Question 1

Responsiveness to sound begins during ________ development.

Accepted Answer

Responsiveness to sound begins during fetal development, specifically around 20-24 weeks gestation. During this time, the auditory system is developing and the fetus begins to respond to external sounds such as the mother's voice and music.

Question 2

Learning the rising or falling intonations of spoken language first begins during

Accepted Answer

Research indicates that fetuses can hear and respond to the intonations of speech while still in the womb, suggesting that learning these intonations begins during prenatal development.

Question 3

Exceptionally timid and cautious infants tend to become shy and unassertive adolescents. This best illustrates the long-term stability of

Accepted Answer

The description in the question is a clear example of the long-term stability of temperament, which refers to an individual's innate characteristic emotional reactivity and self-regulation.

Question 4

Sperm cells release ________ that eat away a mature egg cell's protective coating.

Accepted Answer

Sperm cells release enzymes that eat away a mature egg cell's protective coating, allowing them to penetrate and fertilize the egg.

Question 5

As boys with explosive tempers grow older, they are especially likely to have difficulty maintaining good jobs and happy marriages. This fact is most relevant to the issue of

Accepted Answer

The fact that boys with explosive tempers have difficulty maintaining good jobs and happy marriages as they grow older relates to the issue of stability and change. The concept of stability refers to consistency and predictability over time, while change refers to development and alterations in behavior or life circumstances. The fact that explosive tempers can have long-term negative effects on important areas of life illustrates how stability and change are interrelated and how behavior patterns can impact life outcomes.

Question 6

Boys first begin producing sperm during

Accepted Answer

Sperm production begins during puberty, which typically occurs between the ages of 9 and 14 for boys. During puberty, the hypothalamus in the brain releases hormones that stimulate the testes to begin producing testosterone and sperm.

Question 7

A stage theory of development was advanced by

Accepted Answer

All three psychologists (Kohlberg, Erikson, Piaget) advanced stage theories of development.

Question 8

Research indicates that 1-day-old human infants can distinguish

Accepted Answer

Research shows that infants as young as 1-day-old can differentiate their mother's voice from that of a female stranger's voice. This ability is believed to be due in part to prenatal auditory experiences, as the fetus can hear external sounds in the womb.

Question 9

The branch of psychology that systematically focuses on the physical, cognitive, and social changes that occur throughout the human life span cycle is called

Accepted Answer

Developmental psychology focuses on studying the changes that occur throughout a person's life span, including the physical, cognitive, and social dimensions of development. Social psychology focuses on how individuals are influenced by and interact with others, while personality psychology focuses on individual differences in personality traits. Biological psychology examines the physiological basis of behavior and mental processes.

Question 10

Cocaine use during Shanda's pregnancy damaged her developing fetus. The cocaine was a(n)

Accepted Answer

A teratogen is any agent or factor that causes malformation in an embryo or fetus. Cocaine is a known teratogen that can cause a range of developmental problems in the fetus, including low birth weight, premature birth, and structural abnormalities in the brain and other organs.

Question 11

One of the three major issues in developmental psychology involves a focus on

Accepted Answer

The issue of stability and change refers to the question of whether human development is primarily influenced by nature or nurture, and whether individuals are inherently stable or more prone to change over time. This is a major issue in developmental psychology, alongside the issues of continuity versus discontinuity and the role of early experience in shaping later development.

Question 12

Harmful chemicals or viruses that can be transferred from a mother to her developing fetus are called

Accepted Answer

The term for harmful chemicals or viruses that can be transferred from the mother to the developing fetus is teratogens. Schemas are cognitive frameworks for understanding information, telomeres are protective caps on the ends of chromosomes, and a zygote is a fertilized egg.

Question 13

Researchers who emphasize learning and experience tend to view development as

Accepted Answer

Researchers who emphasize learning and experience tend to view development as a continuous process, as learning and experience can occur at any time and gradually build upon each other. On the other hand, those who emphasize maturation often view development as a sequence of stages, with each stage being characterized by distinct changes and abilities.

Question 14

Newborn infants typically prefer their mother's voice over their father's voice because

Accepted Answer

Newborn infants become familiar with their mother's voice before they are born through the sound vibrations that travel through the amniotic fluid in the womb. This exposure to their mother's voice leads to a preference for it after birth.

Question 15

The developing human organism from 9 weeks after conception to birth is known as a(n)

Accepted Answer

The period from 9 weeks after conception to birth is known as the fetal period. Therefore, the best choice is B, fetus. Option A, embryo refers to the developing human organism from fertilization to 8 weeks after conception. Option C, zygote refers to the single cell that is formed when sperm and egg unite at fertilization, while option D, ovum, refers to the female reproductive cell or egg prior to fertilization.

Question 16

From 2 weeks to 8 weeks after conception, the human organism is known as a(n)

Accepted Answer

From 2 weeks to 8 weeks after conception, the human organism is known as an embryo. During this time, major organs and systems begin to form, such as the heart, brain, and nervous system. The embryo is about the size of a kidney bean at 8 weeks.

Question 17

The outer cells of the zygote become the

Accepted Answer

The outer cells of the zygote become the placenta, which provides nutrients and oxygen to the developing embryo/fetus. The embryo/fetus itself develops from the inner cells of the zygote. The genome refers to the entire set of an organism's genetic material, and is present in all cells.

Question 18

Stage theories of adult development are most likely to be criticized for exaggerating the

Accepted Answer

Stage theories of adult development are criticized for overemphasizing predictability of development, assuming that individuals move through a fixed sequence of stages. This denies the immense variability in individuals' experiences and lifestyles.

Question 19

Professor Conrad is a research specialist in the study of identity formation during adolescence. It is most likely that the professor is a ________ psychologist.

Accepted Answer

The professor's research specialization in studying identity formation during adolescence suggests that they are most likely a developmental psychologist, who focuses on the physical, cognitive, emotional, and social development from infancy to old age. Biological psychologists mainly investigate the biological basis of behavior and mental processes, psychodynamic psychologists follow the theories of Freud, and clinical psychologists work with individuals who have psychological disorders.

Question 20

A fertilized egg is called a(n)

Accepted Answer

A fertilized egg is called a zygote. An embryo is the stage of development that comes after the zygote stage, a teratogen is a substance that can cause birth defects if a woman is exposed to it during pregnancy, and a fetus is the stage of development after the embryo stage.

Quiz 13: A: Developmental Issues, Prenatal Development