Developmental Psychology Quiz

Which of the following scenarios best illustrates Jean Piaget's theory of cognitive development?

• Jimmy, an infant, is learning about the world by exploring with his hands and his mouth.

• Milen, a sixth grader, is learning a new math concept with the help of a more advanced math student.

• Frances, a toddler, is struggling between feelings of autonomy and self-doubt.

• Riaesha, a seventh grader, is learning because her teacher models an activity and then steps back, providing assistance as needed.

• Matthew, a three year old, tells his mother that he wants to marry her when he grows up.

Eleven-month-old Jason drops a toy from his crib. He immediately looks over the side of the crib to search for the toy. Jason's behavior demonstrates that he has acquired

• conservation

• habituation

• dishabituation

• object permanence

• a zone of proximal development

Four-year-old Craig understands that birds build nests in trees. In his front yard, Craig notices an unusually large nest. He is scared to go near it, fearing that some large bird may attack him. Craig's father explains to him that squirrels also build nests and that the nest in the front yard is that of a squirrel. Craig changes his thinking to now include the fact that squirrels build nests. Jean Piaget would say that Craig's new way of thinking about nests is an example of

• insight

• accommodation

• an algorithm

• a heuristic

• conservation

A nine-year-old girl first learning about her capabilities on the playground and in the classroom would be in which of Erikson's stage of development?

• Industry vs. Inferiority

• Identity vs. role confusion

• Autonomy vs. shame and doubt

• Integrity vs. despair

• Trust vs. mistrust

In Mary Ainsworth's Strange Situation experiment, infants who were classified as securely attached were more likely to

• express happiness when the mother returned to the room

• have a tantrum when the mother left the room

• prevent the mother from leaving the room

• try to play with the stranger when the mother left the room

• not notice when the mother returned to the room

The argument over the relative contributions of heredity and environment in the development of various behaviors and personality traits is known as which of the following controversies?

• Continuous versus discrete

• Nature versus nurture

• Active versus passive

• Critical period versus sensitive period

• Ages versus stages

Esther is looking back on her life and feels she has had a good life overall but that there are some things she could have done better. How would Erik Erikson explain Esther's thoughts?

• She is starting to form her identity based on her past experiences.

• She is experiencing proactive interference, which is causing her to reevaluate her life choices.

• She is weighing whether she has succeeded in life, which is common in later adulthood.

• She is reevaluating her life because she is following hypothetico-deductive thinking.

• She is beginning to feel she can do things independently because she has had a good life.

Gender identity is when children begin to do which of the following?

• Believe that gender is consistent over the life span

• Identify as either male, female, or some blend of male and female

• Believe that there are set ways that people of different genders are supposed to behave

• Make generalizations about a gender group

• Develop a way of thinking about people of each gender

Which of the following describes sexual orientation?

• Developing an inherent attraction or romantic relationship with a given gender or genders

• Feeling gender is consistent throughout the life span

• Identifying as a specific gender

• Developing an overgeneralization about a group of individuals based on their gender

• Learning a set of expectations that one feels are appropriate for various genders

According to Diana Baumrind, which of the following is a parenting style that, among children raised in the United States, is most closely associated with the development of self-reliance and confidence?

• Authoritarian

• Authoritative

• Permissive

• Neglectful

• Secure