Question 1

Preoperational thinking is all of the following EXCEPT _____.

Accepted Answer

Preoperational thinking is characterized by symbolic and magical thinking, as well as pretending, but not by logical thinking.

Question 2

Preoperational intelligence _____.

Accepted Answer

Preoperational intelligence allows children to think in symbols, which is an important cognitive skill in language development and problem solving. Logical reasoning and reversibility of thought are features of concrete operational intelligence, which typically develops around age 7-12. The reliance on motor skills and senses is typical of sensorimotor intelligence, which develops during infancy.

Question 3

After her haircut was complete, Tania began crying inconsolably. "You turned me into a boy!" she cried. Which obstacle to logic was Tania demonstrating?

Accepted Answer

Tania's focus on appearance is causing her to interpret her haircut as turning her into a boy, despite her gender identity remaining unchanged.

Question 4

Nine-year-old Bobby has no problem understanding that the 20-year-old woman who sometimes stays with him is both a student and a babysitter. According to Piaget, this is because Bobby's thinking has moved beyond _____.

Accepted Answer

Bobby's ability to understand that the woman can be both a student and a babysitter indicates that his thinking has moved beyond centration, which is the focus on one aspect of a situation to the exclusion of others. This is a characteristic of Piaget's preoperational stage, and moving beyond it is a sign of developing more advanced cognitive abilities.

Question 5

Evelyn dropped a tiny spot of ketchup on her pants during lunch. Even though her teacher was able to completely remove the spot, Evelyn is crying hysterically and says that she wants to go home because her outfit is ruined. Her behavior demonstrates the characteristic of preoperational thought known as _____.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Evelyn dropped a tiny spot of ketchup...

Question 6

One of the milestones of preoperational thought is the ability to _____.

Accepted Answer

The ability to use symbolic thought is a major milestone of preoperational thought, as children begin to use symbols (such as words and pictures) to represent objects and events in the world around them. This allows for more complex thinking and communication. While understanding reversibility and conservation are also important aspects of preoperational thought, symbolic thought is considered the primary milestone. Logical thinking begins to develop more fully during the concrete operational stage.

Question 7

When Jennie sees her third-grade teacher in the grocery store, she is shocked to see her outside of school. This is likely due to Jennie's _____.

Accepted Answer

Jennie's surprise at seeing her teacher outside of school is due to static reasoning, where children believe that the world is unchanging and people or things remain the same in different contexts.

Question 8

Piaget believed that until about age 6, it is difficult for children to think _____.

Accepted Answer

Piaget believed that until about age 6, children are in the preoperational stage, during which they cannot think logically or abstractly. They are also egocentric, meaning they have difficulty taking another person's perspective, and they may engage in animism, or the belief that inanimate objects have feelings or thoughts. However, subjectivity is not specifically mentioned as a main characteristic of the preoperational stage.

Question 9

To focus on one aspect of a situation and simultaneously exclude all other aspects is called _____.

Accepted Answer

Centration refers to the cognitive bias of focusing on one aspect of a situation and ignoring other relevant aspects. This type of thinking is common among young children and is a normal part of their cognitive development. However, adults can also exhibit centration in certain situations, which can lead to narrow-mindedness and poor decision-making.

Question 10

Piaget called the stage of human cognitive development between the ages of 2 and 6 "preoperational intelligence" because children do not yet _____.

Accepted Answer

Piaget believed that children in the preoperational stage do not yet have the ability to use logical operations, such as conservation (understanding that the amount of a substance remains the same despite changes in its appearance).

Question 11

"You are your mom's daughter, right?" Grandpa asked Beatriz.
"Yes!" Beatriz eagerly answered.
"Well, your mom is my daughter," Grandpa replied.
"No! She's my Mommy!" Beatriz exclaimed. Why did Beatriz make this error?

Accepted Answer

Beatriz made this error due to centration, which is focusing on one aspect of a situation and neglecting others. In this case, she focused solely on her relationship with her mom, ignoring the broader family connections.

Question 12

Irreversibility refers to the preoperational child's tendency to _____.

Accepted Answer

Irreversibility refers to the preoperational child's belief that what has been done cannot be undone, which may lead them to believe that changes in appearance also mean changes in actual substance or amount.

Question 13

Piaget called the stage of human cognitive development between the ages of 2 and 6 _____ intelligence.

Accepted Answer

Piaget called the stage of human cognitive development between the ages of 2 and 6 preoperational intelligence. This stage is characterized by egocentrism, symbolic thinking, and lack of conservation skills.

Question 14

Beverly and her mother were shopping for a birthday gift for Beverly's father. "How about this? Daddy would love it!" Beverly exclaimed, showing her mother a pink and purple toy horse with flowing mane and tail. Beverly's belief that her father would enjoy a toy that she herself would enjoy is an example of _____.

Accepted Answer

Beverly's belief that her father would enjoy a toy that she herself would enjoy is an example of egocentrism, which is the tendency to view the world from one's own perspective and assume that others share the same perspective.

Question 15

The Piagetian term for a particular type of centration in which a child thinks about the world only from his or her personal perspective is _____.

Accepted Answer

Egocentrism is a Piagetian term for a particular type of centration in which a child thinks about the world only from his or her personal perspective. Static reasoning refers to thinking that nothing changes, whereas irreversibility refers to the inability to mentally reverse a sequence of events or logical operations. Conservatism refers to the tendency to hold onto one's beliefs even in the face of evidence to the contrary.

Question 16

When children assume that the world is unchanging, they engage in _____.

Accepted Answer

Static reasoning is the belief that the world is unchanging and always stays the same. This type of thinking is common during the preoperational stage of development in young children, before they develop the ability to think logically and understand that objects can change in appearance or function while still maintaining their underlying properties.

Question 17

The characteristic of preoperational thought in which a young child thinks that nothing changes is called _____.

Accepted Answer

Static reasoning is the characteristic of preoperational thought in which a young child thinks that nothing changes. Animism is the belief that inanimate objects have feelings or thoughts. Conservation is the understanding that certain properties of an object remain the same even when its appearance changes. Centration is the tendency to focus on only one aspect of a situation while neglecting other important aspects.

Question 18

A magician's goal is to get the audience to focus on one aspect of his demonstration while he manipulates another. This is easy to do with preoperational children, as they are fooled by their tendency to _____.

Accepted Answer

Preoperational children tend to demonstrate centration, which means they focus on one aspect of a situation while ignoring other relevant aspects. This makes them more susceptible to being fooled by a magician's tricks where attention is deliberately diverted to one aspect while another is manipulated.

Question 19

Ivan was playing under the kitchen table when he stood up suddenly and bumped his head. He pointed at the table and sternly said, "Naughty table!" This is an example of _____.

Accepted Answer

Ivan attributing human-like qualities to the table (calling it "naughty") is an example of animism, which is a characteristic of preoperational thinking in which children give inanimate objects feelings, thoughts, and intentions.

Question 20

A preschool child thinks a tall 20-year-old man is older than a short 40-year-old man. This is an example of _____.

Accepted Answer

This is an example of focus on appearance, where the child is only considering the physical characteristics of the individuals and not their age or other factors.

Quiz 9: Seciton 3: Early Childhood: Cognitive Development