Child Psychology Questions

Answer Key 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24. 25. 26. 27. 28. 29. 30. 31. 32. 33. 34. 35. 36. 37. 38. 39. 40. 41. 42. 43. 44. C C C A D A A C A C B B C D B B A D B D C C B C D B A C D A A D D D B C C D B B B D B C 45. 46. 47. 48. 49. 50. D C D A D B 1. The personalities of adopted children A) are very similar to the personalities of the other children in their adoptive families. B) are very similar to the personalities of their biologically related siblings. C) are not very similar to the personalities of their adoptive parents. D) are more similar to the personalities of their caregiving adoptive parents than to the personalities of their biological parents. 2. Erikson would have suggested that adolescents can most effectively develop a sense of identity by A) seeking a lifelong romantic relationship. B) severing the emotional ties between themselves and their childhood friends. C) investigating the personal suitability of various occupational and social roles. D) adopting whatever values and expectations their parents recommend. 3. Of those who talk of suicide, ________ actually attempt suicide. Of those who attempt suicide, ________ succeed in completing the act. A) only a few; most B) most; only a few C) only a few; only a few D) most; most 4. The circadian rhythm is influenced by light-sensitive retinal proteins that trigger signals to the A) suprachiasmatic nucleus. B) amygdala. C) thyroid gland. D) sleep spindles. 5. Newborns have been observed to show the greatest visual interest in a A) rectangular shape. B) circular shape. C) bull's-eye pattern. D) facelike image. 6. Compared to when they were only 20 years old, 60-year-olds A) spend less time in deep sleep. B) spend less time in Stage 1 sleep. C) spend more time in paradoxical sleep. D) complete the sleep cycle more slowly. 7. Cross-cultural research on human development indicates that A) person-to-person differences within cultural groups are larger than differences between groups. B) differences among cultural groups largely reflect genetic differences among racial groups. C) gender differences in behavior result from differences in biology rather than from differences in life experiences. D) developmental processes differ greatly among individuals raised in different cultures. 8. Narcolepsy is a disorder involving A) the temporary cessation of breathing during sleep. B) sudden uncontrollable seizures. C) periodic uncontrollable attacks of overwhelming sleepiness. D) difficulty falling and staying asleep. 9. Preschoolers' acquisition of a theory of mind suggests that Piaget overestimated young children's A) egocentrism. B) habituation. C) stranger anxiety. D) sense of object permanence. 10. Sleep deprivation has been shown to A) increase attentiveness to highly motivating tasks. B) reduce hypertension. C) diminish immunity to disease. D) decrease narcolepsy. 11. Circadian rhythm refers to A) the pattern of emotional ups and downs we routinely experience. B) a pattern of biological functioning that occurs on a roughly 24-hour cycle. C) the experience of sleep apnea following an extensive transoceanic flight. D) the cycle of five distinct stages that we experience during a normal night's sleep. 12. People experience rapid physical growth and sexual maturation during A) late adolescence. B) puberty. C) the concrete operational stage. D) emerging adulthood. 13. Edith abuses both her 3-year-old and 1-year-old daughters. Her behavior is most likely related to a lack of A) childhood experience with younger brothers and sisters. B) maturation. C) an early and secure attachment to her own parents. D) formal operational intelligence. 14. To estimate trait heritability, researchers are most likely to make use of A) the pruning process. B) molecular genetics. C) natural selection. D) twin studies. 15. For the last month, Gabrielle has felt lethargic and has been unable to get out of bed in the morning. She has withdrawn from friends and family because she feels worthless and unlovable. Gabrielle is most likely suffering from A) seasonal affective disorder. B) major depressive disorder. C) anxiety disorder. D) antisocial conduct disorder. 16. According to Kohlberg, postconventional morality involves A) behavior based on self-interest. B) affirmation of self-defined ethical principles. C) strong concern for social approval. D) unquestioning obedience to authority figures. 17. The selective loss of unused connections among brain cells is called A) pruning. B) menarche. C) myelin. D) a primary sex characteristic. 18. Prior to age 9, children's dreams seem more like a slide show and less like an active story in which the dreamer is an actor. This best illustrates that the content of dreams reflects children's A) latent content. B) growth potential. C) night terrors. D) cognitive development. 19. Many clinicians diagnose disorders by answering questions from five levels of the A) MDMA. B) DSM-IV-TR. C) PTSD. D) THC. 20. Night terrors typically occur A) among older adults. B) during REM sleep. C) following sleep apnea. D) within three hours of falling asleep. 21. Inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity are major symptoms of A) schizophrenia. B) depression. C) attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder. D) anorexia. 22. Fourteen-year-old Lisa was asked, ÒWhat would happen if everyone in the world suddenly went blind?Ó She responded, ÒThose who had previously been blind would become leaders.Ó Lisa's answer indicates she is in the ________ stage of development. A) concrete operational B) postconventional C) formal operational D) preoperational 23. DSM-IV-TR is most likely to be criticized for A) attempting to explain behavior by simply labeling it. B) classifying an excessively broad range of human behaviors as psychologically disordered. C) failing to base diagnoses on observable behaviors. D) inhibiting scientific efforts to discover the underlying causes of psychological disorders. 24. According to Piaget, egocentrism refers to A) a sensorimotor need for self-stimulation, as evidenced in thumb sucking. B) young children's exaggerated interest in themselves and their own pleasure. C) the difficulty perceiving things from another person's point of view. D) the difficulty realizing that things continue to exist even when they are not visible. 25. Parents who are demanding and yet sensitively responsive to their children are said to be A) authoritarian. B) conservative. C) permissive. D) authoritative. 26. Puberty is most closely related to the onset of A) adult responsibilities. B) menarche. C) rites of passage. D) conventional morality. 27. The heart begins to beat during the ________ period of prenatal development. A) embryonic B) fetal C) zygotic D) ovular 28. The rhythmic bursts of brain activity that occur during Stage 2 sleep are called A) alpha waves. B) circadian rhythms. C) sleep spindles. D) delta waves. 29. According to Erikson, trust is to infancy as identity is to A) infancy. B) childhood. C) adulthood. D) adolescence. 30. Combined data from 88 studies indicate that there are no differences in the self-esteem scores of children who are A) adoptees rather than nonadoptees. B) securely rather than insecurely attached. C) raised by authoritative rather than by authoritarian parents. D) in their early rather than their late teens. 31. The biochemical units of heredity that make up the chromosomes are called A) genes. B) sperm. C) ova. D) neurotransmitters. 32. Obsessions are A) persistent, irrational fears of specific objects or situations. B) false beliefs of persecution or grandeur. C) periodic episodes of intense dread accompanied by frightening physical sensations. D) offensive and unwanted thoughts that persistently preoccupy a person. 33. Women are most likely to be sexually attracted to men who seem A) shy. B) emotionally reactive and intense. C) interested in casual, uncommitted sex. D) mature and affluent. 34. A teratogen is a(n) A) fertilized egg that undergoes rapid cell division. B) unborn child with one or more physical defects or abnormalities. C) chromosomal abnormality. D) substance that can cross the placental barrier and harm an unborn child. 35. According to Kohlberg, morality based on the avoidance of punishment and the attainment of concrete rewards represents ________ morality. A) conventional B) preconventional C) concrete operational D) postconventional 36. The labels Òeasy,Ó Òdifficult,Ó and Òslow-to-warm-upÓ are used to refer to differences an infant's A) genome. B) fitness. C) temperament. D) adaptability. 37. According to Piaget, children come to understand that the volume of a substance remains constant despite changes in its shape during the ________ stage. A) sensorimotor B) preoperational C) concrete operational D) formal operational 38. To break the vicious cycle of depression, the social-cognitive perspective suggests that people should be encouraged to explain their failures in terms that are both A) internal and stable. B) external and global. C) internal and global. D) external and temporary. 39. A generalized anxiety disorder is characterized by A) offensive and unwanted thoughts that persistently preoccupy a person. B) a continuous state of tension, apprehension, and autonomic nervous system arousal. C) hyperactive, wildly optimistic states of emotion. D) alternations between extreme hopelessness and unrealistic optimism. 40. Gender identity refers to A) one's biological sex. B) the sense of being male or female. C) the set of expected behaviors for males and for females. D) how masculine a boy is or how feminine a girl is. 41. Interpreting new experiences in terms of existing schemas is called A) egocentrism. B) assimilation. C) imprinting. D) accommodation. 42. Women are more likely than men to A) stare at people who make them angry. B) interrupt others while they are talking. C) misperceive simple friendliness as a sexual come-on. D) tend and befriend. 43. Studies of monkeys raised with artificial mothers suggest that mother-infant emotional bonds result primarily from mothers providing infants with A) adequate nourishment. B) body contact. C) the opportunity to explore. D) self-esteem. 44. Rishi, a college student, complains that he feels apprehensive and fearful most of the time but doesn't know why. Without warning, his heart begins to pound, his hands get icy, and he breaks out in a cold sweat. Rishi most likely suffers from A) post-traumatic stress disorder. B) obsessive-compulsive disorder. C) generalized anxiety disorder. D) a phobia. 45. According to Freud, the latent content of a dream refers to A) its accompanying brain-wave pattern. B) the previous day's events that prompted the dream. C) the sensory stimuli in the sleeping environment that are incorporated into the dream. D) its underlying but censored meaning. 46. A random error in gene replication is known as a(n) A) adaptation. B) genome. C) mutation. D) natural selection. 47. A World Health Organization study of 20 countries estimated that ________ had the highest prevalence of mental disorders during the prior year. A) Japan B) Germany C) Mexico D) the United States 48. The brain waves associated with REM sleep are most similar to those of A) Stage 1 sleep. B) Stage 2 sleep. C) Stage 3 sleep. D) Stage 4 sleep. 49. Avoiding physical punishment is to ________ morality as respecting the laws of society is to ________ morality. A) conventional; postconventional B) preconventional; postconventional C) conventional; preconventional D) preconventional; conventional 50. The social-cognitive perspective has emphasized that depression is perpetuated by A) motivational conflict. B) self-blaming attributions. C) egocentrism. D) conscious role-playing.