Q&A Hero

Q: According to the textbook, which of the following resulted from standards-based reform? A. Educators could not agree on the body of knowledge and skills that comprised what high school graduates should know and be able to do. B. Large numbers of students did, in fact, acquire the knowledge and capabilities assessed on standardized graduation examinations. C. Minority adolescents were nine times more likely to fail standardized examinations. D. Female adolescents were four times more likely to fail standardized examinations.

Q: Mr. Edwards is the principal at a public school and has just read a research study that discussed ways to maximize student's success. The main message of the research study was that what takes place within a school is probably more important than the nature of its funding and oversight. Based on what you learned from the textbook, what do you think the researchers argued that schools should focus on? A. the ways in which schools train, certify, place, and compensate teachers B. successfully tracking students C. trying to become a private school D. allowing students to choose more of their coursework

Q: No Child Left Behind (NCLB) was a policy designed to ensure that all students, regardless of racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic background, receive a high-quality public education. Which of the following statements is false? A. Most reasonable people would not disagree with the basic idea of NCLB. B. One of the most important factors of NCLB is that students learn how to engage in critical thinking. C. To prevent losing millions of dollars, some schools actually helped students cheat on standardized tests. D. NCLB is one example of the movement toward performance-based accountability, which has been the most important change in the world of American education in the past 20 years.

Q: Not only are schools the chief educational arena for adolescents, but they also play an extremely important role in: A. defining the young person's social world and social network. B. shaping psychosocial development. C. the development of motivations, aspirations, and expectations. D. All of the above.

Q: Changes in the structure of secondary schools have been linked to broader societal revolutions. All of the following factors have contributed to these changes, except: A. industrialization. B. urbanization. C. immigration. D. intellectualization.

Q: Which of the following is not a factor that moved children out of the workplace? A. discrimination against young workers B. a need for workers who are more skilled and more reliable than children C. the strength needed to perform unskilled labor D. child labor laws

Q: Amy, a social reformer in the early twentieth century, would have likely considered all of the following to be good reasons to push for secondary education, except: A. it is viewed as a way to improve life circumstances for the poor and working classes. B. it is a way to reduce crime by keeping youngsters off the streets. C. it is a way to help immigrants assimilate into the American culture. D. it is effective in increasing the economic development of the United States.

Q: In addition to the school year being longer than it was in the past: A. adolescents remain in school for more years. B. adolescents remain in school for fewer years. C. adolescents have more absences (both excused and unexcused). D. a smaller percent of adolescents actually complete compulsory education.

Q: Prior to the early twentieth century, high schools were designed: A. to keep delinquent children out of trouble. B. for elite youngsters. C. to offer vocational instruction. D. to provide general education.

Q: During the 1920s, the _____ was designed to meet the needs of a diverse and growing population of young people. A. comprehensive high school B. middle school C. vocational school D. parochial school

Q: As discussed in the textbook, during the 1950s, how did the United States respond when politicians felt the United States had lost its scientific edge to the former Soviet Union? A. increased attention was paid to religious and moral education B. requirements for classes in European history were intensified C. students were obligated to take more foreign language courses D. increased emphasis was placed on math and science education

Q: Which of the following statements about secondary schools is not true? A. Around the world, rates of enrollment in secondary schools are vastly different for males and females. B. Around the world, rates of enrollment in secondary schools are comparable for males and females. C. Rates of enrollment in secondary schools vary considerably around the world. D. Even in the poorest parts of the world, 40 to 50% of 15- to 19-year-olds are enrolled in school.

Q: According to Jacquelynne Eccles, a thorough understanding of school and its impact on adolescent development requires an examination of: A. what goes on beyond the classroom. B. what goes on in the classroom. C. the influence that parents have on their children's education. D. educational contexts outside of the United States.

Q: In America today, what percentage of individuals between the ages of 14 and 17 are in school? A. 25 B. 50 C. 75 D. virtually all individuals

Q: The practice of moving students from one grade to the next regardless of their academic performance is known as what? A. affirmative promotion B. social promotion C. standardized promotion D. equality promotion

Q: The average American school year is _____ days long. A. 100 B. 150 C. 180 D. 220

Q: What two dominant characteristics distinguish the development of postsecondary education in contemporary America from that in other parts of the world? A. diversity and accommodation B. diversity and accessibility C. diplomacy and accessibility D. democracy and accommodation

Q: Compared with their counterparts from previous decades, today's American adolescents: A. spend more days per year in school. B. spend fewer days per year in school. C. are absent from school more often. D. are less likely to continue their schooling beyond the 12th grade.

Q: Today, the typical student attends nearly ____ of his/her classes throughout the year. A. 50% B. 75% C. 90% D. 100%

Q: Dawn has always enjoyed school and excelled in her classes. In middle school, she has connected with a group of friends who also enjoy school and her grades have continued to improve. They often spend time studying together. This is an example of: A. selection. B. socialization. C. Both a and b D. None of the above

Q: According to an example provided in the textbook, a crowd member that has less social capitol who is a really nice, thoughtful, and funny person may be high in _____ popularity but low in _____ popularity. A. sociometric; perceived B. perceived; sociometric C. status popularity; opposite-sex D. adult oriented; peer-oriented

Q: The determinants of sociometric popularity are ______, though the determinants of perceived popularity are _____. A. highly variable; things like social skills, friendliness, and sense of humor B. things like social skills, friendliness, and sense of humor; highly variable C. good looks and wealth; athletic ability and school achievement D. athletic ability and school achievement; unknown

Q: Secondary education refers to: A. second grade. B. middle school, junior high school, and high school. C. college. D. graduate school.

Q: Eleanor Maccoby states all of the following reasons that adolescents separate themselves into same-sex cliques, except: A. cliques are formed on the basis of shared activities and interests. B. adolescents' increasing concerns about sex roles. C. adolescents' concerns about being ostracized by their friends for engaging in cross-sex activities. D. parents' fears that cross-sex cliques will lead to early sexual activity.

Q: Who is most likely to have cross-ethnic friendships? A. Audrey, who attends a large multiethnic school B. Brandy, who attends a school where one ethnic group predominates C. Candice, who is involved in athletics D. Deborah, who is home-schooled

Q: By middle to late adolescence, cliques are often segregated by race. All of the following are possible explanations for this phenomenon, except: A. differential abilities in athletics. B. socioeconomic influences. C. differential levels of academic achievement. D. attitudes toward other races.

Q: Similarity in ________ is most likely to serve as a basis for cross-ethnic group friendships. A. attitudes toward school achievement B. musical taste C. patterns of substance use D. sports ability

Q: Adolescents who join antisocial peer groups are likely to have: A. been coerced by their peers to join. B. had problematic parent-child relationships in childhood. C. been involved in drugs and alcohol. D. reported high levels of sensation-seeking behavior.

Q: Justin's parents try extremely hard (almost excessively) to control his choice of friends. What effect is this style of parenting likely to have on Justin? A. Justin is likely to become a rejected and withdrawn student at school. B. Justin will gain more respect for his parents. C. Justin will be less likely to be involved in drug use and delinquent activity. D. Justin may become closer to the "forbidden" peers.

Q: Felicia has a problematic relationship with her parents. All of the following negative effects are likely to occur for Felicia, except: A. development of an antisocial disposition. B. active school involvement. C. school failure. D. rejection by classmates.

Q: The Anytown town council developed a program to curb delinquent behavior among the town's adolescents. The program had an iatrogenic effect, meaning: A. the program was successful and delinquent behavior was reduced. B. the program backfired and delinquent behavior increased. C. there were no effects on delinquent behavior, either positive or negative. D. some problem behaviors increased and others decreased.

Q: Some researchers have tried to teach adolescents to use nonviolent forms of conflict resolution. Are these programs effective? A. Yes, these programs are typically very successful. B. No, such nonviolent behaviors can make adolescents appear weak. C. The textbook indicates that these programs have produced conflicting findings. D. Yes, but only in urban neighborhoods with a high proportion of Black adolescents.

Q: Which of the following statements about friendship stability is true? A. Opposite-sex friendships tend to be more stable than same-sex friendships. B. Girls' friendships tend to be more stable than boys' friendships. C. Well-adjusted adolescents tend to have friendships that don't last very long. D. Only half of all reciprocated best friendships that exist at the beginning of the school year exist at the end.

Q: According to the textbook and in regard to gangs, all of the following are true except: A. gang members tend to have more emotional and behavioral problems than other adolescents who are involved in antisocial activity but who are not gang members B. gangs are usually identified by name and common symbols C. gang members tend to be more isolated from their families D. gang members have better self-conceptions than other adolescents who are involved in antisocial activity but who are not gang members.

Q: Principal McGonagall has been watching his students for several years as they move through adolescence. Which groups are most likely to exhibit favorable patterns of achievement over time? A. jocks and brains B. jocks and populars C. brains and populars D. populars and normals

Q: By the end of high school, crowds: A. have become a defining influence in the adolescent's life. B. increasingly gain in importance for an adolescent's identity. C. become less important to adolescents. D. peak in their importance to adolescents.

Q: In middle school, Carlos was involved in many school plays and musicals. Being part of the drama crowd was important for Carlos in what way? A. identity development B. dating opportunities C. occupied his free time D. improved relationships with parents

Q: Adolescent peer groups fall along two dimensions: A. intelligence level; sociability B. adult orientation; peer orientation C. maturity; identity D. demandingness; responsiveness

Q: Dorion is a jock. Consequently, we would expect him to be involved in: A. his peer culture and in institutions valued by adults. B. institutions valued by adults, but not involved in his peer culture. C. his peer culture, but not involved in institutions valued by adults. D. neither his peer culture nor institutions valued by adults.

Q: Tommy values education and works hard in school but also enjoys hanging out with his friends on the weekend. Which peer crowd is Tommy most likely to belong to? A. "nerds" B. "populars" C. "partyers" D. "toughs"

Q: Tony belongs to a peer culture called "the toughs." We would expect that Tony is: A. involved with sports. B. well liked by most of his peers. C. respected as someone who looks out for others. D. possibly a gang member.

Q: A group against which an individual compares himself or herself is called: A. a clique. B. a reference group. C. a crowd. D. a youth culture.

Q: Greg is the star quarterback of the football team and hangs out with Larry, who is the star pitcher of the baseball team. Ben also hangs out with Larry and Greg. When classmates refer to Ben, they call him a member of the "jocks." The crowd with which Ben associates serves as: A. a reference group. B. a clique. C. a youth culture. D. a fraternity.

Q: Compared to jocks, adolescents from which of the following crowds experience more peer pressure to misbehave? A. "nerds" B. "populars" C. "druggies" D. "normals"

Q: Self-esteem is _____ among students who are identified with peer groups that have relatively high status in their school. A. lower B. the same C. higher D. Self-esteem varies from person to person.

Q: Chuck is a member of a higher status crowd at his school. According to the textbook, which of the following statements is true? A. Chuck likely has high self-esteem. B. Chuck likely feels a lot of pressure to be "cool." C. Chuck likely holds quite a few misconceptions about his peers. D. Chuck likely has a diffused identity status.

Q: A(n) _____ is an individual that has few or no links to others in the social network and a(n) _____ is an individual who interacts with two or more adolescents who are members of cliques, but who themselves are not part of a clique. A. liaison; isolate B. hopper; loner C. isolate; liaison D. isolate; mixer

Q: Mixed-sex cliques start becoming more prevalent during: A. childhood. B. preadolescence. C. middle adolescence. D. late adolescence.

Q: According to Kinney's research, youngsters who were "nerds" in middle school: A. were automatically labeled "dweebs" in high school. B. were the "popular" group in high school. C. could never become part of another crowd. D. had opportunities to shift status in high school.

Q: According to the research, conformity to peer pressure: A. peaks in adolescence and remains high into adulthood. B. peaks in adolescence relative to childhood and adulthood. C. shows a linear increase from childhood into adulthood. D. shows a linear decrease from childhood into adulthood.

Q: Over the course of adolescence, which of the following is not true of changes that take place in crowds? A. their structure becomes less hierarchical B. their structure becomes more permeable C. their descriptions become more concrete (e.g., the "preppy" group becomes "the Playstation crowd") D. their structure becomes more differentiated

Q: Which type of crowd would probably not be found in European schools? A. populars B. druggies C. metalheads D. jocks

Q: Andrea, a 15-year-old, is most likely to learn social skills in a ________ and develop her sense of identity in a ________. A. crowd; crowd B. crowd; clique C. clique; crowd D. clique; clique

Q: A research technique in which the researcher "infiltrates" a group of individuals in order to study their behavior and relationships is called: A. naturalistic observation. B. a longitudinal approach. C. a demographic approach. D. participant observation.

Q: Dr. Whitney wanted to study the structure of adolescents' peer groups. She pretended to be a newcomer to the community and attended the local high school. She met a group of students and eventually joined their group. This type of observation is called: A. naturalistic observation. B. an ethnographic approach. C. a demographic approach. D. participant observation.

Q: All of the following changes typically occur during adolescence, except: A. peer groups disintegrate. B. pairs of dating adolescents split off from the larger group. C. larger groups are replaced by smaller cliques. D. couples become the focus of social activity.

Q: In early adolescence, _____ friendships are most common, and in late adolescence, _____ friendships are common. A. same sex; opposite sex B. same sex; same sex C. opposite sex; same sex D. opposite sex; opposite sex

Q: Which of the following is most characteristic of childhood peer groups? A. mixed-sex groups B. less adult supervision C. sex segregation D. the emergence of peer "crowds"

Q: During childhood, boys typically associate with boys, while girls primarily associate with other girls. This separation of boys and girls has been referred to as: A. brother-sister avoidance. B. sex segregation. C. youth culture. D. sex grading.

Q: Professor Gates is studying large groups of adolescents to learn about their particular mini-cultures. Professor Gates is most likely studying: A. peer collectives. B. cliques. C. crowds. D. subcultures.

Q: A more sophisticated understanding of social relationships leads adolescents to gather in crowds. This is an example of which adolescent transition? A. biological B. cognitive C. social D. All of the above

Q: Research studying adolescent friendship networks over a 1-year period has found all of the following, except: A. more than half of the adolescents in any given school are members of cliques. B. girls are more likely than boys to be members of cliques. C. boys are more likely than girls to be considered "isolates." D. adolescents' positions in their schools' social network are relatively stable over time.

Q: Steve eats lunch with Jeff, Hans, and Mike every day. After school, they play computer games and talk about girls. This group of boys is called: A. a crowd. B. a clique. C. a reference group. D. a youth culture.

Q: _____ are settings for intimate interactions and friendships, whereas _____ are based on reputation, rather than on actual social interaction. A. Cliques; crowds B. Crowds; reference groups C. Reference groups; cliques D. Crowds; cliques

Q: "Druggies," "jocks," and "nerds" are examples of: A. crowds. B. cliques. C. youth cultures. D. gangs.

Q: Mitch organizes a party for about 20 of his classmates who are all interested in theater, and they all watch a tape of the musical The Phantom of the Opera. This group of teenagers, who don't always hang out together, but share common interests, would most appropriately be labeled: A. a gang. B. a reference group. C. a crowd. D. a clique.

Q: In contrast to crowds, cliques: A. are settings for adolescents' intimate interactions. B. help adolescents locate themselves within the social structure of their school. C. channel adolescents into associations with some peers and away from others. D. provide contexts that reward certain lifestyles and disparage others.

Q: Eric, a fourth-grader, spends a lot of time with his peers and is more likely to engage in which of the following activities? A. Little League baseball B. going to the mall with his friends C. hanging out at his friend's house unsupervised D. girl-watching

Q: Jamie is a preadolescent. Her friendship circle is largely comprised of other young girls. Based on this information, what has Jamie's social life been influenced by? A. age-grading B. sex segregation C. cliques D. the baby boom

Q: Research about contemporary adolescents is clear that these adolescents ________ than adolescents in previous times. A. are more susceptible to the influences of their peers B. are at higher risk for problem behaviors because of peer influence C. spend more time in peer groups D. report more positive experiences from their involvement in peer groups

Q: The world is arguably a more stressful place to grow up in now than it was in the past for all of the following reasons, except: A. divorce is more commonplace. B. families move residences every few years. C. adolescents experience pressure from the mass media. D. adolescents are now more susceptible to their peers than were other generations.

Q: What generalization can you make about the nature of peer influence in adolescence? A. Girls are more susceptible to the influences of their peers than boys. B. Peers are more likely to encourage adolescents to behave in ways that adults disapprove than to encourage each other to engage in activities that adults approve, such as school. C. It is unwise to generalize about the nature of peer influence; peers can exert both positive and negative influences. D. The majority of peers encourage each other to value academic achievement.

Q: All of the following are examples of universalistic norms in American society, except: A. taking piano lessons. B. being allowed to vote upon turning 18. C. stopping at traffic lights when driving. D. being required to file taxes annually.

Q: A large, nationally representative sample of adolescents found that adolescents' friendship groups fell into one of four profiles. Which was the group that consisted of friends who were engaged in school, achieved decent grates, and neither abstained from nor abused alcohol? A. disengaged B. engaged C. high functioning D. maladjusted

Q: A large, nationally representative sample of adolescents found that adolescents' friendship groups fell into one of four profiles. Which was the group that consisted of a network of high-achieving friends who were involved in school-based extracurricular activities and who reported low use of alcohol and few symptoms of depression? A. disengaged B. engaged C. high functioning D. maladjusted

Q: Research on the structure of cliques during high school has suggested that adolescents can fall into any of the following categories, except: A. liaisons. B. isolates. C. clique members. D. clique avoiders.

Q: Which of the following is not a way that adolescents' behavior is affected by their crowd membership? A. Adolescents often imitate the behavior of crowd leaders. B. Crowds establish social norms, values, and expectations that members strive to follow. C. When crowd members behave in ways that are consistent with the crowd norms, they are reinforced for doing so. D. All of these statements are ways that adolescents' behavior is affected by their crowd membership.

Q: According to Brown's (2004) study of crowds in high school, what fraction of adolescents do not fit clearly into any crowd? A. one-sixth B. one-half C. two-thirds D. one-third

Q: All of the following are significant changes in peer groups that occur during adolescence, except: A. an increase in the amount of time adolescents spend with their friends. B. a decrease in the amount of adult supervision. C. an increase in contacts with opposite sex friends. D. a decrease in the size of their peer groups.

Q: Which adolescent is most likely to have a decrease in time spent with parents and a dramatic increase in the amount of time spent with peers? A. Maya, a White female B. Rosalia, a Hispanic-American female C. Hillary, a Black female D. Mike, an Asian-American male