Q&A Hero

Q: A recent meta-analysis of 124 studies by Jane Kroger and her colleagues revealed that identity _____ rose across late adolescence and emerging adulthood. A. moratorium B. foreclosure C. achievement D.

Q: A recent meta-analysis of 124 studies by Jane Kroger and her colleagues found that a large portion of individuals were _____ by the time they reached their twenties. A. not identity diffused B. not identity achieved C. identity confused D.

Q: A consensus is developing that the key changes in identity are more likely to take place at _____. A. 18 to 25 years of age B. 15 to 17 years of age C. 12 to 15 years of age D.

Q: Which of the following statements about the timing of identity development is TRUE? A. In their last couple years in college, individuals are more likely to be categorized as identity diffused. B. College upperclassmen are more likely to be identity achieved than college freshmen or high school students. C. By the time adolescents reach college, they would have committed to their religious and political identities. D.

Q: Which of the following is an identity status where crisis and commitment are both present? A. Identity achievement B. Identity foreclosure C. Identity moratorium D.

Q: Identity _____ is the status of individuals who have undergone a crisis and made a commitment. A. diffusion B. foreclosure C. moratorium D.

Q: Nancy was torn in her decision to major in music or take up an undergraduate program in engineering. She finally chose the latter, with a minor in music. Identify Nancy's status of identity. A. Identity diffusion B. Identity foreclosure C. Identity moratorium D.

Q: Which of the following is the identity status where crisis and commitment are both absent? A. Identity diffusion B. Identity foreclosure C. Identity moratorium D.

Q: Which of the following is the identity status where a crisis is present but commitment is absent? A. Identity diffusion B. Identity foreclosure C. Identity moratorium D.

Q: Which of the following is the identity status where a crisis is absent but a commitment is present? A. Identity achievement B. Identity foreclosure C. Identity moratorium D.

Q: Identify the status of individuals who have not yet experienced a crisis or made any commitments. A. Identity crisis B. Identity diffusion C. Identity foreclosure D.

Q: Individuals whose identity status can be described as identity _____ are undecided about occupational and ideological choices, and they are also likely to show little interest in such matters. A. moratorium B. achievement C. foreclosure D.

Q: Identity _____ is James Marcia's term for the status of adolescents who are in the midst of a crisis, and whose commitment levels are either absent or only vaguely defined. A. confusion B. stagnation C. diffusion D.

Q: Identity _____ is the status of individuals who have made a commitment but not experienced a crisis. A. foreclosure B. moratorium C. achievement D.

Q: The status of identity _____ occurs most often when parents hand down commitments to their adolescents, usually in an authoritarian way, before adolescents have had a chance to explore different approaches, ideologies, and vocations on their own. A. achievement B. moratorium C. foreclosure D.

Q: Ramon's parents have decided that he will enroll in a liberal arts course in the state college near their hometown. Ramon has not really thought about the issue much himself, and he will most likely follow their advice. James Marcia would classify Ramon's identity status as: A. identity diffusion. B. identity foreclosure. C. identity moratorium. D.

Q: Eriksonian researcher James Marcia reasons that Erikson's theory of identity development contains _____ of identity, or ways of resolving the identity crisis. A. five stages B. four statuses C. five statuses D.

Q: According to James Marcia, what determines an individual's identity status? A. The choices and alternatives they have access to B. Their socioeconomic and academic profile C. The existence or extent of their crisis or commitment D.

Q: _____ is defined as a period of identity development during which the individual is exploring alternatives. A. Commitment B. Calling C. Conscientiousness D.

Q: Which of the following is the term that most researchers use to describe crisis? A. Foreclosure B. Exploration C. Moratorium D.

Q: _____ reflects an individual's personal investment in identity. A. Commitment B. Collaboration C. Calling D.

Q: Which of the following is Erikson's fifth developmental stage? A. Identity versus identity confusion B. Autonomy versus shame and doubt C. Initiative versus guilt D.

Q: According to Erik Erikson, which of the following developmental stages is experienced by an individual during adolescence? A. Autonomy versus shame and doubt B. Intimacy versus isolation C. Initiative versus guilt D.

Q: According to Erik Erikson, during the _____ stage, adolescents are faced with deciding who they are, what they are all about, and where they are going in life. A. autonomy versus shame and doubt B. identity versus identity confusion C. initiative versus guilt D.

Q: Which of the following is the term Erik Erikson uses to describe the gap between childhood security and adult autonomy? A. Psychosocial moratorium B. Sociological amnesty C. Societal moratorium D.

Q: What is the term Erikson uses to describe a period in which society leaves adolescents relatively free of responsibilities and free to try out different identities? A. Sociological amnesty B. Societal moratorium C. Psychosocial moratorium D.

Q: Adolescents who do not successfully resolve their identity crisis suffer from what Erikson calls _____. A. identity diffusion B. unresolved identity C. identity confusion D.

Q: Identity development: A. is a single, neat process. B. gets done in bits and pieces. C. happens cataclysmically. D.

Q: Which of the following statements about identity development is TRUE? A. Synthesizing the identity components is a single, neat process in normal individuals. B. Decisions about identity may take time, but once they are made, they are set for life. C. Identity development occurs in a single, one-step process. D.

Q: Richard believes he is gay. This orientation is part of Richard's _____ identity. A. relationship B. intellectual C. sexual D.

Q: Holly is a quiet and introverted person. She feels stressed whenever she has to interact with a lot of people. Which of the following BEST describes this aspect of Holly's identity? A. Interests B. Personality C. Physical identity D.

Q: An individual's body image encompasses his or her _____. A. sexual identity B. personality C. relationship identity D.

Q: Is there any gender difference in the incidence of adolescent depression? What accounts for this gender difference? By about age 15, adolescent females have a rate of depression that is twice that of adolescent males. Among the reasons for this gender difference are that females tend to ruminate on their depressed mood and amplify it; females' self-images, especially their body images, are more negative than those of males; females face more discrimination than males do; and puberty occurs earlier for girls than for boys. As a result, girls experience a piling up of changes and life experiences in the middle school years that can increase depression.

Q: Though controversial, studies indicate that self-esteem: A. is particularly high in adolescence. B. remains constant in adolescence. C. increases in adolescent boys. D.

Q: A New Zealand longitudinal study assessed the self-esteem of adolescents at 11, 13, and 15 years of age and then assessed the adjustment and competence of the same individuals when they were 26 years old. Its results indicated: A. no connection between self-esteem in adolescence and competence as adults. B. that well-adjusted, competent adults were just as likely as adults characterized by poorer mental and physical health to have low self-esteem in adolescence. C. individuals with low self-esteem in adolescence showed no negative outcomes in adulthood. D.

Q: _____ refers to a self-centered and self-concerned approach toward others. A. Egocentrism B. Narcissism C. Egotism D.

Q: _____ are excessively self-centered, self-congratulatory, and view their own needs and desires as paramount. A. Pessimists B. Egotists C. Pragmatists D.

Q: Discuss the issue of ethnic identity in the third and later generations of immigrants. In the third and later generations, the issues involving ethnic identity become more complex than for earlier generations. Historical, contextual, and political factors that are unrelated to acculturation may affect the extent to which members of this generation retain their ethnic identities. For non-European ethnic groups, racism and discrimination influence whether ethnic identity is retained.

Q: In what circumstances are adolescents likely to feel more comfortable disclosing information to their parents? When parents engage in positive parenting practices, adolescents are more likely to disclose information. For example, disclosure increases when parents ask adolescents questions and when adolescents' relationship with parents is characterized by a high level of trust, acceptance, and quality. Researchers have found that adolescents' disclosure to parents about their whereabouts, activities, and friends is linked to positive adolescent adjustment.

Q: How can parents help their adolescents develop the ability to attain autonomy, gain control over their behavior, and make mature decisions?

Q: In which situations are adolescents most likely to conform to peers? Around the eighth and ninth grades, conformity to peersespecially to their antisocial standardspeaks. Mitchell Prinstein and his colleagues have recently conducted research that revealed adolescents who are uncertain about their social identity, which can appear in the form of low self-esteem and high social anxiety, are most likely to conform to peers. This uncertainty often increases during times of transition, such as school and family transitions. Also, peers are more likely to conform when they are in the presence of someone they perceive to have higher status than they do.

Q: The discretionary time available to U.S. adolescents is greater than that available to their counterparts in East Asia, Europe, and other industrialized countries. Analyze if this additional discretionary time is an asset or a liability for U.S. adolescents. Whether the additional discretionary time available to U.S. adolescents is a liability or an asset for them depends on how they use this time. According to Larson, this additional time is largely detrimental for optimal development when such time is unstructured. When adolescents in the U.S. are allowed to choose what they do with their time, they typically engage in unchallenging activities such as hanging out and watching TV. Although relaxation and social interaction are important aspects of adolescence, it seems unlikely that spending large numbers of hours per week in unchallenging activities fosters development. Structured voluntary activities may provide more promise for adolescent development than unstructured time, especially if adults give responsibility to adolescents, challenge them, and provide competent guidance in these activities.

Q: Discuss how some characteristics of lower-class culture might promote juvenile delinquency. The norms of many lower-SES peer groups and gangs are antisocial, or counterproductive, to the goals and norms of society at large. Getting into and staying out of trouble are prominent features of life for some adolescents in low-income neighborhoods. Being "tough" and "masculine" are high-status traits for lower-SES boys, and these traits are often measured by the adolescent's success in performing and getting away with delinquent acts. And adolescents in communities with high crime rates observe many models who engage in criminal activities. These communities may be characterized by poverty, unemployment, and feelings of alienation toward the middle class. Quality schooling, educational funding, and organized neighborhood activities may be lacking in these communities

Q: Leading researcher Charles Nelson proposed the view that, although adolescents are capable of very strong emotions, their prefrontal cortex has not adequately developed to the point at which they can control these passions. His view reflects the rapidly emerging field of _____, which involves connections between development, the brain, and cognitive or socioemotional processes. A. socioemotional neuroscience B. biosocial neuroscience C. psychosocial neuroscience D.

Q: In a U.S. national survey conducted in 2011, _____ percent of twelfth-graders reported that they had experienced sexual intercourse, compared with _____ percent of ninth-graders. A. 20; 10 B. 63; 33 C. 77; 90 D.

Q: According to a U.S. national survey, by age 20, _____ percent of U.S. youth have engaged in sexual intercourse. A. 77 B. 62 C. 90 D.

Q: In a U.S. national survey, it was found that nationally, _____ percent of twelfth-graders reported being sexually active. A.

Q: In the Berkeley Longitudinal Study some years ago, early-maturing boys perceived themselves _____ than did their late-maturing counterparts. When the late-maturing boys were in their thirties, however, they had developed a _____ than the early-maturing boys had. A. as an anomaly; stronger feeling of inadequacy B. more positively; stronger sense of identity C. as misfits; a more negative self-image D.

Q: In the sixth grade, early-maturing girls show _____ with their figures than do late-maturing girls, but by the tenth grade late-maturing girls are more _____. A. greater satisfaction; satisfied B. less confidence; conflicted C. greater preoccupation; preoccupied D.

Q: Recent research has found that early-maturing girls are more likely than late-maturing girls to be: A. satisfied with their figures in late adolescence. B. taller and thinner when they reach high school. C. less popular with males their own age. D.

Q: Maggie is 14 years old and has not yet matured physically. According to recent research, which of the following will be most likely to occur by the time Maggie reaches tenth grade? A. She will be more satisfied with her figure than early-maturing girls. B. She will be less satisfied with her figure than early-maturing girls. C. She will be more likely to have an eating disorder than early-maturing girls. D.

Q: The _____, where fibers connect the brain's left and right hemispheres, thickens in adolescence, and this improves adolescents' ability to process information. A. amygdala B. corpus callosum C. parietal lobe D.

Q: Donna is concerned about her adolescent daughter's tendency to flare up at the mildest provocations. Donna says that her daughter refuses to see reason sometimes and seems unable to exercise much self-control. As a specialist in the development of adolescents, you would tell Donna that her daughter's behavior could partly be explained by the biological reason that: A. the prefrontal cortexinvolved in reasoning and self-controlhas developed fully by early adolescence. B. the corpus callosum, where fibers connect the brain's left and right hemispheres, thickens in adolescence. C. by the end of adolescence, individuals have fewer, less selective, less effective neuronal connections than they did as children. D.

Q: Thirteen-year-old Grace's blood tests indicate that her levels of testosterone are about twice as high as they were a few years ago, and that her estradiol levels are about eight times higher than earlier. Grace is most likely experiencing: A. normal changes during puberty. B. difficulties due to significant imbalances in hormonal levels. C. abnormal development of male physical characteristics. D.

Q: Fourteen-year-old Kent recently received his blood test results which indicate an eighteen-fold increase in testosterone levels and a twofold increase in estradiol over the past few years. It appears that Kent: A. is experiencing normal changes during puberty. B. will be put on hormone therapy to correct the significant imbalances in hormonal levels. C. has abnormal levels of male sex hormones. D.

Q: In the United States, the average age of menarche has _____ since the mid-nineteenth century. A. increased marginally B. declined significantly C. increased significantly D.

Q: Which of the following statements about the timing and variations in puberty is true? A. Children in European countries mature up to a year earlier than their American counterparts. B. For girls, menarche is considered within the normal range if it appears between the ages of 9 and 15. C. Genes have little to do with when and how puberty develops. D.

Q: Who amongst the following is most likely to be dissatisfied with body image as pubertal change proceeds? A. A girl in early adolescence B. A girl in late adolescence C. A boy in early adolescence D.

Q: The growth spurt that characterizes pubertal change occurs approximately _____ for girls than for boys. A. two years earlier B. one year earlier C. two years later D.

Q: The mean age at the beginning of the growth spurt in girls is _____. A. 6 B. 14 C. 12 D.

Q: The peak rate of pubertal change occurs at _____ years for girls and _____ years for boys. A. 13; 14 B. 12; 11 C. 11; 13 D.

Q: Behind the first whisker in boys and the widening of hips in girls is a flood of _____, powerful chemical substances secreted by the endocrine glands and carried through the body by the bloodstream. A. amino acids B. phospholipids C. enzymes D.

Q: The hormone that is associated with breast, uterine, and skeletal development in girls is: A. progesterone. B. estradiol. C. luteinizing hormone. D.

Q: _____ is a hormone associated in boys with genital development, increased height, and deepening of the voice. A. Testosterone B. Estrogen C. Estradiol D.

Q: Puberty: A. is the same as adolescence. B. ends long before adolescence does. C. occurs in a single, sudden event. D.

Q: Ms. Chang is trying to prepare her health-class students for the onset of puberty. What should she tell the boys that they are likely to experience first? A. The first ejaculation B. Voice changes C. Increased penis and testicle size D.

Q: Which of the following is typically the last male pubertal characteristic to occur? A. The first ejaculation B. Voice changes C. Increased penis and testicle size D.

Q: A girl's first menstruation is called _____. A. gonadarche B. spermarche C. menarche D.

Q: Which of the following statements is true? A. Boys go through growth spurts earlier than girls do. B. Both boys and girls who are shorter than their peers before puberty will actually surpass their peers during adolescence. C. By the end of adolescence, most girls will be taller than boys. D.

Q: Which of the following is a more accurate vision of adolescence? A. For most individuals, adolescence is a time of evaluation, decision making, commitment, and carving out a place in the world. B. For most individuals, adolescence is a time of rebellion, crisis, pathology, and deviance. C. Most adolescents have a brush with juvenile delinquency. D.

Q: Which theorist proposed the "storm-and-stress" view that adolescence is a turbulent time charged with conflict and mood swings? A. Anna Freud B. Jean Piaget C. G. Stanley Hall D.

Q: When Daniel Offer and his colleagues studied the self-images of adolescents in the United States, Australia, Bangladesh, Hungary, Israel, Italy, Japan, Taiwan, Turkey, and West Germany, at least _____ percent of the adolescents displayed a healthy self-image. A. 25 B. 48 C. 60 D.

Q: For the majority of teens, adolescence is marked by: A. stress and storm. B. delinquency. C. a healthy self-image. D.

Q: Public attitudes about adolescence: A. emerge from a combination of personal experience and media portrayals. B. reflect an objective picture of how normal adolescents develop. C. portray today's adolescents as less troubled, less self-centered, less assertive, and less adventurous than in the past. D.

Q: Puberty refers to a period of: A. declining abstract thought and emotional maturation during late adolescence involving neural and synaptic development in the brain. B. declining gross motor development during late childhood due to the maturation of the temporal and parietal lobes. C. rapid psychological and emotional maturation that lasts through adolescence and is a product of enhanced cognitive development. D.

Q: Discuss the importance of controlling one's attention during adolescence.

Q: Outline the cognitive changes that occur in adolescence and allow improved critical thinking.

Q: What role does the top-dog phenomenon play when adolescents make the transition to middle or to junior high school?

Q: In 1989, the Carnegie Corporation issued an extremely negative evaluation of U.S. middle schools. They made several recommendations for how to improve schools. Imagine you are a middle school principal and can institute any changes you want. Based on these recommendations what kind of things would you do to create a more effective schools for adolescents? In 1989, the Carnegie Corporation issued an extremely negative evaluation of U.S. middle schools. It recommended that the nation should develop smaller "communities" or "houses" to lessen the impersonal nature of large middle schools, have lower student-to-counselor ratios (10 to 1 instead of several hundred to 1), involve parents and community leaders in schools, develop new curricula, have teachers team teach in more flexibly designed curriculum blocks that integrate several disciplines, boost students' health and fitness with more in-school programs, and help students who need public health care to get it.

Q: A high school principal sends home a letter to parents stating that she is instituting a service learning component and all students are required to participate. What is service learning? When is it most effective and why would schools want to use them?