Certificate In Psychology (CPSY) Practice Exam

The facial expressions newborns make in response to tastes and smells are:

1. Unique to each individual child.

2. Learned by observing other people around them.

3. The same, regardless of the stimuli.

4. Innate adaptive responses.

The correct answer is: Innate adaptive responses.

The facial expressions that newborns make in response to tastes and smells are considered innate adaptive responses. This means that these reactions occur naturally and are not learned or influenced by external factors. Newborns display distinct expressions, such as grimacing or smiling, based on the flavors and odors they perceive, which suggests that these expressions are biologically programmed. This inherent response serves an important purpose; for instance, grimacing in response to bitter or sour tastes may prompt the infant to avoid harmful substances, while smiling in response to sweet tastes can encourage the consumption of energy-rich foods. Such expressions contribute to the survival and adaptation of the infant. The other options suggest that these responses are either unique to each child or learned through observation, which does not align with the evidence that these expressions can be observed universally across infants, regardless of individual differences or the influence of their environment. Thus, the fact that these responses are broadly similar across different newborns highlights their innate nature rather than being learned behaviors.