Chapter 02: Theories of Human Development
1. A theory guides all of the following EXCEPT
a.
what is most important to study.
b.
what can be hypothesized about.
c.
how many times an issue should be studied.
d.
how an issue should be studied.
2. With regard to the nature-nurture debate, a strong believer in nature would suggest that
a.
environmental influences are more important than genetic makeup in determining human behavior.
b.
maturation forces are more influential than environmental experiences in determining human behavior.
c.
teaching and enrichment of the environment are often more influential than genetics in determining human
behavior.
d.
humans are basically good.
3. Because Dr. Patel falls on the “nurture” side of the nature-nurture controversy, she is most likely to believe that
a.
if infants are given normal opportunities to move about, their motor skills will naturally unfold in a universal
sequence.
b.
teachers’ expectations for their students’ success will have little effect on how they actually achieve.
c.
while a child’s experiences in school will have an impact on his or her intellectual development, what the child
is “born with” matters more.
d.
a mother’s care can greatly impact the development of a child.
4. A parent who falls on the “activity” side of the “activity-passivity” issue is most likely to believe that
a.
if a child is aggressive, the parents were not active enough in parenting.
b.
if new skills are not regularly used, they will disappear.
c.
we are naturally more active when young and become more passive with age.
d.
children play an important role in shaping their own development.
5. Lindsey argues that she is not responsible for any of her bad behavior as she is driven by biological and environmental
factors over which she has no control. This belief best exemplifies the _____ position on development.
a.
discontinuity
b.
continuity
c.
passivity
d.
activity
6. Jerome believes that development proceeds through a series of developmental stages, each of which represents distinct
changes. He might best be called a(n) _____ theorist.
a.
discontinuity
b.
learning
c.
activity
d.
context-specificity
7. Qualitative changes are best thought of as changes in _____, while quantitative changes are best thought of as changes
in _____.
a.
amount; type
b.
size; shape
c.
kind; degree
d.
continuity; discontinuity
8. The universality-context-specificity issue is concerned with whether
a.
we all follow the same or different developmental paths.
b.
environmental or biological factors are more influential in development.
c.
we pass through abrupt developmental stages or develop in small, gradual steps.
d.
we all participate in our developmental outcomes or not.
9. The statement, “change is different from person to person because cultures differ from person to person,” best fits with
the _____ approach to development.
a.
discontinuity
b.
passivity
c.
context-specificc
d.
universality
10. Marcus believes that his daughter Anita acts the way she does because of the unconscious workings of her mind. This
belief best matches with the _____ theory of development.
a.
cognitive-developmental
b.
contextual
c.
behavioral
d.
psychoanalytic
11. According to Freud, the primary mission of the ego is to
a.
help the child learn right from wrong.
b.
raise the child’s self-esteem.
c.
help the child find realistic ways to get needs met.
d.
provide for immediate gratification.
12. Lisa and Lyle both want to stay up past their bedtimes to watch a show on TV. When their parents say “No,” Lisa
throws a fit, while Lyle says, “Please? I’ll brush my teeth and get into PJs so that I can just pop into bed the minute the
show is over!” From a Freudian perspective, Lisa is responding from her _____, while Lyle is communicating through his
_____.
a.
id; ego
b.
ego; superego
c.
id; superego
d.
ego; id
13. After her mother says, “No, you may not eat any cookies” Sandra takes some cookies from the cookie jar and eats
them when her mother isn’t looking. Later, she feels bad because she knows this was not a good thing to do. Sandra’s
attitude indicates that her
a.
id is in control.
b.
ability to delay gratification is strong.
c.
superego is reasonably well developed.
d.
logic includes the concept of stagnation.
14. The Oedipus complex is successfully resolved through the process of
a.
regression.
b.
identification.
c.
reaction formation.
d.
projection.
15. To control anxiety, the ego is most likely to
a.
fulfill all of the id’s desires.
b.
turn over control to the superego.
c.
progress through different psychosexual stages.
d.
adopt defense mechanisms.
16. Brynn is three years old. She has been out of diapers for over a year. When her mother comes home from the hospital
with a new baby brother, Brynn begins to suck her thumb and wet the bed at night. According to Freud, Brynn is
experiencing
a.
reaction formation.
b.
regression.
c.
repression.
d.
sublimation.
17. Which defense mechanism involves removing unacceptable thoughts from consciousness?
a.
Reaction formation
b.
Projection
c.
Regression
d.
Repression
18. A reasonable criticism of Freudian psychoanalytic theory is that it puts too little emphasis on the
a.
biological instincts or urges that underlie behavior.
b.
collection of hard data to support his findings.
c.
emotional side of development.
d.
effects of early life experiences on development.
19. One strength of Freud’s approach to development is his description of how
a.
early experience can influence later development.
b.
children learn through observation.
c.
reinforcement and punishment determine behavior.
d.
conscious motivations underlie most decision-making.
20. In comparison to Freud, Erikson placed greater emphasis on
a.
infantile sexuality.
b.
development after adolescence.
c.
operant conditioning principles.
d.
biological determinants of behavior.
21. Erikson’s theory is different from Freud’s because it
a.
places greater emphasis on biological influences.
b.
describes development in terms of stages.
c.
focuses on possibilities for growth beyond adolescence.
d.
involves the resolution of crises.
22. Maya has recently given birth to a healthy baby boy, Jason. Whenever Jason cries, Maya goes to him, tries to figure
out the reason for his crying, and then promptly does all she can to meet his needs. According to Erikson’s theory, Jason is
well on his way toward mastering the conflict of
a.
autonomy versus shame and doubt.
b.
initiative versus guilt.
c.
industry versus inferiority.
d.
trust versus mistrust.
23. The preschool-aged child is typically in which of Erikson’s psychosocial stages?
a.
Intimacy versus isolation
b.
Identity versus role confusion
c.
Initiative versus guilt
d.
Integrity versus despair
24. Rather than a sense of inferiority, eight-year-old Zeke has developed a sense of mastery in all his academic endeavors.
Erikson would say that Zeke has a strong sense of
a.
generativity.
b.
integrity.
c.
autonomy
d.
industry.
25. Jiao is 15 years old. She spends countless hours alone and in conversation with her peers trying to figure out what it is
she wants to do with her life. Jiao is in which of the following of Erikson’s psychosocial stages?
a.
Identity versus role confusion
b.
Industry versus inferiority
c.
Initiative versus guilt
d.
Intimacy versus isolation
26. Which question provides the best example of the concept of generativity versus stagnation?
a.
Will my work benefit the next generation?
b.
Do I know who I am?
c.
Should I get married?
d.
Will my choice of college major lead to a career in which I will make a lot of money?
27. Ruth is 80 years old and terminally ill with cancer. As she reflects back on her life, she comes to the conclusion that
she has lived a full and productive life, and that it could not have been better lived in any other way. Ruth has successfully
mastered the developmental task of
a.
intimacy versus isolation.
b.
generativity versus stagnation.
c.
industry versus inferiority.
d.
integrity versus despair.
28. Miguel is currently questioning himself. Which question would indicate that Miguel is currently in Erikson’s integrity
versus despair stage of life?
a.
Can I raise happy children?
b.
Should I marry Luisa?
c.
Has my life been worthwhile?
d.
Will my job as a comedian help the younger generation?
29. Which of the following is a key criticism of Erikson’s theory of personality development?
a.
He is pessimistic regarding one’s ability to overcome problems that have their roots in early childhood
experiences.
b.
He portrays adulthood as a period of little growth and change.
c.
His theory is rather vague and difficult to test.
d.
His theory focuses too strongly on formal operations in thinking.
30. Watson believed that
a.
most children progress through a predictable series of stages that are programmed by biological maturation.
b.
children have many inborn tendencies.
c.
how a person turns out depends entirely on the environment in which he or she grows up.
d.
elements of the unconscious mind are responsible for moral thought.
31. When describing her theory of development, Candice says, “The basic idea is that I take a stimulus that at first has no
effect on an individual. Then I pair that stimulus with a second stimulus that does elicit some response. After the two have
been paired together a few times, I test to see if the initial stimulus now elicits a response similar to the one elicited by the
second stimulus.” Given this description, Candice would be best classified as a(n) _____ conditioning theorist.
a.
operant
b.
instrumental
c.
social
d.
classical
32. An unconditioned stimulus is best described as a(n)
a.
learned behavior acquired through conditioning.
b.
event that automatically leads to a response.
c.
unconscious motivation involving the id and ego.
d.
experience that leads to a relatively permanent change in behavior.
33. Watson and Raynor’s experiment is important because it demonstrated that
a.
infants are unable to learn.
b.
humans cannot be classically conditioned.
c.
fear can be learned.
d.
operant conditioning is more important than classical conditioning.
34. The basic premise of operant conditioning is that
a.
most learning occurs when a person mimics an observed model.
b.
learning takes place over a series of qualitatively different stages.
c.
the consequences that follow a behavior impact the likelihood of the behavior being repeated.
d.
pairing a neutral stimulus with an unconditioned stimulus will lead to a conditioned stimulus.
35. In operant conditioning terms, a positive consequence is to a negative consequence as
a.
good is to bad.
b.
adding is to removing.
c.
reinforcement is to punishment.
d.
operant is to classical.
36. Joy comes home from work exhausted and is surprised to find that her daughter, Michelle, has set the table and started
dinner. Joy is thrilled. She praises Michelle and spends an extra half-hour reading with her before bed (something that
Michelle likes). The same thing happens the next day, and soon this has become a daily event. This is an example of
a.
classical conditioning.
b.
observational learning.
c.
operant conditioning.
d.
modeling.
37. After Davio brings home a report card with all As, his parents (who want to make sure this behavior continues in the
future) give him a new car (something that he really wanted). It appears that Davio’s parents are attempting to use _____
to keep his grades up.
a.
positive reinforcement
b.
negative reinforcement
c.
positive punishment
d.
negative punishment
38. Chenelle wants her daughter Lisa to improve her study skills. How could Chenelle use positive reinforcement to
achieve this goal?
a.
She could give Lisa candy (something Lisa likes) every time she studies.
b.
She could take candy from Lisa (something Lisa likes) every time Lisa does not study.
c.
She could give Lisa spinach for dinner (something Lisa hates) every time she studies.
d.
She could take spinach (something Lisa hates) from Lisa’s dinner every time she studies.
39. In operant conditioning terms, _____ occurs when something unpleasant is removed and the result is an increased
response rate.
a.
positive reinforcement
b.
negative reinforcement
c.
positive punishment
d.
negative punishment
40. Inez tells her daughter Rosa, “I will stop this nagging, which you find unpleasant, as soon as you clean your room
today and continue to clean it in the future.” This description indicates that Inez is trying to use
a.
positive reinforcement.
b.
negative reinforcement.
c.
positive punishment.
d.
negative punishment.
41. In operant conditioning terms, a negative consequence
a.
reinforces an action.
b.
punishes an action.
c.
occurs when something is removed.
d.
occurs when something is added.
42. In operant conditioning terms, _____ occurs when something unpleasant is added and the result is a decreased
response rate.
a.
positive reinforcement
b.
negative reinforcement
c.
positive punishment
d.
negative punishment
43. Rhondella really likes jewelry. Her parents want Rhondella to stop talking on the phone every night after school. In
order to accomplish this task, they take away her new watch and tell her that she will lose more jewelry if she does not
decrease her phone use. In this situation, Rhondella’s parents are attempting to use _____ to alter her behavior.
a.
positive reinforcement
b.
negative reinforcement
c.
positive punishment
d.
negative punishment
44. In operant conditioning, which statement best exemplifies the process of extinction?
a.
Just do it.
b.
Just keep the rewards coming.
c.
Just ignore it.
d.
Just keep the punishments coming.
45. How did Bandura demonstrate the existence of “observational learning” in the famous “Bobo” doll study?
a.
He showed that children would model an adult they saw in a film.
b.
He showed that children scared by a loud noise would cry when they heard a bell.
c.
He showed that boys liked dolls as much as girls.
d.
He showed that children regress when they know a new sibling is about to be born.
46. Olga goes along with her brother Gustav to his gymnastics class and watches closely while he works on the balance
beam. One day, Olga’s mom finds her out in the back yard, with a board spread across two big boxes, doing some of the
same maneuvers that she has seen Gustav do in class. This is an example of
a.
observational learning.
b.
operant conditioning.
c.
passivity.
d.
formal operations.
47. Hector is watching his first soccer match on television. Despite the fact that he has learned to kick the ball like the
players while watching the event, he does not demonstrate this skill in his backyard later that afternoon. Bandura would
refer to this situation as demonstrating
a.
repression.
b.
classical conditioning.
c.
identification.
d.
latent learning.
48. What is vicarious reinforcement?
a.
When a person’s behavior changes based on consequences received directly
b.
When a person’s behavior changes based on consequences that happen to an observed model
c.
When a person’s behavior changes based on the influence of a collective unconscious
d.
When a person’s behavior changes based on the effect of inborn, unfolding genetic factors
49. Self-efficacy is best defined as
a.
feeling great about who you are.
b.
the belief that you can effectively accomplish a specific outcome.
c.
the ability to make fun of one’s self.
d.
your self-concept concerning gender, intellect, and sexual orientation.
50. Reciprocal determinism refers to a continuous back and forth interaction between
a.
a want and a desire.
b.
genes and environmental experience.
c.
a person, his or her behavior, and the environment.
d.
a reinforcement and a consequence.
51. What is a common criticism of learning approaches to human development?
a.
Placing too little emphasis on genetic factors
b.
Failing to account for the fact that experiences appear to affect behavior
c.
Placing too much emphasis on unconscious factors
d.
Failing to describe any types of consequences that influence development
52. Constructivism proposes that children learn best
a.
by doing.
b.
when an adult completes a task for them.