Q&A Hero

Q: Which of the following statements about identity development in adolescence is true? A)Once adolescents enter an identity status, they tend to remain in that status until middle adulthood. B)Most adolescents change from foreclosure or diffusion to moratorium or achievement between their midteens and midtwenties. C)Most adolescents start out in moratorium, but by late adolescence they move toward foreclosure and diffusion. D)Most adolescents start out in foreclosure, but by late adolescence they move toward diffusion and achievement.

Q: When asked about his career plans, Rodney responds, "Haven't thought about it. Doesn't make too much difference to me what I do." Which identity status characterizes Rodney? A)identity achievement B)identity moratorium C)identity foreclosure D)identity diffusion

Q: Johann's father and grandfather were fishermen, and so he has decided to be a fisherman, too. Which identity status characterizes Johann? A)identity achievement B)identity foreclosure C)identity moratorium D)identity diffusion

Q: Liza is in a state of identity moratorium. Which of the following statements is Liza likely to make regarding her voting practices? A)"Sometimes I vote one way; sometimes another way. What does it matter, anyway?" B)"I haven't figured out which party is right for me, but I am reading and listening to what they all have to say." C)"I've explored the Republicans and Democrats, but I'm finding that the Green Party's values make the most sense to me." D)"My parents are both Republicans and I trust them, so I'm a Republican."

Q: Tony has thought long and hard about music as a career. When asked if he would change his mind if something better came along, he replied, "I doubt it." Which identity status characterizes Tony? A)identity achievement B)identity moratorium C)identity foreclosure D)identity diffusion

Q: Hillary, an African-American adolescent, will have fewer self-esteem problems A)if she is the only African-American girl in an otherwise all-white school. B)in a school with just a few other African-American students. C)in a school with many other African-American students. D)if she is home-schooled by a female relative.

Q: African-American and Hispanic teenagers are believed to have more positive self-esteem than Caucasian-American adolescents because they benefit from A)appropriately demanding parents who set clear behavioral guidelines. B)warm, extended families and ethnic pride. C)authoritarian parenting and automatic peer acceptance. D)the cultural values of modesty and support of the group.

Q: Lou's parents give him feedback that is primarily negative or inconsistent. The chances are high that Lou A)will become increasingly resilient with age. B)will rely more on adults than peers to affirm his self-esteem. C)has a relatively stable, if negative, self-worth. D)feels incompetent and unloved.

Q: Fifteen-year-old Tyson has low self-esteem. Tyson is A)experiencing role confusion. B)at risk for adjustment difficulties. C)in identity moratorium. D)a typical teenager.

Q: The general rise in self-esteem during adolescence is associated with a(n) A)increasing sense of mastery. B)unstable definition of self. C)decline in the importance of peer relationships. D)rise in civic engagement.

Q: As Milee transitions from middle childhood to adolescence, she will likely add several new dimensions of self-evaluation, such as A)athletic skill, academic competence, and moral understanding. B)identity, autonomy, and initiative. C)close friendship, romantic appeal, and job competence. D)popularity, future aspirations, and spirituality.

Q: __________ is/are a key theme in older adolescents' self-concepts. A)Being smart B)Wearing the right clothes C)Personal possessions D)Personal and moral standards

Q: Compared to school-age children, adolescents place more emphasis on __________ in their self-descriptions. A)physical appearance B)favorite activities C)social virtues D)school performance

Q: Which of the following statements best describes how current theorists view the period of adolescence? A)They argue that adolescence is mainly a period of upheaval, crisis, and inner soul-searching. B)They view identity development as a temporary traumatic process resulting in a mature identity. C)They no longer describe the process that adolescents go through in constructing an identity as a "crisis." D)They argue that mature identity does not develop during adolescence but appears in early adulthood.

Q: According to Erikson, young people are likely to appear shallow and directionless if A)they successfully resolve the central conflict of adolescence. B)society limits their choices to ones that do not match their abilities and desires. C)their parents do not support them during the inner soul-searching associated with the identity crisis. D)their peers reject the more mature identities they have constructed.

Q: As an adolescent, Grant has failed to select a vocation that matches his interests and skills. According to Erikson, Grant A)lacks a sense of industry. B)has poor initiative. C)has a weak sense of trust. D)has recently overcome an identity crisis.

Q: According to Erikson, the psychological conflict of adolescence is identity versus A)autonomy. B)role confusion. C)exploration. D)inferiority.

Q: Siobhan recently went through a temporary period of distress as she experimented with alternatives before settling on values and goals. According to Erikson, Siobhan has been experiencing A)an identity crisis. B)serious adjustment problems. C)a reworking of self-concept. D)identity achievement.

Q: Identity can be described as an explicit theory of oneself as a(n) A)complex unit with varying personalities and desires. B)rational agent who acts on the basis of reason and takes responsibility for those actions. C)interdependent being whose decisions are made within a wider social context. D)entity who must explain its randomly occurring behavior.

Q: Defining who you are, what you value, and the directions you choose to pursue in life is part of A)constructing an identity. B)moral development. C)gender intensification. D)commitment.

Q: Describe the German apprenticeship system. What are the challenges to implementing a similar system in the United States?

Q: Cullen is a school-age boy living in the United States. Describe to Cullen's parents the periods of vocational development that he will pass through on his way to choosing a career.

Q: Ashley has just graduated from sixth grade; in the fall, she will be starting junior high school. Based on what you have learned about the impact of school transitions, what can you predict about Ashley's adjustment at her new school? Suggest ways to minimize the stress of these changes.

Q: Do sex differences in mental abilities exist during childhood and adolescence? Explain.

Q: Explain why teenagers have difficulty with decision making.

Q: Tina has noticed that her adolescent daughter is very self-conscious. Explain why this is so, and be sure to use the terms imaginary audience and personal fable in your explanation.

Q: Twelve-year-old Tamika is a formal operational thinker. What are the major characteristics of her thought processes?

Q: One obstacle that Germany's apprenticeship program still faces is A)preventing low-SES youths from being concentrated in the lowest-skilled apprenticeship placements. B)lack of participation due to minimal public awareness of the program. C)enrollment numbers that are too high to ensure quality apprenticeships for each student. D)low enrollments due to increased interest in college preparatory programs.

Q: Which of the following statements about Germany's work-study apprenticeship system is true? A)About 25 percent of German youths participate in the program rather than go to a college-preparatory high school. B)Businesses provide financial support because they know that the program guarantees a competent, dedicated work force. C)The German government provides the full funding for the program, because it guarantees a competent, dedicated work force. D)Student tuitions, which are even higher than in the United States, a responsible for funding the entire program.

Q: Participation in work-study programs or other jobs that provide vocational learning opportunities A)is related to improved achievement and reduced delinquency. B)is widespread in both the United States and Canada. C)is typically available in U.S. schools, but only for industrial occupations and manual trades. D)have shown no influence on attitudes or vocational outcomes for high school students.

Q: Which of the following statements regarding vocational preparation of non-college-bound adolescents is true? A)The United States offers a widespread training system to help prepare youths for manual trades. B)American employers regard recent high school graduates as well-prepared for skilled business and industrial occupations. C)Eighty percent of non-college-bound U.S. adolescents receive vocational training before graduating from high school. D)Teenagers' employment opportunities are generally limited to menial tasks that do little to extend their knowledge or skills.

Q: Most U.S. high school sutdents who are employed are __________ youths. A)low-income B)high-SES C)middle-SES D)ethnic minority

Q: Janetta and four friends chose a vocational track in high school, similar to the path their parents had chosen. None of these students was interested in going to college. They will A)have a number of alternatives for vocational counseling and job placement as they transition from school to work. B)have little competition from college-educated workers for entry-level positions. C)have fewer work opportunities than their parents did several decades ago. D)have more work opportunities available to them than their parents did.

Q: Lee, an academically gifted young woman, is especially talented in math and science. In college, Lee is likely to A)find that she is simply unable to grasp the complex, abstract math and science concepts. B)find added support from professors interested in breaking down barriers to women in STEM fields. C)continue to excel compared to her male and female peers, as she did in high school. D)see her career aspirations decline as many will question her capacity to succeed in male-dominated fields.

Q: Based on the U.S. Census Bureau statistics on women in various professions, which of the following professions did women dominate most as of 2012? A)artist B)lawyer C)psychologist D)registered nurse

Q: Women's progress in entering and excelling at male-dominated professions has been A)nonexistent. B)slow. C)moderate. D)rapid.

Q: Nicole is in high school. Which of the following people is especially likely to help her foster high career aspirations? A)her high school principal B)her basketball teammates C)her co-workers at her after-school job D)her high school teachers

Q: Ty's dad is a lawyer and his mom is an business executive. To which of the following occupations is Ty most likely to aspire? A)receptionist B)doctor C)painter D)bus driver

Q: Which of the following statements about vocational choice is true? A)Most children know from an early age just what they want to be and follow a direct path to a career goal. B)Many people are blends of several personality types and can do well at more than one kind of occupation. C)Parents with limited education are just as likely as higher-SES parents to give their children important information about the worlds of education and work. D)Making an occupational choice is a rational process in which young people weigh abilities, interests, and values against career options.

Q: The conventional person is likely to select which of the following occupations? A)teacher B)writer C)forester D)accountant

Q: Meredith likes well-structured tasks, values material possessions, and is concerned about her social status. Meredith demonstrates personality traits associated with a(n) __________ person. A)enterprising B)realistic C)conventional D)antisocial

Q: Kamara is emotional and loves to express her individual personality by pursuing creative projects. Kamara displays personality characteristics of a(n) __________ person. A)artistic B)investigative C)social D)realistic

Q: Kyle enjoys construction and carpentry. Which of the following personality types best describes him? A)conventional B)enterprising C)investigative D)realistic

Q: The social person is likely to select which of the following occupations? A)anthropologist B)counselor C)plumber D)musician

Q: Nissa wants to be a physicist or an engineer. According to Holland, she is a(n) __________ person. A)realistic B)conventional C)investigative D)enterprising

Q: John Holland identified six __________ that affect vocational choice. A)intrinsic talents B)personality types C)environmental factors D)vocational paths

Q: Which of the following is the correct order of the phases of vocational development? A)realistic period, fantasy period, tentative period B)tentative period, realistic period, fantasy period C)fantasy period, realistic period, tentative period D)fantasy period, tentative period, realistic period

Q: Phelan is a junior in college and, after taking several classes in education, psychology, and music, is now ready to declare his major as music education. After college, he plans to become an instrumental music teacher. Phelan is in the __________ phase of the realistic period of vocational development. A)epiphany B)tentative C)exploration D)crystallization

Q: During the __________ phase of the __________ period of vocational development, an individual typically gathers more information about possibilities that blend with his or her personal characteristics. A)exploration; fantasy B)exploration; tentative C)crystallization; realistic D)exploration; realistic

Q: Adolescents begin to narrow their options in the __________ period of vocational development. A)fantasy B)tentative C)realistic D)appraisal

Q: Which period of vocational development characterizes early and middle adolescence? A)fantasy B)tentative C)realistic D)exploratory

Q: Libby is good at playing the flute and likes the pleasure that music gives to others. As a result, she thinks she might want to be a musician. She is likely in the __________ phase of vocational development. A)capability B)tentative C)realistic D)fantasy

Q: Leilani thinks that she wants to be an actress or a ballerina when she grows up. Her brother Reilly wants to be a football player or a motorcycle racer. Leilani and Reilly are currently in the __________ period of vocational development. A)fantasy B)tentative C)realistic D)decisive

Q: Selecting a vocation is central to the development of A)a solid, secure identity. B)a realistic life plan. C)executive function. D)metacognitive awareness.

Q: More than 90 percent of U.S. young people A)who drop out of school do not return. B)who drop out of school are unemployed. C)complete high school by age 24. D)earn a college degree.

Q: The most powerful influence on extracurricular involvement is A)small school size. B)high-quality teacher interaction. C)parental encouragement. D)peer acceptance.

Q: To work well, vocational education must A)focus heavily on job-related instruction. B)carefully integrate academic and job-related instruction. C)offer paid employment as a component of the program. D)focus heavily on basic skills.

Q: Frankie is failing and at risk for dropping out of high school. He will be more likely to complete his education if he A)receives intensive remedial instruction in small classes. B)transfers to a new school. C)gets an after-school job to boost his self-esteem. D)is punished by his parents for his low grades.

Q: Compared to students in a college preparatory track, students in general education and vocational tracks are A)no more likely to drop out. B)three times as likely to drop out. C)50 percent less likely to attend at least one year of college. D)50 percent more likely to get a well-paid job.

Q: Dropout rates among urban minority teenagers A)have decreased steadily over the past decade. B)are highest in the states of Mississippi and Alabama. C)are influenced by experiences of discrimination. D)are higher for girls than boys.

Q: Although many high school dropouts show a persistent pattern of disruptive behavior and poor academic performance, others A)drop out to follow the lure of high-paying jobs in technical fields. B)are pushed out by teachers who fear repercussions from the No Child Left Behind Act. C)drop out in order to earn money to support unemployed parents. D)quietly disengage from school after experiencing academic difficulties.

Q: The U.S. high school dropout rate is A)highest for African Americans. B)highest for students from rural communities. C)slightly lower for Hispanics than for whites. D)slightly higher for boys than for girls.

Q: Dropout rates remain elevated among low-SES ethnic minority youths, especially __________ and __________ teenagers. A)African-American; Hispanic B)African-American; Native-American C)Native-American; Asian-American D)Hispanic; Native-American

Q: Students who are not assigned to a college preparatory track or who achieve poorly in high school can still attend college in A)China. B)Japan. C)Western Europe. D)the United States.

Q: Quinn is a capable student who is placed in a low academic track. Research indicates that Quinn will probably A)show large performance gains because the subject matter is better geared toward his academic level. B)get better quality instruction than his peers in high-ability classrooms. C)exert less effort than his peers who were placed in higher tracks. D)maintain his friendships with peers from high- and mixed-ability groups.

Q: Toms is moving from middle school to a high school with a tracking program. As a low-SES minority student, Toms will most likely be placed in a A)college preparatory track. B)mixed-ability classroom. C)noncollege track. D)remedial classroom.

Q: Research shows that high-stakes testing cause teachers to spend large amounts of time on A)writing skills. B)drill-based exercises. C)assignments that require high-level thinking. D)the educational needs of the gifted and talented

Q: Accumulating evidence on high-stakes testing indicates that it A)often undermines the quality of education. B)provides motivation for upgrading teaching and learning. C)encourages teachers to focus on more in-depth, critical thinking tasks in their lessons. D)accurately evaluates the academic abilities of individual students.

Q: Alan's elementary school has been labeled a "failing" school according to No Child Left Behind standards. Alan's parents will probably A)have the option of transferring him to a higher-performing school. B)be asked to provide additional tutoring for Alan, at their own expense. C)hear that his school has received additional federal funding to improve student achievement. D)learn that his teachers have received financial bonuses.

Q: The No Child Left Behind Act mandates that A)every child will have access to high-quality education and extracurricular activities, regardless of race, class, or sex. B)by the year 2016, every child will need to attend at least two years of college. C)every country in the world will provide an education for all children regardless of sex. D)each state evaluate every public school's performance through annual achievement testing and publicize the results.

Q: A recent study that tracked changes in students' academic orientation in math classes from seventh to eighth grade showed that those who entered classes that emphasized competition and public comparison of students A)reported that school was more interesting and challenging.. B)showed increased perseverance and improved study habits. C)showed declines in motivation and self-regulation. D)displayed increased attendance and achievement.

Q: Frequent media multitaskers have a harder time A)utilizing implicit memory. B)focusing on more than one task at a time. C)filtering out irrelevant stimuli when they are not multitasking. D)shifting attention from one task to another.

Q: Research confirms that media multitasking A)fragments the attention span. B)improves flexibility of thought. C)has little effect on the ability to focus. D)improves explicit memory.

Q: Adolescents most frequent type of media multitasking is A)surfing the Internet while in class. B)listening to music while doing homework. C)watching TV while eating dinner with their families. D)using cell phones while watching TV.

Q: Petra's parents are involved at school and value academic achievement. Which of the following peer groups is Petra likely to join? A)the "outsiders," who skip class and smoke in the parking lot B)the "cool" girls, who spend all their time hanging out with boys C)the "smart" girls, who care about school and get good grades D)the "artsy" girls, who focus all their energy on extracurricular productions

Q: Which of the following explains the level of school involvement for many low-income parents? A)They tend to be unconcerned with academic matters. B)They face daily stresses that reduce the energy they have for school involvement. C)They don't understand the importance of education and so are less involved. D)They already have strained relationships with school personnel and try to avoid further conflict.

Q: Mr. and Mrs. Fischman keep tabs on their teenage daughter Alexa's school progress and communicate with her teachers frequently. However, as Alexa moves into high school, they wonder whether they should decrease their level of involvement. What should you tell them? A)They should remain involved as these efforts are just as important during high school as they were earlier. B)They should decrease their level of school involvement, so as not to embarrass Alexa. C)Parents' school involvement has no correlation to grade point average or other indicators of school success. D)Children pay no attention to their parents' level of school involvement, so they should do whatever feels best to them.

Q: Adolescents whose parents engage in __________ achieve especially well. A)mastery-oriented behavior B)authoritarian parenting C)strict oversight D)joint decision making

Q: __________ parenting predicts the poorest grades and worsening school performance over time. A)Authoritarian B)Authoritative C)Permissive D)Uninvolved

Q: Which of the following child-rearing styles is linked to higher grades in school among adolescents varying widely in SES? A)authoritarian B)authoritative C)permissive D)inconsistent