Deck 1: Background and Theories

Question 1

The most notable difference between child psychology and developmental psychology is that child psychology focuses on the development of children _______________ , whereas developmental psychology extends its focus to include _______________.

A) between toddlerhood and adolescence; people right up until the age of 18
B) from conception to adolescence; people right up until the age of 18
C) from conception to adolescence; all phases of the lifespan
D) between 3 and 12 years of age; people right up until the age of 18

Answer 1

from conception to adolescence; all phases of the lifespan

Question 2

Developmental researchers are interested in outlining developmental changes throughout childhood and then determining the causes of, and describing the processes underlying these changes. In other words, developmental research has two goals:

A) description and explanation.
B) explanation and theorizing.
C) developmental-sequencing and theorizing.
D) developmental-sequencing and describing.

Answer 2

description and explanation.

Question 3

The two goals of developmental psychology are to:

A) understand and treat the development of psychological problems.
B) design and evaluate educational programs.
C) describe behaviour at each point in development and identify the causes and processes of change.
D) describe the biological foundations of human behaviour and how these developed over the course of human evolution.

Answer 3

describe behaviour at each point in development and identify the causes and processes of change.

Question 4

Traditionally, developmental psychology and child psychology were basically one and the same. Today, however, developmental psychology has extended its research focus into:

A) adulthood and old age.
B) adolescence.
C) early adulthood
D) the period of the baby-boomers.

Question 5

Today, developmental psychology is most accurately characterized as the study of:

A) children.
B) the origins and course of maladaptive or psychopathological behaviour.
C) evolution and its effects on human behaviour.
D) the changes in behaviour and abilities that occur over the course of development.

Question 6

Which of the following questions is most likely to be studied by a developmental psychologist?

A) Does stress play a role in the onset of infectious disease?
B) How do sibling relations among rhesus monkeys change over the lifespan?
C) Are programs that coach students on achievement tests effective?
D) When asked to solve problems, why do people ignore disconfirming evidence?

Question 7

Traditionally, child psychology and developmental psychology both focused on the behaviour of children. One of many reasons for this interest is the fact that childhood is a period of rapid change. A reason NOT offered to account for this particular interest by the authors of your textbook is:

A) long-term influences
B) insight into complex adult processes
C) basic interest for the sake of increasing knowledge
D) interesting subject matter

Question 8

An examination of the relationship between poverty, illiteracy, drugs, crime, and children's development would exemplify the __________ value of childhood research.

A) general interest
B) real-world application
C) social policy
D) cognitive developmental

Question 9

_______________ is another way a developmentalist might express the interest value inherent in childhood research.

A) "We want to answer basic questions about human behaviour."
B) "We want to make children's lives better."
C) "We are fascinated by the things that children do."
D) "We understand adult cognitive processes by learning about children's."

Question 10

_______________ is another way a developmentalist might express an interest in childhood research because of its implications for later, adult development.

A) "We want to answer basic questions about human behaviour."
B) "We want to make children's lives better."
C) "We are fascinated by the things that children do."
D) "We understand what Wordsworth meant when he said that '..The child is father to the man.'"

Question 11

_______________ is another way a developmentalist might express an interest in childhood research because of its real-world application value.

A) "We want to answer basic questions about human behaviour."
B) "We want to make children's lives better."
C) "We understand what Wordsworth meant when he said that '..The child is father to the man."
D) "We understand adult cognitive processes by learning about children's."

Question 12

Childhood is important to researchers because:

A) it is a time of rapid development.
B) adult behaviour may be influenced by childhood processes.
C) it is inherently interesting.
D) all of these responses are accurate

Question 13

There are at least five reasons why so much research has concentrated on the childhood years. Which of the following reasons is MOST relevant for researchers who study children's language development?

A) Period of rapid development and insight into complex adult processes
B) Long-term influences and real-world applications
C) Real-world applications and interesting subject matter
D) Interesting subject matter and period of rapid development

Question 14

Which of the following BEST reflects John Locke's views concerning children?

A) Children are born with original sin.
B) Children are born with innate ideas.
C) Children are innately good.
D) Children acquire knowledge through experience.

Question 15

John Locke used the term tabula rasa to convey the idea that the mind of an infant is like a:

A) blank slate.
B) finished book.
C) camera.
D) mechanical device.

Question 16

With respect to childrearing, Locke advocated the use of:

A) physical punishment.
B) material rewards.
C) praise.
D) infanticide.

Question 17

Locke's ideas about children and their development strongly exemplify the __________ model.

A) biological
B) environmental
C) cognitive developmental
D) evolutionary

Question 18

Environmentalist is to nativist as ________ is to _________.

A) Locke; Rousseau
B) Darwin; Rousseau
C) Locke; Darwin
D) Rousseau; Locke

Question 19

Which of the following notions is most compatible with the writings of Rousseau?

A) Children require strict discipline in order to develop properly.
B) In order for children to learn effectively, formal instruction is required.
C) A goal of education should be to accelerate children's development.
D) Children learn through exploration and discovery.

Question 20

Which of the following is LEAST compatible with the writings of Herder?

A) Each culture must be examined and evaluated on its own terms.
B) Cultural diversity is to be appreciated.
C) There are universal absolutes.
D) Language is the tool that transmits values from generation to generation.

Question 21

Because of his culturally relativistic perspective, von Herder's writings emphasized the importance of the dynamic nature of both culture and:

A) children.
B) human populations.
C) language.
D) community.

Question 22

The assumptions that members of the same species vary in many characteristics and that most species produce more offspring than their environment can support:

A) underlie the principle of recapitulation.
B) are central to the nativist position.
C) underlie the concept of natural selection.
D) are basic aspects of the environmentalist position.

Question 23

The idea that some of present-day human behaviour was once important for the survival of an earlier form of animal was systematically laid out by:

A) Locke.
B) Haeckel.
C) Hall.
D) Darwin.

Question 24

The early work of __________ best represents the model that emphasizes the role of the child's cognitive development.

A) John Locke
B) Jean-Jacques Rousseau
C) Johann Gottfried von Herder
D) Charles Darwin

Question 25

The early work of __________ best represents the model that focuses on the influence of the child's sociocultural context.

A) John Locke
B) Jean-Jacques Rousseau
C) Johann Gottfried von Herder
D) Charles Darwin

Question 26

___________ is the term used specifically to refer to the intensive study of one's (e.g., Darwin's) own child's (e.g., Doddy's) development; this research method was important to early researchers of development, like James Mark Baldwin.

A) The baby biography
B) Naturalistic observation
C) The case study
D) The child biography

Question 27

Who is credited with founding the field of developmental psychology?

A) G. Stanley Hall
B) James Mark Baldwin
C) J. B. Watson
D) Arnold Gesell

Question 28

Which of the following is NOT one of Hall's contributions to psychology?

A) He trained the first generation of developmental psychologists.
B) He established several scientific journals.
C) He made important theoretical strides.
D) He invited Freud to lecture at Clark University.

Question 29

Who is credited with opening the first psychology laboratory in Canada (at the University of Toronto)?

A) G. Stanley Hall
B) James Mark Baldwin
C) J. B. Watson
D) Arnold Gesell

Question 30

A __________ is a theoretical idea shared by many scientists during a given period of time.

A) paradigm
B) dominant culture
C) zeitgeist
D) philosophy

Question 31

The research method that requires subjects to describe their mental processes is known as:

A) introspection.
B) the clinical method.
C) genetic epistemology.
D) recapitulation.

Question 32

John B. Watson believed that the subject of psychology should be the study of:

A) the inner workings of the human mind.
B) observable behaviour.
C) consciousness.
D) the evolutionary foundations of human behaviour.

Question 33

Behaviourists, like John B. Watson, believe that changes in behaviour are the result of:

A) conditioning processes.
B) the gradual unfolding of innate ideas.
C) heredity.
D) stage-like changes in development.

Question 34

Melody, at 7 years of age, is a musical genius. Her parents, who are not musically inclined, attribute Melody's musical accomplishments to her constant exposure to great classical music since conception, her violin lessons since 18 months, and her piano lessons since 2 years of age. Melody's parents seem to be following the advice of:

A) John B. Watson.
B) G. Stanley Hall.
C) Jean Piaget.
D) Sigmund Freud.

Question 35

Which theorist would be most likely to support efforts to teach children to read, play an instrument, and do math all before entering school?

A) Watson
B) Gesell
C) Piaget
D) Freud

Question 36

Which theorist would be most likely to argue that development consists primarily of quantitative changes that are largely the result of simple combinations of previous behaviours?

A) Gesell
B) Watson
C) Piaget
D) Freud

Question 37

According to Watson, language and thought in young children:

A) have their origins in entirely different processes.
B) are explained by simple conditioned responses.
C) are first verbal behaviours and then develop a subvocal or silent form.
D) reflect shared cultural knowledge.

Question 38

The focus of Arnold Gesell's 50 years of research focused primarily on:

A) how children's reasoning changes with development.
B) treating problems of development.
C) childrearing in the United States.
D) the development of the typical child.

Question 39

Environmentalist is to nativist as ________ is to ________.

A) Watson; Freud
B) Freud; Rousseau
C) Locke; Watson
D) Watson; Gesell

Question 40

Maturation refers to:

A) a complex interaction of biological and environmental factors assumed to be responsible for human development.
B) the process by which environmental factors impact on human development.
C) the process by which the genetic material of a species is shaped and selected.
D) the inborn biological processes assumed by some to be primarily responsible for human development.

Question 41

The developmental timetables established by Arnold Gesell and his colleagues:

A) are still used today.
B) were discredited years ago.
C) were based on the careful observation of Gesell's own children.
D) demonstrate the critical role of the environment in development.

Question 42

A nursery school teacher who was comparing a group of 3-year-olds in terms of such physical skills as walking, running, and skipping might use as a reference:

A) Freud's stage theory.
B) Gesell's statistical norms.
C) Watson's advice to parents.
D) Hall's genetic psychology.

Question 43

Parents who resist pressure from grandparents to begin potty training their 18-month-old son because of a belief that he is simply not ready hold a view of development consistent with that of:

A) Watson.
B) Gesell.
C) Freud.
D) all the responses are accurate

Question 44

Who of the following theorists held that development is guided largely by biological influences?

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

Question 45

Freud's greatest contribution to the field of developmental psychology was his:

A) stage theory of psychosexual development.
B) method of introspection.
C) technique of psychoanalysis.
D) idea of infantile sexuality.

Question 46

Freud based his model of child development on:

A) his own and his patients' recollections of childhood experiences.
B) laboratory studies of children.
C) large scale questionnaire studies.
D) Darwin's theory of evolution.

Question 47

Although only 18 years old, T. has a criminal record that dates back 10 years. He has recently been found guilty of a series of brutal crimes. A psychologist asked to testify in court attributes T.'s behaviour to a cold and neglectful mother, an absent father, and fixation at an earlier stage of development. It appears that the court psychologist has been influenced by the writings of:

A) Mark Baldwin.
B) Arnold Gesell.
C) Sigmund Freud.
D) John B. Watson.

Question 48

According to Freud's theory of development, movement to a new stage is associated with:

A) cognitive restructuring.
B) resolution of social conflicts.
C) changes in hormone production.
D) arrival of the libido at a new location.

Question 49

Freud believed that children in the phallic stage:

A) become sexually attracted to their same sex parent.
B) experience a period of relative libidinal inactivity.
C) force sexually charged feelings into their unconscious.
D) focus on oral stimulation.

Question 50

According to Freud's theory, identification refers to the process by which children:

A) compensate for the feelings of loss that result when they repress their attraction for and adopt characteristics of the opposite sex parent.
B) internalize the moral standards of their culture.
C) force unacceptable urges into the unconscious.
D) establish an attachment relationship with their mother.

Question 51

One of Freud's influential ideas was that:

A) parents could never indulge their children too much.
B) early experiences strongly affect later development.
C) development is entirely determined by inborn biological processes.
D) healthy sexual development requires strict parental discipline.

Question 52

Who, from among the following, was the first major developmentalist to argue for an interactionist model of development?

A) G. Stanley Hall
B) Arnold Gesell
C) Sigmund Freud
D) John B. Watson

Question 53

When evaluating Freud's ideas, developmentalists consider ______ of his theoretical contributions to be most influential: His _______________.

A) five; five lifespan stages
B) one; idea of repression
C) two; interactionist perspective and view that early experience is significant in later life
D) four; method of introspection, psychosexual stage theory, clinical treatment, and notions about dualism

Question 54

Studies of Native American tribes, inner city youth in the U.S., and people in India exemplify Erikson's:

A) lifespan perspective.
B) psycho sexual model.
C) model of self-actualization.
D) psycho social model.

Question 55

According to Erikson, healthy resolution of a developmentally based crisis:

A) is directed by the child's significant others.
B) necessitates complete elimination of the negative possibility.
C) separates the individual from his or her social world.
D) includes primarily a positive tilt, but also a slight inclusion of the negative.

Question 56

Which of the following is NOT consistent with Erikson's model of human development?

A) Personality is fixed in early childhood.
B) Development proceeds through a predictable series of stages that is guided by genetic processes.
C) Each individual's goal is the quest for identity.
D) Erikson's first five stages correspond to Freud's five stages.

Question 57

Erikson's model of human development:

A) has eight stages.
B) covers the entire lifespan.
C) reflects an interactionist perspective.
D) all of these alternatives are correct

Question 58

A researcher is studying cortisol levels in internationally-adopted children when they're 1 year old, 2 years old, and then again at 5 years old. This type of research would exemplify what value of conducting research on children?

A) Period of rapid development
B) Long-term influences
C) Real-world applications
D) All of these responses are accurate

Question 59

A researcher who explains the aggressive behaviour of preschool boys as being due to their television viewing habits emphasizes which influence on development?

A) Nature
B) Nurture
C) Nature and nurture
D) Evolution

Question 60

Theorists who emphasize the importance of early experience on later development most likely believe:

A) development is continuous.
B) development is guided primarily by biological factors.
C) development is normative.
D) development is discontinuous.

Question 61

Theorists who argue that development consists of qualitative changes are most likely to emphasize:

A) environmental influences on development.
B) biological influences on development.
C) the role of learning in development.
D) motor development.

Question 62

Discontinuity theorists portray development as:

A) characterized by periods of relative calm and periods of rapid and abrupt change.
B) largely determined by early experience.
C) highly variable from individual to individual.
D) gradual change.

Question 63

Idiographic research emphasizes:

A) developmental processes common to all children.
B) causes of individual differences in development.
C) environmental influences on development.
D) group differences in developmental processes.

Question 64

Investigations of universals in children's acquisition of language illustrates:

A) idiographic research.
B) normative research.
C) continuity research.
D) discontinuity research.

Question 65

Maria's biological mother consumed drugs while she was pregnant with her. After she was born, Maria was raised in a household where she was put in her playpen all day long and she received little care from her parents. Which debate led by developmentalists would best englobe this situation?

A) Nature versus nurture debate
B) Continuity versus discontinuity debate
C) Cognitive versus idiosyncratic debate
D) All of these debates represent the above scenario

Question 66

Anne is three years old and her parents have registered her in violin and piano lessons. They are attempting to cultivate her musical talent through which principle of developmental psychology?

A) Idiosyncracy
B) Nurture
C) Mozart effect
D) None of these alternatives are correct

Question 67

When Piaget emphasized that all children progress through similar cognitive stages, he was focusing attention on:

A) universals of development.
B) cultural relativism.
C) the zeitgeist.
D) idiographic processes.

Question 68

Piaget's interest in children's thinking was first inspired by:

A) the incorrect answers children of different ages gave on standard intelligence tests.
B) his own psychoanalysis.
C) his patients' childhood recollections.
D) Hall's research published under the title The Contents of Children's Minds.

Question 69

By genetic epistemology, Piaget meant:

A) the study of the nature of knowledge in children and how it changes as they grow older.
B) a field of developmental psychology that focuses on what different-aged children know about biology.
C) the study of genetic influences on the acquisition of knowledge.
D) the study of chromosomal abnormalities over the lifespan.

Question 70

Piaget investigated children's thinking through:

A) questionnaire studies of their everyday knowledge.
B) the method of introspection.
C) semi-structured interviews.
D) the co-twin method.

Question 71

Piaget uses the term __________ to refer to the cognitive structures of infancy that include sets of skilled, flexible, action patterns through which the child understands the world.

A) functions
B) congenitally organized behaviours
C) schemes
D) reflexive habits

Question 72

According to Piaget, cognitive structures:

A) are flexible.
B) guide the child's interactions with the world.
C) change over time.
D) all of the responses are accurate

Question 73

According to Piaget, children understand the world through:

A) observing and imitating models.
B) instructional interactions with adults.
C) acting upon it.
D) the gradual unfolding of innate abilities.

Question 74

The organization function described by Piaget:

A) forces cognitive structures to become ever more simplistic.
B) is the tendency of the organism to promote survival.
C) refers to the interrelationship of all the individual's cognitive structures.
D) enhances unconscious processes in the child.

Question 75

The adaptation function described by Piaget:

A) forces cognitive structures to become ever more simplistic.
B) is the tendency of the organism to promote survival.
C) refers to the interrelationship of all the individual's cognitive structures.
D) enhances unconscious processes in the child.

Question 76

Assimilation is the tendency to:

A) represent information symbolically.
B) change cognitive structures in the face of new information.
C) generalize a conditioned response to a broad class of stimuli.
D) understand new information in terms of existing knowledge.

Question 77

At 24 months, Rebecca engages the family dogs in play by clapping her hands and enthusiastically calling their names. According to Piaget, an attempt to initiate play with her friend Brittany using the same strategies she employs with her dogs is an example of:

A) assimilation.
B) accommodation.
C) a function.
D) negative reinforcement.

Question 78

According to Piaget, a child's knowledge of events in the world is:

A) filtered through their interactions with adults.
B) a literal version of the event.
C) limited only by what they are exposed to.
D) actively created by the child.

Question 79

According to the concept of constructivism, children's knowledge of the events in their environment:

A) exactly replicates those events.
B) is largely innate.
C) reflects alterations that help the knowledge fit comfortably within their existing cognitive structure.
D) is acquired directly from teaching efforts on the parts of adults.

Question 80

The processes of assimilation and accommodation are characteristics of cognitive processing:

A) primarily during infancy.
B) until the onset of concrete operational thought.
C) until the onset of formal operational thought.
D) throughout the lifespan.