Q&A Hero

Q: Research on peer groups during middle childhood shows that A) children who belong to a peer group rarely use relationally aggressive tactics to oust no longer "respected" children. B) within peer groups, children learn cooperation, leadership, followership, and loyalty to collective goals. C) most school-age children believe it is okay for a group to exclude a peer. D) formal peer groups, such as 4-H or religious youth groups, often satisfy children's desire for group membership.

Q: Maddy spends most of her time with a particular set of girlfriends. Within this group, there are specific standards of behavior, a specialized dress code, and identified leaders. Maddy is most likely A) a controversial child. B) a popular-prosocial child. C) part of a peer group. D) part of a social clique.

Q: By the end of middle childhood, children display a strong desire for A) group belonging. B) online friends. C) athletic competence. D) other-sex friends.

Q: Children who believe in the changeability of human attributes A) show more in-group favoritism. B) spend more time volunteering to help the needy. C) show high levels of prejudice in their behavior. D) often judge others as either "good" or "bad."

Q: Which of the following children is most likely to believe in racial and ethnic equality? A) Yaowu, a child who attends an ethnically diverse school and shares feelings with close, cross-race friends B) Gonzalo, a child who believes that people's personality traits are fixed rather than changeable C) Deonte, a child with overly high self-esteem D) Judy, a child whose parents highlight group distinctions

Q: Principal Allen wants to reduce prejudice at his middle school. Which of the following interventions should he use? A) segregate the classrooms to promote ethnic pride B) assign children to cooperative learning groups with peers of diverse backgrounds C) highlight group distinctions D) encourage children to view others' traits as fixed

Q: The more adults highlight __________, the more likely white children will express in-group favoritism and out-group prejudice. A) intergroup contact B) ethnic diversity C) the damage caused by prejudice D) group distinctions

Q: Children and adults with __________ are more likely to hold racial and ethnic prejudices. A) very low self-esteem B) very high self-esteem C) high interracial contact D) ethnically diverse families

Q: Children who believe that people's personality traits are __________ rather than __________ often judge others as either "good" or "bad." A) fixed; changeable B) malleable; constant C) genetic; nurtured D) singular; mixed

Q: After age __________, both majority and minority children express in-group favoritism. A) 5 to 6 B) 7 to 8 C) 9 to 10 D) 11 to 12

Q: Studies in diverse Western nations confirm that by age 5 or 6, __________ children generally evaluate their own racial group favorably and other racial groups less favorably or negatively. A) low-SES B) immigrant C) white D) minority

Q: Which of the following statements about children's understanding of individual rights is true? A) Children tend to regard laws that discriminate against individuals as okay. B) As early as age 6, children view freedom of speech and religion as individual rights. C) Older school-age children believe that all matters are best decided democratically. D) Prejudice usually increases during middle childhood.

Q: Compared to Canadian agemates, Chinese schoolchildren are more likely to rate lying favorably when A) it is used to cover up antisocial acts. B) it supports the individual at the expense of the group. C) the intention is modesty. D) the intention is self-protection.

Q: By age 7 or 8, children A) consider prosocial and antisocial intentions for truthfulness. B) begin to copy their morality from others. C) say truth telling is always good. D) say lying is always bad.

Q: Which of the following statements about moral development is true? A) In middle childhood, children typically say truth telling is always good and lying is always bad. B) In middle childhood, children primarily rely on reinforcement to acquire morally relevant behaviors. C) By middle childhood, children have had time to internalize rules for good conduct, which leads them to become considerably more independent and trustworthy. D) While school-age children think about right and wrong, they usually copy their morality from others.

Q: When Sayuri is distressed, her father is dismissive and her mother is hostile. Sayuri is probably A) emotionally well-regulated. B) overwhelmed by negative emotion. C) empathetic. D) prosocial.

Q: Fernando's parents respond sensitively and helpfully when he is distressed. Fernando is probably A) prosocial. B) high in self-esteem. C) overwhelmed by negative emotion. D) less empathetic than his agemates.

Q: Amelia has well-developed emotional self-regulation. She feels that she is in control of her emotional experience. Amelia has acquired A) perspective-taking skills. B) an ideal self. C) a sense of emotional self-efficacy. D) coregulation strategies.

Q: By third grade, most school-age children justify their preference for verbal strategies for coping with negative emotion by A) mentioning avoidance of punishment. B) mentioning avoidance of embarrassment. C) emphasizing concern for others' feelings. D) mentioning adult approval.

Q: When Erica's best friend makes her angry, she takes a deep breath and counts to ten. Erica is using A) problem-centered coping. B) emotion-centered coping. C) emotional self-efficacy. D) coregulation strategies.

Q: In __________ coping, children appraise the situation as changeable, identify the difficulty, and decide what to do about it. A) problem-centered B) emotion-centered C) effort-centered D) avoidant

Q: Which of the following statements about emotional self-regulation in middle childhood is true? A) Problem-centered coping is internal, private, and aimed at controlling distress. B) By age 10, most children shift adaptively between problem-centered and emotion-centered coping. C) When outcomes are beyond their control, school-age children rely on problem-centered coping and seek social support. D) Young school-age children emphasize concern for others' feelings more often than older children.

Q: Danielle saw a man carrying a sign that said "I"m hungry." She took the man's perspective, imagined how he felt, and asked her mom if she could give her allowance to the man so that he could buy some food. Danielle has developed A) pride. B) guilt. C) empathy. D) industry.

Q: Appreciating mixed emotions helps children realize that A) people's expressions may not reflect their true feelings. B) negative emotions are more frequent than positive emotions. C) positive and negative emotions cannot be experienced simultaneously. D) tone of voice is a more accurate predictor of emotion than facial expressions.

Q: Between the ages of 6 and 12, children become more aware A) that others' facial expressions indicate their true feelings. B) that feelings of pride and guilt primarily occur when adults are present. C) of circumstances likely to spark mixed emotions. D) that basic emotions are related to personal responsibility.

Q: Compared to preschoolers, school-age children are more likely to explain emotion by referring to __________ rather than to __________. A) observable characteristics; personality traits B) personality traits; psychological qualities C) external events; internal states D) internal states; external events

Q: Excessive guilt is linked to A) ignoring responsibilities. B) intentional wrongdoing. C) depressive symptoms. D) lying and cheating.

Q: Which of the following statements about self-conscious emotions in middle childhood is true? A) Children feel guilty only if an adult or peer is present to witness their transgressions. B) Children feel guilty for any mishap, including those that are accidental. C) Pride motivates children to take on further challenges, whereas guilt prompts them to strive for self-improvement. D) Children rarely feel guilty for cheating or lying unless they are caught or punished for their behavior.

Q: Which of the following fosters a mastery-oriented approach to learning? A) small class size and cooperative learning B) ability grouping and public displays of achievement C) trait statements like "You"re smart" D) emphasis on grades over effort

Q: Which of the following statements about attribution retraining is true? A) One approach is to encourage low-effort students to focus more on grades and less on mastering a task for individual improvement. B) It is best begun early, before children's views of themselves become hard to change. C) It encourages children to believe that success should be attributed to ability, rather than luck or effort. D) It is an alternative to instruction in effective strategies and self-regulation.

Q: Marlena is enrolled in an intervention program that encourages learned-helpless children to believe that they can overcome failure by exerting more effort. This approach is known as A) achievement motivation. B) identity achievement. C) attribution retraining. D) vicarious learning.

Q: Attribution research shows that A) boys are more likely than girls to blame their lack of ability for poor performance. B) compared to low-SES ethnic minority children, middle-SES white children tend to receive less favorable feedback from teachers. C) compared to U.S. mothers, Chinese mothers offer more praise after success. D) well-intended messages from adults sometimes undermine children's competence.

Q: Asian parents and teachers are more likely than their American counterparts to view __________ as key to success. A) ability B) luck C) effort D) intelligence

Q: Despite their higher achievement, __________ often blame poor performance on __________. A) girls; lack of ability B) boys; lack of ability C) girls; poor effort D) boys; good luck

Q: Teachers who are __________ and emphasize __________ tend to have mastery-oriented students. A) strict; getting good grades B) indulgent; having fun C) helpful; learning over getting good grades D) caring; getting good grades

Q: When John succeeds, his father says, "You"re so smart!" However, when he fails, his father says, "You can"t do that, can you? It's OK if you quit." John's father's messages could play a key role in John's adoption of a A) fixed view of ability. B) mastery-oriented style. C) high academic self-esteem. D) healthy self-image.

Q: Over time, the ability of __________ children no longer predicts how well they do. A) mastery-oriented B) low-SES C) high-SES D) learned-helpless

Q: Children who develop __________ attribute their failures, not their successes, to ability. A) learned helplessness B) mastery-oriented attributions C) a realistically oriented view of ability D) an ideal self

Q: Children who are high in academic self-esteem and motivation make __________ attributions, crediting their successes to __________. A) learned-helpless; luck B) mastery-oriented; ability C) externally focused; effort D) achievement-related; luck

Q: Mr. and Mrs. Rodriguez want to foster a positive, secure self-image in their son. Which of the following would you suggest? A) Make decisions for him when he appears hesitant, in order to model good decision-making strategies. B) Continuously compliment his performance, even when it is less than satisfactory. C) Encourage him to strive for worthwhile goals because his eventual achievement will foster his self-esteem. D) Start with high expectations, but be flexible and willing to accept lower achievement levels if he cannot achieve the original goals.

Q: Compared with previous generations, American youths are A) displaying less antisocial behavior. B) displaying fewer adjustment problems. C) achieving less well. D) showing stronger, more secure self-images.

Q: __________ parenting is correlated with unrealistically high self-esteem. A) Controlling B) Uninvolved C) Authoritative D) Indulgent

Q: Nadia's parents are repeatedly disapproving and insulting. As a result, Nadia probably __________ and relies heavily on __________ to affirm her self-worth. A) needs constant reassurance; peers B) has unrealistically high self-esteem; her parents C) has an overblown self-image; reasonable standards D) seeks attention from other adults; other relatives

Q: Children whose parents use a(n) __________ child-rearing style feel especially good about themselves. A) authoritative B) authoritarian C) permissive D) uninvolved

Q: Compared to his Caucasian-American agemates, Leonard, an African-American fourth grader, is more likely to have A) low self-esteem. B) a weaker sense of ethnic pride. C) higher self-esteem and a stronger sense of ethnic pride. D) lower self-esteem, but a stronger sense of ethnic pride.

Q: Which of the following statements about cultural influences on self-esteem is true? A) In academic self-judgments, boys have higher language arts self-esteem than girls. B) Boys exceed girls in self-esteem dimensions of close friendship and social acceptance. C) Boys' overall self-worth is much higher than girls'. D) Asian children score lower in self-esteem than U.S. children.

Q: Raylynne is well-liked by all of her classmates. She probably has high A) academic competence. B) social self-esteem. C) athletic competence. D) self-awareness.

Q: Andrew has high academic self-esteem. Andrew is probably A) well-liked by his classmates. B) involved in sports. C) willing to try hard. D) anxious.

Q: Which of the following statements about self-esteem in elementary school is true? A) It rises dramatically as soon as children enter school and remains high throughout the elementary school years. B) It increases steadily over the first few years of elementary school and then drops from fourth grade on. C) Throughout middle childhood, girls' self-esteem tends to be higher than boys'. D) It declines during the first few years of elementary school and then, from fourth grade on, rises for the majority of young people.

Q: During childhood and adolescence, perceived __________ correlates more strongly with overall self-worth than any other self-esteem factor. A) athletic competence B) academic competence C) physical appearance D) social competence

Q: Self-esteem takes on a __________ structure in the mid-elementary school years. A) unidirectional B) hierarchical C) flat D) horizontal

Q: By age 6 to 7, children in diverse Western cultures have formed at least __________ broad self-evaluations. A) two B) four C) six D) eight

Q: Compared to his Western agemates, Chao, who lives in China, will most likely describe himself by referencing his A) individual interests. B) personal attributes. C) academic and sports-related skills. D) group memberships and relationships.

Q: Sam is an American sixth grader. Compared to his Asian agemates, when asked to describe himself, Sam is more likely to say which of the following? A) "I"m in sixth grade." B) "I"m an older brother." C) "I like hockey." D) "My friends think I"m cool."

Q: As school-age children move into adolescence, self-concept is increasingly vested in A) feedback from close friends. B) parental attitudes. C) information from siblings. D) feedback from teachers.

Q: Which of the following statements about the development of self-concept is true? A) Preschool children are better than school-age children at "reading" others' messages and internalizing their expectations. B) A large discrepancy between an ideal self and a real self boosts self-esteem. C) Perspective-taking skills are crucial for developing a self-concept based on personality traits. D) School-age children often avoid making social comparisons when describing themselves.

Q: Sociologist George Herbert Mead proposed that a __________ emerges when children adopt a view of the self that resembles others' attitudes toward the child. A) sense of doubt B) well-organized psychological self C) superiority complex D) strong sense of guilt

Q: School-age children use frequent __________ in their self-descriptions. A) social comparisons B) negative comments C) positive comments D) gender stereotyping

Q: Beginning in middle childhood, children's self-descriptions start to emphasize A) specific behaviors and observable traits. B) industry over inferiority. C) both negative and positive traits. D) internal states and physical attributes.

Q: During the school years, children refine their __________, organizing their observations of behaviors and internal states into general dispositions. A) self-concept B) self-esteem C) self-control D) remembered self

Q: Eleven-year-old Leah has developed a sense of competence at a number of useful skills and tasks. She has a positive but realistic self-concept and takes pride in her accomplishments. According to Erikson, Leah has A) positively resolved the psychological conflict of middle childhood. B) developed an ideal self that guides her behavior. C) yet to encounter the psychological conflict of middle childhood. D) overcome the conflict of role confusion.

Q: Erikson's sense of __________ combines several developments of middle childhood: a positive but realistic self-concept, pride in accomplishment, moral responsibility, and cooperative participation with agemates. A) trust B) autonomy C) identity D) industry

Q: According to Erikson, a sense of __________ can develop in middle childhood when family life fails to prepare children for school life or when teachers and peers destroy children's self-confidence with negative responses. A) shame B) mistrust C) inferiority D) despair

Q: Jacob, a sixth grader, entered the middle school academic bowl. According to Erikson, by entering the competition, Jacob shows A) autonomy. B) industriousness. C) inferiority. D) basic trust.

Q: What factors foster resilience in middle childhood?

Q: Describe the long-term consequences of divorce on children. What factors help children make a more positive adjustment?

Q: Define coregulation and explain how it is used by parents of school-age children.

Q: Anya is a rejected-withdrawn child. Describe the characteristics that Anya likely displays as a result.

Q: Define problem-centered coping and emotion-centered coping. How do school-age children use these strategies?

Q: Describe the development of self-esteem in middle childhood. How is it structured, and how does it change?

Q: Which of the following statements about resilience is true? A) Resilience is a preexisting attribute rather than a capacity that develops over time. B) Resilience enables children to use internal and external resources to cope with adversity. C) Because they are repeatedly exposed to adversity, abused children become increasingly resilient over time. D) Resilience is less common among children with a mastery-oriented approach to new situations.

Q: Which of the following questions or statements will likely elicit accurate, detailed information from a child witness? A) "Your friend answered "yes' to this next question, and I want to see if you agree with her." B) "He touched you there, didn't he?" C) "The bad man who went to jail came into your room, didn't he?" D) "Tell me what happened."

Q: Research on children's ability to provide eyewitness testimony in legal situations shows that A) children younger than age 5 or 6 are unable to provide legally relevant, accurate details about experienced events. B) there are no reliable age differences in children's resistance to misleading questioning. C) children are rarely misled into fabricating false details in response to repeated, suggestive questioning. D) the more distinctive and personally relevant an event is, the more likely children are to recall it accurately over time.

Q: The best way to reduce the suffering of a child sexual abuse victim is to A) prevent sexual abuse from continuing. B) expose the child to other children who have had similar experiences. C) allow the child to see that the abuser is severely punished. D) move on quickly and not dwell much on what has happened.

Q: Which of the following statements about the consequences of child sexual abuse is true? A) The adjustment problems of victims tend to subside once the abuse stops. B) Repeated sexual abuse is associated with central nervous system damage. C) In adolescence, abused young people are less promiscuous than their agemates. D) Women who were sexually abused are less likely to choose partners who abuse them and their children.

Q: Children who __________ are especially vulnerable to sexual abuse. A) live in a large extended family household B) are aggressive and hostile C) belong to churches and community organizations D) live in homes with a constantly changing cast of characters

Q: Research on child sexual abuse indicates that A) both boys and girls are equally likely to be sexually abused. B) reported cases are highest in adolescence. C) the abuser is typically a parent or someone the parent knows well. D) the abuser is typically a stranger.

Q: Which of the following statements about the impact on U.S. children of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks is true? A) Those with indirect exposure from the media suffered no real distress. B) Distress reactions declined more slowly for children with conflict-ridden parent"child relationships. C) Distress reactions improved more rapidly for children with indirect rather than direct exposure. D) Repeatedly witnessing the attacks on TV desensitized children, decreasing their distress.

Q: Goran is a child victim of war. Research shows that Goran is likely to experience A) an increase in anxiety and depression. B) long-term amnesia. C) an increased sensitivity to violence. D) a decrease in aggression.

Q: Elliott, age 11, is suddenly afraid to go to school. Which of the following is the best advice you can give to Elliott's parents? A) Allow him to stay home from school until he feels more comfortable. B) Become more protective of him by accompanying him to his classes. C) Lightheartedly point out that being afraid of going to school is not normal. D) Firmly insist that he return to school, and train him in how to cope with difficult situations.