Deck 1: History, Theory, and Research Strategies

Question 1

As the Puritans emigrated from England to America, they brought the belief that

A) children were born innocent and self-reliant.
B) child rearing was one of adults' most important obligations.
C) children were naturally endowed with a sense of right and wrong.
D) children's characters were shaped entirely by experience.

Answer 1

B

Question 2

During the Reformation, the Puritans

A) characterized children as innocent and close to angels.
B) regarded children as fully mature by the time they were 7 or 8 years old.
C) recommended permissive child-rearing practices.
D) believed that children were born evil and had to be civilized.

Answer 2

D

Question 3

Jessica believes that development takes place in stages where children change rapidly as they step up to a new level and then change very little for a while. Jessica views development as

A) discontinuous.
B) determined by nature.
C) continuous.
D) determined by nurture.

Answer 3

A

Question 4

According to research on resilience, which of the following children has an increased chance of offsetting the impact of a stressful home life?

A) John, who is a talented musician
B) Mary, who is an only child
C) Luke, who is shy
D) Jane, who comes from a blended family

Question 5

Theories are vital tools because they

A) provide organizing frameworks for our observations of children.
B) provide the ultimate truth about child development.
C) do not require scientific verification.
D) are resistant to the influence of cultural values and belief systems.

Question 6

The stage concept assumes that change is

A) gradual.
B) ongoing.
C) fairly sudden.
D) unique for each child.

Question 7

The central questions addressed by the field of child development

A) are primarily of scientific interest.
B) have applied, or practical, importance.
C) are based exclusively on research conducted by psychologists.
D) involve all changes a person experiences throughout the lifespan.

Question 8

Our large storehouse of information about child development

A) is scientifically important, but has only limited practical value.
B) has grown solely through the contributions of child development investigators.
C) has grown through the combined efforts of people from many fields.
D) is relevant and practical, but has limited scientific value.

Question 9

During which period of development does a sense of morality become evident?

A) infancy and toddlerhood
B) early childhood
C) middle childhood
D) adolescence

Question 10

In what important way do theories differ from mere opinion or belief?

A) They are influenced by cultural values.
B) They depend on scientific verification.
C) Singular theories can explain all aspects of development.
D) They cannot be tested using a fair set of research procedures.

Question 11

Theorists who believe that children who are high or low in a characteristic will remain so at later ages typically stress the importance of

A) heredity.
B) stages.
C) nurture.
D) plasticity.

Question 12

Dr. Kudrow views development as open to change in response to influential experiences. Dr. Kudrow probably emphasizes

A) stability.
B) heredity.
C) stages.
D) plasticity.

Question 13

Charlene believes that her daughter's ability to think in complex ways is largely the result of an inborn timetable of growth. Charlene's view emphasizes

A) nurture.
B) nature.
C) plasticity.
D) early experiences.

Question 14

The most consistent asset of resilient children is

A) high self-esteem.
B) access to high-quality child care.
C) a strong bond to a competent, caring adult.
D) being identified as gifted.

Question 15

Reid believes that the difference between the immature and the mature being is simply one of amount or complexity. Reid views development as

A) discontinuous.
B) determined by nature.
C) continuous.
D) determined by nurture.

Question 16

In her research, Dr. Rosenblum explores why shy children develop differently from their outgoing agemates. Dr. Rosenblum most likely emphasizes ________ in her research.

A) the role of distinct contexts
B) the nature-nurture controversy
C) the concept of stage
D) continuous development

Question 17

During medieval times,

A) children dressed and acted like adults.
B) childhood was regarded as a separate period of life.
C) a child was viewed as a tabula rasa.
D) childhood was not regarded as a distinct developmental period.

Question 18

Which of the following is true about emerging adulthood?

A) It is a period of development that spans ages 16 to 22 years.
B) It is a period of development unique to underdeveloped nations.
C) Although emerging adults have moved beyond adolescence, they have not yet fully assumed adult roles.
D) It is mostly limited to young people in developing nations.

Question 19

Which of the following is true regarding the major domains of development?

A) The domains of development are separate and distinct.
B) Each period of development is made up of a new set of domains.
C) The physical domain has little influence on the other domains.
D) Development is divided into three broad domains: physical, cognitive, and emotional and social.

Question 20

The stage concept assumes that

A) development is a smooth, continuous process.
B) change is fairly sudden rather than gradual and ongoing.
C) infants and preschoolers respond to the world in much the same way as adults do.
D) development is a process of gradually adding more of the same types of skills that were there to begin with.

Question 21

Inspired by Charles Darwin's work, G. Stanley Hall and his student, Arnold Gesell,

A) were the first theorists to focus on the role of nurture in human development.
B) collected detailed normative information on children's behavior and characteristics.
C) developed the concept of a sensitive period in human development.
D) constructed the first intelligence test.

Question 22

According to John Locke's view, children begin

A) with a soul tainted by original sin.
B) as nothing at all.
C) as noble savages.
D) as evil and stubborn.

Question 23

Sigmund Freud's psychosexual theory

A) was developed through careful observations of his own children.
B) emphasizes that how parents manage their child's fears is crucial for healthy sexual development.
C) emphasizes five parts of the personality that become integrated during a sequence of three stages.
D) was developed through having emotionally troubled adults talk freely about painful events of their childhoods.

Question 24

According to Jean-Jacques Rousseau, children are

A) born evil and stubborn and have to be civilized.
B) born as blank slates to be filled by adult instruction.
C) naturally endowed with a sense of right and wrong.
D) passive and do little to influence their own destinies.

Question 25

Freud's theory was the first to stress the influence of ________ on development.

A) observational learning
B) rewards and punishment
C) cultural norms
D) the early parent-child relationship

Question 26

According to behaviorism, ________ are the appropriate focus of psychological research.

A) stimuli and responses
B) unconscious impulses and drives
C) adaptive evolutionary behavior patterns
D) nonobservable events

Question 27

Ivan Pavlov taught dogs to salivate at the sound of a bell by using

A) operant conditioning.
B) classical conditioning.
C) innate reflexes.
D) modeling.

Question 28

Which of the following is true about Charles Darwin's contribution to developmental theories?

A) He proved that the development of the human child followed the same general plan as the evolution of the human species.
B) Scientific child study was born out of his first attempts to document an idea about development.
C) He launched the normative approach, in which measures of behavior are taken on large numbers of individuals and age-related averages are computed to represent typical development.
D) He proved that human development is a genetically determined process that unfolds automatically, much like a flower.

Question 29

John Locke regarded development as

A) continuous.
B) mostly influenced by nature.
C) discontinuous.
D) highly stable.

Question 30

The psychoanalytic perspective emphasizes

A) normative information that represents typical development.
B) the unique history of each child.
C) stimuli and responses.
D) modeling or imitation.

Question 31

All contemporary child development theories view children as

A) naturally endowed with a sense of right and wrong.
B) passive and emotionally fragile.
C) adults in training.
D) active, purposeful beings.

Question 32

John Locke opposed the use of

A) praise as a reward.
B) negative reinforcement.
C) physical punishment.
D) any form of discipline.

Question 33

Along with Benjamin Spock's Baby and Child Care, _____________'s books became a central part of a rapidly expanding popular literature for parents.

A) G. Stanley Hall
B) Alfred Binet
C) Theodore Simon
D) Arnold Gesell

Question 34

Dr. Thigpen views development as a discontinuous, stagewise process that follows a single, unified course mapped out by nature. Dr. Thigpen's views are most aligned with which perspective?

A) Jean-Jacques Rousseau's view of the child as a noble savage
B) John Locke's view of the child as a tabula rasa
C) The Puritans' view of the child as evil and stubborn
D) Charles Darwin's view of survival of the fittest

Question 35

Which of the following is a reason the psychoanalytic perspective is no longer in the mainstream of child development research?

A) Many psychoanalytic ideas, such as ego functioning, are too vague to be tested empirically.
B) Psychoanalytic theorists accept the clinical method in which age-related averages are computed to represent typical development.
C) Modern researchers have demonstrated that personality development does not take place in stages.
D) Psychoanalytic theorists became isolated from the rest of the field because they failed to consider the early parent-child relationship.

Question 36

Alfred Binet and Theodore Simon's intelligence test was developed as a way to

A) identify children with learning problems who needed to be placed in special classes.
B) accurately predict school achievement and vocational success.
C) document developmental improvements in children's intellectual functioning.
D) measure individual differences in development as a function of race, gender, and birth order.

Question 37

When John Watson taught Albert, an 11-month-old infant, to fear a neutral stimulus by presenting it several times with a sharp, loud sound, Watson applied ________________ to children's behavior.

A) innate reflexes
B) observational learning
C) classical conditioning
D) operant conditioning

Question 38

Erik Erikson was one of the first theorists to

A) study the nature-nurture controversy.
B) focus on the impact of early experiences on later behavior.
C) recognize the lifespan nature of development.
D) view children as passive beings.

Question 39

______________ is generally regarded as the founder of the child-study movement.

A) John Locke
B) Jean-Jacques Rousseau
C) Charles Darwin
D) G. Stanley Hall

Question 40

According to Freud, the ________ is the conscious, rational part of personality.

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

Question 41

Development of language and make-believe play take place in Piaget's ____________ stage.

A) sensorimotor
B) preoperational
C) concrete operational
D) formal operational

Question 42

According to Piaget, ________ lead(s) to more advanced ways of thinking.

A) children's observation of adults
B) brain growth
C) punishment and reinforcement
D) children's efforts to achieve equilibrium

Question 43

The most recent revision of Albert Bandura's theory places such a strong emphasis on how children think about themselves and other people that he calls it a(n) _________________ rather than a(n) ___________________ approach.

A) observational learning; social-cognitive
B) social-cognitive; social learning
C) social learning; cognitive
D) social learning; observational learning

Question 44

Dr. Brewer views the human mind as a symbol-manipulating system through which information flows. Dr. Brewer's view is consistent with

A) information processing.
B) ethology.
C) behaviorism.
D) sociocultural theory.

Question 45

According to Piaget's theory, in the sensorimotor stage, children

A) can think of all possible outcomes in a scientific problem.
B) organize objects into hierarchies of classes and subclasses.
C) think by acting on the world with their eyes, ears, hands, and mouth.
D) can evaluate the logic of verbal statements without referring to real-world circumstances.

Question 46

According to B. F. Skinner, the frequency of a behavior can be increased by following it with a wide variety of

A) punishments.
B) negative stimuli.
C) stimulus-response associations.
D) reinforcers.

Question 47

Information-processing researchers often use ______________ to map the precise steps individuals use to solve problems and complete tasks.

A) clinical interviews
B) flowcharts
C) imprinting
D) social mediation

Question 48

Every time 10-month-old Rita eats a pea, her father claps and says, "Good girl!" In response to her father's praise, Rita excitedly eats the remaining peas. Rita's behavior is an example of

A) classical conditioning.
B) modeling.
C) behavior modification.
D) operant conditioning.

Question 49

Which of the following is an example of behavior modification?

A) letting children with acute burn injuries play a virtual reality game while nurses engage in the painful process of changing their bandages
B) modeling quiet reading for children to teach them to sit quietly while they read
C) talking with children about fears in an attempt to uncover the underlying cause of thumb sucking
D) taking away a treasured toy for an increased amount of time each time a child bites his or her nails

Question 50

Which of the following is true about social learning theory?

A) It emphasizes modeling, also known as imitation or observational learning, as a powerful source of development.
B) It maintains that behaviorism offers little or no effective explanation of the development of children's social behavior.
C) It is criticized because it places little emphasis on how children are influenced by the behavior of their parents and peers.
D) It emphasizes classical over operant conditioning and relies heavily on the precise concepts of psychoanalytic theory.

Question 51

A classroom environment based on Piaget's theory of cognitive development would likely emphasize

A) joint problem solving with older children or adults.
B) reinforcing children with tokens they could exchange for treats.
C) formal mathematics and language drills.
D) discovery learning and direct contact with the environment.

Question 52

The biological concept of ____________ is central to Piaget's theory.

A) reinforcement
B) adaptation
C) imitation
D) physical growth

Question 53

In a research study, 10-year-old Joe was given a pile of blocks varying in size, shape, and weight and was asked to build a bridge over a "river" (painted on a floor map) that was too wide for any single block to span. The researcher carefully tracked Joe's efforts using a flowchart. The researcher was probably applying which recent theoretical perspective?

A) ecological systems theory
B) evolutionary developmental psychology
C) information processing
D) sociocultural theory

Question 54

Both behaviorism and social learning theory have been criticized for

A) overestimating children's contributions to their own development.
B) presenting ideas that are too vague to test empirically.
C) emphasizing nature over nurture.
D) underestimating children's contributions to their own development.

Question 55

Consistent with Locke's tabula rasa, John Watson concluded that ________________ is the supreme force in development.

A) nature
B) early experience
C) environment
D) cognition

Question 56

Which of the following is a limitation of Piaget's theory?

A) He overestimated the competencies of infants and young children.
B) Adolescents generally reach their full intellectual potential in all areas, regardless of education and experience.
C) Children's performance on Piagetian problems can be improved with training.
D) Piaget's stagewise account overemphasizes social and cultural influences on development.

Question 57

Children can evaluate the logic of verbal statements without referring to real-world circumstances in Piaget's _______________ stage.

A) sensorimotor
B) preoperational
C) concrete operational
D) formal operational

Question 58

According to Jean Piaget's cognitive-developmental theory,

A) development must be understood in relation to each child's culture.
B) children's sense of self-efficacy guides their responses in particular situations.
C) children actively construct knowledge as they interact with their world.
D) children's learning depends on reinforcers, such as rewards from adults.

Question 59

At home, Paul's parents hit him as punishment for misbehavior. At preschool, Paul angrily hits a playmate who takes his toy. According to social learning theory, Paul is displaying

A) classical conditioning.
B) operant conditioning.
C) behavior modification.
D) observational learning.

Question 60

On a few occasions, Jack's mother gave him candy to keep him quiet when she took him to the doctor's office. Now every time Jack goes to the doctor's office, he asks his mother for candy. This is an example of

A) classical conditioning.
B) operant conditioning.
C) observational learning.
D) modeling.

Question 61

The information-processing perspective has little to say about

A) linear cognition.
B) how children think at different ages.
C) logical cognition.
D) imagination and creativity.

Question 62

Vygotsky's theory has been especially influential in the study of children's

A) physical growth.
B) cognition.
C) emotional development.
D) gender identity.

Question 63

Dr. Grief studies the relationship between changes in the brain and the developing child's cognitive processing and behavior patterns. Dr. Grief would most likely consider herself to be a(n)

A) behaviorist.
B) developmental cognitive neuroscientist.
C) evolutionary developmental psychologist.
D) information-processing researcher.

Question 64

Why does the term sensitive period apply better to human development than does the notion of a critical period?

A) Its boundaries are less well-defined than are those of a critical period.
B) Its boundaries are more well-defined than are those of a critical period.
C) There are more sensitive periods than critical periods in human development.
D) Sensitive periods, but not critical periods, have been empirically tested.

Question 65

Which recent theoretical perspective views children as developing within a complex system of relationships affected by multiple levels of the surrounding environment?

A) information processing
B) ethology
C) sociocultural theory
D) ecological systems theory

Question 66

According to Urie Bronfenbrenner, the environment

A) is a static force.
B) is ever-changing.
C) affects children in a uniform way.
D) is less important to development than heredity.

Question 67

Which of the following is a limitation of Vygotsky's sociocultural theory?

A) It neglects the biological side of development.
B) It overemphasizes the biological side of development.
C) It overemphasizes children's capacity to shape their own development.
D) It places little emphasis on joint experiences.

Question 68

Sociocultural theory, ethology, ecological systems theory, and dynamic system theory all focus on

A) contexts for development.
B) the adaptive value of behavior.
C) children's biological makeup.
D) how culture is transmitted to the next generation.

Question 69

According to Vygotsky's theory,

A) today's lifestyles differ so radically from those of our evolutionary ancestors that certain evolved behaviors are no longer adaptive.
B) children shape their own development during both sensitive and critical developmental periods.
C) children revise incorrect ideas in their ongoing efforts to achieve equilibrium between internal structures and every-day information.
D) social interaction is necessary for children to acquire the ways of thinking and behaving that make up a community's culture.

Question 70

Unlike Piaget, Vygotsky

A) emphasized children's capacity to shape their own development.
B) viewed cognitive development as a socially mediated process.
C) believed that children undergo certain stagewise changes.
D) focused on discontinuous change.

Question 71

A great strength of the information-processing approach is its commitment to

A) field work.
B) clinical interviews.
C) rigorous research methods.
D) structured observations.

Question 72

Observations of imprinting led to which of the following major concepts in child development?

A) behavior modification
B) observational learning
C) the critical period
D) the chronosystem

Question 73

Dr. Jones believes that a child's mind, body, and physical and social worlds form an integrated system that guides mastery of new skills. The system is constantly in motion. His view is consistent with which recent theoretical perspective?

A) evolutionary developmental psychology
B) sociocultural theory
C) ecological systems theory
D) dynamic systems perspective

Question 74

In Bronfenbrenner's ecological systems theory, the ___________________ encompasses connections between microsystems, such as home, school, and neighborhood.

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

Question 75

According to ecological systems theory, a parent's workplace is in the

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

Question 76

Both Piaget's theory and the information-processing perspective

A) regard children as active beings who modify their own thinking in response to environmental demands.
B) focus on the development of imagination and creativity.
C) regard perception, memory, and problem solving as similar at all ages.
D) emphasize the importance of equilibration in producing higher levels of thinking.

Question 77

Dr. McMath is an evolutionary developmental psychologist. Which of the following is probably true about Dr. McMath?

A) He is primarily concerned with the genetic and biological basis of development.
B) He wants to understand the entire organism-environment system.
C) He is primarily concerned with environmental influences on development.
D) He focuses on how culture is transmitted to the next generation.

Question 78

Which recent theoretical perspective is concerned with the adaptive, or survival, value of behavior and its evolutionary history?

A) information processing
B) ethology
C) sociocultural theory
D) ecological systems theory

Question 79

In Bronfenbrenner's ecological systems theory, the _____________ includes interactions between the child and the immediate environment.

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

Question 80

Which of the following behaviors is consistent with Vygotsky's theory?

A) When his mother takes him to the grocery store, Tom is well-behaved because he knows that his mother will reward him with candy.
B) When playing in her sandbox, Amy builds the same sort of castle that she observed her best friend building yesterday.
C) Yesica, a child candy seller with no schooling, develops sophisticated mathematical abilities as a result of her work.
D) When working on her math homework, Michelle tries several solutions before she arrives at the correct answer.