Which of the following approaches is more widely advocated as an effective way for
schools to address the problem of bullying?
a. zero tolerance policies
b. school wide positive behavior supports
c. counseling for parents of children who bully and children who are bullied
d. punitive approaches to antisocial behavior
At age five, most children still struggle with:
a. reflecting upon events and looking for causes.
b. focusing their attention on a learning task.
c. adding new information to information already stored in their memory.
d. expressing their ideas and asking questions.
Christina’s mother repeatedly reminds her to keep her elbows off the table while eating.
What is Christina’s mother using to teach her daughter proper etiquette?
a. social conventions
b. theory of mind
c. moral imperatives
d. inductive discipline
Developmental systems theories are general perspectives on development, heredity, and
evolution. What do they emphasize?
a. Critical periods of development that depend on the plasticity of the brain
b. Developmental influences of nature over nurture
c. Interactions and coactions among developmental influences
d. Developmental influences of nurture over nature
Barton struggled the first time he tried to figure the amount of tax he should charge
when he sells one of his birdhouses. But he used his knowledge and figured out steps to
take in a sequence that is now automatic for him. According to Sternberg’s theory of
intelligence, what type of intelligence is Barton demonstrating?
a. spatial intelligence
b. creative intelligence
c. crystallized intelligence
d. fluid cognition
The rapidly growing system that build children’s immunity to infectious disease in early
childhood is
a. the system of muscle mass.
b. the lymphoid system.
c. the reproductive system.
d. the respiratory system.
Macie and her friends are playing a board game that can take hours to play. The girls
only have one hour to play on this particular day and decide to change the rules to finish
the game faster. To them, the most important thing is that they all agree on the new
rules. Based on Piaget’s theory of moral development, what stage is exhibited by Macie
and her friends?
a. moral relativism
b. equality
c. preconventional
d. moral realism
Typically, girls born with congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH):
a. are infertile unless they have surgery later in life.
b. are more masculine in their behaviors compared to other girls.
c. are overly feminine in their behaviors due to such high levels of estrogen.
d. have a lower activity level compared to other girls.
Corey says to himself, “I feel good about myself. I”m a really good soccer player
compared to the other players on my team. Coach says I”m doing great.” Corey is
demonstrating:
a. self-esteem.
b. collective self-esteem.
c. self-concept.
d. Erikson’s notion of “industry”.
A zygote with an extra chromosome is associated with which of the following
abnormalities?
a. Down syndrome
b. Absence of limbs
c. Color blindness
d. Turner’s syndrome
Researchers who emphasize the role of biology in observed gender differences now
believe that males show some advantages over females in terms of:
a. self-sacrificing.
b. spatial reasoning.
c. nurturing.
d. avoiding conflict.
Who is at greater risk of unintended pregnancy the first time they have sexual relations?
a. adolescents who receive comprehensive sex education
b. girls around the age of 16
c. adolescents who take a virginity pledge
d. adolescents from single parent homes
Researchers have studied differences in boys’ and girls’ perceptions of confidence.
Based on their findings, which child or children fit the gender stereotypes?
a. Brenden, a boy, believes he is a good reader.
b. Mario, a boy, believes he is good in math.
c. Daylena, a girl, and Stefano, a boy, believe they are equal in math.
d. Carlotta, a girl, believes she is good in sports.
According to our text authors, what are the three broad domains of development?
a. Personality, social reasoning, and temperament
b. Physical, cognitive, and social emotional
c. Height, weight, and age
d. Thinking, cognition, and reasoning
Colleen can understand all of the following sentences. Which one of the sentences
represents new language development for a child during middle childhood?
a. Hold up fingers to show me how old you are.
b. What are you holding in your right hand?
c. Think of the sound a dog makes and try to sound like a dog.
d. Watch him lift the timber. He’s an ox.
It is perfectly normal and parents should not be concerned when:
a. their four-year-old daughter eats 1600 calories per day.
b. their child’s appetite decreases from ages 2 to 6.
c. their four-year-old son decreases his daily protein intake by 30%.
d. their four-year-old son’s milk consumption increases to five cups a day.
Which of the following is a limitation of children during Piaget’s concrete operations
stage of development?
a. Most children cannot yet reason about hypothetical problems that involve
simultaneously coordinating numerous factors.
b. Most children cannot master the conservation of volume until after the stage of
concrete operations.
c. Children are limited in their abilities to seriate objects and numbers.
d. Children are not able to master the concept of reversibility.
Bart is high in aggression at the age of 8. He is in the third grade and has started fights
with many of the children in his class. Based on longitudinal studies, what correlations
(if any) have been identified between behavior such as Bart’s at the age of 8 and
behavior later in life?
a. Children who show aggression in middle childhood usually develop mature
behaviors and behave with moderation in adulthood.
b. Longitudinal studies indicate no correlation between aggressive behavior at the age
of 8 and aggressive behavior later in life.
c. Children who show signs of aggression at age 8 are significantly more likely to be
convicted of a crime by age 30.
d. When aggressive school-age children are given freedom to act independently, they
develop normal prosocial behaviors.
Based on studies, what is the likelihood that sexually active adolescents will contract an
STD?
a. one in four chance
b. one in eight chance
c. one in ten chance
d. fewer than 10%
Results from the NICHD Early Child Care Research Network studies uncovered
complex correlations about the effects of experiences at home and in preschools on the
development of cognitive processes of attention, memory, and planning. Which of the
following correlations was found?
a. quality of preschool significantly affects children’s memory, attention, and planning
skills..
b. parents’ behaviors are related to their children’s memory and planning skill
development.
c. differences in planning skills among individual children are related to home and
preschool environments.
d. quality of home environment is not important for attention and memory skill
development during the first three years of children’s development.
According to research, what parent/s are most likely to use inductive approaches to
discipline?
a. A Japanese mother
b. African American mothers
c. A parent with more than two children
d. A parent who was raised in an authoritarian family
Freud”s stages of psychosexual developpment follow which view of the shape of
development?
a. The shape of development is discontinuous and qualitative.
b. The shape of development is continuous and qualitative.
c. The shape of development is discontinuous and quantitative.
d. The shape of development is continuous and quantitative.
Which of the following descriptions illustrates gender constancy?
a. Sally understands that she and her girlfriends are not going to develop muscles like
the boys in her class, and they will probably always win in competitions requiring
physical strength.
b. Football was Marco’s favorite activity when he was a little kid. Now he loves playing
football in the city league with other fifth grade boys.
c. Gabriella likes playing games with the girls in her clique of friends. They never allow
any boys to play games with them. They like it that way.
d. Jodelle liked helping her mom make cookies from the time she was just a toddler.
She still likes to make cookies, but now she doesn”t need help. She has learned to bake
by herself.
According to national mental health statistics, who is most likely to experience
depression during middle childhood?
a. Girls are more likely than boys to experience depression.
b. Boys and girls are equally likely to experience depression.
c. Boys are more likely than girls to experience depression.
d. In general, children do not experience depression before they reach adolescence.
Caitlin is a typical adolescent. She just learned that her dad is being transferred to
another city far from Caitlin’s current friends and familiar surroundings. Caitlin is very
emotional about the news, cries uncontrollably, and runs off to a friend’s house during
the night. Her older sister seems relatively unaffected by the news. From a
developmental perspective, what might explain the difference?
a. During adolescence, the prefrontal lobe is developing more slowly than the emotion
center in the brain.
b. During adolescence, the corpus callosum shows the greatest increase in size and
stimulates emotions.
c. During adolescence, neurological changes occur rapidly and brain functions are less
integrated.
d. During adolescence, myelination of axons slows the development of the judgment
and decision making center of the brain.
Jennay was an overweight African American girl in the fourth grade when her school
participated in the multicomponent school nutrition policy initiative. She ate school
lunches every day during elementary school. On the basis of data from the initiative
research, what changes, if any, did she likely experience as a result of the initiative?
a. decrease in food consumption
b. increase in weight among African American girls
c. negative body image among girls
d. no changes in overweight among African American girls
Compare the growth patterns of boys and girls during early childhood.
a. Growth patterns for boys and girls are similar during early childhood.
b. Muscle mass increases for girls more than boys during early childhood.
c. Body fat increases for boys more than girls during early childhood.
d. Girls tend to grow taller than boys during early childhood.
Sex cells are referred to as ____________ and the result of sex cells combining is
referred to as _____________.
a. mitosis; meiosis
b. zygote; gamete
c. gametes; zygote
d. DNA, polarization
Valinda is an American child who took the assessments for the TIMSS three years ago
when she was in the fourth grade. When the Mathematics Achievement Results were
calculated, how did scores for her American cohort compare with scores for children
around the world?
a. Her cohort performed lower than their peers from South Africa.
b. Her cohort performed higher than their peers from the Russian Federation.
c. Her cohort performed higher than their peers from England.
d. Her cohort performed lower than their peers from South Korea.
Which one of the following statements accurately describes an aspect of sensory
development in newborns?
a. The do not have a sense of smell at birth.
b. They do not have a sense of touch at birth.
c. They have a preference for sweet and salty flavors at birth.
d. They have sharp visual acuity at birth.
Jacob is a typical example of the findings of longitudinal studies about influences on
school achievement. It is not surprising that he is doing well in school. His parents
influence his academic achievement by:
a. emphasizing writing and literacy skills rather than motor and/or social skills.
b. encouraging him to be competitive and perform at higher levels than his peers.
c. couseling him in social situations and helping him rely on them for emotional
regulation to handle school frustrations.
d. structuring the home environment and their interactions with Jacob to support his
school achievement.
Robbie is a six-year-old boy who loves to draw and likes learning to write his letters at
school. However, he is having great difficulties trying to write a series of letters to make
words. Although he is usually calm and self-controlled, he becomes so frustrated with
his writing task that he throws his pencil on the floor and tears up his paper. For the first
time, he turns his back to his teacher when she is talking to him. What might the teacher
do to help Robbie have more emotional self-regulation in this situation?
Explain the difference between “foreclosure” and “moratorium” in James Marcia’s
theory of identity status. Give an example of an adolescent who foreclosed on his or her
career identity. Give an example of an adolescent who is in moratorium in her romantic
relationship.
Corrine is a normal third grade student in elementary school. Explain why recess is
important for her. Discuss the likelihood that she and other children in public schools
will get more than 15 minutes of recess per day.
It is probably not by chance that little Zachery has a regular and healthy sleep schedule.
Zachery is four months old and his father describes him as the “perfect infant” with a
healthy sleep pattern. Discuss four safe and successful practices Zachery’s parents may
have used in an effort to develop his healthy sleep patterns.
Give an example of how you might use children’s funds of knowledge to teach a lesson
on renewable energy (e.g. solar energy or wind energy).
Anna did not want to tell her parents that she took a part-time job during her freshman
year in college. Her parents were concerned about her academic and social adjustment
to college, so they told her not to work until her junior year. Anna, however, wanted
some extra spending money in college, and it seemed everyone else in her residence
hall had a part-time job. She applied and was hired as a part-time waitress at a local
restaurant near campus. Anna liked her boss, the hours and tips were good, and she
found she could keep up with her school work if she worked only ten hours per week.
All was going well until late October when the restaurant’s main water pipe broke and
the restaurant needed to close for a few days. In the manager’s attempt to reach Anna
and warn her about the sudden closure, he called her parents’ phone number (the listing
for emergency contacts) and talked to Anna’s mother. Anna’s secret was out. Her mother
immediately called Anna and asked, “Is there something you think you should tell me?”
How common is Anna’s behavior, and should her mother be worried about her
relationship with her daughter?
Mr. Edwards teaches high school psychology. He has tried several times over the past
few weeks to get the students in his psychology class to understand the difference
between “negative reinforcement” and “punishment.” His students continue to confuse
the two terms and he knows he must come up with a good example to help them
understand the meaning of the concepts. As an avid lover of music, Mr. Edwards
decides to apply his music tastes to the understanding of negative reinforcement and
punishment. He explains to his students that his own behavior that he is trying to
change relates to doing laundry. Mr. Edwards shares with his students that he
procrastinates as long as he can and he hates doing his laundry. He also shares with this
class his musical preferences. Mr. Edwards loves classic hard rock and dislikes country
music. How could Mr. Edwards teach the concepts of negative reinforcement and
punishment to explain how his music preferences could be used to change his behavior
regarding doing laundry?
Catherine was always a “chubby” baby. As she developed, she continued to increase in
physical size and never seemed to lose her baby fat. Now, at age 12, Catherine is
considered obese. What can we expect of Catherine’s school experiences? What are two
of the most serious health risks associated with her obesity? Discuss two strategies for
dealing with Catherine’s obesity.
At times it seems like Melissa is glued to her mother’s leg. Melissa could be called a
“clingy” child. She always wants her mother nearby, and she cries when her mother
leaves the room. Explain how Bowlby’s theory of attachment can be used to help us
understand Melissa’s behavior.
Brenda has experienced terrible child abuse. Her father, an alcoholic, is abusive during
and immediately after drinking binges. He is actually quite nice and charming when he
isn”t drinking, but his behavior is unpredictable. Brenda is never quite sure whether the
“nice” father or “mean” father will come home at night. As a result of the physical and
emotional abuse, what are the likely consequences for Brenda in her teenage and adult
years?
Discuss two key ways in which Howard Gardner’s theory of multiple intelligences
differs from the information processing perspective on intelligence.
Paula is amazed when she looks at the behaviors and personalities of her two children.
Her 11-year-old daughter is assertive, likes to be the center of attention, is almost
hypercompetitive, and always willing to take risks. Paula’s daughter will argue a point
when she thinks she is right and can even be stubborn at times. She seems much older
than her eleven years of age and always ends up in the captain or leadership role. In
contrast, Paula’s 9-year-old son is very passive, avoids having his picture taken, hates to
be the center of attention, seems to like reflection over action, will not take risks and
typically avoids opportunities for adventure. Paula finds it hard to believe her two
children are biologically related. She is convinced she raised them in the same type of
environment and utilized the same principles of reinforcement and punishment. How
might you use social cognitive theory to explain some of the differences in behavior and
personality of Paula’s children?
What advice could you give to parents who want to make sure they are doing
everything possible to promote their young child’s language development?
According to Piaget, what are two major cognitive advancements of children during the
preoperational stage?
A teacher asks his first grade students to draw a picture of “Who am I?” and describe
their pictures so that he can begin to understand their self-concepts. What might a boy
in his class draw and tell in his self-portrait?
Is the publicity about adolescent drug abuse due to sensational media hype or is there
really a problem in the United States? Describe the extent of the problem. Also explain
what we know about the efficacy of drug prevention programs that rely on sharing the
brutal facts and using ‘scare tactics” to change adolescent experimentation with and use
of illegal substances.
A representative from a publishing company visits with you and recommends
publishing the latest standardized test for measuring children’s reading comprehension.
The sales person gives you the test manual for review. What information would you
look for in order to be sure the test is both valid and reliable?
During adolescence, several neurobiological changes take place that influence a young
person’s behavior. For example, the axons in the frontal lobe continue to be myelinated.
Describe key neurobiological changes and how they affect adolescent behavior.
Raymond is a senior in high school who loves literature and has a strong interest in
working with children. He has worked at several summer camps and serves as a coach
for one of the local youth baseball teams. He has always loved to read, and he hopes to
publish short stories and poetry some day. Raymond is considering going into
education. He will attend college in the fall; however, he did not indicate a major on his
college applications. Raymond went to see his high school counselor to discuss his
career options. His school counselor encouraged him to consider what age group he
would like to teach. Raymond envisioned himself as a high school English teacher and
baseball coach. However, he has recently been thinking about early childhood
education, and he is considering becoming a kindergarten teacher. Raymond believes
that if he goes into early childhood, it would be very rewarding to teach children how to
read and begin their path to enjoying literature. Although Raymond is fairly familiar
with the role and responsibilities of high school teachers, he really does not have an
understanding of the work of kindergarten teachers. Therefore, his school counselor
encouraged Raymond to shadow a kindergarten teacher for a few days. In addition,
Raymond was encouraged to research the “big themes” in childhood development and
explore the extent of his interests in early childhood education. Discuss three big
themes or key issues in child development that Raymond is most likely to encounter as
he explores the field.