Question 1

Dr. Kempsell combines interviews, observations, and test scores to obtain a full picture of one individual's psychological functioning. This is an example of

Accepted Answer

A)   naturalistic observation.
B)   structured observation.
C)   a structured interview.
D)   the clinical, or case study, method. D

Question 2

Which of the following statements about debriefing is true?

Accepted Answer

A)   Young children often lack the cognitive skills to understand the reasons for deceptive procedures.
B)   It should be done with children, and usually works well, but it does not have to be done with adults.
C)   Researchers use it when participants cannot fully appreciate the research goals and activities.
D)   It involves explaining to research participants that they have the right to alternative beneficial treatments. A

Question 3

Alfred Binet and Theodore Simon's intelligence test was developed as a way to

Accepted Answer

A)   identify children with learning problems who needed to be placed in special classes.
B)   accurately predict school achievement and vocational success.
C)   document developmental improvements in children's intellectual functioning.
D)   measure individual differences in development as a function of race, gender, and birth order. A

Question 4

Research that combines a(n) __________ strategy with a __________ approach, with the aim of augmenting development, is becoming increasingly common because it permits both correlational and causal inferences.

Accepted Answer

A)   longitudinal; sequential
B)   experimental; longitudinal
C)   cross-sectional; microgenetic
D)   correlational; experimental

Question 5

In __________ experiments, control over the treatment is usually weaker than in __________ experiments.

Accepted Answer

A)   laboratory; natural
B)   laboratory; field
C)   field; laboratory
D)   correlational; field

Question 6

In an experiment examining whether a specific type of intervention improves the psychological adjustment of shy children, the independent 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 7

Dynamic systems theorists emphasize that

Accepted Answer

A)   children are driven mainly by instincts and unconscious motives.
B)   different skills vary in maturity within the same child.
C)   sensitive periods are key to understanding development.
D)   development can be best understood in terms of its adaptive value.

Question 8

Ms. Harper's classroom environment is based on Piaget's theory of cognitive development. Ms. Harper's program probably emphasizes

Accepted Answer

A)   joint problem solving with older children or adults.
B)   reinforcing children with tokens that they may exchange for treats.
C)   formal mathematics and language drills.
D)   discovery learning and direct contact with the environment.

Question 9

Ivan Pavlov taught dogs to salivate at the sound of a bell by using

Accepted Answer

A)   operant conditioning.
B)   classical conditioning.
C)   innate reflexes.
D)   modeling.

Question 10

Which of the following two major theories emphasize emotional and social development?

Accepted Answer

A)   the psychoanalytic perspective and ethology
B)   ethology and Vygotsky's sociocultural theory
C)   behaviorism and the dynamic systems perspective
D)   ecological systems theory and social learning theory

Question 11

Charles Darwin's theory of evolution emphasized __________ and __________.

Accepted Answer

A)   the normative approach; survival of the fittest
B)   noble savages; physical maturation
C)   tabula rasa; natural selection
D)   natural selection; survival of the fittest

Question 12

Dr. Singh studies the relationship between changes in the brain and the developing child's cognitive processing and behavior patterns. She is part of a group of researchers from the fields of psychology, biology, neuroscience, and medicine. Dr. Singh would most likely consider herself to be a(n)

Accepted Answer

A)   behaviorist.
B)   developmental cognitive neuroscientist.
C)   evolutionary developmental psychologist.
D)   information-processing researcher.

Question 13

Charlene believes that her daughter's ability to think in complex ways is largely the result of a built-in timetable of growth. Charlene's view emphasizes

Accepted Answer

A)   nurture.
B)   nature.
C)   plasticity.
D)   early experiences.

Question 14

__________ can help prevent escalating demands on families that give way to chaos.

Accepted Answer

A)   Ethnographic research
B)   Absence of daily structure
C)   Compression of family routines
D)   High-quality child care that is affordable and reliable

Question 15

Dr. McMath is an evolutionary developmental psychologist. Which of the following statements about Dr. McMath is probably true?

Accepted Answer

A)   He is primarily concerned with the genetic and biological bases of development.
B)   He wants to understand the entire person-environment system.
C)   He is primarily concerned with environmental influences on development.
D)   He focuses on how culture is transmitted to the next generation.

Question 16

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 17

In Bronfenbrenner's ecological systems theory, the __________ consists of activities and interaction patterns in the child's immediate surroundings.

Accepted Answer

A)   microsystem
B)   mesosystem
C)   exosystem
D)   macrosystem

Question 18

A major advantage of structured observation is that it

Accepted Answer

A)   is useful for studying behaviors that investigators rarely have an opportunity to see in everyday life.
B)   permits participants to display their thoughts in terms that are as close as possible to the way they think in everyday life.
C)   yields richly detailed narratives that offer valuable insight into the many factors that affect development.
D)   allows researchers to see the behavior of interest as it occurs in natural settings.

Question 19

Freud's theory was the first to stress the influence of __________ on development.

Accepted Answer

A)   observational learning
B)   rewards and punishment
C)   cultural norms
D)   the early parent-child relationship

Question 20

Compared to their agemates, adolescents from immigrant families are __________ likely to __________.

Accepted Answer

A)   more; commit delinquent and violent acts
B)   more; use drugs and alcohol
C)   more; have early sex
D)   less; commit delinquent and violent acts

Exam 1: History, Theory, and Research Strategies