimental.

Question 77

Professor Eli conducts a correlational study in which he concludes that the amount of sunlight children receive is positively correlated with the rate at which they grow. Which of the following conclusions would Professor Eli be incorrect in drawing from his correlational data?

A) Getting more sun causes children to grow faster.
B) The more sun children get the faster they seem to grow.
C) The faster children grow, the more sun they seem to get.
D) The less sun children get, the slower their rate of growth seems to be.

Question 78

Which of the following correlation coefficients indicates the strongest relationship between two variables?

A) -0.81
B) +0.66
C) +1.22
D) -3.21

Question 79

Steve wants to know what the correlation is between the number of treats he gives his dog, Blue, and the speed at which she will follow his instructions to sit down. He finds that the more treats he gives Blue, the faster she sits down on command. Which of the following options describes the correlation that could describe this relationship?

A) 0.00
B) 0.82
C) -.73
D) +1.92

Question 80

The strength of a relationship between two variables is indicated by the ________ of the correlation coefficient.

A) number
B) mode
C) sign
D) median