Deck 1: Basic Concepts, Methods and Theories of Development

Question 1

Behavior genetics researchers have a particular interest in studying

A) special learning environments.
B) differentiated cells.
C) multiple births from independent zygotes.
D) identical twins.

Answer 1

identical twins.

Question 2

In terms of the usefulness of theories, Piaget's theory of cognitive development is more useful than Freud's theory of psychosexual development because Piaget's ideas offered

A) less heuristic value.
B) a greater number of testable predictions.
C) fewer quantifiable variables.
D) more room for interpretation of terms.

Answer 2

a greater number of testable predictions.

Question 3

The degree to which a theory stimulates thinking and research is known as the theory's ________.

Answer 3

heuristic value

Question 4

The idea that studying children's development might help scientists understand the development of the human species was proposed by

A) John Locke.
B) Charles Darwin.
C) Jean-Jacques Rousseau.
D) Martin Buber.

Question 5

__________ summarizes the idea that individuals of all ages possess the capacity for positive change in response to environmental demands.

A) Plasticity
B) Multicontextuality
C) Empiricism
D) Maturation

Question 6

Researchers have to explore many types of information to address their questions of interest. Which of the following concepts emphasizes this approach to studying lifespan development?

A) The unidimensional nature of development
B) Interdisciplinary research
C) Extra-generational implications
D) Rigidity

Question 7

A cohort of Baby Boomer women were compared to a cohort of Preboomer women using a sequential research design that took measurements in 1983, 1986, 1993, and 2003. What was a finding of that study?

A) The relationship between age and reported frequency of marital conflict was the same across cohorts.
B) The different cohorts' self-perceptions of femininity declined in parallel fashion.
C) Because this was a sequential study, no reliable findings could be reported.
D) The relationship between age and reported frequency of marital conflict was different in each cohort.

Question 8

Researchers must report their data in such a way that no particular piece of information can be associated with any specific participant. This is a central part of which aspect of research ethics?

A) Informed consent
B) Protection from harm
C) Confidentiality
D) Deception

Question 9

One major weakness of naturalistic observation is ________, which occurs when the person collecting data influences what's being collected.