Study Guide

Chapter Key Terms

You should know the definitions of the following key terms from the chapter. They are listed in the order in which they appear in the chapter. For those you do not know, return to the relevant section of the chapter to learn them. When you think that you know all of the terms, complete the matching exercise based on these key terms.

developmental psychology

zygote

gene

chromosomes

identical (monozygotic) twins

fraternal (dizygotic) twins

teratogens

fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS)

sucking reflex

rooting reflex

habituation

phonemes

baby talk (parentese)

babbling

holophrase

overextension

underextension

telegraphic speech

assimilation

accommodation

sensorimotor stage

object permanence

preoperational stage

egocentrism

conservation

reversibility

centration

concrete operational stage

formal operational stage

information-processing approach to cognitive development

zone of proximal development

scaffolding

cross-sectional study

longitudinal study

cohort effects

preconventional level of moral reasoning

conventional level of moral reasoning

postconventional level of moral reasoning

attachment

secure attachment

insecure-avoidant attachment

insecure-ambivalent attachment

insecure-disorganized (disoriented) attachment

temperament

authoritarian parenting

authoritative parenting

permissive parenting

uninvolved parenting

theory of mind

Key Terms Exercise

Identify the correct term for each of the following definitions.

Question 7.1

1. The knowledge that an object exists independent of perceptual contact with it.

_______________________________________________

object permanence

Question 7.2

2. An innate human reflex that leads infants to turn their mouth toward anything that touches their cheeks and search for something to suck on.

_______________________________________________

rooting reflex

Question 7.3

3. The fertilized egg that is formed from the union of the sperm and egg cells in human reproduction.

_______________________________________________

zygote

Question 7.4

4. Piaget’s term for the modification of present schemas to fit with new experiences.

_______________________________________________

accommodation

Question 7.5

5. A style of parenting in which the parents are demanding, but set rational limits for their children and communicate well with their children.

_______________________________________________

authoritative parenting

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Question 7.6

6. The type of attachment indicated by the infant exploring freely in the presence of the mother in the Ainsworth strange situation procedure, but displaying distress when the mother leaves, and responding enthusiastically when she returns.

_______________________________________________

secure attachment

Question 7.7

7. The different format of speech that adults use when talking with babies that involves the use of shorter sentences with a higher, more melodious pitch.

_______________________________________________

baby talk (parentese)

Question 7.8

8. Agents such as drugs, viruses, diseases, and physical conditions that impair prenatal development and lead to birth defects and sometimes death.

_______________________________________________

teratogens

Question 7.9

9. A study in which the performance of the same group of participants is examined at different ages.

_______________________________________________

longitudinal study

Question 7.10

10. According to Vygotsky, the difference between what a child can actually do and what the child could do with the help of others.

_______________________________________________

zone of proximal development

Question 7.11

11. The smallest distinctive speech sounds in a language.

_______________________________________________

phonemes

Question 7.12

12. Using two-word sentences with mainly nouns and verbs.

_______________________________________________

telegraphic speech

Question 7.13

13. The knowledge that the quantitative properties of objects (such as mass and number) remain the same despite changes in appearance.

_______________________________________________

conservation

Question 7.14

14. A style of teaching in which the teacher adjusts the level of help in relation to the child’s level of performance while orienting the child toward the upper level of his or her zone of proximal development.

_______________________________________________

scaffolding

Question 7.15

15. The set of innate tendencies or dispositions that lead a person to behave in certain ways.

_______________________________________________

temperament

Practice Test Questions

The following are practice multiple-choice test questions on some of the chapter content. If you guessed or incorrectly answered a question, restudy the relevant section of the chapter.

Question 7.16

1. In human conception, another name for the fertilized egg is __________.
  1. gene
  2. zygote
  3. chromosome
  4. teratogen

b; zygote

Question 7.17

2. At about six or seven months of age, an infant starts rhythmically repeating various syllables. This is called __________.
  1. baby talk
  2. holophrase
  3. telegraphic speech
  4. babbling

d; babbling

Question 7.18

3. According to Piaget’s theory of cognitive development, children are in the __________ stage if they have symbolic ability but lack conservation.
  1. sensorimotor
  2. preoperational
  3. concrete operational
  4. formal operational

b; preoperational

Question 7.19

4. According to Piaget, __________ is the interpretation of new experiences in terms of present schemas, and __________ is the modification of present schemas to fit with new experiences.
  1. assimilation; accommodation
  2. accommodation; assimilation
  3. reversibility; centration
  4. centration; reversibility

a; assimilation; accommodation

Question 7.20

5. Vygotsky’s term for the difference between what a child can actually do and what the child can do with the help of others is __________.
  1. zone of proximal development
  2. erogenous zone
  3. scaffolding
  4. cohort effect

a; zone of proximal development

Question 7.21

6. In a ______ study, people of different ages are studied at one point in time and compared to one another.
  1. cross-sectional
  2. longitudinal
  3. habituation
  4. scaffolding

a; cross-sectional

Question 7.22

7. According to Kohlberg, a person who complies with rules and laws to avoid punishment is in the ______ level of moral development.
  1. preconventional
  2. conventional
  3. postconventional
  4. authoritarian

a; preconventional

Question 7.23

8. According to Ainsworth, a child who shows little distress when the mother leaves in the strange situation procedure and neglects her when she returns has developed a(n) ______ attachment.
  1. secure
  2. insecure-disorganized
  3. insecure-ambivalent
  4. insecure-avoidant

d; insecure-avoidant

Question 7.24

9. Which of the following parenting styles is most positively related to academic success, happiness, independence, and self-confidence?
  1. authoritative
  2. authoritarian
  3. permissive
  4. indifferent

a; authoritative

Question 7.25

10. According to Erikson’s psychosocial theory, ______ is the issue that a person faces during adolescence.
  1. initiative versus guilt
  2. industry versus inferiority
  3. identity versus role confusion
  4. intimacy versus isolation

c; identity versus role confusion

Question 7.26

11. During the ______ stage of prenatal development (the final stage starting about two months after conception), the body structures and organs complete their growth.
  1. embryonic
  2. fetal
  3. germinal
  4. zygote

b; fetal

Question 7.27

12. A decrease in the physiological responding to a stimulus once it becomes familiar is called ______.
  1. assimilation
  2. centration
  3. habituation
  4. conservation

c; habituation

Question 7.28

13. Johnny, who is only four years old, stands in front of you blocking your view of the television screen, and he does not realize that he is doing so. He thinks that his view is the same as yours. Johnny is displaying ______ and is in Piaget’s ______ stage of cognitive development.
  1. egocentrism; concrete
  2. egocentrism; preoperational
  3. centration; concrete
  4. centration; preoperational

b; egocentrism; preoperational

Question 7.29

14. Michelle, who is 18 months old, has a pet dog named Sam. After she learns the name of her dog, she calls all of the dogs she sees Sam. Michelle is demonstrating ______.
  1. babbling
  2. holophrase
  3. underextension
  4. overextension

d; overextension

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Question 7.30

15. Studies of intelligence in adulthood reveal that fluid intelligence abilities ______ with age, and crystallized intelligence abilities ______ with age.
  1. increase; increase
  2. increase; decrease
  3. decrease; increase
  4. decrease; decrease

c; decrease; increase