Question 1

One researcher, Males (2009, 2010), has suggested that the brain development hypothesis that is often used to explain behavioral changes in young adults is wrong. Instead, Males argues that ________ is a stronger predictor of risky behavior than neurological changes.

Accepted Answer

A)  poverty 
B)  sex 
C)  sexual activity or inactivity 
D)  endocrine functioning

Question 2

Stanley has just visited his cardiologist, and he is told that it would be a very good idea if he were to lower his level of low density lipoproteins and increase his level of high density lipoproteins. Which of the following would Stanley be well advised to do to make this happen?

Accepted Answer

A)  Start taking calcium supplements each night before bed. 
B)  Add more fiber to his diet. 
C)  Add a stool softener to his medication combination. 
D)  Start taking vitamin D with "rose hips."

Question 3

The average age at which a person gets married in the United States has ________ since 1970.

Accepted Answer

A)  increased by almost seven years 
B)  decreased by two years 
C)  decreased by four years 
D)  increased by five years

Question 4

Sarah is advised by her doctor that she suffers from high levels of bad cholesterol. In addition to modifying her diet and adding exercise to help bring these levels down, which of the following medication categories is her physician most likely to prescribe?

Accepted Answer

A)  SSRIs 
B)  mono-amine oxidase inhibitors 
C)  beta-blockers 
D)  statins

Question 5

Angel and Jolie are having a discussion about the politics of stem-cell research. Angel feels that it should be actively pursued in order to discover the cures to many medical conditions, while Jolie feels that stem cells should not be used to further human medical knowledge. If Angel says, "Well, you have the right to your own position, even if we disagree," she would be demonstrating that she is at the ________ stage of reflective judgment.

Accepted Answer

A)  initial 
B)  third 
C)  fifth 
D)  last

Question 6

One of the most likely reasons for the typical developmental path for crystallized intelligence is that

Accepted Answer

A)  practice tends to improve performance. 
B)  inherited skills tend to remain steady across the life span. 
C)  neuron pruning leads to a significant reduction in mental flexibility. 
D)  modern nutrition is better today than at any point in history.

Question 7

Some human developmentalists view the late teens through the early thirties as a period called "emerging adulthood," a time when one is no longer an adolescent but not quite fully an adult.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 8

According to the National Institute of Health and the American Heart Association, a healthy weight is defined as having a body mass index (BMI) at or below ________.

Accepted Answer

A)  25 
B)  22 
C)  20 
D)  16

Question 9

Ruth has been smoking cigarettes for many years, and her habit has become so severe that she smokes at least two packs every day. For which of the following medical issues is she at increased risk?

Accepted Answer

A)  deafness 
B)  glaucoma 
C)  a fractured hip 
D)  Turner's syndrome

Question 10

When all of the research regarding Erikson's proposed relationship between identity and intimacy is examined, it appears that his theory is most applicable to

Accepted Answer

A)  men and career-oriented women. 
B)  men only 
C)  men and women equally. 
D)  women only

Question 11

Baltes and colleagues (2006) has suggested that cognitive development is "plastic," which means that intellectual deficits can be "fixed" with the right kind of interventions.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 12

Colleges usually refer to students over the age of ____ as returning adult students, which implies that these individuals have already reached adulthood.

Accepted Answer

A)  25 
B)  28 
C)  32 
D)  35

Question 13

Between the years 2005 and 2008, the greatest increase in percentage of high school graduates attending college was seen in African Americans, followed closely by Latinos.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 14

Tom was a 40-year-old African American father of two girls, was married to his high school sweetheart, and had a thriving career as an attorney in private practice. Tragically, Tom died just two weeks after his birthday party. Statistically, the MOST LIKELY cause of his death was a(n)

Accepted Answer

A)  act of violence. 
B)  accident. 
C)  heart attack. 
D)  pulmonary embolism.

Question 15

One theory that has emerged from the results of several research studies examining the brain has proposed that intelligence comes from a distributed and integrated network of neurons in the ________ lobes of the brain.

Accepted Answer

A)  occipital and temporal 
B)  parietal and occipital 
C)  frontal and parietal 
D)  temporal and frontal

Question 16

Primary mental abilities are to secondary mental abilities as

Accepted Answer

A)  develop rapidly; develop slowly. 
B)  directly measurable; not directly measurable. 
C)  seen in childhood; seen in adulthood. 
D)  increase over time; decrease over time.

Question 17

Cathy and Bettina are sitting together one evening talking about their house. "I'd really like to renovate the kitchen within the next year," says Bettina. Cathy agrees, but points out that they can't afford such an expensive project, especially since they have a new baby to take care of and pay for. They both agree that if they work more hours at their jobs that they will be able to make the extra money needed to pay for the renovation. Cathy and Bettina are demonstrating ________ control.

Accepted Answer

A)  plenary 
B)  tertiary 
C)  secondary 
D)  primary

Question 18

Which of the following statements about returning students is false?

Accepted Answer

A)  Returning students tend to be poor problem-solvers. 
B)  Returning students tend to be self-directed. 
C)  Returning students tend to experience conflicts between school, work, and family. 
D)  Returning students often have life experience relevant to coursework.

Question 19

________ thinking is characterized by the recognition that correct answers vary from one situation to another, that solutions should be realistic, that ambiguity and contradiction are typical, and that subjective factors play a role in cognition.

Accepted Answer

A)  Psychomotor 
B)  Hypothetical-deductive 
C)  Postformal 
D)  Formal operational

Question 20

Nicola is 18 years old and engages in many risky behaviors. For example, she drives very fast and recklessly, and does not use any protection when having sex. If Nicola is a typical adolescent, these behaviors will ____ when she gets older.

Accepted Answer

A)  significantly increase in frequency 
B)  slightly increase in frequency 
C)  remain at the same frequency level 
D)  decrease in frequency

Exam 10: Becoming an Adult: Physical, Cognitive, and Personality Development

One researcher, Males (2009, 2010) , has suggested that the brain development hypothesis that is often used to explain behavioral changes in young adults is wrong. Instead, Males argues that ________ is a stronger predictor of risky behavior than neurological changes.

Stanley has just visited his cardiologist, and he is told that it would be a very good idea if he were to lower his level of low density lipoproteins and increase his level of high density lipoproteins. Which of the following would Stanley be well advised to do to make this happen?

The average age at which a person gets married in the United States has ________ since 1970.

Sarah is advised by her doctor that she suffers from high levels of bad cholesterol. In addition to modifying her diet and adding exercise to help bring these levels down, which of the following medication categories is her physician most likely to prescribe?

One of the most likely reasons for the typical developmental path for crystallized intelligence is that

Some human developmentalists view the late teens through the early thirties as a period called "emerging adulthood," a time when one is no longer an adolescent but not quite fully an adult.

According to the National Institute of Health and the American Heart Association, a healthy weight is defined as having a body mass index (BMI) at or below ________.

Ruth has been smoking cigarettes for many years, and her habit has become so severe that she smokes at least two packs every day. For which of the following medical issues is she at increased risk?

When all of the research regarding Erikson's proposed relationship between identity and intimacy is examined, it appears that his theory is most applicable to

Baltes and colleagues (2006) has suggested that cognitive development is "plastic," which means that intellectual deficits can be "fixed" with the right kind of interventions.

Colleges usually refer to students over the age of ____ as returning adult students, which implies that these individuals have already reached adulthood.

Between the years 2005 and 2008, the greatest increase in percentage of high school graduates attending college was seen in African Americans, followed closely by Latinos.

Tom was a 40-year-old African American father of two girls, was married to his high school sweetheart, and had a thriving career as an attorney in private practice. Tragically, Tom died just two weeks after his birthday party. Statistically, the MOST LIKELY cause of his death was a(n)

One theory that has emerged from the results of several research studies examining the brain has proposed that intelligence comes from a distributed and integrated network of neurons in the ________ lobes of the brain.

Primary mental abilities are to secondary mental abilities as

Which of the following statements about returning students is false?

________ thinking is characterized by the recognition that correct answers vary from one situation to another, that solutions should be realistic, that ambiguity and contradiction are typical, and that subjective factors play a role in cognition.

Nicola is 18 years old and engages in many risky behaviors. For example, she drives very fast and recklessly, and does not use any protection when having sex. If Nicola is a typical adolescent, these behaviors will ____ when she gets older.