Exam 1: Ch. 1 Intro to Child Develpment (Research Methods)

Question 1

1. The “turtle shell” technique is an example of a successful intervention that helps preschoolers cope with what?

a. The sense of isolation
b. Feelings of embarrassment
c. Bullying from peers
d. Their own anger

Answer 1

d. Their own anger

Question 2

2. What is meta-analysis?

a. The reproduction of a past study in order to confirm or debunk the results

b. A philosophical exploration of an experiment or case study

c. A method for combining and analyzing the results from several independent studies

d. A list of all published articles related to a specific area of research

Answer 2

c. A method for combining and analyzing the results from several independent studies

Question 3

3. Studies have shown that children’s testimony is usually accurate when which conditions are met?

a. The interviewer does not ask leading questions.

b. One of the child’s parents is present.

c. The child and the interviewer are alone when the testimony is given.

d. The child is repeatedly prompted during the interview.

Answer 3

a. The interviewer does not ask leading questions.

Question 4

4. According to developmentalists, which is true?

a. Development is most heavily influenced by nature.

b. Development is most heavily influenced by nurture.

c. Development is influenced by the joint workings of nature and nurture.

d. Nature and nurture are essentially the same.

Answer 4

c. Development is influenced by the joint workings of nature and nurture.

Question 5

5. The concept of the “active child” refers to

a. observations of children at play.

b. whether an infant sleeps through the night.

c. the importance of physical activity to child development.

d. how children contribute to their own development.

Answer 5

d. how children contribute to their own development.

Question 6

6. In recent decades, researchers have come to the conclusion that, after infancy, most developmental changes occur

a. gradually.
b. suddenly.
c. discontinuously.
d. externally.

Answer 6

a. gradually.

Question 7

7. In the context of mechanisms of developmental change, the study of the development of “effortful attention” provides insights into

a. continuous versus discontinuous development.

b. the role of brain activity, genes, and learning experiences.

c. the complexity of the child’s sociocultural environment.

d. the role of the researcher in judging the validity of a study.

Answer 7

b. the role of brain activity, genes, and learning experiences.

Question 8

8. The physical, social, cultural, economic, and historical circumstances that make up a child’s environment are known as the

a. developmental foundation.
b. sociocultural context.
c. developmental stage.
d. socioeconomic status.

Answer 8

b. sociocultural context.

Question 9

9. The first basic step in using the scientific method involves

a. developing a research plan.
b. choosing a question.
c. formulating a hypothesis.
d. drawing a conclusion.

Answer 9

b. choosing a question.

Question 10

10. In order to generalize her findings beyond the individuals who participated in her study, Dr. Liu needs to conduct additional research using participants from a variety of backgrounds. What quality of behavioral research is Dr. Liu addressing?

a. Interrater reliability
b. Internal validity
c. Test–retest reliability
d. External validity

Answer 10

d. External validity

Question 11

11. The experience that children in an experimental group receive — and which children in a control group do not receive — is referred to as the

a. dependent variable.
b. independent variable.
c. random assignment.
d. correlational design.

Answer 11

b. independent variable.

Question 12

12. A team of researchers is studying whether stable individual differences exist in sleeping behavior at various ages. They decide to test 3-month-olds, 6-month-olds, and 9-month-olds. What type of design are they using to examine this question?

a. Longitudinal
b. Cross-sectional
c. Naturalistic observation
d. Microgenetic

Answer 12

b. Cross-sectional

Question 13

13. Which type of design is used to study developmental change as it is occurring by observing participants numerous times over a relatively short span of time?

a. Longitudinal
b. Cross-sectional
c. Structured observation
d. Microgenetic

Answer 13

d. Microgenetic

Question 14

14. By administering the same test to the same group of participants under similar conditions two or more times, a researcher can measure reliability.

a. internal
b. test–retest
c. external
d. interrater

Answer 14

c. external

Question 15

15. According to the Society for Research on Child Development, which is not a stated ethical practice for conducting research with children?

a. Information about the child uncovered through the course of the study must not be revealed to the parent or guardian, regardless of its importance for that child’s welfare.

b. Negative consequences must be dealt with when they arise during research.

c. Researchers must correct any inaccurate impressions that the child may develop as a result of the study.

d. The research must not harm the child, physically and psychologically

Answer 15

a. Information about the child uncovered through the course of the study must not be revealed to the parent or guardian, regardless of its importance for that child’s welfare.