Life Span Development: Life Span Development A topical Approach Flashcards

_______ development is the field of study that examines patterns of growth, change, and stability in behavior that occur throughout the entire life span.

a) Biological

b) Lifespan

c) Psychological

d) Research

In its study of growth, change, and stability, lifespan development takes a(n) ______ approach.

a) hypothetical

b) scientific

c) biological

d) environmental

A professor wants to examine the effectiveness of a new teaching approach. Her 9:00 a.m. class will be exposed to the new method of viewing teaching tapes, while her 10:00 a.m. class will be exposed to traditional lectures. Students will be able to choose which tapes they want to view. What method is the professor using to conduct her experiment?

a) hypothetical

b) biological

c) environmental

d) scientific

Lifespan development focuses on

a) nonhuman species.

b) test tube babies.

c) biological and environmental development.

d) human development

A group of people who are born around the same time in the same place is called a(n)

a)race

b)cohort

c) ethnic group.

d) normative group.

Biological and environmental influences that are similar for individuals in a particular age group, regardless of where they are raised, are called ______ influences.

a) age-graded

b) history-graded

c) biological

d) environmental

Biological and environmental factors that are associated with a certain historical event, such as the bombing of Pearl Harbor, can be considered

a) age-graded influences.

b) history-graded influences.

c) sociocultural-graded influences.

d) non-normative life events

An example of a biological universal event that occurs at relatively the same time throughout all societies is

a) young adulthood

b) puberty

c) adulthood

d) death

1. Alice’s symptoms of menopause include hot flashes and cessation of her monthly menstrual cycle. Alice’s doctor tells her she is experiencing a(n)

a) non-normative life event.

b) age-graded influence.

c) history-graded influence.

d) sociocultural-graded influence.

A(n)_____________ period is a specific time during which a particular event has the greatest consequences.

a) sensitive
b) conditioning
c) critical
d) environmental

A group of people who are born around the same time in the same place is called a(n)

a) race.
b) cohort.
c) ethnic group.
d) normative group.

Researchers who use intelligence testing as part of their research project with elementary age students are likely to be researching _________ development.

a) personality
b) cognitive
c) social
d) physical

Biological and environmental influences that are similar for individuals in a particular age group, regardless of where they are raised, are called ______ influences.

a) age-graded
b) history-graded
c) biological
d) environmental

When social and cultural factors affect an individual at a particular time and include such variables as ethnicity, social class, and subcultural membership, these factors are called

a) age-graded influences.

b) non-normative life events.

c) history-graded influences.

d) sociocultural-graded influences.

________ development involves the ways that the enduring characteristics that differentiate one person from another change over the life span.

a) Cognitive
b) Physical
c) Personality
d) Social

People who lived in New York City during the 9/11 terrorist attack on the World Trade Center experienced shared challenges due to the fact that they all experienced the attack. These challenges are an example of ________ effects.

a) biological

b) environmental

c) cohort

d) Millennial Generation

_________ development involves the way in which individuals’ interactions with others and their social relationships grow, change, and remain stable over the course of life.

a) Cognitive
b) Physical
c) Personality
d) Social

An example of a biological universal event that occurs at relatively the same time throughout all societies is

a) young adulthood.
b) puberty.
c) adulthood.
d) death.

Alice’s symptoms of menopause include hot flashes and cessation of her monthly menstrual cycle. Alice’s doctor tells her she is experiencing a(n)

a) non-normative life event.
b) age-graded influence.
c) history-graded influence.
d) sociocultural-graded influence.

A(n)_____________ period is a specific time during which a particular event has the greatest consequences.

a) sensitive
b) conditioning
c) critical
d) environmental

In a ______, organisms are particularly susceptible to certain kinds of stimuli in their environments, but the absence of those stimuli does not always produce irreversible consequences.

a) sensitive period
b) continuous change
c) critical period
d) discontinuous change

“Nature” refers to

a) traits, abilities and capacities inherited from parents.
b) biological forces within the environment that affect change.
c) how people’s growth and change is affected at the cellular level.
d) socioeconomic surroundings that affect people’s growth and change.

Environmental influences that shape behavior are referred to as

a) nurture.
b) maturation.
c) nature.
d) social evolution.

Explanations and predictions concerning phenomena of interest are called _________________, and provide a framework for understanding the relationships among an organized set of facts or principles.

a) concepts
b) hypotheses
c) theories
d) perspectives

The psychodynamic perspective is closely associated with the original work of

a) Freud.
b) Erikson.
c) Skinner.
d) Piaget.

Sigmund Freud is responsible for revolutionary ideas and the __________ theory.

a) behavioral
b) psychoanalytic
c) phallic
d) reality

Who was one of the first American psychologists to advocate a behavioral approach to development?

a) Skinner
b) Watson
c) Piaget
d) Erikson

Judy was bitten by a small brown and white dog when she was a little girl, and now every time she sees a small dog approaching her, she is fearful. Watson would say that Judy’s reaction is a result of _________ conditioning.

a) behavioral
b) classical
c) reinforcement
d) psychosocial

Operant conditioning was formulated and championed by

a) Freud.
b) Skinner.
c) Bandura.
d) Rogers.

Which developmental psychologist developed an approach that emphasizes learning by observing the behavior of another person, called a model?

a) Skinner
b) Freud
c) Bandura
d) Watson

Who is considered the predominant theorist in cognitive development?
a) Piaget
b) Skinner
c) Bandura
d) Freud

Piaget’s two basic principles of growth in children’s understanding of the world are

a) reward and punishment.
b) schemas and assessment.
c) assimilation and accommodation.
d) cognitive and behavior.

What did Piaget call the process in which people understand an experience in terms of their current stage of cognitive development and way of thinking?

a) cognition
b) accommodation
c) schemes
d) assimilation

What has become an important alternative to Piagetian approaches?

a) behavioral modification
b) classical conditioning
c) information processing
d) social-cognitive learning

List the four important issues of lifespan development.

List the four important issues of lifespan development.

Lifespan is usually divided into which specific broad-age ranges?

Who was a major proponent of the humanistic perspective and suggested that all people need positive regard that results from an underlying wish to be loved and respected?

a) Bandura
b) Rogers
c) Maslow
d) Freud

Which theorist(s) championed the idea of self-actualization?

a) Freud and Erikson
b) Skinner and Piaget
c) Rogers and Maslow
d) Bandura

Which perspective contains the two major theories of Bronfenbrenner’s bioecological approach and Vygotsky’s sociocultural theory?

a) cognitive
b) humanistic
c) behavioral
d) contextual

Who wrote the groundbreaking work titled On the Origin of Species and is responsible for the beginning of the evolutionary perspective?

a) Bronfenbrenner
b) Vygotsky
c) Darwin
d) Lorenz

The evolutionary perspective draws from the field of ethology, which examines the ways in which our biological makeup influences our behavior. Who is/was a primary proponent of ethology?

a) Darwin
b) Vygotsky
c) Bronfenbrenner
d) Lorenz

According to Freud, which part of everyone’s personality operates according to the “pleasure principle”?

a) unconscious
b) ego
c) superego
d) id

Freud believed that the _____ is the part of the personality that is rational and reasonable.

a) id
b) superego
c) conscious
d) ego

The ________ is Freud’s representation of incorporating the distinction between right and wrong.

a) ego
b) id
c) superego
d) unconscious

Adults demonstrating excessive activities such as eating, talking, or chewing gum may be experiencing a(n) __________ fixation.

a) anal
b) oral
c) phallic
d) psychosexual

The "feminine Oedipus attitude" was posited by Freud as a theoretical counterpart to the Oedipus complex
A. Penis envy

B. Electra complex

C. Oedipus complex

A group of largely unconscious (dynamically repressed) ideas and feelings which center around the desire to possess the parent of the opposite sex and eliminate the parent of the same sex.
A. Odepius complex

B. Electra complex

C. Fixation

A type of learning in which an organism responds in a particular way to a neutral stimulus that normally does not bring about that type of response is called

a) classical conditioning.
b) behavioral perspective.
c) operant conditioning.
d) psychodynamic approach.

Operant conditioning was formulated and championed by

a) Freud.
b) Skinner.
c) Bandura.
d) Rogers.

List and briefly explain three types of learning derived from the behavioral perspective.

What is the learning approach that emphasizes learning by observing the behavior of another person, a process called modeling?

a) classical conditioning
b) behavior modification
c) social-cognitive learning
d) operant conditioning

Ralph watches the other kindergarten students receive stickers and other rewards from the teacher for sitting at their desks and completing their work. Soon, Ralph begins to behave like the other kindergarten students. This is what type of learning?

a) modeling
b) reinforcement
c) extinction
d) imitation

According to Piaget, human thought is arranged in organized mental patterns, called __________, that represent behaviors and actions.

a) stages
b) steps
c) schemes
d) sequences

In _________ research, the researcher could tell if an association or relationship between two factors exists.

a) scientific
b) correlational
c) hypothetical
d) experimental

. A correlation __________ is a statistic that describes the relationship between two variables, and is always between -1.00 and +1.00.

a) gradient
b) coefficient
c) variance
d) deviation

True or False

A correlational study can conclude that the viewing of television aggression causes more aggressive behavior in children.

In an experiment, the ____________ is exposed to the treatment variable being studied; the ____________ is not.

a) control group; experimental group
b) treatment group; experimental group
c) control group; treatment group
d) treatment group; control group

________ research is designed to discover causal relationships between various factors.

a) Correlational
b) Hypothetical
c) Experimental
d) Scientific

A(n) _______ is a prediction stated in a way that permits it to be tested.

a) hypothesis
b) theory
c) operational definition
d) scientific method

Alan has decided to conduct a naturalistic observation of children and friendships. Which location would produce the most accurate results?

a) a school principal’s office
b) a laboratory setting designed like a classroom
c) a hospital emergency room
d) a playground

All genes are composed of specific sequences of _______ molecules.

a) DNA
b) zygote
c) ovum
d) sperm

Humans have about ______ genes.

a) 50,000
b) 25,000
c) 100,000
d) 10,000

Genes are arranged in specific locations and in a specific order along ____ different chromosomes.

a) 52
b) 21
c) 46
d) 54

Rod-shaped portions of DNA called chromosomes are organized in ____ pairs.

a) 52
b) 23
c) 46
d) 54

When gametes are formed in the human body, this is called

a) division.
b) meiosis.
c) mitosis.
d) genetic instruction.

The process of _______ accounts for the replication of most types of cells, so nearly all the cells of the body will contain the same 46 chromosomes as the zygote.

a) meiosis
b) cell division
c) mitosis
d) reproduction

The process of _______ accounts for the replication of most types of cells, so nearly all the cells of the body will contain the same 46 chromosomes as the zygote.

a) meiosis
b) cell division
c) Fertilization
d) reproduction

If the child has a XX pairing on the 23rd chromosome, the child will be

a) male.
b) monozygotic.
c) dizygotic.
d) female.

Jason and Justin are twins and are genetically identical. They are ________ twins.

a) gamete
b) dizygotic
c) monozygotic
d) zygote

Evan and Evelyn are twins but are not genetically identical. They are ________ twins.

a) gamete
b) dizygotic
c) monozygotic
d) zygote

The one trait that is expressed when two competing traits are present is called

a) recessive.
b) genotype.
c) dominant.
d) phenotype.

A trait within an organism that is present but not expressed is called

a) dominant.
b) a genotype.
c) a phenotype.
d) recessive.

The underlying combination of genetic material that is present but not outwardly visible in an organism is called

a) a genotype.
b) a phenotype.
c) dominant.
d) polygenic.

An observable trait is labeled

a) polygenic.
b) recessive.
c) a genotype.
d) a phenotype.

Eric has blue eyes. Since the gene for blue eyes is recessive, Eric must be ______ for that trait.

When a child receives different forms of a certain gene from his/her parents, he or she is said to be

a) dominant.
b) phenotypical.
c) homozygous.
d) heterozygous.

When a child receives different forms of a certain gene from his/her parents, he or she is said to be

a) dominant.
b) phenotypical.
c) homozygous.
d) heterozygous.

What is the name of the inherited disorder in which a child is unable to make use of an essential amino acid present in proteins found in milk and other foods, and which has the potential to cause brain damage and mental retardation?

a) heterozygous
b) phenylketonuria (PKU)
c) homozygous
d) chromosome deficiency

True or False

The blood disorder hemophilia is an example of a disease that is produced by X-linked genes.

Briefly explain the inherited disorder called sickle-cell anemia.

Which procedure can identify a variety of genetic defects with nearly 100% accuracy?

a) amniocentesis
b) chorionic villus sampling (CVS)
c) sonoembryology
d) embryoscopy

What is used to find genetic defects and involves taking samples of hair-like material that surrounds the unborn baby?

a) karyotype
b) amniocentesis
c) ultrasound sonography
d) chorionic villus sampling (CVS)

What is the term applied to studying the effects of heredity on behavior?

a) gene sequence
b) mapping
c) behavioral genetics
d) human genome

The hormone __________ is produced in ________, which some scientists speculate may lead to differences in male and female brain structure, and later variations in gender-related behavior(s).

a) oxytocin; males
b) progestin; females
c) androgen; males
d) progesterone; females

During the germinal stage, the fertilized egg is now called a(n) ___________, and travels toward the uterus where it becomes implanted in the uterus’s wall.

a) ovum
b) sperm
c) zygote
d) blastocyst

What is the stage that begins at about 8 weeks after conception and continues until birth?

a) fertilization stage
b) fetus stage
c) embryonic stage
d) fetal stage

Each human parent contributes ______________ to the developing zygote.

a) 23 genes
b) one of each pair of 23 chromosomes
c) 46 genes
d) 23 X chromosomes and 23 Y chromosomes

The joining of sperm and ovum to create the single-celled zygote from which life begins is referred to as __________.

a) pregnancy
b) ejaculation
c) fertilization
d) ovulation

What is the name of the period from 2 to 8 weeks following fertilization during which significant growth occurs in the major organs and body systems?

a) embryonic stage
b) fetal stage
c) fetus stage
d) fertilization stage

In the embryonic stage, every part of the body is formed from one of ____ layers.

a) 5
b) 3
c) 8
d) 10

What is the term for a developing child from 8 weeks after conception until birth?

a) embryo
b) baby
c) fetus
d) zygote

What sexually transmitted disease can be transmitted directly to the fetus, who will be born suffering from the disease?

a) chicken pox
b) rubella
c) sickle cell
d) syphilis

Increasing evidence suggests that small amounts of alcohol and nicotine

a) can disrupt the development of the fetus.
b) pose no danger to the fetus.
c) can have some benefits for the fetus.
d) are acceptable for pregnant mothers with few risk factors.

A conduit between the mother and fetus, this organ provides nourishment and oxygen via the umbilical cord.

a) amniotic sac
b) ectoderm
c) placenta
d) endoderm

What disease may be passed on to the fetus through the blood that reaches the placenta?

a) mumps
b) syphilis
c) AIDS
d) gonorrhea

During which stage of childbirth does the umbilical cord (which is still attached to the neonate) and the placenta expel from the mother’s body?

a) transitional
b) second
c) final
d) third

A(n) ______________ occurs when pregnancy ends before the developing child is able to survive outside the mother’s womb.

a) stillbirth
b) ectopic pregnancy
c) miscarriage
d) premature birth

Infertility is the inability to conceive after ________ months of trying to become pregnant.

a) 15 to 20
b) 18 to 24
c) 6 to 12
d) 12 to 18

When does the greatest increase in height and weight occur?

a) in the womb during gestation
b) during the first year of life
c) during toddlerhood
d) during adolescence

By their first birthday, the average infant’s birthweight has

a) quadrupled.
b) doubled.
c) tripled.
d) increased only slightly in comparison to later months.

Waking, eating, sleeping, and elimination are important parts of a baby’s

a) patterns.
b) cycles.
c) training.
d) rhythms.

What is the term for repetitive, cyclical patterns of behavior?

a) training
b) cycles
c) rhythms
d) patterns

What is the term for the period of sleep that is found in older children and adults and is associated with dreaming?

a) rapid eye movement (REM)
b) sleep-wake transition
c) active sleep
d) active-quiet transition

What term refers to an infant’s various levels of wakeful behaviors, such as alertness, fussing, crying, and different levels of sleep?

a) sensitive period
b) state
c) rhythm
d) alternation

Which of the following hormones play important roles in puberty?

a) growth hormone, insulin, and glucagon
b) dopamine, adrenaline, and serotonin
c) cortisol, adrenaline, and norepinephrine
d) androgen, leptin, and estrogen

Which of the following terms describes the period in which the sexual organs mature?

a) maturation
b) puberty
c) latency
d) growth spurt

. The _____ gland signals the body to increase production of growth hormones that interact with the sex hormones to cause the growth spurt and puberty.

a) thalamus
b) thyroid
c) pituitary
d) pineal

According to research, all of the following are factors with regard to the age of menarche in girls EXCEPT

a) the economic status of the country in which the girl lives and the affluence of the group the girl is part of.
b) environmental stress and high levels of family conflict.
c) proportion of fat to muscle in the girl’s body.
d) the age at which her mother’s menarche began.

The term “senescence” is another name for

a) primary aging.
b) secondary aging.
c) outward aging.
d) inward aging.

Although young adults are generally healthy, by their early 20s, ______________, a natural physical decline brought about by increasing age, has already begun.

a) debilitation
b) senescence
c) maturation
d) senility

Aging that involves universal and irreversible changes that, due to genetic programming, occur as people get older is called

a) inward aging.
b) secondary aging.
c) outward aging.
d) primary aging.

Changes in physical functioning that are due to illness, health habits, and other individual differences, but which are not due to increased age itself and are not inevitable, are called

a) primary aging.
b) secondary aging.
c) outward aging.
d) inward aging.

Communication with other neurons is done by means of _________ that travel across the small gaps called __________.

a) myelin; synapses
b) dendrites; myelin
c) neurotransmitters; synapses
d) axons; synapses

Synaptic pruning means unused __________ are being removed from the brain.

a) glial cells
b) myelin sheaths
c) neurotransmitters
d) neurons

_________ is the degree to which a developing structure or behavior is modifiable due to experience.

a) Synaptic pruning
b) The principle of the independence of systems
c) Myelination
d) Plasticity

What is the process in which certain cognitive functions are located more in one hemisphere of the brain than in the other?

a) cross-referencing
b) lateralization
c) hemispheric transference
d) transmission

By the end of the preschool years, most children show __________, which is a clear preference for using one hand over the other.

a) partiality
b) dexterity
c) handedness
d) directionality

Which of the following is the most likely reason for adolescent impulsivity and risky behavior(s)?

a) ADD/ADHD
b) developing myelination of nerve cells, which makes the transmission of neural messages more efficient
c) the adolescent prefrontal cortex is biologically immature
d) alterations of dopamine sensitivity

What is the term for unlearned, unorganized, involuntary responses that occur automatically in the presence of certain stimuli?

a) autostimulation
b) reflexes
c) rhythms
d) cycles

Many of the reflexes that infants are born with have ________ value.

a) limited
b) no
c) survival
d) fleeting

________ are unlearned, organized, involuntary responses that occur automatically in the presence of certain stimuli.

a) Motor skills
b) Reflexes
c) Rhythms
d) Characteristics

What is the term for the average performance of a large sample of children of a given age?

a) standard
b) median
c) typical
d) norms

What is the term for the sorting out, interpretation, analysis, and integration of stimuli involving the sense organs and brain?

a) perception
b) visualization
c) sensation
d) distinction

The researcher Robert Fantz discovered that

a) newborn infants prefer to look at simple stimuli rather than complex stimuli.
b) when given a choice of visual stimuli, newborn infants don’t show a preference.
c) newborn infants prefer to look at complex stimuli rather than simple stimuli.
d) newborn infants are too young to concentrate on visual stimuli; therefore, it’s impossible to measure their preference.

True or False

A newborn infant’s sense of smell is so well-developed that they can distinguish their mother on the basis of smell alone.

The “visual cliff” study by Gibson & Walk indicates that most infants in the age range of _________ months cannot be coaxed to cross the “cliff.”

a) 6 to 14
b) 5 to 12
c) 12 to 14
d) 8 to 14

The developmental researchers who conducted the classic study regarding the “visual cliff” was/were _________.

a) Pavlov & Watson
b) Skinner & Thorndike
c) Bandura & Rotter
d) Gibson & Walk

Briefly discuss the classic study by developmental psychologists Gibson & Walk and the “visual cliff.”

Which of the following is NOT a change in vision occurring during middle adulthood?

a) decline in depth perception
b) decline in distance perception
c) presbyopia lessens
d) change in ability to see in three dimensions

Tomasina finds herself holding books and newspapers further from her eyes in order to read and bring material into focus. Her eye exam reveals she has

a) farsightedness.
b) visual acuity problems.
c) presbycusis.
d) mysbyopia.

A decrease in one’s ability to hear high-pitched, high frequency sounds is known as

a) presbycusis.
b) hearing detention.
c) hearing manifestation.
d) myopia.

Which condition affecting vision involves a clouding of the lens inside the eye, which interferes with the passage of light to the retina?

a) presbycusis
b) presbyopia
c) macular degeneration
d) cataracts

Emanuel is told the pressure in his eyes has increased and that fluid in his eyes cannot drain properly. Emanuel has

a) glaucoma.
b) myopia.
c) presbyopia.
d) presbycusis

According to the peripheral slowing hypothesis, the increased reaction time of older people is attributable to changes in the ______________.

a) circulatory system, including the heart
b) entire nervous system, including the brain
c) rate of blood flow in the brain
d) nerves that branch from the brain and spinal cord