Q&A Hero

Q: Once child abuse begins, A) it is fairly easy to reverse the behavior. B) parents respond with extreme guilt, which motivates them to seek outside help. C) children typically feel empathy for the parent. D) it quickly becomes part of a self-sustaining relationship.

Q: The only country with a national, school-based prevention program targeting sexual abuse is A) the United States. B) Sweden. C) New Zealand. D) China.

Q: Cassidy has been sexually abused. Who is most likely to have abused her?A) her fatherB) her sisterC) a strangerD) a classmate

Q: Which of the following forms of child maltreatment is most commonly reported? A) physical abuse B) neglect C) sexual abuse D) emotional abuse

Q: Yuhui's parents use ridicule, humiliation, intimidation, and terrorizing as disciplinary techniques. Yuhui is a victim of A) verbal abuse. B) neglect. C) corporal punishment. D) emotional abuse.

Q: As children become old enough to look after themselves, those who __________ appear responsible and well-adjusted. A) have a history of authoritative child rearing B) are not required to perform household tasks C) are left to their own devices D) are given the responsibility of caring for younger siblings

Q: Research on self-care children indicates that the more hours younger school-age children spend at home, the more A) likely they are to have adjustment difficulties. B) responsible and independent they are. C) likely they are to join after-school activities to prevent loneliness. . D) they turn to peers for advice about day-to-day problems.

Q: Because the United States does not have __________, it lags behind other industrialized nations in supply, quantity, and affordability of child care.A) universal health careB) collectivist valuesC) national child-care policiesD) grants for low-income parents

Q: For U.S. families with just one preschooler, child care consumes, on average, _____ percent of the typical earnings of a single mother and _____ percent of the earnings of a two-parent family. A) 10; 7 B) 29; 10 C) 33; 19 D) 45; 15

Q: When child-care centers provide favorable characteristics, such as small group sizes and educated caregivers, A) they are able to pay salaries at or above minimum wage. B) the adults are more verbally stimulating and sensitive to children's needs. C) children's IQ scores increase by 7 to 10 points. D) children from high-SES families reap greater benefits than children from low-SES families.

Q: Over the past several decades, the number of young children in child care in the United States has steadily increased to more than _____ percent. A) 50 B) 60 C) 70 D) 80

Q: In dual-earner families, the father's __________ is crucial to the emotional health of the mother. A) earning potential B) attitude toward career-oriented women C) work schedule D) willingness to share child-care responsibilities

Q: Violet's mother works long hours at a low-paying job. Her workplace maintains a hostile atmosphere. Research suggests thatA) Violet will work harder to gain her teacher's approval and attention because her mother is unavailable to her.B) Violet's mother will engage in permissive child rearing.C) Violet's mother is at risk for maternal depression.D) Violet will display aggressive and antisocial behavior toward her mother.

Q: Paternal involvement with children in dual-earner households is associated with A) low self-esteem and high school dropout in girls but not boys. B) high levels of competitive, aggressive behavior in school. C) high intelligence and achievement and gender-stereotype flexibility in adolescence. D) average intelligence, athletic competence, and gender typicality in adolescence.

Q: Employed mothers who value their parenting role A) generally favor a permissive style of parenting. B) are more likely to use authoritative child rearing and coregulation. C) still have less-well-adjusted children than stay-at-home mothers. D) tend to experience more fatigue, distress, and low energy in both roles.

Q: Children of __________ show favorable adjustment, such as higher self-esteem, positive peer relations, less gender-stereotyped beliefs, and better grades. A) stay-at-home mothers B) mothers who enjoy their work and remain committed to parenting C) single parents D) father-headed households

Q: 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.

Q: Blended-family relationships work best whenA) stepparents move into their new roles quickly in order to affirm their position in the family.B) stepparents move into their new roles gradually by first building a warm relationship with the child.C) the biological parent relinquishes all disciplinary responsibilities to the stepparent.D) the stepparent does not become involved in disciplinary issues with the stepchild.

Q: Lorraine, who has a son and a daughter, remarries. Which of the following is most likely to occur? A) Lorraine's daughter will have a harder time adjusting to the remarriage than her son. B) Lorraine's son will have a harder time adjusting to the remarriage than her daughter. C) Lorraine's son will have adjustment problems as long as he tries to maintain a relationship with his biological father. D) Both children will ask to go live with their father.

Q: The most common form of blended family is a(n) __________ arrangement. A) mother"stepfather B) father"stepmother C) grandparent"grandchild D) aunt"uncle

Q: A blended, or reconstituted, family is one in which A) divorced parents remarry each other. B) children live with grandparents instead of their parents. C) adopted or foster children live together. D) cohabitation or remarriage results in a parent, a stepparent, and children.

Q: Tara and Tom are divorcing. The court grants both of them equal say in important decisions about their daughter's upbringing. Tara and Tom A) have joint custody of their daughter. B) divorced under amicable conditions. C) are going through divorce mediation. D) are a reconstituted family.

Q: Belle and Greg are divorcing and attend a series of meetings with a trained professional aimed at reducing family conflict. Belle and Greg areA) causing even more stress for their children.B) seeking joint custody of their children.C) going through divorce mediation.D) unrealistically trying to save their marriage.

Q: Research shows that more parents today are divorcing because they are A) moderately (rather than extremely) dissatisfied with the relationship. B) extremely (rather than moderately) dissatisfied with the relationship. C) frustrated with their child-rearing responsibilities. D) overwhelmed with family"work conflict.

Q: Ariel's parents just divorced. They should be aware that a __________ will protect Ariel from early sexual activity and unhappy romantic involvements. A) few sessions of family therapy B) good father"child relationship C) good mother"child relationship D) strong self-concept and sense of autonomy

Q: Which of the following children will probably display poorer academic achievement and more serious adjustment problems following a divorce? A) Sam, who lives with his father B) Sue, who lives with her father C) Jan, who lives with her mother D) Jim, who lives with his mother

Q: Young children who become anxious, fearful, and angry after their parents divorce sometimes A) require coercive discipline. B) show early signs of emotional instability. C) feel that both parents may abandon them. D) need to live with the father rather than the mother.

Q: After his parents' divorce, if Cade's noncustodial father is permissive and indulgent with him, how will this behavior affect Cade's relationship with his mother?A) It makes his mother's task of managing Cade even more difficult.B) It makes his mother's task of managing Cade easier.C) It helps Cade to understand how stressful child rearing can be for his mother.D) It has no impact on Cade's relationship with his mother.

Q: Following divorce, A) father-headed households typically experience a sharp rise in income. B) mother-headed households typically experience a sharp drop in income. C) daily routines, such as meals, bedtimes, and household chores, become more predictable. D) girls are at greater risk than boys for academic, emotional, and behavioral problems.

Q: Children of divorce spend an average of _____ years in a single-parent home. A) two B) five C) eight D) ten

Q: __________ has the highest divorce rate in the world. A) Canada B) New Zealand C) Italy D) The United States

Q: __________ has/have contributed to the number of African-American never-married, single-mother families. A) Greater equality for women and more income-earning opportunities B) Traditions dating back to the slave era C) The consequent inability of many black men to support a family D) The widespread availability and generous benefits of child-welfare services

Q: In the United States, __________ young women make up the largest group of never-married parents.A) CaucasianB) Mexican-AmericanC) Asian-AmericanD) African-American

Q: Overall, children of gay and lesbian parents can be distinguished from other children mainly by A) the amount of harassment they receive from peers. B) their tendency to associate only with same-sex peers. C) issues related to living in a nonsupportive society. D) the psychological stigma of their parents' sexuality.

Q: According to recent estimates, about __________ percent of lesbian couples and __________ percent of gay couples are parents. A) 5 to 15; 20 to 35 B) 10 to 25; 5 to 15 C) 20 to 35; 5 to 15 D) 25 to 30; 10 to 15

Q: Children of gay and lesbian parents A) are more likely to be homosexual than children raised by heterosexual parents. B) do not experiment with partners of both sexes, despite encouragement from their parents to do so C) do not differ from the children of heterosexuals in mental health, peer relations, or gender-role identity. D) get along better with same-sex peers than children of heterosexual parents.

Q: Adopted children and adolescents A) are no more likely than biological children to have learning or emotional difficulties. B) tend to have more learning and emotional difficulties than other children. C) rarely develop a secure attachment to any adult. D) often have higher IQs than other children.

Q: Adoption agencies try to ensure a good fit byA) placing children in affluent homes.B) seeking parents of the same ethnic and religious background of the child.C) allowing the biological parents to select an adoptive family for their child.D) seeking parents with at least two biological children.

Q: Compared with agemates who have siblings, Chinese only children feel more emotionally secure because A) government disapproval promotes tension in families with more than one child. B) Chinese culture is overly focused on the firstborn child. C) families with two or more children are often stressed by financial hardship. D) they do not have to contend with sibling rivalry.

Q: Which of the following statements is true regarding only children? A) They tend to be spoiled and self-centered. B) They tend to experience high levels of anxiety due to extreme parental pressures to succeed. C) They tend to be less well-accepted in their peer group, because they have not had opportunities to learn effective conflict-resolution strategies. D) They tend to have low self-esteem and perform poorly in school.

Q: As adolescents establish autonomy and independence from the family, they A) invest less time and energy in their sibling relationships. B) spend more time and energy with their extended-family members. C) remain heavily involved with their younger siblings. D) begin to deidealize their siblings and often resent their constant presence.

Q: When parents make frequent comparisons between same-sex siblings who are close in age, A) children strive harder to develop independent personality traits. B) siblings make gains in perspective-taking skills. C) sibling rivalry tends to increase, particularly during toddlerhood and the preschool years. D) it results in more quarreling and antagonism for the children.

Q: Sibling rivalry tends toA) increase in early childhood.B) decrease in middle childhood.C) increase in middle childhood.D) peak in adolescence.

Q: When preschooler P.J. grabs a book out of his 2-year-old brother's hands, their mother responds with harsh criticism and then leaves them alone while she returns to her housework. Based on this scenario, you can anticipate that P.J. and his brother are likely to A) be independent and responsible. B) have an antagonistic sibling relationship. C) develop a caring relationship based upon trust. D) avoid each other as much as possible.

Q: The skills acquired during __________ contribute to the understanding of emotions and other mental states, perspective taking, moral maturity, and competence in relating to other children. A) story reading with parents B) parallel play with peers C) sibling interactions D) independent reading

Q: __________ percent of North American and European children grow up with at least one sibling. A) Twenty B) Forty C) Sixty D) Eighty

Q: Research indicates that the link between family size and children's IQ can be explained by the A) Flynn effect. B) strong trend for mothers lower in intelligence to give birth to more children. C) strong trend for mothers higher in intelligence to give birth to more children. D) growing use of birth control techniques.

Q: Family A has one child and Family B has four children. Based on findings from the U.S. National Longitudinal Survey of Youth, what can we infer about the IQs of the children in these families?A) The oldest child in Family B will have the lowest IQ of any of the siblings.B) The youngest child in Family B will have the lowest IQ of any of the siblings.C) The child in Family A will have a higher IQ than any of the children in Family B.D) There is not enough information to make any predictions about IQ in either family.

Q: Cite at least five ways to reduce children's gender stereotyping and gender-role conformity.

Q: Explain the observed differences in the emotional sensitivity of girls and boys.

Q: Describe the development of gender constancy.

Q: Describe the ways in which observational learning affects how children view gender roles.

Q: What is gender-stereotype flexibility, and why does it increase dramatically during middle childhood?

Q: Describe instrumental traits and expressive traits, including how they contribute to our views about what is "feminine" and "masculine."

Q: Research shows that school-age children who hold flexible beliefs about what boys and girls can do A) are extremely critical of peers who engage in traditionally "masculine" or "feminine" activities. B) may disagree with instances of gender discrimination, but will feel uncomfortable making changes in the situation. C) are more likely to notice instances of gender discrimination. D) have mothers who engage in traditionally "feminine" household duties, such as cooking and cleaning.

Q: Mr. and Mrs. Finis want to reduce gender stereotyping in their 5-year-old twins, Emma and Erik. Mr. and Mrs. Finis should A) punish Emma and Erik whenever they engage in gender-stereotyped behavior. B) force Emma to play with cars and trucks and force Erik to play with dolls and pretend kitchen toys. C) take turns making dinner, bathing Emma and Erik, and driving the family car and provide both Emma and Erik with trucks and dolls. D) realize that biological factors are largely responsible for gender stereotyping and accept their children's gender-typed behavior and preferences.

Q: Because preschoolers' cognitive limitations lead them to assume that cultural practices determine gender, Sandra Bem suggests that parents and teachers A) encourage children to pursue gender-typed interests and activities. B) make a concerted effort to delay young children's learning of gender-stereotyped messages. C) make a concerted effort to speed up young children's learning of gender-stereotyped messages. D) expose young children to a variety of traditional and nontraditional gender roles and let them decide which models to emulate.

Q: __________ reveal(s) that most aspects of gender typing are not built into human nature. A) Growing numbers of children who score high in androgyny B) Physiological research with humans and primates C) Observations of infants and toddlers D) Substantial revisions in gender roles

Q: By middle childhood, girls' relational aggression isA) more malicious than boys'.B) displayed more frequently.C) more likely to be directed at same-sex peers.D) more likely to be directed at other-sex peers.

Q: Children with congenital adrenal hyperplasia, who were exposed prenatally to abnormally high androgen levels, A) are not consistently more aggressive. B) are consistently more aggressive. C) have more frequent displays of excitement, anger, or anxiety. D) show high levels of relational aggression.

Q: Findings on the use of relational aggression among girls reveal that A) they tend to use physical aggression first, and follow up with a relational approach. B) unlike physical aggression, it is rarely hurtful to the victim. C) they may use it to protect their status in the social hierarchy. D) girls with high levels of prenatal androgens engage in higher levels of relational aggression.

Q: __________ girls are especially prone to depression, particularly when they face other stressful life events. A) Low-SES B) Early-maturing C) Later-maturing D) African-American

Q: Which of the following events is likely to spark depression in 15-year-old Danica? A) the onset of puberty B) getting a C on a pop quiz C) not being in the same Spanish class as her best friend D) transitioning to a new school

Q: Symptoms of depressionA) in children are easily detected by adults.B) occur twice as often in teenage girls as boys.C) are similar for teenage boys and girls.D) are more obvious in boys than in girls.

Q: Among U.S. teenagers, __________ percent experience mild to moderate feelings of depression. A) 10 to 25 B) 20 to 50 C) 30 to 40 D) 40 to 75

Q: During the preschool years, both fathers and mothers attend more to A) girls' than boys' sadness and anxiety. B) boys' than girls' excitement and curiosity. C) reinforcing gender-stereotypical emotions with boys than with girls. D) being affectionate and nurturing with boys than with girls.

Q: The gender gap in emotional sensitivity seems to come primarily from. A) exposure to androgens prenatally. B) parenting styles that downplay gender stereotypes. C) cultural expectations that girls be warm and expressive and boys be distant and self-controlled. D) reinforcement from teachers for quiet and self-controlled behavior.

Q: When they are observed for behavioral signs of prosocial responding, girls show A) no measurable advantage over boys. B) greater self-confidence and assertiveness in helping behaviors. C) a significant advantage over boys, especially in helping behaviors. D) a slight advantage that is mostly evident in kindness and considerateness.

Q: __________ is the only emotion that males express more freely than females in everyday interaction.A) SorrowB) AngerC) EmbarrassmentD) Envy

Q: __________ causes girls to do worse than their abilities allow on difficult math problems. A) Peer pressure B) Stereotype threat C) Inferior spatial reasoning D) Lack of high-quality instruction

Q: Which of the following consequences results from the greater amounts of time that boys spend playing action video games? A) Speed of thinking is enhanced, but mental rotation is sacrificed in the process. B) The development of cognitive processes outside of spatial skills is arrested. C) Language skills are greatly reduced. D) Cognitive processes important for spatial skills are enhanced.

Q: Girls and women whose prenatal androgen levels were abnormally high show __________ spatial rotation tasks. A) below-average performance on B) superior performance on C) little interest in D) an inability to comprehend

Q: The gender gap in complex mathematical reasoning is particularly large and favors males in __________ tasks, but differences in __________ tasks are weak or nonexistent. A) mental rotation; spatial visualization B) mental rotation; spatial perception C) spatial perception; mental rotation D) spatial visualization; mental rotation

Q: Accumulating evidence suggests that the gender gap in mathematics is related toA) achievement motivation.B) early parental interactions.C) faster development of the right cerebral cortex in boys than in girls.D) boys' superior spatial reasoning skills.

Q: Two 15-year-olds, Jeremy and Jennifer, take a mathematics test. Jeremy will probably perform significantly better than Jennifer on which subtest? A) complex reasoning B) basic math knowledge C) computational skills D) mathematical calculation

Q: One possible explanation for girls being ahead of boys in language progress is A) that parents use more child-directed speech with their infant daughters than their infant sons. B) a biological advantage in earlier development of the left hemisphere of the cerebral cortex. C) that female infants initiate more "conversations" with caregivers than male infants. D) that adults reinforce female infants more than male infants when they begin to coo and babble.

Q: Which of the following is believed to be a major contributor to a widening gender gap in college enrollments? A) differences in male and female science skills B) later maturity of females' cerebral cortex C) differences in male and female literacy skills D) advances in female mathematical abilities

Q: Research shows that sex differences in mental abilities and personality traits A) usually account for no more than 5 to 10 percent of individual differences. B) account for 50 to 60 percent of individual differences. C) are more pronounced in high-SES individuals than low-SES individuals. D) are primarily influenced by genetic factors.

Q: By late childhood and early adolescence,A) boys outperform girls on math achievement tests.B) girls outperform boys on math achievement tests.C) boys and girls perform similarly on math achievement tests.D) girls are slightly advantaged in counting and arithmetic computation.

Q: One advantage of using meta-analysis to study sex differences is that it A) allows conclusions based on single studies. B) calculates conclusions using small samples. C) provides an estimate of the size of the sex differences. D) requires little data, yet provides precise information.