Q&A Hero

Q: Research stimulated by Vygotsky's theory reveals that A)heredity and brain growth contribute significantly to social development. B)the stages of cognitive development are universal. C)children in every culture develop unique strengths. D)adults begin to encourage culturally valued skills as soon as children begin school.

Q: Which of the following behaviors is consistent with Vygotsky's theory? A)When his mother takes him to the grocery store, Tom is well-behaved because he knows that his mother will reward him with candy. B)When playing on the beach, Kehaulani builds the same sort of sand castle that she observed her younger sister building a few days ago. C)Yesica, a Brazilian child candy seller with no schooling, develops sophisticated mathematical abilities as a result of her work. D)When trying to solve a math equation, Otto tries several formulas before he stumbles on the correct one and solves the equation.

Q: Unlike Piaget, Vygotsky A)emphasized children's capacity to shape their own development. B)viewed cognitive development as a socially mediated process. C)believed that children undergo certain stagewise changes. D)focused on discontinuous change.

Q: According to Vygotsky's theory, A)today's lifestyles differ so radically from those of our evolutionary ancestors that certain evolved behaviors are no longer adaptive. B)children shape their own development during both sensitive and critical developmental periods. C)children revise incorrect ideas in their ongoing efforts to achieve equilibrium between internal structures and every-day information. D)social interaction is necessary for children to acquire the ways of thinking and behaving that make up a community's culture.

Q: Dr. McMath is an evolutionary developmental psychologist. Which of the following statements about Dr. McMath is probably true? A)He is primarily concerned with the genetic and biological bases of development. B)He wants to understand the entire person-environment system. C)He is primarily concerned with environmental influences on development. D)He focuses on how culture is transmitted to the next generation.

Q: The term sensitive period applies better to human development than the strict notion of a critical period because A)its boundaries are less well-defined than are those of a critical period. B)the capacity to acquire certain skills cannot occur later than the optimal period. C)there are more sensitive periods than critical periods in human development. D)sensitive periods, but not critical periods, have been empirically tested.

Q: Observations of imprinting led to which of the following major concepts in child development? A)behavior modification B)observational learning C)the critical period D)the chronosystem

Q: Which of the following recent theoretical perspectives is concerned with the adaptive, or survival, value of behavior and its evolutionary history? A)information processing B)ethology C)sociocultural theory D)ecological systems theory

Q: Dr. Langley is dedicated to uncovering the neurological bases of autism-the disrupted brain structures and networks that lead to the impaired social skills, language delays, and repetitive motor behavior of this disorder. Which of the following areas is Dr. Langley conducting research in? A)developmental cognitive neuroscience B)information processing C)developmental social neuroscience D)cognitive-developmental theory

Q: Dr. Singh studies the relationship between changes in the brain and the developing child's cognitive processing and behavior patterns. She is part of a group of researchers from the fields of psychology, biology, neuroscience, and medicine. Dr. Singh would most likely consider herself to be a(n) A)behaviorist. B)developmental cognitive neuroscientist. C)evolutionary developmental psychologist. D)information-processing researcher.

Q: The information-processing approach has little to say about A)linear cognition. B)how children think at different ages. C)logical cognition. D)imagination and creativity.

Q: Unlike Piaget's cognitive-developmental theory, the information-processing approach A)uses clinical interviews to determine a child's stage of development. B)does not divide development into stages. C)characterizes each developmental stage by qualitatively distinct ways of thinking. D)views development as a discontinuous process.

Q: Both Piaget's theory and the information-processing approach A)regard children as active beings who modify their own thinking in response to environmental demands. B)focus on the development of imagination and creativity. C)regard perception, memory, and problem solving as similar at all ages. D)emphasize the importance of equilibration in producing higher levels of thinking.

Q: Dr. Brewer views the human mind as a symbol-manipulating system through which information flows. Dr. Brewer's view is consistent with A)information processing. B)ethology. C)behaviorism. D)sociocultural theory.

Q: In a research study, 10-year-old Joe was given a pile of blocks varying in size, shape, and weight and was asked to build a bridge over a "river" (painted on a floor map) that was too wide for any single block to span. The researcher carefully tracked Joe's efforts using a flowchart. The researcher was probably applying which recent theoretical perspective? A)ecological systems theory B)evolutionary developmental psychology C)information processing D)sociocultural theory

Q: Research on Piaget's cognitive-developmental theory indicates that A)he overestimated the competencies of infants and young children. B)children generally reach their full intellectual potential, regardless of education and experience. C)children's performance on Piagetian problems can be improved with training. D)his stagewise account overemphasizes social and cultural influences on development.

Q: Ms. Harper's classroom environment is based on Piaget's theory of cognitive development. Ms. Harper's program probably emphasizes A)joint problem solving with older children or adults. B)reinforcing children with tokens that they may exchange for treats. C)formal mathematics and language drills. D)discovery learning and direct contact with the environment.

Q: Jamar understands that a certain amount of liquid or clay remains the same even after its appearance changes and can organize objects into hierarchies of classes and subclasses. According to Piaget, Jamar is in the __________ stage of cognitive development. A)sensorimotor B)preoperational C)concrete operational D)sociocultural

Q: According to Piaget's theory, in the sensorimotor stage, children A)can think of all possible outcomes in a scientific problem. B)organize objects into hierarchies of classes and subclasses. C)"think" by acting on the world with their eyes, ears, hands, and mouth. D)can evaluate the logic of verbal statements without referring to real-world circumstances.

Q: According to Piaget, __________ is the balance between internal structures and information that children encounter in their everyday worlds. A)imitation B) adaptation C)cognition D)equilibrium

Q: The biological concept of __________ is central to Piaget's theory. A)reinforcement B)adaptation C)imitation D)physical growth

Q: According to Jean Piaget's cognitive-developmental theory, A)development must be understood in relation to each child's culture. B)children's sense of self-efficacy guides their responses in particular situations. C)children actively construct knowledge as they manipulate and explore their world. D)children's learning depends on reinforcers, such as rewards from adults.

Q: Both behaviorism and social learning theory have been criticized for A)overestimating children's contributions to their own development. B)presenting ideas that are too vague to test empirically. C)emphasizing nature over nurture. D)underestimating children's contributions to their own development.

Q: Which of the following is an example of applied behavior analysis? A)letting children with burn injuries play a virtual reality game while nurses change their bandages B)modeling quiet reading for children to teach them to sit quietly while they read C)talking with children about fears in an attempt to uncover the underlying cause of thumb sucking D)punishing a child by hitting him and then noticing that the child angrily hits a playmate in the same way

Q: The most recent revision of Albert Bandura's theory places such strong emphasis on how children think about themselves and other people that he calls it a(n) __________ rather than a(n) __________ approach. A)observational learning; social-cognitive B)social-cognitive; social learning C)social learning; social-cognitive D)social learning; observational learning

Q: At home, Paul's parents hit him as punishment for misbehavior. At preschool, Paul angrily hits a playmate who takes his toy. According to social learning theory, Paul is displaying A)classical conditioning. B)operant conditioning. C)behavior modification. D)observational learning.

Q: Social learning theory A)emphasizes modeling, also known as imitation or observational learning, as a powerful source of development. B)maintains that behaviorism offers little or no effective explanation of the development of children's social behavior. C)is criticized because it places little emphasis on how children are influenced by the behavior of their parents and peers. D)emphasizes classical over operant conditioning and relies heavily on the concepts of psychoanalytic theory.

Q: On a few occasions, Jack's mother gave him candy to keep him quiet when she took him to the doctor's office. Now every time Jack goes to the doctor's office, he asks his mother for candy. This is an example of A)classical conditioning. B)operant conditioning. C)observational learning. D)modeling.

Q: According to B. F. Skinner, the frequency of a behavior can be increased by following it with a wide variety of A)punishments. B)negative stimuli. C)stimulus-response associations. D)reinforcers.

Q: Consistent with Locke's tabula rasa, John Watson concluded that __________ is the supreme force in development. A)nature B)early experience C)environment D)cognition

Q: Ivan Pavlov taught dogs to salivate at the sound of a bell by using A)operant conditioning. B)classical conditioning. C)innate reflexes. D)modeling.

Q: Dr. Faulkner believes that directly observable events-stimuli and responses-are the appropriate focus of the study of child development. Which of the following perspectives of child development does Dr. Faulkner probably follow? A)psychosexual theory B)psychosocial theory C)behaviorism D)cognitive-developmental theory

Q: One reason that the psychoanalytic perspective is no longer in the mainstream of child development research is because A)many psychoanalytic ideas, such as ego functioning, are too vague to be tested empirically. B)psychoanalytic theorists accept the clinical method in which age-related averages represent typical development. C)modern researchers have demonstrated that personality development does not take place in stages. D)it failed to consider the early parent-child relationship, which is central to modern theories.

Q: Unlike Freud, Erikson A)viewed children as taking a more active role in their own development. B)pointed out that normal development must be understood in relation to each culture's life situation. C)minimized the role of culture in individual development. D)primarily focused on the importance of early life experiences.

Q: Freud's theory was the first to stress the influence of __________ on development. A)observational learning B)rewards and punishment C)cultural norms D)the early parent-child relationship

Q: Sigmund Freud's psychosexual theory A)was developed through careful observations of his own children. B)emphasizes that how parents manage their child's fears is crucial for healthy sexual development. C)emphasizes five parts of the personality that become integrated during a sequence of three stages. D)was developed through having emotionally troubled adults talk freely about painful events of their childhoods.

Q: According to __________, children move through a series of stages in which they confront conflicts between biological drives and social expectations. A)the normative approach B)behaviorism C)social learning theory D)the psychoanalytic perspective

Q: Alfred Binet and Theodore Simon's intelligence test was developed as a way to A)identify children with learning problems who needed to be placed in special classes. B)accurately predict school achievement and vocational success. C)document developmental improvements in children's intellectual functioning. D)measure individual differences in development as a function of race, gender, and birth order.

Q: Arnold Gesell A)was among the first to make knowledge about child development meaningful to parents. B)viewed children as noble savages, naturally endowed with a sense of right and wrong. C)concluded that child development follows the same general plan as human evolution. D)constructed the first successful intelligence test, together with his colleague, Alfred Binet.

Q: Inspired by Charles Darwin's work, G. Stanley Hall and his student, Arnold Gesell, A)laid the modern foundations of ethology. B)developed the concept of sensitive periods in development. C)devised theories based on evolutionary ideas. D)constructed the first intelligence test.

Q: __________ is generally regarded as the founder of the child-study movement. A)John Locke B)Jean-Jacques Rousseau C)Charles Darwin D)G. Stanley Hall

Q: Charles Darwin's theory of evolution emphasized __________ and __________. A)the normative approach; survival of the fittest B)noble savages; physical maturation C)tabula rasa; natural selection D)natural selection; survival of the fittest

Q: Jean-Jacques Rousseau saw children as A)determining their own destinies. B)blank slates to be filled by adult instruction. C)tainted by original sin. D)passive and highly plastic.

Q: All contemporary child development theories view children as A)naturally endowed with a sense of right and wrong. B)passive and emotionally fragile. C)adults in training. D)active, purposeful beings.

Q: John Locke opposed the use of A)praise as a reward. B)negative reinforcement. C)physical punishment. D)any form of discipline.

Q: According to John Locke's view, children begin A)with a soul tainted by original sin. B)as nothing at all. C)as noble savages. D)as evil and stubborn.

Q: During the Reformation, the Puritans A)characterized children as innocent and close to angels. B)regarded children as fully mature by the time they were 7 or 8 years old. C)recommended permissive child-rearing practices. D)believed that children were born evil and had to be civilized.

Q: In medieval times, A)children dressed and acted like adults. B)clear awareness existed of children as vulnerable beings. C)children were viewed as tabula rasas. D)childhood was not regarded as a distinct developmental period.

Q: The most consistent asset of resilient children is A)high self-esteem. B)access to high-quality child care. C)a strong bond with a competent, caring adult. D)being identified as gifted.

Q: According to research on resilience, which of the following children has an increased chance of offsetting the impact of a stressful home life? A)Luke, who is an irritable child B)Michelle, who is an emotionally reactive child C)Noah, who is a talented musician D)Sarah, who associates with rule-breaking peers

Q: Theorists who emphasize plasticity believe that A)early experiences establish a lifelong pattern of behavior. B)heredity, rather than the environment, influences behavior. C)children who are high or low in a characteristic will remain so at later ages. D)development is open to change in response to influential experiences.

Q: Theorists who believe that children who are high or low in a characteristic will remain so at later ages typically stress the importance of A)heredity. B)stages. C)nurture. D)plasticity.

Q: Charlene believes that her daughter's ability to think in complex ways is largely the result of a built-in timetable of growth. Charlene's view emphasizes A)nurture. B)nature. C)plasticity. D)early experiences.

Q: In her research, Dr. Rosenblum explores why shy children develop differently from their outgoing agemates. Dr. Rosenblum most likely emphasizes __________ in her research. A)the role of distinct contexts B)the nature-nurture controversy C)the concept of stage D)continuous development

Q: In stage theories, development is A)a smooth, continuous process. B)gradual and ongoing. C)like climbing a staircase. D)a gradual addition of the same types of skills.

Q: Jessica believes that development takes place in stages where children change rapidly as they step up to a new level and then change very little for a while. Jessica views development as A)discontinuous. B)determined by nature. C)continuous. D)determined by nurture.

Q: Reid believes that the difference between the immature and the mature being is simply one of amount or complexity. Reid views development as A)discontinuous. B)determined by nature. C)continuous. D)determined by nurture.

Q: In what important way do theories differ from mere opinion or belief? A)They are influenced by cultural values. B)They depend on scientific verification. C)They explain all aspects of development. D)They cannot be tested using research procedures.

Q: Theories are vital tools because they A)provide organizing frameworks for our observations of children. B)provide the ultimate truth about child development. C)do not require scientific verification. D)are resistant to the influence of cultural values and belief systems.

Q: Which of the following statements about emerging adulthood is true? A)It is a period of development that spans from age 15 to 21 years. B)It is a period of development unique to underdeveloped nations. C)Although emerging adults have moved beyond adolescence, they have not yet fully assumed adult roles. D)It is a period of development mostly limited to young people in developing nations.

Q: During which period of development does a sense of morality become evident? A)infancy and toddlerhood B)early childhood C)middle childhood D)adolescence

Q: Which of the following statements regarding the major domains of development is true? A)The domains of development are separate and distinct. B)Each period of development is made up of a new set of domains. C)The physical domain has little influence on the other domains. D)Development is divided into three broad domains.

Q: The central questions addressed by the field of child development A)are primarily of scientific interest. B)have applied, or practical, importance. C)are based exclusively on research conducted by psychologists. D)involve all changes a person experiences throughout the lifespan.

Q: according to your textbook, the prognosis for an autistic child is: a.poor because problematic behaviors and deficits persist into adulthood b.poor if treated with behavioral modification c.excellent if biological treatments are used d.good if the disease appears later in life

Q: if drug treatments previously tried for autism were effective, which of the following treatment combinations would be recommended for people with autism, and what would be the effects of taking these two drugs? a.serotonin agonists would improve mood, and oxytocin agonists would improve cognitive functioning. b.serotonin agonists would reduce repetitive behaviors, and oxytocin agonists would improve social bonding. c.dopamine agonists would increase social bonding, and acetylcholine agonists would improve memory and language functioning. d.dopamine agonists would reduce repetitive behaviors, and acetylcholine agonists would increase language and self-expression behaviors.

Q: how do serotonin agonist drugs affect children with autism? a.the drugs reduce repetitive, self-stimulating behaviors. b.the drugs improve mood and make behavioral treatments easier to implement. c.the drugs increase social bonding. d.the drugs do not produce effects in children with autism, even though they do work effectively on other disorders, such as depression and obsessive-compulsive disorder.

Q: brandon, a 6-year-old, was diagnosed with autism at age 2. since then, he has been receiving a treatment called applied behavioral analysis (aba). which of the following outcomes is most likely for brandon after four years of receiving aba, according to research presented in your textbook? a.brandon will have a higher iq than before he started. b.brandon will have excellent social relationships with family and friends by age 6. c.brandon will have required intensive treatment at first, but after one year his behavior will have improved and time in therapy will be reduced. d.brandon will have required aba treatment as well as a supplemental therapy, such as group therapy, to increase his social skills.

Q: chance is a young boy with autism. recently, his parents have discovered a way to treat his disorder and have begun training in applied behavior analysis. upon beginning this treatment with their son, which of the following complaints might they have? a.chances social skills will not have improved at all even though his sensory abilities will have increased. b.chance will still score very low on iq tests despite the intensive treatment, meaning he will still be in special classes at school. c.there will be a large amount of time required from the parents to implement the treatment. d.chances attentional capacity will still be so limited that they will need to train him at least 80 hours a week until he is age 10 or older.

Q: based on what is known about the characteristics of autism, which of the following therapy techniques would be most effective in encouraging an autistic child to make appropriate eye contact with a therapist? a.play therapy, where the autistic child could first see eye contact modeled with dolls b.behavioral modeling, where the autistic child could watch as an adult and a nonautistic child modeled eye contact c.reinforcement with food, where a therapist could give a small food reward each time the autistic child made appropriate eye contact d.drug therapy, where the child would be put on a gaba agonist medication to reduce self-stimulatory behaviors; reducing inappropriate behaviors can lead to the expression of more appropriate behaviors, such as making eye contact

Q: tory, a 6-year-old boy with autism, has received applied behavior analysis treatment for the past four years. which of the following statements will be most accurate about torys current situation? a.torys treatment is relatively easy to implement, but his parents are thinking of dropping out because applied behavior analysis is so expensive. b.torys cognitive skills have significantly improved, but he so dislikes his treatment that he has become defiant and difficult. c.tory is satisfied with his treatment and is a happier child, but his iq is still low and he cannot be taught in normal classrooms at school. d.torys treatment is very time consuming and intense, but his iq is now 20 points higher than when he started treatment.

Q: malik, a child in intensive applied behavior analysis treatment for autism, has improved in a number of ways after four years with this treatment. however, the major difficulty for his parents is the: a.need for him to be in inpatient treatment, which is expensive b.time commitment involved c.fact that even with the treatment, he will never be able to attend school in a normal classroom d.fact that his intelligence will not improve even with intensive treatment

Q: which of the following outcomes is likely for a child with autism who is treated with applied behavior analysis for two years or more? a.intelligence, as assessed by an iq test, will have increased significantly. b.social skills will be excellent. c.inappropriate behaviors will have decreased or be totally eliminated. d.subjective well-being or happiness will be the same as other children.

Q: an intensive treatment for autism based on operant conditioning principles is: a.cognitive therapy b.applied behavior analysis c.behavior therapy d.none of the above

Q: the case of the autistic child named james reported in the text reveals: a.how labor intensive the preferred therapeutic intervention for this disorder is b.the importance of the structured school setting in a childs recovery c.that autistic children can function normally if treatment begins early d.the superiority of drug treatment for the disorder

Q: in summarizing what is known about the treatment of autism, you should conclude that even though there are problems with this treatment, _____ have shown the most promise. a.biological treatments b.psychotherapy interventions c.social skills training approaches d.behavioral techniques

Q: which of the following statements is central to the applied behavioral analysis approach to the treatment of autism? a.it is used by professionals rather than parents. b.it is intended to be used for short periods of time. c.it is based on operant conditioning principles. d.the treatment typically begins when children enter a structured school setting.

Q: applied behavioral analysis therapy has been used to treat: a.autistic children b.borderline personality disorder c.adults with adhd d.antisocial personality disorder

Q: jonas and yitzhak both have attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and have recently been given two different kinds of treatment. jonas is taking ritalin, and yitzhak is being treated with behavioral therapy. in three years, the boys will be tested for symptoms of the disorder. what are the most likely outcomes? a.the outcomes will be similar; both boys will show a significant reduction in symptoms. b.the outcomes will be similar at first, but jonas is more likely to drop out of therapy due to the significant side effects. c.yitzhak will show slow improvement, and after three years he will have fewer symptoms than jonas. d.yitzhak will experience significant improvement at first, but jonas will have fewer symptoms after three years.

Q: based on the evidence provided in your textbook regarding the behavioral effects of ritalin therapy, which of the following outcomes is most likely in a group of 12-year-old boys taking the drug for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder? a.some boys will experience very serious side effects, such as depression. b.many boys will perform better academically and socially. c.most boys will show an increase in negative behaviors and no change in positive behaviors. d.most boys will show an increase in attentive and productive behaviors, but will remain somewhat loud and disruptive.

Q: if you are the parent of a child who has been diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and who is being treated with ritalin or similar drugs, what side effects might you expect to see in your child? a.sleep problems, a pause in growth, and reduced appetite b.deterioration in handwriting quality and an inability to concentrate c.increased distractibility and a ravenous appetite d.a general apathy along with a disinterest in social interaction