Deck 4: Infancy and Toddlerhood: Physical, Cognitive, and Language Development

Question 1

When 16-month-old Simon was visiting his relatives, he observed his older cousin stomp his foot to the beat of music, something Simon had never seen before. The next day, when Simon heard music on the radio, he stomped his foot to the beat. Simon's "foot stomping" behavior would best be considered an example of:

A) object permanence
B) mirror imaging
C) symbolic representation
D) deferred imitation

Answer 1

D

Question 2

Which of the following was NOT one of the six arousal states identified in newborns by Peter Wolff?

A) crying
B) thinking
C) regular sleep
D) irregular sleep

Answer 2

B

Question 3

Frank argues that early experiences are very important because these "early lessons" shape the way the brain develops. Frank's view that experience influences brain development is the central idea behind the concept of:

A) synaptic transmission
B) neuromodulation
C) habituation
D) brain plasticity

Answer 3

D

Question 4

In adulthood, a typical person's head is about one-tenth of the person's total body length. At birth, the head is about _________ of the newborn's total body length.

A) one-half
B) one-third
C) one-fourth
D) one-sixth

Question 5

The basic sounds in a language are referred to as:

A) semantics
B) morphemes
C) syntax
D) phonemes

Question 6

Which of the following abilities is the newborn infant capable of performing as early as the first week of life?

A) making most of the sounds of the language in which he or she has heard prenatally
B) distinguishing the smell of his or her mother from that of other women
C) being able to grasp small objects by using the thumb and forefinger
D) being able to see through closed eyelids how objects move about in this "dim" environment

Question 7

In spite of his injury, Jake was able to recover most of the abilities that he had before the injury. Which of the following terms is most directly related to Jake's ability to regain these lost functions?

A) the brain growth spurt
B) neural pruning
C) brain plasticity
D) habituation training

Question 8

Suppose you show a newborn infant four photographs, one of his mother smiling, one of his mother making a fearful face, one of a stranger smiling, and one of a stranger making a fearful face. Which photograph should you expect the newborn to look at for the longest time?

A) the smiling mother
B) the fearful mother
C) the smiling stranger
D) the fearful stranger

Question 9

The type of malnutrition that is caused by an insufficient total quantity of food and in which muscles waste away and stored fat is depleted is:

A) anemia
B) marasmus
C) kwashiorkor
D) stunting

Question 10

If you were to record the activity of a mirror neuron, you should expect that it would act in the same way when we perform an action - such as picking up an object - as when we:

A) think about performing that action
B) choose to not perform that action
C) read about performing that action
D) observe someone else perform that action

Question 11

When a child produces a single word, such as "bottle," it may mean a variety of things, such as "I want the bottle" or "there's the bottle" or "I like the bottle." This type of usage is referred to as:

A) an adaptation
B) holophrastic speech
C) an overextension
D) telegraphic speech
Applied questions:

Question 12

Kwashiorkor results when a person's diet contains too little:

A) vitamin A
B) calcium
C) vitamin D
D) protein

Question 13

Suppose you observe a researcher interacting with an infant by shaking a rattle while the baby is watching, and then placing the rattle underneath a pillow. The researcher then records whether or not the baby can find the rattle under the pillow. The concept this researcher is studying is most likely:

A) assimilation
B) accommodation
C) object permanence
D) deferred imitation

Question 14

In contrast to how scientists working in earlier decades have conceptualized the neonatal period, scientists today understand that:

A) how the infant "attaches" to its primary caregiver is of limited significance
B) there is much more stress involved in the birth process than previously thought
C) newborns are much more capable than had previously been thought
D) newborn behaviors are controlled to a much greater degree by genetics than was previously thought

Question 15

Suppose you see a grandparent at the toy store buying a set of 5 "stacking" blocks, a box of large-size crayons, and a toy telephone. Based on this selection of toys, your best guess is that the child these toys are intended for is about how old?

A) age 6 months
B) age 12 months
C) age 18 months
D) age 24 months

Question 16

Suppose you visit a child development laboratory and observe a researcher working with an 8-month-old baby. The baby is sitting on top of a piece of Plexiglas, which rests partly over a table top and then extends out over the end of the table. The apparatus being used in this experiment is typically called a:

A) visual cliff
B) binocular challenge
C) visually guided grid
D) perceptual challenge map

Question 17

Which of the following activities would an 8-month-old be LEAST likely to be able to do?

A) pick up a quarter with one hand
B) point at a nearby object
C) pick up a stuffed toy
D) clap two hands together

Question 18

The basic units of sounds in a language are referred to as:

A) semantics
B) morphemes
C) syntax
D) phonemes

Question 19

When a child produces a single word, such as bottle, it may mean a variety of things, such as "I want the bottle" or "there's the bottle" or "I like the bottle." This type of usage is referred to as:

A) an adaptation
B) holophrastic speech
C) an overextension
D) telegraphic speech
Applied questions:

Question 20

At about what age do most children learn to use the "pincer grasp," which allows them to use their thumb and forefinger to "pinch" a small object to pick it up?

A) 6 months of age
B) 12 months of age
C) 18 months of age
D) 24 months of age

Question 21

According to the text, individuals experience the most rapid and dramatic developmental change during which 2-year period of the lifespan?

A) birth to age 2
B) age 4 to 6
C) age 11-13
D) age 16-18

Question 22

Which of the following individuals would have the largest number of average synapses in the neurons of their brain?

A) Rita, who is a newborn
B) Alan, who is 1 year old
C) Matty, who is 2 ½ years old
D) Rex, who is 25 years old

Question 23

The connections that exists between the neurons in the brain are called:

A) glial cells
B) plastic links
C) neuromodulators
D) synapses

Question 24

Which of the following was NOT one of the six arousal states identified in newborns by Peter Wolff?

A) crying
B) thinking
C) regular sleep
D) irregular sleep

Question 25

About how many neurons are in the typical human brain?

A) 10 million
B) 100 million
C) 10 billion
D) 100 billion

Question 26

In contrast to how scientists working in earlier decades have conceptualized the neonatal period, scientists today understand that:

A) how the infant "attaches" to its primary caregiver is of limited significance
B) there is much more stress involved in the birth process than previously thought
C) newborns are much more capable than had previously been thought
D) newborn behaviors are controlled to a much greater degree by genetics than was previously thought

Question 27

The major conclusion to be drawn from Rosenzweig's study of the brains of rats raised in an enriched environment is that:

A) early experience shapes the way in which the brain develops
B) genes exert their greatest influence in guiding neural development during the prenatal period
C) too much "privilege" can cause the development of selfishness that cannot be undone through later training
D) neural development is for the most part determined by genes, and especially by those carried on the sex chromosomes

Question 28

Frank argues that early experiences are very important because these "early lessons" shape the way the brain develops. Frank's view that experience influences brain development is the central idea behind the concept of:

A) synaptic transmission
B) neuromodulation
C) habituation
D) brain plasticity

Question 29

The neural "pruning" that takes place during infancy and toddlerhood results in:

A) a loss of about 10% in the weight of the typical brain
B) a loss of many of the neural connections that were present at birth
C) severing the connection between left and right hemispheres that was present during the prenatal period of development
D) the near-total separation of the brain's cortex and other brain structures that lie below it

Question 30

The primary functions of glial cells are to:

A) convey information from the sense organs to the brain
B) convey information from the brain to the sense organs
C) limit the activity of the brain so that it doesn't become overloaded
D) nourish and support the neurons

Question 31

The neonatal period refers to which of the following periods?

A) the month prior to an infant's birth
B) the first month after birth
C) the 3 months prior to birth
D) the 3 months after birth

Question 32

If a normal adult human brain weighs about 3 pounds, about how much would a normal baby's brain weigh at the time of birth?

A) about 1 pound
B) about 1 ½ pounds
C) about 3 pounds
D) about 4 pounds

Question 33

If the results of Rosenzweig's study of rats raised in enriched environments were to be generalized to children, this would imply that we should be most concerned about which of the following?

A) raising children in environments that did not allow for exploration and play
B) raising children in environments in which they had to care for younger children
C) placing children in day-care centers, even if the centers were well run
D) making sure that children get 100% of their daily doses of all important vitamins

Question 34

Which of the following statements is FALSE?

A) The number of glial cells increases rapidly throughout the first 2 years of life.
B) The number of neurons increases rapidly throughout the first 2 years of life.
C) During the brain growth spurt in infancy, the complexity of neural branching increases.
D) During the brain growth spurt in infancy, unused connections are often pruned away.

Question 35

If a normal adult human brain weighs 3 pounds, about how much would a normal 1-year-old's brain weigh?

A) a little less than 1/2 pound
B) about 1 pound
C) about 2 pounds
D) a little more than 3 pounds

Question 36

According to research conducted by Peter Wolff on arousal states in newborns, as newborns adjust to their new environment following birth, their arousal states become:

A) more dramatic, with larger swings of energy between high and low states
B) less positive and more negative
C) more regular and predictable
D) more irregular and dictated by specific environmental occurrences

Question 37

Which of the following experiences the least amount of change during the period of infancy and toddlerhood?

A) the number of glial cells
B) the number of interconnections between neurons
C) the number of neurons
D) the size of neurons

Question 38

In spite of his injury, Jake was able to recover most of the abilities that he had before the injury. Which of the following terms is most directly related to Jake's ability to regain these lost functions?

A) the brain growth spurt
B) neural pruning
C) brain plasticity
D) habituation training

Question 39

Mark Rosenzweig's famous study of rats that were raised in either "enriched" or "impoverished" environments demonstrated that rats raised in enriched environments:

A) lived longer
B) gained more weight
C) had heavier, more complex brains
D) had more difficult mating with other rats when they reached maturity

Question 40

According to the text, neurons in a newborn's brain have on average about __________ synapses. By age 2 or 3, the number is about __________ synapses.

A) 100,000; one million
B) one million, 100 billion
C) 2,500; 15,000
D) 15,000; 2,500

Question 41

Suppose that an experiment involves having neonates listen to tape recordings of their own mothers reading a story to them while they are sucking on a pacifier. At one point, the mother's voice is changed to the voice of a stranger. Researchers look to see if the sucking pattern changes when the voice change occurs. The method used in this study is best considered to be an example of:

A) the classical conditioning method
B) the correlational method
C) the habituation method
D) the method of overextension

Question 42

What is the adaptive function of habituation?

A) to associate the consequences of behavior with the responses they follow
B) to enhance memory for new stimuli
C) to ignore nonmeaningful stimuli
D) to reduce anxiety in stressful situations

Question 43

While a carpenter was doing some remodeling in Kate's kitchen, her infant son cried from the hammering noise at first, but stopped responding to the noise after he got used to it. The son's response is best thought of as an example of:

A) habituation
B) shaping
C) stimulus generalization
D) symbolic representation

Question 44

Suppose that you observe 1000 young children, recording the age at which each is first able to pick up a rattle and shake it. You now compute an average age at which this developmental milestone is reached by the "typical" child. Your work would be most similar to the work that is summarized in which of the following?

A) the Newborn Behavioral Observation system
B) the Neonatal Behavioral Assessment Scale
C) the Visual Cliff norms
D) the Gesell Scales

Question 45

A psychologist notes that brain development depends on having certain experiences, but also that brain development limits the type of experiences a child can have. This comment points out the basic idea behind the term:

A) maturation
B) interaction
C) schema
D) accommodation

Question 46

When an infant learns to coordinate looking at an object, grasping the object, and putting the object in her mouth, this process is called:

A) accommodation
B) assimilation
C) maturation
D) the visually guided reach

Question 47

Many students study in a room with a TV on or an iPod playing, completely tuned out to the sound of the music and voices. However, if their favorite artist's name is mentioned, their attention shifts from their reading to the TV or iPod. This phenomenon is best considered to be an example of the basic principles that underlie:

A) classical conditioning
B) telegraphic thought
C) overextension
D) habituation

Question 48

Which of the following is NOT one of the arousal states of the infant described by Wolff (1966)?

A) crying
B) urinating
C) drowsiness
D) waking

Question 49

In the United States, at about what age is the average child first able to sit without support, if placed in this position?

A) age 4 months
B) age 8 months
C) age 10 months
D) age 12 months

Question 50

Habituation is a form of:

A) walking
B) learning
C) sleeping
D) sensing

Question 51

The Neonatal Behavioral Observation system is used to assess which of the following?

A) general health and adjustment to the environment
B) intelligence of infants and very young children
C) the degree of attachment an infant has with the caregiver
D) they style of attachment an infant has with the caregiver

Question 52

Which of the following is NOT evaluated on the Neonatal Behavioral Assessment Scale?

A) response to stress
B) quality of motor tone and activity level
C) blood pressure and blood sugar
D) capacity to habituate to external light and sound stimuli

Question 53

If you argued that children all develop according to the same basic, biological schedule, you would be emphasizing the significance of which of the following concepts in guiding development?

A) maturation
B) assimilation
C) accommodation
D) equilibration

Question 54

All of the following behaviors are likely to be in place by the age of 4 months of age EXCEPT:

A) smiling
B) the visually guided reach
C) the ability to visually focus on an object in the field of vision
D) the ability to discriminate between the mother's face and a stranger's face

Question 55

Suppose that the average weight of a 12-month-old baby is 23 pounds and 80% of 12-month-old babies weigh between 21 and 25 pounds. If the average weight of a 24-month-old baby is 33 pounds, between what weights should you expect 80% of 24-month-old babies to fall?

A) between 32 and 34 pounds
B) between 31 and 35 pounds
C) between 30 and 36 pounds
D) The answer cannot be determined from the information given in this question.

Question 56

In adulthood, a typical person's head is about one-tenth of the person's total body length. At birth, the head is about _________ of the newborn's total body length.

A) one-half
B) one-third
C) one-fourth
D) one-sixth

Question 57

In the United States, about what percent of 1-year-old infants are able to stand by themselves and take their first step?

A) about 20%
B) about 50%
C) about 75%
D) nearly 100%

Question 58

The text discusses a study of Guatemalan infants, who were poorly nourished and not provided with much opportunity for interaction with adults. These infants were also observed to learn to walk at later ages than less-deprived children from other cultures. With respect to the concept of maturation, which of the following conclusions does this study support?

A) Maturation is a biologically driven process.
B) Maturation depends heavily on brain development.
C) Maturation is somewhat dependent on environmental circumstances.
D) Maturation has much more to do with culture than with biology.

Question 59

If Andrew is a normal, healthy baby who weighed 8 pounds at birth, about how much would you expect him to weigh at age 4 months:

A) 10 pounds
B) 13 pounds
C) 16 pounds
D) 21 pounds

Question 60

In comparison to a newborn, a 4-month-old infant spends ____ time sleeping and ____ time in alert activity.

A) less; more
B) less; about the same amount of
C) about the same amount of; less
D) more; less

Question 61

The type of malnutrition that is caused by an insufficient amount of protein is called:

A) anemia
B) marasmus
C) kwashiorkor
D) stunting

Question 62

Suppose you see a grandparent at the toy store buying a set of 5 "stacking" blocks, a box of large-size crayons, and a toy telephone. Based on this selection of toys, your best guess is that the child these toys are intended for is about how old?

A) age 6 months
B) age 12 months
C) age 18 months
D) age 24 months

Question 63

Suppose an anthropologist studies a culture in which adults have very poor diets and consequently are considerably shorter than would be expected. The word that describes this condition is:

A) anorexia
B) anemia
C) kwashiorkor
D) stunting

Question 64

Children with marasmus most often have a diet that is deficient in:

A) fats and carbohydrates
B) carbohydrates and vitamin A
C) protein and total calories
D) iodine and other "trace" nutrients

Question 65

The type of malnutrition that is caused by an insufficient total quantity of food and in which muscles waste away and stored fat is depleted is:

A) anemia
B) marasmus
C) kwashiorkor
D) stunting

Question 66

Goiter, a condition in which the thyroid gland is enlarged, is most often associated a deficiency of which of the following nutrients?

A) iron
B) protein
C) vitamin A
D) iodine

Question 67

You notice that little Charlie can now use his thumb and index finger to pick up small objects like marbles and cereal flakes. This ability is called the development of:

A) the pincer grasp
B) the visually guided reach
C) the fundamental flexion reflex
D) dynamic reach

Question 68

The term used to refer to a failure to achieve full adult height due to malnutrition during childhood is:

A) plasticity
B) marasmus
C) kwashiorkor
D) stunting

Question 69

Which of the following activities would an 8-month-old be LEAST likely to be able to do?

A) pick up a quarter with one hand
B) point at a nearby object
C) pick up a stuffed toy
D) clap two hands together

Question 70

Generalizing from research conducted by Karen Adolph, if you observed an 8-month-old infant and a 14-month-old infant attempt a somewhat dangerous motor task (such as climbing up a stair), which of these two infants should you expect to be more cautious and more aware of the risk?

A) the 8-month-old infant would be more cautious
B) the 14-month-old infant would be more cautious
C) These two infants would be equally cautious, but the 8-month-old would be more aware of the risks involved.
D) These two infants would be equally cautious, but the 14-month-old would be more aware of the risks involved.

Question 71

According to research presented in the text,, about what percent of infants in low-income families in the U.S. suffer from iron deficiency anemia?

A) about 1%
B) 10 to 12%
C) 20 to 24%
D) 50 to 60%

Question 72

According to the text, the two nutritional deficiencies that are most common among children in the United States are deficiencies of:

A) vitamin A and vitamin D
B) vitamin D and calcium
C) calcium and protein
D) protein and iron

Question 73

Suppose that children raised in an orphanage in a war-torn region of the world have had far too little food to eat. As a consequence, they have little body fat and are very weak. This condition would best be described as an example of:

A) marasmus
B) stunting
C) kwashiorkor
D) anemia

Question 74

Around the world, about what percent of people suffer from either stunting or malnutrition?

A) about 10%
B) about 20%
C) about 30%
D) about 50%

Question 75

Suppose that your friend's child is typical. If he asks you when he should expect that his child will learn to ascend and descend stairs, you should note that most children in the United States learn to crawl up stairs at about age ___ and learn to crawl down stairs at about age ___.

A) 11 months; 13 months
B) 13 months; 11 months
C) 12 months; 12 months
D) 14 months; 10 months

Question 76

Kwashiorkor results when a person's diet contains too little:

A) vitamin A
B) calcium
C) vitamin D
D) protein

Question 77

At about what age do most children learn to use the "pincer grasp," which allows them to use their thumb and forefinger to "pinch" a small object to pick it up?

A) 6 months of age
B) 12 months of age
C) 18 months of age
D) 24 months of age

Question 78

If Emily weighed 8 pounds at birth, about how much would you expect her to weigh at age 24 months?

A) 32 pounds
B) 40 pounds
C) 60 pounds
D) 72 pounds

Question 79

The child's ability to categorize objects into groups that are similar (round shapes, square shapes, triangles, and so forth) begins to emerge at about what age?

A) 1 year
B) 18 months
C) 2 years
D) 3 years

Question 80

If blindness or severe visual impairment is the result of a nutritional deficiency, the most likely cause is a deficiency of:

A) iron
B) protein
C) vitamin A
D) iodine