Question 1

What patterns do children show according to neo-Piagetian research on progression through Piaget's developmental stages?

Accepted Answer

Neo-Piagetian research suggests that children do not progress through the stages in a strict linear fashion, but may demonstrate evidence of a "higher" stage for some tasks and a "lower" stage for others, depending on the complexity and demands of the tasks being presented. This is known as stage differentiation or horizontal decalage. Children may also temporarily regress or plateau in their cognitive development before moving forward again. Therefore, option D is the best choice as it reflects these findings.

Question 2

What aspect of development is described in the neo-Piagetian concept of M-capacity?

Accepted Answer

The neo-Piagetian concept of M-capacity refers to changes in the ability to deal with greater cognitive complexity in a task, indicating advancements in cognitive development beyond Piaget's original theory.

Question 3

Eight-year-old Eric watches as you flatten one of two equal-sized balls of clay into a pancake. Eric says they both still have the same amount of clay. When he is asked how he knows that the ball and the pancake have the same amount of clay, he points out that the pancake could once again be rolled up into a ball. What does Eric understand?

Accepted Answer

Eric understands the concept of reversibility which is the ability to mentally reverse an action. He knows that the flattened ball can be rolled back into its original shape, indicating that the amount of clay has not changed. This is a hallmark of concrete operational thinking and is an important developmental milestone in children's cognitive development. However, Eric's ability to consider more than one aspect of the clay (such as its shape and size) at the same time is limited, suggesting that he is still in the preoperational stage of development.

Question 4

John approaches problems systematically, considering various solutions and the consequences of each, before he decides on the implementation of any one solution. Which level of cognitive development is John probably at?

Accepted Answer

John's ability to consider various solutions and their consequences before deciding on implementation suggests that he is at the formal operational stage of cognitive development. This stage is characterized by abstract thinking, hypothetical reasoning, and systematic problem-solving abilities.

Question 5

Byron is planning to ask his parents if he can borrow their car on Friday night. He is thinking about all the possible reasons they might bring up for not letting him use the car, and thinking of a logical reply to each of these possible objections. What do Byron's thought processes illustrate, based on Piaget's model of cognitive development?

Accepted Answer

Byron's thought processes demonstrate the use of formal operational thought, which is the final stage of Piaget's model of cognitive development. In this stage, individuals can think abstractly and logically, and can consider hypothetical scenarios and plan for future events. Byron is anticipating objections his parents may have and is formulating logical responses to each potential objection, which demonstrates his use of formal operational thought.

Question 6

Bob is asked, "Do you have a brother?" He replies, "Yes." "What's his name?" "Joe." "Does Joe have a brother?" Bob answers, "No." Which stage of cognitive development is Bob imost likely in?

Accepted Answer

Bob's response suggests that he does not understand the concept of reciprocity or the fact that if he has a brother named Joe, then Joe must also have a brother (which is Bob himself). This lack of understanding is typical of children in the preoperational stage of cognitive development.

Question 7

During elementary school, children gradually acquire the ability to take the perspective of others. What does this mean?

Accepted Answer

Taking the perspective of others means being able to see things from someone else's point of view, which requires a decrease in egocentrism.

Question 8

Timmy believes he can avoid getting any older by not having any more birthday parties. Timmy is probably in which stage of cognitive development?

Accepted Answer

Timmy's belief that he can avoid getting older by not having birthday parties indicates that he is in the preoperational stage of cognitive development. This stage is characterized by egocentrism and the inability to understand abstract concepts such as time and age.

Question 9

A child sees his mother crying and brings her his own favourite teddy bear to comfort her. What is this child demonstrating about his cognitive development?

Accepted Answer

The child bringing his own favourite teddy bear to comfort his mother demonstrates egocentrism, the characteristic of the preoperational stage in which children focus on their own perspective and have difficulty understanding the perspectives of others. The child assumes that because the teddy bear brings him comfort, it will also bring comfort to his mother, without being able to fully understand her emotional state or needs.

Question 10

When Matthew saw his older brother's bicycle fall off its kick-stand, Matthew told his brother that the bicycle must be tired from being ridden too much. What would Piaget call this type of thinking?

Accepted Answer

This type of thinking is called animism, which is the belief that inanimate objects have human-like qualities and feelings.

Question 11

Children raised in rural environments may develop the ability to find their way around a wooded area using cues from the sun, and using trees as landmarks. Children raised in the city may confidently navigate an urban bus system using maps and transfer points. Which of the following theorists would find this difference most interesting and relevant to his or her theory of cognitive development?

Accepted Answer

Vygotsky would find this difference most interesting as his theory emphasizes the role of social and cultural context in cognitive development, highlighting how children learn through interactions with their environment and the tools available to them.

Question 12

Which of the following is a criticism of Piaget's theory of cognitive development?

Accepted Answer

Piaget's theory is criticized for not acknowledging the influence of culture on cognitive development, suggesting that cognitive development is universal and independent of cultural context. However, cultural factors such as language, education, and socialization can significantly impact cognitive development.

Question 13

Why is the concrete operationals stage said to be "concrete"?

Accepted Answer

The concrete operationals stage is said to be "concrete" because children at this stage can perform mental operations only on tangible objects and actual events that they have experienced or can physically manipulate. They cannot yet reason abstractly or deal with hypothetical situations.

Question 14

Water is poured from a short, broad beaker into a tall, skinny beaker. Is there more or less water now? A child answers that it's the same amount, only it's taller. In which stage of cognitive development is the child?

Accepted Answer

The child's answer shows that they understand the concept of conservation, which is a characteristic of the concrete operational stage. In this stage, children are able to reason logically about concrete objects, and understand that changes in appearance do not necessarily mean changes in amount or volume.

Question 15

Gerard watched as a researcher placed five toy station wagons and three toy convertibles on a table. The researcher asked him if there were more station wagons or more cars, and Gerard correctly answered that there were more cars. What cognitive skill has Gerard mastered?

Accepted Answer

Gerard demonstrated hierarchical classification by recognizing that both station wagons and convertibles fall under the broader category of cars, and therefore, there are more cars in total than just the station wagons.

Question 16

In Pascual-Leone's research, M-capacity refers to a concept that is similar to working memory. What does that concept describe?

Accepted Answer

M-capacity refers to the number of concepts or units of information that can be kept active in working memory at one time.

Question 17

Ten-year-old Sherry watches as you flatten one of two equal-sized balls of clay into a pancake. Sherry says they both still have the same amount of clay. What does Sherry understand?

Accepted Answer

Sherry understands conservation, which is the ability to understand that when the appearance of an object changes, its fundamental properties remain the same. In this case, Sherry understands that even though one ball of clay has been flattened, it still holds the same amount of clay as the other ball.

Question 18

A five-year-old boy tells you that his kindergarten class has more boys than children. What does this example illustrate about the child's cognitive development?

Accepted Answer

The child's statement suggests that he cannot handle hierarchical classification problems, which involve understanding that a category can include subcategories and that objects can belong to more than one category. The child's statement reflects an inability to classify children into the subcategories of "boys" and "girls."

Question 19

During which Piagetian stage are children's thought processes particularly egocentric?

Accepted Answer

During the preoperational stage (ages 2-7), children's thought processes are particularly egocentric. They have difficulty taking on another person's perspective and tend to focus solely on their own thoughts and feelings.

Question 20

What do children begin to do during the formal operational period of cognitive development, according to Piaget?

Accepted Answer

According to Piaget, during the formal operational period (ages 12 and up), children begin to think in terms of abstract principles and hypothetical possibilities. This is a significant shift from the concrete operational period (ages 7-12) when children primarily think in terms of concrete objects or situations.

Quiz 11: A: Human Development Across the Life Span