CHILD PSYCHOLOGY EXAM
QUESTIONS AND DETAILED ANSWERS.
EXPERT VERIFIED FOR GUARANTEED
PASS.
Teratogens - ANS -Any environment influence that can cause prenatal damage
-Risk factors for outcomes, they do not guarantee an outcome
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
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
Why is predicting outcomes of teratogens difficult? - 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
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,-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
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
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
Child Psychology - ANS -A field of study devoted to understanding all aspects of human
growth from conception through adolescence
-Physical/cognitive/emotional/social
Why is it important to study child psychology? - ANS -Basic research interest ~ understanding
childhood
-Applied interest (teaching)
-Seeing early detection of deviant development
Nature - ANS -Genetic makeup
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, -Influence occurs before we are born
Nurture - ANS -Environmental experiences
-Influence occurs before and after birth
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
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
Passive Development - 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
Active Development - ANS -Child directs/shapes/controls own development
-Example: kids choose their own toys and after school activities
Some of the most important contributions during children's first years are: - ANS -Attentional
patterns
-Use of language
-Emotions
-Play
Current view on development - ANS Influence is bidirectional and child becomes more and
more active in own development with age
3 @COPYRIGHT 2025/2026 ALLRIGHTS RESERVED
QUESTIONS AND DETAILED ANSWERS.
EXPERT VERIFIED FOR GUARANTEED
PASS.
Teratogens - ANS -Any environment influence that can cause prenatal damage
-Risk factors for outcomes, they do not guarantee an outcome
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
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
Why is predicting outcomes of teratogens difficult? - 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
1 @COPYRIGHT 2025/2026 ALLRIGHTS RESERVED
,-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
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
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
Child Psychology - ANS -A field of study devoted to understanding all aspects of human
growth from conception through adolescence
-Physical/cognitive/emotional/social
Why is it important to study child psychology? - ANS -Basic research interest ~ understanding
childhood
-Applied interest (teaching)
-Seeing early detection of deviant development
Nature - ANS -Genetic makeup
2 @COPYRIGHT 2025/2026 ALLRIGHTS RESERVED
, -Influence occurs before we are born
Nurture - ANS -Environmental experiences
-Influence occurs before and after birth
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
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
Passive Development - 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
Active Development - ANS -Child directs/shapes/controls own development
-Example: kids choose their own toys and after school activities
Some of the most important contributions during children's first years are: - ANS -Attentional
patterns
-Use of language
-Emotions
-Play
Current view on development - ANS Influence is bidirectional and child becomes more and
more active in own development with age
3 @COPYRIGHT 2025/2026 ALLRIGHTS RESERVED
