Q&A Hero

Q: Following the end of World War II, many parents wanted to have children as soon as possible, creating what has come to be called the postwar: A. baby boom. B. depression. C. infantile fixation. D. cohort effect.

Q: During the first half of the 21st century, the adolescent population is expected to: A. decrease. B. increase. C. remain constant. D. unable to predict.

Q: As a social scientist who works with advocacy groups, it is most likely that Professor Sandburg would be interested in tracking the size of the adolescent population over a period of time for all of the following reasons, except: A. he wants to see how funds are allocated for such things as social services, education, and health care. B. he wants to understand the behavior of different cohorts. C. he wants to see how these groups are influenced by the mass media. D. he wants to see the degree of political or social influence that given cohorts have.

Q: According to some commentators, teenagers have become separate from adult society to such an extent that they have established their own society, which undermines parents' authority and emphasizes peer deviance. This society is called: A. the Woodstock generation. B. the dead poet's society. C. the lost boys. D. the youth culture.

Q: Which of the following writers has been the most vocal proponent of the idea that there is a separate and troublesome "youth culture"? A. Margaret Mead B. Eleanor Maccoby C. Brad Brown D. James Coleman

Q: In The Adolescent Society, Coleman expressed concern over the finding that adolescents: A. showed high rates of drug and alcohol abuse. B. reported frequent periods of loneliness. C. placed less emphasis on academic success than their parents. D. spent more time with their parents than with their peers.

Q: A separate youth culture is said to promote all of the following, except: A. academics. B. sports. C. dating. D. partying.

Q: A reason stated in the text to explain why today's youth do not place the same value on education as their parents is that American adolescents: A. have become alienated from and unfamiliar with the values of adults. B. have developed a great deal of anger toward adults. C. look at their country's leaders and see what a low standard has been set in terms of education, so they follow these role models. D. are not challenged by today's educational curriculum.

Q: You have been asked to talk to a child development class about ethnic differences in parenting practices. What can you tell them about which parenting practices are most used and least used in these populations? What parenting practices have the greatest likelihood of facilitating healthy development for adolescents? What cautions can you offer them about how parenting behaviors are interpreted?

Q: Researchers have found that siblings' scores on standard measures of personality traits are virtually uncorrelated. Discuss how parental treatment of their children can serve as a nonshared environmental influence.

Q: Wendy and her mother are arguing over her messy room. Wendy feels that this is her space, and that she can do what she wants with it. Wendy's mom argues that it is her house and that Wendy's room is a reflection of their family lifestyle. Outline reasons for their disagreement using the recent research on intergenerational differences in values and attitudes.

Q: Michael's father, who is close to 40 years old, no longer feels comfortable playing football with his adolescent son as they always used to do when Michael was younger. Outline three developmental concerns of Michael's dad that might account for this change.

Q: Your next-door neighbor tells you she is getting divorced and is planning to remarry as soon as the divorce is final. She has two teenagers, a boy and a girl, and is worried about how they are going to deal with the divorce and her remarriage. She wants to make the transition as easy as possible for them and asks your advice on how to do that.

Q: Adam has lived in chronic poverty his entire life. How will this life experience lead to a heightened risk of psychological difficulties and problem behavior? What can parents do to mitigate the effects of poverty?

Q: Judy and Jessica hang around people their same age. These people are most accurately described as: A. friends. B. buddies. C. peers. D. chums.

Q: In comparison with teenagers in previous times, teenagers in contemporary societies spend ________ time with their peers ________ with their parents. A. more; than B. less; than C. as much; as D. There is too much conflicting data on this issue to give a definitive answer.

Q: Sarah is an excellent writer, but her younger sister Jane has always hated writing classes and instead has focused on developing gymnastic abilities. Sarah readily expresses disdain for gymnastics, so the girls feel that they are different enough to avoid direct competition. One explanation for this type of sibling behavior is called: A. family decision making. B. family contextual transformations. C. sibling rivalry. D. sibling deidentification.

Q: Tammy's father has absolute standards and expects Tammy to conform to them without exception. If she disobeys, he generally punishes her, and he sees no reason why he should explain his rules to Tammy. Instead, his response is, "I'm the father and I love you. I know what's best for you." Kathy's father sets rules for her, but she feels that when a rule seems unfair, she can discuss it with him. Even if he doesn't agree to change the rule, he at least listens to her opinions. What type of parenting style does Tammy's father employ? Kathy's father? Based on what you know about the effects of parenting on adolescence, what will Tammy be like? Kathy? (HINT: Be sure to define each style and discuss the outcomes.)

Q: Disruptions in family finances lead to more: A. frequent conflict among fathers and sons. B. drug and alcohol abuse among parents. C. consistent discipline. D. frequent conflict among mothers and daughters.

Q: Denise's parents have both been laid off from work and are unable to pay the bills. Denise's parents are likely to do all of the following, except: A. become less nurturing toward Denise. B. begin using harsher and more inconsistent discipline than they had in the past. C. engage in drug and alcohol abuse. D. feel more depressed.

Q: The belief that being on welfare has a negative impact on adolescents: A. has been substantiated by the research. B. is incorrect because there are few differences in the behavior, values, and family relationships between adolescents whose families are or are not on welfare. C. is incorrect because the most current research finds that adolescents whose families receive welfare do better in school and later in their professional lives. D. has been neither supported nor rejected.

Q: Luis's family has lived below the poverty level his entire life. Research suggests that Luis is likely to experience all of the following, except: A. greater exposure than other adolescents to violence. B. greater family cohesiveness than other adolescents his age. C. greater alienation from school than other adolescents his age. D. higher levels of stress than other adolescents his age.

Q: Kim lives in a poor neighborhood. As a result, Kim's mother drives her to school each morning and refuses to let her go out after dark. According to the text, Kim's mother is: A. suffering from the empty nest syndrome. B. using the promotive strategy. C. using the prohibitive strategy. D. using the restrictive strategy.

Q: The text states that _________ is/are the most critical influence on adolescents' adjustment. A. the quality of their relationships at home B. good schools C. financial security D. safe neighborhoods

Q: Which of the following statements about stepfamilies is false? A. Adolescents have an easier time adjusting to a stepfather if they have a good relationship with their biological father. B. Younger adolescents have a harder time adjusting to stepfamilies than older adolescents. C. Adolescents growing up in stepfamilies have more problems than adolescents growing up in single-parent families. D. Girls show more difficulty in stepfamilies than boys.

Q: Research assessing the effects of stepfamilies on children's adjustment suggests that over time: A. if the remarriage lasts, gender differences in adjustment disappear. B. boys continue to adjust better than girls to the remarriage. C. girls adjust better than boys to the remarriage. D. girls and boys both experience serious adjustment problems even if the remarriage lasts.

Q: Jesse has just married a woman who has two adolescents. These children will adjust best if Jesse establishes all of the following types of discipline, except: A. consistent. B. supportive. C. controlling. D. authoritative.

Q: When siblings are treated differently by parents, research shows that they are likely to: A. get along worse because they feel competition. B. perceive the discrepancy as being unfair. C. get along better because they feel unique. D. try to be more like one another.

Q: The term given in the text that describes siblings who are deliberately trying to be different from each other is: A. differential treatment. B. sibling deidentification. C. sibling rivalry. D. sibling discrepancy.

Q: One potential reason that Mallory and Mikey, a brother and sister growing up in the same family, have completely different personalities may be that: A. they have very different family experiences, both through differential treatment by parents and their own perceptions of similar experiences. B. gender differences in perception show that males are less likely than females to notice differential treatment by parents. C. they are not identical twins and so share only half of their genetic material. D. Mallory's athletic abilities lead Mikey to engage in sibling rivalry with her.

Q: Although Sarah's parents divorced seven years ago, the counselor at school attributes Sarah's poor school performance and delinquent behavior to the divorce. This counselor is probably referring to the: A. deferred effect of divorce. B. sleeper effect of divorce. C. generation gap between adolescents and parents. D. sluggish adjustment of adolescence.

Q: The factor that seems most important in influencing how well children adjust to divorce over time is: A. the educational level of the parent. B. the degree of conflict between parents. C. the age of the parents. D. the sex of the custodial parent.

Q: According to the textbook, approximately _____ of today's teenagers will experience their parents' divorce and will spend approximately _____ years in a single-parent household before turning 18. A. 10%; 9 years B. 50%; 9 years C. 30%; 5 years D. 60%; 5 years

Q: Which adolescent is likely to exhibit the most problems? A. a 10-year-old female in a two-parent home B. a 12-year-old male living with his mother and grandmother C. a 13-year-old female growing up in a stepfamily D. a 17-year-old deciding between work and college

Q: Current research on the effects of remarriage indicates that: A. younger children have more problems than older children. B. boys and girls show equal distress. C. boys have more problems than girls. D. girls have more problems than boys.

Q: Which of the following adolescents is most likely to experience their parents' divorce? A. Janet, a White adolescent B. John, a White adolescent C. Jeff, a black adolescent D. Bruce, a Hispanic adolescent

Q: Black adolescents are _____ likely to experience their parents' divorce and _____ likely to experience their remarriage. A. more; less B. more; more C. less; more D. less; less

Q: Close to ____ of children in the United States grow up either in abject poverty or in low-income families. A. 15% B. 20% C. 30% D. 40%

Q: Which of the following is not a finding of social scientists regarding the effects of divorce on adolescents? A. The quality of an adolescent's relationship with important adults in the adolescent's life is more important than the number of parents in the home. B. It is the process of going through a divorce, not the change in family structure, that most affects the adolescent's mental health. C. The adverse consequences of divorce for adolescents are directly linked to living in a single-parent household. D. Some of the differences in the effects of divorce on adolescents are a result of genetic differences among individual adolescents.

Q: The _____ may act as a buffer for children growing up in single-parent households and plays an important role in the socialization of Black youth. A. extended family B. school guidance counselor C. involvement in religious activities D. peer group

Q: Matthew and Ryan both live in single-parent households. Matthew interacts with his grandparents every day, whereas Ryan has no contact with his extended family members. Who will be more likely to engage in adolescent misbehavior? A. Matthew. B. Ryan. C. Both will be equally delinquent. D. It depends on whether Matthew has brothers and sisters.

Q: Which of the following statements regarding divorce in America is true? A. The divorce rate has been steadily rising since 1980. B. Black youth are more likely to experience their parents' remarriage than other adolescents. C. The rate of divorce is lower for second marriages than for first marriages. D. Social support from relatives has been found to buffer the effects of living in a single-parent household.

Q: Adolescents from divorced families frequently display all of the following negative effects, except: A. social rejection as a result of stigma. B. lower academic achievement. C. behavior problems. D. poorer psychosocial adjustment.

Q: Amalia is most likely to be adversely affected by her parents' divorce if: A. the conflict between her parents is covert. B. she blames herself for her parents' problems. C. her parents attempt to keep their relationship with her positive. D. her parents keep her out of their arguments.

Q: Although young children may seem unaffected by a divorce at the time, problems may emerge when they are adolescents. This delayed effect is called: A. a sleeper effect. B. a deferred effect. C. sluggish adjustment. D. a generational tendency.

Q: With regard to single-parent families in the United States: A. more of these families are the result of divorce than of the mother never having been married. B. only 5% of children in single-parent homes live with their fathers. C. the classification of "single-parent household" often includes other adults, such as the unmarried partner of a child's parent. D. of young people living in two-adult households, almost one-third of them live with only one of their biological parents.

Q: Which of the following is not one of the 10 Basic Principles of Good Parenting: A. being too loving can be a bad thing B. be involved in your child's life C. avoid harsh discipline D. adapt your parenting to fit your child

Q: Over the course of adolescence, relationships among siblings become more egalitarian but _______ distant and _______ emotionally intense. A. more; less B. less; more C. more; more D. less; less

Q: All of the following statements accurately reflect research on adolescent-sibling relationships, except: A. companionship, nurturance, and support are regular features of adolescent-sibling relationships. B. adolescent-sibling relationships involve more conflict than adolescent-friend relationships. C. adolescent-sibling relationships are characterized by a large increase in sibling rivalry. D. the quality of adolescent sibling relationships is affected by the quality of the parent-child relationship.

Q: Which of the following statements concerning sibling relationships is false? A. The quality of sibling relationships affects adolescents' peer relationships. B. The quality of sibling relationships affects the adolescents' general adjustment. C. Positive sibling relationships contribute to an adolescent's school competence and sociability. D. Siblings are likely to be closer in families under economic stress than in affluent families.

Q: The field of behavior genetics examines all of the following, except: A. whether and how much given traits are genetically versus environmentally determined. B. whether the same environment affects people with different genetic make-ups in different ways. C. whether people with different genetic make-ups evoke different reactions from their environment. D. Behavioral genetics examines all of these issues.

Q: According to behavioral geneticists, siblings are actually quite different from each other. Which of the following has not been used to explain this difference? A. Siblings only share a portion of their genes. B. Siblings may experience their family environment very differently. C. Siblings go through the pubertal transition at different times. D. Siblings may have very different experiences outside the family.

Q: What factors would explain the fact that Dorothy and Rose, sisters who are only 1 year apart in age, have different memories of their family life as they were growing up? A. shared environment B. nonshared environment C. genetic factors D. differentiated environment

Q: Which of the following is least likely to be affected by genetic factors? A. self-perception of scholastic competence B. aggression and antisocial behavior C. risk for suicide and depression D. intelligence

Q: Aisha is a well-adjusted adolescent. She is least likely to say that: A. she has a close relationship with her mother. B. she has friendly relations with her brother and sister. C. she is involved in family decision making. D. she has few responsibilities at home.

Q: All of the following research examples support the notion that the environment often determines whether certain genetic tendencies are actualized, except: A. genetic influences on sexual activity are stronger when adolescents attend schools in which a higher proportion of students are having sex at an early age. B. genetic influences on antisocial behavior are stronger among adolescents who have delinquent peers. C. genetic influences on depression are stronger among adolescents exposed to family conflict. D. all of the above support this notion.

Q: Which of the following parenting styles is most closely associated with overall psychological competence? A. authoritative B. authoritarian C. indulgent D. indifferent

Q: Ethnic differences in parenting practices suggest that: A. authoritative parenting is most likely to be used by White and Asian families. B. ethnic minority families are less likely than White families to use an authoritative parenting style because they are less educated than White parents. C. even though authoritative parenting is less commonly used by ethnic minority families, its effects on adolescent development are beneficial in all ethnic groups. D. authoritarian parenting has equally negative effects on adolescent development across all ethnic groups.

Q: Which type of parenting is the most prevalent among ethnic minorities? A. authoritative B. authoritarian C. indulgent D. indifferent

Q: Which of the following statements is most true of minority families and parenting styles? A. because ethnic minorities are more likely to live in dangerous areas, authoritarian parenting may actually be beneficial for these adolescents B. the distinction between authoritative parenting's positive outcomes for adolescents and authoritarian parenting's negative outcomes holds true across all cultures and ethnic groups C. authoritarian parenting is most prevalent among White middle-class families D. authoritarian parenting styles are associated with an even greater number of adverse effects for ethnic minority adolescents, relative to their White adolescent counterparts

Q: Based on the developmental research, which adolescent is most likely to experience healthy development? A. Kenji, whose parents encourage dependence and connection B. Benji, whose parents engage with him in verbal give-and-take C. Sanjay, whose parents encourage dependence and personal distance D. Bernie, whose parents encourage autonomy and personal distance

Q: According to research, _________ can be an effective way for enhancing the development of adolescents' reasoning abilities, moral judgment and empathy: A. family discussions in which decisions, rules, and expectations are explained. B. giving adolescents free rein. C. helping adolescents better enforce rules for their younger siblings. D. restricting their activities so they avoid any mistakes.

Q: Optimal development during adolescence appears to be facilitated by the ________ style of parenting. A. authoritative B. authoritarian C. indulgent D. neglectful

Q: Authoritative parenting promotes intellectual development and psychosocial maturity through all of the following, except: A. encouraging discussions about decisions and rules that help children understand social relationships. B. asserting parental authority by turning adolescents' personal decisions into moral issues. C. engaging children and adolescents in verbal give-and-take. D. encouraging understanding of social systems, which helps in the development of reasoning, judgment, and empathy.

Q: According to Baumrind, children of indulgent parents tend to be: A. more involved in delinquent behavior. B. less mature and more conforming to their peers. C. more impulsive. D. less socially adept.

Q: Michelle is in late adolescence. She excels in school, holds an after-school job, and participates in community service projects on the weekends. Michelle also has lots of friends at school. Her parents most likely use which parenting style? A. indulgent B. authoritative C. indifferent D. authoritarian

Q: Through which of the following behaviors does an adolescent help shape authoritative parenting? A. by acting up to make their parents feel short-tempered, impatient, or distant B. by being aggressive, dependent, or psychosocially immature to elicit better parenting C. by providing parents with very little knowledge about their behavior or whereabouts, to encourage parental monitoring D. by displaying psychosocial maturity, leading parents to encourage further development of maturity

Q: The text cautions against trying to determine the relationship between family characteristics and adolescent development because: A. adolescent behavior may be a stronger determinant of family relationships than parents' behavior patterns. B. parents and adolescents reciprocally influence each other. C. we cannot tell how parents' parenting patterns impact their adolescents' behavior until it is too late. D. genetic inheritance has a stronger impact on adolescent behavior than parenting practices.

Q: Felicia is very warm and accepting to both of her two children, but she also sets firm rules that the children must follow with very few exceptions. According to Baumrind, the characteristics that best describe her are: A. responsive and demanding. B. demanding and submissive. C. lenient and indulgent. D. submissive and responsive.

Q: Authoritative parents value all of the following, except: A. warmth. B. obedience. C. behavioral standards. D. autonomy.

Q: Max tells his friends that his mother is a "real marshmallow" who does whatever he wants and who never enforces the rules she tries to set. If Max's statement is true, his mother is best characterized as: A. authoritarian. B. nonresponsive. C. indulgent. D. demanding.

Q: Joshua's parents set rules for him, but he feels that when a rule seems unfair, he can discuss it with his parents and, even if they don't agree to change the rule, they at least listen to his opinions. Joshua's parents fit best into which of the following parenting styles? A. authoritative B. authoritarian C. indulgent D. indifferent

Q: Tammy's father has absolute standards and expects Tammy to conform to them without exception. If she disobeys he generally punishes her, and sees no reason why he should explain his rules to Tammy. Instead, his response is, "I'm the father and I love you. I know what's best for you." Her father is best described as having what kind of parenting style? A. authoritative B. authoritarian C. indulgent D. indifferent

Q: Judy's parents express love toward her and they let her, for the most part, establish her own schedule. She eats when she's hungry, has full run of the house, and sleeps when she's tired. This parenting style fits best with which of the following? A. authoritative B. authoritarian C. indulgent D. indifferent

Q: Don's teacher is concerned about him because he is passive and indifferent to new experiences, and shows little intellectual curiosity. He also shows signs of developing low self-esteem. Based on Baumrind's classification of parenting styles, the best guess is that Don's parents are: A. authoritative. B. authoritarian. C. indulgent. D. indifferent.

Q: Cory is more responsible, more self-assured, more adaptive, more creative, and more intellectually curious than most of her peers. Nicole, on the other hand, is very dependent, more passive, less socially adept, less self-assured, and less intellectually curious than most of her peers. According to the textbook, what is the best way to explain this difference? A. Nicole most likely comes from a single-parent family while Cory most likely comes from a two-parent family. B. Cory most likely has authoritative parents and Nicole most likely has authoritarian parents. C. Cory most likely comes from an affluent family and Nicole most likely comes from a low-income family. D. Cory most likely has authoritative parents and Nicole most likely has indifferent parents.

Q: Growing up, Jessica's parents had a lot of marital conflict. At times Jessica was even exposed to some domestic violence. Jessica is likely to develop which of the following problems? A. depression B. aggression C. delinquency D. all of the above

Q: Marcus feels like his parents don't care about him because they allow him to set his own rules and they seldom provide much support. He even wishes they would punish him because that would at least indicate they are paying attention to him. Marcus's parents would be described best as fitting into which of Baumrind's parenting styles? A. authoritative B. authoritarian C. indulgent D. indifferent

Q: The identity crisis of adolescence may interact with the ________ in increasing family conflict. A. hormonal surges of puberty B. stage theorists' description of cognitive development C. intergenerational conflict with parents D. midlife crisis of adults

Q: Concerns of adolescents and their parents are often complementary. All of the following issues concern both adolescents and their parents, except: A. the future. B. sexual appeal. C. money. D. adult roles.