Question 1

Poor nutrition is a problem for many children who live in poverty. Which one of the following situations is likely to be associated with poor nutrition?

Accepted Answer

Poor nutrition can affect memory and motivation, which could explain Jill's trouble remembering things and lack of motivation to achieve in school.

Question 2

Which one of the following statements best reflects most psychologists' current views about the relative effects of heredity and environment on intellectual development?

Accepted Answer

The consensus among psychologists is that both heredity and environment play significant roles in intellectual development, and it is challenging to separate their effects completely or determine which has a greater influence. This complexity leads to the view that determining the relative effects of heredity versus environment may ultimately be impossible, as both interact in complex ways to shape individual development.

Question 3

Which one of the following items on an intelligence test is most likely to have cultural bias?

Accepted Answer

Croquet is to mallet as golf is to _______. This question assumes familiarity with specific sports and their equipment, which can vary significantly across cultures. Not all cultures may be familiar with croquet or golf, making this question culturally biased.

Question 4

Ms. Youmans has a class of 24 sixth graders, 12 girls and 12 boys. Given what we know about gender differences in verbal ability and visual-spatial ability, which one of the following is Ms. Youmans justified in concluding about her students?

Accepted Answer

Research indicates that while there are some differences in verbal and visual-spatial abilities between genders, these differences are generally small and there is considerable overlap between the abilities of boys and girls. Therefore, it's unlikely that Ms. Youmans would notice significant differences in average abilities between boys and girls in her class.

Question 5

Three days a week, 8-year-old Erica meets with a tutor after school to help her with her reading and writing skills. If you wanted to know how much Erica is benefiting from the tutoring, you would most likely use:

Accepted Answer

Dynamic assessment is specifically designed to evaluate a student's learning process and potential for future learning, making it the most appropriate choice for assessing Erica's progress in reading and writing skills due to tutoring.

Question 6

With the help of three teacher aides, a kindergarten teacher gives her students a school readiness test on the first day of class. Given what we know about such tests, which one of the following is the best thing to do with the test results?

Accepted Answer

The best use of school readiness test results is to inform instruction by identifying starting points for teaching, not to track or segregate students based on their initial scores.

Question 7

Daveda has always had a knack for working with numbers. As a child, she often sought out mathematical brainteasers that would challenge her, and when she reached high school, she enrolled in the most challenging math courses in the curriculum. By 12th grade, she was taking an advanced calculus course at a nearby university. Daveda's behavior is a good example of:

Accepted Answer

Daveda's behavior exemplifies "niche-picking," which refers to the process of seeking out environments that complement one's abilities and interests. Her inclination towards challenging mathematical problems and courses aligns with selecting environments (niches) that match her skills and interests in mathematics.

Question 8

Which one of the following is the best example of dynamic assessment?

Accepted Answer

Dynamic assessment focuses on how a student's learning processes change and develop with assistance or over time, making Mr. Warren's approach the best example of this.

Question 9

At age 2, Madeleine is given up for adoption by a mentally ill single mother who realizes she cannot provide adequate care for her daughter. Shortly thereafter, Madeleine is adopted by parents who provide lively conversation, lots of books and educational games, and frequent trips to zoos and museums. Based on this information you might expect Madeleine's IQ scores to:

Accepted Answer

Madeleine's enriched environment provided by her adoptive parents, including educational activities and stimulating experiences, is likely to positively influence her cognitive development, potentially leading to gradual increases in her IQ scores over time.

Question 10

Three of the following statements about the effects of heredity and/or environment on intelligence are accurate. Which one is not accurate?

Accepted Answer

The statement about biologists identifying a specific chromosome carrying an "intelligence" gene is not accurate. Intelligence is a complex trait influenced by multiple genes across different chromosomes, and there is no single "intelligence" gene located on a specific chromosome.

Question 11

Twin studies show that monozygotic (identical) twins who are raised in separate homes have similar IQ scores. Such evidence:

Accepted Answer

CThe similarity in IQ scores of monozygotic twins raised apart suggests a genetic component to intelligence, supporting the idea that heredity influences IQ (A). However, the fact that these scores are not identical also indicates that environmental factors play a role, leading to the conclusion that both heredity and environment interactively influence intelligence (C).

Question 12

Researchers have suggested a variety of explanations for why children from lower socioeconomic status (SES) families often perform less well on IQ tests and in school than their higher SES counterparts. Three of the following are common explanations. Which one is not?

Accepted Answer

The incorrect explanation is that parents in low-SES families don't appreciate the importance of a good education. This is a stereotype and not a proven explanation for the academic performance gap. Other factors such as resources, health care, and teacher expectations are more substantiated reasons for differences in academic performance.

Question 13

Which one of the following tasks are you least likely to see on the Bayley Scales?

Accepted Answer

The Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development are designed to assess the development of infants and toddlers up to 42 months of age. They focus on measuring fine and gross motor skills, cognitive abilities, and social-emotional development through age-appropriate tasks. Playing peek-a-boo, crawling, and block-building are all activities suitable for assessing the development of very young children. In contrast, a multiplication word problem is far beyond the cognitive abilities expected for the age group assessed by the Bayley Scales, making it the least likely task to be included.

Question 14

When a group of children were given the WISC-IV in January and again in April, their scores tended to be quite similar on both occasions. Such a result indicates that the WISC-IV:

Accepted Answer

The similarity in scores when the WISC-IV is administered at two different times indicates that the test has good reliability, meaning it consistently produces similar results under consistent conditions.

Question 15

Which one of the following statements is most accurate about assessing cognitive abilities in infants and toddlers?

Accepted Answer

Assessments for infants and toddlers do exist, but due to the rapid developmental changes and the inherent challenges in measuring cognitive abilities at such a young age, these assessments tend to be less reliable than those designed for older children.

Question 16

Researchers have discovered that gender differences in various cognitive abilities are due to three of the following. Which one is not a likely source of gender differences?

Accepted Answer

Research indicates that gender differences in cognitive abilities can be attributed to hormonal levels, brain anatomy, and socialization practices, such as the types of toys children are encouraged to play with. However, there is no substantial evidence to suggest that the shape of the forehead plays a significant role in cognitive differences between genders.

Question 17

Which one of the following statements best illustrates the Flynn effect?

Accepted Answer

The Flynn effect refers to the observed rise in average IQ scores over time, across many parts of the world. This phenomenon suggests that people are scoring higher on IQ tests than in previous generations. Choice A directly illustrates this effect by indicating that children today perform better on a specific intelligence test (the Stanford-Binet) than children did in the past (the 1980s).

Question 18

Which one of the following statements most accurately describes the relationship between IQ scores and classroom performance?

Accepted Answer

Research has consistently shown that, on average, students with higher IQ scores perform better in school than students with lower IQ scores. However, it is important to note that IQ scores are not the only factor that influences academic achievement, as environmental factors such as family background, access to resources, and quality of instruction also play a significant role. Additionally, IQ scores obtained in early elementary years are not necessarily an excellent predictor of high school success, as factors such as motivation, effort, and opportunities for growth can also impact academic outcomes over time. Finally, while certain IQ scores may be associated with better performance when students are placed ahead of their age-mates, this is not a universal finding and depends on individual differences in cognitive and social-emotional development.

Question 19

Studies of monozygotic (identical) twins who are raised in the same home are more similar in IQ than twins who are raised in different homes. Such evidence:

Accepted Answer

The answer of Studies of monozygotic (identical) twins who are...

Question 20

The teacher of a sixth grade class is concerned about the poor academic performance of a 12-year-old student named Nancy. The teacher looks through Nancy's school records and discovers that Nancy got an IQ score of 80 when she took an intelligence test in preschool. Considering the textbook's discussion of IQ scores, the teacher should conclude that:

Accepted Answer

Nancy's IQ score in preschool may not accurately reflect her current capabilities because intelligence can be influenced by a variety of factors, including education, environment, and personal development, which can change over time.

Quiz 8: Intelligence