Question 1

Developmental psychology is the study of
A)the language, personality, and emotions of children and adolescents.
B)the stages of life and the important tasks of each.
C)progressive changes in behavior and abilities from conception to death.
D)the role of maturation in the unfolding of human potential.

Accepted Answer

Developmental psychology is focused on studying the changes in behavior and abilities that occur throughout an individual's lifespan, from conception to death. This includes physical, cognitive, social, and emotional changes.

Question 2

Temperament refers to
A)the pattern of physical development from conception to death.
B)the inherited, physical core of one's personality.
C)the years of aging characterized by marked physiological and psychological deterioration.
D)a period of increased sensitivity to environmental influences.

Accepted Answer

Temperament refers to the inherited, physical core of one's personality. It includes characteristics such as activity level, mood, and emotional reactivity that are present from infancy and believed to be relatively stable throughout one's life.

Question 3

Growing infants influence their parents' behavior at the same time they are changed by it.This illustrates
A)reciprocal interactions.
B)the secular trend in behavior.
C)genetic predispositions.
D)the zone of proximal development.

Accepted Answer

Reciprocal interactions refer to the mutual influence that parent and child have on each other's behavior. This statement suggests that infants influence their parents while being influenced by them in turn, highlighting the reciprocal nature of their interactions.

Question 4

Until minimum levels of physical structure are mature, no amount of practice will be sufficient to develop certain skills.This statement reflects
A)assimilation.
B)readiness.
C)resiliency.
D)habituation.

Accepted Answer

The statement suggests that readiness is necessary for the development of certain skills, as physical structures need to be fully developed before any amount of practice can be effective. Assimilation refers to the process of incorporating new information into existing schemas, resiliency refers to the ability to adapt and recover from adversity, and habituation refers to the process of becoming accustomed to a stimulus over time. None of these terms directly relate to the idea that physical readiness is necessary for skill development.

Question 5

Dianne is a psychologist who is interested in the progressive changes that people show in their behavior and abilities from conception to death.Dianne is most likely a _____ psychologist.
A)social
B)behavioral
C)comparative
D)development

Accepted Answer

Dianne's interest in the changes in behavior and abilities that people exhibit from conception to death suggests that she is a developmental psychologist. Developmental psychology focuses on how people change and grow throughout their lives, from infancy to old age.

Question 6

Jana is an easy baby who smiles and vocalizes frequently, which encourages her parents to smile and talk to her more.This, in turn, causes Jana to smile and interact with her parents more.This illustrates
A)reciprocal influences.
B)genetic predispositions.
C)a parental behavior that would occur even if Jana had a difficult temperament.
D)all of these.

Accepted Answer

Reciprocal influences between the baby and her parents are being demonstrated. Jana's positive behavior is influencing her parents, causing them to engage with her more, which in turn, reinforces Jana's positive behavior. The answer options B and C are irrelevant and not supported by the information provided.

Question 7

When a psychologist describes the reciprocal interactions between parent and child, the psychologist is stating that
A)nature plays the most important role in development.
B)nurture plays the most important role in development.
C)there is an interaction between nature and nurture.
D)that the nature-nurture controversy will never be resolved.

Accepted Answer

The term "reciprocal interactions" suggests the idea of a two-way exchange between parent and child, indicating that both nature and nurture play a role in development. This supports the idea of an interaction between nature and nurture (choice C) rather than an emphasis on one over the other (choices A and B) or a definitive resolution to the nature-nurture controversy (choice D).

Question 8

Regarding the roles that heredity and the environment play in one's development, which of the following statements is/are TRUE?
A)Heredity gives each of us a variety of potentials and limitations.
B)One's potentials are affected by environmental influences, such as learning, nutrition, disease, and culture.
C)One's development is a constant interaction between the forces of nature and nurture.
D)All of these statements are true.

Accepted Answer

All of the given statements are true. Heredity provides each individual with a set of potentials and limitations, while environmental factors like learning, nutrition, disease, and culture can influence the development of these potentials. However, development is not solely determined by heredity or the environment, but rather a constant interplay between both.

Question 9

Josh is a difficult baby who cries and is hard to console, which makes his parents unhappy and elicits negative parenting.This, in turn, causes Josh to cry more frequently.This illustrates
A)reciprocal influences.
B)genetic predispositions.
C)a parental behavior that would occur even if Josh had an easy temperament.
D)all of these.

Accepted Answer

The scenario describes reciprocal influences, where both the baby's behavior and the parents' behavior are impacting each other in a continuous cycle. This is different from genetic predispositions, which would refer to the baby's innate traits passed down from their parents. And while it's possible that the parents' behavior would occur even if Josh had an easy temperament, the scenario doesn't provide enough information to support this claim.

Question 10

One psychologist argues that one's development is almost completely under the control of genetics, while another psychologist emphasizes the strong influence of the environment.These psychologists' argument describes the
A)nature-nurture controversy.
B)biologist-psychologist debate.
C)parenting style controversy.
D)continuity-discontinuity debate.

Accepted Answer

The argument between the two psychologists is related to the nature-nurture controversy, which is a long-standing debate in psychology regarding the extent to which human behavior and personality are determined by environmental factors (nurture) versus genetic factors (nature).

Question 11

Achieving sexual maturity is mostly governed by _____, while learning to swim or to use a computer is primarily a matter of _____.
A)nurture; nature
B)nature; nurture
C)heredity; nature
D)nurture; heredity

Accepted Answer

Achieving sexual maturity is primarily determined by nature and genetics, while learning skills like swimming or using a computer is primarily determined by nurture and environmental factors.

Question 12

Toilet training will usually be completed
A)when the parents and child want it to happen.
B)the earlier the parents start the training.
C)earlier with boys and a little later for girls.
D)around the age of three, or when maturation has progressed sufficiently.

Accepted Answer

Toilet training is typically completed around the age of three or when maturation has progressed sufficiently. It is important to wait until the child is developmentally ready for the process to be successful. Starting too early can lead to frustration and setbacks. Gender does not appear to play a significant role in the timing of toilet training. The process should also be a collaboration between the parents and child, so A is also a possible answer, but D is more specifically accurate in terms of timing.

Question 13

According to the text, what conclusions can be drawn in the nature-nurture debate?
A)Heredity is the most important because we inherit our potential for development as well as our limitations.
B)Environment is the most important because influences, such as learning, nutrition, disease, and culture affect our ability to develop to our potential.
C)It is the interaction between heredity and environment that is important in determining who we become.
D)Neither heredity nor environment is important; only our own behavior determines who we are.

Accepted Answer

The text indicates that the nature-nurture debate is not about choosing between heredity or environment, but rather recognizing that both play a role in shaping who we become. Therefore, the interaction between the two is the most important factor in determining our development. Option A, B, and D are all incorrect or incomplete interpretations of the debate.

Question 14

The study of changes in behavior from conception to death encompasses
A)gerontology.
B)thanatology.
C)developmental psychology.
D)social psychology.

Accepted Answer

The study of changes in behavior from conception to death is a key area of developmental psychology, which focuses on the physical, cognitive, and social development of individuals throughout the lifespan. Gerontology is the study of aging and its associated changes, while thanatology is the study of death and dying. Social psychology examines how social factors influence human behavior.

Question 15

Psychologists generally resolve the nature-nurture debate by agreeing that
A)heredity and environment are interacting and inseparable factors in development.
B)heredity is more important because it precedes the effects of experience.
C)environment is more important because its effects are less flexible than those of heredity.
D)environment is more important because most behaviors of interest to psychologists are learned.

Accepted Answer

Psychologists generally agree that heredity and environment are interacting and inseparable factors in development. Both nature and nurture play a role in shaping our behavior, personality, and abilities. Research shows that genetic factors influence traits such as intelligence and personality, but the environment plays a critical role in determining whether and how those traits are expressed. Likewise, environmental factors such as parenting, education, and culture can have a profound impact on shaping our development, but individual differences in genetic makeup can also influence how we respond to those experiences. Therefore, the nature-nurture debate is best resolved by acknowledging the complex interplay between genes and environment in shaping human development.

Question 16

Developmental psychologists are interested in changes in behavior that occur from
A)conception on to death (the womb to the tomb).
B)birth to adolescence (infant to teen).
C)birth to adulthood (child to grown-up).
D)conception to senescence.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Developmental psychologists are interested in changes in...

Question 17

Sarah is seven months old.Her parents spend three hours a day for five weeks straight holding Sarah up next to furniture in hopes that she will grab onto the furniture and stand by herself.Sarah hates this treatment and screams and cries, but her parents are unyielding.Finally, at the end of the fifth week, Sarah stands up by herself while holding onto the furniture.Her parents smile triumphantly.What have they accomplished here?
A)Sarah's parents have trained Sarah to stand up by herself earlier than the average.
B)Sarah was ready to stand up by herself at about eight months of age; but her parents simply put her through a training ordeal for nothing.
C)If Sarah's parents had not trained her, Sarah could have been developmentally delayed.
D)Sarah's parents have respected her personal rate of growth by encouraging her with psychomotor training.

Accepted Answer

Research shows that infants typically begin standing by themselves without support between the ages of 8 and 12 months, with an average age of 9.2 months. By forcing Sarah to stand with support before she was developmentally ready, her parents only put her through an unnecessary training ordeal, causing her distress and discomfort. It's important for parents to respect their child's individual rate of growth and not push them beyond their capabilities.

Question 18

Milestones, such as when children are able to walk alone, feed themselves, or become toilet trained tend to be governed by
A)assimilation.
B)scaffolding.
C)learning.
D)readiness.

Accepted Answer

Milestones are typically governed by the child's readiness to achieve a certain developmental task. For example, a child needs to be physically ready to walk, mentally ready to grasp the concept of self-feeding, and emotionally ready to tackle toilet training. Therefore, the best choice is D) readiness.

Question 19

Jeffery is 18 months old, and his mother has spent almost every waking moment of the last three weeks trying to toilet-train Jeffery.However, Jeffery has shown no improvement.Jeffery's mother should be told that toilet training as well as other milestones in development are governed by the
A)habituation of the child.
B)child's assimilation pattern.
C)child's readiness.
D)quality and quantity of the training.

Accepted Answer

Toilet training is most successful when the child is developmentally ready, both physically and emotionally. It is not effective to force a child who is not ready, as it can lead to frustration and even resistance. Therefore, Jeffery's lack of progress may simply be due to the fact that he is not yet ready to be trained.

Question 20

Readiness occurs when
A)parents are ready to teach a child to walk, talk, toilet train, or feed his or herself.
B)maturation has advanced enough to allow the rapid acquisition of a particular skill.
C)a child is two years old.
D)a child is three years old.

Accepted Answer

Readiness refers to the state where maturation has advanced enough to allow the rapid acquisition of a particular skill. It does not depend on the age of the child, although age may play a role in determining if the child has reached this state of readiness. Therefore, option B is the correct answer. Option A is too specific, as readiness is not limited to teaching certain skills. Option C and D are incorrect because they provide arbitrary age cut-offs that do not necessarily correlate with readiness.

Quiz 3: Extension A: Human Development

Developmental psychology is the study of

Temperament refers to

Growing infants influence their parents' behavior at the same time they are changed by it.This illustrates

Until minimum levels of physical structure are mature, no amount of practice will be sufficient to develop certain skills.This statement reflects

Dianne is a psychologist who is interested in the progressive changes that people show in their behavior and abilities from conception to death.Dianne is most likely a _____ psychologist.

Jana is an easy baby who smiles and vocalizes frequently, which encourages her parents to smile and talk to her more.This, in turn, causes Jana to smile and interact with her parents more.This illustrates

When a psychologist describes the reciprocal interactions between parent and child, the psychologist is stating that

Regarding the roles that heredity and the environment play in one's development, which of the following statements is/are TRUE?

Josh is a difficult baby who cries and is hard to console, which makes his parents unhappy and elicits negative parenting.This, in turn, causes Josh to cry more frequently.This illustrates

One psychologist argues that one's development is almost completely under the control of genetics, while another psychologist emphasizes the strong influence of the environment.These psychologists' argument describes the

Achieving sexual maturity is mostly governed by _, while learning to swim or to use a computer is primarily a matter of _.

Toilet training will usually be completed

According to the text, what conclusions can be drawn in the nature-nurture debate?

The study of changes in behavior from conception to death encompasses

Psychologists generally resolve the nature-nurture debate by agreeing that

Developmental psychologists are interested in changes in behavior that occur from

Milestones, such as when children are able to walk alone, feed themselves, or become toilet trained tend to be governed by

Jeffery is 18 months old, and his mother has spent almost every waking moment of the last three weeks trying to toilet-train Jeffery.However, Jeffery has shown no improvement.Jeffery's mother should be told that toilet training as well as other milestones in development are governed by the

Readiness occurs when