Chapter 13: Social Cognition and Moral Development
1. Zola puts her toys away in the toy chest and goes to eat dinner. Her brother, unbeknownst to her, decides to take all of
her toys and put them under his bed. As a child who has a theory of mind, when Zola returns after dinner, she will
a.
look for her toys in the toy chest.
b.
look for her toys where her brother has hidden them.
c.
not remember anything about her toys.
d.
try to think of where her brother likes to hide things.
2. While watching her friend Veronica picking out a dress, Rosa thinks to herself, “I know that Veronica really likes to
look nice and impress the boys. I bet she will pick out a very sexy outfit.” Rosa’s thoughts indicate that she possesses
a.
postconventional moral thought.
b.
a morality of justice.
c.
joint attention.
d.
a theory of mind.
3. In a study using the false belief task with four-year-olds of average intelligence, four-year-olds with Down syndrome,
and slightly older children with autism, Baron-Cohen found that
a.
b.
c.
d.
4. Why do autistic children have difficulty passing the false belief task?
a.
They lack the general intelligence.
b.
They lack the linguistic skills.
c.
They lack a theory of mind.
d.
They engage in too many stereotyped movements.
5. At or before nine months of age, most children begin to _____. This activity is one of the earliest milestones in
developing a theory of mind.
a.
delay gratification
b.
show prosocial behavior
c.
engage in joint attention
d.
recognize themselves in a mirror
6. Jaycee, who is two years old, loves cupcakes and hates fruit pie. She has observed that her mother hates cupcakes and
loves fruit pies. If Jaycee were handed a plate with a piece of pie and a different plate with a cupcake, and was asked to
give one to her mother, she would most likely
a.
hand mom the pie.
b.
hand mom the cupcake.
c.
hand mom both plates.
d.
keep both plates for herself.
7. Someone with a belief-desire psychology understands that
a.
people do not always hold accurate beliefs, but these beliefs still influence behavior.
b.
beliefs accurately reflect what we desire.
c.
desires shape our behavior.
d.
people develop accurate beliefs based on interactions with others.
8. Pedro has just come to realize that while his dad, Carlos, believes that the Mets are the best professional baseball team,
his uncle Alex feels just as strongly that the Yankees are the best team. The realization that two people can have different
opinions indicates that Pedro possesses
a.
belief-psychology.
b.
preconventional morality.
c.
power assertion.
d.
joint attention.
9. Which neurological component has been implicated in the development of a theory of mind?
a.
Mirror neurons
b.
Glial cells
c.
amygdala
d.
hypothalamus
10. Mirror neurons are activated when a person
a.
sees someone doing an action they have previously performed .
b.
says what someone else is thinking.
c.
engages in an activity witnessed the previous day.
d.
sees and speaks a word at the same time.
11. Davis was born deaf to deaf parents who signed to him at an early age. How would this be most likely to affect his
acquisition of a theory of mind?
a.
He would show slightly slower development than that of a sensory-normal child.
b.
He would show a similar development as that of a Down syndrome child.
c.
He would show a similar development as that of an autistic child.
d.
He would show similar development to that of a sensory-normal child.
12. What is the most effective way a parent can help instill theory of mind skills in his or her child?
a.
Utilize coercive discipline.
b.
Encourage the child to consider others’ feelings.
c.
Discourage empathy.
d.
Avoid engaging in joint attention.
13. How would a typical four-year-old most likely describe his sister?
a.
“She is kind of is moody.”
b.
“She eats corn flakes.”
c.
“She is a good friend.”
d.
“Everyone says she’s smart.”
14. Which is the most developmentally advanced description of a friend?
a.
“He is a really good dancer.”
b.
“He has a cool car and rides around a lot.”
c.
“He buys me ice cream because he’s generous.”
d.
“He is tall, hairy, and smells like smoke.”
15. Which is the LEAST developmentally advanced description of a friend?
a.
“He has a big head and blue eyes.”
b.
“He is pretty good at math.”
c.
“He is so smart that everyone likes him.”
d.
“He sometimes is nice and other times is mean.”
16. What important advance in social cognition generally occurs at age 11 or 12?
a.
Children begin to describe others in terms of the activities they engage in.
b.
Children begin to describe others in terms of inner psychological traits and characteristics.
c.
Children begin to attempt to explain why people do what they do.
d.
Children begin to focus heavily on others’ physical appearance in their descriptions of them.
17. Which provides the best example of a perspective-taking skill?
a.
Understanding that the person across the table has beliefs in direct opposition to yours.
b.
Believing that your position on an issue is the most accurate.
c.
Realizing that an object hidden in one place may have been moved to another place.
d.
Deciding that the most moral decisions are ones in which you personally benefit.
18. Georgia sees her friend Bill running down the street. Without warning, Bill falls flat on his face. While Georgia finds
this funny, she does not laugh because she knows that Bill does not find this funny. In not laughing, Georgia is
demonstrating
a.
egocentrism.
b.
role-taking skills.
c.
morality of justice.
d.
prosocial behavior.
19. Which of the following is true regarding the development of role-taking skills?
a.
It is not until at least age 20 that people are able to include a mental perspective of some “generalized other.”
b.
By age four, most children understand that parents may not think the way they do.
c.
Concrete-operational thinkers are capable of simultaneously considering several different points of view.
d.
Considering a situation from different points of view increases the quality of social relationships.
20. The best description of the development of social cognitive skills during adulthood is,
a.
“if you use it, you will lose it.”
b.
“a time of steady decline.”
c.
“more gains than losses.”
d.
“a dramatic shift from postconventional to conventional.”
21. Which of the following is an example of the emotional component of morality?
a.
Knowing that you made the right decision in a difficult situation
b.
Feeling good about giving money to charity
c.
Taking some food from the cafeteria without paying for it
d.
Jumping up and down in joy after you win the lottery
22. Dawn wanted a doll but didn’t have money to buy one. At the mall, when she thought no one was looking, Dawn
slipped one into her bag and left without paying for it. Later, when she was playing with it, Dawn found she wasn’t
enjoying herself and felt bad that she had stolen the toy. Taking the doll from the store represents the _____ component of
morality, while the fact that Dawn felt badly represents the _____ component of morality.
a.
emotional; cognitive
b.
behavioral; emotional
c.
cognitive; emotional
d.
behavioral; cognitive
23. Empathy refers to
a.
vicariously experiencing another’s feelings.
b.
reading minds.
c.
being able to resist temptation.
d.
knowing that someone holds a false belief.
24. Who is experiencing an empathic response?
a.
Lily, who is depressed because she lost her job
b.
Hector, who feels bad that he did not give money to a street person
c.
Priya, who cries watching a mother talk about losing her son to gang violence
d.
Bao, who is excited about going on his first date
25. Which of the following best exemplifies prosocial behavior?
a.
Doing chores to earn allowance
b.
Driving no faster than the speed limit
c.
Getting homework done on time
d.
Stopping to help a stranger change a flat tire
26. Which theoretical perspective tends to focus the most attention on the development of moral reasoning?
a.
Psychoanalytic
b.
Social learning
c.
Classical conditioning
d.
Cognitive developmental
27. Cognitive developmental theorists tend to view moral reasoning as involving
a.
the progression through an invariant sequence of ways of thinking.
b.
a set of behaviors acquired through observation.
c.
a battle between id, ego, and superego.
d.
a genetic predisposition toward helping that is based on the evolutionary need to survive.
28. According to Piaget, the moral reasoning of children ages 6 to 10 emphasizes
a.
religious teachings.
b.
intentions.
c.
parental beliefs.
d.
outcomes.
29. According to Piaget, around age 10 or 11, children begin to view rules as
a.
moral absolutes.
b.
universal.
c.
agreements among individuals.
d.
more important than intent.
30. Kohlberg’s theory of moral development claims that
a.
regression from a higher to a lower stage of moral reasoning is quite common.
b.
through an exploration of moral dilemmas, it is possible to teach someone to skip over the lower stages of
moral development.
c.
the sequence of stages one goes through may vary from one culture to another.
d.
a person’s stage of moral development is determined by the person’s thoughts, rather than his or her actions.
31. Macy really wants the cool new jacket she has just seen in the store, but doesn’t have enough money to buy it. She
thinks about stealing the jacket but decides that while stealing is not wrong, she might get punished if she is caught.
Macy’s moral reasoning appears to be at Kohlberg’s _____ level.
a.
preconventional
b.
conventional
c.
postconventional
d.
unconventional
32. Which statement provides the best example of the morality of instrumental hedonism?
a.
Doing evil is fun.
b.
Wrong is always wrong.
c.
I steal for you, you steal for me.
d.
The law determines right from wrong.
33. Which of the following would Kohlberg consider the LEAST sophisticated stage of moral thinking?
a.
Authority and social order-maintaining morality
b.
Morality of contract, individual rights, and democratically accepted law
c.
Morality of individual principles of conscience
d.
Instrumental hedonism
34. An individual who is at Kohlberg’s conventional level of moral development is most likely to
a.
do anything to avoid being punished.
b.
do something nice for someone so that the individual will be rewarded in return.
c.
ignore the intent of an act and focus on its impact.
d.
behave in ways that earn the approval and avoid the disapproval of others.
35. Which statement reflects Kohlberg’s conventional morality?
a.
Do your own thing.
b.
It’s me against the world.
c.
Rules are made to be broken.
d.
Buckle up, it’s the law.
36. Which statement is the best example of postconventional moral reasoning?
a.
While it may be legally wrong, it is morally right.
b.
Depending on what I get out of the deal, it may be right.
c.
My intent is to be nice.
d.
Rules are not meant to be broken.
37. Sanjay refuses to pay income tax because he believes that the government uses tax revenue to support war efforts, and
he doesn’t believe that violence is an acceptable way to solve problems. He is willing to go to jail for his belief. Sanjay is
best classified as being in Kohlberg’s _____ level of moral development.
a.
premoral
b.
preconventional
c.
conventional
d.
postconventional
38. Kohlberg’s highest stage of moral reasoning involves
a.
authority and social order-maintaining morality.
b.
individual rights and democratically accepted law.
c.
individual principles of conscience.
d.
instrumental hedonism.
39. Regarding Kohlberg’s theory of moral development, which of the following is particularly instrumental in promoting
movement from one level of moral development to the next?
a.
perspective-taking
b.
object permanence
c.
theory of mind
d.
disengagement
40. Mr. Acosta’s son Jose is a menace. He is cruel to animals and often shoplifts. In attempting to explain Jose’s morals,
Mr. Acosta says, “I think that his moral habits were learned by watching bad television shows.” Mr. Acosta’s comments
are best associated with the _____ view concerning moral behavior.
a.
psychodynamic
b.
evolutionary
c.
social learning theory
d.
cognitive developmental
41. Winston sees his brother steal a pack of gum from the drug store and get away with it. The next time Winston goes to
the drug store, he steals a pack of gum. According to the _____ perspective on moral development, Winston’s behavior is
the result of _____.
a.
psychoanalytic; observational learning
b.
cognitive developmental; an underdeveloped superego
c.
social learning; observational learning
d.
psychoanalytic; a weak ego
42. Moral disengagement
a.
tends to only be found in individuals with conduct disorders.
b.
allows a person to justify his or her own immoral behavior.
c.
is a basic component of the theory of mind.
d.
is found exclusively in premoral thinkers.
43. Ira has just stolen a purse from a woman on the subway. He then says to himself, “If that woman really wanted her
purse, she would have held it closer to her body.” This statement provides a good example of
a.
morality of justice.
b.
moral disengagement.
c.
autonomous morality.
d.
power assertion.
44. Evolutionary theorists have argued that it is in our genetic self-interest to be altruistic because
a.
it perfectly matches the premise of survival of the fittest.
b.
helping our kin may allow our genes to be passed along.
c.
the more we help, the better spouse we will attain.
d.
chromosome 13 has been found to have a specific “helping gene.”
45. Children as young as _____ have been shown to display visible signs of distress when they violate some standard of
behavior.
a.
newborns
b.
two years old
c.
four years old
d.
six years old
46. Which piece of advice would be LEAST effective for a parent trying to foster moral development in a toddler?
a.
Discuss the toddler’s behavior openly with them.
b.
Express your feelings.
c.
Minimize the results of a child’s actions.
d.
Establish a positive and cooperative relationship with the child.
47. How do newborns demonstrate a sense of empathy?
a.
They become distressed when other infants cry.
b.
They look at objects that their parents are looking at.
c.
They prefer to be held by other children versus an adult.
d.
They pass the false belief task.
48. When two-year-old Simoné sees her friend start to cry when his ice cream cone falls to the ground, she walks over and
hands him her cone. In performing this act, Simoné is demonstrating
a.
amoral behavior.
b.
postconventional morality.
c.
spirituality.
d.
empathy.
49. Turiel made a distinction between “moral” rules and “social-conventional” rules. Which statement best exemplifies the
concept of a moral rule?
a.
Don’t run in the halls.
b.
Don’t take things that don’t belong to you.
c.
Don’t chew gum in school.
d.
Don’t sneak snacks into the movie theater.
50. Sitting in your assigned seat in school is best classified as a
a.
moral rule.
b.
prosocial behavior.
c.
social-conventional rule.
d.
mutually responsive orientation.
51. Carlos believes that rules such as “don’t hit” are more important than “don’t eat food in the living room.” If Carlos is a
normally developing child, what is the earliest age at which he would have come to such a conclusion?
a.
2 years
b.
6 years
c.
10 years
d.
14 years
52. Every time his daughter Morgan swears (something he does not like), Lou walks away from her (pays her no
attention). This strategy provides a good example of the _____ parental approach.
a.
power assertion
b.
induction
c.
love withdrawal
d.
empathy