Self Test #17 - Infancy & Childhood
Note: These questions are part of a larger data base of questions on Module 17 & are selected
to represent the type of question you should expect on unit exam five. You can, in fact, expect
to see many of these very same questions on that exam. Exam questions, however, may deal
with topics not covered in the self tests or in lectures but are disucssed in your textbook. You
are responsible for the content of your text book plus the content of lectures, interactive
activities, & material on the web site.
Use these sample questions to test yourself & to practice for the test.
1. Nature is to nurture as _______ is to _______.
culture; society
biology; physics
genetics; environment
environment; genetics
2. The three phases of the prenatal period in the correct order are:
germinal, fascia, zygote
germinal, embryonic, fetal
mitosial, chromosomal, fetal
embryonic, preoperational, operational
3. The medical test called __________ is performed to indicate genetic
problems like __________.
amniocentesis / Down syndrome
fetal stage assessment / brain damage
teratogen identification / lead poisoning
placentosis / fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS)
4. Chemicals that can cause birth defects are called:
teratogens
biohazards
biochemoses
amniocentesis
5. The best piece of advice given to pregnant women regarding drug
use would be:
- use of all drugs should be avoided
- recreational drug use is probably ok
- social drinking does not seem to have any effect on the unborn child
- we do not know enough about the effects of drugs on prenatal
development to give solid advice
6. Which statement is most accurate in describing the order from smallest
to largest?
zygote, genes, DNA, chromosomes
DNA, zygote, genes, chromosomes
genes, DNA, chromosomes, zygote
DNA, genes, chromosomes, zygote
7. Infants first use their more developed arms, and then their fingers,
whose control develops later — this is the:
principle of maturation
proximodistal principle
cephalocaudal principle
principle of normal development
8. Development occurs in a sequential and orderly fashion because of
a genetic plan called:
maturation
proximodistal
cephalocaudal
norms for development
9. An infant’s characteristic mood, activity level, and attention span are
referred to as components of the infant’s:
genotype
phenotype
personality
temperament
10. According to longitudinal data, the majority of babies have
________ temperaments.
easy
difficult
no-single category
slow-to-warm-up
11. With regard to attachment, which statement is true?
- Secure attachment is associated with poor relationships
- Attachment appears to have no significant long-term effects.
- Insecurely attached infants explore their environments more freely.
- Secure attachment is associated with mother’s sensitivity & responsiveness
to the infant.
12. Longitudinal is to _____ as cross-sectional is to _____.
positional; placement
time; groups
sequence; quanity
age; population
13. The essence of Piaget’s theory of cognitive development is that:
- a child’s picture of the world is slowly, gradually shaped by a steady
succession of learning experiences
- each stage is characterized by a distinctly different way of
understanding the world
- through thousands and thousands of mistakes, the child gradually
builds a factual picture of the world
- the mind of a child is like the mind of an adult - there just isn’t as much
information in it
14. When existing knowledge is changed because of new information being
assimilated, the process called _____________ has taken place.
conservation
positive assimilation
accommodation
object permanence
15. Which of the following is the correct sequence for Piaget’s cognitive stages?
preoperational, formal operations, sensorimotor, concrete operations
preoperational, permanent operations, egocentrism, formal operations
sensorimotor, preoperational, concrete operations, formal operations
sensorimotor, egocentrism, concrete operations, permanent operations
16. The concept of object permanence develops during Piaget's ______ stage.
sensorimotor
preoperational
concrete operational
formal operational
17. A child is shown two identical balls of clay. Then an adult squashes one ball
into a pancake shape. She then asks the child if one of the shapes contains
more clay and the child answers, “Yes, the pancake does.” In Piagetian
terms, the child has not yet reached:
decentricity
object permanence
sensorimotor stage
concrete operational stage
18. ____________ refers to seeing and thinking of the world from your own viewpoint
and having difficulty appreciating another’s viewpoint
Conservation
Conceited thinking
Egocentric thinking
Egotistical thinking
19. In what stage can an individual consider abstract ideas & hypothetical concepts?
conservation
preoperations
formal operations
concrete operations
20. Which of the following is the correct order of psychosexual stages according
to Freud?
anal, oral, latency, phallic, genital
oral, anal, phallic, latency, genital
projection, fixation, displacement, genital
sensorimotor, preoperational, concrete, formal
21. Both Freud’s and Erikson’s theories have been criticized for being
_____ and not _________.
general; specific
specific; general
descriptive; explanatory
explanatory; descriptive
22. A number of factors have been identified that decrease the impact of life
stresses. These factors are referred to as:
resiliency
androgyny
assimilation
conservation
23. The combination of attitudes and behaviors considered appropriate and
expected for a particular sex in a given culture is known as:
sex typing
gender role
gender identity
gender orientation
24. Social and cognitive influences on how we interpret, organize, and use
information characterizes ________.
Freudian theory
social role theory
the parent modeling model
affective-primary theory
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Topics in Psychology
Robert C. Gates