Deck 18: Emerging Adulthood: Cognitive Development

Question 1

Individuals in their early 20s are more likely than people of any other age to abuse alcohol and other drugs. However, with personal experience and learning from others, cognitive maturity leads most adults to drink occasionally and moderately from then on.

Answer 1

True

Question 2

One of the practical skills of postformal thinking is the ability to combine subjective and objective thought.

Answer 2

True

Question 3

Many developmentalists now believe there is actually a fifth stage of cognitive development called "transcendent thought."

Answer 3

False

Question 4

Dialectical thinking involves the constant integration of beliefs and experiences with all the contradictions and inconsistencies of daily life.

Question 5

Cognitive flexibility is said to be the most advanced cognitive process.

Question 6

Without being able to combine intellect and emotion, individuals may experience behavioral extremes (e.g., obesity, addiction) and cognitive extremes (e.g., believing that one is the best person on Earth).

Question 7

Carol Gilligan believes that decisions about reproduction advance moral thinking, especially for women.

Question 8

Young adults who believe that intelligence is plastic, not inborn, can overcome stereotype threat.

Question 9

Listening to others and considering diverse opinions are signs of cognitive flexibility.

Question 10

Postformal thought is more practical as well as more creative and imaginative than earlier stages of thinking.

Question 11

The stage approach to cognitive development analyzes intelligence via IQ tests and other measures.

Question 12

The characteristics of postformal thought (practical, flexible, dialectical) are evident as the brain matures.

Question 13

According to a dialectical thinker, a romance becomes troubled because relationship partners have changed without adapting to each other.

Question 14

Emerging adults are more likely than older or younger people to attend religious services and to pray, even though most consider themselves less spiritual compared to when they were younger.

Question 15

College education is one stimulus for young adults' shifts in moral reasoning.

Question 16

The possibility of being negatively stereotyped arouses emotions that could disrupt cognition or emotional regulation.

Question 17

A hallmark of postformal cognition is intellectual flexibility, a characteristic far more typical of middle-aged adults than of younger people.

Question 18

Educators who agree with Lev Vygotsky are likely to take a prescriptive, staged, practical approach to education.

Question 19

Cognitive flexibility, particularly the ability to change childhood assumptions, is needed to counter stereotypes.

Question 20

Children are more likely than adults to imagine several solutions for every problem and then to take care in selecting the best one.

Question 21

Dr. Marquette is a researcher who studies the encoding, storage, and retrieval of information throughout life. Which approach to cognitive development does she take?

A) psychometric
B) multidirectional
C) postformal
D) information-processing

Question 22

The psychometric approach to studying cognitive development analyzes intelligence using _____.

A) intelligence tests
B) observation
C) narratives
D) physiological measures

Question 23

Education, specific dilemmas, and culture correlate less strongly than gender with whether a person's moral judgments emphasize relationships or absolutes.

Question 24

About two-thirds of U.S. students take out loans to help pay for college.

Question 25

There is less diversity among students on college campuses today than there was in 1970.

Question 26

As students progress through college, they usually are more able to see multiple perspectives.

Question 27

When compared with earlier cognition, thinking in adulthood is all the following EXCEPT more _____.

A) practical
B) concrete
C) flexible
D) dialectical

Question 28

A possible fifth stage of cognitive development that characterizes adult thinking is "_____ thought."

A) preformal
B) semiformal
C) informal
D) postformal

Question 29

Due to their skepticism, college graduates tend to think more narrowly and rigidly than those who did not attend college.

Question 30

Being exposed to a diverse array of people in college likely contributes to deeper thought and intellectual challenge.

Question 31

Most U.S. college students attend publicly sponsored institutions.

Question 32

The approach to studying cognitive development that explores how the brain encodes, stores, and retrieves information is the "_____ approach."

A) stage
B) psychometric
C) information-processing
D) physiological

Question 33

On his own time, Ron looks over his course syllabi for the term and realizes that, in three weeks, he has three assignments due on one day. Ron decides he will do one assignment per week for the next three weeks so that he will have them all done by their due dates. Ron is demonstrating _____ thinking.

A) preoperational
B) concrete operational
C) formal operational
D) postformal

Question 34

Students from all backgrounds learn more if they involve themselves in the campus community.

Question 35

The number of students in college is decreasing in every nation in the world; this phenomenon is known as "massification."

Question 36

After Brenda finished college, began working in her chosen field, and started a family, her thinking became _____.

A) more exciting
B) more practical
C) more playful
D) less routine

Question 37

According to current research, college students are more concerned with getting a well-rounded education than with being able to find a good-paying job upon graduation.

Question 38

Students who are about to graduate from college are likely to believe that there are clear and absolute truths to discover.

Question 39

One reason other nations have greater massification than the United States in the twenty-first century is that most other nations increased public funding for tertiary education, while the United States decreased it.

Question 40

Every year of college appears to improve cognitive abilities.

Question 41

Jackson is an African American male who is experiencing stereotype threat while taking a political science exam. Research suggests that the effects of stereotype threat can be reduced by _____.

A) convincing Jackson that his achievement depends on hard work.
B) raising Jackson's self-esteem through positive feedback.
C) showing Jackson that other groups perform worse.
D) giving Jackson additional tutoring in material he finds challenging.

Question 42

A possible reaction to stereotype threat might be _____.

A) an increase in the high-school drop-out rate for African American males
B) young girls' preferences for playing with dolls over trucks
C) romantic relationship partners living together without being married
D) women's high performance on the math portion of the SAT

Question 43

Geraldine is a medical intern who believes that all people deserve access to medical care. However, she also knows that throughout her career, she will have to make decisions about which patients will receive a scarce, life-saving medication. Reconciling these two thoughts requires _____.

A) intuitive-projective faith
B) dialectical thinking
C) relativism
D) ideological reasoning

Question 44

Ami thinks that her performance may be negatively compared to the performances of people in another group. According to the theory of stereotype threat, her thinking is MOST likely to _____.

A) initially cause her to stop trying but then inspire her to work twice as hard
B) have no effect on her actual life
C) cause her to underperform
D) cause her to dislike the people in the group to whom she is being compared

Question 45

Dr. Barnes tells his student Charlotte that she should pursue a career that will make her happy. She responds, "Not all careers that will make me happy will provide me with enough income to live." Charlotte's response was a(n) _____.

A) synthesis
B) thesis
C) antithesis
D) theory

Question 46

A proposition or statement of belief is a(n) _____.

A) synthesis
B) thesis
C) antithesis
D) theory

Question 47

Which of the following illustrates expectations about emerging adults' ability to manage their time?

A) Grady's mother gives him a calendar to take to college.
B) Vanessa's professors provide syllabi with projects and due dates for the semester.
C) Byron's residential adviser reviews curfew limits for entering freshman.
D) Lyn's mother calls every night to make sure she has completed her homework.

Question 48

Kimberly broke up with Houng after dating him for two years. Heartbroken, Houng asked why. Kimberly replied, "It's me, not you. I'm to blame." Kimberly's response is an example of _____ thought.

A) formal operational
B) dialectical
C) nondialectical
D) flexible

Question 49

As more is understood about brain development after adolescence, it seems that the characteristics of postformal thought are evident as the brain-in particular, the _____- matures.

A) frontal cortex
B) cerebellum
C) corpus callosum
D) thalamus

Question 50

Cognitively, what is needed to counter stereotypes?

A) flexibility
B) subjectivity
C) objectivity
D) dialect

Question 51

In dialectical thought, a(n) _____ implies a(n) _____, and the integration of these occurs within the synthesis.

A) thesis; synthesis
B) synthesis; theory
C) thesis; antithesis
D) antithesis; synthesis

Question 52

Which statement made by a teacher is MOST likely to activate stereotype threat?

A) "This exam will show what you have learned in this chapter."
B) "This exam counts 30 percent toward your final grade."
C) "Your grade on this exam will show the amount of effort you've put into the class."
D) "This exam will show which gender has better grammatical skills."

Question 53

The worry that one's appearance or behavior will be misused to confirm another person's oversimplified, prejudiced attitude is referred to as "_____."

A) overcompensation
B) dialectical thought
C) stereotype threat
D) reverse discrimination

Question 54

Michelle begins an essay for her composition class by writing that knowing the truth sets people free. In her next paragraph, she explains that knowing the truth often involves learning about the limitations and constraints on freedom. In her third paragraph, Michelle integrates these two perspectives. Michelle's essay demonstrates _____ thinking.

A) inconsistent
B) moral
C) dialectical
D) subjective

Question 55

Grant is a fun-loving, intelligent, responsible teenager who likes to dye his hair different colors. However, he is concerned that other people might construe his hair color as a reflection of poor academic achievement. His concern is an example of "_____."

A) cognitive flexibility
B) effortful control
C) postconventional thinking
D) stereotype threat

Question 56

Although Dr. Johnson believes that women and men can perform equally well on a math test, Dr. Johnson is exploring whether women perform worse on a math test when they are asked to indicate their gender prior to taking the text. Dr. Johnson is exploring the concept of "_____."

A) cognitive flexibility
B) stereotype threat
C) postconventional thinking
D) effortful control

Question 57

Reggie stated, "I believe that I should be able to drive as fast as I want." Reggie just stated a(n) _____.

A) synthesis
B) thesis
C) antithesis
D) theory

Question 58

Herman and Todd, two friends, are discussing logos on T-shirts. Herman says that everyone should be able to wear whatever logos they want on their T-shirts. Todd suggests that some logos may be offensive and thus should not be worn. If Herman is able to integrate those two ideas, he will have created a(n) _____.

A) synthesis
B) thesis
C) antithesis
D) theory

Question 59

The worst part of stereotype threat is that it _____.

A) is particularly harmful to women
B) originates in school
C) is self-imposed
D) cannot be overcome

Question 60

In a longitudinal study of 18-year-old students at the beginning and end of their first year in college, researchers found increases in the brain areas that integrate _____ and _____.

A) intelligence; conscientiousness
B) reasoning; reality
C) emotion; cognition
D) intelligence; problem solving

Question 61

Four-year-old Davis believes that God gave his little brother to his mother because she stayed overnight at the hospital. Davis is at the _____ stage of religious faith.

A) intuitive-projective
B) universalizing
C) synthetic-conventional
D) individual-reflective

Question 62

Marge's marriage is troubled. She and her husband find very little joy in being with each other, in part because they have both changed as individuals. If Marge and her husband are capable of dialectical thinking, they will _____.

A) adjust their relationship to accommodate the changes in themselves
B) realize that divorce is the only solution
C) try to find out which one of them is to blame
D) try to reinstate their relationship as it was when they were first married

Question 63

Traditional models of formal operational thinking value _____ thought and devalue _____ thought.

A) subjective; hypothetical
B) hypothetical; psychometric
C) objective; subjective
D) objective; psychometric

Question 64

Thought that arises from personal experiences and perceptions is _____.

A) subjective
B) hypothetical
C) objective
D) personal

Question 65

Kim is going to buy her friend a birthday present. She remembers that her friend wanted to go to a concert; tickets for the concert are $150 each. Kim has only $300 in the bank and was going to use $250 of it to pay for car insurance next month. However, she wants to make her friend happy, so she buys the two concert tickets. Kim's thinking is most likely influenced by _____.

A) emotions
B) logic
C) metacognition
D) abstraction

Question 66

When college students are asked to solve a puzzle problem independently, only about 10 percent solve it correctly. Then, when students who did not solve the problem are allowed to discuss the problem together, 75 percent get it right. This illustrates the participants' _____.

A) emotional flexibility
B) emotional inflexibility
C) cognitive flexibility
D) cognitive inflexibility

Question 67

After auditioning for a play, Carlos hears Henrietta say, "Carlos was the worst actor at the auditions! I can't believe that he got the lead!" Carlos thinks, "I know I am a fine actor. Henrietta is just upset right now because she did not get a part in the play." Carlos is using _____ thought.

A) subjective
B) objective
C) subjective and objective
D) hypothetical

Question 68

Following the breakup with her boyfriend, Mariah texts: "I hate you. You are selfish and a waste of time." Mariah's statement is an example of a(n) _____.

A) theory
B) thesis
C) antithesis
D) synthesis

Question 69

During emerging adulthood, people can use both emotion (subjective) and logic (objective) when grappling with personal and social problems; such thinking demonstrates _____ thought.

A) postformal
B) informal
C) preformal
D) nonformal

Question 70

In general, DIT scores that assess moral thinking _____.

A) rise with age
B) decline with age
C) remain stable with age
D) rise and then decline with age

Question 71

A series of questions designed to assess respondents' levels of moral development by having them rank possible solutions to moral dilemmas is the _____ Test.

A) Moral Dilemma
B) Thematic Apperception
C) Defining Issues
D) Peabody

Question 72

_____ coined the term "emerging adulthood."

A) Jeffrey Arnett
B) Erik Erikson
C) Jean Piaget
D) Lev Vygotsky

Question 73

Every night, Sam says extra prayers to God so that he has prayers "in the bank." Due to his extra prayers, Sam believes God will reward him in life rather than punish him. Sam is in which stage of faith?

A) universalizing
B) synthetic-conventional
C) conjunctive
D) mythic-literal

Question 74

Jack was raised in a home where men did not help with housework or cooking, because those chores were deemed "women's work." At age 20, he does not agree with that view but hides his negative reaction to it when visiting his parents' home. Jack is demonstrating _____ flexibility.

A) social
B) emotional
C) cognitive
D) dynamic

Question 75

Regarding culture and dialectics, _____ adults tend to think holistically (about the whole rather than the parts).

A) African American
B) European
C) Asian
D) Latino

Question 76

Critics worry that the DIT is _____.

A) only valid for college students
B) not sensitive to cross-cultural differences
C) biased toward female morality
D) biased toward male morality

Question 77

According to the text, many researchers believe that all the following shape the ethics of adults EXCEPT _____.

A) responsibilities
B) education
C) income
D) experiences

Question 78

All the following beliefs reflect cognitive flexibility EXCEPT that _____.

A) a person's perspective is only one of many possible perspectives
B) a problem has many potential solutions
C) life plans are static
D) knowledge is dynamic

Question 79

Helena is participating in a study in which she has to decide whether she should cheat on a test. She is asked to rank-order possible solutions to cheating on the test. Helena is participating in a study that is using a _____ Test.

A) Moral Dilemma
B) Thematic Apperception
C) Defining Issues
D) Peabody

Question 80

Which college student is most likely to experience shifts in moral reasoning?

A) Jed, who is taking a philosophy course
B) Trista, who is taking a calculus course
C) Ben, who is taking a pottery course
D) Carrie, who is taking an accounting course