Deck 4: Physical Development in Infancy

Question 1

The cephalocaudal pattern is the sequence in which the earliest growth always occurs at the

A) center of the body and then moves toward the extremities.
B) spinal cord and then expands out to the limbs and head.
C) top-the head-with physical growth and differentiation of features gradually working their way down from top to bottom.
D) bottom-the feet-with physical growth and differentiation of features gradually working their way up to the head.

Answer 1

C

Question 2

Which of the following statements is true of the electroencephalogram (EEG)?

A) It is a measure of the brain's electrical activity and is used to learn about the brain's development in infancy.
B) It uses very low levels of near-infrared light to monitor changes in blood oxygen in infants' brains.
C) It is an imaging technique that uses strong magnetic fields to generate images of the organs in the body.
D) It is an imaging technique that uses computer-processed X-ray measurements to produce cross-sectional images of the organs in the body.

Answer 2

A

Question 3

In the brain, the ________ lobes have an active role in hearing, language processing, and memory.

A) frontal
B) parietal
C) occipital
D) temporal

Answer 3

D

Question 4

Which of the following technologies, a measure of the brain's electrical activity, have researchers been able to use successfully to learn about the brain's development in infancy?

A) positron-emission tomography (PET) scans
B) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)
C) brain electron sampling (BES)
D) electroencephalogram (EEG)

Question 5

The ________ lobe area in the brain plays an important role in registering spatial location, attention, and motor control.

A) frontal
B) parietal
C) occipital
D) temporal

Question 6

Which of the following statements is true about MEG (magnetoencephalography)?

A) It is used in assessing an infant's fine motor skills.
B) It is used in assessing an infant's brain activity.
C) It is used in analyzing an infant's suckling reflex.
D) It is used in analyzing an infant's gross motor skills.

Question 7

Which of the following statements is true of the forebrain?

A) It is the portion of the brain that is farthest from the spinal cord.
B) It includes the tectum, the tegmentum, and the cerebral peduncles.
C) It consists of the medulla, cerebellum, and pons.
D) It insulates axons and helps electrical signals travel faster down the axon.

Question 8

Which of the following statements is true about brain development?

A) The brain grows exponentially from conception to birth, causing the brain to be completely developed at birth.
B) The process of brain development continues through the first year after birth and then stops.
C) Extensive brain development continues after birth, through infancy and later.
D) Brain development continues after birth only among premature babies.

Question 9

The ________ pattern of growth is the developmental sequence in which growth starts at the center of the body and moves toward the extremities.

A) proximodistal
B) proximocaudal
C) cephalocaudal
D) cephalodistal

Question 10

In the brain, the ________ lobe is involved in voluntary movement, thinking, personality, and intentionality or purpose.

A) frontal
B) parietal
C) occipital
D) temporal

Question 11

One day when baby Mark was crawling around, he fell down the stairs. After the doctor examined him, Mark's parents learned that he had damaged the parietal lobe of the brain. Mark's parents were told to expect that he would have difficulty with

A) registering spatial locations.
B) processing auditory information.
C) vision.
D) initiating movement.

Question 12

Which of the following statements is true of the structure of the brain?

A) The brain has two hemispheres, and each hemisphere is divided into four lobes.
B) Speech and grammar depend on activity in the right hemisphere of the cortex.
C) Humor and the use of metaphors depend on activity in the left hemisphere of the cortex.
D) The forebrain is the portion nearest to the spinal cord.

Question 13

Which of the following technologies measures infants' brains as they are exploring the world around them?

A) positron-emission tomography (PET) scans
B) functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS)
C) brain electron sampling (BES)
D) electroencephalogram (EEG)

Question 14

Identify a disadvantage of breast feeding in the context of impoverished African countries.

A) There is risk of passing HIV to babies through breast milk if the mothers have the virus.
B) Breast milk is less hygienic than infant formula.
C) Breast feeding predominantly deteriorates the health of the mother.
D) Mothers who breast feed have a higher risk of breast and ovarian cancer.

Question 15

The ________ includes the cerebral cortex and several structures beneath it.

A) forebrain
B) hindbrain
C) midbrain
D) top brain

Question 16

In the context of the four lobes of the brain, which of the following statements is true of the occipital lobes?

A) They are involved in voluntary movement.
B) They have an active role in hearing.
C) They function in vision.
D) They play an important role in motor control.

Question 17

While scooting on the floor, baby Giovanni fell down the stairs. If he can no longer see, it is likely that the ________ lobe of his brain was damaged.

A) frontal
B) parietal
C) occipital
D) temporal

Question 18

Infants can see objects before they can control their torso, and they can use their hands long before they can crawl or walk. This would indicate that they have a ________ pattern of growth.

A) proximodistal
B) proximocaudal
C) cephalodistal
D) cephalocaudal

Question 19

While watching a football game, Martin jumped up to cheer and dropped baby Theresa to the floor. If she later has trouble with higher-order thinking, planning, problem solving, or voluntary movement, it would indicate that the ________ lobe of her brain was damaged.

A) frontal
B) parietal
C) occipital
D) temporal

Question 20

Infants control the muscles of their trunk and arms before they control their hands and fingers, and they use their whole hands before they can control several fingers. This indicates a ________ pattern of growth.

A) proximodistal
B) cephalocaudal
C) proximocaudal
D) cephalodistal

Question 21

The peak of synaptic overproduction in the ________ occurs at about the fourth postnatal month.

A) spinal cord
B) prefrontal cortex
C) visual cortex
D) parietal lobe

Question 22

________ are tiny gaps, or junctions, between neurons' fibers.

A) Dendrites
B) Myelin sheaths
C) Neurotransmitters
D) Synapses

Question 23

In the context of neurons, which of the following statements is true of the myelin sheath?

A) It is a layer of fat cells that insulates axons and helps electrical signals travel faster down the axon.
B) It is a fiber that carries signals away from the cell body of a neuron.
C) It is a fiber that carries signals toward the cell body of a neuron.
D) It releases chemicals called neurotransmitters into synapses, which are tiny gaps between neurons' fibers.

Question 24

Which of the following is involved in providing energy to neurons and aids communication?

A) perception
B) lateralization
C) myelination
D) habituation

Question 25

Which of the following is true of synaptic overproduction with respect to synaptic connections between neurons?

A) Both heredity and environment are thought to influence the timing and course of synaptic overproduction.
B) The peak of synaptic overproduction in the visual cortex occurs at about 1 year of age.
C) The peak of synaptic overproduction in the prefrontal cortex takes place at about the fourth postnatal month.
D) Synaptic overproduction does not occur in areas of the brain involved in hearing and language.

Question 26

Most neuroscientists agree that complex functions such as reading or performing music involve

A) the spinal cord.
B) only the right hemisphere of the brain.
C) both hemispheres of the brain.
D) only the left hemisphere of the brain.

Question 27

In the context of the brain's development, which of the following statements is true of lateralization?

A) It refers to the specialization of function in one hemisphere of the cerebral cortex or the other.
B) It refers to the process of encasing axons of neurons in the brain with fat cells.
C) It refers to the categorization of the areas of the brain based on ridges and valleys in the cortex.
D) It refers to the expansion of dendritic connections that facilitates the spreading of neural pathways in infant development.

Question 28

Which of the following statements is true about the specialization of function in a hemisphere of the brain?

A) Complex thinking is mostly carried out by the right hemisphere, while the left hemisphere typically deals with motor control.
B) Logical thinkers are usually "left-brained."
C) Creative thinkers are usually "right-brained."
D) Complex thinking in normal people is the outcome of communication between both hemispheres of the brain.

Question 29

When babies engage in physical activity or use language, some synaptic connections will be strengthened, while the unused ones will be replaced by other pathways or disappear. A neuroscientist would identify this process as

A) pruning.
B) myelination.
C) paring.
D) lateralization.

Question 30

In the context of the fibers that extend from a neuron's cell body, the fiber that carries signals toward the neuron's cell body is called a(n)

A) axon.
B) dendrite.
C) neurotransmitter.
D) synapse.

Question 31

Which of the following statements is true about the involvement of the left and right hemispheres of the brain in performing different functions?

A) Most neuroscientists believe that complex brain activity involves only one particular hemisphere.
B) Logical thinkers are primarily 'right-brained' because of the excessive involvement of the right hemisphere.
C) Humor and use of metaphors usually depend on activity in the right hemisphere.
D) Excessive involvement of the left hemisphere results in creative thinking.

Question 32

Which of the following is true of the prefrontal cortex of the brain?

A) It is the portion of the brain farthest from the spinal cord.
B) It covers the forebrain like a wrinkled cap.
C) It is the area of the brain where higher-level thinking and self-regulation occur.
D) It is the area of the brain that functions in vision.

Question 33

Your ability to process language in the left hemisphere of the brain and spatial thinking in the right hemisphere of the brain is called

A) linearity.
B) mastery.
C) lateralization.
D) learning.

Question 34

Which of the following statements is true of how neurons change in the first years of life?

A) Synaptic connections begin to develop only after birth.
B) Myelination begins prenatally and stops at birth.
C) The synaptic connections that are used become strengthened and survive, while the unused ones are replaced by other pathways or disappear.
D) The human brain actually needs more than twice the neural connections made in the first years of life.

Question 35

In the context of the fibers that extend from a neuron's cell body, the fiber that carries signals away from the neuron's cell body is called a(n)

A) axon.
B) dendrite.
C) neurotransmitter.
D) synapse.

Question 36

Which of the following is most likely to allow information to pass from neuron to neuron?

A) the chemical interactions in synapses that connect axons and dendrites
B) the formation of a layer of fat cells that encases many axons
C) the release of neurotransmitters into the cell body of a neuron by terminal buttons
D) the ferrying of information across neurotransmitters by a synapse

Question 37

A fall from the changing table resulted in damage to the temporal lobe of Emily's brain. Her doctor told her parents that this would most likely affect her

A) memory.
B) taste.
C) vision.
D) voluntary movement.

Question 38

When do the hemispheres of the cerebral cortex begin to specialize?

A) before birth
B) at birth
C) at seven days of age
D) around the first birthday

Question 39

________ refers to the process of encasing axons with fat cells.

A) Myelination
B) Lateralization
C) Habituation
D) Transmission

Question 40

A message in the brain is "ferried" across the synapse by a ________, which pours out information contained in chemicals when it crosses the synapse.

A) myelin sheath
B) dendrite
C) neurotransmitter
D) terminal button

Question 41

Fourteen-year-old Michael Rehbein had the left hemisphere of his brain removed to end uncontrollable seizures. His right hemisphere gradually began to reorganize and take over functions that normally occurred in the brain's left hemisphere. This case study is cited in the chapter in order to demonstrate that

A) the brain is both flexible and resilient.
B) myelination varies in different areas of the brain.
C) the effects of deprived environments on the brain are irreversible.
D) the brain can adapt and function only when whole.

Question 42

Infant nighttime waking problems have consistently been linked to

A) parental negligence with regard to sleep-related interactions with the infant.
B) extrinsic factors such as high levels of traffic noise.
C) intrinsic factors such as an alcoholic mother.
D) excessive parental involvement in sleep-related interactions with the infant.

Question 43

According to the neuroconstructivist view of brain development, ________.

A) biological processes and environmental conditions influence the brain's development
B) the brain does not have plasticity and is therefore independent of context
C) a child's cognitive development is weakly linked to the development of the brain
D) our genes determine how our brains are wired

Question 44

Which of the following statements about infants and REM sleep is true?

A) When infants are three months old, the amount of time they spend in REM sleep begins to increase.
B) Most infants spend about 70 percent of their sleeping time in REM sleep.
C) REM sleep might promote the brain's development in infancy.
D) Older adults are the only group that spends more time in REM sleep than infants.

Question 45

Which of the following is generally accepted to be the most critical factor in predicting whether an infant will develop sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS)?

A) prone sleeping
B) supine sleeping
C) perceptual-motor coupling
D) swaddling

Question 46

Amira is concerned about putting her baby on his stomach to sleep because of the risk that he might stop breathing, usually during the night, and die suddenly without an apparent cause. In other words, she is concerned about

A) shaken baby syndrome.
B) sudden infant death syndrome.
C) Down syndrome.
D) marasmus.

Question 47

Which of the following statements is true about sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS)?

A) It is the least common cause of infant deaths in the United States.
B) Its level of risk is high at 36 to 48 months of age for infants.
C) It usually occurs when infants stop breathing, usually during night, and die suddenly without any apparent reason.
D) Its level of risk is high when infants sleep on their backs, in a supine position.

Question 48

The most common infant sleep-related problem reported by parents is ________.

A) nighttime waking
B) sleepwalking
C) sudden infant death syndrome
D) choking

Question 49

Infant nighttime waking problems at one year of age predicted

A) attention deficit disorder at four years of age.
B) lower sleep efficiency at four years of age.
C) increased hyperactivity at four years of age.
D) no difference in sleep at four years of age.

Question 50

Which of the following does the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommend to reduce the risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS)?

A) Infants should be placed to sleep in the prone position.
B) Infants should be placed to sleep on their backs.
C) Infants should be placed to sleep on very soft bedding.
D) Infants should be placed to sleep in a bedroom without a fan.

Question 51

Similar to the epigenetic view, the ________ view emphasizes the importance of interactions between experience and gene expression in the brain's development.

A) neuroconstructivist
B) dynamic systems
C) genetic
D) ecological

Question 52

Identify a true statement about REM sleep in infancy.

A) Compared with non-REM sleep, a much greater amount of time is taken up by REM sleep in infancy than at any other point in the life span.
B) Compared with non-REM sleep, REM sleep is more quiet.
C) Infants often begin their sleep cycle with non-REM sleep rather than REM sleep.
D) REM sleep hinders self-stimulation in infants since they spend less time awake than do older children.

Question 53

Identify a reason why the members of the American Academy of Pediatrics Task Force on Infant Positioning and SIDS (AAPTFIPS) (2000) discourage shared sleeping.

A) They argue that infant-parent bed sharing is associated with less night waking for mothers but more for infants.
B) They argue that infant-parent bed sharing is associated with more marital distress.
C) They argue that infant-parent bed sharing might lead to sudden infant death syndrome.
D) They argue that infant-parent bed sharing leads to earlier bedtimes and shorter time to fall asleep for infants.

Question 54

According to the neuroconstructivist view of brain development, which of the following is true of the plasticity of the brain?

A) The plasticity of the brain is context dependent.
B) The plasticity of the brain is independent of experiences.
C) Interactions between experience and gene expression play a minor role in the plasticity of the brain.
D) A child's cognitive development is weakly linked to the plasticity of the brain.

Question 55

Baby Yoshi has a condition that is a risk factor for SIDS. Sometimes, she has a temporary cessation of breathing in which her airway is completely blocked, usually for 10 seconds or longer. This condition is known as

A) parasomnia.
B) arrhythmia.
C) sleep apnea.
D) catathrenia.

Question 56

How is sleep in infancy linked to cognitive development?

A) Too much sleep in infancy is connected to decreased alertness later on.
B) Lower quality of sleep at one year of age is related to lower attention regulation and behavioral issues by three to four years of age.
C) Two hours less sleep than average every night in infants increases cognitive function by three to four years of age.
D) If babies do not get good enough sleep during infancy, their brains will completely stop developing.

Question 57

Who is at the highest risk of SIDS?

A) Malachi who is four weeks old
B) Tyrell who is six weeks old
C) Chaz who is three months old
D) Isaiah who is ten months old

Question 58

Which of the following is true of the factors that are linked to sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS)?

A) Breast feeding is linked to a lower incidence of SIDS.
B) SIDS is less likely to occur in infants who do not use a pacifier when they go to sleep than in those who do use a pacifier.
C) Infants whose siblings have died of SIDS are unlikely to die of it.
D) SIDS is less common when infants and parents share the same bed.

Question 59

According to neuroscientists, which of the following is true of how the brain is wired or rewired?

A) Repeated experience is what wires the brain or rewires it.
B) Genes solely determine how the brain is wired or rewired.
C) Environmental conditions solely determine how the brain is wired or rewired.
D) The wiring of the brain remains constant as its plasticity is dictated by heredity.

Question 60

From an evolutionary perspective, which of the following is true of sleep?

A) Sleep plays a minor role in brain plasticity.
B) Sleep is essential to clearing out waste in neural tissues.
C) Synaptic connections between neurons decrease during sleep.
D) Sleep hinders the consolidation of memories.

Question 61

Identify an outcome, which is supported by research, for infants who are breast fed when compared with bottle-fed infants.

A) Breast-fed infants have higher rates of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) than bottle-fed infants.
B) Breast-fed infants are less likely to develop type 1 diabetes in childhood than bottle-fed infants.
C) Breast-fed infants have better cardiovascular health than bottle-fed infants.
D) The cognitive development of breast-fed infants is higher than that of bottle-fed infants.

Question 62

Whenever baby Beth hears a loud noise, she responds with the ________ reflex, where she arches her back, throws back her head, flings out her arms and legs, and then rapidly closes her arms and legs.

A) Moro
B) rooting
C) grasping
D) fencing

Question 63

Kyle and Amy want their baby to walk early. In order to accomplish that, they take the baby's favorite toy and place it where the child cannot reach it from a crawling position. Kyle and Amy believe that this will motivate the baby to stand upright to retrieve the toy and will, thus, result in him walking sooner. Their belief is most consistent with the ________ systems view of development.

A) maturational
B) evolutionary
C) static
D) dynamic

Question 64

Donna's doctor recommends that she breast feed her newborn. Research conclusively indicates that breast feeding has several positive outcomes for the mother, including a

A) speedy return to prepregnancy weight.
B) reduced risk of osteoporosis.
C) reduction in the incidence of ovarian cancer.
D) reduced incidence of postpartum depression.

Question 65

________ are built-in reactions to stimuli; they govern a newborn's movements, which are automatic and beyond the newborn's control.

A) Instincts
B) Reflexes
C) Impulses
D) Urges

Question 66

Developmentalist Arnold Gesell proposed that motor development comes about through

A) repeated experiences.
B) the unfolding of a genetic plan.
C) positive reinforcement.
D) a conducive environment.

Question 67

In the context of the milestones in motor skills development in infants, which of the following is true of the first year?

A) A smaller size at birth is the aspect of pregnancy and delivery with the strongest link to reaching motor milestones earlier.
B) Some infants do not follow the standard sequence of motor accomplishments.
C) Breast feeding has no link to reaching the milestones earlier.
D) In the first year of life, infants are motorically skilled and mobile.

Question 68

The view of development that sees motor skills development as a solution to an infant's problems is known as ________ systems theory.

A) dynamic
B) maturational
C) static
D) environmental

Question 69

Which of the following statements is true of the development of posture?

A) Postural control is a static process that is linked with sensory information in the skin, joints, and muscles.
B) Newborn infants can voluntarily control their posture.
C) Postural control is required for gross motor skills to develop.
D) Locomotion and postural control are independent of each other.

Question 70

Which of the following statements is true of the outcomes for women who breast feed their infants?

A) Conclusive evidence shows that women who breast feed their infants have a higher incidence of metabolic syndrome in midlife.
B) Consistent evidence indicates a lower incidence of breast cancer in women who breast feed their infants.
C) Evidence indicates reduced rates of osteoporosis in women who breast feed their infants.
D) Evidence shows decreased risk of postpartum depression in women who breast feed their infants.

Question 71

In the context of the debate over whether breast feeding is better for an infant than bottle feeding, which of the following is true?

A) The growing consensus is that breast feeding is better for the infant's health.
B) The majority of doctors are in favor of bottle feeding.
C) Breast feeding is better for bonding between mother and infant, whereas bottle feeding is better for the baby's health.
D) There are no differences in health outcomes for babies who are breast fed and babies who are bottle fed.

Question 72

Which of the following is true of breast feeding with regard to overweight infants?

A) If complementary foods are introduced after breast feeding, the risk of obesity increases by approximately 20 percent in breast-fed infants.
B) Breast-fed infants are more likely to become overweight or obese in adulthood.
C) Compared with bottle-fed infants, breast-fed infants have more gastrointestinal infections that can lead to obesity.
D) Breast-fed infants have lower rates of weight gain than bottle-fed infants in childhood and adolescence.

Question 73

________ motor skills are skills that involve large-muscle activities, such as moving one's arms and walking.

A) Fine
B) Gross
C) Learned
D) Major

Question 74

________ is a dynamic process that is linked with sensory information in the skin, joints, and muscles, which tell us where we are in space; in vestibular organs in the inner ear that regulate balance and equilibrium; and in vision and hearing.

A) Posture
B) Cognitive development
C) Alignment
D) Reflexive behavior

Question 75

According to dynamic systems theory, ________.

A) infants assemble motor skills for perceiving and acting
B) infants' perception and action are disconnected
C) motor development comes about through the unfolding of a genetic plan
D) infants fine-tune their movements before they perceive something in their environment

Question 76

Which of the following statements about reflexes is true?

A) Reflexive behavior is identical among babies.
B) Some reflexes persist through life.
C) All reflexes have survival value today.
D) All newborn reflexes disappear a few months after birth.

Question 77

When Martha wants to feed her newborn son, she gently brushes her nipple against his cheek and, in the ________ reflex, he turns his head toward the side that was touched and immediately latches onto her breast.

A) Moro
B) sucking
C) rooting
D) grasping

Question 78

Which of the following reflexes is most likely to occur when something touches an infant's palms?

A) the grasping reflex
B) the rooting reflex
C) the sucking reflex
D) the Moro reflex

Question 79

Clara, a one-year-old baby, recently started walking. According to research, we would also expect her to

A) show an increase in language development due to interaction with more objects.
B) be safer because she is more in control of her relationship with her environment.
C) make life easier for her parents now that she can walk.
D) show less egocentrism since she is now able to get around on her own.

Question 80

Which of the following statements is true about circumstances when mothers should not breast feed their infants?

A) Mothers should not breast feed when they are infected with HIV.
B) Mothers who are above 35 years of age should not breast feed their infants.
C) Mothers who have type 2 diabetes should not breast feed their infants.
D) Mothers should not breast feed if they have a physical disability.