Question 1

Gisela is a 6-year-old Peruvian girl who lives with her family on a farm in a rural village.She often helps her father take produce to a market to sell.She does not know how to read,but she understands the cost of items and can make change without errors.Sophie is a 6-year-old who lives in the US.She is in the 1st grade,is making great progress in learning to read and write,and is gaining skill in computer use.What is the best way to explain the development of these two children?

Accepted Answer

A) The progression of cognitive development is not universal;it is different for children in different cultures. 
B) The processes involved in cognitive development are similar across cultures,but the specific kinds of knowledge acquired may differ depending upon children's culture. 
C) The content of children's knowledge is similar across cultures,but the processes involved in cognitive development differ depending upon children's culture. 
D) Cognitive development is the same for all children,regardless of culture.

Question 2

Stage theories of development typically describe ____________ changes in behavior,cognition,or social relationships.

Accepted Answer

A) quantitative 
B) incremental 
C) qualitative 
D) cumulative

Question 3

Theoretical models that portray development as a continuous process emphasize which of the following?

Accepted Answer

A) Stages of change 
B) Steps on a ladder of change 
C) Incremental change 
D) Periods of stability

Question 4

Which of the following terms is most closely associated with stage theory of development?

Accepted Answer

A) Gradual transformation 
B) Instability 
C) Incrementality 
D) Discontinuity

Question 5

When does the human brain exhibit plasticity?

Accepted Answer

A) During infancy and early childhood 
B) Throughout life 
C) Throughout adolescence 
D) During adulthood

Question 6

Sigmund Freud developed a psychoanalytic theory about three aspects of adult personality.According to Freud,which of these aspects is the last to emerge during development?

Accepted Answer

A) Id 
B) Ego 
C) Superego 
D) Autonomy

Question 7

The idea that children's development is affected by biological factors,and that biological factors are also affected by the environment and experience,is part of

Accepted Answer

A) developmental stage theories. 
B) incremental developmental theories. 
C) social learning theories. 
D) multidimensional systems theories.

Question 8

In Bronfenbrenner's multidimensional model of development,what aspect of the environment has the most immediate influence on a child's development?

Accepted Answer

A) Microsystem 
B) Mesosystem 
C) Exosystem 
D) Macrosystem

Question 9

According to neuroscientists,at what period of development are our brains static?

Accepted Answer

A) Our brains are static during the infancy period of development. 
B) Our brains aren't static during any period of development. 
C) Our brains are static throughout adulthood. 
D) Our brains are static during the aging period (approximately from age 50).

Question 10

Keisha is a 35-year-old African-American woman who is depressed.Her presenting concerns include marital distress,the imminent possibility of losing her job,overeating,and chain-smoking.As you listen to her story,you begin to construct a picture of her developmental history.Which of these explanations would someone using a stage theory of development be most likely to offer for Keisha's problems?

Accepted Answer

A) Keisha's difficulties most likely developed through the interaction of her family experiences and societal conditions like poverty and racism. 
B) Keisha's problems are most likely related to insufficient emotional gratification during infancy when oral needs are paramount. 
C) Keisha's problems are most likely related to lack of appropriate models of effective marital communication. 
D) Keisha has experienced reward from her eating and smoking habits,and so she seeks these rewards in stressful situations.

Question 11

Much of the social science research that shaped developmental theories in the past has been done on a narrow sample of people.Which set of descriptors best identifies the narrow sampling?

Accepted Answer

A) Western,diverse levels of education and diverse economic strata 
B) World-wide,culturally diverse,young,and poorly educated 
C) World-wide,well-educated,wealthy,and industrialized 
D) Western,educated,industrialized,rich,and democratic

Question 12

Developmental scientists are interested in the role of culture in development.According to their findings,which of the following cultural groups is most likely to focus holistically on interrelationships rather than analytically?

Accepted Answer

A) Cultural groups in the Western hemisphere 
B) Cultural groups in Europe 
C) Cultural groups in North America 
D) Cultural groups in the Eastern hemisphere

Exam 1: Organizing Themes in Development