Deck 1: Introduction to Developmental Psychology and Its Research Strategies

Question 1

In contrast with well-fed American babies, impoverished babies in rural Africa achieve movement skills at consistently younger average ages. This is an example of research on ____ development.

A)optimized
B)psychophysical
C)the ecological validity of
D)normative

Answer 1

normative

Question 2

By specifying how people change over time, the research goal of ____ establishes the facts of development.

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

Answer 2

description

Question 3

____ is a process by which our experiences produce relatively permanent changes in our feelings, thoughts, and behaviors.

A)Maturation
B)History
C)Accommodation
D)Learning

Answer 3

Learning

Question 4

The continuities of development are aspects that

A)show abrupt, sudden change with age.
B)depend on the organism's intention.
C)regress with age to simpler forms or types.
D)remain stable over time or reflect the past.

Question 5

Two important processes that underlie developmental changes are

A)history and parenting.
B)evolution and experience.
C)maturation and learning.
D)cognition and behavior.

Question 6

A researcher videotaped preschoolers at a playground for a study of the frequency of cooperative behaviors. His research goal was

A)description.
B)explanation.
C)changing behavior.
D)optimization.

Question 7

Ideographic development refers to

A)changes that occur as a result of maturation.
B)changes that most children experience at a specific age.
C)changes that are unrelated to development.
D)individual variations in patterns of change.

Question 8

The research goal of explanation is summarized as,

A)"How?"
B)"Why?"
C)"What?"
D)"Best!"

Question 9

Suppose researchers find that the average American baby begins to stand by itself at the age of 10 months. This finding is related to ____ development.

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

Question 10

The assertion that development occurs from "womb to tomb" implies that

A)it is a lifelong experience.
B)death may precede the organism's conception.
C)nurturance of young is an unavoidable activity.
D)maturation and learning are essentially the same.

Question 11

Changes during development that are orderly, patterned, and enduring are described as

A)systematic.
B)immutable.
C)randomized.
D)self-directed.

Question 12

Normative development consists of

A)changes that optimize developmental outcomes.
B)changes that result from maturation.
C)developmental changes that are typical of many children.
D)individual variations among children.

Question 13

A mother asks her doctor, "Is my baby normal in comparison with her age group?" The mother is concerned with her child's ____ development.

A)normative
B)ideographic
C)reliability of
D)plasticity of

Question 14

The text especially emphasizes development during ____ of the lifespan.

A)childhood and adolescence
B)young adulthood
C)the senior years
D)all ages equally

Question 15

____ refers to systematic continuities and changes in an individual that happen over the course of life.

A)Randomization
B)Metabolism
C)Accumulation
D)Development

Question 16

An example of a maturational change would be

A)learning how to add numbers.
B)learning to speak one's parents' language.
C)imitating the facial expressions of a cartoon character.
D)disappearance of an infant reflex at a predictable age.

Question 17

The research goal of description is summarized as,

A)"How?"
B)"Best!"
C)"What?"
D)"Why?"

Question 18

In the field of developmental psychology, the goal of explanation centers on understanding

A)both the similarities and differences that emerge in the development of individuals.
B)the typical course of development for most individuals.
C)the variations in development that exist between individuals.
D)the psychological processes involved in development.

Question 19

In the context of this course, development refers to

A)growth in the national economy.
B)advances in civilization's technologies.
C)continuities and changes during the organism's lifespan.
D)the evolution of species in the animal kingdom.

Question 20

In the first week after hatchout, chicks improve their accuracy of pecking for seeds, regardless of their visual experience. This reflects development from

A)learning.
B)maturation.
C)cross-sectioning.
D)digestion.

Question 21

The fact that plasticity applies to children's development implies that

A)most developmental traits are biologically determined.
B)parents' influence on the developing child is minimal.
C)children born in the same year are members of a cohort.
D)predictions based on developmental principles can be imprecise.

Question 22

In the text, the authors report that a person's popularity with peers is determined by multiple factors, including social skills, age at puberty, and academic achievement. This illustrates the concept of

A)holistic development.
B)cumulative development.
C)continuous development.
D)plasticity.

Question 23

Rita's parents are concerned about the fact that she is not speaking as well as her older brother did when he was two years old. At a visit to the pediatrician, Rita's parents learn that her speech delay is likely due to her frequent ear infections, which have at times impaired her hearing. This is an example of the concept of

A)cumulative development.
B)continuous development.
C)holistic development.
D)plasticity.

Question 24

Horace had a tough childhood; he suffered physical abuse, neglect, and poverty while being raised by his single mom in an inner-city ghetto. Yet, he is resilient and graduated as high school valedictorian. Horace's success illustrates the ____ developmental principle.

A)holistic
B)plasticity
C)historical/cultural
D)tabula rasa

Question 25

Students who study developmental psychology to learn the practicalities of becoming good parents will be especially interested in the research goals of

A)confidentiality.
B)optimization.
C)ethnography.
D)explanation.

Question 26

The holistic approach to development suggests that

A)parents notice the gaps (holes) in the child's abilities and 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 animals or humans are similar.

Question 27

The research goal of optimization is summarized as,

A)"Best!"
B)"Why?"
C)"How?"
D)"What?"

Question 28

NORMATIVE DEVELOPMENT is to IDEOGRAPHIC DEVELOPMENT as ____ is to ____.

A)WEAKNESS :: STRENGTH
B)HAPPINESS :: SADNESS
C)INTENTION :: LUCK
D)TYPICAL :: UNIQUE

Question 29

The holistic perspective of development is a dominant theme today, around which the text is organized. This view emphasizes

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

Question 30

Developmentalists assert that development is a continual and cumulative process. This implies that

A)childhood experiences have no impact on later development.
B)the first 12 years of life are an important part of the lifespan that influence future development.
C)adult development should be regarded as independent of childhood development.
D)childhood experiences will influence adolescent development but will not affect adult development.

Question 31

Predictions that arise from theory are called

A)heuristics.
B)ecological validators.
C)hypotheses.
D)confounded variables.

Question 32

Generational differences in child-rearing practices suggest that researchers must pay attention to

A)ethical considerations.
B)converging evidence.
C)cultural diversity.
D)historical context.

Question 33

The cumulative aspect of development implies that

A)development is intentional or planned.
B)changes during the lifespan are haphazard and random.
C)one's earlier experiences can have important implications for the future.
D)the person thinks about his or her own traits.

Question 34

The plasticity principle states that the child

A)responds flexibly to changes in his or her life experiences.
B)must be trained by parents to avoid consuming plastics.
C)progresses predictably through developmental stages.
D)asserts his or her individuality and cannot accurately be described by generalizations that apply to all children.

Question 35

The idea that human development is a holistic process suggests that

A)changes in one aspect of development have important implications for other aspects.
B)the development of humans follows a specific sequence.
C)during childhood, few differences emerge across humans.
D)all areas of development follow a sequence that is independent of the changes that occur in other areas of functioning.

Question 36

The study of cohort effects recognizes the importance of ____ on development.

A)historical context
B)nutritional quality
C)the family/home situation
D)school type

Question 37

A researcher declares, "We must look carefully at how adults of various ethnic identities differ in their parenting styles." Her statement implies the importance of ____ for child development.

A)longitudinal follow-up
B)practice effects
C)ideographic traits
D)cultural context

Question 38

Developmentalists have found that

A)although social class can influence development, human development is the same across cultures.
B)race and ethnicity influence development, whereas social class does not.
C)social class, race, and ethnicity can exert a strong influence on the course of development.
D)social class, race, and ethnicity exert no influence on development.

Question 39

The text's authors claims that in future decades, developmental researchers will increasingly emphasize ____ goals as they increasingly apply their research findings to solve real problems.

A)optimization
B)descriptive
C)baby biographical
D)explanatory

Question 40

Suppose that the plasticity principle did NOT apply to development; if this were true, it would imply that

A)babies would not be motivated to consume plastic things.
B)children who grow up in terrible circumstances would suffer inevitably from their deficiencies.
C)parental training would be vital for children to develop normally.
D)boy/girl gender differences would be nonexistent.

Question 41

The advantage of structured interviews over unstructured interviews is that during a structured interview,

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

Question 42

Suppose that a test claims to measure "cleverness" in preschoolers. If the cleverest children earn the highest scores on the test, then the test is strong on

A)temporal stability.
B)interrater reliability.
C)validity.
D)benefits-to-risk ratio.

Question 43

Which of these is NOT among the several shortcomings of interviews or questionnaires?

A)Subjects may lie about their own actions.
B)Young preschoolers might misunderstand the questions.
C)Results may be inconsistent for children and parents.
D)Self-report techniques generate a lot of data.

Question 44

A set of concepts and propositions designed to organize, describe, and explain a set of observations is known as

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

Question 45

STRUCTURED INTERVIEW is to CLINICAL METHOD as ____ is to ____.

A)LIE :: TRUTH
B)RIGID :: FLEXIBLE
C)WRITTEN :: ORAL
D)PRIVATE :: PUBLIC

Question 46

Truthful answers to interviews or questionnaires are more likely to be obtained when the subjects are

A)asked about embarrassing topics.
B)reminded that improper behavior deserves to be punished.
C)promised confidentiality of their responses.
D)offered payment for responding correctly.

Question 47

In a punch-card hand recount, suppose that various election officials disagree among themselves about whether particular ballots contain real votes in their "dimpled chads." Their rating system is weak in

A)interrater reliability.
B)temporal stability.
C)confidentiality.
D)random assignment.

Question 48

Validity means that a measurement

A)is stable over time or across observers.
B)identifies the causes of behavior.
C)is free from contamination by cohort effects.
D)measures what it is supposed to measure.

Question 49

Goofus got a 75 on his psychology midterm and another 75 when he retook the test a month later. The midterm test is strong on this quality:

A)reliability.
B)confidentiality.
C)validity.
D)ecological validity.

Question 50

If a measure accurately measures what it is designed to measure, it is said to be

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

Question 51

An old professor tells her graduate students, "Above all, when you apply the scientific method, be sure to

A)stay close to your gut feelings."
B)avoid contradicting your commonsense knowledge."
C)acknowledge that psychic phenomena are beyond scientific explanation."
D)develop theories from objective observations."

Question 52

INTERVIEW is to QUESTIONNAIRE as ____ is to ____

A)VALID :: RELIABLE
B)KINDNESS :: CRUELTY
C)ORAL :: WRITTEN
D)VOLUNTARY :: REQUIRED

Question 53

In their study designed to assess the growth of moodiness and negativity as children transition to adolescence, Larson, Monetta, Richards, and Wilson used the ____ methodology.

A)interview
B)diary study
C)correlation
D)longitudinal

Question 54

At a beauty pageant, none of the five judges can agree with each other about who should win. The pageant rating system is low in

A)validity.
B)selective attrition.
C)interrater reliability.
D)temporal stability.

Question 55

Reliability means that the measurement

A)actually measures the targeted variable.
B)is free from any confounding factors.
C)is stable over time or across observers.
D)has real validity.

Question 56

____ is a hallmark of the scientific method.

A)Commonsense intuition
B)Psychical information
C)Cross-sectional comparison
D)Objectivity

Question 57

The scientific method suggests that when data contradict one's theory, the researcher should

A)critically attack the weaknesses of the data.
B)modify or discard the theory.
C)search for support for the theory in other writings.
D)steadfastly defend the theory against criticism.

Question 58

What is structured in a structured interview?

A)The duration of the subjects' answers.
B)The quality of the subjects' answers.
C)The questions and their presentation sequence.
D)The room or circumstances in which the answers are heard.

Question 59

Questionnaire research is like

A)asking someone to go out on a date with you.
B)being in charge of a TV quiz show.
C)noticing that well-dressed people drive expensive cars.
D)working at a polling station on election day.

Question 60

Each of these is a self-report research methodology EXCEPT

A)experimentation.
B)the clinical method.
C)interviewing.
D)questionnaires.

Question 61

Observing people in their typical environments is the hallmark of

A)naturalistic observation.
B)correlation.
C)interview methods.
D)clinical methods.

Question 62

During structured observation, the child is

A)exposed to a carefully prepared stimulus situation.
B)given explicit instructions on the proper way to act.
C)provided with toys or materials to construct objects that are appropriate for the prescribed task.
D)observed in a common, everyday situation.

Question 63

Some of the strengths of naturalistic observation include all of the following EXCEPT

A)naturalistic observation can easily be applied.
B)naturalistic observations are particularly useful in studying pre-verbal children.
C)naturalistic observation illustrates how people behave in everyday life.
D)the observer's presence can influence the participant's behavior.

Question 64

Dr. Smart studies play by passively watching children at daycare or on playgrounds. She applies the method of

A)naturalistic observation.
B)structured observation.
C)time-sampling.
D)cohort comparison.

Question 65

Gathering varied data about a child from many different sources is the hallmark of the ____ method.

A)questionnaire
B)sequential
C)case study
D)correlational

Question 66

Which of the following is a method used to minimize the impact of observer influence on the behavior of research participants?

A)Spending time in the setting before collecting data
B)Paying participants for their time
C)Asking participants to behave as they typically would
D)Wearing dark glasses

Question 67

Watching behavior at locations where it ordinarily happens is called

A)visual verification.
B)ocular tracking.
C)ecological viewing.
D)naturalistic observation.

Question 68

Swiss psychologist Jean Piaget favored this method in his developmental research with children:

A)formal experimentation.
B)structured interviews.
C)correlation.
D)the clinical method.

Question 69

Which statement is true regarding observer influence in observational studies?

A)Observer influence is bad and should be minimized.
B)Observer influence identifies the behaviors' causes.
C)Hidden videotaping tends to increase observer influence.
D)Observer influence improves the observations' validity.

Question 70

With its emphasis on individuality, the clinical method is especially useful for the ____ research design.

A)case study
B)cross-sectional
C)correlational
D)sequential

Question 71

A developmental researcher tells colleagues, "I regard each child to be a unique individual, unlike any other; thus I use the ____ research method."

A)structured interview
B)questionnaire
C)correlational
D)clinical

Question 72

The clinical method for research is especially WEAK on

A)its individualized content of questions.
B)flexibility in the sequencing of questions.
C)encouraging the child to explain his or her answers.
D)standardization.

Question 73

The clinical method is like

A)fighting a much stronger opponent.
B)having a conversation with a stranger.
C)waiting in line to be served.
D)giving a sales pitch for a useless product.

Question 74

Which research method is especially suitable for infants or toddlers because verbal instructions are unnecessary?

A)Structured interview
B)Naturalistic observation
C)Questionnaire
D)Experimentation

Question 75

A bar patron tells his buddies, "I've been studying you guys for months now, and I conclude that you are all nuts!" The bar patron applied a crude type of

A)structured observation.
B)naturalistic observation.
C)practice effect.
D)time-sampling.

Question 76

The clinical method is like

A)tracking a moving target.
B)reciting the Pledge of Allegiance.
C)noticing that rabbits are always pursued by dogs.
D)serving the same food to everyone at a dinner.

Question 77

Which of these is NOT a limitation of the naturalistic observation research method?

A)It is unable to identify the causes of behavior.
B)It is inapplicable to rarely occurring behaviors.
C)It is inapplicable to undesirable behaviors that are performed privately.
D)The behaviors happen at sites where they commonly occur.

Question 78

An interview technique in which a child's response to each successive question determines what the investigator will ask next is called

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

Question 79

The ____ method is appropriate when the research focus is to understand a particular child.

A)correlational
B)case study
C)cross-sectional
D)experimental

Question 80

Tronick et al. (2005) used the ____ method in their study of mother-child interactions in children who were prenatally exposed to cocaine.

A)case study
B)experimental
C)clinical
D)structured observation