Chap 01 6ce - Shaffer
Indicate the answer choice that best completes the statement or answers the question.
1. Hein participated in a study designed to measure personality traits. A strong positive correlation was found
between the personality traits of openness and extroversion. If Hein’s score in openness is extremely low, what
would be his score on a test that measures extroversion?
a. opposite to his score on the openness scale
b. most likely at the high end of the extroversion scale
c. most likely at the low end of the extroversion scale
d. no different from his score on the openness scale
ANSWER: c
2. Dr. Franz sets up an experimental study to investigate how self-esteem is affected by feedback from teachers.
During the study, teachers of Grade 3 administer a short quiz where each child earns the same score (5 out of a
possible 10 points). All the children are then given feedback. Half the children are told that this is a very good
score whereas the rest are told that it is an average score. In this study, what is the dependent variable?
a. the type of feedback the child receives
b. the child’s score on the quiz
c. the age of the children who take part in the study
d. the child’s level of self-esteem after the quiz is returned
ANSWER: d
3. What is the independent variable in an experiment?
a. It is the behaviour that is observed or measured.
b. It varies for each participant in an experiment.
c. It is the factor that is manipulated or changed by the researcher.
d. It is an external, uncontrolled factor that changes over the course of the experiment.
ANSWER: c
4. What is a measure said to be if it accurately measures what it is designed to measure?
a. valid
b. reliable
c. objective
d. generative
ANSWER: a
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,Name: Class: Date:
Chap 01 6ce - Shaffer
5. Why do philosophical perspectives on childhood differ from those proposed by developmental psychologists?
a. Philosophical perspectives are based on objective data collected through the use of controlled
experiments.
b. Philosophical perspectives are supported by persuasive, logical arguments and are more believable than
those proposed by developmental psychologists.
c. Philosophical perspectives have a long history and are based on more years of research than those of
developmentalists.
d. Developmentalist perspectives are based on objective data collection and analysis.
ANSWER: d
6. What does research show us about the impact of violent movies on aggressive behaviour?
a. When the researcher wants to enhance the impact of observer influence, aggression is stronger for boys
who are observed in person rather than boys who submit a video diary.
b. When the nature of the behaviour being studied is correlational, aggression is no greater in males than it is
in females.
c. Less aggressive boys who watch violent movies are as aggressive as highly aggressive boys who watch
violent movies.
d. Boys who watch violent movies tend to be more aggressive after watching a violent than a nonviolent
movie.
ANSWER: d
7. To better understand the factors that might produce exceptional skills, Dr. Zittleman carefully observed and
extensively questioned three child prodigies. Based on this information, what type of research was Dr. Zittleman
conducting?
a. case study
b. correlational
c. survey
d. experimental
ANSWER: a
8. Mary goes into a classroom and records the number of times each child behaves aggressively toward others.
John does the same thing, using the same scheme to observe the children, but comes up with different numbers.
What is wrong with the schema being used?
a. It is invalid.
b. It is unreliable.
c. Iit is subjective.
d. It is generative.
ANSWER: b
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,Name: Class: Date:
Chap 01 6ce - Shaffer
9. Devon is excited because she found a very strong correlation between sexual activity and intelligence. If
Devon’s results are accurate, what can she conclude about sexual activity and intelligence?
a. High intelligence causes people to have more sex.
b. Having sex increases people’s intelligence.
c. High intelligence and increased sexual activity are related.
d. High intelligence and sexual activity are not related.
ANSWER: c
10. What is the term for the procedure in which the investigator records the frequencies with which individuals
display particular behaviours during the brief time intervals that each participant is observed?
a. time sampling
b. structured timing
c. observer timing validity
d. clinical timed interview
ANSWER: a
11. What is the term for the developmental changes that characterize most or all members of a species and the
typical pattern of their development?
a. normative development
b. ideographic development
c. environmental influences
d. evolutionary development
ANSWER: a
12. Which of the following defines the term dependent variable?
a. an internal, motivational factor that remains stable
b. an external, uncontrolled factor that fluctuates
c. a factor that is manipulated or changed by the researcher
d. a behaviour that is observed or measured by the researcher
ANSWER: d
13. What shortcoming of the case study approach is exemplified by the early “baby biographies”?
a. lack of generalization
b. artificiality
c. inflexible procedures
d. lack of control
ANSWER: a
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, Name: Class: Date:
Chap 01 6ce - Shaffer
14. Which of the following is an example of developmental change that primarily reflects maturation?
a. a child taking his or her first steps at about 1 year of age
b. a child solving simple arithmetic problems in Grade 1
c. a child speaking the same language as his or her parents
d. a child becoming proficient at riding a bicycle
ANSWER: a
15. What is another term for the developmental changes in the body or behaviour that result from the aging process
rather than from learning, injury, illness, or some other life experience?
a. maturation
b. growth
c. learning
d. recapitulation
ANSWER: a
16. What is one of the disadvantages associated with the use of interviews and questionnaires in developmental
research?
a. These instruments are highly subject to the social desirability bias.
b. The researcher’s bias often shows through interviews and questionnaires.
c. These methods can be used only with adults.
d. Data obtained from interviews and questionnaires are less likely to be reliable and valid, compared to data
obtained using other methods of research.
ANSWER: a
17. What is one limitation to the use of the ethnographic approach?
a. Only a small amount of information can be obtained.
b. The data cannot be used to chart longitudinal changes.
c. There is an increased risk for biased observations.
d. The findings can be generalized beyond the original study participants.
ANSWER: c
18. Which of the following individuals made daily records of the early development of his son due to an interest and
belief he held that young, untrained infants share many characteristics with their nonhuman ancestors?
a. Alfred Wallace
b. Charles Darwin
c. Richard Dawkins
d. Sigmund Freud
ANSWER: b
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Indicate the answer choice that best completes the statement or answers the question.
1. Hein participated in a study designed to measure personality traits. A strong positive correlation was found
between the personality traits of openness and extroversion. If Hein’s score in openness is extremely low, what
would be his score on a test that measures extroversion?
a. opposite to his score on the openness scale
b. most likely at the high end of the extroversion scale
c. most likely at the low end of the extroversion scale
d. no different from his score on the openness scale
ANSWER: c
2. Dr. Franz sets up an experimental study to investigate how self-esteem is affected by feedback from teachers.
During the study, teachers of Grade 3 administer a short quiz where each child earns the same score (5 out of a
possible 10 points). All the children are then given feedback. Half the children are told that this is a very good
score whereas the rest are told that it is an average score. In this study, what is the dependent variable?
a. the type of feedback the child receives
b. the child’s score on the quiz
c. the age of the children who take part in the study
d. the child’s level of self-esteem after the quiz is returned
ANSWER: d
3. What is the independent variable in an experiment?
a. It is the behaviour that is observed or measured.
b. It varies for each participant in an experiment.
c. It is the factor that is manipulated or changed by the researcher.
d. It is an external, uncontrolled factor that changes over the course of the experiment.
ANSWER: c
4. What is a measure said to be if it accurately measures what it is designed to measure?
a. valid
b. reliable
c. objective
d. generative
ANSWER: a
Page 1
,Name: Class: Date:
Chap 01 6ce - Shaffer
5. Why do philosophical perspectives on childhood differ from those proposed by developmental psychologists?
a. Philosophical perspectives are based on objective data collected through the use of controlled
experiments.
b. Philosophical perspectives are supported by persuasive, logical arguments and are more believable than
those proposed by developmental psychologists.
c. Philosophical perspectives have a long history and are based on more years of research than those of
developmentalists.
d. Developmentalist perspectives are based on objective data collection and analysis.
ANSWER: d
6. What does research show us about the impact of violent movies on aggressive behaviour?
a. When the researcher wants to enhance the impact of observer influence, aggression is stronger for boys
who are observed in person rather than boys who submit a video diary.
b. When the nature of the behaviour being studied is correlational, aggression is no greater in males than it is
in females.
c. Less aggressive boys who watch violent movies are as aggressive as highly aggressive boys who watch
violent movies.
d. Boys who watch violent movies tend to be more aggressive after watching a violent than a nonviolent
movie.
ANSWER: d
7. To better understand the factors that might produce exceptional skills, Dr. Zittleman carefully observed and
extensively questioned three child prodigies. Based on this information, what type of research was Dr. Zittleman
conducting?
a. case study
b. correlational
c. survey
d. experimental
ANSWER: a
8. Mary goes into a classroom and records the number of times each child behaves aggressively toward others.
John does the same thing, using the same scheme to observe the children, but comes up with different numbers.
What is wrong with the schema being used?
a. It is invalid.
b. It is unreliable.
c. Iit is subjective.
d. It is generative.
ANSWER: b
Page 2
,Name: Class: Date:
Chap 01 6ce - Shaffer
9. Devon is excited because she found a very strong correlation between sexual activity and intelligence. If
Devon’s results are accurate, what can she conclude about sexual activity and intelligence?
a. High intelligence causes people to have more sex.
b. Having sex increases people’s intelligence.
c. High intelligence and increased sexual activity are related.
d. High intelligence and sexual activity are not related.
ANSWER: c
10. What is the term for the procedure in which the investigator records the frequencies with which individuals
display particular behaviours during the brief time intervals that each participant is observed?
a. time sampling
b. structured timing
c. observer timing validity
d. clinical timed interview
ANSWER: a
11. What is the term for the developmental changes that characterize most or all members of a species and the
typical pattern of their development?
a. normative development
b. ideographic development
c. environmental influences
d. evolutionary development
ANSWER: a
12. Which of the following defines the term dependent variable?
a. an internal, motivational factor that remains stable
b. an external, uncontrolled factor that fluctuates
c. a factor that is manipulated or changed by the researcher
d. a behaviour that is observed or measured by the researcher
ANSWER: d
13. What shortcoming of the case study approach is exemplified by the early “baby biographies”?
a. lack of generalization
b. artificiality
c. inflexible procedures
d. lack of control
ANSWER: a
Page 3
, Name: Class: Date:
Chap 01 6ce - Shaffer
14. Which of the following is an example of developmental change that primarily reflects maturation?
a. a child taking his or her first steps at about 1 year of age
b. a child solving simple arithmetic problems in Grade 1
c. a child speaking the same language as his or her parents
d. a child becoming proficient at riding a bicycle
ANSWER: a
15. What is another term for the developmental changes in the body or behaviour that result from the aging process
rather than from learning, injury, illness, or some other life experience?
a. maturation
b. growth
c. learning
d. recapitulation
ANSWER: a
16. What is one of the disadvantages associated with the use of interviews and questionnaires in developmental
research?
a. These instruments are highly subject to the social desirability bias.
b. The researcher’s bias often shows through interviews and questionnaires.
c. These methods can be used only with adults.
d. Data obtained from interviews and questionnaires are less likely to be reliable and valid, compared to data
obtained using other methods of research.
ANSWER: a
17. What is one limitation to the use of the ethnographic approach?
a. Only a small amount of information can be obtained.
b. The data cannot be used to chart longitudinal changes.
c. There is an increased risk for biased observations.
d. The findings can be generalized beyond the original study participants.
ANSWER: c
18. Which of the following individuals made daily records of the early development of his son due to an interest and
belief he held that young, untrained infants share many characteristics with their nonhuman ancestors?
a. Alfred Wallace
b. Charles Darwin
c. Richard Dawkins
d. Sigmund Freud
ANSWER: b
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