Deck 12: Socioemotional Development in Middle Childhood

Question 1

While watching a baseball game at recess one day, 10-year-old Kevin wonders to himself, "Am I as good of a player as those kids are?" This most likely illustrates the concept of

A) social comparison.
B) parentification.
C) prosocial reasoning.
D) psychological evaluation.

Answer 1

social comparison.

Question 2

In first grade, Brady thought he was best at everything. Now that he's in 5th grade, Brady knows that Juanita is better than he is in math and Yao is better than he is in art. This process of evaluating one's self in relation to one's peers is known as

A) the looking-glass self.
B) social comparison.
C) identity diffusion.
D) real-self comparison.

Answer 2

social comparison.

Question 3

________ involves the judgments that people make about themselves, and ________ is positive or negative emotions related to these judgments.

A) Self-esteem; self-evaluation
B) Self-evaluation; self-esteem
C) Social comparison; self-evaluation
D) Self-esteem; social comparison

Answer 3

Self-evaluation; self-esteem

Question 4

Cassandra does well in school and feels proud when she gets good grades. However, in sports she is not as successful, and she feels a little embarrassed about competing with her classmates. These feelings are part of her

A) prosocial reasoning.
B) classroom climate.
C) self-esteem.
D) selection model.

Question 5

Six-year-old Felice will tell you that she is a girl, that she goes to school, and that her best friend is Molly. These aspects of self are a part of Felice's

A) self-evaluation.
B) self-representation.
C) looking-glass self.
D) intermodal perception.

Question 6

Carol is involved in the theatre program at school; she loves to act, sing, and dance in different plays during the school year. One day at dinner, Carol announces "I am an actress." This is most likely an example of

A) self-evaluation.
B) self-esteem.
C) self-representation.
D) self-belief.

Question 7

Self-representations are the characteristics and facts about ourselves that make up the

A) real-self.
B) we-self.
C) me-self.
D) ideal-self.

Question 8

Jessica feels that she is an outstanding speller, decent in math, and a pretty good volleyball player. These judgments represent her

A) intermodal perceptions.
B) profile of self-evaluations.
C) global self-esteem.
D) ideal self-concepts.

Question 9

Children form a global self-evaluation by the age of

A) 3 years.
B) 6 years.
C) 8 years.
D) 9 years.

Question 10

Compared to early childhood, self-evaluations during middle childhood become

A) more realistic.
B) unrealistically optimistic.
C) more negative.
D) more positive.

Question 11

Among all of the areas that have been found to be important to children's self-esteem, ________ has been found to be the most important.

A) academics
B) social skills
C) athletics
D) physical appearance

Question 12

In terms of self-evaluation, the correlation between perceived physical appearance and self-esteem

A) ranges from .52 to .80.
B) is apparent from early childhood through adulthood.
C) is found across different populations, ethnic groups, and countries.
D) all of the above

Question 13

Cameron has wanted to be a member of the swim team for years (his ideal self). However, he knows that he is not a very good swimmer (his real self). What will be one of the most important determiners of his self-esteem regarding swimming?

A) whether he gets on the swim team
B) the support of his parents and peers
C) his level of practice
D) whether he is also good at running

Question 14

All of the following are important to fostering children's positive self-evaluations EXCEPT

A) always give positive feedback-even if you have to lie.
B) emphasize the child's strengths.
C) provide instruction and guidance to help the child improve.
D) help the child to recognize the process-not only the outcome.

Question 15

Table 12.1 highlights suggestions for fostering positive self-evaluations. Which of the following is an example of teaching goal-setting skills?

A) Provide opportunities for your child to play and interact with others.
B) Make teaching interactions as pleasant as possible.
C) Help your child develop and use a system for tracking progress toward their goals.
D) Talk about specific things your child can do to improve.

Question 16

A recent study found that empathetic adults had childhoods with all of the following EXCEPT

A) absent fathers who were not involved in their care.
B) mothers who were tolerant of dependent behavior.
C) mothers who restricted their children's aggression.
D) mothers who were satisfied with their roles.

Question 17

Children who are able to accurately read emotions tend to have all of the following EXCEPT

A) the ability to know when others are frustrated.
B) the ability to know how to make others happy.
C) the ability to know when to console friends.
D) a very small group of friends.

Question 18

Children of mothers who _________________ are often prone to feelings of guilt and helplessness.

A) are bilingual
B) are chronically depressed
C) have high self-esteem
D) are popular

Question 19

Several studies suggest that children have difficulty reading the emotions expressed by

A) people from other ethnic backgrounds other than their own.
B) their parents.
C) their younger siblings.
D) their schoolmates.

Question 20

Compared to girls, boys are more likely to do all of the following EXCEPT

A) engage in outdoor play.
B) engage in rough play.
C) engage in activities that cover a large area of physical space.
D) engage in organized play activities.

Question 21

Beginning at an early age, boys show more ____________, such as hitting or kicking, than girls.

A) relational aggression
B) prosocial behavior
C) physical aggression
D) self-evaluations

Question 22

Attempting to hurt others by destroying social relationships is called

A) social reaction.
B) relational aggression.
C) social comparison.
D) reactive aggression.

Question 23

All of the following are examples of relational aggression EXCEPT

A) gossip.
B) threats to withdraw friendship.
C) social exclusion.
D) spreading rumors.

Question 24

Which of the following is the best example of relational aggression?

A) "If you don't let me be it, I won't be your friend anymore."
B) "This is a stupid game. Let's go play football."
C) "You always get your way. Why can't I go first?"
D) "Charles is angry. Go tell the teacher."

Question 25

Heather picks up her lunch tray and walks over to the table in the lunchroom that she has sat at all year. She notices that one of her friends, Tiffany, is sitting in her seat. As she puts her tray down at another table, she hears Tiffany say "We've decided not to be your friend anymore." This is an example of

A) relational aggression.
B) social comparison.
C) social reaction.
D) reactive aggression.

Question 26

Which of the following statements is true about relational aggression?

A) Boys and girls are equally likely to show relational aggression.
B) Girls are more likely than boys to show relational aggression.
C) Relational aggression includes behaviors such as hitting and kicking.
D) Children with siblings are more likely to show relational aggression than single children.

Question 27

By the time they are age 5, children already expect ______________ to be more physically aggressive and ______________ to engage in more relational aggression.

A) unfamiliar children; their friends
B) girls; boys
C) younger children; older children
D) boys; girls

Question 28

Girls often receive ratings and evaluate themselves as more helpful, cooperative, and sympathetic than boys. When their actual behavior is considered, they are

A) also more helpful.
B) less helpful.
C) not consistently different from boys in their level of helping behaviors.
D) less helpful if their friends are observing.

Question 29

When attempting to influence others, boys are more likely to use ________ and girls are more likely to use ________.

A) verbal persuasion; threats
B) physical force; verbal persuasion
C) physical force; threats
D) no influence tactics; verbal persuasion

Question 30

Lisa is hanging out at the local mall with one of her friends, Brittany. As they walk through a jewelry store, Lisa sees a pair of earrings she wants but realizes that they are more than her mom said she could spend. Brittany says "Just take them, no one is looking." Lisa responds "No way, my mother would be so disappointed in me if she found out." According to Kohlberg, Lisa is in which stage of moral development?

A) Stage 1
B) Stage 2
C) Stage 3
D) Stage 4

Question 31

In what stage of Kohlberg's theory of moral reasoning do individuals follow rules because they want to gain approval from others?

A) Stage 1
B) Stage 2
C) Stage 3
D) Stage 4

Question 32

What is the first level in Eisenberg's theory of prosocial reasoning?

A) empathic orientation
B) hedonistic orientation
C) approval and/or stereotyped orientation
D) strongly internalized values orientation

Question 33

The thought processes involved in deciding whether or not to help someone is called

A) social cognition.
B) social comparison.
C) relational aggression.
D) prosocial reasoning.

Question 34

According to Eisenberg's theory of prosocial reasoning, at what age are individuals concerned with the needs of others-even if it is different from their own needs?

A) preschool years
B) older elementary; some middle school students
C) high school to college aged individuals
D) some preschool children; many elementary school children

Question 35

As they are running out to the playground, 9-year-old Tasha notices that another child has fallen down and is lying in the hallway. According to Eisenberg's theory of prosocial reasoning, what level is Tasha at if she thinks to herself, "I understand that it really hurts to fall, so I should help her stand up"?

A) hedonistic orientation
B) needs-of-other orientation
C) approval and/or stereotyped orientation
D) empathic orientation

Question 36

All of the following are levels of Eisenberg's theory of prosocial reasoning EXCEPT

A) hedonistic orientation.
B) empathic orientation.
C) guilt orientation.
D) needs-of-others orientation.

Question 37

Eisenberg's theory of prosocial reasoning has several similarities to whose theory?

A) Piaget
B) Kohlberg
C) Vygotsky
D) Skinner

Question 38

According to Eisenberg's theory, what factors are important to the development of prosocial reasoning?

A) peer relationships and the media
B) parenting and empathy
C) the media and parenting
D) empathy and peer relationships

Question 39

The development of prosocial reasoning is influenced by

A) the culture in which a child is raised.
B) the way in which a request for help is framed.
C) the quality of the parental relationship.
D) all of the above

Question 40

Which factor reduces the likelihood of helping another person, both in terms of noticing when help is needed and how long it takes to help?

A) cultural beliefs that emphasize communal values and equality
B) exposure to violence in movies and video games
C) families that value, model, expect, encourage, and discuss good behavior
D) parenting that is warm in emotional tone

Question 41

One longitudinal study depicted in this chapter that assessed aggressive behavior over a 22-year time period found that

A) children who were aggressive at age 8 were more likely to be convicted of criminal offenses later in life.
B) children who were aggressive at age 5 were more likely to be involved in domestic violence later in life.
C) children who were aggressive at age 10 were more likely to be watch violent television shows and movies later in life.
D) children who were aggressive at age 3 are likely to have a genetic component to their aggression.

Question 42

A coercive home environment has been linked to an increase in children's

A) prosocial behavior.
B) aggression.
C) emotional development.
D) self-esteem.

Question 43

All of the following parenting techniques have been associated with childhood aggression EXCEPT

A) rarely reinforcing prosocial behaviors.
B) placing appropriate limits on children's behaviors.
C) lack of supervision of children's activities and social relationships.
D) conflict resolution strategies such as threats and physical punishment.

Question 44

Exposure to which type of violence can increase the likelihood of aggressive behavior in children of all ages?

A) community
B) domestic
C) peer
D) all of the above

Question 45

While some subcultures within the United States are more aggressive than others, _________ is an important factor that may help to explain these differences.

A) poverty
B) language
C) age
D) gender

Question 46

The general category of rule-breaking behaviors in which children yell, throw temper tantrums, and are destructive and sometimes highly aggressive, is called

A) substance-related disorders.
B) obsessive-compulsive behaviors.
C) aggression difficulties.
D) conduct problems.

Question 47

Ongoing verbal or physical aggression that is aimed at particular victims is called ______.

A) bullying.
B) oppositional defiant disorder.
C) conduct disorder.
D) attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.

Question 48

Ten-year-old Xavier sends mass emails to his friends spreading rumors about a classmate he does not like. Xavier is engaging in _______.

A) obsessive-compulsive disorder
B) cyber-bullying
C) hazing
D) aggression

Question 49

What behavior pattern is a common outcome of bullying?

A) Bullies never carry weapons.
B) Bullies are liked by peers because they protect them.
C) Bullies are at a higher risk of dropping out of school.
D) Bullies do not engage in physical fights; they only engage in verbal aggression.

Question 50

National surveys estimate that as many as ____ of U.S. students have either bullied, been a victim, or both.

A) a quarter
B) one-third
C) half
D) two-thirds

Question 51

Allison is anxious, lonely, and depressed. Allison is most likely _______.

A) involved in bullying others
B) a resilient child
C) a victim of bullying
D) a hardy child

Question 52

Children who grow up under negative conditions but still have positive developmental outcomes are called ________ children.

A) resilient
B) easy temperament
C) optimistic
D) outgoing

Question 53

Werner's longitudinal study examining resilient children in Hawaii found that the children were likely to have all of the following EXCEPT

A) pleasant personalities.
B) a positive relationship with a family member or another adult in the community.
C) average or above average intelligence.
D) an average peer status.

Question 54

In Werner's study, approximately ______ of the children had positive developmental outcomes despite being born into poverty, having mothers with little education, and growing up in families with considerable distress.

A) 2%
B) 10%
C) 30%
D) 80%

Question 55

Each year in the United States, about ________ marriages end in divorce.

A) 10%
B) 25%
C) 45%
D) 55%

Question 56

In 2011, ______________ of African American children lived with one parent.

A) 10%
B) 25%
C) 55%
D) 75%

Question 57

Hannah seems to be coping well with her parents' divorce. However, she sometimes feels uncomfortable when her mom talks to her about the divorce. Her mom asks her opinions, and often Hannah is the one consoling her mom. This is most likely an example of

A) emotional parentification.
B) instrumental parentification.
C) a sleeper effect.
D) a conduct problem.

Question 58

Emily's mother is clinically depressed and unable to meet the demands of being a parent, so Emily has been placed in the role of caretaker for both her mother and her three younger siblings. This role reversal is referred to as

A) emotional parentification.
B) behavioral parentification.
C) instrumental parentification.
D) expressive parentification.

Question 59

_____________ levels of parentification can have positive effects for both boys and girls.

A) Low
B) Moderate
C) High
D) none of the above

Question 60

Some research indicates that there are sleeper effects related to parental divorce. Studies examining college students whose parents divorced during their childhood years found that these students

A) have lower scores on academic performance measures.
B) still harbor painful feelings about their parents' divorce.
C) have feelings that their parents' divorce was the wrong thing for their family.
D) have problems with social skills and forming friendships during college.

Question 61

Which of the following is the BEST example of a sleeper effect of divorce?

A) Sixteen-year-old Matt is failing 10th grade following his parents' divorce six months ago.
B) Thirty-year-old Megan, whose parents divorced when she was ten, has been married four different times.
C) Fifteen-year-old Teresa got pregnant three months after her mother and father divorced.
D) Seventeen-year-old Patrick is depressed and rebellious as a result of his father's emotional dependency.

Question 62

Which of the following statements regarding the psychological outcomes of divorce is false?

A) Children of divorced parents are more likely to exhibit juvenile delinquency than other children.
B) Children of divorced parents are more likely to be diagnosed with clinical depression than other children.
C) Children of divorced parents are less likely to marry than children of continuously married parents.
D) Children of divorced parents often have painful feelings about the divorce when they are college-aged.

Question 63

All of the following are factors related to positive or negative outcomes of a parental divorce EXCEPT

A) financial strain.
B) parenting quality.
C) community connections.
D) friendships.

Question 64

Both the divorce-stress-adjustment perspective and the selection model attempt to

A) explain why parents get divorced.
B) describe how children contribute to divorce.
C) predict which families are most likely to experience divorce.
D) understand the effects of divorce.

Question 65

The divorce-stress-adjustment perspective asserts that

A) the process of divorce is responsible for the stressful events parents and children experience.
B) it is certain characteristics of the parents that cause divorce and relate to children's problems.
C) children and parents are never able to fully adjust to a divorce.
D) the stress of the parent-child relationship sometimes leads to divorce.

Question 66

The selection model of divorce asserts that

A) the process of divorce is responsible for the stressful events parents and children experience.
B) it is certain characteristics of the parents that cause divorce and relate to children's problems.
C) children and parents are never able to fully adjust to a divorce.
D) the stress of the parent-child relationship sometimes leads to divorce.

Question 67

If children show negative effects after their parents' divorce, the effects may result more from having lived with a parent or parents who had problems rather than from the divorce itself. This statement is consistent with which model of divorce?

A) divorce-stress-adjustment model
B) sleeper effect model
C) selection model
D) parentification model

Question 68

Francesca is in junior high, and her parents have decided to divorce due to a high-conflict marriage. Despite the difficulty of adjusting, Francesca may be better off because children in high-conflict intact families ____________ than children in divorced families.

A) have higher academic performance
B) score significantly lower on tests of psychological adjustment and self-esteem
C) have lower rates of depression and anxiety
D) are more likely to develop problems with alcohol as adults

Question 69

All of the following are mediators in the divorce-stress-adjustment perspective EXCEPT

A) decline in parental support.
B) decrease in contact with one parent.
C) relocation.
D) effective coping skills.

Question 70

All of the following are protective factors in the divorce-stress-adjustment perspective EXCEPT

A) child and adult temperaments.
B) social support.
C) safe, stable neighborhoods.
D) effective coping skills.

Question 71

Which of the following is a risk factor or specific vulnerability for children during divorce?

A) temperament
B) disabilities
C) predisposition to psychological problems
D) all of the above

Question 72

The divorce-stress-adjustment perspective asserts that a child's adjustment to divorce is influenced by

A) only the level of resiliency of the child.
B) different vulnerabilities and protective factors.
C) only parental characteristics such as abusiveness.
D) the children's biological stress response to conflict.

Question 73

Which of the following suggestions is designed to help children cope with divorce?

A) minimize conflict during and after divorce
B) allow children to become family caretakers
C) seek help and support once problems are severe
D) encourage each parent to have separate rules for behavior and expectations

Question 74

Christine's parents are divorced but live near each other. This allows her to split her time between the two homes, while staying at one school. According to Table 12.5 (Helping Children Cope with Divorce), a benefit of this arrangement is that it

A) minimizes financial decline as much as possible.
B) helps her maintain consistent contact with both parents.
C) helps her develop positive interpersonal skills.
D) develops and maintains an effective parenting style for her parents.

Question 75

In the year 2010, what percent of children were born to mothers who were never married?

A) 2%
B) 18%
C) 41%
D) 61%

Question 76

Like divorced single parents, never-married single parents tend to

A) have fewer parenting resources and thus show less effective parenting.
B) move more frequently, which reduces their access to community connections.
C) have relatively low incomes.
D) all of the above.

Question 77

Which of the following statements regarding child outcomes associated with stepfamilies is true?

A) Living with a stepfather decreases a boy's chances of finishing high school.
B) Most stepchildren have extremely negative attitudes toward their stepfathers.
C) Competition may exist between children and a stepfather over the mother's time.
D) Stepfathers provide as much discipline and supervision as married biological fathers.

Question 78

When fathers remarry, there is an increased financial risk to the children from their previous marriage. This is because remarried fathers

A) may feel more pressure to provide for the children in their new family.
B) typically have poor relationships with their stepchildren.
C) tend to adopt the family rules and expectations of their new spouse.
D) do not compete with their stepchildren for their spouse's time and attention.

Question 79

Which of following is true of stepfathers, in comparison to continuously married biological fathers?

A) They tend to be more involved.
B) They provide less discipline of children.
C) They provide more supervision of children.
D) They are more emotionally supportive.

Question 80

Compared to early childhood, play during middle childhood is

A) more logical and less fantasy oriented.
B) more likely to be played in large groups.
C) more reliant on unstructured activities.
D) more likely to involve both boys and girls.