Deck 12: Children

Question 1

The leading cause of death in the United States in all of childhood after the first year of life is:

A)HIV and AIDS
B)Cancer
C)Homicide
D)All of these
E)None of these

Answer 1

E

Question 2

Speece and Brent concluded that most studies of children's understandings of death have found that most children understand the key bioscientific sub-concepts of the concept of death by the age of:

A)3
B)5
C)7
D)10
E)12

Answer 2

C

Question 3

Maria Nagy reported that children in what she termed Stage 3 are likely to view death as _________.

A)universal
B)final
C)inevitable
D)All of these
E)None of these

Answer 3

D

Question 4

According to Erikson's description of developmental eras in the human life cycle, the principal virtue or quality of ego functioning to be achieved in middle childhood is _________.

A)self-control
B)hope
C)purpose or direction
D)competency
E)love

Question 5

According to Erikson's theory of the human life cycle, the predominant developmental issue in infancy is _________.

A)autonomy vs. shame and doubt
B)initiative vs. guilt
C)basic trust vs. mistrust
D)intimacy vs. isolation
E)identity vs. role confusion

Question 6

According to Speece and Brent, many researchers have been systematically unwilling to enter into nonnaturalistic aspects of children's concepts of death. This relates most closely to which of what Speece and Brent called sub-concepts of the concept of death?

A)Nonfunctionality
B)Irreversibility
C)All-inclusiveness
D)Noncorporeal continuation
E)None of these

Question 7

To say that children engage in "magical thinking" means they _________.

A)believe all objects and events in the world have been manufactured to serve people
B)attribute life and consciousness to objects that others think of as inanimate
C)explain events by the causal influence of various commands, intentions, and forces
D)All of these
E)None of these

Question 8

Maria Nagy claimed that children in what she termed Stage I view death as _________.

A)irreversible
B)final
C)differentiated from life
D)reversible
E)None of these

Question 9

According to Speece and Brent, the sub-concept of death most closely related to the recognition that death involves the complete and final cessation of all life-defining capabilities typically attributed to a living physical body is _________.

A)causality
B)universality
C)noncorporeal continuation
D)nonfunctionality
E)irreversibility

Question 10

The leading cause of death among children 1-4 years of age in the United States is _________.

A)accidents
B)premature births
C)cancer
D)sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS)
E)homicide

Question 11

Which of the following is a significant variable that affects children's interactions with death?

A)Individual personality
B)Life experiences
C)Cognitive development
D)All of these
E)None of these

Question 12

During the period from birth to adolescence, the largest number of deaths occurs in:

A)Infancy (0-1 years of age)
B)Early childhood (1-3 years of age)
C)Play age children (4-5 years of age)
D)School age (6-11 years of age)
E)None of these

Question 13

The vignette near the outset of Chapter 12 in the eighth edition of Death & Dying, Life & Living describes an audiovisual, "And We Were Sad, Remember?", in which a father tells his child "you don't have to worry about that [death] for a hundred years." In so doing, the father is not:

A)Supporting the child's interest in the death event
B)Determining what and how the child is able to understand
C)Seeing this death as an important life experience for the child
D)All of these
E)None of these

Question 14

According to Speece and Brent, the sub-concept of death most closely related to the recognition that "all living things must eventually die" is _________.

A)causality
B)universality
C)noncorporeal continuation
D)nonfunctionality
E)irreversibility

Question 15

According to Erikson's theory of the human life cycle, the predominant developmental issue in early childhood is _________.

A)industry vs. inferiority
B)initiative vs. guilt
C)basic trust vs. mistrust
D)intimacy vs. isolation
E)industry vs. inferiority

Question 16

The leading cause of death among infants from 1 month to 1 year of age in the United States is:

A)Accidents
B)Congenital anomalies
C)HIV infection and AIDS
D)Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS)
E)Homicide

Question 17

Maria Nagy reported that children in what she termed Stage 1 view death as _________.

A)permanent
B)going to sleep
C)final
D)irreversible
E)None of these

Question 18

According to Erikson's description of developmental eras in the human life cycle, the principal virtue or quality of ego functioning to be achieved in toddlerhood is _________.

A)self-control
B)hope
C)purpose or direction
D)competency
E)love

Question 19

Research about sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS)has taught us that:

A)A syndrome is a recognizable pattern of events whose underlying cause is known.
B)Children should be put down for sleep on their backs.
C)Accurate criteria are now available to predict which children will die of SIDS.
D)Beds for children should be furnished with soft toys and mattresses.
E)None of the above

Question 20

Maria Nagy reported that children in what she termed Stage 2 are likely to view death as _________.

A)temporary
B)going to sleep
C)gradual
D)a departure
E)None of these

Question 21

Mary is nine years old. She is at home in the last stages of a life-threatening illness. When she says she misses her friends and wants to go to school to see them, what should you do?

A)Tell her that she is now too sick to do that, but maybe she can do it at some later time.
B)Explain that you will play with her so that she won't miss her friends.
C)Arrange to have one or two of her friends visit her for short periods at home.
D)Ignore her comment because you know it is not possible to do that.
E)Drive her to the school for a surprise visit to her classroom.

Question 22

After a funeral, which of the following would be most helpful to a young bereaved child who is repeatedly asking questions about when the person who died will come home?

A)Encourage the child to work out answers to these questions on his own.
B)Give the child a toy to play with.
C)Explain that questions like this make you feel bad.
D)All of these
E)None of these

Question 23

Bluebond-Langner's research with dying children demonstrated that as such children acquired information about their illnesses, changes occurred in their _________.

A)concepts of their professional caregivers
B)concepts of their parents
C)concepts of themselves
D)All of these
E)None of these

Question 24

A central guideline for adults seeking to communicate effectively with children about death is:

A)Answer what they should want to know.
B)Tell them what they need to know.
C)Take your cues from the children.
D)Employ euphemisms so as not to frighten them.
E)Change the subject.

Question 25

You are trying to help a child who has a life-threatening illness and is near death. If the child asks you, "What is happening to me?," your best response would be to:

A)Tell the child you will ask a counselor to discuss this question.
B)Pick up a toy and ask the child to tell you about it.
C)Ask the child to help you understand what this question means.
D)All of these
E)None of these

Question 26

Which of the following is not true about grieving children?

A)Children may immerse themselves in play activities soon after the death occurs.
B)Children will be continually preoccupied with thoughts of the dead person.
C)Children may talk to anyone about a death, even strangers.
D)Children may ask the same questions over and over about the person who has died.
E)Children's questions may baffle adults.

Question 27

The critical feature(s)of pediatric palliative and hospice care is/are _________.

A)availability of a program of like Ronald McDonald Houses
B)focusing on care for children with life-threatening illnesses and their families
C)the setting in which the care is offered
D)their applicability to children after birth
E)separating this type of care from cure-oriented care

Question 28

Support groups for bereaved children are founded on the conviction that _________.

A)such children are unlikely to be able to find a healthy way to go forward in their lives
B)stigmatizing bereaved children is unavoidable
C)complicated mourning processes have not been identified in such children
D)one must suspect the validity of a child's mourning processes
E)grief is a natural reaction to loss in children

Question 29

Bettleheim argued that death-related themes in children's stories and humor are _________.

A)avoided by healthy children
B)absent
C)morbid or unhealthful
D)wholesome
E)None of these

Question 30

Central issues likely to be prominent in the grief experiences of bereaved children include:

A)Did I cause it?
B)Who is going to take care of me?
C)Is it going to happen to me?
D)All of these
E)None of these

Question 31

Communication about death with children that is conducted through artwork is an example of _________.

A)nonsymbolic, verbal communication
B)symbolic, verbal communication
C)symbolic, nonverbal communication
D)nonsymbolic, graphic communication
E)nonverbal, graphic communication

Question 32

The Harvard Child Bereavement Study showed that bereaved children need:

A)To be protected from involvement in funeral rituals
B)To be allowed to have their ordinary disciplinary routines relaxed for a while
C)To continue routine, age-appropriate activities
D)To have their concerns minimized so that they can put them aside
E)Not to witness adult grief and mourning

Question 33

A study in Sweden asked parents whose child had died from cancer whether or not they had talked about death with their child. Results showed that:

A)No parent who had talked with his or her child about death regretted having done so.
B)Most parents who had not talked with their child about death regretted not having done so.
C)All parents who had not talked with their child about death were pleased with their decisions.
D)All of these
E)None of these

Question 34

Children who have survived a life-threatening illness often have to deal with issues of _________.

A)submitting to stigma in social contexts
B)learning to live with certainty
C)incorporating the disease experience into their life histories
D)learning to reject compromise in ongoing living
E)All of these

Question 35

Rochlin's research on play activities of children showed that _________.

A)death is a matter of deep consideration to young children
B)death is avoided in children's games
C)"peek-a-boo" is an example of a child's game that is not related to death
D)All of these
E)None of these

Question 36

Death-related experiences and issues are not openly discussed with children in contemporary American society because _________.

A)the Amish showed us difficulties in dealing with death
B)children receive many messages that death is not an acceptable topic for discussion
C)most adults fear death and death-related issues
D)All of society has very negative feelings about death
E)None of these

Question 37

A fundamental lesson from research on the development of children's concepts of death is that children _________.

A)at a young age are able to grasp a mature concept of death
B)make an active effort to grasp or understand death
C)who think of death as sleep are without a concept of death
D)personify death in Hungary and in other countries
E)can grasp the finality of death before the age of 5

Question 38

An eight-year-old child has learned that his teenage sister was in a car accident and died. His mother has told him that his sister is only staying over at a friend's house. What problems are likely to result for the boy from this mother's actions?

A)Undermining of trust
B)A sense of being abandoned and alone
C)A lack of self-confidence
D)All of these
E)None of these

Question 39

Jorge is seven years old. He has been receiving chemotherapy for two years, but now his cancer is in its terminal phase. He is asking questions about what will happen to his toys after he can't play with them anymore. Your best response would be to:

A)Ask him what his wishes would be.
B)Tell him that he will always be able to play with his toys.
C)Explain that you will throw the toys away in the garbage.
D)Encourage him not to think about such bad ideas.
E)Change the subject.

Question 40

Waechter's research demonstrated highest anxiety levels in _________.

A)nonhospitalized, well children
B)children with chronic disease with a good prognosis
C)children with brief illness
D)children with chronic disease with a fatal prognosis
E)None of these

Question 41

Identify and comment on two specific issues associated with the question of whether children should be prohibited from attending funerals.

Question 42

Which of the following is more significant in relationship to a child's concept of death:
Chronological age or cognitive development? Explain your answer.

Question 43

Worden and others have argued that children do experience grief and mourning, but have also maintained that children may not respond to loss or express their reactions as adults do. How would you explain these similarities and differences?

Question 44

Identify and explain three key elements in a proactive program of prior preparation to help children get ready to cope with issues associated with sadness and loss.

Question 45

Identify and discuss three (3)ways in which the work of Mark Speece and Sandor Brent has contributed to our appreciation of children's understandings of death.

Question 46

Identify and explain three (3)guidelines that you would recommend to adults who are trying to help bereaved children cope with death.

Question 47

Which of the following sentences is likely to be more difficult for a child to comprehend: "I will die," or "You are dead"? Explain your answer.

Question 48

Identify and discuss two (2)ways in which coping with life-threatening illness and dying are likely to affect children's developmental tasks.

Question 49

Explain Maria Nagy's theory of the development of death-related concepts in childhood. Note the strengths and limitations of this theory.

Question 50

Identify and briefly explain three (3)primary sources from which children in the United States today learn about death.