Deck 1: Introduction to Developmental Psychology and Its Research Strategies

Question 1

What is the term for the developmental process that underlies a change in response to experience?

A) maturation
B) biological process
C) learning
D) physical development

Answer 1

learning

Question 2

Which of the following terms refers to the capacity for change in response to positive or negative life experiences?

A) holistic
B) tabula rasa
C) innate purity
D) plasticity

Answer 2

plasticity

Question 3

Which statement best exemplifies the holistic approach to development?

A) Parents notice the gaps in the child's abilities and must work to fill those gaps.
B) Traits or abilities are distinct and show separate developmental patterns of change.
C) Aspects of developmental change are interrelated.
D) Developmental trends in human and nonhuman animals are similar.

Answer 3

Aspects of developmental change are interrelated.

Question 4

The holistic perspective is a dominant theme of human development.What does this perspective emphasize?

A) Growth and change are continual.
B) Physical, cognitive, and psychosocial aspects of development are independent.
C) Growth and change are cumulative processes.
D) Physical, cognitive, and psychosocial aspects of development are interdependent.

Question 5

Kayla started walking at 12 months of age,just like her three brothers and her seven cousins.Most children start walking at about this age.What type of development does this example illustrate?

A) optimization of development
B) holistic development
C) normative development
D) ideographic development

Question 6

What does ideographic development consist of?

A) changes that characterize most individuals
B) changes that are specific to the individual
C) changes that result from the unfolding of a genetic "blueprint"
D) changes that optimize developmental outcomes

Question 7

Suppose that the plasticity principle did not apply to development.How would this change our understanding of a child's abilities?

A) Children with cognitive disabilities could be taught many skills.
B) Children who grow up in poor environments would suffer inevitably from their deficiencies.
C) Parental training would be vital for all children to develop normally.
D) Sex differences in children's behaviour would be nonexistent.

Question 8

Which research goal establishes the facts of development?

A) optimization
B) adaptation
C) explanation
D) description

Question 9

What does the holistic perspective of development emphasize?

A) the active role of the child in his or her own development
B) development is a lifelong process that is continual and cumulative
C) the interdependent way in which all components of the self determine development
D) the belief that all the members of the family influence the development of each other

Question 10

What is the best way to start when beginning an intervention to optimize a child's development?

A) Determine what goals to achieve and work toward those goals.
B) Identify what is normal and determine why changes occur before trying to optimize development.
C) Set goals and develop a system of rewards and punishments.
D) Locate children who have developed optimally, so information can be compiled about their experiences.

Question 11

A researcher videotaped preschoolers at a playground for a study of the frequency of cooperative behaviours.What was the researcher's goal?

A) description
B) explanation
C) operationalization
D) optimization

Question 12

How can the research goal of description be summarized?

A) as How
B) as Best
C) as What
D) as Why

Question 13

How do experience and biological processes affect human development?

A) Experience produces change through maturation, and biological processes produce change through learning.
B) Both experience and biological processes produce change through learning.
C) Experience produces change through learning, and biological processes produce change through maturation.
D) Both experience and biological processes produce change through maturation.

Question 14

What does normative development consist of?

A) changes that characterize most individuals
B) changes that are specific to the individual
C) changes that result from experience and environmental influences
D) changes that optimize developmental outcomes

Question 15

Which of the following is an example of developmental change that primarily reflects learning?

A) a child taking his or her first steps at about 1 year of age
B) a child speaking his or her first word at about 1 year of age
C) a child solving simple arithmetic problems in Grade 1
D) a child reaching sexual maturity in early adolescence

Question 16

Contemporary developmentalists maintain that human development is a continual and cumulative process.Which statement most accurately expresses this viewpoint?

A) Early childhood experiences have little impact on adult behaviour and attitudes.
B) Early childhood experiences are the major determinants of adult behaviour and attitudes.
C) Early childhood experiences have a lasting impact on adult behaviour and attitudes, but experiences during other, later, periods of life also play a role.
D) Negative childhood events affect adult personality and behaviour, but positive childhood events have little impact.

Question 17

What are the two major underlying processes that interact to determine the development of the individual?

A) maturation and recapitulation
B) growth and learning
C) learning and maturation
D) recapitulation and growth

Question 18

Which of the following is an example of developmental change that primarily reflects maturation?

A) a child taking his or her first steps at about 1 year of age
B) a child solving simple arithmetic problems in Grade 1
C) a child speaking the same language as his or her parents
D) a child becoming proficient at riding a bicycle

Question 19

Michaela is 24 months old and she still has not spoken her first word.All four of her brothers spoke their first words at about 12 months of age,which is typical for most children.In this example,which general developmental concept does Michaela's lack of speech illustrate?

A) maturational development
B) holistic development
C) normative development
D) ideographic development

Question 20

Suppose that researchers find that the average Canadian infant begins to stand alone at the age of 10 months.What type of development would this be an example of?

A) psychoanalytic
B) ideographic
C) nonrepresentative
D) normative

Question 21

In which ancient society were boys deliberately treated very harshly to toughen them to become disciplined soldiers in adulthood?

A) Rome
B) Israel
C) Britain
D) Sparta

Question 22

Which question would a researcher who believes in the philosophy of tabula rasa find of particular interest?

A) What role does heredity play in determining behaviour?
B) What is the best way to teach a child to trust?
C) What do newborns understand about shape?
D) What is the best way to teach a child to restrain his or her inherent selfishness?

Question 23

Whose theory of human nature implies that the newborn infant acquires all its traits and knowledge from his or her experiences?

A) John Locke
B) Thomas Hobbes
C) Charles Darwin
D) Jean Jacques Rousseau

Question 24

How were children treated during the medieval period?

A) as miniature adults with full rights and privileges
B) harshly, and they were viewed as expendable
C) differently than they are today, but there was some concept that they were not adults
D) coddled and indulged even more than modern children

Question 25

In Edgar Rice Burroughs's novel Tarzan of the Apes (c.1930),Tarzan's character remained innately pure because he was reared as a feral child by apes,away from the corruption of human society.With whose philosophical viewpoint is this consistent?

A) Thomas Hobbes (1651)
B) John Locke (1690)
C) Jean Jacques Rousseau (1762)
D) G. Stanley Hall (c. 1890)

Question 26

Peter tells his wife that he thinks that their 4-year-old,Maria,is a good girl.When Maria misbehaves,Peter states that she is exploring and learning,and it is important for them to teach her more appropriate behaviour.Which of the following philosophical positions are Peter's views consistent with?

A) original sin
B) innate purity
C) tabula rasa
D) psychoanalytic sin

Question 27

Garrett tells you that he believes that it is crucial for a parent to establish ground rules for acceptable behaviour,from day one.Garrett confides that everyone knows that all children will be naughty.Which philosophy does Garrett likely believe in?

A) tabula rasa
B) innate purity
C) experiential purity
D) original sin

Question 28

What did John Locke mean when he said that the mind of an infant is a tabula rasa?

A) Children are inherently evil or sinful.
B) Children are blank slates ready to learn from experience.
C) Children are innately good.
D) Children are incapable of learning.

Question 29

Which theorist proposed the notion that children are selfish egoists?

A) Thomas Hobbes
B) Charles Darwin
C) G Stanley Hall
D) Sigmund Freud

Question 30

Ivan,a father of three children,states that children are really no different from adults.He believes that the way to raise children is to have them take on adult responsibilities as soon as they are physically able.Which statement best describes Ivan's view?

A) It is an example of what developmentalists suggest are the most effective modern child-rearing practices.
B) It is more consistent with some previous periods in history than with today's modern view of child rearing in Canada.
C) It is an example of what developmentalists suggest is a causal factor for the development of pathology.
D) It is more consistent with today's modern Canadian view of child rearing than with views from previous periods of history.

Question 31

Nancy is a developmentalist and she tells her friend that she believes it is important to study children in laboratory settings.She further states that there is no need to study the child's social relationships.Are Nancy's views consistent with the holistic view of development?

A) They are consistent with the holistic perspective.
B) They are consistent with the holistic perspective, but they do not represent complete agreement with it either.
C) They are consistent with the holistic perspective, but Nancy is not aware of recent research.
D) They are not consistent with the holistic perspective.

Question 32

Which theorist would endorse the statement that the child's nature is basically evil,and it is the work of society to restrain that evil?

A) G Stanley Hall
B) Charles Darwin
C) Jean Jacques Rousseau
D) Thomas Hobbes

Question 33

What was the general attitude toward children in ancient Europe?

A) The child deserved legal protection by the government.
B) The child should be coddled and pampered by parents.
C) The child was the property of parents, with no rights of its own.
D) The child was given life to provide eventual support to parents.

Question 34

What does John Locke's tabula rasa metaphor imply about the newborn infant?

A) He or she has an evil nature.
B) He or she has a pure, virtuous nature.
C) He or she has no ideas because he or she has not yet had experiences.
D) He or she has instinctive ideas.

Question 35

One philosophical view suggests that children are "selfish egoists" who must learn to rechannel their naturally selfish interests into socially desirable outlets.What is this philosophical view,and which psychological theory does it underpin?

A) Tabula rasa is the philosophical underpinning for psychoanalytic theory.
B) Original sin is the philosophical underpinning for learning theory.
C) Original sin is the philosophical underpinning for psychoanalytic theory.
D) Tabula rasa is the philosophical underpinning for learning theory.

Question 36

If Meryl believes strongly in the tabula rasa philosophy,what is she LEAST likely to be concerned with?

A) the IQ of her child's father
B) how stimulating her child's environment is
C) what kinds of role models her child has
D) the books she reads to her child

Question 37

Clovis was abandoned as an infant and spent the first five years of his life being moved from one temporary foster home to another.When he is 5,his aunt discovers Clovis's whereabouts and provides him with a great deal of understanding,love,and stimulating activities.When Clovis becomes an adult,how would you expect him to behave?

A) Clovis has become angry, antisocial, and aggressive because of his early abandonment.
B) Clovis has become shy and anxious because of his early abandonment.
C) Clovis has no residual effects of the early experiences and has reached his fullest potential.
D) Clovis may or may not show residual effects of his early experiences; there is no way of knowing for sure what he will be like as an adult.

Question 38

How long has adolescence been recognized as a distinct phase of life?

A) since early Roman times
B) since the early 17th century
C) since the 1950s
D) since the early 20th century

Question 39

According to the authors of the text,what can be concluded regarding the historical and cultural factors that influence the phase of development we call adolescence?

A) Adolescence is a universal phase of life that is experienced similarly across many eras and cultures.
B) Adolescence is universally a difficult period of transition to adulthood.
C) Adolescence as viewed by modern Western standards is a positive change that would benefit teens of all cultures.
D) Adolescence, like many other areas of development, differs markedly depending on culture and era in history.

Question 40

In which of his doctrines did Jean Jacques Rousseau emphasize the active role of the child as a self-motivated explorer?

A) tabula rasa
B) innate purity
C) original sin
D) developmental plasticity

Question 41

Which data-collection methods would be most affected by individual and age-related differences in verbal skills?

A) interviews and questionnaires
B) naturalistic observation
C) structured observation
D) controlled experiments

Question 42

What is the term for a prediction about the characteristics of a behaviour under investigation?

A) a hypothesis
B) an operational definition
C) empirical knowledge
D) a dependent variable

Question 43

Who is credited as the "founder" of the discipline of developmental psychology because of his influential book,Adolescence?

A) Jean Jacques Rousseau
B) Sigmund Freud
C) Charles Darwin
D) G Stanley Hall

Question 44

Dr.Bauer predicts that if parents are nurturing and responsive,then children are less likely to act aggressively.What does Dr.Bauer's prediction exemplify?

A) empirical knowledge
B) an operational definition
C) a hypothesis
D) a dependent variable

Question 45

André tells you that he predicts if you continue to allow your daughter to have candy when she has a temper tantrum at the store checkout,you will find that she has more frequent tantrums.What principle is André relating?

A) his theory about temper tantrums
B) his theory about the effects of sweets
C) his observations about your daughter
D) his hypothesis about your daughter's future temper tantrums

Question 46

Which of the following methods of inquiry is a person using when recording careful observations of the ongoing development of his or her own child?

A) correlational note-taking
B) systematic experimentation
C) a biography
D) an autobiography

Question 47

Why do philosophical perspectives on childhood differ from those proposed by developmental psychologists?

A) Philosophical perspectives are based on objective data collected through the use of controlled experiments.
B) Philosophical perspectives are supported by persuasive, logical arguments and are more believable than those proposed by developmental psychologists.
C) Philosophical perspectives have a long history and are based on more years of research than those of developmentalists.
D) Developmentalist perspectives are based on objective data collection and analysis.

Question 48

Dr.Lauterbach predicts that if the temperature of a room is increased,then individuals are more likely to act aggressively.What does Dr.Lauterbach's prediction exemplify?

A) a hypothesis
B) empirical knowledge
C) an operational definition
D) a dependent variable

Question 49

Pat has developed a test to measure aggression.Pat gives the test to her developmental psychology class at the beginning of the term and again at the end of the term.Much to Pat's dismay,the results obtained at the end of the semester are completely different from those obtained at the start.What is a likely explanation for the difference in results?

A) The test does not have strong validity.
B) The test is not reliable.
C) The test is free from cohort effects.
D) The test is adequately standardized.

Question 50

Helen proposed a new theory of child development.Using this theory,she has successfully described and explained past behaviours but she is unable to predict or explain new observations.How should Helen's theory be categorized?

A) It is a superior theory because it describes and explains past behaviour, which is more than most theories do.
B) It is a weak theory because it cannot generate new research.
C) It is an adequate theory because it may have some minor flaws, but in general it is good.
D) It is a weak theory because if it doesn't predict or explain new observations, it is of little value.

Question 51

What is a measure said to be if it accurately measures what it is designed to measure?

A) valid
B) reliable
C) objective
D) generative

Question 52

What is a measure said to be if it consistently gives the same results?

A) valid
B) reliable
C) objective
D) generative

Question 53

George and Elizabeth have eight children ranging in age from 3 months to 19 years.Based on their experiences with their children,George and Elizabeth tell you that they believe temper tantrums can be eliminated if a parent follows several simple steps in responding to a child when he or she has a temper tantrum.What have George and Elizabeth developed with respect to childhood temper tantrums?

A) a hypothesis
B) an observation
C) a theory
D) a definition

Question 54

What is the advantage of structured interviews over unstructured interviews?

A) A person can fully explain his or her views.
B) A person will submit for interview even without pay.
C) The interviewer's racial or gender biases are minimized.
D) Subjects are treated alike and responses can be compared among them.

Question 55

What is the term for a set of propositions that describe behaviour?

A) a theory
B) a variable
C) a prediction
D) a definition

Question 56

What is one of the advantages associated with the use of interviews and questionnaires in developmental research?

A) A large amount of useful information can be obtained in a short period of time.
B) The researcher does not need to be present when the data are collected.
C) These methods can be used with any age of participant.
D) Data obtained from interviews and questionnaires are more likely to be reliable and valid, compared to data obtained using other methods of research.

Question 57

Lexis is conducting research related to moral development in children of different ages.She asks each participant in her study the same set of questions,in the same order.Which research method is Lexis using?

A) clinical interview
B) case study
C) ethnography
D) structured interview

Question 58

What is the term for a set of concepts and propositions designed to organize,describe,and explain an existing set of observations?

A) a hypothesis
B) a theory
C) an observation
D) an experiment

Question 59

Dr.Richards is developing a questionnaire to assess shyness.He administers the questionnaire to participants in February and then again in April.The scores obtained are consistent.Based on this information,what can Dr.Richards conclude about his questionnaire?

A) It is adequately standardized.
B) It is valid.
C) It is reliable.
D) It is free from cohort effects.

Question 60

What is one potential shortcoming of using interviews and questionnaires in developmental research?

A) Responses often change if the interview or questionnaire is re-administered to the same set of participants.
B) Only a small amount of useful information is typically obtained.
C) Responses may be inaccurate because participants provide socially desirable responses.
D) Both interviews and questionnaires are time consuming to administer.

Question 61

What is the term for the procedure in which the investigator records the frequencies with which individuals display particular behaviours during the brief time intervals that each participant is observed?

A) time sampling
B) structured timing
C) observer timing validity
D) clinical timed interview

Question 62

Which research method did Darwin and others use in compiling their "baby biographies"?

A) structured observation
B) cross-sectional comparison
C) case study
D) clinical interview

Question 63

What is one of the advantages associated with naturalistic observation?

A) Some behaviours occur infrequently and, therefore, are unlikely to be observed.
B) People may behave differently when they know they are being observed.
C) Naturalistic observation does not require verbal instructions and, therefore, can be used to study the behaviour of infants and toddlers.
D) Some socially undesirable behaviours are unlikely to be witnessed by an unknown observer in natural settings.

Question 64

How can researchers try to reduce observer influence in naturalistic observation?

A) videotape participants using a concealed camera
B) introduce themselves to the participants before beginning their observations
C) tell participants that all their responses will be kept strictly confidential
D) record only socially desirable behaviours and ignore socially undesirable behaviours

Question 65

Which statement best describes the case study method?

A) Certain individuals are selected for study because of their unique characteristics.
B) Representative samples of individuals asked for their opinions.
C) Selected individuals are carefully observed in their natural environments.
D) A researcher tries to determine relationships between two variables.

Question 66

Which research methodology provides both an advantage and disadvantage because it allows for flexibility and adaptability to the individual child?

A) a standardized interview or questionnaire
B) the clinical method
C) naturalistic observation
D) structured observation

Question 67

In order to better understand the factors that might produce exceptional skills,Dr.Zittleman carefully observed and extensively questioned three child prodigies.Based on this information,what type of research was Dr.Zittleman conducting?

A) case study
B) correlational
C) survey
D) experimental

Question 68

What shortcoming of the case study approach is exemplified by the early "baby biographies"?

A) lack of generalization
B) artificiality
C) inflexible procedures
D) lack of control

Question 69

Erika has been living in an Inuit community for the past three years in an attempt to understand how the Inuit culture affects different aspects of development.Based on this example,which research method is Erika using?

A) structured observational
B) ethnography
C) cross-sectional
D) clinical

Question 70

Marcus designed a research study to assess curiosity.Participants were taken to a waiting room by a research assistant who left behind a file marked "confidential." Hidden observers then recorded whether the participant looked at the confidential material once they were left alone.Based upon this description,what data collection method is Marcus using?

A) the clinical method
B) case study
C) correlational observation
D) structured observation

Question 71

What does ethnography require of a researcher?

A) that he or she lives within a culture or subculture and makes extensive observations
B) that he or she gathers extensive information about one or a few individuals
C) that he or she randomly selects participants from different cultures to participate in the study
D) that he or she measures the relationship between physiological processes and various aspects of the culture

Question 72

Merlin is analyzing the event-related potential data from his most recent research study.Which research method is Merlin using?

A) ethnographic psychophysiology
B) clinical-physical interview
C) structured observation of physical attributes
D) psychophysiology

Question 73

Which of the following is an interview technique in which a child's response to each successive question determines what the investigator will ask next?

A) the experimental method
B) the case study method
C) the correlational method
D) the clinical method

Question 74

What is one limitation to the use of the ethnographic approach?

A) Only a small amount of information can be obtained.
B) The data cannot be used to chart longitudinal changes.
C) There is an increased risk for biased observations.
D) The findings can be generalized beyond the original study participants.

Question 75

If a researcher wanted to know how a child behaves in his or her everyday environment,which research technique would be most appropriate?

A) interview or questionnaire
B) the clinical method
C) naturalistic observation
D) structured observation

Question 76

Suppose that a researcher observes a group of children at a neighbourhood playground and records the amount of time that each child spends engaging in various activities.Based on this description,what data collection method is the researcher using?

A) correlational observation
B) naturalistic observation
C) controlled experimentation
D) case study documentation

Question 77

Yvonne is designing a research study to determine whether infants can discriminate between sounds of different frequencies.In order to answer her question,which research method should Yvonne use?

A) naturalistic observation
B) clinical interview
C) psychophysiology
D) structured observation

Question 78

Which statement best characterizes the use of psychophysiological research methods?

A) A researcher lives within a culture or subculture and makes extensive naturalistic observations of the member's physical attributes.
B) A researcher measures the relationship between physiological processes and various aspects of development.
C) A researcher gathers extensive information about a few individuals regarding physical features that relate to cultural circumstances.
D) A researcher randomly selects participants for the study.

Question 79

What is one of the main disadvantages to using the case study method?

A) A historical analysis of the behaviour is not possible.
B) The data may not be representative of the general population.
C) Hypotheses for the origin of the behaviour cannot be generated.
D) Events that are rare or atypical cannot be described.

Question 80

Reginald is conducting research related to moral development in children of different ages.Initially he asks each participant in his study the same set of questions,but he follows up each answer,and asks participants to elaborate and clarify their responses.Which research method is Reginald using?

A) a case study
B) the clinical method
C) a structured interview
D) ethnography