Question 1

Piaget called the second substage in preoperational thought intuitive because of the absence of the use of _____ by children in this stage.

Accepted Answer

In the intuitive substage, children begin to use primitive reasoning and want to know the answers to questions, but they do not yet use rational thinking.

Question 2

In general,conservation involves the ability to understand that changes in physical arrangement:

Accepted Answer

Conservation refers to the understanding that certain physical attributes of an object, such as its quantity or volume, remain the same even when its appearance or arrangement changes. In this context, option A is the correct choice as it suggests that changes in physical arrangement do not alter an object's fundamental characteristics or properties. Option B suggests that such changes do affect an object's inherent features, which is not consistent with the concept of conservation. Option C is unrelated to the question, and option D is partly correct but incomplete as it implies that consideration of physical changes is necessary but not sufficient for determining an object's characteristics.

Question 3

Centration inhibits the ability to categorize items because it prevents one from:

Accepted Answer

Centration is a cognitive bias in which an individual focuses only on one aspect of a situation, ignoring other relevant factors. This prevents them from considering combinations of features and leads to a narrow view of the world. Categorization involves identifying common features among various items and grouping them together based on those shared features. Centration inhibits this ability by preventing consideration of multiple features. Therefore, (B) is the best choice as it describes how centration hinders categorization.

Question 4

While talking to his grandmother on the phone,five-year-old Danny suddenly exclaims "Oh,look at that pretty bird!" When his grandmother asks him to describe the bird,Danny says "Out there,out there! Right there,Grandma!" He finally gets frustrated and hangs up.This is an example of:

Accepted Answer

Danny's inability to describe the bird or give any specific details about its location suggests that he is still struggling with understanding that others may not be able to see what he sees or understand his perspective. This is an example of egocentrism, which is a common cognitive limitation in young children.

Question 5

A young child might be heard saying "That tree pushed the leaf off and it fell down." The child's belief that the tree is capable of action is referred to as:

Accepted Answer

The child's belief that the tree is capable of action and pushing the leaf off is an example of animism, which is the tendency to attribute human-like qualities and intentions to inanimate objects, natural phenomena, or animals. Egocentrism refers to a child's inability to distinguish between their own perspective and others. Conservation refers to the understanding that the quantity of a substance remains the same despite changes in its shape, while kineticism is not a recognized concept in psychology or developmental psychology.

Question 6

Four-year-old Ethan reasons that every time he sees a lightning bolt in the sky,angels are turning on their flashlights.Ethan's primitive reasoning about lightning is characteristic of:

Accepted Answer

Ethan's reasoning is an example of intuitive thought, which is characterized by children's reliance on their own perceptions and assumptions rather than on logical analysis. Ethan has not yet developed a formal understanding of the physical principles that cause lightning, so he relies on his own intuition and imagination to explain it. This is a typical characteristic of early childhood cognition.

Question 7

Piaget's preoperational stage is so named because he believed that children in this stage of development:

Accepted Answer

Piaget believed that during the preoperational stage, children cannot yet perform reversible mental actions or understand that objects can be changed and then returned to their original state. They also struggle with decentration and egocentrism. However, they are able to form stable concepts and begin to reason, although their thinking is not logical or operational in the way that it will be in later stages of development. The ability to operate electronic devices is not related to Piaget's theory of cognitive development.

Question 8

Juan and his little sister,Anne,are each given a large cookie.Their mother breaks Anne's cookie into four pieces to enable her to eat it easily.Juan immediately begins to cry and says that it is not fair for his sister to get so many cookies when he only has one.Juan is showing a lack of:

Accepted Answer

Juan is showing a lack of conservation, which is the ability to understand that even if the appearance of an object changes, its basic properties remain the same (such as the amount of cookie each person has). He is focused solely on the visual appearance of the cookies and not the fact that they still have the same amount of cookie overall.

Question 9

The inability to distinguish between one's own perspective and someone else's perspective is known as:

Accepted Answer

Egocentrism is the inability to differentiate between one's own perspective and someone else's perspective. It is a characteristic of the preoperational stage of cognitive development according to Jean Piaget.

Question 10

Deaths in young children due to HIV/AIDS especially occur in countries:

Accepted Answer

Deaths in young children due to HIV/AIDS are more prevalent in countries with high rates of poverty and low levels of education. These countries often lack access to proper medical care and HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment programs. Additionally, HIV/AIDS can exacerbate existing health problems, such as malnutrition, in these countries. Countries in the northern hemisphere and with affluent societies are less likely to experience high rates of HIV/AIDS-related deaths in young children.

Question 11

The second substage of preoperational thought,occurring between approximately four and seven years of age,is characterized by the use of:

Accepted Answer

The second substage of preoperational thought, known as the intuitive thought substage, is characterized by primitive reasoning and a desire to know the answers to questions.

Question 12

Many of the deaths of young children around the world could be prevented by a reduction in:

Accepted Answer

Reducing poverty can lead to better access to healthcare, nutrition, and sanitation, which are critical factors in preventing deaths of young children.

Question 13

Which of the following best describes the relation between centration and conservation?

Accepted Answer

Centration refers to the tendency of young children to focus on only one aspect of a situation, ignoring other important aspects. This often leads to a lack of conservation, which is the understanding that even if the appearance of an object changes, its fundamental properties (such as mass or volume) remain the same. Therefore, centration is reflected in the lack of conservation. However, conservation does not necessarily require centration, as other factors such as cognitive development and experience also play a role.

Question 14

In Piaget's theory,failing the conservation-of-liquid task demonstrates:

Accepted Answer

Failing the conservation-of-liquid task demonstrates centration, which is the tendency for young children to focus (or center) on only one aspect of a situation and ignore other important factors. This is a typical cognitive limitation of children at the preoperational stage, according to Piaget's theory.

Question 15

Six-year-old Patricia loves to draw pictures and describe them.Her ideas are more balanced now.She has started to analyze and understand things.However,she is egocentric and holds what her parents describe as "magical beliefs." Patricia is in Piaget's _____ stage of development.

Accepted Answer

Patricia's egocentrism and magical beliefs suggest that she is in the preoperational stage of development, which occurs between the ages of 2 and 7 according to Piaget's theory. At this stage, children develop more advanced mental representations of the world but still struggle to understand perspectives outside of their own and may have difficulty with logical reasoning.

Question 16

"My computer doesn't like me.It keeps eating my pictures" says three-year-old Kimberly.This is an example of:

Accepted Answer

Kimberly's statement reflects animism, which is the belief that inanimate objects, such as computers, have human-like characteristics, feelings, or intentions. It is a common thought process among young children who have not yet developed formal operational thinking. The other options, such as intuitive thinking, conservation, and egocentrism, do not apply to this scenario.

Question 17

Three-year-old Betty's favorite pastime is scribbling designs that represent her parents,cat,bicycle,and home.This indicates that Betty is in the _____ substage of Piaget's preoperational stage.

Accepted Answer

The substage of symbolic function in Piaget's preoperational stage is characterized by the ability to use symbols to represent objects or ideas. Betty's scribbles that represent her parents, cat, bicycle, and home demonstrate her developing symbolic function.

Question 18

The poor are the majority in nearly one of every _____ nations of the world.

Accepted Answer

The statement suggests that in nearly one out of every five nations, the poor constitute the majority.

Question 19

Three-year-old Ruth draws a picture with lavender,purple,and blue colors intermixed with green,yellow,and brown."It is a boat in the ocean at sunset,with whales jumping all around it!" she explains to her teacher.Which of the following does this explain?

Accepted Answer

Ruth's ability to use colors and shapes to represent a boat, ocean, and whales in her drawing demonstrates the symbolic function, which is the ability to use symbols or objects to represent something else, a key aspect of cognitive development in early childhood.

Question 20

The second Piagetian stage of development is the preoperational stage that lasts from approximately _____ years of age.

Accepted Answer

The preoperational stage lasts from approximately 2 to 7 years of age, according to Piaget's theory of cognitive development. During this stage, children gain symbolic reasoning abilities and language skills, but they still have limitations in their thinking, such as egocentrism and difficulties with conservation of mass and volume.

Quiz 7: Physical and Cognitive Development in Early Childhood