Deck 4: Physical Development in Infancy and Toddlerhood

Question 1

Which statement is consistent with the proximodistal trend of body growth?

A) During infancy, the body grows from "head to tail."
B) During infancy and childhood, the arms and legs grow somewhat ahead of the hands and feet.
C) During the prenatal period, the trunk grows first, followed by the chest and the head.
D) During infancy and childhood, the head develops more rapidly than the lower part of the body.

Answer 1

B

Question 2

During infancy, __________. These sex differences will __________ during adolescence.

A) boys are slightly shorter and lighter than girls; disappear
B) girls are slightly taller and heavier than boys; reverse
C) girls are slightly shorter and lighter than boys; be greatly magnified
D) boys are slightly shorter and lighter than girls; be greatly magnified

Answer 2

C

Question 3

Newborn Sam's __________ is nearer to its adult size than any other physical structure.

A) heart
B) brain
C) spinal cord
D) femur

Answer 3

B

Question 4

Brain growth is especially dramatic during __________, when the brain more than doubles in size.

A) the first year
B) the second year
C) middle childhood
D) adolescence

Question 5

Which statement about individual and group differences in physical growth is true?

A) Asian children tend to be slightly above North American growth norms.
B) African-American children tend to be below North American growth norms.
C) There are no apparent ethnic differences in physical growth.
D) Children of the same age differ in rate of physical growth.

Question 6

If Patrick is typical, his height at the end of his first year should be about __________ inches.

A) 24
B) 28
C) 32
D) 36

Question 7

__________ are responsible for myelination.

A) Neurons
B) Neurotransmitters
C) Glial cells
D) Synapses

Question 8

About half the brain's volume is made up of __________ cells.

A) red blood
B) white blood
C) stem
D) glial

Question 9

The process of __________ coats the neural fibers with an insulating fatty sheath, which improves the efficiency of message transfer.

A) myelination
B) neuroimaging
C) synaptic pruning
D) neurotransmission

Question 10

Which statement about neurons is true?

A) Neurons are gaps between body cells.
B) Neurons are tightly packed together.
C) Neurons are responsible for myelination.
D) Neurons store and transmit information.

Question 11

Which statement about synapses is true?

A) Synapses decrease dramatically during the first year.
B) Synapses are tiny gaps between neighboring neurons.
C) Synapses are pruned during mitosis.
D) Synapses are responsible for myelination.

Question 12

During the prenatal period, the neural tube __________.

A) forms to become the circulatory and nervous systems
B) produces a few neurons and an abundance of myelins
C) produces far more neurons than the brain will ever need
D) commits all its neurons to form the major parts of the brain

Question 13

Maggi is concerned because her 8-month-old daughter has gained 10 pounds since birth and has transformed into a round, plump baby. You can inform Maggi that her daughter's rise in "baby fat" __________.

A) insulates her brittle bones until proper cartilage is formed
B) is a trend that will continue into middle childhood
C) serves to strengthen her muscles
D) helps her maintain a constant body temperature

Question 14

The best estimate of a child's physical maturity is __________.

A) chronological age
B) skeletal age
C) birth weight
D) arm span

Question 15

As neurons form connections, stimulation __________.

A) becomes unnecessary
B) results in fewer and fewer synapses
C) becomes vital to their survival
D) causes synaptic pruning

Question 16

According to the __________ trend, the head develops more rapidly during the prenatal period than the lower part of the body.

A) cranial
B) neuroproximal
C) proximodistal
D) cephalocaudal

Question 17

The __________ is responsible for the highly developed intelligence of the human species.

A) cerebellum
B) cerebral cortex
C) hypothalamus
D) medulla

Question 18

Stimulation in Hillary's brain resulted in a massive overabundance of synapses, many of which served identical functions. Neurons that were seldom stimulated lost their synapses in a process called __________.

A) myelination
B) synaptic pruning
C) neuroimaging
D) neurotransmission

Question 19

Neurons send messages to one another by releasing chemicals called __________.

A) positron emissions
B) neurotransmitters
C) glial cells
D) myelins

Question 20

In an electroencephalogram (EEG), researchers __________.

A) use a tunnel-shaped apparatus that creates a magnetic field
B) examine brain-wave patterns for stability and organization
C) create detailed, three-dimensional pictures of the entire brain
D) can be certain of the way the individual processes a stimulus

Question 21

The specialization of the two hemispheres of the brain is known as __________.

A) lateralization
B) brain plasticity
C) synaptic pruning
D) cortical dominance

Question 22

Experience-dependent brain growth __________.

A) occurs throughout our lives
B) depends on ordinary experiences of infants, toddlers, and young children
C) provides the foundation for experience-expectant brain growth
D) refers to the young brain's rapidly developing organization

Question 23

The __________ contains the greatest number of neurons and synapses.

A) cerebral cortex
B) cerebellum
C) medulla
D) hippocampus

Question 24

The prefrontal cortex __________.

A) is the cortical region that develops first
B) is responsible for controlling body movement
C) functions at an adult level of synaptic connections from birth
D) undergoes especially rapid formation during the preschool and school years

Question 25

In the first few years of life, the brain is __________.

A) highly plastic
B) totally plastic
C) more lateralized than at any other period
D) unable to recover from injury

Question 26

Terry and Ahmad plan to adopt 3-year-old Oleg, who has been living in an orphanage since birth. Terry and Ahmad should know that early, prolonged institutionalization __________.

A) fosters resilience in later childhood and adolescence
B) increases the brain's capacity to manage stress
C) leads to a decrease in size and activity in the cerebral cortex
D) has little impact on intellectual development

Question 27

Mia, age 2, is about to undergo a neurobiological exam. The doctor wishes to examine the functioning of Mia's cerebral cortex to measure blood flow and oxygen metabolism. The best method for the doctor to choose in Mia's case is __________.

A) an electroencephalogram (EEG)
B) functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI)
C) positron emission tomography (PET)
D) near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS)

Question 28

The cerebral cortex __________.

A) is the smallest brain structure
B) surrounds the rest of the brain
C) resembles half of a shelled coconut
D) is the first part of the brain to stop growing

Question 29

Most newborns show greater activation in the right hemisphere while __________.

A) listening to speech sounds
B) displaying a positive state of arousal
C) tasting sweet sugar water
D) listening to nonspeech sounds

Question 30

The cortical regions with the most extended period of development are responsible for __________.

A) receiving sensory information
B) physical movement
C) complex thought
D) language development

Question 31

Which learning experiences should Cheryl, a caregiver, use to promote experience-expectant brain growth?

A) reading and writing
B) playing a game of peekaboo
C) playing educational computer games
D) practicing the piano

Question 32

Studies using fMRI reveal that the left hemisphere is better at processing information in a(n) __________ manner.

A) holistic
B) integrative
C) analytic
D) random

Question 33

Pushing infants beyond their current capacities with letter and number flash cards and educational tablet applications __________.

A) yields smarter "superbabies" who are ready for the challenge of formal education
B) increases the size of the prefrontal cortex, which governs complex cognition
C) increases the brain's capacity for impulse control and stress management
D) can cause them to withdraw, thereby threatening their interest in learning

Question 34

Regina and Cassie adopted Chelsea from an orphanage in Argentina. Three years after her adoption, Chelsea displays abnormally low cortisol. This is a sign of __________.

A) impaired capacity to manage stress
B) cognitive catch-up
C) a serious intellectual deficit
D) delayed physical growth

Question 35

Which statement about brain plasticity is true?

A) A highly plastic cerebral cortex has a low capacity for learning.
B) Damage to a highly plastic cerebral cortex means that the abilities it controls cannot be recovered.
C) Many areas of a highly plastic cerebral cortex are not yet committed to specific functions.
D) The brain is the most plastic during adolescence.

Question 36

When animals reared from birth in physically and socially stimulating surroundings are compared with those reared in isolation, the brains of the stimulated animals __________.

A) are smaller
B) are lighter
C) show denser synaptic connections
D) show loss of more functions

Question 37

__________ greatly influences the organization of the cerebral cortex.

A) Heredity
B) Body weight
C) A quiet environment
D) Early experience

Question 38

In the study of Romanian orphans adopted into Canadian homes, the longer the children spent in orphanage care, the __________ their __________.

A) higher; cortisol levels
B) lower; testosterone levels
C) greater; anger control
D) greater; impulse control

Question 39

In the study of Romanian orphans adopted into British homes, children adopted __________ attained the highest mental test scores in childhood and adolescence.

A) before 6 months
B) between 6 months and 2 years
C) between 2 and 6 years
D) between 6 and 11 years

Question 40

In left-handed people, the __________.

A) right hemisphere always handles spatial abilities
B) cerebral cortex may be less clearly specialized
C) left hemisphere is always responsible for verbal abilities
D) left hemisphere is always responsible for positive emotion

Question 41

Which statement about marasmus is true?

A) It usually appears in starving babies during the first year of life.
B) It is caused by a diet very low in protein.
C) It is characterized by an enlarged belly and swollen feet.
D) It rarely leads to death because the child gets enough calories.

Question 42

__________ is associated with slower early weight gain and 10 to 20 percent reduced obesity risk in later life.

A) Introducing solid foods after 12 months
B) Combining breast- and bottle-feeding for the first year
C) Breastfeeding exclusively for the first six months
D) Bottle-feeding exclusively after the first six weeks

Question 43

Which statement about brain development is true?

A) The sensitive period for mastering gymnastic and musical performance skills is 3 to 4 years of age.
B) Experience-expectant brain growth depends on specific learning experiences that vary widely across cultures.
C) No evidence exists for a sensitive period in the first few years for mastering skills that depend on extensive training.
D) Experience-dependent brain growth occurs early and naturally, as caregivers interact with babies and preschoolers.

Question 44

The World Health Organization recommends breastfeeding until age __________, with solid foods added at __________.

A) 6 months; 4 months
B) 1 year; 4 months
C) 1 year; 6 months
D) 2 years; 6 months

Question 45

Which statement about cosleeping is true?

A) Babies who sleep with their parents breastfeed three times longer than infants who sleep alone.
B) Cosleeping has decreased in Western nations over the past two decades.
C) Cosleeping promotes excessive dependency.
D) Soft mattresses and heavy blankets contribute to effective cosleeping.

Question 46

Breastfeeding for just a few weeks __________.

A) is a rare practice among American women.
B) leads directly to later obesity
C) is not helpful because, in the beginning, breastfeeding causes constipation
D) offers some protection against respiratory and intestinal infections

Question 47

The body weights of adopted children __________.

A) correlate more strongly with those of their biological than of their adoptive parents
B) correlate more strongly with those of their adoptive than of their biological parents
C) show little or no correlation to either their biological or adoptive parents
D) correlate strongly with their adoptive siblings

Question 48

Pound for pound, an infant's energy needs are __________ those of an adult.

A) less than one-quarter
B) about one-half
C) about the same as
D) at least twice

Question 49

Most chubby babies __________.

A) become overweight adults
B) are bottle-fed rather than breastfed
C) are less active than normal-weight babies
D) thin out during toddlerhood and early childhood

Question 50

Compared to U.S. babies, Dutch babies __________.

A) are put to bed later
B) sleep, on average, 2 hours less per day
C) sleep, on average, 2 hours more per day
D) have less predictable sleep schedules

Question 51

__________ growth is a return to a genetically influenced growth path once negative conditions improve.

A) Cephalocaudal
B) Proximodistal
C) Catch-up
D) Thyroid-stimulating

Question 52

Between birth and 2 years, __________.

A) the number of naps increases
B) fussiness and crying increase
C) total sleep time increases by three to six hours
D) the sleep-wake pattern changes substantially

Question 53

Yokow gets just enough calories from starchy foods, but his diet is very low in protein. He has an enlarged belly, swollen feet, and a rash on his skin. Yokow probably suffers from __________.

A) marasmus
B) iron-deficiency anemia
C) kwashiorkor
D) nonorganic failure to thrive

Question 54

Brenda is unable to breastfeed her baby. She worries that she is depriving him of an experience essential for healthy psychological development. Brenda should know that __________.

A) children and adolescents who were breastfed are substantially more intelligent than those who were bottle-fed
B) children and adolescents who were bottle-fed suffer more from emotional adjustment issues than those who were breastfed
C) breastfed babies in industrialized nations show more secure attachments than bottle-fed babies, after controlling for maternal intelligence and SES
D) breastfed and bottle-fed infants in industrialized nations do not differ in quality of the mother‒infant relationship or in later emotional adjustment

Question 55

Most 6- to 9-month-olds __________.

A) need only one nap
B) take two daytime naps
C) take three to four naps a day
D) nap sporadically throughout the day

Question 56

__________ is the norm for approximately 90 percent of the world's population.

A) Nighttime separation of baby from parent
B) Parent‒infant cosleeping
C) Imposing a strict infant sleep schedule
D) Infant crib sleeping

Question 57

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services advises exclusive breastfeeding for the first __________ and inclusion of breast milk in the baby's diet until at least __________.

A) 6 weeks; 6 months
B) 4 months; 6 months
C) 6 months; 1 year
D) 1 year; 2 years

Question 58

In Africa, the Middle East, and Latin America, __________.

A) most new mothers are encouraged by hospitals to use commercial formula
B) nearly 80 percent of babies are exclusively breastfed for the first six months
C) one-third of babies are fully weaned from the breast before 1 year
D) mothers are well-informed about the benefits of breastfeeding

Question 59

Rachel is concerned that she might accidentally suffocate her baby if she shares a bed with him. What information can you share with Rachel about precautions taken in cultures where cosleeping is widespread?

A) Parents and infants usually sleep on soft surfaces and use quilts and comforters.
B) Parents typically place their infants on their stomachs to sleep.
C) Parents and infants usually sleep with light covering on hard surfaces.
D) Parents usually assume a distinctive sleeping posture by turning their backs to the infant.

Question 60

In a study of over 10,000 mothers in Western and Asian nations, consistently engaging in bedtime routines was associated with __________.

A) staying up later
B) waking less often
C) getting less sleep
D) more daytime wakefulness

Question 61

In operant conditioning, __________.

A) a neutral stimulus is paired with a conditioned stimulus that leads to a reflexive response
B) babies build expectations about stimulus events, but do not influence the stimuli that occur
C) infants act, and stimuli that follow their behavior change the probability that the behavior will occur again
D) once a baby's nervous system makes the connection between two stimuli, the neutral stimulus produces the behavior

Question 62

Every time baby Gloria nurses, she is placed on a nursing pillow. Gloria's mother later notices that each time Gloria is placed on the pillow, she makes sucking movements. In this example, __________ is the conditioned stimulus.

A) breast milk
B) sucking
C) crying
D) placement on the pillow

Question 63

Habituation refers to __________.

A) removing a desirable stimulus to decrease the occurrence of a response
B) a gradual reduction in the strength of a response due to repetitive stimulation
C) presenting an unpleasant stimulus to decrease the occurrence of a response
D) presenting a pleasant stimulus to increase the occurrence of a response

Question 64

Yolanda, age 2, is being raised in a single-parent American household. Although her mother works, she does not always have sufficient funds to purchase enough food for a healthy, active life. Yolanda is skinny and withdrawn. Yolanda most likely suffers from __________.

A) marasmus
B) anorexia
C) kwashiorkor
D) food insecurity

Question 65

Dr. Eden studies the fetus's sensitivity to external stimuli by measuring changes in fetal heart rate when various repeated sounds are presented and then followed by a different sound. Dr. Eden is probably using __________.

A) imitation
B) extinction
C) habituation and recovery
D) classical conditioning

Question 66

Children who experienced marasmus or kwashiorkor display __________.

A) few conduct problems
B) a high degree of fine-motor coordination
C) a more intense stress response to fear-arousing situations
D) little to no lasting damage to organs

Question 67

Which statement about infant learning is true?

A) Babies learn only by observing others.
B) Infants are capable of learning through classical, but not operant, conditioning.
C) Babies learn through their natural preference for novel stimulation.
D) Toddlers, but not infants, learn by observing others.

Question 68

In operant conditioning, a stimulus that increases the occurrence of a response is called a __________.

A) reinforcer
B) punishment
C) neutral stimulus
D) conditioned stimulus

Question 69

If learning has occurred in classical conditioning, and the neutral stimulus by itself produces a response similar to the reflexive response, the neutral stimulus is then called a __________.

A) neutral response
B) conditioned stimulus
C) conditioned response
D) reinforcer

Question 70

During habituation, __________.

A) heart rate and brain activity both increase
B) infants respond strongly to repetitive stimulation
C) infants focus more attention on things they know the most about
D) heart rate, respiration rate, and brain activity may all decline

Question 71

__________ fire identically when a primate hears or sees an action and when it carries out that action on its own.

A) Imitation neurons
B) Glial cells
C) Mirror neurons
D) Neurotransmitters

Question 72

In classical conditioning, __________.

A) babies learn by observing others; they can imitate the facial expressions of adults
B) a neutral stimulus is paired with a stimulus that leads to a reflexive response
C) the strength of a response is gradually reduced due to repetitive stimulation
D) infants act on the environment, and stimuli that follow change the probability that the behavior will occur again

Question 73

Some responses, such as __________, are very difficult to classically condition in young babies because they do not yet have the motor skills needed to deal appropriately with the stimuli.

A) contentment
B) fear
C) hunger
D) sucking

Question 74

Following habituation, when a new stimulus causes responsiveness to return to a high level, the increase is called __________.

A) imitation
B) recovery
C) reinforcement
D) repetition

Question 75

When the diets of severely malnourished children improve, they __________.

A) continue to undereat
B) rarely have lasting damage
C) rarely show catch-up growth
D) tend to gain excessive weight

Question 76

In classical conditioning, if the conditioned stimulus is presented alone enough times, without being paired with the unconditioned stimulus, __________ will __________.

A) a conditioned response; occur
B) extinction; occur
C) learning; take place
D) learning; be severely compromised

Question 77

Habituation and recovery make learning more efficient by __________.

A) allowing infants and toddlers to learn by observing others
B) making sure we concentrate hardest on stimuli that are most familiar to us
C) allowing us to classically condition difficult responses, such as fear, in young infants
D) focusing our attention on those aspects of the environment we know least about

Question 78

In operant conditioning, punishment often involves __________.

A) presenting a neutral stimulus just before an unconditioned stimulus
B) pairing a neutral stimulus with a stimulus that leads to a reflexive response
C) presenting an unpleasant stimulus to decrease the occurrence of a response
D) presenting a pleasant stimulus to increase the occurrence of a response

Question 79

__________ make(s) classical conditioning possible in the young infant.

A) Newborn reflexes
B) A novelty preference
C) Observational learning
D) Habituation

Question 80

__________ preference assesses infants' __________ memory.

A) Novelty; recent
B) Familiarity; recent
C) Novelty; remote
D) Familiarity; muscle