Deck 4: Physical Development in Infancy and Toddlerhood

Question 1

Neurotransmitters

A) cannot cross synapses.
B) are the tiny gaps between neurons.
C) are responsible for myelination.
D) are message-carrying chemicals released by neurons.

Answer 1

D

Question 2

When skeletal ages are examined,

A) boys are considerably ahead of girls.
B) girls are considerably ahead of boys.
C) there are no discernible sex differences.
D) there are no discernible ethnic differences.

Answer 2

B

Question 3

Myelination involves

A) sending messages from one neuron to another.
B) making space for synapses.
C) coating the neural fibers with an insulating fatty sheath.
D) returning neurons not needed to an uncommitted state.

Answer 3

C

Question 4

The cephalocaudal trend in physical growth is illustrated by

A) earlier growth of the arms and legs than of the chest and trunk.
B) later growth of the arms and legs than of the hands and feet.
C) earlier growth of the legs and feet than of the arms and hands.
D) later growth of the trunk and legs than of the head and chest.

Question 5

In the second year,most toddlers

A) slim down.
B) gain about 15 pounds.
C) grow about 8 inches.
D) reach a peak in muscle tissue.

Question 6

Which of the following children is the most likely to be above the growth norms?

A) Mai, an Asian girl
B) Isaiah, an African-American boy
C) Eleanor, a Caucasian girl
D) Nygen, an Asian boy

Question 7

Brain development in infancy and toddlerhood is

A) often characterized by a series of discrete stages.
B) jointly influenced by genetically programmed events and the child's experiences.
C) slow and steady, and mostly influenced by genetically programmed events.
D) primarily influenced by the child's experiences with the environment.

Question 8

During infancy,girls

A) are slightly taller than boys.
B) are slightly heavier than boys.
C) have a higher ratio of fat to muscle than boys.
D) have less mature bones than boys.

Question 9

When Baby Jaleel was born,stimulation in his brain resulted in a massive overabundance of synapses.As synapses formed,many surrounding neurons died.This process is known as

A) myelination.
B) neurotransmission.
C) neuroimaging.
D) programmed cell death.

Question 10

In an electroencephalogram (EEG),

A) the person lies inside a tunnel-shaped apparatus that creates a magnetic field.
B) the person inhales or is given an injection of a radioactive substance, and then lies on an apparatus with a scanner that emits fine streams of X-rays.
C) brain-wave patterns are examined for stability and organization-signs of mature cortical functioning.
D) when an individual is exposed to a stimulus, the EEG detects changes in blood flow and oxygen metabolism throughout the brain magnetically.

Question 11

Glial cells

A) are responsible for myelination.
B) store and transmit information.
C) are the tiny gaps between neurons.
D) carry messages between neurons.

Question 12

For synaptic pruning to advance,

A) the neural tube must produce fewer neurons during the prenatal period than the brain will need.
B) the prefrontal cortex must attain adult levels of synaptic connections during the prenatal period.
C) appropriate stimulation of the child's brain is vital during periods in which the formation of synapses is at its peak.
D) between 80 and 90 percent of the neurons produced during the first two years must undergo programmed cell death.

Question 13

Synapses are

A) tiny gaps where fibers from different neurons come close together but do not touch.
B) nerve cells that store and transmit information.
C) chemicals released by neurons.
D) responsible for myelination.

Question 14

As a result of synaptic pruning,

A) seldom-stimulated neurons lose their synapses.
B) stimulated neurons reproduce themselves.
C) overstimulated neurons lose their synapses.
D) overstimulated neurons die.

Question 15

Neurons

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

Question 16

The rise in body fat during the first year of life

A) insulates infants' brittle bones until proper cartilage is formed.
B) helps infants keep a constant body temperature.
C) cushions infants from bumps and falls.
D) slows the development of fine-motor skills.

Question 17

At birth,the __________ is nearer to its adult size than any other physical structure.

A) brain
B) heart
C) femur
D) liver

Question 18

In the proximodistal trend,during infancy and childhood,the

A) head develops more rapidly than the lower part of the body.
B) body grows from "head to tail."
C) arms and legs grow somewhat ahead of the hands and feet.
D) hands and feet grow more rapidly than the arms and legs.

Question 19

Skeletal age is measured by determining

A) muscle and bone strength.
B) the length of the long bones.
C) the extent to which cartilage has hardened into bone.
D) joint flexibility.

Question 20

In the prenatal period,neurons

A) undergo mitosis.
B) are produced in the embryo's primitive neural tube.
C) have not yet developed any connective fibers.
D) are seldom stimulated.

Question 21

Both animal and human studies

A) confirm that even extreme deprivation is reversible as long as it occurs in the first year of life.
B) refute the existence of sensitive periods in brain development.
C) reveal that early, extreme sensory deprivation does not result in loss of brain functions.
D) verify the existence of sensitive periods in brain development.

Question 22

Which of the following statements about a sensitive period for mastering musical performance skills is true?

A) The sensitive period for mastering musical performance is birth to 2 years of age.
B) The sensitive period for mastering musical performance is 2 to 3 years of age.
C) The sensitive period for mastering musical performance is 3 to 5 years of age.
D) No evidence exists for a sensitive period in the first few years of life for mastering musical performance skills.

Question 23

In most people,the right hemisphere handles

A) spoken language.
B) spatial abilities.
C) positive emotion.
D) written language.

Question 24

Experience-expectant brain growth

A) occurs throughout our lives.
B) consists of additional growth and refinement of established brain structures.
C) depends on ordinary experiences.
D) varies widely across cultures.

Question 25

In left-handed people,the

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

Question 26

Which of the following learning experiences should Malan,a caregiver,use to promote experience-expectant brain growth in Reece?

A) teaching Reece to read
B) using an iPad application with Reece
C) talking to Reece in his native language
D) teaching Reece to play the piano

Question 27

Before the hemispheres of the cerebral cortex lateralize,

A) damage to a particular region means that the abilities it normally controls are lost forever.
B) other parts can take over the tasks that would have been handled by a damaged region.
C) each hemisphere controls only one side of the body.
D) each hemisphere receives sensory information from only one side of the body.

Question 28

A __________ plastic cerebral cortex has a __________ capacity for learning.

A) slightly; high
B) highly; low
C) slightly; moderate
D) highly; high

Question 29

The prefrontal cortex

A) controls body movement.
B) is responsible for thought.
C) functions most effectively during the prenatal period.
D) reaches an adult level of synaptic connections during the preschool years.

Question 30

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 31

A lateralized brain

A) is more common in left-handed than right-handed individuals.
B) is more effective at regulating emotion than a nonlateralized brain.
C) means that many areas of the cerebral cortex are not yet committed to specific functions.
D) permits a wider array of functions to be carried out effectively.

Question 32

The cerebral cortex

A) contains a small number of neurons and synapses.
B) is not sensitive to environmental influences.
C) is the last part of the brain to stop growing.
D) is the smallest brain structure.

Question 33

Studies show that the chronic stress of early,deprived orphanage rearing

A) rarely results in serious intellectual deficits, as the brain is especially plastic in early childhood.
B) disrupts the brain's capacity to manage stress, with long-term physical and psychological consequences.
C) has few long-term consequences, as long as children are adopted by age 4.
D) may promote resilience by preparing the brain to manage stress.

Question 34

The auditory and visual cortexes develop rapidly during

A) the first year.
B) the second year.
C) the preschool years.
D) adolescence.

Question 35

In the Bucharest Early Intervention Project,where specially trained social workers provided foster parents with counseling and support,

A) the foster-care group moved ahead of never-institutionalized agemates living with Bucharest families.
B) the foster-care group exceeded the institutional-care group in intelligence test scores, language skills, and emotional responsiveness.
C) earlier foster placement did not improve the scores of the foster-care group on any measure.
D) the EEG and ERP assessments of brain activity were substantially the same for the foster-care group and the institutional-care group.

Question 36

__________ greatly influences the organization of the cerebral cortex.

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

Question 37

Jackson will experience __________ brain growth when he practices the cello.

A) early-dependent
B) experience-expectant
C) early-expectant
D) experience-dependent

Question 38

Research reveals that

A) deaf adults who, as infants and children, learned sign language depend more than hearing individuals on the left hemisphere for language processing.
B) adolescents and adults show more diffuse fMRI activity than children.
C) deaf infants depend more than hearing infants on the left hemisphere for language processing.
D) toddlers who are advanced in language development show greater left-hemispheric specialization for language than their agemates.

Question 39

The __________ accounts for 85 percent of the brain's weight.

A) cerebellum
B) cerebrum
C) corpus callosum
D) cerebral cortex

Question 40

Mia,age 3,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 probably

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

Question 41

When diet and health are adequate,__________ is largely influenced by heredity.

A) height
B) weight
C) the onset of menarche
D) the onset of spermarche

Question 42

Recent evidence indicates

A) that most chubby babies become overweight adults.
B) a strengthening relationship between rapid weight gain in infancy and later obesity.
C) as many as one-half of parents interviewed give their toddlers no vegetables.
D) that bottle-feeding during the first six months is associated with slower early weight gain.

Question 43

Western efforts to get infants to sleep through the night

A) promotes early autonomy and independence.
B) may be at odds with the infants' neurological development.
C) supports neurological development.
D) encourages the early production of melatonin.

Question 44

Which of the following statements about the role of nutrition in development is true?

A) Pound for pound, an infant's energy needs are twice those of an adult.
B) Nutrition is especially crucial for development during the school-age years because the brain and the body are growing so rapidly.
C) Fifty percent of babies' total caloric intake is devoted to growth.
D) Compared with the milk of other mammals, human milk is lower in fat and higher in protein.

Question 45

The increase in cosleeping in Western nations over the past two decades is likely associated with

A) an increase in time babies spend breastfeeding during the night.
B) a shift from collectivistic to individualistic values.
C) parental fear of SIDS.
D) an increase in young children's bedtime struggles.

Question 46

As long as negative environmental influences such as poor nutrition and illness are not severe,children and adolescents typically show __________ growth.

A) cephalocaudal
B) proximodistal
C) thyroid-stimulating
D) catch-up

Question 47

In the U.S.today,

A) less than half of mothers breastfeed.
B) more than half of breastfeeding mothers stop by 6 months.
C) mothers who return to work sooner breastfeed their babies longer.
D) breastfeeding is less common than it was in previous decades.

Question 48

Jack and Jami are concerned that their chubby infant son,Angus,will become an overweight adult.Which of the following steps can they take to help prevent that?

A) Avoid giving Angus foods loaded with salt and sugar.
B) Give Angus foods containing saturated fats.
C) Bottle-feed Angus for the first six months.
D) Cut back on Angus's caloric intake throughout infancy and toddlerhood.

Question 49

Every time Trisha bottle-fed baby Isabel,she stoked Isabel's hair.In time,Isabel would make a sucking noise each time Trisha stroked her hair.In this example,__________ is the unconditioned stimulus.

A) sucking
B) stroking the hair
C) crying
D) formula

Question 50

Babies

A) are capable of only one form of learning: classical conditioning.
B) learn through their natural preference for novel stimulation.
C) rarely learn through observation.
D) are capable of only one form of learning: operant conditioning.

Question 51

Children who suffer from extreme forms of malnutrition

A) tend to gain excessive weight when their diets improve.
B) rarely have lasting damage if their diets improve.
C) have extraordinarily high basal metabolism rates.
D) are rarely in danger of dying.

Question 52

Which of the following statements about breastfeeding is true?

A) Breastfed and bottle-fed infants in industrialized nations do not differ in quality of the mother-infant relationship.
B) Compared with those who were breastfed, children and adolescents who were bottle-fed have more emotional adjustment difficulties.
C) Most studies report that children and adolescents who were breastfed are smarter than those who were bottle-fed.
D) Because more women are in the workforce, breastfeeding has become less common in industrialized nations.

Question 53

Yolanda,age 2,is being raised in Texas by a single mother.While Yolanda's mother works,she does not always have sufficient funds to purchase enough food for a healthy,active life.Yolanda is skinny and withdrawn.Yolanda suffers from

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

Question 54

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 55

Marasmus

A) is caused by an unbalanced diet very low in protein.
B) is caused by a diet low in all essential nutrients.
C) usually strikes after weaning.
D) is common in regions of the world where children get just enough calories from starchy foods.

Question 56

Compared to breastfed babies,bottle-fed infants

A) are leaner.
B) have more respiratory illnesses.
C) have far fewer allergic reactions.
D) have lower blood cholesterol levels in adulthood.

Question 57

Breastfeeding for the first six months is associated with

A) later obesity.
B) less activity in toddlerhood.
C) slower early weight gain.
D) healthier eating in adulthood.

Question 58

Between ages 3 and 5,

A) fussiness increases.
B) crying increases.
C) most children need one daytime nap.
D) napping subsides.

Question 59

Classical conditioning

A) cannot be used with newborns.
B) helps infants recognize which events usually occur together in the everyday world.
C) can be easily utilized to elicit fear responses in young babies.
D) plays a vital role in the formation of social relationships.

Question 60

Cosleeping

A) promotes excessive dependency.
B) reduces mothers' total sleep time.
C) works best when mattresses are soft and blankets are heavy.
D) may actually help safeguard babies at risk for SIDS.

Question 61

Which of the following mothers is the most likely to actively discourage rapid motor development?

A) Elyse, a Canadian mother
B) Biyaki, a Zinacanteco Indian of Southern Mexico
C) Indira, a West Indian mother
D) Cheruiyot, a Kipsigis mother

Question 62

__________ 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 63

A researcher hangs a mobile over the crib of 4-month-old Anya.When the researcher attaches Anya's foot to the mobile with a long cord,Anya can,by kicking,make the mobile turn.The turning of the mobile is an example of a(n)

A) reinforcer.
B) punishment.
C) unconditioned stimulus.
D) conditioned response.

Question 64

By focusing on the shift from a novelty preference to a familiarity preference,researchers can use habituation to assess

A) remote memory.
B) recent memory.
C) an infant's imitation ability.
D) an infant's motor development.

Question 65

In operant conditioning,a reinforcer

A) decreases the occurrence of a response.
B) removes a desirable stimulus.
C) is a neutral stimulus.
D) is a stimulus that increases the occurrence of a response.

Question 66

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

A) the conditioned response
B) recovery
C) the unconditioned response
D) extinction

Question 67

Prereaching involves

A) poorly coordinated swipes at an object.
B) clumsily closing the fingers against the palm.
C) picking up small objects between the fingers and thumb.
D) coordinated reaching for a moving object.

Question 68

Which of the following is an example of a gross-motor skill?

A) grasping
B) crawling
C) reaching
D) scribbling

Question 69

A baby who first habituates to a visual pattern and then recovers to a new one appears to

A) have forgotten the first pattern.
B) perceive the second pattern as the same as the first pattern.
C) perceive the second pattern as new and different from the first pattern.
D) be accessing her remote memory.

Question 70

In operant conditioning,a punishment involves

A) a stimulus that greatly increases the occurrence of a response.
B) removing a desirable stimulus.
C) presenting a neutral stimulus.
D) a gradual increase in the occurrence of a response.

Question 71

In operant conditioning,

A) infants' behavior influences the stimuli that occur.
B) a neutral stimulus is paired with a stimulus that leads to a reflexive response.
C) a stimulus that increases the occurrence of a response is called a neutral stimulus.
D) before learning takes place, an unconditioned stimulus must consistently produce an unconditioned response.

Question 72

Habituation

A) occurs when a conditioned stimulus is presented alone enough times, without being paired with the unconditioned stimulus.
B) occurs when a change in the environment causes responsiveness to return to a high level.
C) occurs when a unpleasant stimulus is presented to decrease the occurrence of a response.
D) refers to a gradual reduction in the strength of a response due to repetitive stimulation.

Question 73

According to the dynamic systems theory of motor development,

A) mastery of motor skills involves increasingly complex systems of action.
B) motor control of the head comes before control of the arms and the trunk.
C) habituation and recovery to visual stimuli underlie the development of complex motor skills.
D) newborn reflexes helped babies survive during our evolutionary past.

Question 74

Of all motor skills,__________ may play the greatest role in infant cognitive development.

A) walking
B) sitting up
C) rolling over
D) reaching

Question 75

Dynamic systems theory provides convincing evidence that the development of motor skills

A) is genetically determined.
B) is hardwired.
C) is profoundly influenced by the surrounding environment.
D) always follows the proximodistal trend.

Question 76

Kipsigi infants walk considerably earlier than North American infants because

A) Kipsigi babies are smaller at birth, requiring less leg-muscle strength for standing.
B) Kipsigi babies have a genetic tendency toward early motor development.
C) North American babies are mentally overstimulated, resulting in less motivation to walk.
D) Kipsigi parents emphasize early motor maturity, practicing formal exercises to stimulate particular skills.

Question 77

Four-month-old Logan's parents are tracking his motor development.Which of the following motor skills is Logan likely to have already achieved?

A) sits alone
B) when prone, lifts self by arms
C) crawls
D) plays pat-a-cake

Question 78

Following habituation,when a new stimulus causes responsiveness to return to a high level,

A) the increase is called recovery.
B) the increase is called extinction.
C) a familiarity preference is established.
D) heart rate and respiration rate both decline.

Question 79

Baby Myles responds to the sight of a jar of baby food by opening his mouth.In this example,the jar is a(n)

A) unconditioned stimulus.
B) conditioned response.
C) conditioned stimulus.
D) unconditioned response.

Question 80

Which of the following statements about imitation is true?

A) Newborns do not have the ability to imitate facial expressions.
B) While newborn humans imitate some gestures, studies have failed to reproduce the findings in newborn primates.
C) According to Andrew Meltzoff, newborns do not imitate as much as older children and adults do.
D) Some researchers claim that newborns, both primate and human, imitate a variety of facial expressions and head movements with effort and determination, even after short delays.