Deck 1: The Science of Child Development

Question 1

Raeann believes that babies are born with tendencies to form emotional bonds with their caregivers because it makes them more likely to survive. Raeann's beliefs fit most closely with __________ theory.

A) maturational
B) psychodynamic
C) learning
D) ethological

Answer 1

D

Question 2

If parents believe that children are tabula rasas at birth, they are likely to

A) leave their children alone so their virtuous natures can unfold.
B) be very permissive with their children.
C) assume that nothing they do will have any influence on their children's development.
D) plan their children's experiences from the moment of their birth.

Answer 2

D

Question 3

An organized set of ideas that is designed to explain development is referred to as a

A) theory.
B) critical period.
C) tabula rasa.
D) case history.

Answer 3

A

Question 4

The view that development is a result of the unfolding of a specific and prearranged scheme or plan within the body is characteristic of

A) Konrad Lorenz's ethological theory.
B) Sigmund Freud's psychodynamic theory.
C) Erik Erikson's psychosocial theory.
D) Arnold Gesell's maturational theory.

Question 5

The French philosopher, Jean Jacques Rousseau, believed that

A) the human infant is born a tabula rasa.
B) infants were born with an innate sense of justice and morality.
C) experience molds each human into a unique individual.
D) parents should teach their children rationality and self-control.

Question 6

Which of the following theories has a biological perspective?

A) Freud's psychosexual theory
B) Bandura's social cognitive theory
C) Gesell's maturational theory
D) Erikson's psychosocial theory

Question 7

__________________ uses developmental research to promote healthy development, particularly for vulnerable children and families.

A) Family policy
B) Applied developmental science
C) A quasi-experimental design
D) The Index of Social Health for Children and Youth ISHCY)

Question 8

Gesell's maturational theory most closely fits with the ideas of

A) Jean Jacques Rousseau.
B) Erik Erikson.
C) John Locke.
D) John Watson.

Question 9

An evolutionary perspective is most closely associated with which of the following theories?

A) psychosocial
B) psychodynamic
C) maturational
D) ethological

Question 10

When a particular type of learning can take place only during a specific time period, not before or after that period, there is an) ___________ for learning that behavior.

A) instinct
B) critical period
C) blank slate
D) emotional bond

Question 11

Viewing infants as tabula rasas suggests that

A) infants will develop naturally unless the environment interferes.
B) experience will mold infants into unique individuals.
C) nature is more important than nurture.
D) infants are born with a sense of morality.

Question 12

The idea that the mind of the human infant is a tabula rasa at birth reflects the belief that

A) experience molds each person into a unique individual.
B) children should be left alone so that their good natures can unfold.
C) heredity plays a major role in an individual's development.
D) infants cannot think because their minds are blank.

Question 13

Jill was the first moving object a newly hatched chick saw. The chick later followed her around, just as if Jill were the chick's mother. The chick's behavior is a result of

A) maturation.
B) tabula rasa.
C) self-efficacy.
D) imprinting.

Question 14

___________ theory states that child development occurs according to a prearranged scheme or plan within the body.

A) Psychodynamic
B) Ecological
C) Maturational
D) Cognitive developmental

Question 15

Detailed, systematic observations of individual children are referred to as

A) blank slates.
B) baby biographies.
C) mental tests.
D) critical periods.

Question 16

__________________ based his ideas about child development on evolutionary theory and was interested in age-trends in children's beliefs and feelings.

A) John Locke
B) Jean Jacques Rousseau
C) G. Stanley Hall
D) Alfred Binet

Question 17

Sigmund Freud's psychodynamic theory

A) emphasizes the influence of early experiences on later development.
B) suggests that learning is the key to understanding development.
C) suggests that behavior should be considered in context.
D) emphasizes the importance of maturation.

Question 18

Creating an emotional bond with the mother is sometimes called

A) self-efficacy.
B) adapting.
C) imprinting.
D) maturation.

Question 19

According to ethologists, some behaviors can only be learned

A) when the behavior is reinforced and opposing behaviors are punished.
B) through observational learning.
C) during a critical period when the organism is biologically programmed to learn that behavior.
D) when the conflict between biological drives and society's standards is resolved.

Question 20

Heather believes her 12-month-old daughter will develop optimally if Heather gives her freedom to grow naturally and does not try to shape her development. Heather's beliefs about child rearing are most similar to those of

A) Sigmund Freud.
B) Erik Erikson.
C) John Locke.
D) Jean Jacques Rousseau.

Question 21

The id

A) wants immediate gratification of bodily desires.
B) provides a sense of morality.
C) works to resolve conflicts.
D) presses for socially acceptable actions.

Question 22

Who was the first theorist to use learning theory to explain child development?

A) Sigmund Freud
B) John Watson
C) Jean Piaget
D) Konrad Lorenz

Question 23

Erikson's theory suggests that 16-year-old Glenn is likely to be facing the challenge of

A) realizing that he is an independent person.
B) establishing an intimate relationship with another person.
C) developing a sense of trust in the world.
D) developing a sense of his own identity.

Question 24

Erikson emphasized

A) psychological and social aspects of development.
B) biological and physical aspects of development.
C) environmental influences on development.
D) cognitive development.

Question 25

The moral agent in a child's personality is the

A) ego.
B) superego.
C) primitive instincts.
D) id.

Question 26

Freud based his psychodynamic theory on

A) his patients' case histories.
B) observations of his children.
C) correlational research studies.
D) experimental research studies.

Question 27

Experience plays the most important role in which of the following theories?

A) maturational
B) cognitive-developmental
C) ethological
D) learning

Question 28

Erikson proposed a _________ theory in which development consists of a sequence of stages, each defined by a unique crisis or challenge.

A) biological
B) learning
C) psychosocial
D) cognitive-developmental

Question 29

When 8-year-old Chris brought home a report card with all A's, his parents gave him one dollar for each "A." Chris's parents were attempting to use __________ to shape Chris's future behavior.

A) negative reinforcement
B) positive reinforcement
C) punishment
D) self-efficacy

Question 30

In Erikson's psychosocial theory,

A) outcomes of earlier stages influence how well children deal with the challenges of later stages.
B) each stage is self-contained and has no influence on other stages.
C) physical aspects of development are more important than social aspects of development.
D) the same challenges are faced over and over again in each stage.

Question 31

Carol begged her father for some candy when they were in the grocery store. Eventually, Carol's father gave in and bought Carol some candy. According to theories of operant conditioning, what is likely to happen the next time Carol and her father go to the grocery store?

A) Carol will not beg for candy because her father punished her begging the last time that they were in the store.
B) Carol will not beg for candy because her father reinforced her begging the last time that they were in the store.
C) Carol will beg for candy because her father reinforced her begging the last time they were in the store.
D) Carol will beg for candy because her father punished her begging the last time they were in the store.

Question 32

According to Erikson's theory of psychosocial development, development is

A) the result of a natural unfolding of biological plans.
B) determined by the resolution of conflicts between one's biological drives and society's standards of right and wrong.
C) the result of children's attempts to understand their worlds.
D) determined by children's resolution of psychological and social crises.

Question 33

The first of Erikson's stages focuses on the issue of

A) industry vs. inferiority.
B) autonomy vs. shame and doubt.
C) trust vs. mistrust.
D) identity vs. identity confusion.

Question 34

During recess Melissa noticed that another girl dropped the doll she was playing with. According to Freud's theory, Melissa's ___________ would tell her to grab the doll and keep it as her own whereas her ___________ would tell her that taking another girl's doll would be wrong.

A) id; ego
B) superego; ego
C) superego; id
D) id; superego

Question 35

Jaraan was never really able to answer the question "Who am I?" as a teenager. Erikson would predict that during young adulthood, Jaraan will

A) be likely to view his life as satisfactory and worth living.
B) establish a loving relationship with another person.
C) develop the ability to try new things and handle failure.
D) have difficulty forming intimate relationships.

Question 36

If an ego could talk, it might say

A) "I want to eat NOW!"
B) "Do you think that is the right and honorable way to act?"
C) "Let's see if we can discuss this issue calmly and rationally."
D) "Is that what your mother would do?"

Question 37

Hedy lives according to the philosophy "If it feels good, do it." Hedy's personality appears to be dominated by her

A) ego.
B) imprinting.
C) superego.
D) id.

Question 38

Nehama believes that we could totally understand why children behave as they do if we would just look at the rewards and punishments they've received for their behaviors in the past. Nehama looks at child development as an) __________ theorist does.

A) ecological
B) cognitive-developmental
C) psychodynamic
D) learning

Question 39

Psychosocial theory is associated with

A) Arnold Gesell.
B) Sigmund Freud.
C) Erik Erikson.
D) Albert Bandura.

Question 40

F. Skinner is most closely associated with which of the following concepts?

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

Question 41

According to __________ theory, development is a result of how conflicts are resolved.

A) biological
B) learning
C) cognitive-developmental
D) psychodynamic

Question 42

The cognitive-developmental perspective is mainly concerned with

A) experience.
B) personality.
C) thinking.
D) context.

Question 43

According to __________ children develop when they work with skilled adults, including parents and teachers.

A) Piaget
B) Skinner
C) Freud
D) Vygotsky

Question 44

Amanda noticed that whenever other children asked a question in class, their teacher seemed to get mad at them. Amanda decided not to ask her teacher for help, even though she needed it and her teacher had never seemed to be angry with her. Amanda's behavior was shaped by

A) positive reinforcement.
B) negative reinforcement.
C) observational learning.
D) self-efficacy.

Question 45

Jean Piaget is associated with ___________ theory.

A) ecological
B) psychodynamic
C) learning
D) cognitive-developmental

Question 46

Biology is to environment as __________ theory is to __________ theory.

A) maturational; Skinner's operant conditioning
B) psychosocial; ethological
C) Piaget's; Freud's
D) psychodynamic, Erikson's psychosocial

Question 47

Which shows the correct sequence of Piaget's stages of cognitive development?

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

Question 48

Nate watched another boy pull a girl's hair. Nate is most likely to imitate the boy's behavior if

A) the boy is not very popular.
B) a teacher sends Nate to time-out.
C) the girl smiled at the boy after he pulled her hair.
D) the boy is not very smart.

Question 49

Seth failed to put away his bicycle at night as he was supposed to. His father told him that he would not be allowed to ride his bicycle for one week. Seth's father tried to change Seth's behavior by using

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

Question 50

Frank was watching a Saturday morning cartoon in which the main character kicked someone and took away a toy. Frank then walked across the room and kicked his brother Joe and took away Joe's toy just as the cartoon character had done on the TV show. According to social cognitive theory, Frank has just demonstrated

A) observational learning.
B) punishment.
C) reinforcement.
D) imprinting.

Question 51

__________ was a theorist who was primarily interested in ways that adults convey cultural beliefs to children.

A) Piaget
B) Skinner
C) Freud
D) Vygotsky

Question 52

Whenever Krysia hung up her coat and put away her backpack after school, she was excused from setting the table, a chore she detests. Krysia's parents were using __________ to modify her behavior.

A) self-efficacy
B) punishment
C) negative reinforcement
D) positive reinforcement

Question 53

Jean Piaget's theory of cognitive development focused on

A) the resolution of psychological crises.
B) improvements in mental hardware and software.
C) children's creation of "theories" that help them understand their worlds.
D) adaptive behaviors that are learned during critical periods.

Question 54

A reward that consists of taking away something unpleasant is called

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

Question 55

Piaget stated that children's theories about the world

A) remain the same until adulthood.
B) undergo three major changes during development.
C) are never tested by the children.
D) are based on what adults tell them.

Question 56

A consequence that decreases the future likelihood of the behavior that it follows is called

A) positive reinforcement.
B) negative reinforcement.
C) self-efficacy.
D) punishment.

Question 57

Your neighbor tells you about his little boy who is always manipulating objects "just like a scientist trying to test his theory about the world." Having just read the first

A) B.F. Skinner!"
B) Sigmund Freud!"
C) Urie Bronfenbrenner!"
D) Jean Piaget!"

Question 58

One difference between Skinner's operant conditioning and Bandura's social cognitive theory is that

A) Bandura believes children play an active role in their own development, while Skinner sees them as being passively shaped by the environment.
B) Skinner views reinforcement and punishment as being important while Bandura does not.
C) Skinner believes that self-efficacy influences behavior while Bandura does not.
D) Bandura emphasizes rewards and punishment while Skinner does not.

Question 59

Piaget believed that children

A) are passively shaped by their experiences.
B) actively try to make sense of their world.
C) learn through a series of reinforcements and punishments.
D) face a series of conflicts or challenges as they develop.

Question 60

Six-year-old Sarah had been watching her older brother and sister in swim meets for several years. Sarah believed she was a good swimmer, too, and eagerly entered her first swim meet shortly after she turned 6. Bandura would say that __________ played a role in Sarah's desire to imitate her siblings.

A) genetic factors
B) self-efficacy
C) punishment
D) negative reinforcement

Question 61

Ximena and Chris believe that they don't need to worry about parenting their new son, Brant, because he was born with a good nature and his good nature will determine his outcomes in life. Chris and Ximena's views of parenting are consistent with the __________ of the __________ issue.

A) nature; nature-nurture
B) passive; active-passive child
C) connection; connection of domains
D) discontinuity; continuity-discontinuity

Question 62

Based on her experience in rearing five children, Elaine believes that personality influences the rate of physical-motor development. Elaine appears to take the view that

A) development is always jointly influenced by heredity and environment.
B) early development is related to later development.
C) development in different domains is connected.
D) children are at the mercy of the environment.

Question 63

Which of the following is a strength associated with measures that sample behavior with tasks?

A) Children's behavior is seen as it occurs naturally.
B) They almost always validly represent real-life behaviors.
C) They are convenient to use.
D) They assure representative sampling.

Question 64

John Locke's views are consistent with

A) the idea that development in different domains is connected.
B) a passive view of the child.
C) an emphasis on nature.
D) a view of development as discontinuous.

Question 65

The nature-nurture issue is concerned with

A) the connection of development in one domain to development in other domains.
B) the role that children play in influencing their own development.
C) the roles that biology and environment play in development.
D) how early development is related to later development.

Question 66

Mary chose to assess the quality of infants' relationships with their caregivers by observing infants in a laboratory situation wherein the infants experienced a series of separations from and reunions with their caregivers. What kind of measure did Mary use?

A) self-report
B) naturalistic observation
C) structured observation
D) questionnaire

Question 67

Which of the following measures involves sampling behavior with a task?

A) putting a number of objects in front of a child and having the child count them
B) listening to children's everyday conversations and recording the complexity of their sentence structures
C) asking children how much television they watch in one week
D) having children fill out a questionnaire about their study habits

Question 68

Which of the following is true of naturalistic observations?

A) Researchers usually record all of a child's behaviors.
B) Because children are being observed in their natural settings, the behavior of interest is less likely to be disturbed.
C) This method is useful for studying phenomena that occur rarely.
D) This method is useful for studying behaviors that occur in private settings.

Question 69

Irina wants to study infant language development. She decides to watch 10 babies once a month from birth to 2 years of age and write down the sounds they make and the words they use. Irina
Is using

A) self-report.
B) systematic observation.
C) sampling behavior with tasks.
D) interviews.

Question 70

Yvonne was a busy, energetic child who grew up to be a busy, energetic adult. Yvonne provides an example of

A) the influence of nurture on development.
B) continuity in development.
C) the connectedness of different domains of development.
D) the active role of the child in development.

Question 71

Research measures that involve watching children's unprompted behavior in real-life settings are referred to as

A) structured observations.
B) tasks that sample behavior.
C) self-report measures.
D) naturalistic observations.

Question 72

Michael and Lisa are new parents and they believe that their actions will influence their new son. They don't think that their son's behavior will influence their parenting. Michael and Lisa's views of parenting are consistent with the ________ position of the ________ issue.

A) nature; nature-nurture
B) passive; active-passive child
C) connection; connection of domains
D) continuity; continuity-discontinuity

Question 73

The continuity-discontinuity issue addresses the question of whether

A) genes or environment are most important.
B) development in different domains is related.
C) children actively influence their own development.
D) early development is related to later development.

Question 74

Which of the following statements best represents the prevailing view among developmentalists?

A) Social development is not related to cognitive development.
B) Physical development is not related to cognitive development.
C) Social development is not related to physical development.
D) Physical, social, and cognitive development are interrelated.

Question 75

Travis insists that people are the masters of their own destinies. Travis believes in

A) the active child.
B) the passive child.
C) continuity.
D) discontinuity.

Question 76

The idea of continuity in development

A) is consistent with the view that behavior during the preschool years is not related to behavior during later childhood.
B) means that development in one domain is related to development in other domains.
C) is consistent with the view that early development is related to later development.
D) means that development is jointly influenced by heredity and environment.

Question 77

One drawback of structured observations is that

A) the artificial nature of the setting may distort the behavior of interest.
B) they cannot be used to study behaviors that occur naturally only rarely.
C) they can only be used to study behaviors that occur in public settings.
D) they cannot be performed in a laboratory.

Question 78

Which of the following is true of sampling behavior with tasks?

A) Sampling behavior with tasks may not really sample the behavior of interest.
B) Sampling behavior with tasks can be used to observe behavior directly.
C) Sampling behavior with tasks isn't a popular method because it isn't convenient to use.
D) Sampling behavior with tasks might lead some children to provide socially acceptable answers.

Question 79

Jackie feels that superior genes are the primary reason her daughter Jacqueline is intellectually gifted. Jackie believes in the importance of

A) the active child.
B) continuity.
C) nature.
D) the connection of domains.

Question 80

One example of a theory with a learning perspective is

A) Erikson's theory.
B) Bandura's social cognitive theory.
C) Piaget's theory.
D) Freud's theory.