Q&A Hero

Q: Jean Piaget's concept of grouping isolated behaviors into a higher-order system is called _____. A. assimilation B. equilibration C. organization D.

Q: Three-year-old Jesse used to call all moving vehicles "car." He now accurately categorizes moving vehicles into trucks, cars, motorcycles, and buses. Jesse has _____ to fit new information into his existing scheme. A. accommodated B. assimilated C. amalgamated D.

Q: Baby Elise has developed a sucking scheme. She knows that to get food she must suck on her mother's breast. Now, her mother has begun to introduce solid foods with a spoon. Elise immediately sucks on the spoon. This is an example of _____. A. accommodation B. assimilation C. amalgamation D.

Q: Two-year-old Anita has learned the word "dog" to identify the family pet Rover. Now, Anita says the word "dog" when she sees any animal. Anita has _____ these animals into her existing scheme. A. amalgamated B. accommodated C. assimilated D.

Q: _____ occurs when children adjust their schemes to take new information and experiences into account. A. Adaptation B. Accommodation C. Assimilation D.

Q: Benji starts calling his father "dad," but he also calls all men that he sees "dad." According to Piaget, this error is due to _____. A. amalgamation B. accommodation C. assimilation D.

Q: Alejandro is 3 years old. He is now able to sort his blocks by color. Alejandro has developed: A. a new behavioral scheme. B. a new mental scheme. C. object permanence. D.

Q: According to Piaget, solving a puzzle is an example of a: A. mental scheme. B. mental adaptation. C. behavioral adaptation. D.

Q: According to Piaget, physical activities such as sucking, grasping, and walking are examples of: A. mental schemes. B. mental adaptations. C. behavioral adaptations. D.

Q: Schemes refer to: A. actions or mental representations that organize knowledge. B. the incorporation of new information into existing knowledge. C. groups of behaviors. D.

Q: Jean Piaget believed that children: A. actively construct their own cognitive world. B. passively react to their environments. C. absorb their knowledge from the environment. D.

Q: For years, debate has focused on whether breast-feeding is better for the infant than bottle-feeding. The growing consensus is that: A. breast-feeding is better for the baby's health. B. bottle-feeding is better for the baby's health. C. breast-feeding is better for bonding between mother and infant, whereas bottle-feeding is better for the baby's health. D.

Q: A national study of more than 3,000 randomly selected 4- to 24-month-olds documented that: A. many parents in the U.S. are feeding their babies too many fruits and not enough vegetables. B. parents in the U.S. are feeding their babies fruits and vegetables, and very little junk food. C. by 1 year, bananas were the most common fruit that babies ate. D.

Q: Bo, two months old, weighs 10 pounds. His father wants to know how many calories he should be consuming every day. What would you tell him? A. 100 calories B. 200 calories C. 500 calories D.

Q: Baby Yoshi has a condition that is a risk factor for SIDS. Sometimes, she has a temporary cessation of breathing in which her airway is completely blockedusually for 10 seconds or longer. This condition is known as _____. A. parasomnia B. arrhythmia C. sleep apnea D.

Q: Of the following infants, who is most at risk for SIDS? A. Mimi; her mother smokes B. Grace; she was born weighing more than most babies C. Megumi; she uses a pacifier when she goes to sleep D.

Q: Which of the following statements is true about SIDS? A. It is the lowest cause of infant deaths in the United States. B. Its level of risk is high at 36 to 48 months of age for infants. C. It usually occurs when infants stop breathing, usually during night, and die suddenly without any apparent reason. D.

Q: Who is at the highest risk of SIDS? A. Malachi, who is four weeks old B. Tyrell, who is six weeks old C. Chaz, who is three months old D.

Q: Since 1992, The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) has recommended that _____ to reduce the risk of SIDS. A. parents practice shared sleeping with their infants B. infants be placed to sleep on their backs C. babies be fed on demand instead of on schedule D.

Q: Which of the following conditions is the highest cause of infant death in the United States, with nearly 3,000 infant deaths annually attributed to it? A. Shaken baby syndrome B. Sudden infant death syndrome C. Down syndrome D.

Q: Amira is concerned about putting her baby on his stomach to sleep because of the risk that he might stop breathing, usually during the night, and die suddenly without an apparent cause. In other words, she is concerned about _____. A. shaken baby syndrome B. sudden infant death syndrome C. Down syndrome D.

Q: The American Academy of Pediatrics Task Force on Infant Positioning and SIDS (AAPTFIPS) (2000) recommends against: A. children sleep on their backs. B. breast feeding. C. shared sleeping. D.

Q: Which of the following statements about infants and REM sleep is TRUE? A. When infants are 3 months old, the amount of time they spend in REM sleep begins to increase. B. Most infants spend about 70 percent of their sleeping time in REM sleep. C. REM sleep might promote the brain's development in infancy. D.

Q: Approximately what percentage of an infant's sleep is REM sleep? A. 50 percent B. 25 percent C. 5 percent D.

Q: Infant nighttime waking problems have consistently been linked to: A. parental negligence with regard to sleep-related interactions with their infant. B. extrinsic factors such as high levels of traffic noise. C. intrinsic factors such as an alcoholic mother. D.

Q: The most common infant sleep-related problem reported by parents is _____. A. nighttime waking B. sleepwalking C. sudden infant death syndrome D.

Q: By _____ of age, babies would usually have moved closer to adult-like sleep patterns. A. one month B. two months C. six months D.

Q: Similar to the epigenetic view, the _____ view emphasizes the importance of interactions between experience and gene expression in the brain's development. A. neuroconstructivist B. dynamic systems C. genetic D.

Q: Neuroscientists believe that what wires the brain or rewires it after birth is: A. genetic makeup. B. DNA. C. repeated experience. D.

Q: A. the brain is both flexible and resilient. B. myelination varies in different areas of the brain. C. the effects of deprived environments on the brain are irreversible. D. the brain can adapt and function only when whole.

Q: Which of the following statements is TRUE about the pace of myelination in the brain? A. Myelination for visual pathways occurs early in prenatal development and is completed at birth. B. Myelination for auditory pathways is completed by the end of the second year of life. C. The frontal lobes are fully mature in the newborn. D.

Q: The frontal lobes are _____ in the newborn. A. well-developed B. immature C. overactive D.

Q: The adult density of synapses in the prefrontal cortex is achieved in: A. infancy. B. early childhood. C. late childhood. D.

Q: The _____ is the area of the brain where higher-level thinking and self-regulation occur. A. visual cortex B. myelin sheath C. prefrontal cortex D.

Q: The peak of synaptic overproduction in the _____ takes place at around one year of age. A. prefrontal cortex B. spinal cord C. visual cortex D.

Q: The peak of synaptic overproduction in the _____ occurs at about the fourth postnatal month. A. spinal cord B. prefrontal cortex C. visual cortex D.

Q: When babies engage in physical activity or use language, some synaptic connections will be strengthened, while the unused ones are replaced by other pathways or disappear. A neuroscientist would identify this process as "_____". A. pruning B. myelination C. paring D.

Q: Which of the following statements is TRUE of how neurons change in the first years of life? A. Synaptic connections begin to develop only after birth. B. Myelination begins prenatally and stops at birth. C. The synaptic connections that are used become strengthened and survive, while the unused ones are replaced by other pathways or disappear. D.

Q: A message in the brain is "ferried" across the synapse by a _____, which pours out information contained in chemicals when it crosses the synapses. A. myelin sheath B. dendrite C. neurotransmitter D.

Q: Chemical interactions in ____ connect axons and dendrites, allowing information to pass from neuron to neuron. A. nephrons B. synapses C. neurotransmitters D.

Q: _____ are tiny gaps, or junctions, between neurons' fibers. A. Neurilemma B. Myelin sheaths C. Neurotransmitters D.

Q: _____ refers to the process of encasing axons with fat cells. A. Myelination B. Lateralization C. Habituation D.

Q: Which of the following is involved in providing energy to neurons and aids communication? A. Perception B. Lateralization C. Myelination D.

Q: A(n) _____ is a layer of fat cells that encases and insulates many axons, and helps electrical signals travel faster down the axon. A. myelin sheath B. astrocyte C. dendrite D.

Q: The fiber that carries signals toward the neuron's cell body is called a(n): A. axon. B. dendrite. C. neurotransmitter. D.

Q: The fiber that carries signals away from the neuron's cell body is called a(n): A. axon. B. dendrite. C. neurotransmitter. D.

Q: When do the hemispheres of the cerebral cortex begin to specialize? A. Before birth B. At birth C. At seven days of age D.

Q: Most neuroscientists agree that complex functions such as reading or performing music involve: A. the spinal cord. B. only the right hemisphere. C. both hemispheres. D.

Q: Which of the following statements is true about specialization of function in a hemisphere of the cerebral cortex? A. Complex thinking is mostly carried out by the right hemisphere, while the left hemisphere typically deals with motor control. B. Logical thinkers are usually "left-brained". C. Creative thinkers are usually "right-brained". D.

Q: Your ability to process language in the left hemisphere and spatial thinking in the right hemisphere is called _____. A. linearity B. mastery C. lateralization D.

Q: Which of the following statements is true about the involvement of left and right hemispheres in performing different functions? A. Most neuroscientists believe that complex brain activity involves only one particular hemisphere. B. Logical thinkers are primarily right-brained due to the excessive involvement of right hemisphere. C. Humor and use of metaphors usually depends on activity in the right hemisphere. D.

Q: A fall from the changing table resulted in damage to Emilys temporal lobe. Her doctor has told her parents that this would most likely affect her: A. memory. B. taste. C. vision. D.

Q: While scooting on the floor, baby Giovanni fell down the stairs. If he can no longer see, it is likely that his _____ lobe was damaged. A. frontal B. parietal C. occipital D.

Q: One day when Mark was crawling around, he fell down the stairs. After the doctor examined him, Mark's parents learned that he had damaged the parietal lobe. Mark's parents were told to expect that he would have difficulty with: A. registering spatial locations. B. processing auditory information. C. vision. D.

Q: While watching a football game, Martin jumped up to cheer and dropped baby Theresa to the floor. If she later has trouble with higher order thinking, planning, problem solving, or voluntary movement it would indicate that her _____ lobe was damaged. A. frontal B. parietal C. occipital D.

Q: The _____ lobe area in the cerebral cortex plays an important role in registering spatial location and motor control. A. frontal B. parietal C. occipital D.

Q: In the cerebral cortex, the _____ lobes have an active role in hearing, language processing, and memory. A. frontal B. parietal C. occipital D.

Q: The _____ lobes in the cerebral cortex function in vision. A. frontal B. parietal C. occipital D.

Q: In the cerebral cortex, the _____ lobe is involved in voluntary movement, thinking, personality, and intentionality or purpose. A. frontal B. parietal C. occipital D.

Q: The cerebral cortex has two _____, each of which is further divided into four _____. A. neurons; divisions B. divisions; neurons C. hemispheres; lobes D.

Q: The _____ includes the cerebral cortex and several structures beneath it. A. forebrain B. hindbrain C. midbrain D.

Q: The portion farthest from the spinal cord is known as the _____. A. hindbrain B. forebrain C. midbrain D.

Q: By the second birthday, a toddler's brain is about _____ percent of its adult weight. A. 25 B. 50 C. 75 D.

Q: At birth, the newborn's brain is about _____ percent of its adult weight. A. 10 B. 25 C. 50 D.

Q: Which of the following statements is true about MEG (magnetoencephalography)? A. It is used in assessing an infants fine motor skills. B. It is used in assessing an infants brain activity. C. It is used in analyzing an infants suckling reflex. D.

Q: Which of the following technologies, a measure of the brain's electrical activity, have researchers been able to use successfully to learn about the brain's development in infancy? A. Positron-emission tomography (PET) scans B. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) C. Brain electron sampling (BES) D.

Q: Shaken baby syndrome causes several symptoms including: A. brain swelling and hemorrhaging. B. brain tumors. C. cardiac arrest. D.

Q: Which of the following statements is true about brain development? A. The brain grows exponentially from conception to birth; causing the brain to be completely developed at birth. B. The process of brain development continues through the first year after birth and then stops. C. Extensive brain development continues after birth, through infancy and later. D.

Q: By two years of age, children have reached about _____ of their adult weight and about _____ of their adult height. A. one-half; one-fourth B. one-fifth; one-half C. one-third; two-third D.

Q: Infants would nearly have tripled their birth weight by the age of: A. two years. B. one year. C. four months. D.

Q: Infants usually double their birth weight by the age of: A. one month. B. one year. C. four months. D.

Q: Jerome weighed 4.5 pounds when he was born. Compared to other newborns in North America, his weight is: A. less than the average. B. average. C. severely abnormal. D.

Q: In the first several days of life, most newborns lose _____ percent of their body weight before they adjust to feeding by sucking, swallowing, and digesting. A. 5 to 7 B. 15 to 20 C. 1 to 2 D.

Q: Infants control the muscles of their trunk and arms before they control their hands and fingers, and they use their whole hands before they can control several fingers. This indicates a _____ pattern of growth. A. proximodistal B. cephalocaudal C. proximocaudal D.

Q: The _____ pattern of growth is the sequence in which growth starts at the center of the body and moves toward the extremities. A. proximodistal B. proximocaudal C. cephalocaudal D.

Q: Infants can see objects before they can control their torso, and they can use their hands long before they can crawl or walk. This would indicate that they have a _____ pattern of growth. A. proximodistal B. proximocaudal C. cephalodistal D.

Q: The cephalocaudal pattern is the sequence in which the earliest growth always occurs at the: A. center of the body and then moves toward the extremities. B. spinal cord and then expands out to the limbs and head. C. topthe headwith physical growth and differentiation of features gradually working their way down from top to bottom. D.

Q: Identify a disadvantage of breast feeding in the context of impoverished African countries. A. There is risk of passing HIV to the babies through breast milk if the mothers have the virus. B. Breast milk is less hygienic than infant formula. C. Breast feeding predominantly deteriorates the health of the mother. D.

Q: To assess an infant's attention to sound, researchers often use a method called high-amplitude sucking. Describe how this method is used. In this method, infants are given a non-nutritive nipple to suck, and the nipple is connected to a sound generating system. The researcher computes a baseline high-amplitude sucking rate in a one minute silent period. Following the baseline, presentation of a sound is made contingent on the rate of high-amplitude sucking. Initially babies suck frequently so the sound occurs often. Gradually they lose interest in hearing the same sound, so they begin to suck less often. Then the researcher changes the sound that is being presented. If the babies renew their vigorous sucking, the inference is that they have discriminated the sound change and are sucking more because they want to hear the interesting new sound.

Q: Define gross and fine motor skills, and give an example of each.