Q&A Hero

Q: Which of the following behaviors is characteristic of increased emotional autonomy among adolescents? A. Adolescents are eager to get their parents help and advice with problems. B. Adolescents feel their parents are all-knowing and all-powerful. C. Adolescents are able to see their parents as people. D. Adolescents have difficulty sympathizing with their parents' problems.

Q: According to the textbook, many young people find it frustrating that: A. they feel emotionally independent but have to abide by their parents' rules as long as they are being supported economically. B. their parents expect them to be so autonomous and independent at such a young age. C. they are economically independent, but still rely on parents for approval regarding religious and political issues. D. they are working the same jobs as some adults, but have less freedom and more supervision than the adults.

Q: Issues of autonomy: A. are typically resolved during toddlerhood. B. are typically resolved during adolescence. C. are typically resolved in early adulthood. D. recur throughout the life span.

Q: All of the following are reasons stated in the textbook to explain why adolescent autonomy has attracted the attention of developmental psychologists, except: A. the physical changes of early adolescence trigger changes in the adolescent's emotional relationships at home. B. puberty sets up a situation of the adolescent's increasing emotional dependence on the family. C. the cognitive changes of adolescence provide the foundation for changes in the adolescent's thinking about social, moral, and ethical problems. D. changes in social roles raise concerns about independence relating to increased responsibility and self-reliance.

Q: Peter is noticing changes in the expression of affection and distribution of power in his relationships with his parents. He is less likely to rush to them with a problem, and is spending more time with his friends. What type of autonomy is developing with Peter? A. behavioral B. emotional C. cognitive D. None of the above.

Q: Which of the following aspects of autonomy involves the capacity to make independent decisions and follow through with them? A. behavioral autonomy B. psychosocial autonomy C. emotional autonomy D. cognitive autonomy

Q: Whereas _________ refers to individuals' capacity to behave on their own, ___________ has emotional and cognitive as well as behavioral components. A. independence; self-sufficiency B. autonomy; independence C. independence; autonomy D. autonomy; self-sufficiency

Q: Which statement about autonomy in adolescence is false? A. Autonomy is closely related to adolescent rebellion. B. The growth of autonomy during adolescence is gradual and progressive. C. The growth of autonomy during adolescence is relatively un-dramatic. D. The development of adolescent autonomy is often misunderstood.

Q: According to the textbook, many writers have suggested that an adolescent's desire for autonomy may actually have an evolutionary basis, which reflects: A. adolescents' competiveness with their same-sex parent. B. an individual's desire to live in an environment with the least amount of competition for key resources. C. an individual's desire to increase his or her opportunity to find a non-familial mate to reproduce with. D. a genetically based desire to distance oneself from close relatives.

Q: The paradox of adolescent autonomy is that: A. adolescents today are more economically dependent than in previous times, yet have fewer responsibilities than their peers in previous eras. B. whereas adolescents today are expected to be increasingly autonomous psychologically and socially, they are now less autonomous economically. C. whereas adolescence extends longer today than it did in previous eras, today's adolescents are more autonomous than in previous times. D. as autonomy increases in adolescence, "storm and stress" decrease.

Q: Describe how the identity development of minority adolescents differs from the identity development of White adolescents. What unique challenges do minority adolescents, including multiethnic and foreign-born adolescents, face? How do minorities respond to these challenges? Be sure to describe the pathways related to positive and negative outcomes among minority youth.

Q: All of the following are defining characteristics of agency, except: A. feeling in control of one's own decisions. B. having confidence that obstacles can be overcome. C. blaming other people for one's problems. D. taking responsibility for one's self.

Q: The psychosocial domain concerning the development and expression of independence is called: A. autocracy. B. autonomy. C. detachment. D. morality.

Q: Cara hates that her mother always asks her where she is going and who she is hanging out with. Cara's attempts to keep secrets are her attempt to establish: A. autonomy. B. independence. C. maturity. D. self-reliance.

Q: Compared to parents who emphasize having pride in one's ethnic group, parents who emphasize the need to be wary about potential racism tend to have children: A. who fare better in the face of discrimination. B. who fare worse in the face of discrimination. C. who are more prepared for the "real world." D. who are more accepting of discrimination.

Q: Positive mental health is associated with: A. having strong positive feelings about one's own ethnic heritage and feeling separate from the mainstream culture. B. separating from one's own ethnic heritage but having strong positive feelings about mainstream culture. C. having strong positive feelings about one's own ethnic heritage and about mainstream culture. D. separating from both one's own ethnic heritage and mainstream culture.

Q: Which of the following statements concerning ethnic identity is false? A. Proficiency in one's ethnic language and interacting with peers from the same ethnic group are associated with having a strong ethnic identity. B. Foreign-born ethnic minority adolescents express more negative feelings about mainstream American ideals than their more acculturated peers. C. Foreign-born ethnic minority adolescents perform better in school than their more acculturated peers. D. Foreign-born ethnic minority adolescents are less likely to be involved in delinquent behavior than their more acculturated peers.

Q: The idea that pressure to behave in sex-appropriate ways temporary increases during middle adolescence, especially for girls, is called the _______ hypothesis. A. gender intensification B. self-image stability C. sex-role stereotyping D. androgyny

Q: Which adolescent male would be expected to have the highest self-esteem? A. Paul, who is extremely masculine B. David, who is extremely feminine C. Roger, whose sexuality is ambiguous D. Donald, who is both masculine and feminine

Q: Which of the following statements is not true regarding the gender intensification hypothesis in adolescence? A. During adolescence, girls can be highly pressured to behave in feminine ways without necessarily being punished or labeled deviant for exhibiting some masculine traits at the same time. B. During adolescence, boys can be highly pressured to behave in masculine ways without necessarily being punished or labeled deviant for exhibiting some feminine traits at the same time. C. Boys' gender-role socialization does not intensify during adolescence as much as it does for girls because boys' gender-role socialization is very intense from childhood. D. Girls may feel increasingly pressured to dress nicely and to wear makeup when they reach adolescence, but they are not pressured to give up athletics.

Q: How do self-conceptions change between childhood and late adolescence? Be sure to define self-conception and describe the three major patterns of change that are discussed in the textbook, giving illustrations of each.

Q: Has research on Erikson's theory of adolescent identity development supported his original theory? How do identity status researchers obtain their data? What have these studies found that is (or is not) consistent with Erikson's theory? What do the psychological profiles look like for individuals in each of the identity states?'

Q: Robert Sellers and colleagues have presented a model to help make sense of the complicated relations among perceived discrimination, ethnic identity, and mental health among minorities. This model is called: A. the racial centrality model of identity (RCMI). B. the multicultural model of discrimination (MMOD). C. the multidimensional model of racial identity (MMRI). D. the multitrait multimethod model of discrimination (MMMD).

Q: Being aware of potential racism and mistrusting others are not the same thing. Awareness of racism is associated with _________, while mistrust is associated with _________. A. better achievement; doing poorly in school B. doing poorly in school; better achievement C. disengagement from school; better achievement D. reductions in self-esteem; increases in self-esteem

Q: Among ethnic minority youth, academic achievement is highest when adolescents experience all of the following except: A. feel connected to their ethnic group. B. are aware of racism. C. believe it is important to the people in their life to be academically successful within mainstream society. D. are not aware of racism.

Q: One study of ethnic identity and academic achievement illustrated how racial centrality, private regard, and public regard work together to influence Black adolescents' school performance and motivation. The researchers identified four distinct clusters within their sample of 600 students. Which cluster of students was most likely to drop out and which cluster of students was most likely to hold positive beliefs about the school? A. alienated students were the most likely to drop out; idealized students were most likely to hold positive beliefs about the school B. buffering/defensive students were the most likely to drop out; idealized students were most likely to hold positive beliefs about the school C. alienated students were the most likely to drop out; buffering/defensive students were most likely to hold positive beliefs about the school D. idealized students were the most likely to drop out; alienated students were most likely to hold positive beliefs about the school

Q: Compared to minority adolescents with families that have been in the United States for a long-time, foreign-born ethnic minority adolescents tend to perform: A. better in school, but are more likely to be involved in delinquent behavior. B. worse in school, but are less likely to have emotional and behavioral problems. C. better in school, and are less likely to be involved in delinquent behavior. D. worse in school, and are more likely to have emotional and behavioral problems.

Q: What is the immigrant paradox? A. Foreign-born and first-generation ethnic minority youth perform better in school and are less likely to be involved in delinquent behavior or have physical, emotional, and behavioral problems than adolescents from the same ethnic group whose parents were born in America. B. Foreign-born and first-generation ethnic minority youth perform worse in school and are more likely to be involved in delinquent behavior or have physical, emotional, and behavioral problems than adolescents from the same ethnic group whose parents were born in America. C. Foreign-born and first-generation ethnic minority youth perform worse in school but are less likely to be involved in delinquent behavior or have physical, emotional, and behavioral problems than adolescents from the same ethnic group whose parents were born in America. D. Foreign-born and first-generation ethnic minority youth perform better in school but are more likely to be involved in delinquent behavior or have physical, emotional, and behavioral problems than adolescents from the same ethnic group whose parents were born in America.

Q: According to the textbook, feeling discriminated against is predictive of all of the following except: A. conduct problems. B. depression. C. lower achievement in school. D. All of the above.

Q: According to the textbook, one of the pathways by which adolescents who feel discriminated against experience negative mental health outcomes is: A. adolescents who feel discriminated against in school may feel less control over their academic achievement, which may lead to feelings of depression. B. adolescents who feel discriminated against put less effort into their school work, which leads to feelings of worthlessness. C. adolescents who feel discriminated against isolate themselves from their peers. D. adolescents who feel discriminated against are afraid to present their "true self."

Q: According to the textbook, having race as a central part of one's identity has the following impact(s) on adolescent development: A. it may make adolescents more sensitive to discrimination. B. it may help adolescents cope better with discrimination. C. A and B are both true. D. Neither A nor B is true.

Q: According to Sellers's Multidimensional Model of Racial Identity (MMRI), three different aspects of racial identity are important to consider in understanding discrimination and its effects. These three components are: A. private regard, public regard, and racial centrality. B. private regard, external regard, and familial regard. C. racial centrality, external regard, and code switching. D. public regard, private regard, and perceived discrimination.

Q: According to the textbook, Black individuals who believe that the public has low regard for their ethnic group typically: A. are more sensitive to racial cues. B. are less sensitive to racial cues. C. have low private regard. D. have high private regard.

Q: Have attempts to speed up the identity development process by training individuals to think more about how specific life events have played a role in their development been effective? A. Yes, adolescents can be trained to crystallize their sense of identity. B. No, these training programs have been ineffective. C. The results of these training programs have been mixed. D. Yes, programs that train individuals how to think about specific life events can play a substantial role in the development of female adolescents (but the effect has not been found in a sample of male adolescents).

Q: What did the results from longitudinal studies on identity development indicate about the flexibility of identity statuses? A. The majority of adolescents who were classified as being in a state of identity diffusion were no longer classified that way 4 years later. B. The majority of individuals who had apparently foreclosed the identity development process were in the midst of an identity crisis 4 years later. C. A large proportion of individuals who were classified as being in a state of identity achievement were no longer classified that way at later time-points. D. All of these statements are based on the results of longitudinal studies.

Q: With regard to adolescent identity development, psychologists are much better at ______ than at ______. A. describing the various stages that adolescents move through; explaining why or how individuals' sense of identity changes when it does. B. explaining why or how individuals' sense of identity changes across development; describing the various stages that adolescents move through. C. describing the identity states of achievement and moratorium; describing the identity states of diffusion and foreclosure. D. explaining how adolescents solve the identity crisis; explaining why the processes are so different for males and females.

Q: Ethnic identity may be sped up if parents teach their children: A. to ignore society's conflicting messages about race. B. to respect their elders. C. to attend church regularly. D. about dealing with racism.

Q: Which of the following ethnic identity processes is not similar for identity development in general? A. Ethnic identity development is profoundly affected by the context in which adolescents live. B. The process of ethnic identity development usually starts with an unquestioning view of oneself being displaced by a "crises." C. Individuals with a strong sense of ethnic identity have better mental health than their peers whose sense of ethnic identity is more diffuse. D. Research has indicated that the process of ethnic identity may be speeded up when adolescents have parents who take a deliberate approach to the socialization of an ethnic identity.

Q: A sense of identity is typically crystallized: A. in early adolescence. B. throughout the adolescent period. C. in late adolescence. D. in late adolescence to the early 20s.

Q: According to the textbook, some adolescents might forge some sense of self-definition in an environment that has made it difficult to establish an acceptable identity by: A. selecting a negative identity B. using drugs and alcohol C. engaging in identity moratorium D. engaging in identity foreclosure

Q: Recent identity research has debunked which of the following myths about identity development in adolescence? A. There is an identity crisis that is resolved during adolescence. B. There is a clear, systematic order in which all individuals must pass through the stages of identity development. C. Identity achievement is the final state of identity development for all individuals. D. All of these ideas about identity development in adolescence are myths that have been debunked in research studies.

Q: Identity states: A. are stable across time. B. proceed from uncommitted to committed patterns. C. shift across the life span. D. occur in the following order: 1) diffused, 2) foreclosed, 3) moratorium, and 4) achieved.

Q: Which of the following statements about identity development is false? A. A coherent sense of identity generally is not established before the age of 18. B. Boys tend to lag behind girls in identity development in early and middle adolescence but catch up by late adolescence. C. There is clearly a decline with age in the proportion of individuals who are in a state of moratorium, diffusion, or achievement. D. Few differences in identity statuses are observed in samples of teenagers in the middle adolescent years.

Q: Edith, the adolescent daughter of the local district attorney, has recently been hanging out with a rowdy group of youth who have vandalized a number of public buildings. Edith has most likely adopted a: A. false-self behavior. B. negative peer culture. C. negative identity. D. All of the above.

Q: Whose research supports Erikson's theory on identity development? A. Phinney B. Harter C. Marcia D. Gilligan

Q: Across all of the identity development frameworks, what is a common factor related to healthy development? A. having authoritative parents B. having a high self-esteem and positive self-regard C. a period of experimentation and exploration before finalizing choices D. exploration in depth and exploration in breadth

Q: According to the textbook, which identity status is associated with a coherent sense of identity? A. achievement B. foreclosure C. moratorium D. diffusion

Q: What is the best way to conceptualize movement through the four identity states? A. progression proceeds through a preconceived, orderly sequence B. individuals move from state to state, and not necessarily in an orderly fashion C. conflicts in each state must be satisfied before moving to next state D. each state has developmental tasks that need to be solved; failure to successfully navigate a state will halt development

Q: Generalizing from Marcia's research on identity, who is most likely to become an authoritarian parent and have the highest need for social approval? A. Sanjay, identity achieved B. Ann, identity diffusion C. Michele, psychosocial moratorium D. Tara, identity foreclosed

Q: Which of the following individuals would be considered to be in an identity achieved state? A. Alexandra, who has not made firm commitments and is not currently trying to make them B. Denise, who has made identity commitments without needing a period of exploration C. Brandon, who is in the midst of a period of exploration D. Francis, who has established a coherent sense of identity; she has made identity commitments after a period of exploration

Q: Which of the following individuals would be considered to be in an identity moratorium state? A. Alexandra, who has not made firm commitments and is not currently trying to make them B. Denise, who has made identity commitments without needing a period of exploration C. Brandon, who is in the midst of a period of exploration D. Francis, who has established a coherent sense of identity; she has made identity commitments after a period of exploration

Q: Which of the following individuals would be considered to be in an identity foreclosure state? A. Alexandra, who has not made firm commitments and is not currently trying to make them B. Denise, who has made identity commitments without needing a period of exploration C. Brandon, who is in the midst of a period of exploration D. Francis, who has established a coherent sense of identity; she has made identity commitments after a period of exploration

Q: Which of the following individuals would be considered to be in an identity diffusion state? A. Alexandra, who has not made firm commitments and is not currently trying to make them B. Denise, who has made identity commitments without needing a period of exploration C. Brandon, who is in the midst of a period of exploration D. Francis, who has established a coherent sense of identity; she has made identity commitments after a period of exploration

Q: Specific to the ways of resolving an identity crisis, in which category would you classify Anya, an adolescent who approaches identity-related decisions with an open mind and actively seeks information? A. informational orientation B. normative orientation C. diffuse/avoidant orientation D. rational orientation

Q: Bruce, a second-year college student, has switched majors three times. He is still undecided about what he wants to do with his life. Bruce is in: A. a state of psychological confusion. B. a period of crystallization. C. a state of deindividuation. D. a state of psychosocial moratorium.

Q: Dr. Mullins argues that adolescence is such a demanding time that adolescents need several years with as few responsibilities as possible so they can sort out their identities. His argument focuses on the need for a period of: A. individuation. B. separation. C. crystallization. D. psychosocial moratorium.

Q: Since Ignacio became an adolescent, he has experimented with different roles and personalities. Ignacio's parents are telling all their friends that this is just a "phase" that he's going through. According to Erikson, this "phase" is called: A. identity foreclosure. B. psychosocial moratorium. C. identity confusion. D. negative identity.

Q: Problems in identity development can result when: A. earlier crises have not been resolved. B. an adolescent's environment does not allow for a period of foreclosure. C. the adolescent has to endure a period moratorium. D. the adolescent has not yet experienced the crisis of generativity.

Q: Identity that is incoherent, disjointed, and characterized by an incomplete sense of self is called: A. false-self behavior. B. moratorium. C. identity diffusion. D. marginal identity.

Q: Alex suffers from identity diffusion. In addition to problems with identity development, problems with identity diffusion are likely to be reflected in the area(s) of: A. autonomy. B. intimacy. C. sexuality. D. All of the above.

Q: James has flunked out of high school, has severed all of his ties with family and friends, and has no sense of where he is headed. He also seems to have significant disruptions in his sense of time (some things seem to happen much faster than they really do). According to Erikson, James is experiencing: A. identity diffusion. B. negative identity. C. identity foreclosure. D. psychosocial moratorium.

Q: Sixteen-year-old Geneva believes that the death penalty is wrong because her parents, friends, and church say so. She has never really thought about the issue, but has accepted this view as her own. This pattern of following what her parents and peers say and do is pervasive throughout most of her beliefs and behaviors. Which identity state do you think Geneva is in? A. achievement B. foreclosure C. diffusion D. moratorium

Q: Identities that are undesirable to parents and community members are referred to by Erikson as: A. negative identities. B. marginal identities. C. false identities. D. offensive identities.

Q: Involvement in delinquent activity may lead to ________ in self-esteem, perhaps because involvement in delinquency _____. A. an increase; earns teenagers approval from certain peers B. a decrease; leads to social isolation C. stability; has no effect on an adolescent's self-image D. sudden fluctuations; is dynamic and unpredictable

Q: Erik Erikson believed that ________ is the primary psychosocial crisis of adolescence. A. balancing a sense of trust with a sense of mistrust B. developing a sense of autonomy and the ability to do things for oneself C. establishing a coherent sense of identity D. developing intimate personal relationships

Q: According to Erikson, the major crisis of adolescence is called: A. basic trust versus mistrust. B. autonomy versus shame and doubt. C. industry versus inferiority. D. identity versus identity diffusion.

Q: Jessica is 15 years old and spends most of her energy wondering who she is and what kind of person she will become. Erikson would describe her as facing the crisis called: A. basic trust versus mistrust. B. autonomy versus shame and doubt. C. industry versus inferiority. D. identity versus identity diffusion.

Q: The key to resolving the crisis of identity versus identity diffusion, according to Erikson, is: A. identity achievement. B. family relationships. C. interactions with others. D. peer relationships.

Q: Which adolescent would be expected to have the greatest difficulty establishing a sense of identity? A. Michael, who has many alternatives available to him in many different arenas B. Melvin, who has a moderate number of alternatives available to him in a few different arenas C. Jay, who has few alternatives available to him and is expected to follow in his father's footsteps D. All of these adolescents are likely to have difficulty establishing a sense of identity.

Q: According to Erikson, a necessary "time-out" for adolescents is called: A. psychosocial moratorium. B. a period of crystallization. C. deindividuation. D. a period of separation.

Q: Research has shown that ethnic socialization that results in having positive attitudes about one's ethnic group is associated with: A. having negative attitudes about other ethnic groups. B. faster identity development among adolescents. C. problematic interracial relations. D. positive attitudes about other ethnic groups.

Q: Adolescents whose parents are not both from the same ethnic or racial group are known as ________ adolescents. A. multilingual B. culture brokering C. maternal-race D. multiethnic

Q: Among multiethnic adolescents asked to describe their own ethnic identity, those with one Black parent and one non-Black parent are more likely to: A. identify themselves as a member of the non-Black parent's ethnic group. B. identify themselves as Black. C. refuse to answer questions about their own ethnic identity. D. identify themselves as half-Black.

Q: According to the textbook, which of the following is not generally a predictor of self-esteem? A. academic achievement B. parental love C. supportive friends D. religious affiliation

Q: Which of the following adolescent's global self-esteem is most likely affected by his or her academic success? A. John, a White adolescent B. Mary, an Asian-American adolescent C. Justin, a Mexican-American adolescent D. Virginia, a Black adolescent

Q: Which of the following statements about self-esteem in children is true? A. Having high self-esteem boosts scholastic achievement. B. High achievement in school boosts self-esteem. C. High achievement in school and high self-esteem are spuriously related. D. The direction of the effect between high achievement in school and high self-esteem is bidirectional.

Q: Which of the following statements regarding sex differences in self-perceptions is accurate? A. Early adolescent girls' self-esteem is higher than same-age boys. B. Early adolescent girls have lower self-consciousness than same-age boys. C. Early adolescent boys have a shakier self-image than same-age girls. D. Early adolescent girls are more likely to say negative things about themselves than same-aged boys.

Q: According to the textbook, because _____ girls do not feel as _____ about their appearances as girls of other racial backgrounds, these individuals typically have _____ overall self-esteem. A. White; negatively; higher B. White; insecure; lower C. Black; negatively; higher D. Black; positively; lower

Q: Although research presented in the textbook indicates that physical appearance self-esteem is the best predictor of adolescents' overall self-esteem: A. adolescents, when asked, say that their physical appearance is one of the least important contributors to how they feel about themselves. B. adolescents may be unaware of the degree to which their self-worth is based on their feelings about their appearance. C. young girls appear to be more concerned than boys about physical attractiveness and physical appearance self-esteem is a more important influence on overall self-esteem among girls than among boys''. D. All of the above.

Q: Which of the following factors is the most important predictor of overall self-esteem? A. athletic ability B. academic ability C. physical appearance self-esteem D. moral conduct