Theories of Development
1. Which theorist is associated with the psychosexual stages of development?
A) Erik Erikson
B) Jean Piaget
C) Sigmund Freud
D) Lev Vygotsky
C) Sigmund Freud
Object permanence — the understanding that objects still exist when out of sight — develops during which stage?
A) Preoperational
B) Sensorimotor
C) Concrete operational
D) Formal operational
B) Sensorimotor
According to Freud's psychodynamic theory, which part of the personality operates entirely in the unconscious and seeks immediate pleasure?
A) Ego
B) ID
C) Superego
D) Persona
B) ID
What does the acronym OCEAN stand for in the Big Five personality model?
A) Optimism, Conscientiousness, Extroversion, Agreeableness, Neuroticism
B) Openness, Conscientiousness, Extraversion, Agreeableness, Negative Emotionality
C) Openness, Creativity, Extraversion, Adaptability, Neuroticism
D) Optimism, Creativity, Empathy, Agreeableness, Negativity
A) Optimism, Conscientiousness, Extroversion, Agreeableness, Neuroticism
The fundamental attribution error refers to the tendency to:
A) Blame external factors for other people's negative behavior
B) Overestimate the role of personality traits when explaining others' behavior
C) Attribute positive outcomes to luck rather than effort
D) Conform to group norms to avoid conflict
B) Overestimate the role of personality traits when explaining others' behavior
Erikson's psychosocial theory focuses on which primary influence on development?
A) Unconscious drives
B) Cognitive schemas
C) Social interactions
D) Biological maturation
C) Social Interactions
Which attachment style describes a child who shows little distress when separated from a caregiver and generally ignores them upon return?
A) Secure
B) Anxious
C) Avoidant
D) Disorganized
C) Avoidant
Alfred Adler believed that personality is influenced by birth order. According to his theory, which child is described as always living "under the shadow" of older siblings?
A) First-born
B) Middle child
C) Youngest child
D) Only child
B) Middle Child
A person who scores low on agreeableness would most likely be described as:
A) Anxious and emotionally unstable
B) Impulsive and disorganized
C) Critical, uncooperative, and suspicious
D) Reserved and slow to speak
C) Critical, uncooperative, and suspicious
The bystander effect predicts that as the number of witnesses to an emergency increases:
A) The likelihood of someone helping increases
B) Group polarization kicks in and produces more helping behavior
C) The likelihood of any one person helping decreases
D) Deindividuation decreases
C) The likelihood of any one person helping decreases
In Piaget's theory, when a child encounters new information that doesn't fit an existing schema and adjusts the schema to incorporate it, this is called:
A) Assimilation
B) Centration
C) Conservation
D) Accommodation
D) Accommodation
Erikson's Stage 5, Identity vs. Role Confusion, is centered on the question:
A) "Can I trust the people around me?"
B) "How can I contribute to the world?"
C) "Did I live a meaningful life?"
D) "Who am I and who do I want to be?"
D) "Who am I and who do I want to be?"
Carl Rogers argued that when parents provide love only under certain conditions, children develop their personality around:
A) Unconditional positive regard
B) Conditions of worth
C) The inferiority complex
D) Reciprocal determinism
B) Conditions of Worth
According to Jung's theory, which of the following best describes an introvert?
A) Seeks attention, speaks quickly, and jumps from topic to topic
B) Acts first and thinks later, prefers verbal communication
C) Outgoing, warm, and seeks adventure
D) Energized by being alone, cautious, and prefers written communication
D) Energized by being alone, cautious, and prefers written communication
Cognitive dissonance is the psychological discomfort caused by:
A) Being unable to conform to group norms
B) Holding two or more conflicting attitudes, beliefs, or behaviors
C) Misattributing physical arousal to the wrong source
D) Experiencing the bystander effect in an emergency
B) Holding two or more conflicting attitudes, beliefs, or behaviors
Kohlberg's post-conventional stage of moral development is characterized by:
A) Avoiding punishment as the primary moral motivation
B) Reasoning based on universal ethical principles
C) Following rules to maintain social order
D) Seeking approval from peers and authority figures
B) Reasoning based on universal ethical principles
A 5-year-old is shown two identical glasses of water, then watches as one is poured into a taller, thinner glass. She insists the taller glass has more water. This demonstrates:
A) Object permanence
B) Centration and lack of conservation
C) Reversibility
D) Formal operational thinking
B) Centration and lack of conservation
Jung's concept of "archetypes" refers to:
A) Defense mechanisms the ego uses to reduce anxiety
B) Social roles that shape personality over a lifetime
C) Universal patterns in the collective unconscious shared across cultures
D) The mask a person consciously creates for public interaction
C) Universal patterns in the collective unconscious shared across cultures
Locus of control is best defined as:
A) The degree to which a person exhibits extraversion vs. introversion
B) One's belief about how much personal control they have over life outcomes
C) The balance between a person's perceived self and ideal self
D) A trait reflecting emotional stability in the Big Five model
B) One's belief about how much personal control they have over life outcomes
Group polarization and groupthink are related but distinct. Which of the following correctly distinguishes them?
A) Group polarization involves obeying authority; groupthink involves conforming to peers
B) Group polarization strengthens an existing group attitude after discussion; groupthink involves members suppressing dissent to match perceived group consensus
C) Groupthink leads to more extreme opinions; group polarization leads to unanimous but moderate decisions
D) Group polarization only occurs in large groups; groupthink only in small ones
B) Group polarization strengthens an existing group attitude after discussion; groupthink involves members suppressing dissent to match perceived group consensus
A researcher studying development argues that cognitive growth is primarily driven by cultural tools, language, and social interaction rather than by individual stages. This most closely aligns with which theory?
A) Cognitive theory
B) Sociocultural theory
C) Psychosexual theory
D) Psychosocial theory
A) Cognitive Theory
A child with a difficult temperament is described as having negative emotions and difficulty adapting to change. According to the material, this type of temperament is most likely to:
A) Evoke irritation and parental withdrawal
B) Lead to secure attachment
C) Elicit warm and responsive parenting
D) Result in high agreeableness later in life
A) Evoke irritation and parental withdrawal
Bandura's concept of reciprocal determinism would best explain which of the following scenarios?
A) A shy student avoids class participation, which leads the teacher to call on them less, which reinforces their shyness
B) An unconscious fixation from childhood affects adult behavior
C) A person's birth order shapes their inferiority complex
D) A person's ideal self diverges from their perceived self, causing psychological distress
A) A shy student avoids class participation, which leads the teacher to call on them less, which reinforces their shyness
A student fails an exam and says, "The test was unfair and the professor is a bad teacher." Later, when they ace the next exam, they say, "I'm just really smart." This pattern of thinking best illustrates:
A) The fundamental attribution error
B) Locus of control
C) Self-serving bias
D) Actor-observer bias
A) The fundamental attribution error
A researcher finds that participants who assembled an IKEA product themselves rated it as more valuable than those who received an already-assembled version. This best illustrates:
A) The mere exposure effect
B) Cognitive dissonance
C) Justification of effort
D) Self-serving bias
C) Justification of effort