Human Growth and Development Exam 1

Correct Answer: B

Rationale: The statement that is true about the Nurse-Family Partnership is that one of its goals is to promote competent early caregiving. The program provides support and guidance to first-time mothers to help them develop their caregiving skills and promote healthy child development. Choice A is incorrect because the program focuses on promoting healthy child development and supporting mothers, not specifically reducing the risk of teratogens. Choice C is incorrect because the Nurse-Family Partnership is not a series of childbirth classes but a program that involves home visits and support. Choice D is incorrect because the program's main focus is on supporting mothers in caregiving and child development, not primarily on family planning and genetic counseling.

Correct Answer: B

Rationale: Passive smoking, also known as secondhand smoke, can have harmful effects on pregnancies. Research has shown that exposure to smoke-filled environments during pregnancy is linked to low birth weight, infant death, and childhood respiratory illnesses. Pregnant women should avoid exposure to secondhand smoke to protect the health of their unborn babies. Choice A is incorrect because passive smoking affects both the mother and the unborn child, not just children born to heavy smokers. Choice C is incorrect as it underestimates the risks of smoke-filled environments on unborn children. Choice D is incorrect as research has already established the harmful effects of passive smoking on pregnancies.

Correct Answer: C

Rationale: During the last half of the first month of pregnancy, the nervous system develops the fastest among the options provided. This rapid development of the nervous system is crucial for the overall growth and functioning of the fetus. The nervous system includes the brain and spinal cord, which are essential for various bodily functions and will continue to develop throughout the pregnancy. The circulatory system, although important, does not develop at the fastest rate during this stage. The endocrine system and skin also play significant roles in the development of the fetus but are not the systems that develop the fastest in the last half of the first month of pregnancy.

Correct Answer: B

Rationale: By using random assignment of participants to treatment conditions, investigators increase the chances that participants' characteristics will be equally distributed across treatment groups. Random assignment helps reduce the likelihood of bias in the selection process and ensures that any differences between groups are due to the treatment and not pre-existing group differences. Sequential, systematic, and correlational assignment methods do not provide the same level of assurance in distributing participants' characteristics equally across treatment groups.

Correct Answer: B

Rationale: The lifespan perspective on human development assumes that development is multidimensional and multidirectional. This means that development occurs in various domains (such as physical, cognitive, and psychosocial) and can involve gains and losses as individuals age. This perspective recognizes that human development is complex and dynamic, involving various factors and pathways over the course of a person's life. Choices A, C, and D are incorrect because human development is not static and stable (A), can involve both continuous and discontinuous changes (C), and is influenced by a combination of heredity and environment rather than solely by heredity (D).