Deck 3: The Brain and Cognitive Development

Question 1

Recent research on the plasticity of the adolescent's brain and the continuing development of the prefrontal cortex through adolescence support the view that ________ can benefit adolescents considerably.

A)stress
B)education
C)environmental experiences
D)reward seeking

Answer 1

B

Question 2

Which of the following statements about synaptogenesis is NOT true?

A)Synaptogenesis begins in infancy.
B)Synaptogenesis continues in adolescence.
C)Synaptogenesis ends in late childhood.
D)Synaptogenesis is the process of building connections between neurons.

Answer 2

C

Question 3

Increasing age interferes with the brain's ability to recover from injury because

A)the brain repairs itself best in childhood and adolescence.
B)brain plasticity disappears entirely by emerging adulthood.
C)brain plasticity is best in middle age.
D)None of these choices are correct.

Answer 3

A

Question 4

What process is going on when individuals change their existing way of thinking as a result of new information?

A)accommodation
B)equilibration
C)synthesis
D)assimilation

Question 5

According to Piaget,adolescents are motivated to understand their world because doing so

A)makes them look "cool" to their friends.
B)makes them look grown up to their parents.
C)is biologically adaptive.
D)is necessary for making friends and starting romances.

Question 6

What is the main difference between a myelinated cell process and a cell process without myelin?

A)Myelinated cell processes are more efficient at information processing than non-myelinated cell processes.
B)Myelinated cell processes are slower at information processing than non-myelinated cell processes.
C)Nonmyelinated cell processes are faster at information processing than myelinated cell processes.
D)There is no difference between myelinated and non-myelinated cell processes.

Question 7

Stan tells you that he sustained a head injury as the result of a car accident.He has since lost his sense of smell.Stan's accident likely damaged his

A)olfactory bulb.
B)amygdala.
C)occipital lobe.
D)association area.

Question 8

Piaget proposed that children and adolescents use and adopt their schemas through the processes of ________ and accommodation.

A)adaptation
B)analysis
C)assimilation
D)application

Question 9

The bundle of axon fibers that connect the two hemispheres of the brain is called the

A)corpus callosum.
B)prefrontal cortex.
C)hippocampus.
D)amygdala.

Question 10

Which of the following statements regarding neurogenesis is NOT true?

A)People can generate new brain cells throughout their lives.
B)Researchers have documented neurogenesis in the hippocampus.
C)Drugs,stress,and exercise may affect neurogenesis.
D)Researchers have documented neurogenesis in the prefrontal cortex.

Question 11

Which of the following is NOT a basic part of a neuron?

A)dendrite(s)
B)axon
C)cell body
D)synapse

Question 12

The prefrontal cortex is primarily involved with

A)reasoning.
B)decision making.
C)self-control.
D)All of these choices are correct.

Question 13

Which of the following statements regarding the corpus callosum is NOT true?

A)It is a large bundle of axon fibers.
B)It becomes smaller in adolescence.
C)Its change in adolescence improves the ability to process information.
D)All of these are false.

Question 14

Increases in levels of dopamine can do which of the following?

A)increase risk of onset of schizophrenia
B)increase risk-taking behavior
C)increase risk of use of addictive drugs
D)All of these choices are correct.

Question 15

Adolescents ________ their experiences to help them ________ their cognitive worlds.

A)organize; passively construct
B)passive construct; adapt
C)adapt; assimilate
D)organize; actively construct

Question 16

The basic units of the nervous system are

A)synapses.
B)neurons.
C)neuronal matrixes.
D)neurofibrillary plaques.

Question 17

What process is going on when individuals incorporate new knowledge into their existing knowledge bases?

A)accommodation
B)equilibration
C)synthesis
D)assimilation

Question 18

Lisa,age 18,finds that she cannot control her emotions when she becomes angry.She lashes out at those around her in an inappropriate way.Nelson and colleagues would say that Lisa's ________ is not able to handle the emotional intensity of her ________.

A)amygdala; prefrontal cortex
B)prefrontal cortex; amygdala
C)median forebrain bundle; cerebellum
D)pons; amygdala

Question 19

Julie suffered a stroke in the area of her hippocampus.Which of the following difficulties would you expect Julie to experience?

A)difficulty in maintaining her balance
B)problems with her memory
C)problems with night vision
D)loss of her sense of touch

Question 20

Which of the following statements regarding the amygdala is TRUE?

A)It is the seat of emotions.
B)It is part of the limbic system.
C)It matures much earlier than the prefrontal cortex.
D)All of these choices are correct.

Question 21

Postformal thought is

A)reflective.
B)realistic.
C)contextual.
D)All of these choices are correct.

Question 22

Which of the following statements regarding formal operational thought is TRUE?

A)Formal operational thought emerges at 15-18 years of age.
B)Formal operational thought is more abstract than concrete operational thought.
C)Formal operational thought considers only that which is real.
D)Formal operational thought is less logical than concrete operational thought.

Question 23

The dominant process in early formal operational thought is

A)adaptation.
B)accommodation.
C)analysis.
D)assimilation.

Question 24

Which of the following concepts has been attributed to Jean Piaget?

A)children as active thinkers
B)adaptation
C)use of schemas to organize our experiences
D)All of these choices are correct.

Question 25

"Thinking about thinking" is known as

A)metacognition.
B)meta-analysis.
C)assimilation.
D)accommodation.

Question 26

What would happen if children in grades three and four were introduced to algebraic equations?

A)They would be able to solve simple algebraic equations with support.
B)They would lack the logical reasoning skills needed to solve algebraic equations.
C)They would lack the hypothetical-deductive reasoning skills needed to solve algebraic equations.
D)They would not be able to think concretely enough to solve algebraic equations.

Question 27

Jackson,age 7,separates all of his toys into groups.All the stuffed animals go in one basket,books go on a low shelf,and trucks are lined up in the corner.According to Piaget,Jackson has learned the concept of

A)conservation.
B)organization.
C)classification.
D)neatness.

Question 28

Harry,age 24,was denied admission to graduate school because of a low grade point average.Harry is unwilling to accept this decision and plans to appeal based on the fact that he missed almost one semester of school due to illness.Harry's thinking is typical of someone in

A)formal operational thought.
B)postformal thought.
C)subjective operational thought.
D)None of these choices are correct.

Question 29

Which of the following statements regarding Piaget's concrete operational stage is NOT true?

A)Logical reasoning replaces intuitive thought when the principles can be applied to concrete examples.
B)It last from approximately 7 to 11 years of age.
C)It is the second Piagetian stage.
D)It involves using mental actions to do what was previously done physically.

Question 30

Tom always calls his grandfather when he wants some help figuring out a difficult problem in his life.Paul Baltes would say that Tom is seeking his grandfather's

A)practicality.
B)provisional knowledge.
C)wisdom.
D)favor.

Question 31

A graduate student gives a lecture on the research concerning individual differences that characterize the cognitive development of adolescents.Which of the following information that she gives to her audience is NOT true?

A)"Most eighth graders are formal operational thinkers."
B)"The data on whether or not formal operational thought increases with age is inconclusive."
C)"There is great variation among adolescents in the use of formal operational thought."
D)"By late adolescence,many youths are using formal operational thought more than concrete operational thought."

Question 32

Teachers can help children to learn the concept of ________ by demonstrating with liquids or clay during the ________ stage of cognitive development.

A)conservation; sensorimotor
B)assimilation; preoperational thought
C)relativity; concrete operational thought
D)conservation; concrete operational thought

Question 33

Sandra has begun to test her reasoning against her experience; she uses accommodation to adjust to the many cognitive changes that she encounters.Sandra is in the stage of

A)early formal operational thought.
B)late formal operational thought.
C)middle formal operational thought.
D)early concrete operational thought.

Question 34

Which of the following statements about Labouvie-Vief's view of cognitive development is NOT true?

A)Emerging adults' level of education influences how they maximize their cognitive potential.
B)Deciding on a particular worldview is a key aspect of cognitive development in emerging adults.
C)Most emerging adults have attained the highest level of thinking.
D)Emerging adults should acknowledge diverse world views.

Question 35

Robbie Case,a leading proponent of the neo-Piagetian view believes that,to understand adolescents' cognitive development,it is critical to study their ability to hold information in

A)long-term memory.
B)working memory.
C)the sensory register of memory.
D)None of these choices are correct.

Question 36

Neo-Piagetians focus on

A)strategies that children and adolescents use to process information.
B)how fast children and adolescents process information.
C)how children and adolescents divide problems into smaller steps.
D)All of these choices are correct.

Question 37

Faith,age 16,and Maura,age 26,are likely to differ in their cognitive abilities.Which of the following differences is MOST likely?

A)Maura will be more idealistic in her thinking than Faith.
B)Faith is more likely than Maura to view the world in absolute terms.
C)Faith will be more realistic in her thinking than Maura.
D)Maura will view the world more narrowly than Faith.

Question 38

Expert knowledge about the practical aspects of life,that permits excellent judgment about important matters,is known as

A)wisdom.
B)focused expertise.
C)street-smarts.
D)All of these choices are correct.

Question 39

Criticisms of Piaget's theory include all of the following EXCEPT

A)some cognitive abilities have been found to emerge earlier than Piaget thought.
B)some cognitive abilities have been found to emerge later than Piaget thought.
C)adolescent cognitive development is more stage-like than Piaget thought.
D)evidence does not support Piaget's views of development of abstract thinking.

Question 40

Donnie,age 16,is able to understand that a poem has another,less literal meaning and that the words are actually referring to life choices instead of paths in a forest.Donnie is in Piaget's ________ stage of cognitive development.

A)sensorimotor
B)preoperational thought
C)concrete operations
D)formal operations

Question 41

Dr.Wagner can focus on his client and her issues for their 50-minute therapy session without being distracted by other thoughts.This is an example of

A)sustained attention.
B)selective attention.
C)executive attention.
D)divided attention.

Question 42

Which of the following statements about multitasking is TRUE?

A)Younger adolescents are better at multitasking than older adolescents.
B)A major influence on the increase in multitasking is the availability of multiple electronic media.
C)Some high multitasking adolescents can hold more information in long-term memory.
D)Multitasking works best when tasks are complex and challenging.

Question 43

Which of the following has NOT been labeled by psychologists as a type of attention?

A)selective attention
B)concentrated attention
C)divided attention
D)executive attention

Question 44

Which of the following statements regarding wisdom is NOT true?

A)A high level of wisdom is common in middle-aged and older adults.
B)The main age for wisdom to emerge is late adolescence and early adulthood.
C)Life experiences contribute to higher levels of wisdom.
D)People higher in wisdom have values that are more likely to consider the welfare of others.

Question 45

Which of the following is a similarity between Piaget's and Vygotsky's theories of cognitive development?

A)Teachers are seen as facilitators and guides.
B)Teachers are seen as directors and molders of learning.
C)The endpoint of cognitive development is formal operational thought.
D)Knowledge is constructed through social interaction.

Question 46

Research has found that the search for and presence of meaning was linked to wisdom by considering which of the following components?

A)critical life experiences
B)reflectiveness and openness to experience
C)emotional regulation and humor
D)All of these choices are correct.

Question 47

Vygotsky stressed the role of ________ on cognitive development.

A)interaction with others
B)cooperative activities
C)social influences
D)All of these choices are correct.

Question 48

Vygotsky called the range of tasks that can be mastered with the guidance of a more skilled peer or adult as

A)scaffolding.
B)the zone of collaborative learning.
C)the zone of proximal development.
D)the zone of distal development.

Question 49

Which of the following statements regarding short-term memory and problem solving is TRUE?

A)Information processing is incomplete when short-term memory is overloaded.
B)Adolescents have more storage space in short-term memory than do younger children.
C)Limitations in children's short-term memory capacity interfere with their ability to solve problems.
D)All of these choices are correct.

Question 50

Grace believes that some aspects of wisdom,such as problem solving with an emphasis on various intrapersonal,interpersonal,and contextual interests,should be taught in schools.Grace's belief would be shared by which of the following theorists?

A)Paul Baltes
B)Robert Sternberg
C)Robbie Case
D)Jean Piaget

Question 51

Which of the following is a criticism of Vygotsky's social constructivist approach?

A)Vygotsky was too specific about age-related changes.
B)Vygotsky overemphasized the role of language in thinking.
C)Vygotsky ignored the role of language in thinking.
D)Vygotsky ignored the role of facilitation in learning.

Question 52

Robert Sternberg's beliefs about wisdom focus on a balance between ________ and ________.

A)self-interest; interests of others
B)common sense; self interest
C)common good; academic intelligence
D)None of these choices are correct.

Question 53

A parent's ability to pick out his son's voice on a crowded playground is an example of

A)selective attention.
B)sustained attention.
C)divided attention.
D)executive attention.

Question 54

Working memory is more ________ than short-term memory.

A)active
B)passive
C)limited
D)precise

Question 55

Mrs.Beaupre is asked by a psychologist to repeat back a series of digits she has just seen for a short time.The psychologist is assessing her

A)sensory register.
B)long-term memory.
C)short-term memory.
D)intermediate memory.

Question 56

In information-processing theory,the capacity and speed of processing are referred to as

A)cognitive resources.
B)mental abilities.
C)cognitive gifts and talents.
D)None of these choices are correct.

Question 57

Which of the following memory systems is involved in adolescents' learning?

A)short-term memory
B)working memory
C)long-term memory
D)All of these choices are correct.

Question 58

Jessica can watch television while doing her math homework.This ability is an example of

A)selective attention.
B)divided attention.
C)sustained attention.
D)executive attention.

Question 59

Which of the following statements regarding the speed of processing is NOT true?

A)Processing speed decreases in late adulthood.
B)Processing speed increases in late adulthood.
C)Processing speed has been linked with good performance on cognitive tasks.
D)Strategies exist for compensating for slower processing speed.

Question 60

Mrs.Symmes is the principal of a middle school.In addressing the PTA,she tells the parents that the school is only one influence on adolescent development.She stresses that parents,peers,and the community all influence adolescent development.Mrs.Symmes's view would be MOST likely to be shared by which of the following theorists?

A)Jean Piaget
B)Robert Sternberg
C)Lev Vygotsky
D)Albert Bandura

Question 61

Lori and her group of "explorers" are given the whole term to create a "space alien." They have to describe their alien to parents,peers,and teachers on the last class day.They have no restrictions on the project,and they receive a group grade for creativity.According to research on creativity,which of the following is most likely?

A)The students won't put too much effort into the project because they will not receive individual grades.
B)The students will likely be more creative in designing their alien,because they are not afraid of failing or getting it wrong.
C)The students won't know how to do the project without a great deal of teacher support and direction.
D)The students will only be successful if they are naturally artistic.

Question 62

Pressley and his colleagues' extensive observation of teachers and students on strategy instruction and use indicated that

A)most schools are doing a good job of teaching students strategies for learning.
B)although teachers do a good job at showing students strategies for learning,students do not use these strategies.
C)strategy instruction is far less complete and intense than what students need in order to use strategies effectively.
D)teaching learning strategies is not as important as teaching course content.

Question 63

Critical thinking is thinking reflectively,thinking productively,and

A)thinking intuitively.
B)evaluating evidence.
C)thinking with self-serving bias.
D)thinking quickly.

Question 64

Robert Sternberg believes that most school programs that teach critical thinking

A)are flawed.
B)focus too much on formal reasoning.
C)don't give enough attention to critical-thinking skills needed for everyday life.
D)have all of these characteristics.

Question 65

Justin,age 17,cannot drive at night and is not allowed to have a passenger in the car.Justin most likely is

A)in a graduated driver licensing program.
B)a driver who has already had one speeding ticket or other moving violation.
C)in a program for those who have been identified as being "at risk" for an accident.
D)a driver with a night-vision problem.

Question 66

Mr.Bressler,an English literature teacher,wants to encourage his students' creativity.Which of the following activities will DISCOURAGE critical thinking?

A)brainstorming ideas as a group
B)ask the students questions with no single clear or correct answer
C)encouraging internal motivation
D)giving the students rewards for creative ideas

Question 67

Self-generation and self-monitoring of one's thoughts,feelings,and behaviors in order to reach a goal is

A)self-efficacy learning.
B)self-regulatory learning.
C)self-discovery learning.
D)self-esteem learning.

Question 68

Which of the following statements about adolescent decision making is TRUE?

A)Older adolescents are better at making decisions than are younger adolescents.
B)Adolescents who are impulsive are often not effective decision makers.
C)Emotional regulation plays a role in decision making.
D)All of these choices are correct.

Question 69

All of the following factors contribute to improved critical thinking in adolescents EXCEPT

A)increased speed of information processing.
B)decreased automaticity of information processing.
C)greater breadth of knowledge in a variety of domains.
D)greater range of strategies for obtaining knowledge.

Question 70

One perspective on expertise is that ________,in addition to motivation,is required to become an expert.

A)deliberate practice
B)a great deal of innate talent
C)solitary practice
D)None of these choices are correct.

Question 71

Which of the following statements regarding metacognition is TRUE?

A)It involves "knowing about knowing."
B)It can be taught in schools to increase problem-solving skills.
C)It includes knowledge about strategies.
D)All of these choices are correct.

Question 72

Which of the following statements regarding creativity is TRUE?

A)Creativity and intelligence are basically the same thing.
B)Creative people are all intelligent.
C)People will demonstrate creativity in all domains equally.
D)None of these choices are correct.

Question 73

Reyna and her colleagues have proposed the fuzzy-trace theory dual-process model,which states that decision making is influenced by two cognitive systems operating in parallel: _____ thinking and ________ intuition.

A)realistic; gut
B)analytical; gist-based
C)executive; basic
D)sustained; practical

Question 74

Kyle is an expert at paint-balling; Mitchell is just beginning in the sport.Kyle will be better than Mitchell at

A)understanding meaningful patterns of information.
B)accumulating more content knowledge.
C)retrieving important aspects of knowledge with little effort.
D)All of these choices are correct.

Question 75

Which of the following is NOT a component of deliberate practice?

A)practice at an appropriate level of difficulty
B)practice that involves corrective feedback
C)practice that allows opportunities for repetition
D)practice that allows opportunities to observe "super-experts" perform the skill

Question 76

Higher-order,complex processes are often called

A)corporate functioning.
B)executive functioning.
C)meta-functioning.
D)academic functioning.

Question 77

Good decision making is related to being

A)calm.
B)with peers who are risk-takers.
C)under mild to moderate stress.
D)All of these choices are correct.

Question 78

Which of the following findings on long-term memory has NOT been documented by researchers?

A)Long-term memory is a relatively permanent memory system.
B)Long-term memory can store large amounts of information.
C)Long-term memory increases in middle and late childhood.
D)Long-term memory continues to increase in adolescence.

Question 79

Tina is a gifted artist who makes and sells her own original pieces of jewelry.From this information,what can we predict about Tina?

A)She is also gifted in music.
B)She has only average skills in math.
C)She is not interested in other academic areas except art.
D)None of these choices are correct.

Question 80

Mr.Loveland wants to encourage critical thinking in his U.S.history class.Which of the following activities would be LEAST likely to contribute to the development of these skills?

A)Have the students prepare and engage in a debate about slavery before the Civil War.
B)Have the students discuss the benefits to slave owners and the quality of life of slaves in small group discussions.
C)Have the students listen to a lecture on the issues related to slavery.
D)Have the students view a documentary on slavery and write a reaction paper to it.