Q&A Hero

Q: Which of the following is an example of cognitive autonomy? A. establishing more adult-like relationships with family members B. relying less on your parents for emotional support C. refusing to cheat on an exam even when the teacher is not in the room D. seeking the advice of others when faced with a serious question

Q: The dominant perspective of moral development is grounded in _____ theory. A. Piaget's cognitive B. Watson's behavioral C. Bronfenbrenner's ecological D. Freud's psychoanalytic

Q: When asked what a guilty person should do when being interrogated by police, younger adolescents are more likely than older adolescents to say: A. the person should remain silent. B. the person should give the police misleading information. C. the person should confess. D. the person should blame someone else.

Q: The sexual behavior of adolescents who have talked about sex with their parents is ________ compared to the sexual behavior of adolescents who have not talked to their parents about sex. A. more influenced by peer pressure B. less influenced by peer pressure C. more influenced by drug use D. less influenced by drug use

Q: Adolescents who have less positive relationships with their parents are more likely to do all but which of the following? A. spend time with friends in unsupervised settings B. hang out with negative peers C. be highly peer-oriented D. be influenced by friends who perform well in school

Q: Over the course of adolescence, individuals come to _____ prosocial acts that are done for _____ reasons. A. respect; self-serving B. seek out; non-biased C. devalue; self-serving D. devalue; humanitarian

Q: Research suggests that adolescents _________ are the most likely to be susceptible to peer pressure. A. from families in which parents are strict and make decisions for their adolescents B. whose parents encourage autonomy C. who have positive regard for their parents D. from authoritative homes that encourage independent decision making

Q: Which statement about conformity to peers is most true? A. Conformity is higher during later adolescence. B. Conformity is low when the behavior in question is antisocial. C. Conformity is higher during early and middle adolescence than later adolescence, especially when the behavior in question is antisocial. D. Conformity to peers is low during early and middle adolescence.

Q: At which of the following ages would you expect susceptibility to peer pressure, especially for delinquent behaviors, to be the greatest? A. 8 years B. 11 years C. 14 years D. 19 years

Q: According to one experiment, when confronted with false evidence: A. is most often seen in the antisocial behavior of girls during early and middle adolescence. B. is higher among less acculturated Latino adolescents than among their more acculturated peers. C. significantly more young adolescents (12-16) than young adults will give a false confession. D. occurs early in adolescence because pressure by the peer group is strong enough to make even the most autonomous adolescent comply.

Q: One recent brain imaging study that was investigating individual differences in susceptibility to peer pressure found that individuals who showed a heightened sensitivity to social rejection were: A. more likely to be influenced by their emotions when making important decisions. B. less able to resist peer influences. C. less likely to be influenced by their emotions when making important decisions. D. more able to resist peer influences.

Q: During childhood, boys and girls are: A. highly oriented toward their parents and far less oriented toward their peers. B. less oriented toward their parents and far more oriented toward their peers. C. highly oriented toward their peers and far less oriented toward their teachers. D. highly oriented toward their peers and far less oriented toward their parents.

Q: As children approach adolescence, children become somewhat _____ oriented toward their parents; and _____ oriented toward their peers, and peer pressure begins to _____. A. more; less; subside B. less; more; escalate C. more; more; decline D. less; less; decrease

Q: Typically, adolescents who rebel against their parents or authorities do so because: A. they are asserting their independence from their parents. B. they are asserting their personal individuality. C. they are conforming to their peers. D. they are more emotionally mature than their non-rebellious counterparts.

Q: Many individuals have argued that older adolescents should have the right to seek health care services without parental knowledge or consent because: A. the basic cognitive abilities that are most likely necessary to make these kinds of decisions are typically fully developed by the age of 16. B. have more rights than younger adolescents. C. are at an age where they could legally become emancipated. D. are more sexually active than younger adolescents.

Q: Researchers who oppose trying juvenile offenders as adults in criminal court typically base their arguments on findings that: A. the legal age of majority is 18. B. mature decision making is the product of both cognitive abilities, which mature around 16 years of age, and psychosocial factors, which are still developing in young adulthood. C. no juvenile can think as maturely as an adult. D. there is consensus that juveniles do not have sufficiently good decision-making skills to understand right from wrong.

Q: A. Susceptibility to peer pressure is higher among relatively more acculturated Latino adolescents than their less acculturated peers. B. Susceptibility to peer pressure is higher among Latino adolescents who were born abroad than Latino adolescents born in the United States. C. Research shows that more acculturated adolescents engage in lower rates of delinquency. D. Susceptibility to peer pressure is lower among relatively more acculturated Latino adolescents than their less acculturated peers.

Q: Peers usually have more influence than parents on matters of: A. work. B. education. C. personal taste. D. admired personal qualities.

Q: Carrie's parents have repeatedly told her not to pierce her belly button despite her argument that all of her friends are getting their belly buttons pierced. Carrie's urge to pierce her navel probably stems from: A. her desire to rebel against her parents. B. her need to express her true identity. C. her desire to be a true individual. D. her desire to conform to her peers.

Q: Albert always follows the clothing trends his friends start at school. Carl ignores the trends at school and strictly adheres to his parents' guidelines for dressing. Which adolescent is genuinely autonomous? A. Albert B. Carl C. neither Albert nor Carl D. both Albert and Carl

Q: If an adolescent is making a decision regarding long-term occupational plans, he or she is likely to go to ___________ for advice. A. his or her parents B. a friend C. an acquaintance D. no one

Q: For which of the following questions is an adolescent most likely to turn to outside experts for advice? A. What steps do I need to take to get admitted to college? B. Does this outfit look nice? C. Are my friends really nerds? D. Is the University of Michigan a fun place to go to college?

Q: In early and middle adolescence, adolescents become more _____ with respect to parents, and more _____ with respect to peers. A. autonomous; conformist B. conformist; autonomous C. autonomous; autonomous D. conformist; conformist

Q: Between early and late adolescence, individuals improve in their ability to: A. imagine and analyze the consequences of their decisions. B. seek and evaluate the advice of others. C. make deliberate decisions that are not influenced by their emotions. D. All of the above are true.

Q: Healthy individuation and positive mental health are fostered by _____ family relationships. A. constraining B. authoritarian C. close D. distant

Q: Which of the following types of parenting promotes healthy emotional autonomy in adolescents? A. authoritarian B. autocratic C. authoritative D. permissive

Q: Kristie believes that her parents are too strict and has decided not to abide by their rules. She refuses to do her chores around the house and breaks curfew every night. Kristie is probably from: A. a permissive home. B. an authoritarian home. C. an authoritative home. D. an autocratic home.

Q: When Lenny gets frustrated or upset, he turns to his peers rather than his parents for support. As a matter of fact, Lenny relies on his peers more than his parents for most things. Lenny is probably from: A. a permissive home. B. an authoritarian home. C. an authoritative home. D. an autocratic home.

Q: Michelle's parents believe in relaxed rules and guidelines. They believe that rules and regulations will inhibit Michelle's discovery of herself as a person. In what way is this parental philosophy not likely to affect Michelle? A. Michelle will be emotionally detached from her parents. B. Michelle will be genuinely autonomous. C. Michelle will be psychosocially dependent on her friends. D. Michelle's social life will be important to her.

Q: Which of the following types of households creates adolescents who do not develop healthy autonomy, have difficulty complying with rules, and are usually dependent on their friends? A. authoritarian B. autocratic C. authoritative D. permissive

Q: When researchers use brain-imaging technology to investigate patterns of adolescent brain activation, what do they find? A. Researchers find that regions of the brain that are especially sensitive to rewards are more intensely activated during early and middle adolescence than adulthood. B. Researchers find that regions of the brain that are especially sensitive to rewards are less activated during early and middle adolescence than adulthood. C. Researchers find that regions of the brain that are sensitive to punishment are more intensely activated during early and middle adolescence than adulthood. D. Researchers find that regions of the brain that block the ability to perceive rewards are more intensely activated during early and middle adolescence than adulthood.

Q: Before Shirley fills out her course registration for fall semester, she asks her parents which courses they think she should take. Shirley also consults the guidance counselor at school as well as some of her close friends. She weighs their suggestions, then enrolls in the courses that seem best suited to her educational goals. Which type of autonomy is Shirley expressing? A. cognitive autonomy B. behavioral autonomy C. emotional autonomy D. psychosocial autonomy

Q: With age, adolescents become more likely to consider both the risks and benefits associated with the decisions they make and more likely to weigh the long-term consequences of their choices, and not just the immediate ones. According to the textbook, these improvements seem to be due to all of the following except: A. the decline in the extent to which decisions are influenced by their potential to produce an immediate reward. B. the increase in the ability to give equal weight to the potential costs and benefits of a decision. C. the increase in the ability to control their impulses. D. the increase in the probability that decision making is influenced by emotions.

Q: Between middle and late adolescence, individuals become: A. more likely to consider both the risks and benefits associated with a decision. B. more likely to weigh the long-term consequences of their choices. C. more likely to control their impulses. D. All of the above are true.

Q: According to the results from the Steinberg and colleagues' study, who would be most likely to settle for $750 tomorrow than receive $1,000 a year from now? A. 10- to 11-year-olds B. 14- to 15-year-olds C. 16- to 17-year-olds D. 22- to 25-year-olds

Q: Parents who use a lot of psychological control are best characterized as being: A. emotionally close and permissive. B. overprotective and intrusive. C. emotionally distant and critical. D. intrusive and emotionally distant.

Q: Which of the following events have researchers suggested is one of the most important triggers of the individuation process? A. puberty B. identity development C. detaching from parents D. seeing parents as people

Q: During late adolescence and the college years, students who live away from home report all but which of the following? A. better communication with their parents B. more strained family relationships C. higher levels of satisfaction with their family relationship D. more affection for parents

Q: Emotional autonomy develops best when parents encourage _______ and _______. A. individuation; emotional closeness B. individuation; emotional distance C. detachment; emotional distance D. independence; interdependence

Q: Which statement regarding autonomy development would not fit with Anna Freud's theory? A. The physical changes of puberty cause substantial disruption in the family system. B. Detachment in adolescence is a result of tensions between family members. C. Emotional autonomy during adolescence involves a transformation of family relationships. D. Intrapsychic conflicts that have been repressed since early childhood are reawakened at early adolescence by the resurgence of sexual impulses.

Q: In contrast to the psychoanalytic perspective, many researchers today assert that a late adolescent who is gradually and progressively sharpening his/her sense of self as autonomous, competent, and separate from one's parents is developing a sense of: A. autonomy. B. individuation. C. self-evaluation. D. morality.

Q: Tyler's parents comment that his first year in college has been very good for him because he has learned to accept responsibility for his actions. Tyler's parents are describing: A. individuation. B. crystallization. C. specification. D. psychosocial moratorium.

Q: Viggo says to his friends, "You know, sometimes my Dad is wrong and I tell him so and I give him my opinion. I didn't use to do that when I was youngerI used to think that everything he said was right." Viggo is demonstrating: A. individuation. B. de-idealization of parents. C. seeing parents as people. D. nondependence.

Q: Which statement concerning adolescents' ability to see their parents as people is false? A. This aspect of emotional autonomy may not develop until early adulthood. B. This aspect of emotional autonomy develops later in adolescents' relations with their mothers than with their fathers. C. During high school, adolescents have difficulty seeing their parents as individuals beyond their role as parents. D. Fifteen-year-olds are not much better than 10-year-olds at seeing their parents as people.

Q: According to one study of 10- to 15-year-olds, which aspect of emotional autonomy does not increase over the period of adolescence? A. individuation B. de-idealization of parents C. seeing parents as people D. nondependence

Q: As individuals transition from adolescence into adulthood and progress through the process of individuation, they increasingly: A. view lying to their parents as unacceptable. B. improve their techniques for lying to parents without being detected. C. view lying to their parents as desirable. D. become worse liars.

Q: Recent research indicates that _______ has negative effects on adolescents' mental health, whereas _________ has positive effects. A. detachment; nondependency B. detachment; individuation C. individuation; nondependency D. individuation; detachment

Q: Why is early adolescence a time during which parents' knowledge of their adolescent's behavior declines? A. Parents are less likely to supervise their adolescent children during this period. B. Adolescents become less likely to spontaneously disclose information to their parents. C. Both A and B are true. D. Neither A nor B is true. Parents are more likely to be privy to their child's behavior and whereabouts during early adolescence than earlier and later time-points.

Q: Karen's parents have noticed that throughout Karen's adolescent years, their relationship has transformed. What type of autonomy is Karen expressing? A. emotional B. cognitive C. behavioral D. None of the above.

Q: Which of the following is not a characteristic of an adolescent's growing emotional autonomy? A. Adolescents become more likely to believe that their life would have been better if they had their friends' parents. B. Adolescents become less likely to hold onto idealized pictures of their parents. C. Adolescents become more likely to appreciate that their parents may act differently with their own friends than they do with their children. D. When something goes wrong, adolescents become less likely to assume that their parents will "make everything better" and become more likely to rely on themselves to straighten things out.

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: Which of the following parenting behaviors encourages healthy adolescent development and behavior? A. having rigidly enforced rules B. providing a family environment that is characterized by close family relationships C. taking the time to make frequent "check-in" calls to their adolescent's cell phone D. providing few guidelines so the adolescent is "forced" to develop, and internalize, their own standards for behavior

Q: In classical psychoanalytic theories, the process of separation that occurs during early adolescence is referred to as: A. detachment. B. separation anxiety. C. distinction. D. individuation.

Q: Which of the following statements about autonomy is false? A. Adolescents are less emotionally dependent on their parents than they were as children. B. Children are closer to their parents than adolescents. C. An absence of conflict between an adolescent and his or her parents indicates a delay in autonomy development. D. In general, adolescents get along very well with their parents.

Q: Who would argue that the physical changes of puberty cause substantial disruption and conflict inside the family system? A. Anna Freud B. Erik Erikson C. Laurence Steinberg D. Susan Harter

Q: Jane has decided not to go along with her friends and drink after school. She realizes that this is wrong, and decides not to give in to the peer pressure. What type of autonomy is Jane exhibiting? A. behavioral B. emotional C. cognitive D. None of the above.

Q: As Barbara moves into adolescence, her relationship with her mother and father changes. She is becoming less dependent on them and more dependent on herself. She also realizes that her parents are not always right. Which type of autonomy is Barbara expressing? A. behavioral autonomy B. psychosocial autonomy C. emotional autonomy D. cognitive autonomy

Q: Which of the following types of autonomy refers to that aspect of independence related to changes in an individual's close relationships? A. behavioral autonomy B. psychosocial autonomy C. emotional autonomy D. cognitive autonomy

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: 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: 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: 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: 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."