Question 1

Two landmark cognitive changes that take place in Substage 4 of the sensorimotor period of Piaget's theory are __________ and __________.

Accepted Answer

In Substage 4 of Piaget's sensorimotor period, infants develop intentional behavior and begin to understand object permanence.

Question 2

In Piaget's theory, during __________, toddlers use their current schemes to interpret the external world.

Accepted Answer

During assimilation, toddlers incorporate new information into their existing cognitive structures (schemes) to make sense of the external world. They interpret new experiences based on their familiar ways of thinking.

Question 3

When children are not changing much, they

Accepted Answer

When children are not changing much, it means that they are assimilating more than they are accommodating. Assimilation is the process of fitting new experiences into existing mental schemas, and it involves minimal change to the schema. In contrast, accommodation involves modifying existing schemas to fit new experiences. Therefore, if there is little change, it suggests that the child is relying more on existing schemas than modifying them, indicating assimilation.

Question 4

According to Piaget, in accommodation, children

Accepted Answer

Accommodation is the process by which children create new schemes or adjust old ones to better fit with their experiences in the environment. Piaget believed that through the process of accommodation, children continuously adapt and modify their cognitive structures to make sense of new information and experiences.

Question 5

Baby Franklin practiced his dropping and throwing schemes, and eventually developed an understanding of height. This achievement is an example of

Accepted Answer

The answer of Baby Franklin practiced his dropping and throwing...

Question 6

According to Piaget, organization takes place

Accepted Answer

Piaget believed that organization takes place internally, within the individual. This involves the restructuring of existing cognitive structures, known as schemas, to create more complex and interconnected mental representations of the world. It is through this process of organization that individuals are able to make sense of new experiences and integrate them into their existing knowledge structures.

Question 7

Nine-month-old Daisy retrieves her pacifier, which her mother has hidden under a cover. Baby Daisy has begun to master

Accepted Answer

Object permanence is the understanding that objects continue to exist even when they are out of sight. Daisy's ability to retrieve the pacifier after it has been hidden demonstrates her understanding of object permanence.

Question 8

According to Piaget, infants' very first schemes are

Accepted Answer

According to Piaget, infants' very first schemes are sensorimotor action patterns. These schemes involve the infant's physical interactions with the environment around them. It is through these early experiences that they begin to form mental representations of the world.

Question 9

In Piaget's theory, a circular reaction is a means of building schemes in which infants

Accepted Answer

In Piaget's theory, circular reactions refer to repetitive actions that infants engage in to learn about their environment and build new schemes. These actions are often chance motor activities that the infant discovers through trial and error. The repetition of these actions allows the infant to refine and adapt their schemes based on their experiences. This process is an important part of sensorimotor development in infants.

Question 10

In Piaget's sequence of sensorimotor development, infants first develop

Accepted Answer

Piaget's sequence of sensorimotor development begins with reflexive schemes, where infants' interactions with the world are initially based on innate reflexes they are born with.

Question 11

According to Piaget, __________ first occurs in Substage 4 of the sensorimotor period.

Accepted Answer

Piaget believed that intentional, goal-directed behavior first occurs in Substage 4 of the sensorimotor period, which starts around 8-12 months old. In this stage, infants begin to coordinate their actions to achieve a specific goal, such as reaching for a toy. They also develop an understanding of cause and effect relationships, and can anticipate the outcomes of their actions.

Question 12

In Piaget's theory, each time the back-and-forth movement between equilibrium and disequilibrium occurs,

Accepted Answer

According to Piaget's theory, during the movement between equilibrium and disequilibrium, the child becomes aware of the inadequacy of their current schemes (disequilibrium) and tries to make sense of their experiences by constructing new and more effective schemes (equilibrium). Therefore, each time this process occurs, more effective schemes are produced.

Question 13

Baby Andre accidentally knocks a toy hung on his crib. Over the next several days, Andre tries to repeat this effect, gradually forming a "hitting" scheme. In Piaget's theory, this is an example of a

Accepted Answer

According to Piaget's theory, a secondary circular reaction occurs when a child replicates a pleasurable action they have previously experienced. In this case, Andre is attempting to replicate the pleasurable effect of hitting the toy hung on his crib, indicating the formation of a secondary circular reaction.

Question 14

According to Piaget's theory, when Baby D'Arcy sucks her thumb, she is demonstrating

Accepted Answer

According to Piaget's theory, thumb-sucking during the first few months of life is an example of primary circular reactions. These are repetitive actions that center on the infant's own body and are seen as a way of exercising or refining reflexes.

Question 15

In Piaget's theory, __________ involves building schemes through direct interaction with the environment.

Accepted Answer

Adaptation involves building schemes through direct interaction with the environment. This includes both assimilation and accommodation, where individuals use existing schemes to make sense of new experiences and modify or create new schemes to accommodate new experiences.

Question 16

In Piaget's sensorimotor stage, infants and toddlers

Accepted Answer

In Piaget's sensorimotor stage, infants and toddlers "think" with their eyes, ears, hands, and other sensorimotor equipment. They use their senses and motor abilities to explore and understand their environment. Representation of experiences in speech, gesture, and play occurs in later stages of Piaget's theory. While infants may solve practical problems within their immediate environment, they do not have the ability to carry out mental operations inside their heads until later stages of development. Therefore, options A, B, and D are incorrect.

Question 17

During times of rapid cognitive change,

Accepted Answer

Rapid cognitive change refers to a period of significant cognitive development when individuals encounter new experiences and information. During this time, individuals must adapt their existing schemas (assimilation) and create new schemas (accommodation) to make sense of the world around them. Therefore, B is the correct answer since accommodation (creating new schemas) predominates over assimilation (adapting existing schemas) during times of rapid cognitive change. Organization and adaptation do play a role in cognitive development, but they are not the dominant processes during rapid cognitive change.

Question 18

Baby Sabrina opens her mouth differently for a nipple than for a spoon. In Piaget's theory, this is an example of a

Accepted Answer

According to Piaget's theory, the behavior in which a baby opens her mouth differently for a nipple than for a spoon is an example of a primary circular reaction. This is because the behavior is circular in nature, meaning that it involves a repetition of an action, and it is primary, as it is related to the baby's own body rather than the outside world. The baby is repeating this action of opening her mouth in response to the stimulation of the nipple, which creates a pleasurable sensation and encourages her to continue the behavior.

Question 19

Baby Faith sucks, grasps, and looks in much the same way, no matter what experiences she encounters. Faith is probably in Substage _____ of Piaget's sensorimotor period.

Accepted Answer

Substage 1 lasts from birth to about 1 month and is characterized by reflexive responses to stimuli, such as sucking, grasping, and looking. These actions are not modified by experience or learning.

Question 20

At 6 months, Annabelle dropped her rattle in a fairly rigid way. By 12 months, she tossed objects down the basement stairs, bounced them off walls, and threw them in the air. Annabelle's modifications of her dropping scheme are an example of

Accepted Answer

Annabelle modifying her dropping scheme from a fairly rigid way to throwing objects in various ways shows accommodation as she is adjusting her actions to fit new information and experiences in her surroundings. Equilibrium refers to a balance between what a child already knows and what they are encountering, while organization refers to the grouping of behaviors and thoughts into coherent systems. Assimilation involves incorporating new information into existing schemas or mental frameworks, whereas Annabelle's behavior shows that she is modifying her existing schema.

Quiz 6: Cognitive Development in Infancy and Toddlerhood

Two landmark cognitive changes that take place in Substage 4 of the sensorimotor period of Piaget's theory are and .