Pedro is 19 and in college. He is asked whether he considers himself to have reached
adulthood. Which of the following answers will he most likely give?
A) “Yes, when I turned 18.”
B) “No, not until I”m 21.”
C) “Yes and no.”
D) “I guess so.”
U.S. emerging adults who cohabit prior to engagement tend to
A) be less androgynous.
B) have had less sexual partners.
C) be more religious.
D) have parents who divorced.
Vygotsky believed that learning takes place
A) within the zone of proximal development.
B) in discrete stages.
C) primarily through independent exploration.
D) once children are capable of mental representation.
The domains of development
A) combine in an integrated, holistic fashion.
B) are not influenced by each other.
C) operate independently of one another.
D) are distinct and unrelated.
Research on race and ethnicity indicates that
A) DNA variation is greater within races than between races.
B) ethnic and racial designations are more pronounced in the U.S. than in European
nations.
C) ethnic and racial designations have not changed over time.
D) DNA variation is greater between races than within races.
Research findings suggest a sensitive period during the __________, when babies are
biologically prepared to “zero in” on socially meaningful perceptual distinctions.
A) second half of the second year
B) first half of the first year
C) first half of the second year
D) second half of the first year
In a typical natural childbirth program, the expectant mother and a companion
participate in
A) child development classes.
B) relaxation and breathing techniques.
C) training in the use of breastfeeding and bottle-feeding.
D) home-birth training.
Which of the following statements is true about adolescent delinquency?
A) The late-onset type is far more likely to lead to a life-course pattern of aggression
and criminality than the early-onset type.
B) Most research on adolescent delinquency has focused on boys from middle- and
upper-SES families.
C) Early-onset youngsters seem to inherit traits that predispose them to aggressiveness
and also show subtle deficits in cognitive functioning.
D) The longer antisocial young people spend in prison, the less likely they are to sustain
a life of crime.
In the United States, a family can be on Temporary Aid to Needy Families for _____
continuous months.
A) 24
B) 36
C) 48
D) 60
Cayden volunteers to serve meals to the homeless in a predominantly ethnic minority
neighborhood. As a result of this experience, Cayden
A) may have fewer prejudicial feelings, and will appreciate the social conditions that
lead to disadvantage.
B) may decide that certain ethnic groups are too lazy to work, which is why they are
homeless.
C) may become confused as to why certain groups of people have a higher chance of
living in poverty.
D) is likely to develop a fixed negative view of others.
__________ are responsible for coating neural fibers with __________.
A) Glial cells; myelin
B) Synapses; glial cells
C) Neurotransmitters; dopamine
D) Epiphyses; cartilage
Sean was not wearing a helmet when he flipped his ATV and subsequently suffered
damage to his brain’s frontal lobe. We can anticipate that Sean will
A) have difficulty producing language.
B) be unable to understand spoken language.
C) be unable to understand written language.
D) experience spatial reasoning problems.
Gains in __________ during the second year lead to new ways of regulating emotion.
A) social skills
B) motor development
C) language
D) visual acuity
Which of the following reflexes may form the basis for complex motor skills that will
develop later?
A) the Babinski reflex
B) the tonic neck reflex
C) the eye blink
D) the sucking reflex
In __________, the testes produce normal levels of androgens, but androgen receptors
in body cells are partially or completely impaired.
A) congenital adrenal hyperplasia
B) androgen insensitivity syndrome
C) Klinefelter syndrome
D) androgen deficiency syndrome
According to Herrnstein and Murray’s book, The Bell Curve,
A) IQ variations are largely determined by environmental differences.
B) ethnic and social class differences in IQ are unfounded.
C) the relative role of heredity and environment in the black”white IQ gap remains
unsolved.
D) heredity plays a sizable role in the black”white IQ gap.
Napping usually subsides
A) around 6 to 9 months.
B) by about 18 months.
C) between 18 months and 2 years.
D) between 3 and 5 years.
__________ optimal development of executive components and their eventual synthesis
into planning, flexible strategic thinking, and self-regulation.
A) Reorganization of cognitive schemes is required for
B) Supportive parenting and educational experiences are essential for
C) A transition from concrete to abstract thinking is necessary for
D) A focus on visual tracking and problem solving is the key to
Carlos believes that others’ behaviors need to be judged against a firm ethical standard
of right and wrong; therefore, Carlos engages in
A) globalization.
B) relativistic thinking.
C) dualistic thinking.
D) postformal thought.
Jae-Sun is a toddler growing up in Korea where children learn a language in which
object names are often omitted from sentences. For that reason, he will most likely
develop object-grouping skills __________-speaking counterparts.
A) later than his English
B) earlier than his English
C) at about the same time as his English
D) earlier than his Spanish
Adjustment difficulties increase dramatically for children in blended families when
A) the stepparent has at least one other child.
B) the stepparent attempts to discipline his or her stepchildren.
C) a new baby is born.
D) children are exposed to repeated marital transitions.
__________ percent of North American and European children grow up with at least
one sibling.
A) Twenty
B) Forty
C) Sixty
D) Eighty
__________ matching pair(s) of chromosomes is/are called autosomes.
A) One
B) Two
C) Four
D) Twenty-two
Derek’s intelligence quotient (IQ) of 100
A) expresses the ratio of his chronological age to his mental age.
B) indicates the extent to which his raw score deviates from the typical performance of
same-age individuals.
C) represents the number of test items he left unanswered as compared to those items he
answered correctly.
D) is based on the average score from the same test taken at three different ages.
Dr. Kalpoe is a cognitive-developmental theorist. As such, Dr. Kalpoe probably believes
that the major means by which children become moral is through
A) specific teaching by parents and caregivers.
B) modeling and reinforcement.
C) identification with parents.
D) construction.
By the time children reach age 4 or 5, they combine their play schemes with those of
peers by creating and coordinating roles in
A) sociodramatic play.
B) adult-directed play acting.
C) secondary circular reactions.
D) categorization of others’ intentions.
Research examining the storytelling practices between adults and 2-year-olds in
Irish-American and Chinese families reveals that
A) Irish-American families tend to discuss holidays and family trips more than Chinese
families.
B) Irish-Americans tend to downplay story transgressions by attributing them to the
child’s spunk and assertiveness.
C) parents in both cultures are equally likely to teach proper behavior at a story’s
conclusion.
D) Chinese parents are more likely than Irish-American parents to emphasize the child’s
autonomy.
Dr. Zettler compares children growing up in non-Western village societies with those
growing up in large Western cities. Dr. Zettler likely emphasizes __________ in her
research.
A) the nature”nurture controversy
B) the effects of distinct contexts on development
C) the concept of step-by-step learning
D) continuous development
Which of the following major theories in child development primarily emphasizes
nurture rather than nature as an important influence?
A) the psychoanalytic perspective
B) behaviorism
C) ethology
D) information processing
Kuhn’s research suggests that young children often have difficulties with scientific
reasoning because they
A) rely on induction.
B) pit evidence against their theories.
C) rely on deduction.
D) blend theory with evidence.
Two-month-old Roderick lives in a home with parents who both smoke cigarettes. He
has a mild respiratory infection and sleeps on a soft crib mattress. Roderick is at high
risk for
A) SIDS.
B) an ear infection.
C) a urinary tract infection.
D) cognitive delays.
__________ reveals that genomic imprinting can operate on the sex chromosomes.
A) Cooley’s anemia
B) Marfan syndrome
C) Homosexuality
D) Fragile X syndrome
Compare and contrast Piaget’s and Vygotsky’s views on children’s private speech, and
evaluate each on the basis of research findings.
Describe operant conditioning, reinforcers, and punishment.
Describe the four identity statuses and their influence on psychological well-being.
Five-year-old John is afraid of dogs. His grandparents have two small dogs, and his
parents ask your advice on how to help John manage his fear. What advice can you give
them?
Explain the importance of folic acid supplements for women of childbearing age.
Describe the differences between cliques and crowds, and how they develop.
Discuss the two major features of Piaget’s formal operations stage.
Describe the Strange Situation. Identify and describe secure attachment and the three
patterns of insecure attachment.
The store model suggests that several aspects of the cognitive system improve with age.
What are these aspects, and what improvements do they undergo?
Summarize the major nutritional and health advantages of breastfeeding.
Compare and contrast structured observation and structured interviews, noting the
strengths and limitations of each.
Describe the pros and cons of participation in organized youth sports during childhood.
Discuss how children separate moral imperatives from social conventions, and explain
how they learn to distinguish between these moral domains.
Describe instrumental traits and expressive traits, including how they contribute to our
views about what is “feminine” and “masculine.”
Describe the development of gender constancy.
Discuss paternal depression. How common is it? How does it interfere with children’s
development?
Name and describe the most successful approach to child rearing, noting the benefits of
this approach.