Description
Developing Person Through Childhood and Adolescence 10th Edition Test Bank
| 1. | Science is needed in the study of human development because _____. | |
| A) | nonempirically based opinions arise from research | |
| B) | people usually agree on how children should be raised | |
| C) | research provides data and facts that will enable people to live full lives | |
| D) | the information we get from research is definitive | |
| 2. | Which step of the scientific method involves making a specific prediction? | |
| A) | draw conclusions | |
| B) | test the hypothesis | |
| C) | pose a question | |
| D) | develop a hypothesis | |
| 3. | Other names for the nature versus nurture debate include _____. | |
| A) | learning versus experience | |
| B) | experience versus environment | |
| C) | heredity versus genetics | |
| D) | heredity versus environment | |
| 4. | The biopsychosocial approach _____. | |
| A) | emphasizes the biological factors in development | |
| B) | underestimates the role of cognition in development | |
| C) | considers the biological, psychological, and social influences in development | |
| D) | is unpopular in modern psychology | |
| 5. | In the nature–nurture debate, most developmentalists believe that _____. | |
| A) | nature is more influential | |
| B) | nature and nurture combine to determine outcomes | |
| C) | nurture is more influential | |
| D) | nature and nurture are both unimportant when compared to genes and environment | |
| 6. | The difference between one developing person and the norm is _____. | |
| A) | a genetic flaw | |
| B) | not always considered a deficit | |
| C) | a result of their deficiency | |
| D) | usually considered normal | |
| 7. | According to social scientists, race is _____. | |
| A) | part of the microsystem | |
| B) | a social construction | |
| C) | defined by heritage | |
| D) | multidirectional | |
| 8. | People who came of age during the Great Depression all come from the same _____. | |
| A) | region | |
| B) | socioeconomic class | |
| C) | race | |
| D) | cohort | |
| 9. | Human development is plastic, which means traits _____. | |
| A) | are rigid and unchanging | |
| B) | can be molded, yet are durable | |
| C) | are flexible and never durable | |
| D) | are entirely dependent on experience | |
| 10. | Which of the following is a characteristic of scientific observation? | |
| A) | It requires a large number of participants. | |
| B) | It requires specialized equipment such as video recorders. | |
| C) | It involves observing and recording behavior in a natural setting. | |
| D) | It must take place in a lab setting. | |
| 11. | The only research method that establishes a possible cause-and-effect relationship is _____. | |
| A) | a case study | |
| B) | a survey | |
| C) | an experiment | |
| D) | scientific observation | |
| 12. | For which research method is the primary data source information gained from interviews and questionnaires? | |
| A) | case study | |
| B) | survey | |
| C) | correlational | |
| D) | scientific observation | |
| 13. | Which of these research designs studies changes over time? | |
| A) | survey | |
| B) | cross-sequential | |
| C) | cross-durational | |
| D) | observational | |
| 14. | What does it mean when a correlation exists between two variables? | |
| A) | There is a relationship between two variables. | |
| B) | Cause and effect have been established. | |
| C) | One variable caused the other to change. | |
| D) | A relationship between two variables was not established. | |
| 15. | Which is unethical research behavior? | |
| A) | halting the study if potential harm is suspected | |
| B) | offering a modest incentive to participate | |
| C) | changing the data to support the hypothesis | |
| D) | reporting results to participants | |
Answer Key
| 1. | C |
| 2. | D |
| 3. | D |
| 4. | C |
| 5. | B |
| 6. | B |
| 7. | B |
| 8. | D |
| 9. | B |
| 10. | C |
| 11. | C |
| 12. | B |
| 13. | B |
| 14. | A |
| 15. | C |
| 1. | The science of human development examines how, but not why, people change over time. | |
| A) | True | |
| B) | False | |
| 2. | The purpose of the scientific method is to conduct research that will only support researchers’ hypotheses. | |
| A) | True | |
| B) | False | |
| 3. | A research question becomes a hypothesis when it is stated as a prediction that can be tested. | |
| A) | True | |
| B) | False | |
| 4. | The conclusions of a scientific study are based on whether the evidence supports or refutes the hypothesis. | |
| A) | True | |
| B) | False | |
| 5. | If Dr. Hall conducts a study in the exact same way that Dr. Jeeves did but uses different participants than Dr. Jeeves, Dr. Hall is demonstrating replication. | |
| A) | True | |
| B) | False | |
| 6. | Nature is more important than nurture in how a trait or behavior is expressed. | |
| A) | True | |
| B) | False | |
| 7. | The influence of “nurture” begins at conception. | |
| A) | True | |
| B) | False | |
| 8. | Since starting school Sam had struggled with math. His teacher offered to help him with math after school. Now Sam does well on his math assignments. The example of Sam’s teacher helping Sam with math to improve his math ability is an example of how nature can influence development. | |
| A) | True | |
| B) | False | |
| 9. | Today, developmental science studies mostly young children and adolescents. | |
| A) | True | |
| B) | False | |
| 10. | The term “plasticity” refers to how a person’s development is completely determined by the environment. | |
| A) | True | |
| B) | False | |
| 11. | Most periods of development are critical periods. | |
| A) | True | |
| B) | False | |
| 12. | Within the context of Bronfenbrenner’s ecological-systems approach, a person’s immediate surroundings, such as family or peer group, are part of the macrosystems level. | |
| A) | True | |
| B) | False | |
| 13. | Individuals in the same cohort are exposed to the same values, events, technologies, and culture of the era. | |
| A) | True | |
| B) | False | |
| 14. | The cohort born between 1946 and 1964 is called the baby boom generation. | |
| A) | True | |
| B) | False | |
| 15. | The term cohort refers to individuals born in the same geographical region and within the same social class. | |
| A) | True | |
| B) | False | |
| 16. | Socioeconomic status is also called social class. | |
| A) | True | |
| B) | False | |
| 17. | Low socioeconomic status can shorten a person’s life expectancy. | |
| A) | True | |
| B) | False | |
| 18. | Culture refers to a system of shared beliefs, conventions, norms, behaviors, and expectations. | |
| A) | True | |
| B) | False | |
| 19. | The difference-equals-deficit error may lead people to believe that their nation or culture is better than others. | |
| A) | True | |
| B) | False | |
| 20. | Race and ethnicity are the same thing. | |
| A) | True | |
| B) | False | |
| 21. | Scientists believe that race is genetic. | |
| A) | True | |
| B) | False | |
| 22. | Miguel worked in the fields and did not learn how to read or write until he entered school at age 13. It will take him longer to learn to read at age 13 than it would have when he was younger. | |
| A) | True | |
| B) | False | |
| 23. | A positive correlation between how long parents stay when dropping off their children at daycare and how long it takes their children to become engaged in the toys and their friends means that longer parental lingering is associated with longer delay in engagement by the children. | |
| A) | True | |
| B) | False | |
| 24. | Developmental researchers agree that nature is much more important than nurture in determining psychological outcomes such as intelligence and personality. | |
| A) | True | |
| B) | False | |
| 25. | According to the dynamic-systems approach, human development is a static process. | |
| A) | True | |
| B) | False | |
| 26. | Friends Jill and Susan both experienced poverty as children. In addition, they were raised by single parents and went to a poor quality school. By the time they were in late adolescence Jill had dropped out of school and had two children. Susan, in contrast, was academically ranked number one in her graduating class and had a full academic scholarship to Harvard. This example illustrates the concept of differential susceptibility. | |
| A) | True | |
| B) | False | |
| 27. | The main advantage of scientific observation as a research method is that it allows the scientist to determine cause and effect. | |
| A) | True | |
| B) | False | |
| 28. | In an experiment, the group receiving the special treatment is referred to as the comparison group. | |
| A) | True | |
| B) | False | |
| 29. | The purpose of a survey is to allow a researcher to collect data quickly from a large population. | |
| A) | True | |
| B) | False | |
| 30. | One problem with the data from surveys is that participants may not tell the truth. | |
| A) | True | |
| B) | False | |
| 31. | Dr. Tucker wanted to learn how aggression changed across development. He designed a study in which he assessed aggression among 100 3-year-olds and then reassessed aggression among these individuals every three years until the participants were 21-year-olds. Dr. Tucker’s research design was cross-sectional. | |
| A) | True | |
| B) | False | |
| 32. | In longitudinal research, the same people are measured at multiple assessment points over a period of time. | |
| A) | True | |
| B) | False | |
| 33. | Cross-sequential research is a combination of a cross-sectional approach and a longitudinal approach. | |
| A) | True | |
| B) | False | |
| 34. | When two variables are not connected, the correlation between them is zero. | |
| A) | True | |
| B) | False | |
| 35. | Most research conducted on humans cannot begin without the approval of the Institutional Review Board. | |
| A) | True | |
| B) | False | |
| 36. | A volunteer showed up to participate in Dr. Allen’s research study. Dr. Allen failed to inform the volunteer that her participation was voluntary. Dr. Allen was being ethical in conducting the study, as sharing with the volunteer that research participation is voluntary is not part of informed consent. | |
| A) | True | |
| B) | False | |
Answer Key
| 1. | B |
| 2. | B |
| 3. | A |
| 4. | A |
| 5. | A |
| 6. | B |
| 7. | A |
| 8. | B |
| 9. | B |
| 10. | B |
| 11. | B |
| 12. | B |
| 13. | A |
| 14. | A |
| 15. | B |
| 16. | A |
| 17. | A |
| 18. | A |
| 19. | A |
| 20. | B |
| 21. | B |
| 22. | A |
| 23. | A |
| 24. | B |
| 25. | B |
| 26. | A |
| 27. | B |
| 28. | B |
| 29. | A |
| 30. | A |
| 31. | B |
| 32. | A |
| 33. | A |
| 34. | A |
| 35. | A |
| 36. | B |
1. What does the science of human development seek to understand?
A) the meaning of life
B) theories that have not been subjected to scientific testing
C) the works of Freud, Piaget, and Erikson
D) how and why people change over time
2. Dr. Furth wonders if a specific brain chemical can be suppressed if a patient is given a large dose of vitamin E. Dr. Furth’s question demonstrates the _____ step in the scientific method.
A) first
B) second
C) third
D) fourth
3. Dr. Hernandez predicts that a certain drug will help patients with schizophrenia. Her prediction is called _____.
A) a conclusion
B) empirical evidence
C) a hypothesis
D) a result
4. A researcher designed and conducted an experiment to determine whether 350 mg of a certain drug would help patients with bipolar disorder. By designing and conducting this experiment, the researcher was able to _____.
A) draw conclusions
B) demonstrate proof
C) test the hypothesis
D) confirm the results
5. Dr. Henderson is curious to know more about how children develop over time. To avoid relying on opinion or personal bias, Dr. Henderson should _____.
A) use the scientific method to collect data and establish facts
B) have the children undergo psychoanalysis
C) talk with many children’s parents
D) read Dr. Spock’s book, Baby and Child Care
6. The first step in the scientific method involves _____.
A) posing a question
B) conducting research
C) supporting or refuting a hypothesis
D) developing a hypothesis
7. The second step in the scientific method involves _____.
A) posing a question
B) conducting research
C) developing a hypothesis
D) sharing the results
8. The third step in the scientific method involves _____.
A) posing a question
B) conducting research
C) sharing the results
D) developing a hypothesis
9. The fourth step in the scientific method involves _____.
A) posing a question
B) conducting research
C) developing a hypothesis
D) supporting or refuting a hypothesis
10. Empirical evidence is based on _____.
A) theories and speculation
B) observation, experience, or experiment
C) inferences based on personal biases
D) opinions generated by several groups of people
11. After posing a question, a researcher using the scientific method _____.
A) draws conclusions
B) runs an experiment
C) selects a group of participants
D) develops a hypothesis
12. The final step in the five steps of the scientific method is to _____.
A) test a hypothesis
B) pose a question
C) conduct research
D) report the results
13. What is a researcher’s first step when designing a research study on children’s language acquisition?
A) recruit children and their parents as participants in the study
B) develop a hypothesis on the way language is acquired in children
C) pose a research question about language acquisition
D) draw conclusions on the way children acquire language
14. A hypothesis is a(n) _____.
A) experiment
B) prediction that can be tested
C) conclusion drawn from research
D) replication of a scientific study
15. What is replication of a study?
A) the repetition of a study using different participants
B) the repetition of a study using the same participants
C) designing a new study based on information from a previous study
D) designing a new study using new ideas and information
16. Dr. Kong does a study in which he finds that smoking is correlated with an increased risk of high blood pressure. He publishes his results, and Dr. Meco reads the report about the study. Then Dr. Meco does the same study using different participants in another city. Dr. Meco’s work is an example of _____.
A) scientific controversy
B) replication
C) ethics
D) observation
17. Dr. Seldor does a study in which she finds that alcohol consumption is correlated with an increased risk of diabetes. She publishes her results, and Dr. Al-Jaher reads the report about the study. Then Dr. Al-Jaher does the same study using different participants in another nation. Dr. Al-Jaher’s work is an example of _____.
A) scientific controversy
B) replication
C) empirical evidence
D) a hypothesis
18. Parents who spend a great deal of time and money trying to find the best school for their children believe in the importance of _____ as it relates to development.
A) nurture
B) replication
C) nature
D) classical conditioning
19. The term for all the environmental influences that affect development after conception is _____.
A) proteins
B) nurture
C) nature
D) amino acids
20. In the science of human development, “nature” refers to _____.
A) the genes that people inherit
B) environmental influences
C) patterns of development
D) developmental differences
21. In the science of human development, “nurture” refers to _____.
A) universal traits
B) biological traits
C) environmental influences
D) unique traits
22. Most developmental psychologists believe that development is the result of _____.
A) nature and nurture acting separately
B) primarily nature
C) nature and nurture acting together
D) primarily nurture
23. Dr. Towne believes that heredity is primarily responsible for personality traits. Dr. West believes that environmental influences are primarily responsible for personality traits. They are on different sides of the _____ debate.
A) nature versus nurture
B) intelligent design versus evolution
C) genes versus development
D) traits versus conditioning
24. Susie, who is 5 years old, is the tallest person in her kindergarten class. When her teacher asked her how she got so tall she said proudly, “My mom and dad are tall and I eat good food!” Susie’s statement reflects that she understands that human development comes from _____.
A) heredity
B) the environment
C) learning
D) environment and heredity combined
25. Which is an example of the influence of nature?
A) having a mother who smoked during pregnancy
B) having the gene for epilepsy
C) eating a healthy diet
D) living in a loud neighborhood
26. Dr. Janney recognizes that developmental milestones rely on factors from all three domains of human development. Dr. Janney most clearly follows the _____ perspective.
A) biosocial
B) cognitive
C) psychosocial
D) biopsychosocial
27. The _____ domain includes development of emotions, temperament, and social skills.
A) biosocial
B) cognitive
C) psychosocial
D) biopsychosocial
28. The _____ domain includes all the mental processes that a person uses to obtain knowledge or to think about the environment.
A) biosocial
B) cognitive
C) psychosocial
D) biopsychosocial
29. The _____ domain includes all the growth and change that occur in a person’s body and the genetic, nutritional, and health factors that affect that growth and change.
A) biosocial
B) cognitive
C) psychosocial
D) biopsychosocial
30. The human fetus develops fingers and toes between 28 and 54 days after conception but cannot develop fingers and toes before or after that time. This is an example of _____.
A) a sensitive period
B) a critical period
C) discontinuity
D) continuity
31. Which example clearly illustrates a critical period?
A) a child learning to walk
B) a child learning a second language before age 4
C) a fetus developing fingers and toes between 28 and 54 days in utero
D) a child learning to ride a bike between 5 and 6 years of age
32. Which example clearly illustrates a sensitive period?
A) a child being born blind
B) an egg being fertilized
C) a fetus developing fingers and toes
D) a child learning to speak a second language
33. Between 1957 and 1961, many pregnant women took thalidomide to alleviate morning sickness; this drug disrupted a(n) _____ period of prenatal development.
A) sensitive
B) critical
C) early
D) late
34. A woman in Honduras worked in a field treated with pesticides during her pregnancy. When her son was born, she was horrified to find that he had no limbs. Her pesticide exposure must have occurred during a(n) _____ period of prenatal development.
A) critical
B) early
C) late
D) sensitive
35. Bobby was not taught to read until he was an adolescent. When he did learn to read it was much harder for him to learn and it took him longer to learn to read than it would have during his early- to middle-childhood years. Bobby had a hard time learning to read because he did not learn to do so during the _____ period.
A) critical
B) early
C) late
D) sensitive
36. Which term is associated with Urie Bronfenbrenner’s ecological-systems approach?
A) mastosystems
B) microsystems
C) extrasystems
D) intrasystems
37. In Bronfenbrenner’s ecological-systems approach, the _____ refers to the interactions among systems.
A) macrosystem
B) exosystem
C) microsystem
D) mesosystem
38. What term did Bronfenbrenner use to describe the impact of the specific time in history on a person’s development?
A) macrosystem
B) exosystem
C) microsystem
D) chronosystem
39. Dorothy was born during the Great Depression. Within the context of the ecological-systems approach, knowing this fact allows one to know about her _____.
A) chronosystem
B) exosystem
C) microsystem
D) macrosystem
40. Dwayne was born to a single mother living in Chicago. Within the context of the ecological-systems approach, knowing this fact allows one to know something about his _____.
A) chronosystem
B) exosystem
C) microsystem
D) macrosystem
41. Dr. Kilbey is studying the impact of exosystems on human development. Which of these would she be most interested in examining?
A) cultural values and economic processes
B) family and peer groups
C) medical centers and religious institutions
D) the development of the skeletal structure in children
42. The ecological-systems approach was proposed by _____.
A) Maslow
B) Baltes and Baltes
C) Bronfenbrenner
D) Skinner
43. In Bronfenbrenner’s ecological-systems model, a hospital in the community is an example of which system?
A) the ecosystem
B) the microsystem
C) the health-care system
D) the exosystem
44. In Bronfenbrenner’s ecological-systems model, family and peers are part of a person’s _____.
A) microsystem
B) exosystem
C) macrosystem
D) social system
45. A person’s macrosystem includes _____.
A) political processes
B) the peer group
C) school and church
D) historical setting
46. Within Bronfenbrenner’s ecological-systems approach, he called the historical context that affects other systems the _____.
A) ecosystem
B) chronosystem
C) mesosystem
D) macrosystem
47. Bettie belongs to one cohort; Zahara belongs to another. The only required difference between these two women is _____.
A) membership in community groups
B) socioeconomic status
C) age
D) ethnic or racial group
48. High school classmates are part of the same _____.
A) social construction
B) network
C) socioeconomic status
D) cohort
49. The people in which of the following groups are DEFINITELY members of the same cohort?
A) women who are pilots
B) men with learning disabilities
C) citizens of the United States
D) current middle school students
50. Socioeconomic status refers to an individual’s _____.
A) culture
B) ethnicity
C) social class
D) race
51. An individual’s socioeconomic status includes, among other things, his or her _____.
A) ethnicity
B) education level
C) political beliefs
D) religion
52. An individual’s socioeconomic status includes, among other things, his or her _____.
A) ethnicity
B) political beliefs
C) neighborhood
D) religion
53. An individual’s socioeconomic status includes, among other things, his or her _____.
A) occupation
B) political beliefs
C) race
D) religion
54. Jameel has a college degree, lives in a nice neighborhood, and earns more than $50,000 a year. This information defines his _____.
A) economic potential
B) socioeconomic status
C) cohort
D) microsystem
55. A system of shared beliefs, conventions, norms, behaviors, expectations, and symbolic representations is the definition of _____.
A) a cohort
B) culture
C) nature
D) nurture
56. The general term for a concept that is created by society is _____.
A) culture
B) a cohort
C) a social construction
D) socioeconomic status
57. The Johnson family always eats dinner together, because they really value family time. The Smith family, however, never eats dinner together, because they all value their independence. The fact that the families have different values is due to _____. This has affected how the Johnson and Smith families act.
A) status
B) education
C) social construction
D) physical characteristics
58. One historical example of the “difference-equals-deficit error” is _____.
A) men perceiving women as intellectually inferior
B) European immigrants crossing the ocean to settle in America
C) how people’s IQ scores have been steadily rising for more than 100 years
D) women taking factory jobs during World War II
59. An example of the “difference-equals-deficit error” is _____.
A) assuming that children who are hearing impaired cannot communicate as well as children who can hear
B) failing to compare typical and atypical behavior
C) ignoring inconsistencies in a child’s language development
D) the identification of flaws within the application of the scientific method
60. Which developmentalist was the first to emphasize the role of context on development?
A) Vygotsky
B) Piaget
C) Bronfenbrenner
D) Skinner
61. People whose ancestors were born in the same region and who usually share the same language and religion are called a(n) _____.
A) race
B) ethnic group
C) socioeconomic group
D) exosystem
62. According to the text, race is _____.
A) part of the microsystem
B) a social construction
C) defined by heritage
D) multidirectional
63. Some social scientists believe that _____ terms exaggerate minor differences between people.
A) skin color
B) diversity
C) genetic analysis
D) culture
64. Social scientists are convinced, based on genetic analysis, that race is a(n) _____.
A) biological difference
B) culture
C) social construction
D) ethnicity
65. Jack observed his co-worker, Jane, crying when she was called into the boss’s office. Jack thinks that crying at work is a sign of weakness that makes women unfit for employment in his industry. Jack is displaying _____.
A) critical thinking
B) a social construction
C) work culture orientation
D) the difference-equals-deficit error
66. Genes alone do not determine development, but rather environmental forces also shape development, which has led to the understanding that many human characteristics are _____.
A) plastic
B) epigenetic
C) static
D) diverse
67. Jamal, Wei, Liam, and Vladimir were all born and raised in England. Which statement is true?
A) They share the same ethnicity.
B) They come from different ethnic groups.
C) They share the same culture.
D) They come from different cultures.
68. Even though Aaron eats well and exercises regularly, by age 70 he developed Type II diabetes. Clement, on the other hand, eats fast food regularly and rarely exercises. At 70 years of age, his blood sugar levels remain in the normal range. What might account for the differences in their outcomes?
A) differential susceptibility
B) cultural differences
C) sex differences
D) cohort differences
69. Plasticity refers to the _____.
A) fact that many academic fields contribute data to the science of development
B) universals and specifics of human development in many cultural settings
C) vast array of contexts in which development occurs
D) potential for human traits to be molded during development but also to remain durable
70. What is plasticity?
A) a time in development when it is optimum to develop certain traits or abilities
B) the amount of flexibility a human possesses at birth
C) the idea that human traits may change or stay the same over time
D) the idea that human traits are mostly inborn
71. The idea that human development is an ongoing, ever-changing interaction between the body, mind, and every aspect of the environment is known as the _____.
A) dynamic-systems approach
B) theory of evolution
C) concept of universality
D) domino effect
72. Which of these is an example of plasticity?
A) a man who consistently drives his car too fast
B) a teenager who spends a summer in Chile and learns to speak Spanish
C) a woman who leaves her job to stay home with her newborn
D) a person who is in a coma
73. Differential susceptibility means that certain people have genes that _____.
A) make them more vulnerable to particular experiences
B) contribute similarly to a specific developmental outcome
C) do not impact development within the context of particular experiences
D) have an unknown impact on individuals
74. If a researcher watches 1-week-old babies and records how many times they open and close their eyes while lying in their cribs, he is most likely using _____.
A) the case-study method
B) a controlled experiment
C) cross-sectional research
D) scientific observation
75. Scientific observation allows for the _____.
A) study of individuals’ behaviors in a systematic and objective manner
B) determination of cause-and-effect relationships
C) precise control of the environment so that a cause-and-effect relationship can be assessed
D) systematic manipulation of variables
76. Which statement about scientific observation is true?
A) It requires a large number of participants.
B) It requires specialized equipment such as video recorders.
C) It involves recording behavior systematically and objectively.
D) It must take place in a lab setting.
77. Experiments allow researchers to _____.
A) study the natural environment
B) study the complexity of an individual
C) use the scientific method in a cost-effective way
D) determine a cause-and-effect relationship
78. When a researcher wants to determine the cause of a particular behavior, the appropriate research method to use is a(n) _____.
A) case study
B) scientific observation
C) experiment
D) survey
79. What is a dependent variable?
A) It is the measured variable that may change depending on manipulation of an independent variable.
B) It is any unmeasured variable that is uncontrolled within the context of the experiment.
C) It is the variable that is intentionally manipulated by the researcher.
D) It is an external variable that cannot be controlled by the researcher.
80. What is an independent variable?
A) It is the measured variable that may change depending upon manipulation of an independent variable.
B) It is any unmeasured variable that is uncontrolled within the context of the experiment.
C) It is the variable that is intentionally manipulated by the researcher.
D) It is an external variable that cannot be controlled by the researcher.
81. What is the only research method that can establish a cause-and-effect relationship?
A) a case study
B) a survey
C) an experiment
D) scientific observation
82. An example of a dependent variable in an experiment might be _____.
A) gender
B) blood type
C) eye color
D) level of depression
83. In an experiment, the group of participants who receive the imposed treatment or special condition is referred to as the _____ group.
A) independent
B) dependent
C) experimental
D) comparison
84. To determine if vitamin D consumption causes the progress of multiple sclerosis to slow, a researcher would most likely use _____.
A) a laboratory experiment
B) a survey
C) naturalistic observation
D) the case-study method
85. Dr. Devalle is conducting interviews, collecting background information, and running a series of tests on a single individual over several years. She is conducting a(n) _____.
A) survey
B) experiment
C) case study
D) observation
86. _____ is a quick way to study the development of a large group of people.
A) A case study
B) Survey research
C) A cohort-sequential study
D) Longitudinal research
87. Dr. Bloom wanted to learn if ice cream preferences are different at different stages of development. For her study, she conducted a one-time assessment in which she asked a group of 5-year-olds, a group of 15-year-olds, and a group of 30-year-olds to identify their favorite ice cream. Dr. Bloom conducted a _____.
A) case study
B) cross-sectional study
C) longitudinal study
D) cross-sequential study
88. Which factor is a problem with longitudinal research?
A) the aging of the participants
B) finding new participants for each time measurement
C) changing historical context
D) participants failing to change their behavior despite repeated tests
89. Which type of research design combines the cross-sectional design with the longitudinal research design?
A) cross-sequential
B) cross-sectional
C) meta-sequential
D) cross-longitudinal
90. A correlation does not indicate that one variable causes the other to occur; rather, it indicates that there is a _____ between the two variables.
A) proof
B) validity
C) reliability
D) relationship
91. A correlation is considered to be negative if _____.
A) both variables decrease
B) both variables increase
C) one variable increases while the other variable decreases
D) change in one variable is unrelated to change in the other variable
92. A correlation is considered to be zero if _____.
A) one variable increases while the other decreases
B) both variables decrease
C) both variables increase
D) there is no connection between the variables
93. The more Hank eats, the less hungry he feels. The correlation that exists between Hank’s food intake and his hunger is _____.
A) positive
B) negative
C) zero
D) causal
94. If a researcher finds a positive correlation between school grades and school attendance, one can conclude that _____.
A) high attendance and high grades occur together
B) high attendance causes high grades
C) high attendance rarely means high grades
D) high grades cause high attendance
95. If a researcher finds that there is a correlation between secondhand smoke and children’s asthma, he knows for SURE that _____.
A) secondhand smoke causes children’s asthma
B) secondhand smoke does not cause children’s asthma
C) children exposed to smoke in utero often get asthma
D) asthma and secondhand smoke have some connection
96. IRB stands for _____.
A) Institutional Review Board
B) International Research Board
C) Internal Review Board
D) Intelligence Research Board
97. Participants in a research study must understand and agree to the research procedures and also be made aware of any potential risks associated with the research participation. This process is known as _____.
A) holding harmless
B) informed consent
C) release of liability
D) rite of research
98. When doing research with anyone under the age of 18, which of the following must be obtained?
A) the children’s birth records
B) the names of the children’s biological parents if the children are adopted
C) consent from the parents and children (if children are able to consent)
D) the names of the children’s peers
99. An example of a behavior by a researcher that would be considered unethical is _____.
A) stopping the study if a participant is suspected of being harmed
B) falsifying the data to support the hypothesis
C) obtaining informed consent before a participant is able to participate in the study
D) maintaining participant confidentiality
100. When children are involved in research participation, the ethical standard is for _____.
A) children to consent to the research participation (when they are able to consent)
B) the results to be shared with the parents
C) the study to be published if the children agree to the study being published
D) the study to be replicated before being published
101. From an ethical stance, researchers should choose topics of study that _____.
A) may be researched quickly
B) may be researched inexpensively
C) can help all people live better lives
D) are politically correct
Answer Key
1. D
2. A
3. C
4. C
5. A
6. A
7. C
8. B
9. D
10. B
11. D
12. D
13. C
14. B
15. A
16. B
17. B
18. A
19. B
20. A
21. C
22. C
23. A
24. D
25. B
26. D
27. C
28. B
29. A
30. B
31. C
32. D
33. B
34. A
35. D
36. B
37. D
38. D
39. A
40. C
41. C
42. C
43. D
44. A
45. A
46. B
47. C
48. D
49. D
50. C
51. B
52. C
53. A
54. B
55. B
56. C
57. C
58. A
59. A
60. C
61. B
62. B
63. A
64. C
65. D
66. A
67. C
68. A
69. D
70. C
71. A
72. B
73. A
74. D
75. A
76. C
77. D
78. C
79. A
80. C
81. C
82. D
83. C
84. A
85. C
86. B
87. B
88. C
89. A
90. D
91. C
92. D
93. B
94. A
95. D
96. A
97. B
98. C
99. B
100. A
101. C
| 1. | The science of human development seeks to understand _____ people—all kinds of people, everywhere, of every age—change over time. |
| 2. | In order to minimize subjective opinions and personal biases when conducting research, it is important to employ the _____ method. |
| 3. | A hypothesis is an idea generated by a question that can be _____ by various research methods. |
| 4. | Empirical evidence refers to _____. |
| 5. | In scientific research, collecting additional evidence by studying a different population than that used in the original project is known as _____. |
| 6. | The term that refers to the traits inherited at conception is _____. |
| 7. | Tim told his friend that he is tall because he inherited “tall” genes from his dad. Tim was claiming that _____ was responsible for his height. |
| 8. | _____ refers to environmental influences on traits. |
| 9. | The combination of all environmental influences that affect a developing person is called _____. |
| 10. | Dr. Clady counts how many times an infant kicks her legs when lying on her back in her crib. Dr. Clady is using the method of _____. |
| 11. | A _____ period of development is a time in which a particular development must occur if it is to occur at all. |
| 12. | A _____ period of development is a time in which a particular development occurs easily. |
| 13. | Thalidomide only caused birth defects if a pregnant woman ingested the drug during the _____ period of prenatal development. |
| 14. | Tanner’s friends do well in school, but Tanner has never really done well in school. They decide to meet once a week to study and soon Tanner is doing better in school. Within the ecological-systems perspective, the influence of Tanner’s friends on Tanner’s school performance comes from the _____. |
| 15. | A(n) _____ is a group of people born at about the same time that experience the same historical events and cultural shifts. |
| 16. | A person’s income and level of education is part of his or her _____ status. |
| 17. | The system of shared beliefs, conventions, norms, expectations, and symbolic representations that persist over time and prescribe social rules of conduct is known as _____. |
| 18. | Two people from different cultures may value the need for achievement or success differently because of the _____ of each culture. |
| 19. | The human tendency to assume that people unlike us are inferior is called the _____ error. |
| 20. | People of a specific _____ group share certain attributes such as religion and language. |
| 21. | Our text suggests that the word _____ is a social construction that should be eliminated from our scientific vocabulary. |
| 22. | Human traits can be molded, and yet people maintain a certain durability. This indicates that development is _____. |
| 23. | The approach called _____ refers to the idea that human development is ongoing and ever-changing. |
| 24. | _____ observation requires researchers to record behaviors systematically and objectively. |
| 25. | Researchers who want to establish a causal relationship between two variables must use a research design called a(n) _____. |
| 26. | When differences between the experimental group and the _____ are so large that they could not have occurred simply by chance, they are considered to be significant. |
| 27. | A(n) _____ is a quick way to collect data from a large number of people. |
| 28. | Cross-sequential research can be thought of as a mix between a cross-sectional design and a(n) _____ design. |
| 29. | As children age, they tend to sleep fewer hours. This relationship is an example of a(n) _____ correlation. |
Answer Key
| 1. | how and why |
| 2. | scientific |
| 3. | tested (evaluated) (examined) |
| 4. | data |
| 5. | replication |
| 6. | nature |
| 7. | nature |
| 8. | Nurture |
| 9. | nurture |
| 10. | scientific observation |
| 11. | critical |
| 12. | sensitive |
| 13. | critical |
| 14. | microsystem |
| 15. | cohort |
| 16. | socioeconomic |
| 17. | culture |
| 18. | norms |
| 19. | difference-equals-deficit |
| 20. | ethnic |
| 21. | race |
| 22. | plastic |
| 23. | dynamic systems |
| 24. | Scientific |
| 25. | experiment |
| 26. | comparison group (control group) |
| 27. | survey |
| 28. | longitudinal |
| 29. | negative |
| 1. | List in order and explain each of the five basic steps of the scientific method. |
| 2. | Define nature and nurture and give an example of each. Also describe the nature–nurture debate. |
| 3. | Describe the perspective most modern developmentalists take on the nature–nurture debate. Provide an example of a research topic that illustrates this perspective. |
| 4. | Define a critical period and a sensitive period. Explain the difference between the two periods, and give an example of each. |
| 5. | Explain Urie Bronfenbrenner’s ecological-systems theory and describe his five systems. |
| 6. | Define cohort, explain its effects, and give an example of one. |
| 7. | Describe culture and explain why researchers interested in human development study different cultures. |
| 8. | Name and define the three main research designs for studying age-related changes. Explain the problems associated with each. |
| 9. | Define and discuss the term plasticity as it relates to human development. What factors influence plasticity in development? Offer at least one example of plasticity that has operated or is operating in your own life. |
| 10. | Imagine you are interested in the relationship between age and reading ability for children at 8 and 12 years old. Briefly define cross-sectional design and summarize how you could test this relationship using that design. |
| 11. | What practices must be built into a research study to protect participants? |
| 12. | Define correlation and give an example. Can one determine cause and effect from correlations? Explain why or why not. |
| 13. | What are ethics and why are ethical standards so important to scientific research? |
Answer Key
| 1. | Step 1: Begin with curiosity. Pose a question based on a theory, prior research, or personal observation. Step 2: Develop a hypothesis, which is a specific research question that can be tested through research. Step 3: Test the hypothesis. Design and conduct research to gather empirical evidence (data). Step 4: Draw conclusions. Using the evidence gathered in the research, conclude whether the hypothesis is supported or refuted. Step 5: Report the results by sharing the data, conclusions, and alternative explanations with other scientists.
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| 2. | Nature refers to the influence of genes on a person, and nurture refers to environmental influences on a person. Environmental influences begin with the health and diet of the embryo’s mother and continue lifelong, including family, school, community, and society. An example of nature would be having a gene that predisposes one to addiction. An example of nurture would be having that gene but avoiding addictions as a result of not being exposed to abuse or parental addictions. The debate concerns how much of any person’s characteristics, behaviors, or emotions is the result of genes and how much is the result of the person’s experiences.
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| 3. | Modern researchers have learned that neither nature alone nor nurture alone can provide a complete way to understand development. Both nature and nurture matter, as both genes and environment affect nearly every characteristic. The study of language acquisition illustrates the perspective that nature and nurture interact. Babies start speaking because of maturation of the brain, mouth, and vocal cords (nature), which allows them to express connections between objects and words (nurture), which could not occur unless people talked to them (nurture).
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| 4. | A critical period is a time when something must occur to ensure normal development, and a sensitive period is a time when a specific developmental task occurs most easily. An example of a critical period would be the fetus growing arms and legs and hands and feet—this can occur only at a specific time in utero. Language development is an example of a sensitive period. It occurs most easily at a young age but can occur at a later age as well.
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| 5. | Bronfenbrenner believed that each person is affected by his or her social context. Over the course of his career, he identified five systems. The first is the microsystem (e.g., one’s family and peer group), the second is the exosystem (school, clubs, and church), and the third is the macrosystem (larger social setting such as cultural values and economic policies). The fourth system, called the chronosystem, is the role of historical context, and the fifth system, the mesosystem, is the interaction that occurs between all of the other systems.
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| 6. | A cohort is a group of people born within a few years of each other who move through time together. Cohorts travel through life affected by the interaction of their chronological age with the values, events, technologies, and culture of the era. Cohort examples will vary but should show an understanding of a cohort; common examples include the baby boom generation, the Greatest Generation (people who lived through the Depression and WWII) and the Millennials (Generation Y, born between the early 1980s and the early 2000s). Another example would be Generation X, born between the early 1960s to the early 1980s.
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| 7. | Culture is a strong social construction, a concept created by a society. Such social constructions affect how people think and act—what they value, praise, ignore, and punish. Different cultures may view the same behavior or phenomenon as either an asset or a deficit. Therefore, by studying different cultures, researchers can identify which patterns are universal among humans and which occur only in certain cultures. This provides insights into the effects of different environments.
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| 8. | The three main research designs are cross-sectional, longitudinal, and cross-sequential. In cross-sectional research, different groups of participants who are currently different ages are recruited. In longitudinal research, one group of participants is tested multiple times as they age. In cross-sequential research, the study begins as a cross-sectional design, and then the groups are retested multiple times, as in a longitudinal design. Differences between groups in the cross-sectional method are attributed to age-related changes, but they could be due to cohort effects. Longitudinal research is subject to error as the participants may withdraw from the study before completing it, or might figure out what the study is about and change their behavior. The cross-sequential design is least prone to error, but it is expensive and time-consuming.
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| 9. | Plasticity is the molding of human traits while simultaneously maintaining some durability of identity. The idea of plasticity is that human development is an ongoing, ever-changing interaction between the body and mind and between the individual and every aspect of his or her environment. Influences that affect plasticity include culture, upbringing, and genes. The example should relate to some aspect of growth in one’s life, such as how a high-functioning person on the autism spectrum can eventually earn a college degree. (The autism remains [durability], but with school and other societal interventions, the person can still achieve traditional milestones.)
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| 10. | A cross-sectional design compares groups of people of one age with at least one other group of people of another age at a specific point in time. It is faster than a longitudinal study because all of the data is immediately available. Ideally the participants should be matched at the same socioeconomic level.
To implement a cross-sectional design to test reading, first identify a group of children aged 8 and another group aged 12. Second, evaluate each individual child’s reading ability. Finally, compare the children of various ages and look for differences.
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| 11. | Researchers must ensure that people’s participation is 1) voluntary, 2) confidential, and 3) harmless. They must obtain the informed consent of all the participants. Informed consent means that participants must understand and agree to the procedures after being told of any risks involved. If children are involved, consent must be obtained from the children as well as their parents. Participants must also be allowed to end their participation at any time.
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| 12. | A correlation exists between two variables when one variable changes (increases or decreases) as the other variable changes. Examples will vary but should illustrate this concept, such as the number of people who drown increases as the number of ice cream sales increases. It is impossible to determine cause and effect from correlations because even though correlations indicate a connection between two variables, they cannot determine the reason for the connection since no other variables are controlled. In the example above, people drowning and ice cream sales both increase during hot weather, so the correlation is caused by neither variable.
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| 13. | Ethics are a set of moral principles and specific practices that protect both participants and the integrity of research. Ethical standards provide study participants with the assurance of informed consent and knowing that their participation is voluntary, confidential, and that they will not be harmed.
Ethics are also a vital part of the reporting process after the research has been conducted. Reports of findings should be accurate, and the study should be able to be replicated under the same conditions. Collaboration, replication, and transparency are essential ethical safeguards for all scientists.
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