Question 1

Suppose Patty reads a certain children's book fairly regularly to her unborn child several weeks before she gives birth. Once her child is born, her baby will ________.

Accepted Answer

Research suggests that fetuses can begin to recognize and respond to familiar voices and sounds from the third trimester onwards. Thus, if Patty regularly read a specific children's book to her unborn child, the baby would likely show a preference for hearing the same story read by her mother after birth. This phenomenon is known as fetal auditory learning.

Question 2

Which reflex is elicited by stroking the infant's cheek lightly causing the infant to turn his or her head and start trying to suck?

Accepted Answer

The rooting reflex is elicited by stroking the infant's cheek lightly causing the infant to turn his or her head and start trying to suck.

Question 3

An inborn and automatic response to a stimulus is known as a(n) ________.

Accepted Answer

A reflex is an inborn and automatic response to a stimulus, such as blinking when something comes toward your eye or pulling your hand away from a hot stove. Cognition refers to mental processes such as perception, attention, and memory. Motion refers to physical movement. Motivation refers to the psychological forces that drive behavior.

Question 4

What do we learn from the research of Meaney and his colleagues with rats?

Accepted Answer

Meaney and his colleagues found that handling rat pups during the first days after birth had an impact on their responses to stressful events. Specifically, rats that were handled more were more likely to be resilient to stress later in life. The other options are not related to Meaney and his colleagues' research.

Question 5

Shelley and Julie are mothers who each have a three-month-old infant. Shelley tells Julie, "My son is so fussy," to which Julie replies, "That's funny-my son is so easy." It appears that Shelley and Julie are discussing their newborns' ________.

Accepted Answer

The conversation indicates that Shelley and Julie are discussing the infants' temperaments, which refer to their overall pattern of behavior and emotional responsiveness. The words "fussy" and "easy" suggest different temperamental tendencies. Personality may develop later in life, and moods and reflexes are narrower aspects of behavior that do not capture the broader pattern of temperament.

Question 6

The Moro reflex is most likely to be produced when ________.

Accepted Answer

The Moro reflex is a startle response that occurs in infants in response to a sudden loud noise or sudden movement. Therefore, choice B is the most appropriate option. Choices A, C, and D do not typically elicit the Moro reflex.

Question 7

What are some of the common consequences to a child whose mother smoked while pregnant?

Accepted Answer

Smoking during pregnancy has been found to increase the risk of low birth weight and smaller head size in babies. This can lead to developmental issues and health problems later in life.

Question 8

Isabelle's baby was born suffering from mental retardation. Which illness did Isabelle probably fight while her baby was an embryo?

Accepted Answer

Rubella is a viral illness that can cause mental retardation in babies if the mother contracts it while pregnant. Mercury, HIV, and radiation exposure are not known to cause mental retardation as a primary symptom in newborns.

Question 9

Infants who tend to show a(n) ________ response typically respond positively to new situations or stimuli.

Accepted Answer

Infants who show an approach response are comfortable with new situations or people and tend to explore their environment. This is considered a positive response. On the other hand, infants who show a withdrawal response may exhibit fear or discomfort in new situations and may cling to their caregiver. "Easy" and "difficult" are typically used to describe an infant's temperament overall, rather than a specific response to stimuli.

Question 10

Newborn infants are ________.

Accepted Answer

Newborn infants are equipped with a surprising range of reflexes, such as the grasping, rooting, and sucking reflexes, which allow them to survive and interact with their environment. Therefore, option D is the correct choice.

Question 11

According to your text's authors, how can a father's health habits affect his growing fetus?

Accepted Answer

The text states that certain drugs, such as cocaine and marijuana, can affect the quality of a father's sperm and potentially lead to birth defects or developmental problems in the growing fetus.

Question 12

In general, it is accurate to state that bodily control progresses from the ________.

Accepted Answer

Bodily control and motor skills development typically follow a cephalocaudal (head to toe) and proximodistal (center of the body outward to the extremities) pattern, meaning control progresses from the center of the body to the periphery.

Question 13

Greta's child suffers from mental deficits, including difficulties involving the reasoning skills that involve working memory. If these defects can be traced to a teratogen used by Greta when she was pregnant, which was she most likely abusing?

Accepted Answer

Alcohol use during pregnancy is well known to cause fetal alcohol syndrome, which can lead to a variety of mental deficits, including issues with working memory and reasoning skills. Nicotine, cocaine, and marijuana can also have negative effects on a developing fetus, but alcohol is the most likely teratogen in this scenario.

Question 14

Which of the following statements is correct?

Accepted Answer

Certain drugs can indeed affect the sperm and have an impact on the developing fetus. This is why it is important for expectant fathers to be mindful of their health and well-being, especially when planning to conceive a child. Options A, B, and D are incorrect. A mother's poor diet can actually lead to fewer brain cells in her child due to lack of appropriate nutrition, the fetus is sensitive to the mother's stress, and not all types of fish are recommended during pregnancy due to potential mercury contamination.

Question 15

Infant reflexes are______.

Accepted Answer

Infant reflexes are innate involuntary behavior patterns that are present from birth and serve as a means for survival. These reflexes allow infants to respond to their environment and protect themselves from potential danger. Examples of infant reflexes include the rooting reflex, the Moro reflex, and the sucking reflex. These reflexes are not learned and are not voluntary.

Question 16

Why does a pregnant mother experiencing stress run the risk of providing less oxygenated blood to her baby?

Accepted Answer

When a person experiences stress, their body enters into the fight-or-flight response. This response causes blood to flow to the body parts that are affected by stress, such as the muscles and brain. This can lead to reduced blood flow to other parts of the body, including the placenta, which can decrease the amount of oxygen and nutrients that the fetus receives.

Question 17

A teratogen is typically thought of as ________ that can cause damage to the ________.

Accepted Answer

A teratogen refers to any substance, organism or physical agent that can cause harm or abnormality to the developing embryo, fetus or baby. Therefore, option D, which includes any possible teratogenic agents and all stages of prenatal development, is the best answer. Options A, B, and C are too narrow in their definition of teratogens.

Question 18

Javier was born 3 days ago. His parents have noticed that he has several reflexes which the doctors have been testing. Which of the following is not a reflex exhibited by healthy newborns?

Accepted Answer

The walking reflex is not exhibited by healthy newborns. Newborns do not have the muscle strength or neurological development necessary for walking. The Moro reflex, Rooting reflex, and Babinski reflex are all commonly exhibited by healthy newborns.

Question 19

When the sole of Baby Joshua's foot is stroked, his big toe flexes and the other toes fan out. This is known as the ________ reflex.

Accepted Answer

The reflex described in the question where the big toe flexes and the other toes fan out when the sole of the foot is stroked is the Babinski reflex. The other listed reflexes (moro, stepping, withdrawal) involve different parts of the body and do not produce the same response.

Question 20

Which of the following terms is used to describe any substance, such as a drug, chemical, or virus, that can bring about a birth defect?

Accepted Answer

A teratogen is any substance or agent, including drugs, chemicals, viruses, or environmental factors, that can cause a birth defect. Critical period refers to a specific time during prenatal development when a particular organ or body part is most susceptible to damage from a teratogen. Carcinogen refers to any substance or agent that can cause cancer, and biohazard refers to materials that may pose a threat to human or environmental health.

Quiz 9: Psychology Over the Life Span: Growing Up, Growing Older, Growing Wiser