Question 1

The process in which specific functions, such as speech, develop in specific regions of the brain is called:

Accepted Answer

The process described in the question refers to the specialization of brain regions for specific functions, known as lateralization. For example, language functions such as speech are typically located in the left hemisphere of the brain for the majority of people.

Question 2

If you were to observe a sample of brain tissue that was mostly composed of myelin and contained relatively few cell bodies, you would refer to this type of brain tissue as:

Accepted Answer

Gray matter differs from white matter in that white matter is comprised mostly of fatty myelin that surrounds axons whereas gray matter has little white myelin and instead is mostly cell bodies. "Cell body mass extract" and "pruned excess" are meaningless terms that are not mentioned in the text, but that do vaguely refer to neural concepts and may seem like correct answers to students who do not know the basic definitions of gray and white matter.

Question 3

Martinez teaches third-grade physical education. To meet national health objectives, he should try to engage students in active physical exercise for at least what percent of their time in his physical education class?

Accepted Answer

The text states that national health objectives call for physical education classes to meet every day and for 50% of that time to be spent in active physical exercise.

Question 4

Currently about what percent of school-age children in the United States are obese?

Accepted Answer

As of the latest data, about 19 percent of school-age children in the United States are considered obese. This statistic reflects ongoing concerns about childhood obesity and its implications for public health.

Question 5

Suppose you learn that two children, a 10-year boy and a 10-year old girl, have brains of quite different sizes, with the boy's brain being about 40% larger than that girl's brain. Which of the following conclusions would be the best to draw from this data?

Accepted Answer

Although male brains are on average about 10% larger than female brains throughout childhood and adulthood, brain volumes vary considerably among healthy individuals. A volume difference of 50%, while it seems large and significant, is not generally accompanied by different levels of cognitive abilities. Therefore, a size difference of 30% is within the normal range of brain size differentials.

Question 6

5 At what age does the human brain reach 95% of its adult size?

Accepted Answer

The answer of 5 At what age does the human...

Question 7

Which of the following is NOT one of the four aspects of physical fitness conditioning?

Accepted Answer

The four aspects of physical fitness conditioning are flexibility, muscle strength, cardiovascular efficiency, and body composition. BMI (Body Mass Index) is not one of the four aspects, although it is a measure of body composition.

Question 8

During adolescence and adulthood, cognitive functions such as memory and judgment generally become more complex. According to the text, the neurological event most closely associated with such changes is:

Accepted Answer

The decline in gray matter that occurs after childhood is the neurological event most closely associated with the cognitive changes that occur during adolescence and adulthood. This decline is due to the pruning of unused neural connections, which allows for more efficient and specialized brain function. This process is thought to underlie the development of more complex cognitive functions such as memory and judgment.

Question 9

Compared to the first two years of life, growth during middle childhood is:

Accepted Answer

Growth during middle childhood is slower and steadier compared to the first two years of life. Children usually grow around 2-3 inches a year and gain around 5-7 pounds per year. This is in contrast to the rapid growth during infancy and toddlerhood, where a child can double their birth weight within the first year.

Question 10

Higher level cognitive functions, such as attention, emotion, language, and memory, are thought to be associated most closely to activity in:

Accepted Answer

Higher level cognitive functions are associated with activity in the gray matter of the brain, which includes the cell bodies and dendrites of neurons. The myelin surrounding axons (choice A) is important for efficient signal transmission, but is not directly involved in cognitive processing. While axons (choice B) are involved in transmitting signals, they are not the sole source of cognitive function. Finally, choice D is too specific and does not accurately reflect the complex nature of cognitive processing.

Question 11

According to the text, most of the fine motor skills required for writing develop between the ages of:

Accepted Answer

The answer of According to the text, most of the...

Question 12

Suppose you are playing with a 6-year-old child and you ask the child to draw three different shapes: a triangle, a circle, and a square. Which shape would you expect the child to have the most difficulty drawing?

Accepted Answer

The text notes that complex fine motor skills develop sequentially in middle childhood and that the circle is the easiest, and first, shape a child can draw, followed by a square, and then a triangle.

Question 13

Suppose you walk into a typical 6th grade classroom in a predominantly White, middle-class, suburban school in the United States. If the children there are typical, about what percent would you expect to be wearing glasses or contact lenses to improve their vision?

Accepted Answer

The text notes that about 25% of White middle-class 6th graders have been fitted with glasses or contact lenses; generalizing from that figure, 25% is the best of the answer choices presented.

Question 14

According to the text, in Western nations, middle childhood extends from about age:

Accepted Answer

This is because middle childhood refers to the developmental stage that occurs between early childhood (ages 3-6) and adolescence (ages 12-18). In Western nations, the traditional education system starts around age 6, which marks the beginning of middle childhood.

Question 15

If you were to look at a boy and a girl of average size in two different age groups, age 8 and age 10, who would you expect to be taller in each age group?

Accepted Answer

Boys are slightly taller and heavier than girls until about age 9, when girls typically experience an adolescent growth spurt and grow faster than boys. Boys catch up and go on to exceed girl's size when they hit their adolescent growth spurt at about age 11.

Question 16

At what age do children typically begin to lose their primary teeth?

Accepted Answer

Children typically begin to lose their primary teeth around the age of 6, when their permanent teeth start to come in. This process usually continues until about age 12 or 13 when all of the primary teeth have been replaced by permanent teeth.

Question 17

If you were babysitting for a 9-year-old child who complained of "growing pains" in his legs, what would be the appropriate thing to do:

Accepted Answer

Growing pains are normal for children and adolescents and can best be addressed by applying massage and gentle heat.

Question 18

According to the text, many studies find that boys are more athletic than girls during middle childhood. Research suggests that the major reason for this difference is:

Accepted Answer

The text states that the sex difference is largely the result of greater expectations placed on boys. Furthermore, girls do not have less muscle mass before puberty, the male growth spurt occurs later than the female, and brain development is earlier for girls than boys; thus making the other answer choices all incorrect.

Question 19

6 Based on information presented in the text, which of the following individuals would you expect to have the largest brain, as measured by brain size (or volume)?

Accepted Answer

Brain mass peaks at age 10 ½ for girls and at age 14 ½ for boys, and brain size continues to diminish after those ages. Although male brains are about 10% larger, all of the people in this example are women.

Question 20

3 Which of the following children would you expect to grow the least during a 6-month period of time?

Accepted Answer

Growth is slower during middle childhood than earlier in life, so Babette would be expected to grow the least. The distinction between Renee and Rex is not important, since 8 months of age is a fast growth period compared with middle childhood.

Quiz 8: Middle Childhood: Physical and Cognitive Development