Deck 11: Physical and Cognitive Development in Adolescence

Question 1

Girls and (less consistently) boys with a history of family conflict tend to reach puberty __________, whereas those with warm, stable family ties tend to reach puberty __________.

A) relatively late; early
B) on target; late
C) around the same age as their mothers; earlier than their mothers
D) early; relatively late

Answer 1

D

Question 2

During puberty, __________.

A) the cephalocaudal growth trend of infancy and childhood reverses
B) the torso accelerates first, followed by the hands, legs, and feet
C) the average child gains 20 to 35 pounds
D) girls' shoulders broaden relative to the hips

Answer 2

A

Question 3

Sixteen-year-old Manuel is going to bed later and later, perhaps because of increased neural sensitivity to evening light. Manuel's parents should know that he needs about __________ hours of sleep per night.

A) five
B) seven
C) nine
D) eleven

Answer 3

C

Question 4

When researchers followed a large, representative sample of U.S. youths from ages 9 to 17, they found that __________.

A) two-thirds of all students received physical education in high school
B) daily free-time physical activity declined with age, more so for girls than boys
C) a majority of participants engaged in regular exercise outside of school hours
D) half of all students experienced a daily physical education class in high school

Question 5

Contemporary research shows that the storm-and-stress notion of adolescence __________.

A) neglects biological influence
B) is greatly understated
C) holds true in the Western world
D) is exaggerated

Question 6

Which girl is the most likely to experience puberty first?

A) Melissa, who is a European-American competitive gymnast
B) Jaeda, who is an overweight, middle-SES African American
C) Salma, who lives in a poverty-stricken area of Afghanistan
D) Cherish, who is an underweight, low-SES European American

Question 7

Which of the following is a secondary sexual characteristic?

A) ovaries
B) pubic hair
C) scrotum
D) testes

Question 8

Which statement about sex differences in adolescence is true?

A) Girls' legs are longer than boys' in relation to the rest of the body.
B) Boys start to add fat on their arms, legs, and trunk.
C) The number of red blood cells increases in boys but not in girls.
D) By midadolescence, most girls perform better than the average boy in running speed.

Question 9

The first outward sign of puberty is __________.

A) steady improvement in gross-motor performance
B) extreme moodiness, particularly toward adults
C) changes in physical features related to sexual functioning
D) the rapid gain in height and weight known as the growth spurt

Question 10

Today we know that __________.

A) the overall rate of serious psychological disturbance rises greatly from childhood to adolescence
B) biological, psychological, and social forces combine to influence adolescent development
C) adolescence is an untroubled time of life, perhaps the pleasantest time a girl or boy will ever know
D) the length of adolescence and its demands and pressures vary little among cultures

Question 11

Brian is a star high school athlete who has recently exhibited severe mood swings and aggressiveness. An initial health screening indicates that Brian has acne, excess body hair, and high blood pressure. Brian's symptoms are consistent with __________.

A) delayed puberty
B) sexual maturation
C) physical self-efficacy
D) anabolic steroid use

Question 12

fMRI evidence reveals that adolescents __________ than adults do.

A) recruit the prefrontal cortex's network of connections with other brain areas less effectively
B) react less strongly to stressful events and experience pleasurable stimuli more intensely
C) manage their feelings and impulses more effectively and delay gratification more efficiently
D) engage in risky, sensation-seeking activities less often and manage their emotions more effectively

Question 13

Dr. Parsons sees the social environment as being entirely responsible for the range of teenage experiences, from erratic and agitated to calm and stress-free. His view of adolescence best aligns with that of which researcher?

A) G. Stanley Hall
B) Sigmund Freud
C) Margaret Mead
D) Charles Darwin

Question 14

In the United States and a few European countries, __________ are responsible for a modest, continuing trend toward earlier menarche.

A) increased rates of infectious disease
B) soaring rates of overweight and obesity
C) eating disorders, such as anorexia and bulimia,
D) lack of standardized health care and high poverty rates

Question 15

In most tribal and village societies, __________.

A) adolescence is divided into three phases: early, middle, and late adolescence
B) young people face postponement of sexual gratification while they prepare for a productive work life
C) adolescence is only a brief intervening phase between childhood and full assumption of adult roles
D) adolescence is extended because young people face prolonged dependence on parents

Question 16

In industrialized nations, age of menarche __________ per decade from 1900 to 1970.

A) increased by about 1 to 2 months
B) increased by about 3 to 4 months
C) declined by about 3 to 4 months
D) declined by about 5 to 6 months

Question 17

Fourteen-year-old Phil experiences muscle growth and notices the growth of body and facial hair. Which hormone is responsible for this change?

A) estrogen
B) testosterone
C) adrenal androgen
D) thyroxine

Question 18

G. Stanley Hall described adolescence as a __________.

A) time in which sexual impulses reawaken in the genital stage, triggering psychological conflict and volatile behavior
B) period so turbulent that it resembled the era in which humans evolved from savages into civilized beings
C) generally pleasant time of life in which the social environment is entirely responsible for the range of teenage experiences
D) time when internal stresses and social expectations prompt moments of uncertainty, self-doubt, and disappointment

Question 19

Male puberty usually begins with __________.

A) growth of facial hair
B) the enlargement of the testes
C) the peak height spurt
D) spermarche

Question 20

Female puberty usually concludes with __________.

A) the peak height spurt
B) menarche
C) the peak weight spurt
D) the completion of breast growth

Question 21

Ann-Marie is having frequent disagreements with her teenage daughter. You can let her know that by late adolescence, __________.

A) only a small minority of families experience continuing friction
B) most parent‒daughter conflicts continue and intensify
C) adolescents typically display more angry behaviors
D) teenagers and parents use fewer positive problem-solving techniques

Question 22

Both adults and peers view Randy as relaxed, independent, and physically attractive. Both groups view Maria as physically attractive, lively, and sociable. Which statement is likely to be true?

A) Both Randy and Maria are early-maturing teens.
B) Both Randy and Maria are late-maturing teens.
C) Randy is an early-maturing boy, and Maria is a late-maturing girl.
D) Randy is a late-maturing boy, and Maria is an early-maturing girl.

Question 23

__________ is strongly associated with healthy eating in teenagers.

A) Vitamin supplementation
B) Number of hours of sleep
C) Dieting in adolescence
D) Frequency of family meals

Question 24

Ceremonies such as the Jewish bar or bat mitzvah and the quinceañera in Hispanic communities resemble the initiation ceremonies of many tribal and village societies, but they __________.

A) do not mark a significant change in social status in the larger society
B) more often mark an important change in privilege and responsibility
C) do not let young people know that reaching puberty is a significant milestone
D) do not mean anything to children growing up within ethnic or religious subcultures of Western societies

Question 25

Disturbed eating is highest in __________.

A) Asia
B) the Middle East
C) Western nations
D) Africa

Question 26

Sleep-deprived adolescents __________.

A) can make up sleep they have missed later
B) are more likely to suffer from anxiety and irritability
C) are less likely to engage in high-risk behaviors
D) display increases in executive function

Question 27

Which parent-child relationship is the most common among anorexic teenagers?

A) overprotective and controlling mothers and either controlling or uninvolved fathers
B) permissive and indulgent mothers and highly competitive, controlling fathers
C) permissive and indulgent mothers and uninvolved or absent fathers
D) divorced parents, where the mother is overwhelmed and the father is largely absent

Question 28

Early-maturing European-American girls tend to report a __________.

A) positive attitude about their physical appearance
B) less positive body image than their on-time agemates
C) more positive body image than their late-maturing agemates
D) more positive body image than early-maturing boys

Question 29

Which statement about parent‒child relationships in adolescence is true?

A) Research shows that puberty is related to a decrease in intensity of parent‒child conflict.
B) Psychological distancing is a modern substitute for leaving the family around the time of puberty.
C) Adolescents' new powers of reasoning contribute to a decline in family tensions.
D) Parent‒son conflict tends to be more intense than conflict with daughters.

Question 30

Which statement about individuals with anorexia nervosa is true?

A) Over 80 percent of young people with the disorder recover fully.
B) They usually deny or minimize the seriousness of their disorder.
C) In school, they tend to be low-achieving students who are irresponsible and poorly behaved.
D) Later-maturing girls are at greatest risk for the disorder.

Question 31

Western adolescents __________.

A) often celebrate the onset of puberty with an initiation ceremony
B) are granted partial adult status at many different ages
C) are formally recognized when they move from adolescence to adulthood
D) are formally recognized when they move from childhood to adolescence

Question 32

Clarence's 14-year-old daughter, Annie, has been diagnosed with anorexia. Clarence can expect that Annie __________.

A) will lose 5 to 15 percent of her body weight
B) sees herself as severely underweight
C) will avoid most forms of exercise
D) has an extremely distorted body image

Question 33

Follow-up research reveals that __________, especially, are at risk for lasting difficulties.

A) early-maturing boys
B) late-maturing girls
C) late-maturing boys
D) early-maturing girls

Question 34

Early-maturing adolescents of both sexes __________.

A) often seek out younger peers
B) improve in academic performance
C) often seek out older companions
D) report feeling little emotional stress

Question 35

Which teenage boy is the most likely to feel profoundly lonely?

A) 15-year-old Maurice, who spends Saturday night at home
B) 16-year-old Myron, who spends Thursday night playing football
C) 17-year-old Christian, who spends Friday night at youth group
D) 18-year-old Jerimiah, who spends Saturday night working

Question 36

Virtually all __________ know about __________ ahead of time, but many say that no one spoke to them before or during puberty about physical changes.

A) boys; ejaculation
B) girls; breast buds
C) boys; the timing of puberty
D) girls; the timing of puberty

Question 37

Which statement about adolescent moodiness is true?

A) Adolescents rate their moods more positively in adult-structured settings.
B) Younger adolescents' mood swings are strongly related to situational changes.
C) Teenagers' emotional highs coincide with weekend evenings spent at home.
D) Teenagers' emotional lows coincide with self-chosen leisure activities.

Question 38

Which statement about anorexia nervosa is true?

A) About 7 percent of North American and Western European teenage girls are affected by anorexia.
B) During the past half-century, cases of anorexia have increased sharply, fueled by cultural admiration of female thinness.
C) In the United States, African-American girls are at greater risk than European-American and Hispanic girls.
D) Boys account for 1 to 5 percent of anorexia cases, and up to half of these are gay or bisexual young people.

Question 39

Jason, a late-maturing boy, is likely to __________.

A) be viewed by both adults and peers as self-confident
B) report more psychological stress than early-maturing boys
C) experience transient emotional difficulties
D) be involved in more problem behaviors than early-maturing boys

Question 40

Which statement about the onset of puberty is true?

A) Today most girls in developed countries are uninformed about puberty.
B) Girls usually get information about puberty from reading material or websites, while boys get it from their mothers.
C) Whereas almost all boys tell a friend about spermarche, far fewer girls tell friends that they are menstruating.
D) Overall, boys get much less social support than girls for the changes of puberty.

Question 41

Which set of siblings is most likely to share a homosexual orientation?

A) Carlos and Juanita, who are fraternal twins
B) Reagan and Kennedy, who are identical twins
C) Kendall and Randi, who are adopted siblings
D) Quentin and Russell, who are biological, non-twin siblings

Question 42

Which statement about the spread of STIs, including HIV, is true?

A) It is nearly impossible to transmit any STI, including HIV, through oral sex.
B) It is at least twice as easy for a female to infect a male as for a male to infect a female.
C) It is just as easy for a female to infect a male as for a male to infect a female.
D) It is at least twice as easy for a male to infect a female as for a female to infect a male.

Question 43

Individuals with bulimia nervosa usually __________.

A) feel depressed and guilty about their abnormal eating habits
B) lose between 25 and 50 percent of their body weight
C) deny or minimize the seriousness of the disorder
D) have overprotective and controlling parents

Question 44

Typically, North American parents __________.

A) rarely talk about sex in their children's presence
B) provide their children with a lot of information about sex
C) engage in meaningful discussions with teens about sex
D) discuss sexual health with their children's dating partners

Question 45

Many gay men and lesbians say that they first sensed their biologically determined sexual orientation between ages __________, when they discovered __________.

A) 3 and 6; a preference for their same-sex parent
B) 3 and 6; a preference for quiet activities and hobbies
C) 6 and 12; their play interests were more like those of the other gender
D) 6 and 12; strong physical attraction to members of the same sex

Question 46

Early sexual activity is more common among young people from __________.

A) mid- to high-SES homes
B) economically disadvantaged homes
C) only-child families
D) dual-earner families

Question 47

Studies show that most adolescents __________.

A) are unaware of basic facts about HIV and AIDS
B) are better informed about other STIs than about HIV and AIDS
C) are poorly informed about how to protect themselves against STIs
D) overestimate their own susceptibility to STIs

Question 48

Which statement about the sexual behavior of U.S. adolescents is true?

A) Few American adolescents are sexually active before age 17.
B) In general, U.S. boys' and girls' rates of sexual intercourse are similar.
C) About 30 percent of sexually active teenagers report that they first had sex with a steady dating partner.
D) Thirty-five percent of high schoolers report having sexual relations with four or more partners.

Question 49

Young people from ages 15 to 24 __________.

A) are at a very low risk for sexually transmitted infections
B) have the lowest rates of sexually transmitted infections of all age groups
C) are unlikely to contract a sexually transmitted infection if they are heterosexual
D) have the highest rates of sexually transmitted infections of all age groups

Question 50

Carlie engages in binge eating, followed by deliberate vomiting, purging with laxatives, excessive exercise, and strict dieting or even fasting. Carlie suffers from __________.

A) marasmus
B) food insecurity
C) bulimia nervosa
D) anorexia nervosa

Question 51

Which statement about sexual orientation is true?

A) Attraction to members of the same sex is not limited to lesbian, gay, and bisexual teenagers.
B) Most sexual minority adolescents and adults are "gender-deviant" in dress or behavior.
C) About 75 percent of teens who report sexual experiences with same-sex partners identify as homosexual.
D) The evidence to date indicates that genetic and prenatal biological influences do not contribute to homosexuality.

Question 52

Girls __________ are more likely to develop lesbian or bisexual orientations.

A) who are later in birth order
B) exposed prenatally to very high levels of androgens or estrogens
C) who have a higher-than-average number of older brothers
D) who are gender-deviant in dress or behavior

Question 53

__________ is linked to early and frequent teenage sexual activity.

A) Late pubertal timing
B) Small family size
C) Family religious involvement
D) Childhood impulsivity

Question 54

Which statement about self-acceptance among gay, lesbian, and bisexual youths is true?

A) Only a small minority of lesbian, gay, and bisexual teenagers accept their sexual identity by the end of adolescence.
B) Most young people come out to parents before they tell trusted friends or other family members.
C) Contact with other lesbian, gay, and bisexual peers is unimportant for reaching the self-acceptance phase.
D) Coming out can foster self-esteem, psychological well-being, and relationships with family and friends.

Question 55

The number of teenage births is considerably lower in the United States than it was 50 years ago because __________.

A) most schools provide abstinence-only sex education courses
B) about one-fourth of adolescent pregnancies end in abortion
C) fewer teenagers are having sexual intercourse
D) most U.S. adolescents use contraceptives

Question 56

Which statement about contraceptive use in adolescence is true?

A) Adolescents' use of contraceptives decreased throughout the 1990s and early 2000s.
B) Adolescents who report good relationships with parents are less likely to use birth control.
C) Self-regulation is difficult for teenagers, who often overlook the potential consequences of risky behaviors.
D) Young people are most likely to use condoms in relatively new relationships in which they feel high trust or love.

Question 57

Binge-eating disorder __________.

A) is accompanied by purging, exercise, or fasting
B) typically leads to overweight and obesity
C) usually leads to restrictive dieting
D) leads to delayed menarche or disrupted menstrual cycles

Question 58

Rose suffers from anorexia nervosa. You can tell her parents that the most successful treatment for Rose is probably __________.

A) individual therapy and nutrition education
B) appetite-control medication and hypnosis
C) family therapy and medication to reduce anxiety and neurotransmitter imbalances
D) attendance at a support group and nutrition education

Question 59

Sexual attitudes in North America are __________.

A) very restrictive
B) relatively restrictive
C) relatively open
D) very open

Question 60

Which teen is the most likely to contract a sexually transmitted infection?

A) Jim from Canada
B) Ross from the United States
C) Dagomar from Germany
D) Milla from Finland

Question 61

If Krystal is like 21 percent of U.S. students, by twelfth grade she will __________.

A) smoke cigarettes regularly
B) have engaged in heavy drinking during the past month
C) have tried at least one highly addictive and toxic substance
D) have moved from substance use to abuse

Question 62

Compared with adult mothers, adolescent mothers __________.

A) have lower expectations of their infants
B) perceive their babies as more difficult
C) less often engage in abusive parenting
D) interact more effectively with their infants

Question 63

Adolescents presented with Piaget's famous pendulum problem __________.

A) test for the effect of string length without holding weight constant
B) isolate and test each variable, as well as testing the variables in combination
C) typically fail to notice variables that are not immediately suggested by the concrete materials of the task
D) eventually deduce that the weight of the object and the string length do not affect the speed of the pendulum swing

Question 64

School and community programs that reduce drug experimentation __________.

A) are aimed at students and teachers, not parents and families
B) teach skills for resisting peer pressure
C) increase the social acceptability of drug taking
D) have surprisingly low relapse rates

Question 65

Sex education __________.

A) encourages early sex by providing specific information about contraceptives
B) need only last a few sessions to reduce teenage pregnancy rates
C) delays the initiation of sexual activity by cataloguing facts about anatomy and reproduction
D) must help teenagers build a bridge between what they know and what they do

Question 66

Adolescent drug experimentation __________.

A) is a normal part of adolescence and therefore is not a cause for concern
B) should not be taken lightly, because a single heavy dose can lead to permanent injury or death
C) is less concerning than adolescent drinking, because most drugs do not impair perception or thought processes
D) is concerning because most teenagers who try alcohol, tobacco, or marijuana are headed for a life of addiction

Question 67

Which statement about adolescent mothers is true?

A) They are unlikely to experience pregnancy complications.
B) They have unrealistically low expectations of their infants.
C) They are less likely to divorce if they do marry.
D) Very few give up their infants for adoption.

Question 68

In adolescence, __________.

A) attention becomes less selective
B) strategies become less effective
C) inhibition improves
D) metacognition narrows

Question 69

Which child is the most likely to evaluate the logic of statements only by considering them against concrete evidence in the real world?

A) Chandra, age 15
B) Tyrell, age 13
C) Daniela, age 11
D) Wiley, age 9

Question 70

The ability to distinguish theory from evidence and use logical rules to examine their relationship __________.

A) improves steadily from childhood into adolescence
B) slowly declines as adolescents move into adulthood
C) drops off suddenly from childhood into adolescence
D) develops in early childhood

Question 71

In an Israeli study of seventh to ninth graders, after controlling for participants' age, researchers found that __________ fully accounted for early adolescent gains in propositional thought.

A) pubertal timing
B) real-world knowledge
C) their own beliefs
D) years of schooling

Question 72

When faced with a propositional reasoning problem, 17-year-old Iris is likely to __________.

A) justify her answer using a fictional or egocentric response
B) need concrete objects or situations to explain her answer
C) have great difficulty reasoning from premises that contradict reality or her own beliefs
D) justify her reasoning by explaining the logical rules on which it is based

Question 73

Occasional drug experimenters are __________.

A) seriously troubled young people who commit antisocial acts
B) usually impulsive, disruptive, and hostile in early childhood
C) usually psychologically healthy, sociable, curious young people
D) genetically predisposed to elevated sensation seeking

Question 74

Kia, age 14, uses hypothetico-deductive reasoning. Therefore, when faced with a problem, Kia probably __________.

A) will fail to notice variables that are not obvious
B) starts with the most obvious predictions about a situation
C) cannot yet think of alternatives when her predictions about an outcome are not confirmed
D) starts with a hypothesis from which she deduces logical, testable inferences

Question 75

Adolescents who reach the formal operational stage of cognitive development __________.

A) are not capable of hypothetico-deductive reasoning
B) can only "operate on reality"
C) no longer require concrete things or events as objects of thought
D) cannot yet come up with general logical rules through internal reflection

Question 76

According to the most recent nationally representative survey of U.S. high school students, 47 percent of tenth graders have tried __________.

A) drinking
B) smoking
C) marijuana
D) amphetamines

Question 77

With respect to propositional thought in an entirely verbal mode, young children have great difficulty reasoning from premises that contradict reality or their own beliefs because they __________.

A) automatically inhibit activation of well-learned, real-world knowledge
B) believe that the accuracy of conclusions rests on the rules of logic
C) fail to grasp the logical necessity of propositional reasoning
D) show no ability to engage in hypothetico-deductive reasoning

Question 78

Which statement is supported by follow-up research on formal operational thought?

A) School-age children show the glimmerings of hypothetico-deductive reasoning, although they are less competent at it than adolescents.
B) With respect to propositional thought in an entirely verbal mode, school-age children can reason from premises that contradict reality.
C) Adolescents find it more difficult than school-age children to grasp the logical necessity of propositional reasoning.
D) School-age children can easily explain why a pattern of observations supports a hypothesis, when they recognize the connection between the two.

Question 79

According to Piaget, 12-year-old Bula __________.

A) can "operate on operations"
B) does not yet have the capacity for abstract thinking
C) probably starts with reality when problem solving
D) cannot separate the effects of variables

Question 80

In Canada and Western Europe, where community- and school-based clinics offer adolescents contraceptives and where universal health insurance helps pay for them, __________ than in the United States.

A) teenage sexual activity is much higher
B) teenage sexual activity is much lower
C) pregnancy, childbirth, and abortion rates are much higher
D) pregnancy, childbirth, and abortion rates are much lower