Deck 1: Themes and Theories

Question 1

Development is defined as the

A) period of time between birth and adolescence.
B) period during which a child becomes an adult.
C) physical and psychological changes in an individual over a lifetime.
D) physical and psychological changes that occur from conception to adolescence.

Answer 1

C

Question 2

A central question in developmental psychology is whether the child's development is the result of genetic endowment or environmental influences.This question is usually referred to as the

A) behavior analysis debate.
B) biology-destiny debate.
C) psychosocial debate.
D) nature-nurture debate.

Answer 2

D

Question 3

Dr.Marchant views development as a ________ process,where quantitative advances are made gradually.Dr.Bowman,on the other hand,views development as a ________ process,where advances are characterized by abrupt,qualitative shifts in thinking and behavior.

A) discontinuous;continuous
B) continuous;discontinuous
C) cognitive;metacognitive
D) metacognitive;cognitive

Answer 3

B

Question 4

A theory that explains and predicts behavior is useful for

A) translating ideas into applications.
B) translating theories into hypotheses.
C) turning hypotheses into social policy.
D) turning research methods into training programs.

Question 5

As a very curious child,Andrea is constantly asking her parents numerous questions about everything she experiences.Based on these question and answer exchanges,Andrea is constantly learning new things about the world around her.This is an example of

A) the sociocultural influence on development.
B) the role of resilience in development.
C) the importance of nurture in development.
D) the importance of nature in development.

Question 6

Development can be viewed as a ________ process in which new attainments in thinking,language,and social behavior are characterized by gradual,steady,and small quantitative advances.

A) stagelike
B) discontinuous
C) continuous
D) retrograde

Question 7

Individual differences in development are

A) the result of random mutations of genes inherited from parents.
B) most likely a product of a wide range of interacting biological and environmental influences.
C) primarily the outcome of sociocultural influences.
D) merely the expression of an individual's personal experiences.

Question 8

The philosophical theory that environmental experiences shape the individual's development is known as

A) tabula rasa.
B) enlightenment.
C) empiricism.
D) behaviorism.

Question 9

If a psychologist believes that the unique customs,values,and beliefs of a larger social community are responsible for the development of a particular trait,to which key theme in development does that psychologist subscribe?

A) Continuity versus discontinuity
B) Sociocultural influence
C) Child's active role
D) Nature versus nurture

Question 10

A stage in development is a period of time in which behavior

A) is not noticeably different from that of another period.
B) is quantitatively different from that of another period.
C) changes in gradual and continuous increments.
D) is qualitatively different from that of another period.

Question 11

________ are plans and efforts established by local,regional,or national organizations and agencies designed to achieve a particular purpose with respect to the members of a society.

A) Social theories
B) Social policies
C) Social hypotheses
D) Social gatherings

Question 12

It has been said that Rousseau's ideas on the nature of education were incorporated into the twentieth-century writings of Jean Piaget.Both Rousseau and Piaget believed that

A) teachers should capitalize on the natural curiosity of children and allow them to discover and construct their own knowledge.
B) children should be forced to memorize by rote the information that adults in the larger society deem necessary.
C) children are passive subjects that require great structure in education.
D) education should not be based upon reason until the teen years.

Question 13

A good theory goes beyond the simple explanation of a phenomenon to ________ the occurrence of that phenomenon.

A) describe
B) refute
C) change
D) predict

Question 14

Which of the following is not an example of the ways in which research can assist in the social policy?

A) Identifying social problems that limit or interfere with child development
B) Designing and carrying out programs to reduce or eliminate factors that hinder children's psychological health
C) Lobbying for government involvement in the allocation of funds to child welfare
D) Shedding light on the cultural and social goals that are most beneficial to children

Question 15

Dr.Barenboin is a biologist and a researcher interested in children and their development,thus she is part of the field of ________.

A) developmental psychology
B) developmental science
C) child psychology
D) behavioral science

Question 16

A psychologist who attributes the development of a particular trait to nature is presuming that the trait is a result of

A) sociocultural influences.
B) genetic endowment.
C) an imitated set of behaviors.
D) a learned response to environmental stimuli.

Question 17

Even though medieval children were incorporated quickly into the adult world,they were

A) often sold into apprenticeships as teenagers.
B) not allowed to work until they were teenagers.
C) recognized both as different from adults and as possessing special needs.
D) considered to be the same as adults but with less physical strength and stature.

Question 18

Andy is small for his age and is usually picked last when his classmates choose teams for sports.As a result,Andy is very shy and has had a hard time developing good social skills.This example illustrates that

A) various domains of development interact with one another.
B) school children are unsympathetic toward their shy classmates.
C) school children are unsympathetic toward their small classmates.
D) social development does not interact with physical development.

Question 19

________ is the discipline concerned with the scientific study of changes in human behaviors and mental activities over time.

A) Child psychology
B) Behavioral science
C) Systematic theory research
D) Developmental psychology

Question 20

John Locke's view of the newborn mind as a tabula rasa means that the child is

A) a noble savage incapable of wrongdoing.
B) a noble savage capable of wrongdoing.
C) a blank slate upon which a genetic program unfolds its plans.
D) a blank slate upon which experiences are etched.

Question 21

What would a behavior analyst want to know about a child who displays frequent disruptive behaviors?

A) What feelings and emotions the child may be repressing.
B) What stimulus events in the child's environment are rewarding his disruptive behavior.
C) Whether neutral stimuli in the child's environment have been paired with reflexive-eliciting behaviors.
D) Whether aggression runs in the child's family.

Question 22

Wilhelm Preyer was the first baby biographer to suggest that observations of children be conducted systematically and scientifically.Which of the following would not be one of his suggestions?

A) That observations be taken immediately
B) That observations be repeated several times a day
C) That observations be taken unobtrusively
D) That observation be completed before language develops

Question 23

According to Freud,lack of opportunity to have needs sufficiently met or to express them adequately during a critical period is predicted to have

A) no effect on development because the needs can be expressed as an adult.
B) negative consequences for how the child relates to others and for feelings of self-worth.
C) positive consequences for how the child relates to others and for feelings of self-worth.
D) irreversible affects on development that will later manifest as violent psychoses.

Question 24

The theory proposed by ________ that an individual's personality originates in early forms of childhood sexuality and that gratification of this sexuality changes throughout various stages of development is called the ________ theory of development.

A) Erikson;psychosocial
B) Erikson;psychosexual
C) Freud;psychosocial
D) Freud;psychosexual

Question 25

According to a learning theory approach,we might experience anxiety when we walk into a doctor's or dentist's office because

A) of species-specific response patterns to pain and fear.
B) the sight of the office has become associated with previous painful events occurring in the office.
C) we know how much money it will cost to receive proper treatment.
D) of unconscious fixations at an immature stage of development.

Question 26

Each time Elizabeth cries to be picked up from her playpen,her mother tells her that she must stay there for a little longer.Hearing this,Elizabeth begins to scream until her mother can no longer tolerate the noise and picks up the child.This same scenario is repeated daily.It appears that the mother has

A) caused Elizabeth to internalize her crying response.
B) classically conditioned Elizabeth's crying response.
C) instrumentally conditioned Elizabeth's crying response.
D) failed to condition Elizabeth's behavior operantly.

Question 27

Joseph is maintaining a daily journal of his newborn daughter's behavior.His written observation is similar to an early form of developmental research called

A) naturalistic observation.
B) an experiment.
C) a baby biography.
D) a cross-sectional study.

Question 28

The relatively permanent change in behavior as a result of experience is called

A) nature.
B) learning.
C) equilibration.
D) libido.

Question 29

Binet and Simon developed a series of tasks to

A) systematically account for everything that children know.
B) identify patterns in mental capabilities that are unique to each child.
C) design a computer-learning program for children in elementary school.
D) identify how much formal knowledge children possess.

Question 30

The theoretical approach emphasizing the importance of learning through observation and imitation of behaviors modeled by others is called

A) instrumental conditioning.
B) social learning theory.
C) imitation theory.
D) imitation conditioning.

Question 31

Because Freud's theory appears to emphasize occurrences germane to traditional Western societies,the theory of psychosexual development has been extensively criticized as being

A) too liberal.
B) too vague.
C) culture bound.
D) inapplicable.

Question 32

Freud identified five stages of psychosexual development,periods during which

A) the oral id and the anal id compete for mental control.
B) the phallic id and the genital id compete for mental control.
C) libidinal energy is tied to properties of the opposite sex parent.
D) libidinal energy is usually associated with a specific area of the body.

Question 33

Dr.Johanssen is studying the ages at which most children are able to accomplish a certain developmental task,such as sitting or walking,referred to as

A) milestones.
B) habits.
C) instincts.
D) norms.

Question 34

As developer of the first formal assessment scale of intelligence,Alfred Binet is credited with being the pioneer of

A) cross-cultural studies.
B) intellectual engineering.
C) the study of individual differences.
D) the comparison of groups of children.

Question 35

A type of learning in which a neutral stimulus,when repeatedly paired with a stimulus that elicits a reflexive response,comes to elicit the response by itself is called

A) classical conditioning.
B) instrumental conditioning.
C) operant conditioning.
D) neutral stimulus conditioning.

Question 36

The type of learning in which the pattern and frequency of behaviors that are learned depend on whether the behaviors produce desired or undesired outcomes is called

A) Pavlovian conditioning.
B) classical conditioning.
C) operant conditioning.
D) neutral stimulus conditioning.

Question 37

Which of the following was a central question to Myrtle McGraw's investigations of child development?

A) Were Freud's psychosexual stages of development accurate?
B) Is maturation or experience responsible for the sequence of motor behaviors most children seem to display?
C) Who is more important to the child's development of self,the mother or the father?
D) Is there a difference between the mother's and the father's perceptions of the motor behaviors that children display?

Question 38

During the first part of the twentieth century,developmental psychologists gathered a wealth of descriptive information that eventually led to the establishment of many

A) breakthroughs in pediatric medicine.
B) social policies regarding education.
C) norms of development.
D) government summits on child development.

Question 39

Allison was playing in her parents' room.She came into the living room dressed in her mother's clothes,carrying a briefcase,and said,"Goodbye,Mommy.I'm going to work now." Allison's behavior is good evidence for

A) ethological theory.
B) transactional theory.
C) ecological systems theory.
D) social learning theory.

Question 40

Behavior analysis is a theoretical account of development that relies on ________ to explain development.

A) the reciprocal relationship between child and environment
B) unconscious motivations
C) the evolutionary origins of behavior
D) the principles of classical and operant conditioning

Question 41

Piaget's emphasis on the interaction among maturation,equilibration,and the child's tendency to act on the environment would suggest that both ________ and ________ are important to development.

A) assimilation;accommodation
B) nature;nurture
C) continuity;discontinuity
D) sociality;individuality

Question 42

According to Piaget,a child proceeds to another stage of development when schemes

A) undergo substantial modification and reorganization.
B) undergo minor adjustments.
C) are modified via accommodation.
D) are modified via assimilation.

Question 43

According to Piagetian theory,the ________ component of adaptation is the process of modification in schemes that takes place when old ways of understanding an experience no longer fit.

A) schematizing
B) organization
C) assimilation
D) accommodation

Question 44

Albert Bandura's social cognitive theory differs from Skinnerian learning theory in that Bandura's theory allows for

A) the child's passive role in learning.
B) the annulment of unobservable mental and cognitive constructs.
C) the embracing of mental and motivational constructs.
D) a strict adherence to the principles of operant conditioning.

Question 45

Piaget's belief that intellectual capacities undergo qualitative reorganizations at different periods of development is consistent with a(n)________ theory of development.

A) interaction
B) constant
C) stage
D) individual levels

Question 46

Cognitive-developmental theories explain knowledge acquisition as the

A) emergence of psychological structures that influence how the child interprets experience.
B) result of reinforced patterns of behavior.
C) expression of species-specific patterns of behavior.
D) resolution of conflicts derived from biological drives.

Question 47

In Piagetian theory,the innate tendency for structures and processes to become more systematic and coherent is called

A) adaptation.
B) organization.
C) assimilation.
D) accommodation.

Question 48

Which of the following learning theory camps is most likely to embrace an interaction among domains approach to development?

A) Behaviorists
B) Psychosocial theorists
C) Social cognitive theorists
D) All of these

Question 49

In Piaget's theory of cognitive development,equilibration describes the self-regulating process by which

A) a child moves to the next stage of development.
B) a child develops new schemas to understand new experiences.
C) a child uses his existing schemas to understand new experiences.
D) accommodation and assimilation bring about more powerful schemes.

Question 50

Individuals apply schemes as a means of interacting with the environment

A) only as children.
B) until they are teenagers.
C) at all levels of development.
D) only when they are in unfamiliar surroundings.

Question 51

Maurice is five months old,and his mother is giving him a spoonful of food for the first time.Maurice tries to suck the spoon but soon begins opening his mouth to take in the food and swallow it.Maurice has ________ his eating scheme.

A) assimilated
B) accommodated
C) resolved
D) processed

Question 52

________ theories tend to share the fundamental assumption that normal children display common intellectual,emotional,and social capabilities despite widely varying experiences.

A) Psychosocial
B) Learning
C) Cognitive-developmental
D) Developmental-organizational

Question 53

Recently,Josephine has been able to understand that when you cut a piece of pie in half you still have the same amount of pie,something she was not able to understand a short time ago.According to Piaget's theory,Josephine

A) must be at least three years of age.
B) must have been rewarded by her mother for this understanding.
C) has advanced to a different stage of cognitive development.
D) will understand this only for pieces of pie but not for any other stimuli.

Question 54

Yvonne,upon seeing a horse for the first time,says "doggie." According to Piaget's cognitive-developmental theory,Yvonne is exhibiting

A) reflexive thinking.
B) concrete thinking.
C) accommodation.
D) assimilation.

Question 55

When a new experience causes a cognitive imbalance,the process of ________ corrects this imbalance by modifying the child's schemes through assimilation and accommodation.

A) organization
B) calibration
C) reorganization
D) equilibration

Question 56

Because learning theorists believe that behaviors are accumulative,both behavior analysts and social learning theorists view development as a ________ process.

A) continuous
B) discontinuous
C) cognitive
D) sociohistorical

Question 57

According to Piaget,intelligence is a form of ________ that becomes ________ as the individual interacts with the external world.

A) social learning;less structured
B) social learning;organized
C) biological adaptation;less structured
D) biological adaptation;organized

Question 58

Social learning theory is now commonly referred to as social cognitive theory because

A) Jean Piaget,who studied cognition,developed this new theory.
B) psychosocial theorists criticized the importance of conditioning in the learning process.
C) other theorists have taken credit for redefining the theory.
D) theorists have increasingly recognized the significance of attention,memory,production,and motivation for learning.

Question 59

In Piagetian theory,the innate tendency to adjust or become more attuned to conditions imposed by the environment is called

A) the adjustment principle.
B) innate balancing.
C) organization.
D) adaptation.

Question 60

According to Piagetian theory,the ________ component of adaptation is the process of interpreting an experience in terms of current schemes.

A) organization
B) assimilation
C) accommodation
D) schematizing

Question 61

The theoretical approach that views humans as having a limited ability to process information,much as computers do,is called

A) the computer-processing metaphor.
B) cyber-processing theory.
C) information processing.
D) info-computational theory.

Question 62

Which of the following is not involved in a simple model of human information processing?

A) Motivation
B) Response
C) Sensory register
D) Attention

Question 63

The ________ key theme in development is not readily addressed by Piaget's theory because his goal was to identify the characteristics of development that normal children have in common.

A) interaction among domains
B) nature/nurture
C) continuity/discontinuity
D) individual differences

Question 64

According to Erikson,psychosocial development progresses through stages defined by

A) specific crises imposed by societal demands.
B) unidentifiable crises imposed by societal demands.
C) the body part most closely associated with the id's desire to release libidinal energy.
D) the body part most closely associated with the ego's desire to suppress libidinal energy.

Question 65

In Erikson's psychosocial theory of development,the concept of ________ signifies the acceptance of oneself and the society in which one lives.

A) libido
B) maturation
C) identity
D) integrity

Question 66

In Erikson's theory,________ is a concept that is especially important during adolescence but must be achieved at every stage of development.

A) libido
B) identity
C) society
D) separation

Question 67

Erikson theorized that ________ is the primary mode for acting adaptively toward the world.

A) assimilation
B) accommodation
C) organization
D) incorporation

Question 68

Erikson's psychosocial theory of development holds that ________ develops through eight stages of adaptive functioning to meet the demands framed by ________.

A) libido;the id
B) libido;the superego
C) personality;society
D) personality;one's identity

Question 69

According to most information-processing theories,changes in the cognitive system are a joint effort between cognitive structures and processes and environmental input.With which key theme in development is this statement most consistent?

A) Individual differences
B) Continuity-discontinuity
C) Sociocultural influence
D) Nature-nurture

Question 70

The interaction among domains theme in development does not closely fit with Piaget's theory,despite the implications his theory has for other domains.This is due to Piaget's lack of

A) attention to cognition.
B) criticisms of opposing theories.
C) attention to how social and emotional domains influence cognitive development.
D) focus on the stages of development through which children progress.

Question 71

Similar to learning theories,many information-processing theories have been criticized for their failure to consider

A) the role of the environment in development.
B) emotional,motivational,and social factors.
C) psychosexual development as an integral part of information processing.
D) the role of executive functioning processes in thinking.

Question 72

Since Piaget believed that children develop much in the same way in all cultures around the world,the key theme of ________ does not play a major role in his theory.

A) continuity/discontinuity
B) sociocultural influence
C) nature/nurture
D) risk/resilience

Question 73

Systems views of development are concerned with the ________ that influence development.

A) social settings
B) cultural settings
C) biological,physical,and sociocultural settings
D) biological and physical settings

Question 74

Information-processing approaches to development assume that the mind has ________ for processing information and development reflects _______.

A) an unlimited capacity;a qualitative change in mental structures
B) an unlimited capacity;a quantitative increase in the use of skills and strategies
C) a limited capacity;a quantitative increase in the use of skills and strategies
D) a limited capacity;a qualitative change in mental structures

Question 75

Professor Green takes a contextual approach to child development by studying how the child interacts with his or her physical,social,cultural,and historical world.Professor Green's view is most consistent with the

A) systems approach.
B) psychodynamic approach.
C) eclectic approach.
D) Piagetian approach.

Question 76

Piaget's belief that intellectual capacities undergo qualitative reorganizations at different stages of development is consistent with a(n)________ theory of development.

A) interaction
B) continuity
C) discontinuity
D) individual differences

Question 77

From an information-processing perspective,how could Mrs.McCoy determine if Bob was solving a math problem in his head or simply retrieving the answer from memory?

A) By asking Bob to answer out loud.
B) By asking Bob to write down his answer.
C) By measuring Bob's response time.
D) By measuring Bob's galvanic skin response.

Question 78

Bronfenbrenner's ________ theory holds that development is influenced by experiences arising from broader biological,social,and cultural systems as well as a child's immediate surroundings.

A) macrosystem
B) ethological
C) ecological
D) microsystem

Question 79

Erikson's theory of personality development differs from Freud's theory in that Erikson's theory

A) delineates adulthood in terms of stages and assigns society a much greater role.
B) adds more stages in early childhood and assigns a greater role to biological tension.
C) assigns a greater role to biological sources of resolution.
D) de-emphasizes psychological needs.

Question 80

Which of the following theoretical viewpoints holds that changes in cognitive structures and strategic implementation help children to process information more efficiently as development proceeds?

A) Information processing
B) Cognitive-developmental
C) Sociocultural
D) Social-cognitive