Deck 1: The Study of Human Development

Question 1

According to your textbook, which kind of developmental forces have received the most attention?

A) biological forces
B) sociocultural forces
C) psychological forces
D) biopsychosocial forces

Answer 1

C

Question 2

Dr. Fletcher is attempting to determine whether adult criminals were rule-breakers throughout their childhood, or whether they suddenly turned to a life of crime. Which issue of human development is her research most concerned with?

A) nature vs. nurture
B) universal vs. context-specific development
C) biological vs. sociocultural forces
D) continuity vs. discontinuity

Answer 2

D

Question 3

Which of the following words most accurately reflects the nature of the scientific study of human development?

A) multidisciplinary
B) group-focused
C) nontheoretical
D) static

Answer 3

A

Question 4

When Kayla says, "It doesn't matter if they are French, Swedish, or Chinese, kids are kids," which position concerning human development is she espousing?

A) a discontinuous position
B) a universal position
C) a nurture position
D) a context-specific position

Question 5

Dr. Arantes uses a biopsychosocial framework for understanding human development. Which position is he most likely to endorse on the nature vs. nurture issue?

A) Nature is most important.
B) Nurture is most important.
C) Nature and nurture both play important roles in human development.
D) Neither nature nor nurture is important in the study of human development.

Question 6

Which question best captures the spirit of most individuals who study human development with regard to the nature/nurture question?

A) How do genes and environmental factors interact in the development of memory processes?
B) Which human behaviours are determined genetically, and which are determined by environmental factors?
C) At what age do environmental factors surpass genetic factors as most important in human development?
D) Which genes are responsible for childhood behaviour, and which genes are responsible for adult behaviour?

Question 7

Ben is interested in studying the effects of various biological forces on human development. Which of the following topics is probably of least interest to him?

A) cognition
B) brain maturation
C) menopause
D) exercise

Question 8

Which of the following is one of the fundamental characteristics of human development?

A) science and religion
B) nature and nurture
C) general and specific
D) hereditary and developmental

Question 9

Daisy and Rose are identical twins who were separated at birth. Daisy was raised in the Canada whereas Rose spent her childhood in Austria. Which kind of forces would likely explain most of the differences between their behaviour as teens?

A) psychological forces
B) nature-based forces
C) biological forces
D) sociocultural forces

Question 10

When discussing child development, Jenny uses terms like the "terrible twos" and the "tranquil threes." Which view are these ideas most compatible with?

A) a context-specificity view
B) a hereditary view
C) a continuity view
D) a discontinuity view

Question 11

Sophia notices that children seem to mature socially much faster in Argentina than in Canada. Which position regarding human development is Sophia most likely to support?

A) a nature position
B) a discontinuous position
C) a context-specific position
D) a continuous position

Question 12

Yacef is interested in determining whether children develop virtually the same way in Algeria as they do in other parts of the world. Which issue of human development does Yacef's research deal with?

A) psychological vs. biological forces
B) universal vs. context-specific development
C) nature vs. nurture
D) continuity vs. discontinuity

Question 13

Who is most likely interested in the study of human development?

A) Dr. Harvey, who studies the brain cells of infants
B) Dr. Hatfield, who studies eating disorders
C) Dr. Deal, who studies how political attitudes change with age
D) Dr. Hersh, who studies elderly patients with Alzheimer's disease

Question 14

Since Dr. Kim takes a strong nature position concerning the origins of mental retardation, what is she most likely to attribute her son's retardation to?

A) her parenting style
B) her genes
C) his exposure to a toxic chemical prior to birth
D) random chance

Question 15

Julio is interested in studying how family relationships affect development. What kind of developmental influences is Julio most likely interested in studying?

A) psychological influences
B) sociocultural influences
C) non-normative influences
D) biological influences

Question 16

When asked why her sister Yvonne ended up in jail, Penny says, "She was always a mean, aggressive person. She really liked hurting people." What kinds of forces is Penny relying on to explain Yvonne's development?

A) sociocultural forces
B) normative age-graded forces
C) normative history-graded forces
D) psychological forces

Question 17

As Mrs. Olson aged, she matured from being a loving, tender-hearted mother to a bitter and sad elderly lady whose family could not deal with the negative changes in her behaviour. What is the term for the changes in Mrs. Olson's character?

A) disruption
B) discontinuity
C) disjointedness
D) disconnectedness

Question 18

Which of the following constitutes a "psychological force?"

A) health
B) ethnicity
C) personality
D) heredity

Question 19

Lori is listening to a lecture in which her professor states, "Psychological and sociological factors are important, but they alone cannot explain the development of human beings." Which concept does Lori's professor seem to be supporting?

A) the biopsychosocial framework
B) the position that development is continuous
C) the notion of universality
D) discontinuity

Question 20

Charlie and Suzanne had two girls: Jadah who is 12, and Jackie who is 8. Both girls have red hair and freckles, just like their father. The girls also have a small body frame, just like their mother. Which of the following types of forces explains the characteristics of Jadah and Jackie?

A) psychological forces
B) biological forces
C) sociocultural forces
D) life-cycle forces

Question 21

Which of the following problems is most likely to be encountered by researchers assessing the effects of sociocultural forces?

A) the lack of genetic distinction between individuals from different racial backgrounds
B) the fact that culture appears to have little impact on cognitive development
C) changing ethnic labels (e.g., Native or Indian to Aboriginal)
D) the inability to apply results to the population being studied

Question 22

Dr. Wagner is a neuroscientist. In what specific part of the body does Dr. Wagner specialize?

A) the hormones and endocrine system
B) the heart and cardiovascular system
C) the brain and nervous system
D) the reproductive organs and the reproductive system

Question 23

What is exemplified by the fact that hope is important in early childhood, that development of identity is most important in adolescence, and that wisdom is most important in late life?

A) external societal demands
B) the epigenetic principle
C) initiative vs. guilt
D) identity vs. identity confusion

Question 24

Which of the following best describes the relationship between biological, psychological, and sociocultural forces in human development?

A) unimportant
B) interactive
C) independent
D) non-normative

Question 25

In which theory is the epigenetic principle a key component?

A) social cognitive theory
B) ecological theory
C) information-processing theory
D) psychosocial theory

Question 26

How would Erik Erikson most likely respond to the statement, "A mid-life crisis is a normal part of the human life-cycle"?

A) He would agree.
B) He would disagree and point out that there is no "normal" progression of human development.
C) He would disagree and point out that "crises" are not a normal part of human development.
D) He would say nothing since he focused on development between birth and adolescence.

Question 27

Connie, a Grade 2 teacher, notices her students behaving differently from the Grade 4 students during recess, and she comes up with several connected ideas to explain why the two groups behave differently. What do Connie's ideas exemplify?

A) self-efficacy
B) a theory
C) a life-cycle force
D) a mesosystem

Question 28

When asked to explain why children sometimes act violently, Dr. Zylar responds, "Generally speaking, these children are driven by forces that are mostly unconscious." Which theory is Dr. Zylar most likely a proponent of?

A) psychodynamic theory
B) social cognitive theory
C) ecological theory
D) cognitive-developmental theory

Question 29

Luke and his identical twin Danny are attending an opera. Luke really seems to enjoy the experience, while Danny comments, "I would rather eat glass than listen to this music again." What kinds of forces best explain the reactions of the twins?

A) biological forces
B) psychological forces
C) sociocultural forces
D) life-cycle forces

Question 30

Which theory says that personality development is determined by the interaction of an internal maturational plan and external societal demands?

A) social cognitive theory
B) ecological theory
C) cognitive-developmental theory
D) psychosocial theory

Question 31

What do we call an organized set of ideas that is designed to explain development?

A) a theory
B) a prediction
C) a correlation coefficient
D) a structured observation

Question 32

Gabrielle is at the stage of psychosocial development in which she is developing the ability to try new things and to deal with failure. At which of the following stages has Gabrielle arrived?

A) autonomy vs. shame and doubt
B) generativity vs. stagnation
C) industry vs. inferiority
D) initiative vs. guilt

Question 33

When Alan says, "It would have been tough to be a father at age 18, but being one at age 28 is super," which factors is he noting the importance of in human development?

A) biological factors
B) life-cycle factors
C) sociocultural factors
D) psychological factors

Question 34

Mick's biggest challenge in life is to think of his life as satisfactory and worth living. According to psychosocial theory, which stage of life is Mick most likely in?

A) young adulthood
B) adolescence
C) late life
D) middle adulthood

Question 35

Which of the following individuals is considered to be the founder of psychodynamic theory?

A) Sigmund Freud
B) Erik Erikson
C) F. Skinner
D) John Watson

Question 36

Which of the following is an example of a biological force?

A) a nice personality
B) Aboriginal descent
C) facial wrinkling
D) a violent temper

Question 37

Your friend David has decided to start studying human development because he hates studying biology. According to your textbook, will David find happiness in his new area of interest?

A) Yes, because he can focus on psychological factors and ignore sociocultural and biological factors.
B) Yes, but only if he enjoys studying sociocultural factors.
C) No, because studying biological influences is a necessary component to understanding development.
D) No, because normative age-graded influences are all biological.

Question 38

When an explanation is provided for a theory that is proposed, which one of the following four questions is answered concerning that theory?

A) who
B) how
C) when
D) why

Question 39

Which of the following best exemplifies the basic premise of life-cycle forces?

A) Biological forces play little role once a person reaches puberty.
B) Unconscious desires are the basis for most human behaviour.
C) Past experiences are the cornerstone for current behaviour.
D) The forces that influence human behaviour are too complex to identify through empirical research.

Question 40

Marcie has been promoted and is moving her family to a new city in a different part of the country. Though 4-year-old Andrew is very happy and makes the transition easily, 13-year-old John is unhappy and has a very difficult time adjusting to the move. Which single set of factors best explains the different responses of Andrew and John to the move?

A) biological factors
B) sociocultural factors
C) personality factors
D) life-cycle factors

Question 41

After studying his history, Giles is excused from having to wash the dishes, a task he detests. What are Giles's parents attempting to use to increase Giles's studying?

A) positive reinforcement
B) punishment
C) extinction
D) negative reinforcement

Question 42

Albert believes he can successfully ski down a steep mountain. Which of the following would Bandura most likely say about Albert?

A) He has reached formal operations.
B) He has high self-efficacy.
C) He has resolved the industry vs. inferiority stage.
D) He has been negatively reinforced.

Question 43

Michelle finds that whenever she talks to her daughter about her obnoxious behaviour, the obnoxious behaviour increases in frequency. What do Michelle's talks appear to be doing to her daughter's obnoxious behaviour?

A) punishing it
B) reinforcing it
C) suppressing it
D) having no effect on it

Question 44

What is the correct order of Piaget's stages of development?

A) sensorimotor, concrete operational, preoperational, formal operational
B) preoperational, formal operational, concrete operational, sensorimotor
C) sensorimotor, preoperational, concrete operational, formal operational
D) preoperational, sensorimotor, formal operational, concrete operational

Question 45

Who would most likely explain a child's maladaptive behaviour by saying, "He probably saw some TV character do that"?

A) Gail, who is a behaviourist
B) Gordon, who is a social learning theorist
C) Tony, who is a Freudian theorist
D) Mary Ann, who is a Piagetian theorist

Question 46

Lynne always wants to go visit her grandparents because when she visits, they give her a new toy. What are Lynne's grandparents doing to Lynne's visiting behaviour?

A) positively reinforcing it
B) buying her affections
C) manipulating it
D) extinguishing it

Question 47

Which of the following occurs with an effective punishment?

A) It causes some physical pain.
B) It follows a reinforcer.
C) It reduces likelihood of negative behaviour.
D) It eventually becomes ineffective.

Question 48

Ken is attempting to alter the behaviour of his son by controlling the consequences of his son's actions. What is Ken practising?

A) social learning theory
B) negative reinforcement
C) operant conditioning
D) ecological theory

Question 49

Kaylee is a popular cheerleader in high school. She wears the latest designer clothes and recently dyed her hair purple for a school football game. Two other cheerleaders saw Kaylee's hair and the attention that she'd received from the football players, and they decided to colour their hair as well. What type of learning theory did the other two cheerleaders follow?

A) imitation
B) self-efficacy
C) reinforcement
D) punishment

Question 50

Who developed social cognitive theory?

A) Piaget
B) Skinner
C) Bronfenbrenner
D) Bandura

Question 51

Dr. John tells his students that "It is best to conceptualize infants as being born with minds like empty blackboards, and that whatever experiences infants have will be written on the board and will influence their actions." What does Dr. John appear to be?

A) a psychodynamic theorist
B) a behaviourist
C) a cognitive-developmental theorist
D) an information-processing theorist

Question 52

Melissa is doing a study where volleyball players are self-reporting whether or not they believe they are capable of playing well in Saturday's game. What does Melissa's study appear to be assessing?

A) the life-cycle forces of the volleyball players
B) the exosystems of the volleyball players
C) the internal maturational plans of the volleyball players
D) the self-efficacy of the volleyball players

Question 53

Even though Brenda was never reinforced directly for doing so, she increased the frequency of her swearing after she saw her friend Elizabeth get a lot of attention after she swore. What does this situation illustrate?

A) observational learning
B) operant conditioning
C) punishment
D) self-efficacy

Question 54

Joan has decided to retire early and to take a reduced pension so that she can volunteer for an international child development agency. At which stage of Erikson's psychosocial development theory is Joan?

A) intimacy vs. isolation
B) generativity vs. stagnation
C) industry vs. inferiority
D) integrity vs. despair

Question 55

Who would be most likely to make the statement: "Life is about consequences!"?

A) George, who is an Eriksonian theorist
B) Jane, who is a cognitive-developmental theorist
C) Elroy, who is an ecological theorist
D) Judy, who is a behaviourist

Question 56

Which of the following terms is associated with social cognitive theory?

A) self-control
B) imitation
C) life-span perspective
D) discontinuity

Question 57

Lionel is able to think in an abstract manner, and he can speculate about what his future will hold. At what stage of Piaget's cognitive development has Lionel arrived?

A) pre-operational thought
B) concrete operational thought
C) sensorimotor
D) formal operational thought

Question 58

Brandon's developmental psychology teacher believes human development is best conceptualized as progressing discontinuously through several qualitatively different stages of thinking. What is his instructor most likely to be?

A) a Piagetian
B) a social learning theorist
C) an ecological theorist
D) a behaviourist

Question 59

Dr. Sefky says: "Sure, reinforcement and punishment are important, but how people understand that reinforcement and punishment is at least as important." Given this statement, which of the following theories is Dr. Sefky most likely to agree with?

A) cognitive-developmental theory
B) social cognitive theory
C) psychosocial theory
D) psychodynamic theory

Question 60

Mr. Link tries to help his students learn how to be assertive by having them watch how other students can be successful by acting assertively. What theory's principles is Mr. Link using to help his students?

A) principles of social learning theory
B) principles of operant conditioning
C) principles of cognitive-developmental theory
D) principles of psychosocial theory

Question 61

Which theorist is most closely associated with an ecological approach to human development?

A) Sigmund Freud
B) Jean Piaget
C) Erik Erikson
D) Urie Bronfenbrenner

Question 62

When Tina was given a huge salary increase, she was able to get things for her children that they had always needed and move into a nicer home. According to Bronfenbrenner, what does this increase in the mother's salary exemplify?

A) the impact of the children's exosystem
B) the impact of the children's mesosystem
C) the impact of the children's macrosystem
D) the impact of the children's microsystem

Question 63

Who does your textbook say is most responsible for developing the first life-span perspective?

A) Bandura
B) Riley
C) Bronfenbrenner
D) Piaget

Question 64

Who is most likely to support a life-span perspective?

A) Corinne, who believes that childhood is the most important stage of development
B) Claire, who thinks that in order to understand childhood you must consider what comes after it
C) Simone, who is a Piagetian
D) Danielle, who disagrees with the biopsychosocial perspective

Question 65

Which of the following theorists supported the concept that a child's thinking process is influenced by the sociocultural context in which he or she matures?

A) Jean Piaget
B) Lev Vygotsky
C) Urie Bronfenbrenner
D) Paul Baltes

Question 66

The AIDS epidemic has dramatically influenced dating behaviour. From an ecological perspective, what is this influence part of?

A) the culture's mesosystem
B) the culture's exosystem
C) the culture's macrosystem
D) the culture's microsystem

Question 67

Dana studies how individuals' choice of life goals change as the individual gets older, and how individuals maintain and enhance the goals that they select. Which model does Dana most likely support?

A) the social-cognitive model
B) the ecological model
C) the epigenetic model
D) the selective optimization with compensation model

Question 68

Jackson's knowledge of economics has grown over the years, while at the same time his ability to play hockey has deteriorated. What does Jackson's experience exemplify?

A) multiple causation
B) historical context
C) plasticity
D) multidirectionality

Question 69

Mr. Harwood is no longer able to participate in his weekly poker game because his dementia is progressing and he can't remember which card is which. What does this change in Mr. Harwood's life exemplify?

A) loss-based selection
B) elective selection
C) self-efficacy
D) compensation

Question 70

Fred grew up in the 1960s when a traditional family included a mother, father and two children. What does Fred's experience demonstrate?

A) multidirectionality
B) multiple causation
C) historical context
D) plasticity

Question 71

Which perspective features the concepts of multidirectionality, plasticity, historical context, and multiple causation?

A) the life-span perspective
B) the cognitive-developmental perspective
C) the psychosocial perspective
D) the ecological perspective

Question 72

Mary has only one child, one-year-old Shelly, and Mary has stayed at home during most of Shelly's life. From an ecological perspective, what is Mary part of?

A) Shelly's mesosystem
B) Shelly's exosystem
C) Shelly's macrosystem
D) Shelly's microsystem

Question 73

What type of theorist would most likely describe human cognitive development using the analogy of "mental software"?

A) an information-processor
B) an Eriksonian
C) an operant conditioning theorist
D) a social learning theorist

Question 74

Rutger believes that, rather than progressing through a sequence of stages, mental processes gradually get more complex and efficient. Which theory does Rutger most likely support?

A) Piaget's theory
B) Kohlberg's theory
C) information-processing theory
D) Erikson's theory

Question 75

Professor Linwood always makes a point of learning the names of all the students in her class. She used to always be able to do this in her head, but has recently found that she needs note cards to help her remember. What does this change in behaviour illustrate?

A) loss-based selection
B) elective selection
C) compensation
D) the epigenetic principle

Question 76

Louis discovers that the experiences he has in his developmental psychology class help him to deal with the children he works with at a day-care centre. Which of Bronfenbrenner's concepts best exemplifies this relationship?

A) the mesosystem
B) the exosystem
C) the macrosystem
D) the microsystem

Question 77

When Dr. Bentley is asked to explain troubled adolescents, she says, "The only way to explain the problems of adolescents is to study them in relation to their parents and the culture that surrounds them." Which theory does Dr. Bentley most likely support?

A) psychodynamic theory
B) cognitive developmental theory
C) ecological theory
D) social cognitive theory

Question 78

Matt finds himself unable to adjust to college because he doesn't seem to have the study skills necessary to earn passing grades. Which theory best explains Matt's predicament?

A) psychosocial theory
B) Bronfenbrenner's ecological theory
C) the competence-environmental press theory
D) Kohlberg's theory of moral development

Question 79

Lisa is getting ready to apply for graduate school. In order to focus on this goal, she is resigning from her posts as editor of the campus newspaper and president of her sorority. What do these changes in Lisa's life exemplify?

A) compensation
B) elective selection
C) loss-based selection
D) self-efficacy

Question 80

Marcia is 80 years old and is learning how to speak French and play the guitar for the first time. What does this new skill development exemplify?

A) multiple causation
B) optimization
C) plasticity
D) multidirectionality