Question 1

Research indicates that infants reach the stages of Piaget's sensorimotor intelligence _____ Piaget originally predicted.

Accepted Answer

Research has shown that infants tend to reach the stages of Piaget's sensorimotor intelligence earlier than Piaget originally predicted. This is likely due to advancements in research methods and technology that have allowed for a better understanding of infant cognition.

Question 2

According to Piaget, a stage-five sensorimotor baby is like a _____.

Accepted Answer

According to Piaget, a stage-five sensorimotor baby, which is typically between 12-18 months old, is like a scientist who experiments to see what will happen. The baby will engage in trial-and-error experimentation to learn about cause-and-effect relationships, such as dropping objects to see if they fall or hitting a toy to make a noise. This marks the emergence of intentional behavior and goal-directed actions. Thus, option D is the best choice. Options A, B, and C are not applicable as they do not align with Piaget's theory of cognitive development.

Question 3

Which theory compares human cognition to the workings of a computer?

Accepted Answer

The theory that compares human cognition to the workings of a computer is called information-processing theory. This theory views the mind as a complex system that processes information similar to the way a computer processes data. It suggests that information enters the brain, is processed, and then produces some kind of output or behavior.

Question 4

Which of the following is one implication of mirror neurons for infant cognition?

Accepted Answer

Mirror neurons have been found to activate not only when observing others perform an action, but also when performing the action oneself. This suggests that mirror neurons may play a role in imitation and understanding the actions of others. Infants may benefit from mirror neuron activation by being able to understand the actions of others earlier than Piaget may have predicted.

Question 5

A visual cliff is used to assess infants' _____.

Accepted Answer

A visual cliff is an apparatus used to examine a child's depth perception abilities. It consists of a platform with a glass surface over a checkered pattern, giving the appearance of a cliff. The infant is placed on one side of the "cliff," and the caregiver or experimenter encourages the infant to crawl towards them on the other side. This test measures whether the infant can perceive depth and will, therefore, hesitate to crawl over the "cliff."

Question 6

In one research study, scientists scanned the brains of both a monkey reaching for a banana and another monkey watching that action. The same neurons in a particular region of the brain were activated in both monkeys. These neurons are called _____ neurons.

Accepted Answer

The neurons described in the scenario exhibit mirror neuron activity. These neurons activate in both the performing and observing of a specific action.

Question 7

Tia is fascinated with the toilet. So far, her parents have caught her trying to flush a stuffed animal, a toy cell phone, and a handful of dog kibble. Which sensorimotor stage is Tia MOST likely in?

Accepted Answer

Tia's fascination with flushing things down the toilet suggests that she is in Piaget's stage 5 of sensorimotor development, which focuses on experimenting and exploring the world through trial and error. In this stage, children seek out new experiences and actively try to understand their environment through their actions. Tia's curiosity with the toilet may be a result of her trying to understand cause and effect relationships, as she sees the water go down when she flushes.

Question 8

Geraldo loves to climb, and there are many opportunities for him to do so around his home: on the bookshelf in the living room, the decorative rocks in the front yard, and the ladder for the slide at the park. Each of these opportunities is _____ for climbing.

Accepted Answer

The term "affordance" refers to the opportunities that objects or environments provide for specific actions. In this case, the objects mentioned (bookshelf, rocks, ladder) all have features that make them suitable for climbing, such as vertical surfaces or handholds. Therefore, the correct term to describe these opportunities for climbing is "affordances."

Question 9

Dashiel is 20 months old. His mother tells him that he must not touch the candle that she just lit, and then she turns her back to continue tidying the room. When she turns back around, she sees Dashiel trying to dip his finger in the melted wax under the flame. What best explains Dashiel's behavior?

Accepted Answer

Dashiel's behavior is likely driven by curiosity. At 20 months old, children are in the early stages of exploring their environment and learning about cause and effect. Dashiel may not yet fully understand the concept of danger and is likely experimenting with the candle out of curiosity. It is not appropriate to attribute deviant or stubborn personality traits to a child so young, and there is no evidence presented to suggest a hearing problem.

Question 10

Information-processing theory asserts that development _____, and Piaget's theory asserts that development _____.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Information-processing theory asserts that development _____, and...

Question 11

Justin is a 6-month-old infant. He focuses intently on new stimuli, and quickly becomes habituated. What can we infer about Justin's cognitive abilities?

Accepted Answer

Justin's ability to focus intently and quickly habituate to new stimuli is a sign of advanced cognitive abilities and intelligence. Infants who habituate quickly are often more cognitively sophisticated and better able to process new information.

Question 12

The environment offers many opportunities to interact with whatever is perceived. These opportunities are known as _____.

Accepted Answer

Affordances refer to the opportunities for action or interaction that the environment offers to an individual. It is a term commonly used in the field of ecological psychology to describe how the environment and perception work together to allow for action.

Question 13

Piaget would place an interesting toy under a cloth, in full view of the baby, to test _____.

Accepted Answer

Piaget's test involved placing an interesting toy under a cloth, which would require the baby to understand object permanence in order to find the toy. Option A refers to the repetition of actions on the infant’s body, not related to object permanence. Option B refers to the coordination of secondary circular reactions, which is not tested by this particular experiment. Option D refers to automatic responses to stimulation, which is not relevant here.

Question 14

Piaget referred to toddlers in sensorimotor stage five as _____.

Accepted Answer

Piaget referred to toddlers in sensorimotor stage five as "little scientists" because they actively explore and experiment with their environment in order to learn and make sense of it.

Question 15

Piaget's sixth stage of sensorimotor intelligence is known as the stage of _____.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Piaget's sixth stage of sensorimotor intelligence is...

Question 16

Mariska is participating in a research study to determine whether she can detect the difference between two amounts: a circle containing two dots versus a circle with no dots inside. The researcher shows her the empty circle repeatedly until she looks away while it is on the screen. Then the researcher shows her the circle with two dots in it, and records how long Mariska stares at it. What research method is being used?

Accepted Answer

The method being used is habituation, where Mariska is repeatedly shown an empty circle until she no longer pays attention to it. The researcher then presents a new stimulus (the circle with two dots) to see if Mariska reacts differently, indicating that she can detect the difference.

Question 17

Cooper sees his mother come through the door after work. He squeals, "Mama!" Information-processing theorists would call this an example of _____.

Accepted Answer

"Mama!" is an example of output, which is the information leaving the organism from the sensory system.

Question 18

Timo can detect the difference between displays of 8 and 16 dots, as revealed by a habituation test. Timo is at least how old?

Accepted Answer

Research indicates that infants as young as 6 months old can distinguish between different quantities, such as 8 and 16 dots, using habituation tests.

Question 19

Mary hides Ramy's favorite toy under a blanket while Ramy watches. Ramy removes the blanket and squeals when he sees the toy. Mary again hides the toy, but this time under a different blanket. Even though Ramy saw where Mary hid his toy, he still looks under the first blanket before removing the second blanket and retrieving the toy. Ramy has displayed _____.

Accepted Answer

Ramy has displayed the A-not-B error, which is a common mistake made by infants during the sensorimotor stage of cognitive development. This error occurs when a child searches for an object where it was last found (location A), rather than its new location (location B), even after observing it being moved.

Question 20

Johanna watches while her mother hides a toy under a blanket. Her mom asks, "Where is it?" Then Johanna jerks away the blanket to reveal the toy. Which of the following structures best explains Johanna's sense of object permanence?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Johanna watches while her mother hides a...

Quiz 6: Seciton 3: the First Two Years: Cognitive Development