Deck 6: Theories of Cognitive Development

Question 1

When infants begin using __________, they are then able to mentally anticipate consequences, rather than having to perform them.

A) object permanence
B) reflexes
C) means to achieve ends
D) symbols

Answer 1

D

Question 2

Piaget was trained as a

A) psychologist.
B) medical doctor.
C) biologist.
D) neurologist.

Answer 2

C

Question 3

According to Piaget, a 7- to 11-year-old child is in the __________ period.

A) preoperational
B) conservational
C) formal operational
D) concrete operational

Answer 3

D

Question 4

Moses knows that even though he cannot see his favorite blanket, it still exists. Moses understands the concept of

A) assimilation.
B) accommodation.
C) object permanence.
D) equilibrium.

Question 5

Which of the following is the correct order of Piaget's stages?

A) sensorimotor, concrete operational, preoperational, and formal operational
B) sensorimotor, preoperational, concrete operational, and formal operational
C) sensorimotor, preoperational, formal operational, and concrete operational
D) the order varies from individual to individual

Question 6

Which infant is using mental symbols?

A) Eric, who is kicking his leg over and over
B) Dan, who is squeezing different toys to see if they squeak
C) Roger, who is climbing up on a chair to reach a toy on a shelf
D) Peter, who is saying "Vrrrrroooommm!" and moving his hand like a car

Question 7

According to Piaget, infants do not have a full understanding of object permanence until

A) 6 month of age.
B) 9 months of age.
C) 12 months of age.
D) 18 months of age.

Question 8

Six-month-old Nydia has been exclusively breastfed since birth. Thus, she has never drunk from a bottle. The first time Nydia is offered the bottle, she tries to suck on it the same way she is used to sucking. However, her old sucking behavior is not successful with the bottle. She has to adapt her sucking in order to get sufficient milk from the bottle. Nydia's new understanding of how to suck on the bottle is an indication that she has engaged in which of the following Piagetian processes?

A) accommodation
B) assimilation
C) schemes
D) conservation

Question 9

According to Piaget

A) children will not be curious unless parents provide a stimulating environment.
B) children create theories about how the world works.
C) children are capable of abstract thought from the time they are born.
D) children's thinking is very similar to adult's thinking.

Question 10

Piaget's __________ stage is characterized by the child's use of symbols to represent objects and events.

A) formal operational
B) sensorimotor
C) concrete operational
D) preoperational

Question 11

Each new stage of cognitive development

A) is fundamentally the same as the previous stage.
B) is marked by a distinctive way of thinking about and understanding the world.
C) occurs every two years during childhood.
D) can be skipped by children who are smarter than their peers.

Question 12

Which of the following would violate the principles of Piaget's theory?

A) if identical twins reached the preoperational stage at different times
B) if more intelligent children went through the stages faster than less intelligent children
C) if a gifted child skipped the concrete operational stage and went directly to the formal operational stage
D) if a child went through a revolutionary change of thought at 2 years of age

Question 13

According to textbook, most infants begin to use symbols at about

A) birth to 1 month.
B) 4 months.
C) 8 months.
D) 18 months.

Question 14

Which of the following abilities marks the end of the sensorimotor period?

A) the ability to use mental symbols
B) the ability to walk without holding a hand
C) the ability to talk
D) the decline of egocentrism

Question 15

According to Piaget, more advanced mental structures would not develop without

A) reinforcement.
B) short-term storage space.
C) imitation.
D) disequilibrium.

Question 16

Piaget thought children were like

A) little scientists.
B) miniature adults.
C) blank slates.
D) computers.

Question 17

According to Piaget, preschoolers are in the __________ period of cognitive development.

A) preoperational
B) concrete operational
C) sensorimotor
D) formal operational

Question 18

If an infant watches while a toy that has been hidden in one location is then hidden in a new location, most 8- to 10-month-olds

A) cannot find the toy.
B) cannot decide whether to look for the toy in the old or the new location.
C) look for the toy in the old location, indicating that they do not understand that objects exist independently.
D) look for the toy in the new location, indicating that they understand that objects exist independently.

Question 19

Who is experiencing disequilibrium?

A) Becky, who is doing much more accommodating than assimilating
B) Sandy, who is doing more assimilating than accommodating
C) Jane, who is doing equal amounts of assimilating and accommodating
D) Carla, who is not doing any assimilating or accommodating

Question 20

Piaget's primary approach to investigating the origins of knowledge involved

A) debate.
B) introspection.
C) experiments with children.
D) discussion with other scientists.

Question 21

According to Piaget, the concrete operational child

A) cannot reverse mental operations.
B) cannot solve conservation tasks.
C) thinks in a way that is limited to the tangible and real.
D) does not know that appearances can be deceiving.

Question 22

__________ is like tunnel vision.

A) Egocentrism
B) Symbolic processing
C) Centration
D) Animism

Question 23

__________ are strategies and rules that make thinking more systematic and more powerful.

A) Circular reactions
B) Symbolic processes
C) Mental operations
D) Scaffolds

Question 24

Centration is characterized by

A) difficulty in seeing the world from another's outlook.
B) crediting inanimate objects with real-life properties.
C) believing an object's appearance tells what the object is really like.
D) focusing on one aspect of a problem, while ignoring other relevant aspects of the problem.

Question 25

Who is likely to be able to answer a hypothetical question such as, "What would happen if no one had to work anymore?"

A) preoperational thinkers only
B) formal operational thinkers only
C) concrete operational thinkers only
D) concrete operational and formal operational thinkers

Question 26

During Piaget's __________ stage, individuals become capable of abstract, hypothetical thought and deductive reasoning.

A) concrete operational
B) formal operational
C) preoperational
D) sensorimotor

Question 27

"The swings are sad today because I couldn't play on them because it is raining." This statement is an example of what Piagetian concept that is typical of preoperational children?

A) animism
B) centration
C) mental operations
D) accommodation

Question 28

The inability of the young child to grasp the fact that his or her view of the world, both literally and figuratively, may be but one of many is known as

A) animism.
B) conservation.
C) egocentrism.
D) intellectual realism.

Question 29

During Piaget's __________ stage, children begin using mental operations to solve problems.

A) formal operational
B) concrete operational
C) sensorimotor
D) preoperational

Question 30

When formal operational thinkers are faced with a problem, such as figuring out what combination of clear liquids will produce a blue liquid, they will

A) haphazardly mix liquids to find the correct combination.
B) become confused and irritated.
C) systematically test hypotheses about different combinations of liquids.
D) concentrate on trying to pour the liquids without spilling them.

Question 31

__________ thought is rule-oriented and logical, but limited to the tangible and real.

A) Sensorimotor
B) Formal operational
C) Preoperational
D) Concrete operational

Question 32

When concrete operational and formal operational thinkers are asked to combine a number of clear liquids to produce a blue liquid

A) neither the concrete operational child, nor the formal operational adolescent, test the combinations of liquids in a systematic manner.
B) only the concrete operational child tests the combinations of liquids in a systematic manner.
C) only the formal operational child tests the combinations of liquids in a systematic manner.
D) both the concrete operational child and the formal operational adolescent test the combinations of liquids in a systematic manner.

Question 33

Two children are asked the following question: If you could jump into a swimming pool filled with any substance, what substance would you want the pool to be filled with? Vincent answers: "Water - that's what pools are filled with." Ted, on the other hand, answers: "Cool - I would want the pool filled with red Jello." Which of the following statements is correct regarding Vincent and Ted?

A) Ted and Vincent are both in the concrete-operational stage.
B) Ted and Vincent are both in the formal-operational stage.
C) Ted is in the concrete-operational stage and Vincent is in the formal-operational stage.
D) Vincent is in the concrete-operational stage and Ted is in the formal-operational stage.

Question 34

When preoperational children are asked to identify different perspectives of model mountains on a table, which of the following characteristics of preoperational thought do they demonstrate?

A) egocentrism
B) animism
C) centration
D) intellectual realism

Question 35

Preoperational children's incorrect responses on conservation tasks are best explained by the __________, which is characteristic of their thought.

A) egocentrism
B) deductive reasoning
C) centered thinking
D) animism

Question 36

In a conservation of liquid experiment, Victoria is shown two identical beakers filled with the same amount of juice. The juice from one of the beakers is poured into a taller, thinner beaker. Victoria now thinks there is more juice in the tall, thin beaker than in the original beaker. Victoria appears to be in Piaget's __________ stage of cognitive development.

A) preoperational
B) concrete operational
C) sensorimotor
D) formal operational

Question 37

Jacob and his mother are driving home from school. Jacob, who is sitting in the back seat behind his mother, is telling a story about his foot getting hurt. Of course, his mother, who is driving, cannot see his foot, but Jacob keeps pointing to his foot, saying, "Mommy, see where I have my boo-boo?" Jacob is suffering from

A) conservation.
B) a lack of object permanence.
C) centration.
D) egocentrism.

Question 38

The formal operational child approaches problems by

A) forming hypotheses and systematically evaluating all possibilities.
B) trial-and-error.
C) relying on past experience.
D) using centration.

Question 39

Piaget used __________ experiments to see whether children realized that characteristics of objects remained the same despite changes in physical appearance.

A) circular reaction
B) conservation
C) deductive reasoning
D) equilibration

Question 40

Which characteristic of the concrete operational child's thinking allows him or her to solve Piaget's conservation problem?

A) reversible mental operations
B) hypothetical thinking
C) egocentrism
D) animism

Question 41

When Gavin and his father solve puzzles together, they share an understanding of the goals of the activity and their roles in solving the puzzles. This illustrates the concept of

A) intersubjectivity.
B) deductive reasoning.
C) zone of proximal development.
D) guided participation.

Question 42

Which of the following is an implication of Piaget's theory for teaching practices?

A) Teachers should tell children facts that they can absorb passively.
B) Children should be encouraged to look at the consistency of their own thinking and to sort out any inconsistencies.
C) The best teaching experiences are slightly behind a child's current level of thinking.
D) Teachers should construct a child's understanding of the world.

Question 43

Consider the following: Premise 1: If an animal barks, it is a dog.
Premise 2: A snail barks.
The concrete operational child would fail to draw the conclusion that "a snail is a dog" because his or her conclusions are based on

A) tertiary circular reactions.
B) experience.
C) deductive reasoning.
D) egocentrism.

Question 44

Which of the following is the best example of scaffolding?

A) Marco decides not to ask his son for help, because he knows his son does not have much patience.
B) Linda makes her son, Paul, go to bed early because Paul swore at school.
C) Roberto buys his daughter ice cream when she rides her two-wheel bike successfully.
D) Aubrey helps her daughter prepare meatloaf for dinner - she gives her specific instructions and simplifies whenever possible.

Question 45

Which of the following is characteristic of formal operational thought?

A) animism
B) centration
C) deductive reasoning
D) reasoning that is limited to the tangible and real

Question 46

Piaget's view of cognitive development has some straightforward implications for teaching practices. Which teaching strategy is NOT an application of Piaget's theory?

A) Teachers should provide children with materials that will allow them to discover for themselves how the world works.
B) Teachers should tailor instruction to individual students.
C) Teachers should correct children's mistakes directly, so that children don't waste time worrying about their errors.
D) Teachers should provide children with educational experiences that are slightly ahead of the children's current level of thinking.

Question 47

Which of the following is NOT characteristic of formal operational thinking?

A) abstract thinking
B) hypothetical reasoning
C) deductive reasoning
D) centration

Question 48

A child coloring in a coloring book says out loud to herself, "Stay inside the lines. Water is blue and the fish are red." This is an example of

A) the zone of proximal development.
B) private speech.
C) scaffolding.
D) inner speech.

Question 49

Suppose a child is given these two facts: 1) If you hit a glass with a feather - the glass will break, and 2) Jason hit a glass with a feather. Which of the following statements is CORRECT?

A) Children in both the concrete- and formal-operational periods will come to the correct conclusion - "the glass broke."
B) A child in the concrete-operational period will come to an incorrect conclusion "the glass didn't break because feathers can't break glass") whereas a child in the formal-operational period will come to a correct conclusion "the glass broke").
C) A child in the formal-operational period will come to an incorrect conclusion "the glass didn't break because feathers can't break glass") whereas a child in the concrete-operational period will come to a correct conclusion "the glass broke").
D) Children in both the concrete- and formal-operational periods will come to an incorrect conclusion - "the glass didn't break because feathers can't break glass."

Question 50

Teaching suggestions based on Piaget's theory include

A) teaching at a level slightly ahead of children's current level of thinking.
B) using lectures to tell children how the world works.
C) not allowing children to see their mistakes.
D) using flashcards to drill facts.

Question 51

Piaget's theory

A) stimulated research in the area of cognitive development.
B) viewed children as playing a passive role in their development.
C) does not provide useful ideas for fostering children's development.
D) has not had a lasting impact on the field of child development research.

Question 52

Private speech

A) eventually becomes inner speech.
B) involves talking aloud to others.
C) is more likely to occur while performing easy tasks than difficult tasks.
D) occurs before children's behavior is regulated by speech from other people.

Question 53

The zone of proximal development refers to

A) the highest level of achievement a child can reach by himself.
B) the difference between what a child can do with and without help.
C) a teaching style that matches the amount of assistance to the learner's need.
D) comments not intended for others, but intended to help children regulate their own behavior.

Question 54

According to Piaget, cognitive development is complete when the __________ period is reached.

A) concrete operational
B) preoperational
C) formal operational
D) sensorimotor

Question 55

Which of the following is NOT a weakness of Piaget's theory?

A) Piaget's theory overestimates cognitive competencies in infants and young children and underestimates cognitive competencies in adolescents.
B) Piaget's theory is vague with respect to processes and mechanisms of change.
C) Piaget's stage model does not account for variability in children's performance.
D) Piaget's theory undervalues the influence of sociocultural environment on cognitive development.

Question 56

In contrast to concrete operational thinkers, formal operational thinkers

A) can reach counterfactual conclusions.
B) can use mental operations.
C) do not confuse appearances with reality.
D) are not centered in their thinking.

Question 57

The view of children as active participants in their own development who systematically create ever more sophisticated understandings of their worlds is referred to as

A) the zone of proximal development.
B) the core knowledge hypothesis.
C) constructivism.
D) the theory of mind.

Question 58

According to Piaget, each stage of cognitive development involves consistent thought across different tasks. Recent research has found

A) very consistent performance across tasks as Piaget would predict.
B) very consistent performance across tasks only in concrete operational children.
C) inconsistent performance across tasks only in formal operational adolescents.
D) inconsistent performance across tasks contrary to Piaget's predictions.

Question 59

According to Vygotsky, development is optimal when

A) the child learns independently.
B) a child is guided by someone with more skill.
C) someone with more skill does NOT interfere by trying to structure a task for the child.
D) the amount of assistance given exceeds the amount that the child needs.

Question 60

__________ refers to a teaching style that matches the amount of assistance to the learner's needs.

A) The zone of proximal development
B) Private speech
C) Scaffolding
D) Hypothetical reasoning

Question 61

The concepts of scaffolding, private speech, and the zone of proximal development are most closely associated with

A) Piaget.
B) Vygotsky.
C) neo-Piagetian theories.
D) the theory of mind.

Question 62

Working memory

A) holds visual images for a few seconds.
B) is a limitless, permanent storehouse of knowledge.
C) is like a computer's hard drive.
D) is the site of ongoing cognitive activity.

Question 63

The limitless, permanent storehouse of knowledge in the world is called

A) long-term memory.
B) sensory memory.
C) working memory.
D) the information processor.

Question 64

Information-processing theorists believe that developmental change occurs

A) as a result of equilibration.
B) in several different forms, rather than by a single mechanism.
C) when mental structures are massively reorganized.
D) in a social context.

Question 65

How is the cognitive functioning of Rachel, an 8-year-old, likely to compare with Bethany, a 16-year-old?

A) Rachel will use less efficient strategies.
B) Rachel and Bethany will have the same amount of working memory.
C) Rachel will use more automatic processes.
D) Bethany will process information more slowly.

Question 66

Compared to an older child, a younger child is likely to use problem-solving strategies that are

A) faster.
B) less efficient.
C) more accurate.
D) easier.

Question 67

Information-processing theorists refer to sensory memory, working memory, and long-term memory as mental

A) software.
B) hardware.
C) strategies.
D) operations.

Question 68

According to Vygotsky's theory, teachers should place an emphasis on learning as a cooperative activity. Given this, which of the following should teachers avoid?

A) Teachers should provide students with opportunities for peer tutoring.
B) Teachers should encourage students to work together on group projects.
C) Teachers should encourage students to work together to achieve common goals.
D) Teachers should direct their students' learning.

Question 69

The computer is used as a metaphor for the mind in which theory?

A) learning theory
B) information processing theory
C) psychodynamic theory
D) Piaget's theory

Question 70

Sensory memory

A) holds raw, unanalyzed information.
B) is limitless and permanent.
C) passes information to long-term memory.
D) holds information for many days.

Question 71

Information-processing theorists use a __________ as a model for human cognition.

A) black box
B) microsystem
C) computer
D) macrosystem

Question 72

The _______________ moves information from working memory to long-term memory, selects strategies that are needed to accomplish particular goals, and performs needed responses.

A) central executive.
B) sensory memory.
C) inhibitory processor.
D) information processor.

Question 73

Compared to younger children, older children

A) have more working memory.
B) have less working memory.
C) have the same amount of working memory.
D) use working memory space less efficiently.

Question 74

As you read and think about this test question, it is stored in

A) long-term memory.
B) working memory.
C) sensory memory.
D) the information processor.

Question 75

How do children learn more effective problem-solving strategies?

A) Parents and teachers show children more effective strategies.
B) Children learn strategies by watching more skilled children.
C) Children learn new strategies on their own.
D) Children learn new strategies by instruction from others, observation of others, and self-discovery.

Question 76

Which is most like a computer's RAM Random Access Memory)?

A) a memory strategy
B) long-term memory
C) sensory memory
D) working memory

Question 77

Before you read this question, the name of the first president of the United States was most likely stored in your

A) information processor.
B) sensory memory.
C) long-term memory.
D) working memory.

Question 78

Information-processing theorists believe that the development of thinking is a result of

A) improvements in mental hardware only that occur with age.
B) improvements in mental software only that occur with age.
C) improvements in both mental hardware and software that occur with age.
D) more sophisticated theories that children create.

Question 79

You clench your fist, rapidly open your hand, then rapidly re-clench your fist. After you re-clench your fist, you momentarily see an image of your fingers extended. That image is stored in

A) working memory.
B) long-term memory.
C) sensory memory.
D) the information processor.

Question 80

Long-term memory

A) is a permanent storehouse of information.
B) is like a computer's random-access memory RAM).
C) holds raw, unanalyzed information.
D) is the site of ongoing cognitive activity.