Exam 2 Flashcards
What is the main limitation of concrete operational thinking?
Limited to tangible, real-life examples; difficulty with hypothetical or abstract concepts.
What ability reflects formal operational thinking in adolescents?
The ability to think hypothetically and reason about abstract concepts.
What memory system holds information you are currently using?
Working memory.
Who would emphasize changes in memory efficiency in cognitive development?
An information-processing theorist.
What is Gardner’s term for intelligence related to understanding “deep” questions about life?
Existential intelligence.
What is the connection between home environment and IQ scores?
Children with higher IQs tend to come from homes with age-appropriate play materials, supporting the theory that environmental factors impact intelligence.
What is “stereotype threat”?
A phenomenon where awareness of negative stereotypes about one’s group can affect performance, creating a self-fulfilling prophecy.
What is phonological processing?
The conversion of printed letters into sound, essential for reading development. Physical Development in Adolescence
What is the typical growth pattern during puberty?
Extremities first (head, hands, feet), then limbs, and trunk last.
At age 11, how do heights of females and males typically compare?
Females tend to be slightly taller than males.
What is the most likely cause of typical teenage moodiness?
Changes in social settings and activities, rather than hormones.
What is the most effective parental strategy to discourage obesity in children?
Teaching children to recognize and respond to their natural hunger/fullness cues.
What thought pattern characterizes someone with anorexia nervosa?
Distorted body image where they perceive themselves as fat despite being underweight.
What percentage of young athletes are injured and require medical attention?
About 15 percent.
What is the “illusion of invulnerability”?
The adolescent perception that risky activities are “dangerous but fun” with a belief that negative consequences won’t happen to them.
What are heuristics?
Mental shortcuts in decision-making that are fast but not always accurate or analytical. Moral Development
What technique did Kohlberg use to assess moral thinking?
Presenting participants with moral dilemmas.
According to Kohlberg, what is more important than the action taken in a moral situation?
The reasoning underlying the moral decision.
Who is most associated with the ethics of care and critique of Kohlberg’s theory?
Carol Gilligan.
What did research on gender differences in moral reasoning actually find?
Small differences between men and women in some areas, but overall moral reasoning is very similar. Identity Development
According to Erikson, what is the key adolescent crisis?
Identity versus role confusion.
What mental skill helps teenagers achieve identity, according to Erikson?
Using hypothetical reasoning skills (formal operational thinking).
In Marcia’s theory, what is identity foreclosure?
Commitment without exploration (adopting others’ choices without considering alternatives).
What is adolescent egocentrism characterized by?
Excessive self-absorption.
What is the defining characteristic of adolescent-limited antisocial behavior?
Engaging in minor criminal acts over a short period of time.
What biological factors contribute to aggressive behavior?
Temperament, hormones, and neurotransmitters.
What is Holland’s term for a personality type with excellent verbal and interpersonal skills?
Social personality type.
How do most teenagers feel about themselves according to cross-cultural studies?
Most teenagers feel good about themselves. Emerging and Young Adulthood
What age range is typically considered “emerging adulthood”?
Ages 18-25.
What do all role transitions involve?
The acquisition of new responsibilities.
What typically happens to risky behaviors as adolescents get older?
They decrease in frequency.
According to Erikson, what is necessary before a person is capable of true intimacy?
A clear sense of identity.
At a chemical level, what happens in alcohol addiction?
Chemical changes cause the body to crave alcohol.
What is the relationship between HDLs and LDLs?
HDLs (“good” cholesterol) break down LDLs (“bad” cholesterol).
What are the two most important social influences on health?
Socioeconomic status and education. Adult Cognitive Development
What is the main debate among theories of multidimensional intelligence?
The number of abilities that underlie intelligence.
What concept refers to the fact that specific aspects of intelligence can be modified throughout the lifespan?
Plasticity.
What demonstrates interindividual variability in intelligence?
When one individual’s reasoning skills improve with age while another’s decline with age.
What is inductive reasoning?
The ability to extrapolate from particular facts to general concepts.
What is fluid intelligence?
Abilities that allow for flexible and adaptive thinking, such as reasoning and problem-solving with novel situations.
What is crystallized intelligence?
Knowledge and skills acquired across one’s life, including vocabulary, information, and expertise.
When would crystallized intelligence scores be most significantly greater than fluid intelligence scores?
At retirement age (around 63).
What is the parieto-frontal integration theory?
The theory that intelligence comes from a distributed and integrated network of neurons in the parietal and frontal lobes of the brain.
How do postformal adult thinkers differ from adolescent formal operational thinkers?
Adults are more likely to consider situational circumstances.
What do mature thinkers tend to do in decision-making?
Integrate emotion and logic. Family and Personality
What is familism?
The cultural value that family needs are more important than individual needs.
According to studies on multiracial children, who plays the largest role in guiding a child’s ethnic identity development?
Mothers, even when the child is not of that ethnic group.
According to McAdams, what best reflects a person’s developing personality?
The emotions conveyed in their life story.
How does McAdams describe a person’s life story in relation to culture?
Fashioned, refashioned, and influenced by culture.
What mental process requires the creation of possible selves?
Projecting yourself into the future.
