Nursing Elites

1. When trying to soothe a crying baby, what technique do Western parents typically attempt first?

• A. Massaging the baby's body
• B. Offering a pacifier and a receiving blanket
• C. Playing recorded womb sounds or sounds of nature
• D. Lifting the baby to the shoulder and rocking or walking

Correct answer: D

Rationale: When Western parents aim to soothe a crying baby, the technique they usually try first is lifting the baby to the shoulder and rocking or walking. This method is effective because the motion and closeness provided by rocking or walking can help calm the baby and offer comfort. Choice A is incorrect as massaging the baby's body is not typically the first technique used. Choice B is incorrect as offering a pacifier and a receiving blanket may be tried after lifting the baby to the shoulder. Choice C is also incorrect as playing recorded sounds is usually not the initial technique attempted.

2. Dr. McBride wants to know if the teacher's use of encouragement in the classroom affects the children's self-esteem. To assign children to treatment conditions, Dr. McBride should __________.

• A. carefully distribute the children according to their test scores
• B. divide the children so each group has an equal number of boys and girls
• C. draw the children's names out of a hat
• D. assign the quieter children to the same treatment condition

Correct answer: C

Rationale: Drawing the children's names out of a hat is a way to randomly assign them to treatment conditions. Random assignment helps to ensure that any differences in self-esteem that may be observed in the study are not due to pre-existing characteristics of the children. This method helps to establish a cause-and-effect relationship between the teacher's use of encouragement and the children's self-esteem. Choice A is incorrect because assigning children based on test scores may introduce bias into the study. Choice B is incorrect as balancing gender is not relevant to the research question. Choice D is incorrect as it introduces a bias by selecting a specific group of children based on a characteristic unrelated to the study objective.

3. What is the goal of applied behavior analysis?

• A. outline changes in temperament over the lifespan
• B. eliminate undesirable behaviors and increase desirable responses
• C. examine how we think about ourselves and other people
• D. synthesize information from various sources into a detailed picture of a person's personality

Correct answer: B

Rationale: The correct answer is B: "eliminate undesirable behaviors and increase desirable responses." Applied behavior analysis aims to modify behavior by focusing on eliminating unwanted behaviors and reinforcing desirable ones. It does not primarily deal with changes in temperament (choice A), self-perception (choice C), or personality traits (choice D). The approach involves techniques such as reinforcement to target specific behaviors, rather than broader cognitive processes or personality characteristics.

4. A __________ is a means of building schemes in which an infant who has stumbled onto a new experience caused by his or her own motor activity tries to repeat the event again and again.

• A. sensorimotor reflex
• B. circular reaction
• C. mental representation
• D. goal-directed behavior

Correct answer: B

Rationale: A circular reaction is a process where an infant repeats a specific action to explore and learn about the environment through their own motor activity. This repetition helps the infant to understand the consequences of their actions and build cognitive schemes. Sensorimotor reflex (choice A) refers to automatic responses to stimuli, not a purposeful repetition of actions to learn. Mental representation (choice C) involves internal cognitive structures to represent objects or events in the mind, which is different from the repetitive behavior described in the question. Goal-directed behavior (choice D) is purposeful and intentional, unlike the repetitive nature of circular reactions in infants' learning process.

5. Which statement is supported by research on newborn taste preferences?

• A. Newborns cannot distinguish basic tastes.
• B. Not until 4 months do babies prefer a salty taste to plain water.
• C. Newborns prefer the taste of formula to breast milk.
• D. Unlike adults, babies relax their facial muscles in response to sour tastes.

Correct answer: B

Rationale: Research on newborn taste preferences has found that not until around 4 months of age do babies start to show a preference for a salty taste over plain water. This indicates that newborns do have some ability to distinguish tastes, contrary to the statement in option A. The statement in option C that newborns prefer the taste of formula to breast milk is not supported by research on newborn taste preferences. Option D, stating that babies relax their facial muscles in response to sour tastes, is also not a supported statement regarding newborn taste preferences.

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