Test Bank for A Topical Approach to the Developing Person

Test Bank for A Topical Approach to the Developing Person Through the Life Span, 1e Kathleen Stassen Berger (All Chapters)

Chapter_01_Essay

• Define a critical period and a sensitive period. Explain the difference between the two periods and give an

example of each.ANSWER: Suggested Answer: A critical period is a time when something must occur to ensure normal development, and a sensitive period is a time when a specific developmental task occurs most easily. An example of a critical period would be the fetus growing arms and legs and hands and feet—this can occur only at a specific time in utero. Language development is an example of a sensitive period. It occurs most easily at a young age but can still develop at a later age as well.Good (5 pts.) Fair (3 pts.) Weak (0–1 pts.) Define and differentiate the two periods Defines both periods and differentiates between them Defines just one period or is vague about differentiation Fails to define both periods or fails to differentiate Give examples Gives a correct example for both periods Gives a correct example of either period Does not give any examples

• Explain Bronfenbrenner's ecological-systems theory and describe his five systems.

ANSWER: Suggested Answer: Bronfenbrenner's ecological-systems theory is a perspective on human development that considers all the influences from the various contexts of development. This approach recognizes three nested levels as well as two systems that affect these levels. He believed that each person is affected by his or her social context. Over the course of his career, he identified five systems. The first is the microsystem (e.g., one's family and peer group), the second is the exosystem (school, clubs, and church), and the third is the macrosystem (larger social setting, such as cultural values and economic policies). The fourth system, called the chronosystem, is the role of historical context, and the fifth system, called the mesosystem, is the interaction that occurs between all the other systems.Good (5 pts.) Fair (3 pts.) Weak (0–1 pts.) Explain ecological systems theory Clearly states what the theory is Gives a vague explanation of the theory Is unable to describe the theory Identify the systems Identifies the five systems and gives an example of each Identifies three of the systems or gives examples of three of the systems Identifies fewer than three of the systems or gives fewer than three examples

• Define cohort, explain its effects, and give an example of one.

ANSWER: Suggested Answer: A cohort is a group of people born within a few years of each other who move through time together. Cohorts travel through life affected by the interaction of their chronological age with the values, events, technologies, and culture of the historical period. Cohort examples will vary but 1 / 4

should show an understanding of a cohort. Examples include the names that parents give their babies, views regarding the legalization of marijuana, and even the war on drugs. The baby-boom generation is an example of a cohort. Other common examples include the Greatest Generation (people who lived through the Depression and World War II) and the Millennials (Generation Y, born between the early 1980s and the early 2000s). Another example would be Generation X, born between the early 1960s and the early 1980s.Good (5 pts.) Fair (3 pts.) Weak (0–1 pts.) Explain cohort Correctly defines cohort and explains its importance on members Defines cohort without explaining its effect on members Does not define cohort correctly Give an example Gives an example of a cohort Gives a vague example of cohort Gives an incorrect example or does not give an example

• Explain the term socioeconomic status (SES), including four components of SES.

ANSWER: Suggested Answer: SES is a person's position in society and is determined by education, occupation, neighborhood and income.Good (5 pts.) Fair (3 pts.) Weak (0–1 pts.) Explain the term Correctly explains the term Partially explains the term Does not explain the term Provide the four components Includes the four components Includes two components of SES Does not include the four components or includes incorrect components

• Describe culture, and explain why researchers interested in human development study different cultures.

ANSWER: Suggested Answer: Culture is the system of shared beliefs, conventions, norms, behaviors, expectations, and symbolic representations that persist over time and prescribe social rules of conduct. Culture is a powerful social construction, or a concept created by a society. Such social constructions affect how people think and act—what they value, praise, ignore, and punish. Different cultures may view the same behaviors or phenomena as either assets or deficits. Therefore, by studying different cultures, researchers can identify which patterns are universal among humans and which occur only in certain cultures. This information provides insights into the effects of different environments.Good (5 pts.) Fair (3 pts.) Weak (0–1 pts.) Describe culture Clearly describes culture Gives a definition of culture without describing it Does not define culture Explain why researchers study different cultures Clearly explains why researchers study different cultures Is vague about why researchers study different cultures Does not explain why researchers study different cultures

• Bart believes that the terms culture, ethnicity, and race mean the same thing and are interchangeable. Explain

why Bart is incorrect.ANSWER: Suggested Answer: Ethnic groups often share a culture, but not necessarily. There are multiple intersecting and interacting dimensions to ethnic identity. People may share ethnicity but differ culturally. For 2 / 4

example, people of Irish descent in Ireland, Australia, and North America may come from several ethnic groups. In another example, African-born people in North America typically consider themselves African, but African people in Africa identify with more specific ethnic groups. Race refers to people who are regarded by themselves or by others on the basis of their physical appearance, typically skin color. However, social scientists are convinced that race is a social construction and that color terms exaggerate minor differences. For instance, dark-skinned people with African ancestors have high levels of within-population genetic diversity, and many dark- skinned people whose ancestors were not African share neither culture nor ethnicity with Africans.Good (5 pts.) Fair (3 pts.) Weak (0–1 pts.) Differentiate the three terms Explains how culture, ethnicity, and race differ Differentiates between two of the terms Does not differentiate the three terms Provide examples Illustrates by example how the three terms differ Partially illustrates by example differences between the three terms Does not provide examples or provides incorrect examples

• Define and discuss the term plasticity as it relates to human development. What factors influence plasticity in

development? Offer at least one example of plasticity that has operated or is operating in your own life.ANSWER: Suggested Answer: Plasticity is the molding of human traits while simultaneously maintaining some durability of identity. The concept of plasticity reminds us that human development is an ongoing, ever-changing interaction between the body and mind and between the individual and every aspect of his or her environment. Influences that affect plasticity include culture, upbringing, and genes. Students' examples should relate to some aspect of growth in their individual lives, such as how they—or someone they know—have overcome adversity. For example, they could discuss how a high- functioning person on the autism spectrum can eventually earn a college degree. (The autism remains [durability], but with school and other societal interventions, the person can still achieve traditional milestones.)

Good (5 pts.) Fair (3 pts.) Weak (0–1 pts.) Define and discuss plasticity Defines the concept of plasticity and discusses it Defines or discusses plasticity Does not define or discuss plasticity List factors that influence plasticity Lists three factors that influence plasticity Lists two factors that influence plasticity Lists one or no factors that influence plasticity Give a plasticity example Gives an example of plasticity Gives an example of plasticity but does not relate it to a personal experience Does not give an example of plasticity

• Define the nature and nurture and give an example of each. What is the nature–nurture debate?

ANSWER: Suggested Answer: Nature refers to the influence of genes on a person, and nurture refers to environmental influences on a person. Environmental influences include the health and diet of the embryo's mother and continue for an individual's entire life, including experiences in the family, school, community, and society. An example of nature would be inheriting a gene that predisposes one to addiction. An example of nurture would be having a predisposition to addiction but being raised in a warm, 3 / 4

stimulating environment in which parents do not abuse drugs or alcohol, reducing the individual's risk for addiction as a result of not being exposed to abuse or parental addictions. The debate concerns how many of any person's characteristics, behaviors, or emotions are the result of genes and how many are the result of the person's experiences.

Good (5 pts.) Fair (3 pts.) Weak (0–1 pts.) Define nature and nurture Accurately defines both terms and gives an example of both Accurately defines one term and gives at least one accurate example Does not accurately define both terms or supply accurate examples Describe the debate Accurately describes both sides of the debate Accurately describes one side of the debate Does not accurately describe the debate

• Explain differential susceptibility, using the example of maternal depression and children's emotional

maturity described in your textbook.ANSWER: Suggested Answer: Differential susceptibility refers to the idea that people vary in how sensitive they are to particular experiences. These differences are often genetic. In one study, depression in pregnant women was assessed, and then the emotional maturity of their children was measured. Children who had a particular version of the serotonin transporter gene (5-HTTLPR) were likely to be emotionally immature if their mothers were depressed but more mature than average if their mothers were not depressed.Good (5 pts.) Fair (3 pts.) Weak (0–1 pts.) Define differential susceptibility Accurately defines the term Partially defines the term Does not accurately define the term Refer to the example of maternal depression and children's emotional maturity Provides the example presented in the textbook Partially explains the link between maternal depression and children's emotional maturity Does not provide the example or incorrectly explains the link between maternal depression and children's emotional maturity

• List in order and explain each of the five basic steps of the scientific method.

ANSWER: Suggested Answer: Step 1: Begin with curiosity. Pose a question based on a theory, prior research, or personal observation. Step 2: Develop a hypothesis, which is a specific prediction that can be tested through research. Step 3: Test the hypothesis. Design and conduct research to gather empirical evidence (data). Step 4: Analyze the evidence gathered in the research. Draw conclusions. Using the evidence gathered in the research, conclude whether the hypothesis is supported or refuted. Step 5: Report the results by sharing the data, conclusions, and alternative explanations with other scientists.

Good (5 pts.) Fair (3 pts.) Weak (0–1 pts.) List steps of scientific method in order States five of the steps in order States three of the steps in order States fewer than three steps or does not state the steps in order Explain each step Describes the five steps Describes three steps Describes fewer than three steps or does not describe steps accurately

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