Question 1

A major limitation of naturalistic observation is that

Accepted Answer

A)  the findings cannot be generalized beyond the participants and settings in which the research was originally conducted. 
B)  researchers cannot control the conditions under which participants are observed. 
C)  the research may not yield observations typical of participants' behavior in everyday life. 
D)  participants may not accurately report their thoughts, feelings, and experiences.

Question 2

Which of the following recent theoretical perspectives can best explain why Easton never crawled on his hands and knees before he learned how to walk?

Accepted Answer

A)  ecological systems theory 
B)  sociocultural theory 
C)  evolutionary developmental psychology 
D)  dynamic systems perspective

Question 3

In the same experiment examining whether a specific type of intervention improves the psychological adjustment of shy children, the dependent variable would be the

Accepted Answer

A)  type of intervention. 
B)  number of children in the subject pool who are shy. 
C)  number of shy children who benefit from the intervention. 
D)  measure of psychological adjustment.

Question 4

Sociocultural theory, ethology, ecological systems theory, and dynamic system theory all focus on

Accepted Answer

A)  contexts for development. 
B)  the adaptive value of behavior. 
C)  children's biological makeup. 
D)  how culture is transmitted to the next generation.

Question 5

Both ________ and ________ stress changes in thinking.

Accepted Answer

A)  behaviorism; social learning theory 
B)  cognitive-developmental theory; information-processing theory 
C)  ethology; psychoanalytic theory 
D)  dynamic systems theory; ecological systems theory

Question 6

According to Jean Piaget's cognitive-developmental theory,

Accepted Answer

A)  development must be understood in relation to each child's culture. 
B)  children's sense of self-efficacy guides their responses in particular situations. 
C)  children actively construct knowledge as they interact with their world. 
D)  children's learning depends on reinforcers, such as rewards from adults.

Question 7

Which of the following is an example of behavior modification?

Accepted Answer

A)  letting children with acute burn injuries play a virtual reality game while nurses engage in the painful process of changing their bandages 
B)  modeling quiet reading for children to teach them to sit quietly while they read 
C)  talking with children about fears in an attempt to uncover the underlying cause of thumb sucking 
D)  taking away a treasured toy for an increased amount of time each time a child bites his or her nails

Question 8

According to Vygotsky's theory,

Accepted Answer

A)  today's lifestyles differ so radically from those of our evolutionary ancestors that certain evolved behaviors are no longer adaptive. 
B)  children shape their own development during both sensitive and critical developmental periods. 
C)  children revise incorrect ideas in their ongoing efforts to achieve equilibrium between internal structures and every-day information. 
D)  social interaction is necessary for children to acquire the ways of thinking and behaving that make up a community's culture.

Question 9

As the Puritans emigrated from England to America, they brought the belief that

Accepted Answer

A)  children were born innocent and self-reliant. 
B)  child rearing was one of adults' most important obligations. 
C)  children were naturally endowed with a sense of right and wrong. 
D)  children's characters were shaped entirely by experience.

Question 10

A great strength of the information-processing approach is its commitment to

Accepted Answer

A)  field work. 
B)  clinical interviews. 
C)  rigorous research methods. 
D)  structured observations.

Question 11

The most consistent asset of resilient children is

Accepted Answer

A)  high self-esteem. 
B)  access to high-quality child care. 
C)  a strong bond to a competent, caring adult. 
D)  being identified as gifted.

Question 12

Compare and contrast the terms critical period and sensitive period, and discuss how observations of imprinting led to the development of these concepts.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Compare and contrast the terms critical period...

Question 13

One major limitation of the clinical interview is

Accepted Answer

A)  it does not provide much insight into participants' reasoning or ideas. 
B)  it requires extensive training to interpret. 
C)  the questions are phrased the same for each participant, regardless of verbal ability. 
D)  participants are not always accurate when they report their thoughts, feelings, and experiences.

Question 14

Dr. Snyder used the clinical method to obtain a richly detailed case narrative about Charlie, a 10-year-old college student. Dr. Snyder should be aware that

Accepted Answer

A)  information collected using the clinical method cannot offer insight into factors affecting development. 
B)  he cannot assume that his conclusions apply, or generalize, to anyone other than Charlie. 
C)  the information will help him understand the cultural group to which Charlie belongs. 
D)  ethical guidelines will limit their contact to one or two sessions.

Question 15

During which period of development does a sense of morality become evident?

Accepted Answer

A)  infancy and toddlerhood 
B)  early childhood 
C)  middle childhood 
D)  adolescence

Question 16

Dr. Stamina's longitudinal study on Native American personality styles was criticized because he failed to enlist participants who adequately represented the Native American population. This limitation is known as

Accepted Answer

A)  cohort effects. 
B)  selective attrition. 
C)  practice effects. 
D)  biased sampling.

Question 17

Jessica believes that development takes place in stages where children change rapidly as they step up to a new level and then change very little for a while. Jessica views development as

Accepted Answer

A)  discontinuous. 
B)  determined by nature. 
C)  continuous. 
D)  determined by nurture.

Question 18

Both Piaget's theory and the information-processing perspective

Accepted Answer

A)  regard children as active beings who modify their own thinking in response to environmental demands. 
B)  focus on the development of imagination and creativity. 
C)  regard perception, memory, and problem solving as similar at all ages. 
D)  emphasize the importance of equilibration in producing higher levels of thinking.

Question 19

The stage concept assumes that change is

Accepted Answer

A)  gradual. 
B)  ongoing. 
C)  fairly sudden. 
D)  unique for each child.

Question 20

To examine whether children's popularity was stable or changed across the years, Dr. Clique followed a group of children from ages 5 to 18 years. This is an example of a ________ design.

Accepted Answer

A)  sequential 
B)  microgenetic 
C)  cross-sectional 
D)  longitudinal

Exam 1: History, Theory, and Research Strategies