Q&A Hero

Q: an investigator wanted to speak candidly with high school students about their drug use. he felt that the students would be more honest if their parents were unaware that they were participating in the study. if the investigator chooses to interview the students without their parents knowledge, he will violate which of the following childrens research rights? a)privacy b)protection from harm c)informed consent d)beneficial treatments

Q: sustained musical experiences, such as music lessons, can lead to a)substantial increases in intelligence that do not arise from comparable drama lessons. b)substantial decreases in social maturity that do not arise from comparable drama lessons. c)small increases in intelligence that do not arise from comparable drama lessons. d)small increases in social maturity that do not arise from comparable drama lessons.

Q: the mozart effect a)only applies to infants and young toddlers. b)lasts only about 15 minutes. c)is easily replicated in participants of all ages. d)results in iq gains of 10 to 15 points.

Q: when children take part in research, the ethical concerns are especially complex because a)children are less vulnerable than adults to physical harm. b)immaturity makes it difficult for children to evaluate for themselves what participation in research will mean. c)while adults are more vulnerable to psychological harm, children are sometimes exploited. d)children do not have the same privacy rights as adults.

Q: one limitation of microgenetic studies is that a)participant dropout often distorts developmental trends. b)they are difficult to carry out. c)they often create ethical issues. d)cohort effects often limit the generalizability of the findings.

Q: professor story is interested in studying how children acquire new reading strategies. the best design for professor story to use would be the _____________ design. a)longitudinal b)microgenetic c)cross-sectional d)sequential

Q: using the ______________ design, researchers observe how developmental change occurs. a)longitudinal b)cross-sectional c)sequential d)microgenetic

Q: one advantage of the sequential design is that a)researchers can find out whether cohort effects are operating by comparing participants of the same age who were born in different years. b)it permits cause-and-effect inferences by studying groups of people differing in age at the same point in time. c)it presents participants with a novel task and follows their mastery over a series of closely spaced sessions. d)it is especially useful for studying the strategies children use to acquire new knowledge in reading and science.

Q: in an effort to overcome some of the limitations of traditional developmental designs, dr. francisco conducted several similar cross-sectional studies at varying times. dr. francisco used the ______________ design. a)longitudinal b)experimental c)sequential d)correlational

Q: a disadvantage of cross-sectional research is that a)it is more inefficient and inconvenient than longitudinal research. b)it does not provide evidence about change at the individual level. c)it can be threatened by practice effects and participant dropout. d)age-related changes cannot be examined.

Q: because participants are measured only once in the cross-sectional design, researchers need not be concerned about difficulties like _____________ and ____________. a)cohort effects; practice effects b)selective attrition; cohort effects c)cohort effects; biased sampling d)participant dropout; practice effects

Q: dr. kirk wants to study sibling relationships at differing ages. dr. kirk has children with one or more siblings in grades 3, 6, 9, and 12 complete his questionnaire. this is an example of a _______________ study. a)cross-sectional b)longitudinal c)microgenetic d)sequential

Q: cohort effects occur when a)participants in longitudinal studies become test-wise. b)specific experiences influence some children but not others in the same generation. c)participants move away or drop out of a longitudinal study. d)participants in a research study have a special appreciation for the scientific value of research.

Q: the most widely discussed threat to the accuracy of longitudinal findings is a)practice effects. b)cohort effects. c)selective attrition. d)biased sampling.

Q: dr. staminas 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 a)cohort effects. b)selective attrition. c)practice effects. d)biased sampling.

Q: to examine whether childrens 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. a)sequential b)microgenetic c)cross-sectional d)longitudinal

Q: two strengths of longitudinal design are that researchers can ________ and ________. a)collect a large amount of data in a short time span; identify both common patterns and individual differences b)explore similarities among children of different ages at the same time; examine relationships between early and later behaviors c)collect a large amount of data in a short time span; explore similarities among children of different ages at the same time d)identify both common patterns and individual differences; examine relationships between early and later behaviors

Q: one limitation of the longitudinal design is it a)does not permit the study of individual development. b)requires intensive study of participants moment-by-moment behaviors. c)may distort age-related changes because of biased sampling or cohort effects. d)is more efficient than cross-sectional design, but less efficient than microgenetic design.

Q: in a _______________, participants are studied repeatedly, and changes are noted as they get older. a)correlational design b)longitudinal design c)cross-sectional study d)sequential design

Q: professor yang wondered if parenting style is related childrens achievement test scores. professor yang gathered information on the participants, but made no effort to alter their experiences. professor yang used a)a correlational design. b)random assignment. c)experimental design. d)a natural experiment.

Q: in quasi-experiments, a)random assignment helps protect against reduction in the accuracy of the findings. b)researchers combine random assignment with the matching technique. c)cause-and-effect inferences cannot be made. d)lack of random assignment substantially reduces the precision of the research.

Q: in _____________ experiments, control over the treatment is usually weaker than in ______________ experiments. a)laboratory; natural b)laboratory; field c)field; laboratory d)correlational; field

Q: professor spinner wanted to compare how children from different family environments made friends at school. he carefully chose participants to ensure that their characteristics were as much alike as possible. professor spinner observed the participants in the school setting. professor spinner used a)a laboratory experiment. b)random assignment. c)a field experiment. d)a correlational design.

Q: one way professor hudgens could use the matching technique to assign the participants to the experimental conditions would be to a)flip a coin or draw names out of a hat. b)let the parents choose in which experimental group they would like their children to participate. c)assign equal numbers of children with high and low parental conflict to each treatment condition. d)let the children choose in which experimental group they would like to participate.

Q: dr. riley wanted to know if adolescent computer use has an immediate effect on their sustained attention. dr. riley assigned participants into one of two groups (computer use vs. no computer use) by flipping a coin. dr. riley used a)matching. b)random assignment. c)a correlational design. d)a field experiment.

Q: professor hudgens is studying the impact of adults angry interactions on childrens adjustment. to determine which participants are exposed to each treatment condition, professor hudgens draws the participants names out of a hat. professor hudgens is using a)matching. b)random assignment. c)experimental assignment. d)cross-sectioning.

Q: when a researcher directly controls or manipulates changes in an independent variable by exposing participants to the treatment conditions, a)she is conducting a correlational study. b)cause-and-effect relationships can be detected. c)the correlational coefficient should be zero. d)she is using a technique called matching.

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

Q: in an experiment examining whether a specific type of intervention improves the psychological adjustment of shy children, the independent variable would be the 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.

Q: the independent variable is the one that a)the investigator expects to be influenced by another variable. b)is randomly assigned. c)shows the strength of the correlational relationship. d)the investigator expects to cause changes in another variable.

Q: a(n) ________ permits inferences about cause and effect. a)correlation coefficient b)experimental design c)correlational design d)case study

Q: a correlation of +.55 between preschool attendance and self-esteem indicates that children who attend preschool have a)moderately higher self-esteem scores than children who do not attend preschool. b)significantly higher self-esteem scores than children who do not attend preschool. c)have significantly lower self-esteem scores than children who do not attend preschool. d)have moderately lower self-esteem scores than children who do not attend preschool.

Q: dr. brennemans research shows that participation in music programs is positively related to grades in school. based on the findings from this one study, what can dr. brenneman conclude? a)participating in music programs causes grades to decrease. b)participating in music programs causes grades to increase. c)children who participate in music programs have higher grades. d)children who participate in music programs have lower grades.

Q: in interpreting a correlation coefficient, a)the magnitude of the number shows the direction of the relationship. b)the sign of the number shows the strength of the relationship. c)a positive sign means that as one variable increases, the other decreases. d)a zero correlation indicates no relationship.

Q: the major limitation of correlational studies is that a)the findings do not provide information about how people behave outside the laboratory. b)the findings do not reveal relationships between participants characteristics and their behavior. c)researchers cannot make inferences about cause and effect. d)the results cannot be generalized to other people and settings.

Q: which of the following is true about the correlational design? a)researchers gather information on individuals, generally in natural life circumstances, and make no effort to alter their experiences. b)unlike the experimental design, it permits inferences of cause and effect. c)researchers use an evenhanded procedure to assign people to two or more treatment conditions. d)in an experiment, the events and behaviors of interest are divided into independent and dependent variables.

Q: immigrant parents of successful youths typically a)view school successes as less important than native-born parents. b)develop close ties to an ethnic community. c)encourage full assimilation into the majority culture. d)stress individualistic values over collectivist values.

Q: in the united states, children who are first-generation and second-generation immigrants a)are more likely than children of native-born parents to use drugs and alcohol. b)report lower self-esteem as compared to children of native-born parents. c)graduate from high school at similar or greater overall rates than students of native-born parents. d)are more likely than children of native-born parents to commit delinquent acts.

Q: which of the following is a limitation of the ethnographic method? a)research may not yield observations typical of participants behavior in everyday life. b)research does not yield as much information as naturalistic observations or structured interviews. c)commonly used research techniques tend to ignore cultural and social influences that affect development. d)investigators cultural values and theoretical commitments sometimes lead them to observe selectively or misinterpret what they see.

Q: which of the following research methods utilizes participant observation? a)the clinical method b)naturalistic observation c)ethnography d)structured observation

Q: dr. newman spent three years in botswana, participating in the daily life of a community there. she gathered extensive field notes, consisting of a mix of self-reports from members of the community and her own observations. which research method did dr. newman most likely use in her research? a)ethnography b)structured observation c)the microgenetic design d)the case study method

Q: 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 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.

Q: the clinical method is well-suited to a)studying a culture or a distinct social group through participant observation. b)providing a large amount of information in a relatively brief period. c)studying the development of certain types of individuals who are few in number but vary widely in characteristics. d)asking multiple participants the same questions in the same way.

Q: dr. jaster is interested in childrens dreams. he recruits students from two public schools in his community and administers the same questionnaire to several large groups. dr. jaster is using a(n) a)biased interviewing technique. b)case study method. c)structured interview. d)ethnographic approach.

Q: structured interviews are limited because they a)are less efficient than clinical interviews. b)do not yield the same depth of information as clinical interviews. c)are more time consuming to carry out compared to clinical interviews. d)are overly flexible and sometimes confusing.

Q: one major limitation of the clinical interview is 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.

Q: a strength of the clinical interview is that a)it can provide a large amount of information in a fairly brief period. b)it provides highly objective and generalizable data. c)it accurately assesses even those participants who have low verbal ability and expressiveness. d)each participant is asked the same questions in the same way.

Q: self-reports a)are usually very accurate. b)ask research participants to provide information on their thoughts, beliefs, and experiences. c)tell researchers little about the reasoning behind how participants behave. d)are always highly structured.

Q: which of the following is true about structured observation? a)it permits greater control over the research situation than does naturalistic observation. b)it is especially useful for studying behaviors commonly seen in everyday life. c)it usually takes place in the field, or natural environment, rather than in the laboratory. d)it provides rich, descriptive insights into processes of development of one individual.

Q: dr. stephens would like to obtain rich, descriptive insights into processes of development of one individual. which of the following methods is best suited to meet dr. stephens needs? a)naturalistic observation b)a case study c)structured observation d)a clinical interview

Q: dr. kempsell combines interviews, observations, and test scores to obtain a full picture of one individuals psychological functioning. this is an example of a)naturalistic observation. b)structured observation. c)a structured interview. d)the clinical method.

Q: a major advantage of structured observation is that it 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.

Q: dr. brown observes behavior in a laboratory, where conditions are the same for all participants. this is an example of a)the clinical method. b)a structured observation. c)a naturalistic observation. d)an ethnography.

Q: a major limitation of naturalistic observation is that 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.

Q: both _________ and _____________ emphasize many possible courses of development. a)the psychoanalytic perspective; ethology b)ethology; evolutionary developmental psychology c)piagets cognitive-developmental theory; behaviorism d)behaviorism; social learning theory

Q: both ________ and ________ stress changes in thinking. a)behaviorism; social learning theory b)cognitive-developmental theory; information-processing theory c)ethology; psychoanalytic theory d)dynamic systems theory; ecological systems theory

Q: which major theory focuses on emotional development? a)psychoanalytic theory b)ethology c)behaviorism d)ecological systems theory

Q: 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? a)ecological systems theory b)sociocultural theory c)evolutionary developmental psychology d)dynamic systems perspective

Q: dynamic systems theorists emphasize that 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.

Q: dr. jones believes that a childs mind, body, and physical and social worlds form an integrated system that guides mastery of new skills. the system is constantly in motion. his view is consistent with which recent theoretical perspective? a)evolutionary developmental psychology b)sociocultural theory c)ecological systems theory d)dynamic systems perspective

Q: according to urie bronfenbrenner, the environment a)is a static force. b)is ever-changing. c)affects children in a uniform way. d)is less important to development than heredity.

Q: according to ecological systems theory, a parents workplace is in the a)microsystem. b)mesosystem. c)exosystem. d)macrosystem.

Q: in bronfenbrenners ecological systems theory, the ___________________ encompasses connections between microsystems, such as home, school, and neighborhood. a)mesosystem b)exosystem c)macrosystem d)chronosystem

Q: in bronfenbrenners ecological systems theory, the _____________ includes interactions between the child and the immediate environment. a)microsystem b)mesosystem c)exosystem d)macrosystem

Q: which recent theoretical perspective views children as developing within a complex system of relationships affected by multiple levels of the surrounding environment? a)information processing b)ethology c)sociocultural theory d)ecological systems theory

Q: which of the following is a limitation of vygotskys sociocultural theory? a)it neglects the biological side of development. b)it overemphasizes the biological side of development. c)it overemphasizes childrens capacity to shape their own development. d)it places little emphasis on joint experiences.

Q: which of the following behaviors is consistent with vygotskys theory? a)when his mother takes him to the grocery store, tom is well-behaved because he knows that his mother will reward him with candy. b)when playing in her sandbox, amy builds the same sort of castle that she observed her best friend building yesterday. c)yesica, a child candy seller with no schooling, develops sophisticated mathematical abilities as a result of her work. d)when working on her math homework, michelle tries several solutions before she arrives at the correct answer.

Q: unlike piaget, vygotsky a)emphasized childrens capacity to shape their own development. b)viewed cognitive development as a socially mediated process. c)believed that children undergo certain stagewise changes. d)focused on discontinuous change.

Q: vygotskys theory has been especially influential in the study of childrens a)physical growth. b)cognition. c)emotional development. d)gender identity.

Q: according to vygotskys theory, a)todays 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 communitys culture.

Q: dr. mcmath is an evolutionary developmental psychologist. which of the following is probably true about dr. mcmath? a)he is primarily concerned with the genetic and biological basis of development. b)he wants to understand the entire organismenvironment system. c)he is primarily concerned with environmental influences on development. d)he focuses on how culture is transmitted to the next generation.

Q: why does the term sensitive period apply better to human development than does the notion of a critical period? a)its boundaries are less well-defined than are those of a critical period. b)its boundaries are more well-defined than are those of a critical period. c)there are more sensitive periods than critical periods in human development. d)sensitive periods, but not critical periods, have been empirically tested.

Q: observations of imprinting led to which of the following major concepts in child development? a)behavior modification b)observational learning c)the critical period d)the chronosystem

Q: which recent theoretical perspective is concerned with the adaptive, or survival, value of behavior and its evolutionary history? a)information processing b)ethology c)sociocultural theory d)ecological systems theory

Q: sociocultural theory, ethology, ecological systems theory, and dynamic system theory all focus on a)contexts for development. b)the adaptive value of behavior. c)childrens biological makeup. d)how culture is transmitted to the next generation.

Q: dr. grief studies the relationship between changes in the brain and the developing childs cognitive processing and behavior patterns. dr. grief would most likely consider herself to be a(n) a)behaviorist. b)developmental cognitive neuroscientist. c)evolutionary developmental psychologist. d)information-processing researcher.

Q: the information-processing perspective has little to say about a)linear cognition. b)how children think at different ages. c)logical cognition. d)imagination and creativity.

Q: a great strength of the information-processing approach is its commitment to a)field work. b)clinical interviews. c)rigorous research methods. d)structured observations.

Q: both piagets theory and the information-processing perspective 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.

Q: in a research study, 10-year-old joe was given a pile of blocks varying in size, shape, and weight and was asked to build a bridge over a river (painted on a floor map) that was too wide for any single block to span. the researcher carefully tracked joes efforts using a flowchart. the researcher was probably applying which recent theoretical perspective? a)ecological systems theory b)evolutionary developmental psychology c)information processing d)sociocultural theory