Deck 1: The Science of Human Development

Question 1

The science of human development seeks to understand _____ people-all kinds of people, everywhere, of every age-change over time.

Answer 1

how and why

Question 2

Define nature and nurture and give an example of each. Also, describe the nature-nurture debate.

Answer 2

Nature refers to the influence of genes on a person, and nurture refers to environmental influences on a person. Environmental influences begin with the health and diet of the embryo's mother and continue lifelong, including family, school, community, and society. An example of nature would be having a gene that predisposes one to addiction. An example of nurture would be having that gene but avoiding addictions as a result of not being exposed to abuse or parental addictions. The debate concerns how much of any person's characteristics, behaviors, or emotions is the result of genes and how much is the result of the person's experiences.

Question 3

The term that refers to the traits inherited at conception is _____.

Answer 3

nature

Question 4

Explain Urie Bronfenbrenner's ecological-systems theory and describe his five systems.

Question 5

Tim told his friend that he is tall because he inherited "tall" genes from his dad. Tim was claiming that _____ was responsible for his height.

Question 6

Define and discuss the term plasticity as it relates to human development. What factors influence plasticity in development? Offer at least one example of plasticity that has operated or is operating in your own life.

Question 7

In scientific research, repeating a study with different participants is known as _____.

Question 8

Imagine that you are interested in the relationship between age and reading ability for children at 8 and 12 years old. Briefly define a cross-sectional research design and summarize how you could test this relationship using that design.

Question 9

Define a critical period and a sensitive period. Explain the difference between the two periods, and give an example of each.

Question 10

Define correlation and give an example. Can one determine cause and effect from correlations? Explain why or why not.

Question 11

What practices must be built into a research study to protect participants?

Question 12

Describe the perspective that most modern developmentalists take on the nature-nurture debate. Provide an example of a research topic that illustrates this perspective.

Question 13

In order to minimize subjective opinions and personal biases when conducting research, it is important to employ the _____ method.

Question 14

Name and define the three main research designs for studying age-related changes. Explain the problems associated with each.

Question 15

Describe culture and explain why researchers who are interested in human development study different cultures.

Question 16

What are ethics and why are ethical standards so important to scientific research?

Question 17

A hypothesis is a specific prediction that can be _____ with empirical evidence.

Question 18

Define cohort, explain its effects, and give an example of one.

Question 19

Empirical evidence refers to _____.

Question 20

List in order and explain each of the five basic steps of the scientific method.

Question 21

Two people from different cultures may value the need for achievement or success differently because of the _____ of each culture.

Question 22

Tanner's friends do well in school, but Tanner has never really done well in school. They decide to meet once a week to study, and soon Tanner is doing better in school. Within the ecological-systems perspective, the influence of Tanner's friends on Tanner's school performance comes from the _____.

Question 23

People of a specific _____ group share certain attributes such as national origin, religion, and language.

Question 24

The system of shared ideas, beliefs, and patterns of behavior is known as _____.

Question 25

Thalidomide only caused birth defects if a pregnant woman ingested the drug during the _____ period of prenatal development.

Question 26

Dr. Clady counts how many times an infant kicks her legs when lying on her back in her crib. Dr. Clady is using the method of _____.

Question 27

Researchers who want to establish that one variable causes another must use a research design called a(n) _____.

Question 28

The human tendency to assume that people unlike us are inferior is called the _____ error.

Question 29

A _____ period of development is a time in which something must or must not occur to ensure normal development.

Question 30

The science of the interaction between nature and nurture is known as _____.

Question 31

A _____ period of development is a time in which a particular development occurs easily.

Question 32

_____ refers to environmental influences on traits.

Question 33

A person's income and level of education is part of his or her _____ status.

Question 34

A(n) _____ is a group of people born at about the same time that experience the same historical events and cultural shifts.

Question 35

The combination of all environmental influences that affect a developing person is called _____.

Question 36

Human traits can be molded, and yet people maintain a certain durability of identity. This indicates that development is _____.

Question 37

The approach called _____ refers to the idea that human development is an ongoing and ever-changing interaction.

Question 38

_____ observation requires researchers to record behaviors systematically and objectively.

Question 39

Development is divided into three domains: biosocial, _____, and psychosocial.

Question 40

Our text suggests that the word _____ is a social construction that should be eliminated from our scientific vocabulary.

Question 41

Dr. Furth is curious about whether a specific brain chemical can be suppressed if a patient is given a large dose of vitamin E. Dr. Furth's question demonstrates the _____ step in the scientific method.

A) first
B) second
C) third
D) fourth

Question 42

After posing a question, a researcher using the scientific method _____.

A) draws conclusions
B) runs an experiment
C) selects a group of participants
D) develops a hypothesis

Question 43

Empirical evidence is based on _____.

A) theories and speculation
B) observation, experience, or experiment
C) inferences rooted in personal biases
D) opinions generated by several groups of people

Question 44

The third step in the scientific method involves _____.

A) posing a question
B) conducting research
C) sharing the results
D) developing a hypothesis

Question 45

The Institutional Review Board (IRB) determines whether a research project follows certain _____ guidelines.

Question 46

A researcher designed and conducted an experiment to determine whether 350 mg of a certain drug would help patients with bipolar disorder. By designing and conducting this experiment, the researcher _____.

A) drew conclusions
B) demonstrated proof
C) tested the hypothesis
D) confirmed the results

Question 47

Differences between the experimental group and the _____ group are examined in experiments.

Question 48

_____ research data can be categorized, ranked, or numbered.

Question 49

The final step in the five steps of the scientific method is to _____.

A) test a hypothesis
B) pose a question
C) conduct research
D) report the results

Question 50

The second step in the scientific method involves _____.

A) posing a question
B) conducting research
C) developing a hypothesis
D) sharing the results

Question 51

As children get older, they tend to sleep fewer hours. This relationship is an example of a(n) _____ correlation.

Question 52

The fourth step in the scientific method involves _____.

A) posing a question
B) conducting research
C) developing a hypothesis
D) supporting or refuting a hypothesis

Question 53

Dr. Hernandez predicts that a certain drug will help patients with schizophrenia. Her prediction is called _____.

A) a conclusion
B) empirical evidence
C) a hypothesis
D) a result

Question 54

Dr. Paul is curious whether a tendency toward aggression changes with age. He gathers a group of 5-year-old children and administers a test to assess their aggressive tendencies. He then retests the children when they are 10 years old and again when they are 15 years old. This type of research is known as _____.

Question 55

The first step in the scientific method involves _____.

A) posing a question
B) conducting research
C) supporting or refuting a hypothesis
D) developing a hypothesis

Question 56

Research that asks open-ended questions is known as _____.

Question 57

Cross-sequential research can be thought of as a mix between a cross-sectional design and a(n) _____ design.

Question 58

A(n) _____ is a quick way to collect data from a large number of people.

Question 59

Dr. Henderson is curious to know more about how children develop over time. To avoid relying on opinion or personal bias, Dr. Henderson should _____.

A) use the scientific method to collect data and establish facts
B) have the children undergo psychoanalysis
C) talk with many children's parents
D) read Dr. Spock's book, Baby and Child Care

Question 60

What does the science of human development seek to understand?

A) the meaning of life
B) theories that have not been subjected to scientific testing
C) the works of Freud, Piaget, and Erikson
D) how and why people change over time

Question 61

The tragic case of Brenda/David revealed that some sex differences are mainly a result of _____.

A) upbringing
B) culture
C) nurture
D) epigenetics

Question 62

Parents who spend a great deal of time and money trying to find the best school for their children believe in the importance of _____ as it relates to development.

A) nurture
B) replication
C) nature
D) classical conditioning

Question 63

Which is an example of the influence of nature?

A) having a mother who smoked during pregnancy
B) having the gene for epilepsy
C) eating a healthy diet
D) living in a loud neighborhood

Question 64

Differential susceptibility means that certain people have genes that _____.

A) make them more vulnerable to particular experiences
B) contribute similarly to a specific developmental outcome
C) do not impact development within the context of particular experiences
D) have an unknown impact on individuals

Question 65

What is a researcher's first step when designing a research study on children's language acquisition?

A) recruit children and their parents as participants in the study
B) develop a hypothesis on the way language is acquired in children
C) pose a research question about language acquisition
D) draw conclusions on the way children acquire language

Question 66

Most developmental psychologists believe that development is the result of _____.

A) nature and nurture acting separately
B) primarily nature
C) nature and nurture acting together
D) primarily nurture

Question 67

Susie, who is 5 years old, is the tallest person in her kindergarten class. When her teacher asked her how she got so tall, Susie said proudly, "My mom and dad are tall, and I eat good food!" Susie's statement reflects that she understands that human development comes from _____.

A) heredity
B) the environment
C) learning
D) environment and heredity combined

Question 68

Dr. Towne believes that heredity is primarily responsible for personality traits. Dr. West believes that environmental influences are primarily responsible for personality traits. They are on different sides of the _____ debate.

A) nature versus nurture
B) intelligent design versus evolution
C) genes versus development
D) traits versus conditioning

Question 69

In the science of human development, "nature" refers to _____.

A) the genes that people inherit
B) environmental influences
C) patterns of development
D) developmental differences

Question 70

In the science of human development, "nurture" refers to _____.

A) universal traits
B) biological traits
C) environmental influences
D) unique traits

Question 71

Dr. Seldor does a study in which she finds that alcohol consumption is correlated with an increased risk of diabetes. She publishes her results, and Dr. Al-Jaher reads the report about the study. Then Dr. Al-Jaher does the same study using different participants in another nation. Dr. Al-Jaher's work is an example of _____.

A) scientific controversy
B) replication
C) empirical evidence
D) a hypothesis

Question 72

Even though Aaron eats well and exercises regularly, by age 70 he developed type 2 diabetes. Clement, on the other hand, eats fast food regularly and rarely exercises. At 70 years of age, his blood sugar levels remain in the normal range. What might account for the differences in their outcomes?

A) differential susceptibility
B) cultural differences
C) sex differences
D) cohort differences

Question 73

The term for all of the environmental influences that affect development after conception is _____.

A) proteins
B) nurture
C) nature
D) amino acids

Question 74

Brooke and her half-brother Colton were raised in an impoverished home, where they were often left home alone while both parents worked more than one minimum-wage job to support the family. Despite this upbringing, Brooke has developed into a happy, healthy adult, while Colton has developed into a depressed alcoholic. Even though they shared an upbringing, their different outcomes indicate that they had _____.

A) epigenetics
B) differential susceptibility
C) different nurture
D) different environments

Question 75

What is replication of a study?

A) the repetition of a study using different participants
B) the repetition of a study using the same participants
C) designing a new study based on information from a previous study
D) designing a new study using new ideas and information

Question 76

The impact of any good or bad experience depends on _____.

A) nature
B) nurture
C) nature and nurture
D) neither nature nor nurture

Question 77

Dr. Kong conducts a study in which he finds that smoking is correlated with an increased risk of high blood pressure. He publishes his results, and Dr. Meco reads the report about the study. Then Dr. Meco does the same study using different participants in another city. Dr. Meco's work is an example of _____.

A) scientific controversy
B) replication
C) ethics
D) observation

Question 78

A hypothesis is a(n) _____.

A) experiment
B) prediction that can be tested
C) conclusion drawn from research
D) replication of a scientific study

Question 79

By the age of 1, most babies raised in English-speaking households have lost the ability to distinguish the sounds of the two Ts in the Hindi language. This loss of ability that accompanies increasing ability illustrates the concept that development is _____.

A) multidirectional
B) multicontextual
C) multicultural
D) multidisciplinary

Question 80

Even though Chris has genetic markers that put him at higher risk for a particular disease, he never shows any signs of the disorder. What factor explains this?

A) genes
B) environment
C) epigenetics
D) rearing