1. A researcher is interested in studying changes across the life span with regard to memory, problem solving, and language. She chooses a large sample of college seniors and decides to follow them for the next 30 years. This is an example of:

b. longitudinal research.

2. Chloe’s grandmother suffers from Alzheimer’s disease. Chloe wonders if she will experience a similar future because of her biological relationship to her grandmother. What Chloe is contemplating is similar to which of the following debates in developmental psychology?

d. nature and nurture

3. DNA molecules include sections corresponding to _________, which encode proteins that determine the texture of hair, color of eyes, and some aspects of personality.

d. genes

4. Your psychology instructor often discusses the factors in the environment that can influence how genes are expressed. This topic is a part of the field studying:

a. epigenetics.

5. Human development is influenced by the interaction of many factors. Brain development, for example, is influenced by biological maturation and experiences in the environment. This is evident in _________, which occurs when unused synaptic connections are eliminated.

c. synaptic pruning

6. _______________ are agents that can damage a growing embryo or fetus.

d. Teratogens

7. Your friend’s daughter starts to say “ma, ma, ma” over and over when you walk in the room. This _________ is a stage that starts at around 4 to 6 months, and it is generally characterized by meaningless combinations of consonants and vowels.

b. babbling

8. Erikson proposed that human development is characterized by eight psychosocial stages, each marked by a developmental task or emotional crisis. In the first stage, the infant must resolve the _________ conflict. Caregivers who are not responsive might lead the infant always to expect the worst in people.

c. trust versus mistrust

9. According to Vygotsky, _________ is an approach that helps children learn, providing support when necessary but allowing them to problem solve as much as possible on their own.

b. scaffolding

10. _________ further develop during adolescence. These changes are associated with reproductive organs, such as the maturation of ovaries, uterus, penis, and testes.

c. Primary sex characteristics

11. Adolescents begin thinking more logically and systematically, and start to use deductive reasoning to draw conclusions. They have entered what Piaget would refer to as the:

a. formal operational stage.

12. One of the important tasks of adolescence is to _________, that is, to find a sense of self based on values, beliefs, and goals.

b. search for identity

13. During middle adulthood, one major physical change for women is _________, which is often preceded by a decrease in estrogen production and a reduction in the size of the uterus.

d. menopause

14. A research team has followed a large sample of men from their college graduation in 1955 through their retirement, trying to understand better how their cognitive abilities change over time. They interview and test these men once every 5 years. This would be considered a:

b. longitudinal method.

15. A woman learns that her death is imminent. According to Kübler-Ross, her initial reaction to this news will likely be shock and disbelief, which are common to the _________ stage.

a. denial

16. Developmental psychologists explain changes across the life span using the biopsychosocial perspective. Categorize the following as biological, psychological, or social influences: family, learning, media, heredity, hormones, traits, culture.

Answers may vary. Family: social. Learning: psychological, social. Media: social, psychological. Heredity: biological. Hormones: biological. Traits: biological, psychological, and social. Culture: psychological, social.

17. Describe the stages in the development of a fertilized egg, from conception to birth.

At conception, when a sperm and egg merge, they form a single cell called a zygote. During the germinal period, the zygote grows through cell division and eventually becomes implanted in the uterine wall. Between the 3rd and 8th weeks of development, the mass of cells is now called an embryo. The embryo begins to develop everything the baby will need to live. The fetal period begins at the 9th week and continues until birth. Overall growth of the body and development of organ systems in the fetus is taking place. By the time a baby reaches this stage, everything that it needs to become a new person is already in place; it just needs to grow, develop, and become more mature.

18. Infants as young as 5 months old pay more attention to people who use infant-directed speech. Using the evolutionary perspective, explain why this might be the case.

Infant-directed speech (IDS) is observed throughout the world. Infants as young as 5 months old pay more attention to people who use infant-directed speech. It helps a child to learn to interact with “appropriate social partners,” or adults who are more likely to provide them with such chances. From an evolutionary perspective, IDS helps a baby know who is going to pay the most attention to her, and who is going to protect and guide her. It also ensures that the infant will be enriched by interactions with others.

19. Create a tool to help you remember the names of the four parenting styles observed by Baumrind.

Answers will vary. Authoritarians give strictness; authoritative give warmth; permissive give permission; uninvolved give little. Authoritarian parenting; authoritative parenting; permissive parenting; uninvolved parenting.

20. We have described how cognitive abilities tend to decline with age. What kinds of cognitive activities might actually improve with age?

Wisdom improves with age through an accumulation of instructive life experiences. As it increases, we make better decisions when encountering daily problems. Practical abilities also seem to increase. Experiences allow people to develop a more balanced understanding of the world surrounding them.