Deck 5: Physical Development: the Brain, the Body, Motor Skills, and Sexual Development

Question 1

The most rapid gains in body height occur during

A)infancy.
B)early childhood.
C)middle childhood.
D)adolescence.

Answer 1

infancy.

Question 2

By age ____, the person has reached about half his/her eventual adult height.

A)two
B)three
C)four
D)six

Answer 2

two

Question 3

The baby's fontanelles normally disappear by the age of two

A)days.
B)weeks.
C)months.
D)years.

Answer 3

years.

Question 4

A student tells a friend, "I can't stand Professor Bonzo; his mind has ossified." This means that Bonzo's

A)ideas are fixed and unchangeable.
B)brain suffers from internal bleeding.
C)thinking is delusional, out of touch with reality.
D)reflexes are more prominent than his learned responses.

Question 5

The neonate's fontanelles

A)are soft spots in the skull.
B)are tightened during the ulnar grasp.
C)are an early sign of mental retardation.
D)indicate that the baby has iron deficiency anemia.

Question 6

CEPHALOCAUDAL is to PROXIMODISTAL as ____ is to ____.

A)MASCULINE :: FEMININE
B)EXPANSION :: CONTRACTION
C)DOWNWARD :: OUTWARD
D)ACCURACY :: ERROR

Question 7

In a young fetus, the head's length is about equal to the rest of the body's length. This illustrates the

A)plasticity principle.
B)catch-up growth principle.
C)proximodistal developmental trend.
D)cephalocaudal developmental trend.

Question 8

The cephalocaudal trend of development means that first

A)inner organs develop, followed by extremities.
B)extremities develop, followed by inner organs.
C)the head develops, followed by the body and legs.
D)marasmus occurs, followed by kwashiorkor.

Question 9

During puberty, the early adolescent's ____ are the first body parts to grow rapidly and the first parts to reach their adult size.

A)eyes
B)ears
C)genitals
D)hands and feet

Question 10

The adolescent growth spurt

A)occurs around the age of 17 or 18.
B)involves a weight gain of approximately 15 pounds.
C)is evident for weight but not for height.
D)is the fastest growth interval of the lifespan.

Question 11

Of the various aspects of growth, changes in ____ are least noticeable.

A)height
B)weight
C)muscles, bones, or central nervous system (CNS)
D)facial features

Question 12

A chef tells her visitors, "This microwave oven first cooks the meat's interior, followed by the exterior." This pattern resembles the ____ trend.

A)skeletal age
B)catch-up growth
C)cephalocaudal
D)proximodistal

Question 13

The proximodistal developmental trend states that first

A)synaptogenesis happens, followed by myelinization.
B)small muscles develop, followed by large muscles.
C)inner organs develop, followed by extremities.
D)the head develops, followed by the body and legs.

Question 14

Flexible skull seams called ____ expand during development to accommodate the growing brain.

A)Boney-Ms
B)sutures
C)proprioceptors
D)tendons

Question 15

When bones ossify, they

A)become harder.
B)degrade.
C)become brittle.
D)reduce cartilage.

Question 16

Suppose that, during feasts in Never-Never Land, it is customary to barbecue the entire animal and then first to eat the head, followed by the body. This sequence resembles the ____ developmental trend.

A)proximodistal
B)"survival TV"
C)failure-to-thrive
D)cephalocaudal

Question 17

The infant's growth rate is accurately described as

A)consciously regulated.
B)erratic spurts.
C)steadily continuous.
D)seasonally dependent.

Question 18

Suppose that a fetus's skull sutures ossified early, prior to birth. How would the baby be affected?

A)It would have difficulty coming through the birth canal
B)It would have a smooth, comfortable delivery
C)The risk of marasmus would be reduced
D)Its intelligence would rise

Question 19

Of the following, the one most consistent with the proximodistal trend of physical development would be earlier development of the

A)feet than the hands.
B)trunk than the arms.
C)head than the legs.
D)arms than the trunk.

Question 20

For skeletal bones, IMMATURE is to MATURE as ____ is to ____.

A)LARGE :: SMALL
B)ARTIFICIAL :: NATURAL
C)SOFT :: HARD
D)HIDDEN :: VISIBLE

Question 21

Skeletal age can be determined by evaluating the ____ on an X-ray.

A)pelvis
B)wrist and hand
C)spine
D)skull

Question 22

The pace of brain growth during infancy was labeled by the text as the

A)period of cranial engorgement.
B)central nervous explosion.
C)brain growth spurt.
D)brainy big-bang.

Question 23

Nerve cells that nourish neurons and encase them in insulating sheets of myelin are called

A)synapses.
B)neurotransmitters.
C)corpus callosum.
D)glia cells.

Question 24

Which body part grows tremendously during infancy, reaching 75 percent of its adult weight by age two?

A)Heart
B)Ears
C)Brain
D)Hands

Question 25

With regard to gender differences in skeletal development,

A)boys and girls mature at the same rate.
B)rate differences vary across cultures.
C)boys mature faster than girls.
D)girls mature faster than boys.

Question 26

____ are connective spaces between cells where communication takes place between one cell to another.

A)Synapses
B)Neurons
C)Glia
D)Myelin

Question 27

Muscular development occurs

A)primarily during the first few years of life.
B)most rapidly between the ages of six and 12.
C)gradually during childhood and then accelerates during adolescence.
D)most rapidly after the age of 18.

Question 28

The substantial cross-cultural variation that exists in physical growth and development can be attributed to all of these factors EXCEPT

A)nutrition.
B)emotional climate.
C)disease rates.
D)traditions regarding physical activity.

Question 29

Suppose that a feral (wild) child were rescued from the wild. Its skeletal age could be judged by x-raying its

A)ears.
B)chin.
C)wrist and hand.
D)knee.

Question 30

When neurons communicate messages to each other, the communication happens at a tiny junction called the

A)synapse.
B)modulator.
C)interconnector.
D)neural crossroads.

Question 31

The function of the embryo's "guiding cells" is to

A)launch the secular trend.
B)organize neurons into structures of the brain.
C)settle disputes among rival groups of neurons.
D)ensure that skeletal aging occurs at an optimal rate.

Question 32

When compared with non-Caucasian children from Asia, South America, or Africa, Caucasian children tend to

A)mature slower but grow to a taller height.
B)mature faster and also grow taller.
C)mature slower and grow to a shorter height.
D)mature faster but grow shorter.

Question 33

Regarding physical growth, it can be said that

A)there are no individual differences in the rates at which children grow.
B)individual variations in growth rate are sizable.
C)a great deal of variation occurs for boys but not for girls.
D)growth rates are similar across cultures.

Question 34

Muscular development follows which developmental trends?

A)Neither proximodistal nor cephalocaudal trends
B)The proximodistal trend but not the cephalocaudal trend
C)The cephalocaudal trend but not the proximodistal trend
D)Both the proximodistal and cephalocaudal trends

Question 35

Most neurons in the young brain have already been formed as early as

A)the time of conception.
B)the end of the second trimester of pregnancy.
C)the age of four years.
D)the age of six years.

Question 36

As the body matures, which body part increases its number of bones?

A)Elbow
B)Hand/wrist
C)Lower jaw
D)Knee

Question 37

Growth rates for reproductive organs are fastest during

A)infancy.
B)early childhood.
C)middle childhood.
D)adolescence.

Question 38

Which organ(s) is/are actually larger in childhood, then shrink(s) when the person matures as a teenager?

A)Nose
B)Lymph nodes
C)Hands
D)Genitals

Question 39

The neurological function of a differentiated neuron in the brain depends on the

A)unique characteristics of its cellular structure.
B)biological elements inside its cellular membrane.
C)voluntary intention of the entire brain.
D)brain organ or site where the neuron becomes located.

Question 40

During adolescence, boys experience ____ more dramatically than girls.

A)increases in muscle mass and physical strength
B)body dissatisfaction
C)brain growth
D)motor development

Question 41

Ralph is a lab rat that was raised in "rat heaven," a large cage enriched with stimulating objects. The likely effect of Ralph's early experience is

A)no predictable changes.
B)a larger and more richly interconnected brain.
C)enhanced intelligence at the near-human level.
D)atrophy of the brain, with diminished capacity to learn.

Question 42

When neurons are unstimulated, they lose their connections to other cells. This process is called

A)growth spurt.
B)synaptic pruning.
C)neural collapse.
D)enrichment.

Question 43

Left-/right-hand preferences can be identified in a child as early as the age of ____ years.

A)one
B)two
C)four
D)six

Question 44

Cerebral lateralization begins in the brain during

A)the prenatal period.
B)late infancy.
C)middle childhood.
D)adolescence.

Question 45

Myelinization in the nervous system is eventually finished by

A)late infancy.
B)early childhood.
C)middle childhood.
D)early adulthood

Question 46

Current thinking on the plasticity of the young child's brain attributes this plasticity to

A)the rapid increase in the number of neurons during infancy.
B)incomplete myelinization early in life.
C)an excess of neurons and synapses early in life.
D)maturation of the neurons in the corpus callosum.

Question 47

About two-thirds of all fetuses end up positioned with their right ear facing outward, which contributes to _____ of language processing.

A)inhibition
B)synaptogenesis
C)myelinization
D)cerebral lateralization

Question 48

____ is the brain's early process of developing many interconnections among neurons.

A)Going online
B)Neurological oneness
C)Synaptogenesis
D)Synaptification

Question 49

Cerebral lateralization refers to

A)the fact that the two halves of the brain control different functions.
B)the encasement of neural connections in a waxy insulation.
C)an impairment in the ability to read.
D)the fibers that connect the two halves of the brain.

Question 50

At birth, the area of the brain that is most highly developed is the

A)cerebrum.
B)cerebral cortex.
C)corpus collosum.
D)subcortical region.

Question 51

Children who suffer from a traumatic brain injury tend to recover better than adults who have the same sort of injury because

A)children's brains are not yet as specialized as adult brains.
B)children's brains are more specialized than adult brains.
C)synaptogenesis is complete in children.
D)synaptic pruning is complete in children.

Question 52

Early rearing of animals in enriched environments

A)changes the brain in unpredictable ways.
B)has no discernible effects on the brain.
C)causes brain tissues to atrophy and degenerate.
D)improves the size and connectedness of the brain.

Question 53

The ____ is the area of the brain consisting of two halves and referred to as the highest brain center.

A)corpus callosum
B)brain stem
C)temporal lobe
D)cerebrum

Question 54

The plasticity principle of early neural development implies that cells of the brain

A)can retrain themselves following brain injury.
B)are genetically canalized to perform specific functions.
C)are relatively unresponsive to changing experiences.
D)communicate by moving rapidly to distant locations.

Question 55

The plasticity feature of brain action supports the ____ developmental principle.

A)cephalocaudal
B)secular trend
C)"nature" genetic
D)"nurture" experiential

Question 56

Development of specific areas of the cerebral cortex in early infancy leads to strong improvements in

A)the vital function of digestion.
B)the vital function of respiration (breathing).
C)voluntary intentional movements.
D)the strength of innate reflexes.

Question 57

The synaptic pruning principle is like a college that

A)is known for great parties but neglects its teaching.
B)is so huge that students feel they are forever lost in a crowd of indifferent strangers.
C)has an impressive campus but neglects the students.
D)admits all applicants but then flunks out many freshmen.

Question 58

Austin Riesen's studies with long-term dark-rearing of chimpanzees showed that

A)darkness improved their eyes' sensitivity to dim lights.
B)vision degenerated when early experience was abnormal.
C)vision developed normally despite the dark-rearing.
D)they developed psychic powers when blinded by darkness.

Question 59

Cerebral lateralization means that

A)experiences stimulate further neural development.
B)the brain loses neurons throughout most of the lifespan.
C)myelinization requires many years for its completion.
D)the left and right hemispheres have specialized duties.

Question 60

Children's short attention spans are partly understood in terms of ____ at their age.

A)a lack of myelinization in attentional brain areas such as the frontal cortex
B)the immaturity of the cerebral cortex
C)verbal dominance of the left brain over the right brain
D)developmental delays resulting from childhood illnesses

Question 61

The left hemisphere is responsible for all of the following EXCEPT

A)the right side of the body.
B)language processing.
C)visual-spatial information.
D)verbal memory.

Question 62

Arrange these infant motor skills from earliest to latest in the universal developmental sequence:

A)rolls over :: crawls :: stands alone :: walks up steps.
B)stands alone :: walks up steps :: crawls :: rolls over.
C)crawls :: rolls over :: walks up steps :: stands alone.
D)rolls over :: stands alone :: crawls :: walks up steps.

Question 63

Reorganization of neural circuitry in the ____ during adolescence accounts for teenagers' improved capabilities in advanced cognitive skills.

A)brain stem
B)thalamus
C)hypothalamus
D)prefrontal cortex

Question 64

Baby Betsy can skillfully control the movements of her trunk and shoulders, but not her hands and fingers. This illustrates which principle?

A)The cephalocaudal trend for motor skills
B)The proximodistal trend for motor skills
C)A double standard for movement
D)A movement rite of passage

Question 65

Many adults mistakenly view the infant as a "helpless babe" because of the young baby's

A)nutritional dependency.
B)immobility.
C)underdeveloped senses.
D)small size at birth.

Question 66

Infants and children show earlier motor and muscular control of activities involving the neck and upper extremities than the legs. This maturational sequence is an example of the

A)role of plasticity in early development.
B)role of lateralization in development.
C)proximodistal trend in development.
D)cephalocaudal trend in development.

Question 67

All of the following functions are controlled by the right hemisphere EXCEPT

A)visual-spatial information.
B)language processing.
C)processing nonlinguistic sounds.
D)the left side of the body.

Question 68

Regarding physical maturation, it has been shown that

A)the developmental sequence varies across cultures.
B)the sequence varies from individual to individual.
C)while sequence varies, rates are uniform among kids.
D)all children go through the same developmental sequence.

Question 69

Little Lulu is a baby, and she is now more skilled at movements of her head than of her feet. This shows the

A)plasticity of development.
B)consequences of catch-up growth.
C)proximodistal trend in motor skills.
D)cephalocaudal trend in motor skills.

Question 70

Myelinization of a nerve axon is like

A)improving a cable's transmission by shielding it.
B)preventing prosperity by massive tax hikes.
C)frequently substituting players in a basketball game.
D)strengthening a muscle through exercise.

Question 71

Age norms show that about half of all children have mastered walking by the age of 12 months. A child who does not walk until 14 months

A)is within the normal range and is unimpaired.
B)has a mental block against walking.
C)is neurologically impaired.
D)is mentally retarded.

Question 72

The proximodistal rule asserts that motor development

A)of the head, neck, and upper extremities precedes the development of the legs.
B)proceeds from the bottom up.
C)proceeds from the center outward.
D)proceeds from the outside in.

Question 73

During health exams, physicians are more concerned about the health of internal organs than of the skin. A ____ trend of health evaluation is shown.

A)cephalocaudal
B)proximodistal
C)proprioceptive
D)plasticity-based

Question 74

Neural myelinization ____ the functions of brain organs, regardless of the age when it occurs.

A)speeds and improves
B)slows or otherwise harms
C)has no consistent effect on
D)obscures but does not interfere with

Question 75

The wrapping of a waxy sheath of protective myelin on neurons' axons tends to

A)shorten the neurons' lifespan.
B)change sensory neurons into motor-control neurons.
C)cause slippery physical movements of the axon.
D)increase the speed of nerve impulses in the axon.

Question 76

The band of fibers through which the brain hemispheres share information is referred to as the

A)corpus callosum.
B)lateralization.
C)brain stem.
D)cerebral cortex.

Question 77

Brain plasticity is like

A)arguing for your views even when you know you are wrong.
B)deciding to hatch a baby chick instead of eating an egg.
C)reducing a car's weight by making parts from plastic.
D)fresh pliable modeling clay that hardens over time.

Question 78

The predictable appearance of motor skills in a fixed sequence, regardless of culture or practice experience, ____ the maturational viewpoint on skills.

A)supports
B)is irrelevant to
C)contradicts
D)combines gender with

Question 79

The developmental sequence of infant movement skills

A)is the same for children of all races and cultures.
B)varies, depending on the child's inherited genotype.
C)varies, depending on the age at which the child reaches the various locomotory milestones.
D)differs for boys vs. girls.

Question 80

Regarding motor development, the cephalocaudal rule asserts that

A)motor development of the head, neck, and upper extremities precedes the development of the legs.
B)motor development proceeds from the bottom up.
C)certain joints are ill prepared for motion in the first year of life.
D)motor development is variable across cultures.