Question 1

Which of the following statements regarding Jean Piaget's theory of cognitive development is most accurate?
A)Research results suggest that Piaget's model is relatively accurate and, though the speed of cognitive development may be influenced by cultural factors, children cross culturally still pass through all the stages and in the correct order.
B)Research results suggest that Piaget's theory was relatively accurate for the earlier stages but research has not been as supportive of the formal operational stage.
C)Research results are largely consistent with Piaget's theory, but there are some important limitations and inaccuracies.
D)Research regarding the validity of Piaget's theory has yet to be conducted.

Accepted Answer

Research has generally supported the framework of Piaget's theory, but there have been findings that challenge some aspects of it, such as the ages at which children reach certain stages and the universality of the stages.

Question 2

At daycare, Nicole and Christine are both fighting over a broken cookie. They both had cookies of the same size, but Nicole's broke in half and now Christine thinks that Nicole has more than she does. When the daycare provider shows the girls that they both have equal amounts of cookie, Christine calms down as she now understands. Nicole continues to feel superior, having more cookie than Christine. According to Piaget,
A)Nicole has mastered conservation while Christine has not
B)Christine has mastered conservation while Nicole has not
C)Christine has not acquired an understanding of reversibility
D)Nicole is demonstrating object permanence

Accepted Answer

Christine has mastered conservation as she understands that the quantity of the cookie remains the same despite its appearance changing, while Nicole still believes she has more due to the cookie being in two pieces.

Question 3

Which of the following would be most characteristic of a child in the concrete operational stage if you asked him/her to draw a map specifying the route to school?
A)The child would be unable to do so.
B)The child would be unable to do so, but could physically lead you to the school.
C)The child could draw a basic map of the usual route to school.
D)The child could draw a map outlining an unusual or creative way to school.

Accepted Answer

Children in the concrete operational stage (typically ages 7 to 12) are able to think logically about concrete events and can understand the concept of conservation. They can organize objects in a series and understand the concept of reversibility. This allows them to perform tasks such as drawing a basic map of a familiar route, like the way to school.

Question 4

During this stage of cognitive development, children are able to easily solve the conservation problems that confused them earlier in life. This is the ________________ stage of development.
A)sensorimotor
B)preoperational
C)concrete operational
D)conventional

Accepted Answer

The concrete operational stage, as described by Jean Piaget, is when children gain the ability to think logically about concrete events and understand the concept of conservation, which allows them to solve conservation problems that they found challenging in earlier stages.

Question 5

One of the things that differentiates the formal and concrete operational stages is that during the formal stage
A)children show evidence of conservation for the first time
B)children begin to think more flexibly and creatively
C)children show clear instances of centration
D)children assume that everyone in a room has the same view of an object as they do

Accepted Answer

During the formal operational stage, children (typically starting around age 12) begin to think more abstractly, logically, and flexibly. They can handle hypothetical situations and reason systematically. This contrasts with the concrete operational stage, where thinking is more rigid and focused on the tangible and concrete.

Question 6

All of the following were mentioned as cognitive limitations characteristic of Jean Piaget's preoperational stage EXCEPT
A)centration
B)lack of object permanence
C)egocentrism
D)lack of understanding about conservation

Accepted Answer

Lack of object permanence is a characteristic of Piaget's sensorimotor stage, not the preoperational stage. In the preoperational stage, children have already developed object permanence.

Question 7

Which of the following first appears during the preoperational stage of cognitive development?
A)Language
B)Conservation
C)Pretend play
D)Object permanence

Accepted Answer

Pretend play first appears during the preoperational stage of cognitive development, as children start to engage in symbolic play and use objects to represent something else.

Question 8

Piaget's theory of cognitive development has been criticized on the basis of
A)the fact that Piaget equated cognitive development with scientific-logical thinking
B)formal operational thinking (stage 4) is much less common than Piaget suggested
C)children seem to acquire cognitive skills at the ages that Piaget believed
D)Piaget's definition of cognitive development generalizes well to other cultures

Accepted Answer

The answer of Piaget's theory of cognitive development has been...

Question 9

A child in the concrete operational stage would typically state that he would place a hypothetical third eye
A)between her other two eyes
B)on her hand
C)on the back of her head
D)on top of her head

Accepted Answer

Children in the concrete operational stage (ages 7-11) think logically about concrete events and objects. They are likely to place a hypothetical third eye in a location that makes sense based on their understanding of the world, such as between their other two eyes.

Question 10

A researcher who explains a child's poor performance on a cognitive task as being due to the child's inefficient search strategies and the child's lack of awareness of his own cognitive processes would best be described as taking a(n) _______________ approach to cognitive development.
A)Piagetian
B)information-processing
C)behavioural
D)discontinuous

Accepted Answer

The information-processing approach to cognitive development focuses on how children process information, including their attention, memory, and problem-solving skills. This approach often examines the strategies children use to solve problems and their awareness of their own cognitive processes, which aligns with the explanation given in the question.

Question 11

Jean Piaget observed that infants typically develop the concept of object permanence during the ____________ stage of cognitive development.
A)preoperational
B)sensorimotor
C)formal operational
D)concrete operational

Accepted Answer

Jean Piaget observed that infants typically develop the concept of object permanence during the sensorimotor stage of cognitive development, which spans from birth to about 2 years of age.

Question 12

Lev Vygotsky's concept of a proximal zone of development distinguishes between
A)children who have or have not developed object permanence
B)children who do or do not grasp the concept of conservation
C)children who can solve problems with or without assistance
D)children who are or are not egocentric

Accepted Answer

Vygotsky's concept of the zone of proximal development refers to the difference between what a learner can do without help and what they can achieve with guidance and encouragement from a skilled partner. This concept emphasizes the potential for cognitive development through social interaction and scaffolding, rather than focusing on specific stages or characteristics of development such as object permanence, conservation, or egocentrism.

Question 13

Michael is playing ball with his father when the ball rolls under the sofa. Michael turns his attention to another toy, not even attempting to look under the sofa for the ball. Piaget would say that Michael has
A)not yet developed object permanence
B)a limited attention span
C)not yet developed the ability to conserve
D)a strong attachment to his father

Accepted Answer

Michael's behavior suggests he has not yet developed object permanence, which is the understanding that objects continue to exist even when they cannot be seen, heard, or otherwise sensed. This concept typically develops in infants around 8 to 12 months of age. Michael's lack of attempt to retrieve the ball indicates he may not understand that the ball still exists under the sofa.

Question 14

Which of the following is associated with Jean Piaget's sensorimotor stage of cognitive development?
A)The concept of object permanence develops
B)The concept of conservation develops
C)Children's thinking displays egocentrism
D)Children's thinking becomes abstract

Accepted Answer

The sensorimotor stage, according to Jean Piaget, is the first of the four stages of cognitive development in children, occurring roughly from birth to age 2. During this stage, infants learn about the world through their senses and actions. A key development in this stage is the concept of object permanence—the understanding that objects continue to exist even when they cannot be seen, heard, or touched, which typically develops around 8 to 12 months of age. The other options are associated with later stages of Piaget's theory.

Question 15

Research on Jean Piaget's theory of cognitive development has found support for all of the following conclusions EXCEPT
A)Piaget's stages occur in the same order across various cultures
B)children acquire many cognitive abilities earlier than Piaget thought
C)Piaget's definition of cognitive development generalizes well to other cultures
D)cognitive development often proceeds inconsistently within any particular stage

Accepted Answer

Research has shown that while Piaget's stages of cognitive development are observed across various cultures, the way cognitive development is defined and understood can vary significantly between cultures. This means that Piaget's specific definition of cognitive development may not generalize well to all cultures, as cultural factors can influence cognitive processes and developmental milestones.

Question 16

A child who has developed object permanence but does not yet fully grasp the idea of conservation is most likely in Jean Piaget's ____________ stage.
A)formal operational
B)sensorimotor
C)concrete operational
D)preoperational

Accepted Answer

Object permanence is understood in the sensorimotor stage, which ends around age 2. The concept of conservation is typically grasped in the concrete operational stage, which starts around age 7. A child who has developed object permanence but does not yet understand conservation is in the preoperational stage, according to Piaget's stages of cognitive development. This stage typically spans ages 2 to 7.

Question 17

A study found that children over age 3 who grew up with older brothers or sisters performed better on a cognitive task than did children with no siblings or younger siblings. This is consistent with the concept of ____________________.
A)the zone of proximal development
B)egocentrism
C)animism
D)irreversibility

Accepted Answer

The concept of the zone of proximal development, introduced by Vygotsky, suggests that children learn and develop cognitively when they are in an environment slightly above their current level of development, which can be facilitated by more knowledgeable others, including older siblings.

Question 18

Two children are in the same stage of cognitive development and both can't solve problems involving conservation of number. However, when one of the children is given assistance, she is able to correctly solve such problems. When the other child receives the same help, he is still unable to solve them. This example best demonstrates
A)how cognitive and moral reasoning can interact with one another
B)how early problems with object permanence can influence later development
C)the importance of egocentrism with regard to problem solving
D)the concept of a proximal zone of development

Accepted Answer

The example illustrates the concept of the zone of proximal development, which refers to the difference between what a learner can do without help and what he or she can achieve with guidance and encouragement from a skilled partner. The child who could solve the problems with assistance was operating within her zone of proximal development, whereas the other child was not, indicating that the task was beyond his current capabilities even with help.

Question 19

Which of the following would be most representative of a child in Jean Piaget's preoperational stage of development?
A)A child understands that the amount of water doesn't change when it is poured into different sized beakers.
B)A child incorrectly assumes that everyone in a room has the same view of an object that he has.
C)When an object is hidden from view, a child assumes that it no longer exists and looks away.
D)When asked where she would put a third eye, a child indicates that she would put it on her hand.

Accepted Answer

Children in the preoperational stage, which typically includes ages 2 to 7, often exhibit egocentrism. This means they have difficulty understanding that other people can have different perspectives from their own, which is reflected in choice B.

Question 20

With regard to Jean Piaget's stages of development, modern developmental researchers have determined that
A)most children learn cognitive skills noticeably later than Piaget assumed, a result that may be related to the fact the Piaget observed his own children
B)within a given stage of development, performance on a wide variety of tasks is largely uniform and consistent
C)the order of the stages of cognitive development is significantly affected by culture
D)cultural factors appear to influence cognitive development and Piaget may have been biased in his conceptualization of "cognitive development"

Accepted Answer

Modern developmental researchers have found that cultural factors significantly influence cognitive development, suggesting that Piaget's conceptualization of cognitive development might have been biased by his own cultural context. This understanding acknowledges the variability in cognitive development across different cultures, which Piaget's theory did not fully account for.

Quiz 12: Development Over the Lifespan

Which of the following statements regarding Jean Piaget's theory of cognitive development is most accurate?

Which of the following would be most characteristic of a child in the concrete operational stage if you asked him/her to draw a map specifying the route to school?

During this stage of cognitive development, children are able to easily solve the conservation problems that confused them earlier in life. This is the ________________ stage of development.

One of the things that differentiates the formal and concrete operational stages is that during the formal stage

All of the following were mentioned as cognitive limitations characteristic of Jean Piaget's preoperational stage EXCEPT

Which of the following first appears during the preoperational stage of cognitive development?

Piaget's theory of cognitive development has been criticized on the basis of

A child in the concrete operational stage would typically state that he would place a hypothetical third eye

A researcher who explains a child's poor performance on a cognitive task as being due to the child's inefficient search strategies and the child's lack of awareness of his own cognitive processes would best be described as taking a(n) _______________ approach to cognitive development.

Jean Piaget observed that infants typically develop the concept of object permanence during the ____________ stage of cognitive development.

Lev Vygotsky's concept of a proximal zone of development distinguishes between

Michael is playing ball with his father when the ball rolls under the sofa. Michael turns his attention to another toy, not even attempting to look under the sofa for the ball. Piaget would say that Michael has

Which of the following is associated with Jean Piaget's sensorimotor stage of cognitive development?

Research on Jean Piaget's theory of cognitive development has found support for all of the following conclusions EXCEPT

A child who has developed object permanence but does not yet fully grasp the idea of conservation is most likely in Jean Piaget's ____________ stage.

A study found that children over age 3 who grew up with older brothers or sisters performed better on a cognitive task than did children with no siblings or younger siblings. This is consistent with the concept of ____________________.

Which of the following would be most representative of a child in Jean Piaget's preoperational stage of development?

With regard to Jean Piaget's stages of development, modern developmental researchers have determined that