Question 1

Professor Sanchez is interested in studying development of motor skills.She collects data from 200 one-year-olds and follows and assesses them for a period of five years.What type of research design is Professor Sanchez using?

Accepted Answer

Professor Sanchez is using a longitudinal design because she is collecting data from the same group of individuals (one-year-olds) over a period of five years, and assessing them at different time points to study development of motor skills.

Question 2

According to Baumrind,__________ parenting may lead to an abusive relationship.

Accepted Answer

Permissive neglectful parenting may lead to an abusive relationship because it involves a lack of parental involvement and supervision, which can create an environment where children are more vulnerable to abuse.

Question 3

Participants who are born around the same time are more likely to share various characteristics with one another than those who were born during a different time period.This illustrates the ___________ effect.

Accepted Answer

The cohort effect refers to the influence of being born at the same time and experiencing similar historical and societal events on an individual's development, values, beliefs, and behaviors. Members of the same cohort share similar experiences, factors, and influences that are distinct from those of other cohorts. Therefore, their similarities and differences can be attributed to their shared birth year and cultural background. For instance, people who grew up during the Great Depression era, the baby boom years, or the digital era are likely to possess distinct attitudes, expectations, and preferences. Hence, the cohort effect is a crucial factor in developmental and social psychology research, as it affects the generalizability and interpretation of findings, and helps explain variations in people's behavior and attitudes based on their age and period of birth.

Question 4

The changes that occur in people as they age from conception until death are called:

Accepted Answer

Human development encompasses the changes that occur throughout an individual's lifespan, from conception to death. Abnormal psychology refers to the study of atypical behavior and psychological disorders. Gerontology focuses specifically on the study of aging and the elderly population. Maturational studies is not a commonly used term in psychology, and does not fully encompass the multidimensional nature of human development.

Question 5

Which of the following is a disadvantage of the longitudinal design?

Accepted Answer

One disadvantage of the longitudinal design is that participants may drop out of the study due to various reasons such as moving, loss of interest, or death. This can result in a smaller sample size and potentially biased results. The other options listed are not disadvantages of the longitudinal design; in fact, option B and C are advantages (it being relatively inexpensive and taking less time than a cross-sectional design). Option A is not necessarily a disadvantage either, as individuals of different ages can be compared in the longitudinal design to study developmental changes over time.

Question 6

According to research,if an older person wants to adjust more positively to aging,he or she should:

Accepted Answer

Remaining active in some way has been shown to promote positive aging. Staying physically active, engaging in social activities, and pursuing hobbies or interests can all contribute to a better quality of life in older age. Quietly withdrawing from social life or limiting activities can lead to isolation and negative health outcomes. Disengaging from life altogether is not a viable option for most people.

Question 7

In which theory of aging do telomeres become the major means of aging cells?

Accepted Answer

The cellular clock theory proposes that cells have a limited number of divisions before they stop dividing, and this limit is linked to the shortening of telomeres, the protective ends of chromosomes. As cells divide, their telomeres become shorter until they become critically short and the cell can no longer divide, leading to cell death and tissue aging. Therefore, telomeres become the major means of aging cells in the cellular clock theory.

Question 8

Professor Rashad is interested in studying cognitive development.He collects and compares data from a group of 6-year-olds and a group of 10-year-olds.Five years later,he compares these two groups to each other again as well as to their own performance in the study five years ago.What type of research design is Professor Grant using?

Accepted Answer

This research design involves studying multiple age groups at different time points, while also tracking individual changes over time. The study compares the same two age groups at two different time points, allowing for an assessment of developmental change within individuals as well as differences between age groups.

Question 9

A psychologist spends her entire career studying how and why changes occur in people throughout their lives.This psychologist is most likely working in the field of:

Accepted Answer

The psychologist's focus on understanding changes in people throughout their lives points to studying human development, which includes all stages of life from infancy to old age. Abnormal psychology focuses on identifying and treating psychological disorders, gerontology specifically focuses on aging, and maturational studies focus on the development of specific abilities or characteristics.

Question 10

Dr.Barton observes significant differences in computer skills between a group of 30-year-olds and a group of 80-year-olds.Rather than being due to developmental changes,these differences are likely due to:

Accepted Answer

The significant differences in computer skills between the group of 30-year-olds and the group of 80-year-olds are likely due to a cohort effect. A cohort effect refers to the fact that people from different age groups grow up and are educated in different environments with different technological tools and resources. The group of 30-year-olds likely grew up with more exposure to computers and technology than the group of 80-year-olds, who may have had limited exposure or access to these tools during their formative years.

Question 11

Which of the following is a main disadvantage of the cross-sectional design?

Accepted Answer

The main disadvantage of a cross-sectional design is that it compares individuals from different age groups, which can lead to confounding variables that can affect the results. For example, if a study is comparing the cognitive abilities of 20-year-olds and 60-year-olds, it is difficult to determine if any differences are due to age, or if they are due to other factors such as education, health status, or socioeconomic status.

Question 12

In Erikson's last crisis,the life review is:

Accepted Answer

In Erikson's last crisis, the life review refers to the process of looking back on the life one has lived, reflecting on experiences, accomplishments, and failures, and coming to terms with the choices and decisions made throughout one's lifetime. It is not a process of assigning blame, analyzing one's parents' lives, or writing a biography.

Question 13

Which of the following is TRUE regarding the cohort effect?

Accepted Answer

The cohort effect refers to the influence of shared experiences and characteristics of a particular generation on development and can make it difficult to isolate the effects of aging. This can be an obstacle in drawing conclusions regarding the effects of aging.

Question 14

Unlike other types of research,a cross-sequential design allows researchers to:

Accepted Answer

A cross-sequential design combines elements of both longitudinal and cross-sectional research strategies, allowing researchers to analyze age and cohort effects simultaneously while also controlling for the effects of time. This can provide a more comprehensive understanding of developmental changes over time and can also allow for the examination of gender differences and other variables of interest. It may also help reduce experimenter bias by controlling for variables such as confounding variables and cohort effects.

Question 15

According to Erikson,achieving true intimacy is difficult if one's __________ is not already established.

Accepted Answer

According to Erikson's theory, intimacy vs isolation is the sixth stage of psychosocial development, and it occurs during young adulthood. It is during this stage that individuals seek to form deep and meaningful relationships with others. However, Erikson believed that achieving true intimacy is difficult if one's identity is not already established. This is because a strong sense of self is necessary in order to be able to share oneself with another person in a close and intimate way. Therefore, the best answer is A) Identity.

Question 16

A researcher who selects a sample of people of varying ages and studies them at one point in time is,by definition,using the ______ design method.

Accepted Answer

The cross-sectional design method involves selecting a sample of people of varying ages and studying them at one point in time. This design method allows researchers to compare and contrast age groups at the same time, but does not allow for the observation of patterns or changes over time.

Question 17

Professor Grant is interested in studying the development of a sense of humour.She collects data from groups of 6-year-olds,16-year-olds,26-year-olds,and 46-year-olds.What type of research design is Professor Grant using?

Accepted Answer

Professor Grant is using a cross-sectional design, as she is collecting data from individuals of different ages at one point in time. A longitudinal design would involve following the same individuals over time to study changes in their sense of humour. A cohort design would involve studying individuals who share a particular characteristic (such as being born in the same year), and a behaviour genetics design would involve studying the genetic and environmental influences on sense of humour.

Question 18

In a __________design,one group of participants is followed and assessed as the group ages.

Accepted Answer

In a longitudinal design, one group of participants is followed and assessed over a period of time. This allows researchers to see how individuals change and develop as they age.

Question 19

In the _________ stage of reaction to death and dying,a person may promise to do everything the doctor says if the doctor will say that the person can live a little longer.

Accepted Answer

In the bargaining stage, a person may make deals or promises to a higher power or medical professionals in order to prolong or delay their death. This can include bargaining for more time to spend with loved ones or to complete unfinished tasks.

Question 20

A sense of completeness of one's ego,or identity,is called:

Accepted Answer

Integrity refers to a sense of wholeness and completeness of one's identity or ego. It is the ability to integrate various aspects of oneself into a coherent sense of self. This is an important aspect of psychological development in adulthood, and is linked to feelings of satisfaction and well-being in life. Life review refers to the reflective process that individuals go through as they approach the end of their lives. Intelligence and generativity are related to other aspects of adult development, but are not directly related to a sense of completeness of one's ego.

Quiz 8: Development Across the Life Span