Test Bank to accompany

Child Development: Context, Culture, and Cascades

Chapter 8: Physical Development and Health in Early Childhood

Multiple Choice Questions

1. As children grow, developments in the brain include new synaptic connections and myelinization to help nerve impulses travel faster. Another change during early childhood increasingly allows for one side of the brain to control the other side of the body. What is this called?

a. Myelin sheathing 

b. Corpus callosum 

c. Lateralization

d. Synaptic pruning 

e. Synaptic myelination 

Learning Objective: 8.1 Identify the key ways in which the brain develops in the first 6 years of life.

Bloom’s Level: 3. Applying

2. Which structure in the brain facilitates coordination between two sides of the body?

a. Cerebral lateralization

b. Corpus callosum

c. Cerebellum

d. Left hemisphere

e. Right hemisphere

Learning Objective: 8.1 Identify the key ways in which the brain develops in the first 6 years of life.

Bloom’s Level: 3. Applying

3. The limbic system controls children’s emotional expression and emotion-regulation. The amygdala, hippocampus, and hypothalamus. Which of these is central to registering emotions that are positive and negative, including the emotion of fear?

a. Amygdala

b. Hippocampus

c. Hypothalamus

d. Limbic system and the cerebellum

e. Hippocampus until age 5 and then the amygdala

Learning Objective: 8.1 Identify the key ways in which the brain develops in the first 6 years of life.

Bloom’s Level: 2. Understanding

4. As children’s physically develop, they gain greater control over their bodies. Which type of skills relies primarily on large muscle groups in arms, legs and torso?

a. Fine motor skills

b. Loco-stable motor skills

c. Muscle memory skills

d. Gross motor skills

e. Tactile motor skills

Learning Objective: 8.2 Identify changes in physical development and fine and gross motor skills in early childhood.

Bloom’s Level: 3. Applying

5. Some tasks that would appear simple to adults may be more challenging for children, an example being threading buttons of various shapes with a length of yarn. What type of skills would be needed to work with small objects?

a. Fine motor skills

b. Loco-stable motor skills

c. Muscle memory skills

d. Gross motor skills

e. Tactile motor skills

Learning Objective: 8.2 Identify changes in physical development and fine and gross motor skills in early childhood.

Bloom’s Level: 3. Applying

6. Which activity is considered a gross motor skill? 

a. Creating lines with a paint brush using broad strokes

b. Zipping a sleeping bag

c. Turning and twirling on a playground

d. Fitting a puzzle shape

e. Eating or getting oneself dressed

Learning Objective: 8.2 Identify changes in physical development and fine and gross motor skills in early childhood.

Bloom’s Level: 3. Applying

7. If you could take daily measurements of a typical child’s growth and plot the results on a graph, the resulting curve would likely show

a. a continuous and steady upward curve.

b. extended periods of months or even years with no growth, followed by long periods of slow, steady growth.

c. periods of no growth lasting days or weeks, interspersed with short upward spikes.

d. a steadily oscillating curve.

e. a rising curve that grows steadily steeper over time.

Learning Objective: 8.2 Identify changes in physical development and fine and gross motor skills in early childhood.

Bloom’s Level: 3. Applying

8. Studies show that animals and children alike that are raised in stimulating environments differ in the development of synaptic connections compared to those in impoverished circumstances. What does this suggest about the role of the home environment?

a. Affluent homes will produce more successful children.

b. Exposure to enriched experiences such as music education and sensitive caregiving may lead to complex synaptic connections.

c. Parents who fail to be responsive cause minimal synaptic functioning in their children.

d. Parents must consider be careful not to overstimulate their children in the home.

e. Homes in which children receive stringed-instrument training produce the highest functioning children.

Learning Objective: 8.3 Discuss evidence for the role of home environment in children’s brain development.

Bloom’s Level: 3. Applying

9. Children and adults differ in average heights and weights in cultural communities throughout the world over historical time. Which term refers to such changes over an extended time?

1. Genetic adaptiveness
2. Cultural affluence
3. Secular changes
4. Access to healthcare
5. Nutritional habits

Learning Objective: 8.4 List examples of cultural differences in height.

Bloom’s Level: 3. Applying

10. Which is the best response towards young children who may be picky eaters?

a. Express deep concern and disapproval if children present fussy or poor attitudes.

b. Limit children’s opportunities to eat other foods until they learn to accept a problem food item.

c. Provide sweet snacks only after a child agrees to try an unfamiliar or “green” food.

d. Provide ample access to a variety of foods—without pressure—and encourage healthy eating.

e. Only attempt introducing a new food once with a child, then move on to another.

Learning Objective: 8.5 List nutritional deficiencies that can affect body and brain development.

Bloom’s Level: 3. Applying

11. According to research (Manella et al., 2020), children demonstrate higher acceptance towards a new food

a. immediately or not at all.

b. after the second attempt at offering the food.

c. after 8-15 exposures to the food.

d. when they become adolescents.

e. if it is altered—for example, made sweeter—to suit a child’s preferences.

Learning Objective: 8.5 List nutritional deficiencies that can affect body and brain development.

Bloom’s Level: 3. Applying 

12. All of the statements about obesity among U.S. children are true except that

a. obesity in childhood increases risk of obesity later in life.

b. high rates of family poverty correlate to high rates of childhood obesity.

c. obesity rates have risen sharply in recent times.

d. Increases in childhood obesity rates are most pronounced among Black and Hispanic U.S. children.

e. the majority of obese 3-year-olds will grow out of the condition.

Learning Objective: 8.6 Explain factors that contribute to obesity in young children.

Bloom’s Level: 2. Understanding

13. Which kind of programs are most successful at the reduction of childhood obesity?

a. Programs that instruct parents on what to feed children

b. Programs that focus on nutrition combined with physical activity

c. Programs that are nutrition-focused that are only taught in public schools

d. BMI fitness programs offered in physical education courses

e. After-school programs that foster physical activity and peer support

Learning Objective: 8.6 Explain factors that contribute to obesity in young children.

Bloom’s Level: 3. Applying

14. A study found doubling vegetable and fruit servings to children led to an increase in consumption of those foods but not calorie intake. What conclusions can be made?

a. Children were overeating when presented with larger portion sizes.

b. Children received too many servings of fruit for their age (4-6).

c. Larger portions of healthy foods will increase healthy eating without risk to being overweight.

d. Parents must carefully portion fruits and vegetables to not overload their children.

e. The increased food intake can lead to stronger desire for unhealthy food options.

Learning Objective: 8.7 Discuss various ways that parents can promote their children’s acceptance of healthy foods.

Bloom’s Level: 3. Applying

15. A child at dinner time refuses to eat food that is “too green.”.One parent promises to reward the child with dessert and another parent threatens to take away the child’s phone. Which approach will be more successful?

a. Neither tactic is optimal, threats or bribes do not allow the child to develop self-control.

b. The first parent will because a reward/incentive is important for developing healthy habits.

c. The second parent, because children take advantage of parents who are not firm in food discipline.

d. It depends on the child’s age.

e. As long as the parent consumes the healthy food, the tactic does not matter, as children will model what parents eat.

Learning Objective: 8.7 Discuss various ways that parents can promote their children’s acceptance of healthy foods.

Bloom’s Level: 3. Applying

16. Which statement about children and sleep is true?

a. Children and teenagers are fairly flexible in their adaptation to hours of sleep, so less sleep has minimal impact.

b. Adults are more emotional than children when sleep-deprived.

c. As long as children receive good nutrition, less sleep is will have little impact.

d. Sleep-deprived children are highly affected by a lack of sleep and may have problems controlling behaviors.

e. Sleep requirements vary from child to child, so adequate sleep is difficult to measure.

Learning Objective: 8.8 Describe how sleep patterns change in the transition from infancy to early childhood.

Bloom’s Level: 3. Applying

17. Sleep ______ refers to the establishment of a single episode of nighttime sleep, whereas sleep _______ refers to the ability to move from wakefulness to sleep states.

a. consolidation; regulation

b. wakefulness; deprivation

c. cycle; tracking

d. training; weaning

e. quality; transition

Learning Objective: 8.8 Describe how sleep patterns change in the transition from infancy to early childhood.

Bloom’s Level: 3. Applying

18. Infants and young children require more sleep than older children, teenagers or adults. According to pediatric recommendations, how many hours of sleep is recommended for children younger than 6 years of age?

1. 5-8 hours of sleep
2. 8-10 hours of sleep
3. Up to 8 hours excluding naps
4. 10-14 hours of sleep
5. Up to 10 hours, naps no longer needed

Learning Objective: 8.9 Contrast the reality of how much sleep children get with how much sleep they need according to pediatric guidelines.

Bloom’s Level: 2. Understanding

19. Actigraphs have been used to assess children’s activity patterns and quality of sleep. Which of the following is not true based on findings from studies using these devices?

a. Parents often report children sleep more than actigraphs actually reveal.

b. Children often get less than the recommended amount of sleep.

c. Half of children ages 3–6 wake up at some point in the middle of the night.

d. A major reason children often don’t sleep is enough is because they have difficulty falling to sleep initially.

e. Most children experience frequent sleep disruptions from night terrors.

Learning Objective: 8.9 Contrast the reality of how much sleep children get with how much sleep they need according to pediatric guidelines.

Bloom’s Level: 3. Applying

20. Cindy is a child who has a predictable routine with dinner, sleep time, going to school and repeating the process daily. Rupert has a similar routine at his mom’s, but when he stays with his dad on weekends he stays up late and often skips breakfast. Which statement about Rupert’s and Cindy’s sleep is accurate?

a. Rupert’s and Cindy’s sleep patterns will remain fairly predictable.

b. Unrestricted weekends are harmless as long as boundaries are set.

c. Rupert may experience less sleep than Cindy, because irregular bedtime routines and inconsistent parenting may lead to less sleep on average.

d. Boys are less regular in their sleep than girls at Rupert’s and Cindy’s ages, so Rupert’s schedule will likely not affect him negatively.

e. Children are flexible at younger ages and can take naps as the body requires, therefore adjusting to their personal experiences.

Learning Objective: 8.10 Explain why regularity in everyday routines benefits children’s sleep.

Bloom’s Level: 3. Applying

21. Vaccines provide protection against infectious disease. According to multiple studies, approximately how many young children (depending on age) are actually vaccinated?

a. 10% to 20%

b. 73% to 92%

c. 35% to 65%

d. 20% to 35%

e. 99.5%

Learning Objective: 8.11 Identify infectious diseases for which vaccinations are available.

Bloom’s Level: 3. Applying

22. Which is a noncommunicable, chronic disease?

a. Measles, which is a leading cause of death throughout the world

b. Conjunctivitis, painful eye issues that persist into adulthood

c. Shingles, which causes nerve damage if not treated promptly

d. Obesity, which leads to diabetes, heart disease and other issues

e. Whooping cough disease, caused by poor lung airways

Learning Objective: 8.12 Identify prevalent chronic diseases in the United States.

Bloom’s Level: 3. Applying

23. A young child has difficulty breathing due to persistent lung infections and liver and kidney complications connected to a genetic disorder. What chronic disease could this be? 

a. Asthma

b. Malnutrition

c. Malaria

d. Diabetes

e. Cystic fibrosis

Learning Objective: 8.12 Identify prevalent chronic diseases in the United States.

Bloom’s Level: 3. Applying

24. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), which is responsible for the most deaths throughout the world?

a. Asthma

b. Infectious disease

c. Nutritional deficiency

d. Chronic disease

e. Environmental hazards

Learning Objective: 8.12 Identify prevalent chronic diseases in the United States.

Bloom’s Level: 2. Understanding

25. Over recent decades, multiple studies have found that the nature of child-related injuries and accidental fatalities have changed. Which is a likely explanation for this change?

a. As the population grows, rates of injuries and accidents have increased.

b. Laws and policies around safety and other guidelines have led to improved safety precautions, and injuries have declined.

c. Because of new-age parenting approaches, including goals to allow children more autonomy, young children are riskier and get hurt more often.

d. Fatalities are drastically higher today than three decades ago, primarily due to increased speeding and more cars on the road.

e. Toxic substances and swimming pools are much more likely to be present in homes today.

Learning Objective: 8.13 List some common injuries in young children.

Bloom’s Level: 3. Applying

26. Younger children compared to older children tend to be hospitalized more often as the result of unintentional injuries. Which is not an example of unintentional injury?

a. Accidental consumption of poisons

b. Automobile accident

c. Neglect (physical and/or emotional)

d. Drowning

e. Various physical injuries

Learning Objective: 8.13 List some common injuries in young children.

Bloom’s Level: 3. Applying

27. Which is not one of the four subtypes of child maltreatment?

a. Relational abuse

b. Physical abuse

c. Neglect

d. Emotional abuse

e. Sexual abuse

Learning Objective: 8.14 Classify different types of maltreatment.

Bloom’s Level: 2. Understanding

28. Which scenario is an example of neglect?

a. Constantly ridiculing a child

b. Intentionally inflicting harm, often with an object

c. Exposing a child to indecent sexual content

d. Giving a child up to state custody

e. Failing to provide basic needs to a child

Learning Objective: 8.14 Classify different types of maltreatment.

Bloom’s Level: 3. Applying

29. According to a report by the Administration for Children and Families (ACF), an estimated 674,000 children were identified as victims of abuse in 2017. Which form of abuse was most reported?

a. Sexual abuse

b. Neglect

c. Physical abuse

d. Emotional abuse

e. Financial abuse

Learning Objective: 8.14 Classify different types of maltreatment.

Bloom’s Level: 3. Applying

30. Which is not true about rates of child maltreatment?

a. Improvements in tracking using recent technology advances allow for exact statistics on rates of maltreatment.

b. Annual incidence rates underestimate cumulative estimates of maltreatment.

c. Maltreatment peaks in infancy and early childhood compared to other ages.

d. Beyond types of maltreatment, researchers classify maltreatment by severity, frequency, and timing.

e. All forms of maltreatment are rising in line with growing U.S. poverty.

Learning Objective: 8.14 Classify different types of maltreatment.

Bloom’s Level: 2. Understanding

31. Selena is attending the first day of class at a new school and does not know any other students. She is extrovert but is having some feelings of anxiety and worry that are prompting her to think about how to interact with new children in the class. Selena is experiencing

a. toxic stress.

b. positive stress.

c. tolerable stress.

d. chronic stress

e. an anxiety attack.

Learning Objective: 8.15 Discuss the positive and negative effects of stress.

Bloom’s Level: 3. Applying

32. Brennon and Dale are brothers who moved across the country after their father died. They are in a new state with little knowledge of the areas and had little time to process the sudden move. They are cared for and are generally supported with resources at home. For such a transition, what type of stress are they likely to experience?

a. Toxic stress of experiencing their father’s death and moving from friends and family

b. Geographical stress, as caused when suddenly moving far enough from areas with which children are familiar

c. Family stress, in which the makeup of the family is altered and disrupts family norms.

d. Tolerable stress from the event of a father’s death

e. Positive stress due to the excitement of the move and supportive resources

Learning Objective: 8.15 Discuss the positive and negative effects of stress.

Bloom’s Level: 3. Applying

33. Kayla is feeling stress due to being neglected at home and having distracted parents, and her grades have been declining over several years. In turn, her parents punish her harshly on constant basis. What is Kayla likely experiencing?

a. Positive stress

b. Gratitude over finally getting her parents’ attention

c. Toxic stress

d. Tolerable stress

e. Motivation to improve her grades

Learning Objective: 8.15 Discuss the positive and negative effects of stress.

Bloom’s Level: 3. Applying

34. Disease can impact any person regardless of where they are in the world or what their status is. According to a figure by Braveman and Barclay (2009), what relationship does family income have with health conditions?

a. Children in homes with poor economic resources have higher rates of disease.

b. Children in homes with higher and lower economic classes show near identical rates of disease.

c. Regardless of ethnicity, children share the same rates of chronic disease in poorer homes.

d. Neighborhood factors play a central role in children’s infectious and chronic disease, more so than does family income.

e. Preventative health measures (such as Medicaid) remove risk of chronic disease for poorer families.

Learning Objective: 8.16 Explain how a family’s economic resources, access to healthcare, and views and practices around vaccinations may affect children’s health.

Bloom’s Level: 2. Understanding

35. Poverty affects children across all ethnicities but in certain groups may lead to more risk for negative health outcomes. Which of the following is true for children who experience child maltreatment, neglect or exposure to violence?

a. As long as children receive support, witnessing violence has little impact.

b. Children from middle-income households who experience abuse are more likely to have adverse effects than those from low-income households.

c. Children in poor homes are less likely to witness community violence.

d. Children in low-income homes have greater odds of experiencing or seeing all forms of abuse.

e. Children in middle-income families experience physical abuse in greater numbers than those in low-income households.

Learning Objective: 8.16 Explain how a family’s economic resources, access to healthcare, and views and practices around vaccinations may affect children’s health.

Bloom’s Level: 3. Applying

36. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and USCB data, what percent of children are estimated to have at least some form of health care insurance coverage?

a. 13%

b. 33%

c. 100%

d. 54%

e. 94%

Learning Objective: 8.16 Explain how a family’s economic resources, access to healthcare, and views and practices around vaccinations may affect children’s health.

Bloom’s Level: 2. Understanding

37. Over the last few decades, many parents have often opted out of vaccinations for their children. This has led to breakouts of measles or other outbreaks of diseases that have largely been eradicated. One factor in this development was the 1998 report from a British physician falsely linking a common vaccine to

a. polio.

b. measles.

c. autism.

d. Parkinson’s disease.

e. ebola virus.

Learning Objective: 8.16 Explain how a family’s economic resources, access to healthcare, and views and practices around vaccinations may affect children’s health.

Bloom’s Level: 3. Applying

38. Children living in impoverished neighborhoods are at greater risk for chronic lead exposure. What is true about the symptoms of prolonged exposure?

a. Most lead exposures have minimal impact if any.

b. Lead ingestion can cause stomach or intestinal issues.

c. Lead leads to lower intelligence, verbal and visual-motor deficits, and physical ailments.

d. Lead causes behavioral issues but is treatable.

e. Mercury poisoning is the only teratogen that is dangerous to children.

Learning Objective: 8.17 Discuss how poor neighborhoods can affect children’s health through exposure to lead.

Bloom’s Level: 3. Applying

38. Children living in impoverished neighborhoods are at greater risk for chronic lead exposure. Which statement about this exposure is true?

a. Immunization programs can protect children from lead exposure.

b. Lead ingestion is a major cause of childhood cancer.

c. Lead exposure can lead to lower intelligence, verbal and visual-motor deficits, and physical ailments.

d. Lead causes serious but reversible behavioral issues.

e. Only lead ingested through drinking water is a serious concern.

Learning Objective: 8.17 Discuss how poor neighborhoods can affect children’s health through exposure to lead.

Bloom’s Level: 3. Applying

39. Over 200 million children in developing countries are estimated to not reach full developmental potential and nearly all deaths of children under age 5 occur in developing countries. What is a specific effort by UNICEF to address the disproportionate rates of death of children under the age of 5 in developing countries?

a. UNICEF has been providing materials to build schools and sources of water.

b. UNICEF has brought in volunteers to educate parents and local leaders.

c. UNICEF airdrops food and supplies in communities for distribution.

d. UNICEF has provided vaccines as a measure of protection and improve survival rates.

e. To date, UNICEF has not been able to gain access to developing countries.

Learning Objective: 8.18 Describe the different health-related contexts of children living in high-income versus low- and middle-income countries.

Bloom’s Level: 3. Applying

40. Which explains why sleep problems in early childhood may be connected to childhood obesity?

a. Sleep problems interfere with activity levels during waking hours.

b. Sleep problems interfere with caloric levels during waking hours.

c. Sleep problems interfere with hormones related to growth, maturation, and energy homeostasis, which affect eating habits.

d. Parents who are lax about their children’s sleeping habits may also tend to be lax about eating or activity habits.

e. All of the above

Learning Objective: N/A

Bloom’s Level: 2. Understanding

Short Answer

41. During early childhood the brain undergoes great change. Describe a few key ways the brain develops from birth through age six.  

Learning objective: 8.1 Identify the key ways in which the brain develops in the first 6 years of life.
Bloom’s Level: 4. Analysis

42. Researcher Michelle Lampl suggests that child growth is more episodic than continuous. Explain why traditional growth charts may not be the best measure of growth. 

Learning Objective: 8.2 Identify changes in physical development and fine and gross motor skills in early childhood.

Bloom’s Level: 4. Analyzing 

43. What strategies are effective for encouraging children to eat healthy?

Learning Objective: 8.5 List nutritional deficiencies that can affect body and brain development.

Bloom’s Level: 4. Analyzing

44. Young children should be sleeping between 10-14 hours per night. Some children have difficulty reaching those hours and small percentage are unable to sleep through the night due to night terrors. What are some differences between night terrors and nightmares and how does this disrupt sleep?

Learning Objective: 8.8 Describe how sleep patterns change in the transition from infancy to early childhood.

Bloom’s Level: 4. Analyzing

45. How can parents increase the likelihood of their children getting adequate sleep to improve children’s development and growth?

Learning Objective: 8.9 Contrast the reality of how much sleep children get with how much sleep they need according to pediatric guidelines.

Bloom’s Level: 4. Analyzing

46. Chronic diseases are noncommunicable, long-lasting diseases that can be controlled with active medical treatment plans but are not cured. Identify prevalent chronic diseases that are found in the United States today.

Learning Objective: 8.12 Identify prevalent chronic diseases in the United States.

Bloom’s Level: 2. Understanding

47. What are the four subtypes of child maltreatment? Which is most common and why?

Learning Objective: 8.14 Classify different types of maltreatment.

Bloom’s Level: 4. Analyzing

48. What are the types of stress and in what ways can stress be “good for you”? Which type of stress can be especially detrimental to children and how?

Learning Objective: 8.15 Discuss the positive and negative effects of stress.

Bloom’s Level: 4. Analyzing

49. Can you provide a real-life example of how poor living conditions are connected to lead exposure?

Learning Objective: 8.18 Describe the different health-related contexts of children living in high-income versus low- and middle-income countries.

Bloom’s Level: 4. Analyzing

50. Explain why all people should be concerned about child maltreatment?

Learning Objective: N/A
Bloom’s Level: 4. Analyzing