Page | 1
Child Psychology Questions with Detailed
Verified Answers
Question:Teratogens
Ans: -Any environment influence that can cause prenatal damage
-Risk factors for outcomes, they do not guarantee an outcome
Question: Risk Factor
Ans: -A factor that increases the probability of a negative outcome
-Does not predict the outcome 100%, merely puts the fetus at increased risk for
problems
Question: Why is the fetus so susceptible to teratogens?
Ans: -Undergoing rapid physiologic development
-Rapid cell division, migration, and differentiation
-Changing metabolic activity
-Changes in the hormonal system
Question: Why is predicting outcomes of teratogens difficult?
, Page | 2
Ans: -Susceptibility depends on developmental stage at the time of exposure
-Teratogens are likely to affect a specific organ
-Individuals vary in their susceptibility to teratogens
-Susceptibility depends on mother's physiological state
-The greater concentration of the teratogen the greater the risk
-Some teratogens have minimal effect on mother, but major effect on the fetus
Question: Categorizing Teratogens
Ans: -Substances ingested or inhaled by mother/father prior to conception
-Diseases in mother
-Stress in mother/father
-Excessive exercise, malnutrition, and eating disorders
-Age of the mother
-Radiation
-Poverty
Question: Birth Defects
Ans: -Structural abnormality present at birth
-Leading cause of infant deaths
-Influenced 20% by genetics, 10% by environment, and 70% unknown
-12,000 newborns are born with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS) each year
Question: Child Psychology
, Page | 3
Ans: -A field of study devoted to understanding all aspects of human growth from
conception through adolescence
-Physical/cognitive/emotional/social
Question: Why is it important to study child psychology?
Ans: -Basic research interest ~ understanding childhood
-Applied interest (teaching)
-Seeing early detection of deviant development
Question: Nature
Ans: -Genetic makeup
-Influence occurs before we are born
Question: Nurture
Ans: -Environmental experiences
-Influence occurs before and after birth
Question: How can we study influence of nature and nurture?
Ans: -Adoption studies ~ compare similarity of children to adoptive vs. biological
parents
-Twin studies ~ compare similarity of identical vs. fraternal twins
Question: Bringing up Monkey video findings
Ans: -Nervous/reactive monkeys go to foster moms who are relaxed and they become
more bold, but once mother is taken away, baby is nervous again
-Conclusion: both genetics and environment matter, but disagreement continues
about the importance of each
Question: Passive Development
, Page | 4
Ans: -Child is shaped by external forces
-Example: girls prefer dolls because that's what they are given or a dad puts his son in
football because he played all his life
Question: Active Development
Ans: -Child directs/shapes/controls own development
-Example: kids choose their own toys and after school activities
Question: Some of the most important contributions during children's
first years are:
Ans: -Attentional patterns
-Use of language
-Emotions
-Play
Question: Current view on development
Ans: Influence is bidirectional and child becomes more and more active in own
development with age
Question: Continuity
Ans: -Gradual/quantitative change
-Age-related changes occur gradually
-Example: looking at height growth over one's life
Question: Discontinuity
Child Psychology Questions with Detailed
Verified Answers
Question:Teratogens
Ans: -Any environment influence that can cause prenatal damage
-Risk factors for outcomes, they do not guarantee an outcome
Question: Risk Factor
Ans: -A factor that increases the probability of a negative outcome
-Does not predict the outcome 100%, merely puts the fetus at increased risk for
problems
Question: Why is the fetus so susceptible to teratogens?
Ans: -Undergoing rapid physiologic development
-Rapid cell division, migration, and differentiation
-Changing metabolic activity
-Changes in the hormonal system
Question: Why is predicting outcomes of teratogens difficult?
, Page | 2
Ans: -Susceptibility depends on developmental stage at the time of exposure
-Teratogens are likely to affect a specific organ
-Individuals vary in their susceptibility to teratogens
-Susceptibility depends on mother's physiological state
-The greater concentration of the teratogen the greater the risk
-Some teratogens have minimal effect on mother, but major effect on the fetus
Question: Categorizing Teratogens
Ans: -Substances ingested or inhaled by mother/father prior to conception
-Diseases in mother
-Stress in mother/father
-Excessive exercise, malnutrition, and eating disorders
-Age of the mother
-Radiation
-Poverty
Question: Birth Defects
Ans: -Structural abnormality present at birth
-Leading cause of infant deaths
-Influenced 20% by genetics, 10% by environment, and 70% unknown
-12,000 newborns are born with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS) each year
Question: Child Psychology
, Page | 3
Ans: -A field of study devoted to understanding all aspects of human growth from
conception through adolescence
-Physical/cognitive/emotional/social
Question: Why is it important to study child psychology?
Ans: -Basic research interest ~ understanding childhood
-Applied interest (teaching)
-Seeing early detection of deviant development
Question: Nature
Ans: -Genetic makeup
-Influence occurs before we are born
Question: Nurture
Ans: -Environmental experiences
-Influence occurs before and after birth
Question: How can we study influence of nature and nurture?
Ans: -Adoption studies ~ compare similarity of children to adoptive vs. biological
parents
-Twin studies ~ compare similarity of identical vs. fraternal twins
Question: Bringing up Monkey video findings
Ans: -Nervous/reactive monkeys go to foster moms who are relaxed and they become
more bold, but once mother is taken away, baby is nervous again
-Conclusion: both genetics and environment matter, but disagreement continues
about the importance of each
Question: Passive Development
, Page | 4
Ans: -Child is shaped by external forces
-Example: girls prefer dolls because that's what they are given or a dad puts his son in
football because he played all his life
Question: Active Development
Ans: -Child directs/shapes/controls own development
-Example: kids choose their own toys and after school activities
Question: Some of the most important contributions during children's
first years are:
Ans: -Attentional patterns
-Use of language
-Emotions
-Play
Question: Current view on development
Ans: Influence is bidirectional and child becomes more and more active in own
development with age
Question: Continuity
Ans: -Gradual/quantitative change
-Age-related changes occur gradually
-Example: looking at height growth over one's life
Question: Discontinuity
