BY WOOLFOLK – TEST BANK
EDUCATIONAL PSYCHOLOGY 11TH EDITION BY
WOOLFOLK – TEST BANK
SAMPLE TEST
Chapter 3: Personal, Social, and Emotional Development
Multiple-Choice Questions
1) Erikson interprets development from the perspective of what theory?
1. A) Psychosexual
2. B) Psychosocial
3. C) Psychosomatic
4. D) Sociocultural
Answer: B
Explanation: B) Erikson’s views of development are interpreted from the perspective
of psychosocial theory that emphasizes individual changes and the individual’s
relationship with the cultural environment.
Page Ref: 83
Skill:
Knowledge
2) The emphasis in Erikson’s stage theory is on
1. A) behaviors and their consequences.
2. B) the development of moral values.
, 3. C) the formation of a personal identity.
4. D) the process of acculturation in school settings.
Answer: C
Explanation: C) According to Erikson’s stage theory, emphasis is placed on the
individual’s formation of a self-image or personal identity as he/she resolves each
crisis
corresponding to the developmental stages. An unhealthy resolution of a crisis may
have negative effects on the individual’s self-identity later in life.
Page Ref: 83 Skill:
Knowledge
P: .64
D: .25
3) According to Erikson, if a child fails to resolve a crisis at an early stage, the child is
apt to
1. A) encounter problems with resolutions of later crises.
2. B) forget the crisis and progress normally.
3. C) remain at the unresolved stage until the crisis is resolved.
4. D) resolve the crisis at a later stage.
Answer: A
Explanation: A) Erikson theorized that individuals who fail to resolve a developmental crisis
successfully at a particular stage will be likely to encounter problems with resolutions of
later crises. Sometimes, the problem can be resolved later, but an unhealthy situation
is generally expected.
Page Ref: 83 Skill:
Knowledge
P: .63
D: .34
4) Erikson’s notion of developmental crises can be defined as a
1. A) concern with parental control and self-
2. B) conflict between a positive and an unhealthy alternative.
3. C) conflict between physical growth and cognitive growth.
4. D) puzzle that may assist a person’s cognitive
development. Answer: B
Explanation: B) The crises that an individual faces at each developmental stage involve a
conflict between a positive alternative and a potentially unhealthy alternative. An example is the
trust vs. mistrust crisis during infancy. [Note: Equilibration is a process described by Piaget
in which an individual attempts to obtain a state of balance.]
Page Ref: 83 Skill:
Knowledge
P: .57
D: .39
5) Children experiencing the Eriksonian conflict of trust vs. mistrust are also in what
Piagetian stage?
1. A) Concrete operations
2. B) Formal operations
3. C) Preoperational thought
4. D)
Sensorimotor
Answer: D
,Explanation: D) Erikson’s trust vs. mistrust stage, that takes place during a child’s first year,
corresponds to the beginning of Piaget’s sensorimotor stage, that occurs from ages
zero to two years.
Page Ref: 83
Skill: Understanding
P: .80
D: .36
6) Christine can’t decide what she wants to pursue when she graduates from high
school this year. “Life is so confusing,” she thinks to herself. “Perhaps it is best not
to think about these decisions at all.” Christine is experiencing identity
1. A) achievement.
2. B) diffusion.
3. C) foreclosure.
4. D) moratorium.
Answer: B
Explanation: B) Christine is experiencing identity diffusion by delaying her commitment to
personal and occupational choices. If extended too long, this can lead to an identity
crisis and unhealthy outcomes. The healthy alternative is identifying achievement.
Page Ref: 86
Skill: Understanding
P: .62
D: .37
7) Seventeen-year-old Carl has considered several career options and has
developed a firm career goal. Carl is experiencing identity
1. A) achievement.
2. B) diffusion.
3. C) foreclosure.
4. D) moratorium.
Answer: A
, Explanation: A) Carl is experiencing identity achievement which, according to James
Marcia, is a healthy outcome for adolescents. It involves considering realistic life
options, making choices, and pursuing them.
Page Ref: 86
Skill:
Understanding
P: .75
D: .38
8) Ever since Maida was a child, her parents talked about the possibility of her
becoming a doctor. They brought her chemistry sets and equipment, such as
stethoscopes and tongue depressors. When Maida entered college, she enrolled in
the pre-medical program without even considering other options. According to James
Marcia, Maida is exhibiting identity
1. A) achievement.
2. B) diffusion.
3. C) foreclosure.
4. D) moratorium.
Answer: C
Explanation: C) Maida is experiencing identity foreclosure by committing herself to an
occupational choice of becoming a doctor that was made to satisfy her parents. A
healthier approach to developing an identity is to consider all realistic options and
select the one that best fits one’s own interests and abilities.
Page Ref: 86
Skill:
Understanding
P: .86
D: .22
9) What does a conflict such as initiative vs. guilt represent in Erikson’s theory?
1. A) A developmental crisis
2. B) Cognitive dissonance
3. C) Disequilibration
4. D) Equilibration
Answer: A
Explanation: A) According to Erikson’s theory, a conflict such as initiative vs. guilt
represents a developmental crisis.
Page Ref: 84
Skill:
Knowledge
10) Sally is in the stage Erikson calls initiative vs. guilt. Her parents supervise her
closely and direct all her activities. The danger is that Sally may
1. A) develop an exaggerated sense of her own abilities.
2. B) eventually grow to mistrust her parents.
3. C) have difficulty trusting her own judgment.
4. D) not learn that some things should never be done.
Answer: C
Explanation: C) Sally may have difficulty trusting her own judgment. By being overly
controlling and strict, her parents are preventing her from developing initiative
without experiencing guilt.
Page Ref: 84
Skill:
Understanding
P: .86