Q&A Hero

Q: Industrialized societies place a great deal of emphasis on all of the following, except: A. cooperation. B. achievement. C. competition. D. success.

Q: All of the following are noted in the text as reasons why achievement during the adolescent years merits special attention, except: A. this is a period when adolescents prepare for and sort themselves into occupational roles. B. it is during this period that adolescents begin to evaluate their occupational choices in light of their talents, abilities, and opportunities. C. development in the realm of achievement begins and ends during adolescence. D. the educational and occupation decisions made during adolescence are more numerous and the consequences of these decisions are more serious than those that take place during childhood.

Q: The transition from school to work is _________ defined transition. A. an educationally B. a socially C. a personally D. an environmentally

Q: According to the textbook, how is puberty connected to achievement? A. To the extent that puberty changes what's important for maintaining status in the peer group, it may lead adolescents to worry about whether trying too hard to do well will make them less attractive to their classmates. B. Puberty intensifies differences between males and females, and one impact of this is to make individuals think about what is "appropriate" achievement-related behavior for each of the sexes. C. Biological (hormonal) changes of puberty are directly related to achievement and motivation in high school. D. Both A and B are correct.

Q: Which work values are most likely to remain strong over the course of young adulthood, as other work values decline? A. extrinsic B. altruistic C. intrinsic rewards and job security D. social rewards of the job

Q: Which work values decline most dramatically with age? A. extrinsic, altruistic, and social rewards B. intrinsic, leisure, and job security C. extrinsic, social rewards, job security D. altruistic, influence, and intrinsic

Q: How do male and female adolescents differ when they rate the importance of various work values? A. Girls are more likely to value leisure rewards in a future job. B. Boys are more likely to value extrinsic rewards in a future job. C. There are significant sex differences in the extent to which individuals value power and altruistic rewards in future jobs. D. There are significant sex differences in the extent to which individuals value social and intrinsic rewards in future jobs.

Q: Which of the following explanations for the effect of parents on adolescents' occupational ambitions and subsequent success is not true? A. Working-class families are less likely to raise their children to value attributes such as obedience and conformity, which affects the types of jobs that are appealing to these adolescents. B. Middle-class and upper-class adolescents are likely to have important family connections that are less available in poorer families. C. Parents and siblings serve as models for adolescents' occupational choices. D. Parents indirectly and directly encourage (and discourage) certain occupational values.

Q: According to the textbook, which of the following is a reason that career counselors (especially on college campuses) have come to play an increasingly important role individuals' career decision making? A. The labor market is changing so quickly that it is difficult for adolescents to obtain accurate information about careers from their families. B. New government-subsidized programs that require career counselors to do so. C. Adolescents have become apathetic about career choices and want others to decide their careers for them. D. None of the above. According to the textbook, career counselors are useless.

Q: Which of the following is not a problem that young adults face as they crystallize their occupational plans? A. obtaining accurate information about the labor market needs of the future B. obtaining accurate information about the appropriate means of pursuing positions in various fields C. forming educational plans that are consistent with the educational requirements of the jobs they hope to enter D. being overly pessimistic about their chances for success in the labor market

Q: Adolescents' occupational plans are influenced by: A. adolescents' social background B. adolescents' perceptions of the labor market C. adolescents' work values D. All of the these factors influence adolescents' occupational plans.

Q: Which of the following statements regarding work values is not true for adolescents? A. Adolescents tend to rate almost all work rewards very highly. B. Adolescents optimistically believe that they can find jobs that satisfy multiple rewards simultaneously. C. Adolescents are able to focus on what they want from a job and identify a few rewards that are most important to them. D. Adolescents typically believe that they can "have it all" from future occupational choices.

Q: Which of the following is most likely to influence (both directly and indirectly) a teenager's occupational choice? A. parents B. part-time work C. courses in school D. peers

Q: According to the textbook, all of the following are reasons that adolescents' ambitions are consistent with the socioeconomic status of those around them, except: A. occupational attainment depends strongly on educational attainment and educational attainment is greatly influenced by socioeconomic status. B. middle-class parents are more likely to raise their children in ways that foster the development of strong achievement orientation and career exploration. C. parents, siblings, and other important sources of influence serve as models for adolescents' occupational choices. D. many employers won't higher people from certain SES groups.

Q: Based on the definition used by the U.S. Department of Education (the proportion of individuals aged 16 to 24 who are not enrolled in school and who have not earned a high school diploma or GED), the dropout rate has _____ steadily over the past half-century, to about _____. A. increased; 24% B. declined; 8% C. increased; 19% D. declined; 14%

Q: High school dropout rates are highest among _____ adolescents. A. Black B. American-born Hispanic C. White D. foreign-born Hispanic

Q: Which of the following has not been identified as a factor in determining the likelihood of dropping out of high school? A. socioeconomic status B. repeating a grade C. achievement test scores D. whether the individual is a male or female

Q: The most effective strategy for keeping students from dropping out of high school has been: A. involving at-risk students in service learning and guided discussions of their life options. B. providing remedial classes for at-risk students. C. making courses easier. D. offering guidance counseling for at-risk students to help them academically.

Q: High school dropout rates would be expected to be highest: A. in schools that emphasize academic achievement. B. in large schools that group students according to ability and that fail a relatively high proportion of students in the early years of high school. C. when students who are having difficulties are allowed to change schools. D. when students are promoted from one grade to the next based on age rather than achievement.

Q: Who is most likely to attain the most occupational success? A. Francesca, who earned good grades in college B. Luke, who received a high score on the SAT C. Karen, who has a Master's degree D. Ruben, who has a high IQ

Q: Asian American students are likely to have higher academic achievement than White or ethnic minority youth because: A. they believe in the value of school success. B. they are very anxious about negative repercussions of not doing well in school. C. they spend more time studying than White or other ethnic minority students. D. All of the above.

Q: According to the text, Asian children tend to attribute success to: A. external causes. B. hard work. C. inherited intelligence. D. luck.

Q: Across all ethnic groups, studies indicate that which of the following measures helps students to achieve? A. a sense of belonging to the school B. a perceived connection between academic accomplishment and future success C. parental monitoring of behavior and schooling D. All of the above.

Q: Levels of educational attainment in America have _____ over the past six decades. A. risen B. remained stable C. declined dramatically D. declined slightly

Q: Compared with their counterparts from previous decades, today's adolescents have __________levels of educational attainment and ___________ levels of academic achievement. A. lower; lower B. lower; higher C. higher; higher D. higher; lower

Q: Compared with students in other countries, U.S. elementary school students_______ students in other countries, and high school students in the United States _______ than their peers in other countries (especially in science and math). A. perform as well as; perform as well B. perform better than; perform better C. perform as well as; perform more poorly D. perform more poorly than; perform better

Q: All of the following have been cited as possible explanations for low achievement scores among American students, except: A. teachers do not spend enough time on basic instruction, and very little time is spent on writing. B. students do not take advanced courses when they are offered. C. parents do not encourage academic pursuits at home. D. students spend too much time involved in extracurricular activities.

Q: Compared to how her grandmother felt when she was an adolescent 50 years ago, how does Femina most likely feel about work? A. Femina is more likely to see work as a central part of her life than her grandmother did. B. Compared to her adolescent grandmother, Femina is less likely to say that if she had enough money, she would not work. C. Compared to her adolescent grandmother, Femina is more likely to work overtime to make sure her job is done well. D. Femina is more likely to say that it is important to have a job that allows sufficient time for leisure than her grandmother would have said.

Q: Which of the following is the best predictor of occupational success? A. school performance B. educational attainment C. academic achievement D. motivation

Q: High school dropouts are more likely than high school graduates to do all of the following, except: A. experience poverty and unemployment. B. become pregnant. C. begin working earlier. D. be involved in criminal activity.

Q: Which ethnic group, on average, has the highest level of educational achievement? A. Black adolescents B. Asian Americans C. White adolescents D. Hispanic American

Q: Which term refers to achievement that is measured by standardized tests? A. school performance B. academic achievement C. educational attainment D. social promotion

Q: Which type of educational achievement has the most important implications for subsequent earnings? A. school performance B. academic achievement C. educational attainment D. All of the above.

Q: The gap between American students' performance and that of students from other countries _____ as they move from elementary to middle to high school. A. widens B. shrinks C. stays the same D. there is no gap between American students' performance and that of students from other countries

Q: The practice of advancing adolescents to the next grade level in school based on age rather than their successful completion of the grade level is known as: A. peer group promotion. B. age mate promotion. C. social promotion. D. upward social comparison.

Q: Harry has failed ninth grade this year and has not learned the material he needs to go on to higher grade levels. However, his teachers are debating letting him go on to tenth grade next year so that he does not feel left behind or lose touch with his same-age friends. This practice is called: A. disengagement promotion. B. teacher-based social support. C. achiever dropout prevention. D. social promotion.

Q: Work values are the different types of rewards that individuals expect to receive from their chosen occupation. The textbook discussed all but which of the following values? A. influence B. social rewards C. leverage D. leisure

Q: In a study on the effect of early intensive education on later school performance among children in poverty, which intervention had the greatest impact on performance in high school? A. the preschool intervention B. the elementary school intervention C. each intervention was equally effective D. neither intervention affected high school performance

Q: Studies show that disadvantaged youth perform more poorly in school than their advantaged counterparts. Which of the following reasons best accounts for this disparity? A. Poor adolescents begin school at a distinct academic disadvantage. B. Poor adolescents have more stress. C. Parents from higher social classes are more involved in the school. D. All of the above.

Q: Mary comes from an economically disadvantaged household. Her mother went to the school counselor to find out what could be done to help Mary overcome her disadvantage. What did the counselor suggest would help? A. positive relations at home B. extra tutoring C. an after-school job D. special education classes

Q: Which of the following is not a finding of Witkow's recent study that investigated the ways in which adolescents use their time? A. Students who earn higher grades than their peers spend more time studying, both on weekdays and on weekends. B. High-achieving students spend less time with their friends than do low-achieving students on weekdays, but not on weekends. C. Study results suggest that high-achieving students are able to maintain an active social life by allocating time more judiciously during the week. D. High-achieving students spend equal time with their friends than do low-achieving students on weekdays.

Q: Research on the interaction of the influence of parents and peers suggests all of the following, except: A. family environment affects adolescents' choice of friends. B. friends who value school can positively affect adolescents' school achievement even if the adolescent does not come from an authoritative home. C. peers and parents have a stronger influence on adolescents' school achievement in countries in which schools serve heterogeneous groups of students. D. peers have a significantly stronger influence on adolescents than families in countries where students are placed in different schools depending on their long-term educational aspirations and occupational plans.

Q: Although Miguel and Luis both consider themselves to be Hispanic, Miguel's parents were born in Mexico while Luis's family has been in the United States for three generations. What do you predict about these youths' school engagement and performance? A. Miguel is more likely to drop out of high school. B. Miguel is likely to achieve more in school than Luis. C. Miguel's stronger sense of family obligation will contribute to his school success. D. All of the above are true.

Q: Which of the following is an example of school performance? A. Kelly received a C on her report card. B. Naomi received a 1200 on the SATs. C. Mel has been in school for 7 years. D. Vinny has an IQ of 105.

Q: Which of the following is an example of academic achievement? A. Kelly received a C on her report card. B. Naomi received a 1200 on the SATs. C. Mel has been in school for 7 years. D. Vinny has 3.7 GPA.

Q: Which term refers to the number of years of schooling completed by an individual? A. school performance B. academic achievement C. educational attainment D. social promotion

Q: The impact of friends on adolescents' school performance depends on: A. the academic orientation of the peer group. B. the number of extracurricular activities in which they participate. C. the size of the peer group. D. All of the above.

Q: In the United States today, the peer group is most likely to have _______ influence on an adolescent's academic achievement. A. a positive B. a negative C. little D. both a positive and a negative

Q: Which of the following is not a way that an individual's grades are related their peers' grades? A. Students with best friends who achieve high grades in school are more likely to show improvements in their own grades than are students who begin at similar levels of achievement but whose friends are not high achievers. B. When adolescents' grades improve, they tend to befriend more high-achieving classmates. C. When adolescents' grades drop, they tend to befriend lower-achieving classmates. D. All of these are ways that students' grades change in relation to the grades of their friends.

Q: Although this theory has not been supported empirically, it was once believed that Black students in the inner city who do well in school: A. may be criticized by their peers who say they are "acting White." B. are likely to be respected by the White students but not by their Black peers. C. are usually respected by the other high-achieving students. D. are more likely than their White counterparts to attend college.

Q: The textbook states that peers are important for all of the following reasons, except: A. students whose friends are more engaged in school are themselves more engaged. B. students with best friends who achieve high grades in school are more likely to show improvements in their own grades than are students who begin at similar levels of achievement but whose friends are not high achievers. C. peers play an especially important role in girls' decisions to take math and science classes. D. adolescents with an extremely high orientation toward peers tend to perform better in school.

Q: Two characteristics of authoritative parents that positively influence their children's school performance are ______ and ______. A. healthy beliefs about the child's achievement; less tendency to be over-controlling B. healthy beliefs about the child's achievement; greater tendency to be over-controlling C. exaggerated beliefs about their child's achievement; involvement in their child's academic pursuits D. a tendency to push their child to succeed; the ability to let their child make his or her own decisions

Q: Lydia's family is always going to art shows, concerts, and poetry readings. They have a large amount of: A. societal influence. B. social capital. C. cultural capital. D. monetary success.

Q: The resources provided within a family allowing the exposure of the adolescent to art, music, and literature are called: A. special education. B. social cultivation. C. artistic refinement. D. cultural capital.

Q: During the school year, Titus's parents took him to the theater and the opera. In addition, they bought him an encyclopedia for his birthday. The treatment Titus is receiving is an example of: A. special education. B. social cultivation. C. artistic refinement. D. cultural capital.

Q: Which of the following is the best example of cultural capital? A. Art's father takes him to museums during the summer. B. Chip's parents bought him a computer. C. Henry's mother has a Master's degree in Shakespearean drama. D. Crystal's parents buy her expensive earrings.

Q: Jane's community does a lot to support and encourage adolescents' success in school. This community has a large amount of: A. societal influence. B. social capital. C. cultural capital. D. monetary success.

Q: Which adolescent is least likely to exhibit high academic achievement? A. Barney, whose parents set high scholastic standards and expect him to go to college B. Bernie, whose parents go to all of his school programs and help him select his classes C. Benny, whose parents do not want to pressure him, but argue with his teachers about his grades D. Bob, whose parents join together with other parents who stay involved in school activities

Q: According to the textbook, which of the following is not an effective form of parental involvement? A. helping with homework B. encouraging achievement in school C. expecting achievement in school D. being involved in school-based activities

Q: Which of the following parenting styles is associated with adolescents' development of mastery motivation and academic achievement? A. permissive B. authoritative C. authoritarian D. demonstrative

Q: Which type of parenting is linked to school success during adolescence? A. authoritarian B. authoritative C. indulgent D. neglectful

Q: Who is probably most likely to drop out of high school? A. Luanne, whose parents are consistently authoritative B. Dierdre, whose parents are consistently authoritarian C. Bobby Jo, whose parents are inconsistent D. Sally, whose parents are consistently permissive

Q: The comprehensive sex education discussed in the textbook has all of the following elements except: A. it must teach adolescents how to refuse unwanted sex and avoid unintended sex. B. it must increase adolescents' motivation to engage in safe sex. C. it must change perceptions about peer norms and attitudes. D. it must reduce adolescents' likelihood of having sex.

Q: Evaluations of school-based clinics have found that: A. they increase adolescents' use of contraception. B. they appear to increase adolescents' sexual activity. C. contrary to parents' concerns, they do no appear to increase sexual activity. D. they are largely effective, especially among White and Hispanic youths.

Q: Michelle, a 16-year-old female, is the only one in her circle of friends who has not yet had sex. She is beginning to feel pressure to have sex. Discuss two ways that her friends are influencing her attitude toward sex.

Q: Provide four reasons, discussed in your textbook, that growing up in a single-parent home affects girls' sexual behavior more than boys' sexual behavior.

Q: Pretend you are talking to your virgin 16-year-old self (or another 16-year-old that is thinking about having sex for the first time). Your 16-year-old self wants to know if sexuality is normal, when(if) he/she is ready to engage in sexual behaviors, and what the potential risks are. Be sure to tell the 16-year-old everything you wish you would have known about sex when you were younger.

Q: One of your friends, Tom, has come to the realization that he is attracted to both males and females. He is worried that he is the only one who feels attracted to peers of his same-sex. He knows that you have just taken a class on adolescent sexuality and asks you for some information regarding the prevalence of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender adolescents. What would you tell him? He is also concerned that, although he enjoys playing typical male sports, such as baseball and football, his attraction to males will cause people to assume that he is more feminine than his heterosexual teammates. Knowing that he likely has a bisexual orientation, what do you predict for his gender identity and sex-role behavior? In your view, is homosexuality more due to biological factors or social/contextual factors? Is there anything else that Tom should be aware of?

Q: Paul won't even try to learn how to swim because when he has tried before, he has not done very well and he is now convinced that no matter what he does, he will never learn to swim. Paul's situation is an example of: A. ego deflation. B. Type-A behavior. C. learned helplessness. D. temperament.

Q: Mrs. Kumin wants to help her lower-achieving students. She should: A. acknowledge that they do not have the ability to achieve and stop pressuring them. B. help them learn to attribute their performance to factors that are under their control. C. have them placed into special education classes. D. provide them with remedial education and have them keep trying.

Q: Which of the following is not identified in the textbook as one of the factors that researchers study in connection with how home environment influences adolescents' level of achievement? A. parents' values and expectations B. parenting practices C. cultural factors D. quality of home environment

Q: According to the textbook, evaluations of programs aimed at enhancing teen mothers' access to adequate income and employment have found that: A. while enhancing teen mothers' employability has not been successful, decreasing their reliance on welfare has been hugely successful. B. both decreasing teen mothers' reliance on welfare and preventing their subsequent pregnancies have been successful. C. programs aimed at preventing future pregnancies have been successful, but programs aimed at enhancing teen mothers' employability have been largely disappointing. D. programs aimed at enhancing teen mothers' employability and preventing their subsequent pregnancies have been largely disappointing.

Q: Studies of the long-term consequences of adolescent parenthood indicate that the problems associated with it: A. are actually relatively minor, and research studies have difficulty replicating the findings. B. may actually be greater for the children than for their mothers. C. may actually be greater for the mothers than for their children. D. are likely limited to psychological and emotional domains.

Q: One study indicated that there is quite a bit of diversity among teenage mothers in their transitions to adulthood. Which of the following is not one of the three groups of teen moms identified in Oxford and colleague's study? A. a problem-prone group that had chronic problems in many areas of life B. a psychologically vulnerable group that had high rates of mental health problems but were able to transition into adult roles with some degree of success C. a group who seemed to develop "typically" and made successful transitions into adult roles D. a group of individuals who bounced back and forth between identities and scored alarmingly low on all measures of "life satisfaction" (higher scores = more satisfaction)

Q: Compared to adolescent women who choose to have their child, adolescents who abort their pregnancy: A. are typically filled with feelings of self-doubt and insecurity. B. are more likely to have a children over the following 2 years. C. are psychologically, socially, and economically better off. D. less likely to practice contraception.

Q: The adverse outcomes of being born to an adolescent mother are generally a result of all of the following, except: A. characteristics of the mother. B. characteristics of the mother's family environment. C. the immature reproductive system of an adolescent mother. D. prenatal malnutrition.

Q: According to research cited in the textbook, all of the following are reasons that some sex education programs fail, except: A. when they are introduced into the curriculum too late (after adolescents are already sexually active). B. when teachers are uncomfortable talking about the subject with students. C. when they focus primarily on changing students' knowledge rather than their behavior. D. when they emphasize abstinence-only sex education.

Q: Although sex education programs have not been particularly successful in reducing the high rates of adolescent pregnancy, there is current optimism that _____ may be effective. A. encouraging sexual abstinence B. a comprehensive sex education C. family planning services D. having the unwed mother marry her baby's father

Q: Kate is a Black teen mom and has decided to move back to her parents' home. Which of the following statements is not true? A. Kate is more likely to stay in school. B. Living with parents might actually undermine the development of Kate's parenting skills and increase her likelihood of getting pregnant again. C. It would be best if Kate lived with her parents for an extended period. D. Problems in the relationship between Kate and her mother can adversely affect Kate's mental health.

Q: According to the textbook, which of the following is not something that policymakers have called for to ensure young mothers have an adequate income and the chance for adequate employment? A. adaptations in school schedules and the development of school-based child-care centers B. the expansion of subsidized child-care for young mothers who are out of school C. the expansion of family planning services to adolescent mothers D. laws that ensure companies cannot discriminate against teen mothers