On average, people who complete more years of schooling earn more money. However, the relationship between education and income differs for men and women and for people of different ethnic backgrounds. Summarize the major patterns you see. Are these differences becoming smaller over time, staying the same, or increasing? Is the pattern the same for people with more and less education? Discuss the implications of your findings in terms of their potential effects on adolescents’ decisions to remain in school?
The government provides a wealth of information on educational achievement.
Although statistics are usually thought of as dry, they provide a snapshot of
who we are and things that make a difference in our lives. What kinds of questions
do these data bring to your mind?
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1 | |
Adam, a college freshman, registers for his fall courses during the spring semester. He discovers that there is a very long reading list for his English course that must be completed by the first day of class. Adam doesn't want to spend the summer reading and is worried that he'll never be able to do well in the class. He drops the course and takes an easier English class. Which of the following statements best describes Adam's achievement motives? |
| | A) | He has a strong need for achievement and a strong fear of failure. |
| | B) | He has a strong need for achievement and a weak fear of failure. |
| | C) | He has a weak need for achievement and a strong fear of failure. |
| | D) | He has a weak need for achievement and a weak fear of failure. |
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2 | |
What does research suggest about sex differences in achievement during adolescence? Check all that apply. |
| | A) | Fear of success may be more prevalent among boys than girls during early and middle adolescence. |
| | B) | Girls have more negative attitudes towards math than do boys. |
| | C) | Parents have different gender role stereotypes for boys and girls that may be communicated to adolescents through parents' expectations. |
| | D) | Boys are concerned that good performance in math and science classes will make them unpopular with girls. |
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3 | |
According to research presented in the textbook, who is most likely to have an extrinsic motivation for achievement? |
| | A) | Emma, whose parents pay her $5 for each A on her report card. |
| | B) | Joseph, whose parents pay him $5 for each A on his report card. |
| | C) | Cassie, whose parents are supportive of her efforts in school but do not give concrete rewards for good grades. |
| | D) | Blake, whose parents are supportive of his efforts in school but do not give concrete rewards for good grades. |
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4 | |
What is cultural capital? |
| | A) | The support, encouragement, and involvement of adults that is needed to facilitate adolescents' success in school. |
| | B) | The resources provided within a family through the exposure of the adolescent to art, music, literature, etc. |
| | C) | The resources that are gained when an adolescent lives in a community that is ethnically diverse. |
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5 | |
Which of the following statements is true about the influence of peers on adolescents' achievement? |
| | A) | Peers always have a negative influence on achievement. |
| | B) | Peers always have a positive influence on achievement. |
| | C) | Peers who are high achievers have a positive influence on achievement, but peers who are low achievers have a negative influence on achievement. |
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6 | |
The SAT and the ACT are measures of what aspect of educational achievement? |
| | A) | Academic achievement |
| | B) | School performance |
| | C) | Educational attainment |
| | D) | Intellectual ability |
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7 | |
In Felner's study, stress was used to explain the link between socioeconomic status and achievement. What term would psychologists use to refer to the stress variable? |
| | A) | Moderating variable |
| | B) | Dependent variable |
| | C) | Mediating variable |
| | D) | Categorical variable |
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8 | |
Which of the following statements best explains why Asian American students outperform African American and Hispanic American students in school? |
| | A) | The success of Asian American students is completely due to socioeconomic advantages. |
| | B) | Asian American students are more likely to believe that success is in their own hands, while students from other minority groups believe that they have no control over success in a discriminatory society. |
| | C) | Asian American students have higher IQs than other students. |
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9 | |
According to the textbook, what are some reasons for American students' low scores on achievement tests? Check all that apply. |
| | A) | Textbooks are not as difficult as they used to be. |
| | B) | Students are not spending enough time studying out of school. |
| | C) | Students know that they can receive good grades without putting in a lot of hard work. |
| | D) | Teachers are not spending enough time on basic instruction. |
| | E) | Parents are not encouraging academic pursuits at home. |
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10 | |
During which of Super's stages does an adolescent begin to formulate ideas about appropriate work and develop occupational self-conceptions? |
| | A) | Crystallization |
| | B) | Specification |
| | C) | Self-directed search |
| | D) | Metamorphosis |
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2002 McGraw-Hill Higher Education