Question 1

Twelve-year-old Nathaniel was having trouble solving the word problems in his math homework.His dad began reading the problems aloud and emphasizing the important information.As Nathaniel started catching on,his dad gradually provided less help for each new problem.This interaction illustrates:

Accepted Answer

The interaction between Nathaniel and his dad where his dad gradually reduced the amount of help provided is an example of scaffolding, which is a key concept in Vygotsky's sociocultural theory of development. This theory emphasizes the role of social interactions and guidance from more skilled individuals in children's cognitive development. Nathaniel was provided with more support and guidance initially, but as he became more competent, the support was gradually reduced, allowing him to take on more of the task independently. This process of guided learning is referred to as scaffolding, and it is a key feature of Vygotsky's sociocultural theory. The other options, such as conservation, industry versus inferiority, and concrete operational thought, are not directly related to the interaction between Nathaniel and his dad, and therefore not the most appropriate choice.

Question 2

A child demonstrates object permanence,egocentrism,and a failure to conserve.She is MOST likely in which Piagetian stage?

Accepted Answer

The child is demonstrating object permanence, which is the understanding that objects continue to exist even when they are out of sight. This is a characteristic of the sensorimotor stage, but if the child is demonstrating egocentrism and a failure to conserve, then they are likely in the preoperational stage.

In the preoperational stage, children are egocentric, meaning they have difficulty understanding the perspectives of others. They may also have a tendency to focus on one aspect of a situation while neglecting others, leading to a failure to conserve.

Question 3

Which age range is NOT correctly labeled with the corresponding Piagetian stage?

Accepted Answer

The term "postoperational" is not a Piagetian stage. The correct stage for ages 11 to adulthood is formal operational stage.

Question 4

In one elementary school curriculum,mathematical variables first appear in the sixth grade.Why are they not introduced in the fifth grade?

Accepted Answer

Children must be in the formal operational stage, which typically begins around age 11, to handle hypothetical variables, as this stage involves abstract and logical thinking.

Question 5

A 4-year-old child is shown a row of seven red checkers.He is asked to place a black checker immediately above each red one.By doing so,the child agrees that there are as many red as black checkers.The experimenter then spreads out the black checkers so that the line they form is longer than the one formed by the red checkers.The experimenter asks whether there are more red checkers or more black checkers in order to determine whether the child understands:

Accepted Answer

This task is testing the child's understanding of conservation, which is the ability to understand that the amount of a substance remains the same even if its appearance changes. Specifically, the child is being tested on conservation of number. By successfully placing a black checker above each red one and agreeing that there are as many red as black checkers, the child has shown an understanding of conservation. However, if the child then incorrectly claims that there are more red checkers than black checkers when the black checkers are spread out, it would indicate a lack of full understanding of conservation of number.

Question 6

Mrs.Weston asks Colin if he wants his sandwich in one piece,or cut into two pieces.Colin asks her to keep it in one piece,because he isn't hungry enough to eat two pieces.Colin's answer suggests that he:

Accepted Answer

Colin's answer suggests that he doesn't yet understand conservation, which is the understanding that even if the appearance of an object changes, its amount or quantity stays the same. In this case, Colin doesn't understand that cutting a sandwich into two pieces doesn't change the amount of sandwich he has to eat.

Question 7

Which of the following ages is correctly matched to the corresponding Piagetian stage?

Accepted Answer

The sensorimotor stage in Piaget's theory occurs from birth to about 2 years old, making "newborn - sensorimotor" the correct match.

Question 8

When an infant recognizes that objects continue to exist even when they are no longer in sight,the infant has attained what Piaget termed:

Accepted Answer

According to Piaget, object permanence is the understanding that objects continue to exist even when they are no longer in view. Therefore, when an infant recognizes this, they have attained object permanence. Choices B, C, and D do not pertain to this developmental milestone.

Question 9

Western legal systems that suggest that children who are 7 or 8 years old have attained the ability to reason are consistent with Piaget's theory because basic reasoning skills appear during the _____ period.

Accepted Answer

According to Piaget's theory, basic reasoning skills appear during the concrete operational period, which occurs between the ages of 7 and 12. Therefore, Western legal systems that suggest children aged 7 or 8 have attained the ability to reason are consistent with Piaget's theory of cognitive development.

Question 10

Which statement BEST expresses preoperational children's degree of cognitive sophistication?

Accepted Answer

Preoperational children are capable of symbolic thought and can use symbols to represent objects, but they are not yet able to perform mental operations such as conservation or engage in abstract, hypothetical thinking. Pretending that one object is another involves symbolic thought and represents the degree of cognitive sophistication seen in preoperational children. Choice A is not specific enough and is demonstrated in earlier stages of development. Choice C and D require the ability to engage in mental operations and abstract thinking that preoperational children have not yet developed.

Question 11

Jay complains to his father that he does not have enough juice.There is no more juice in the house,so his father takes the juice Jay has in his glass and pours it into a taller,narrower glass.Jay believes that he has more juice because he has not yet developed an understanding of:

Accepted Answer

Jay's belief that he has more juice because it is in a taller, narrower glass shows that he has not yet developed an understanding of conservation, which is the understanding that the amount of a substance remains the same even if its appearance changes.

Question 12

Compared with Piaget,Vygotsky placed _____ emphasis on the _____ foundations of cognitive development.

Accepted Answer

Vygotsky placed more emphasis on the social foundations of cognitive development. He believed that social interaction and cultural practices play a vital role in shaping a child's thinking and reasoning abilities. In contrast, Piaget placed more emphasis on the individual's cognitive processes and how they progress through certain stages of development.

Question 13

A 4-year-old looks at a picture of a dragon while on the telephone with her grandfather.If Piaget's claims of egocentrism are correct,the child is likely to:

Accepted Answer

Piaget's concept of egocentrism refers to the stage where children believe that others see the world exactly as they do. Therefore, the child might tell her grandfather to look at the dragon, not understanding that he cannot see the picture through the phone.

Question 14

During the sensorimotor period:

Accepted Answer

During the sensorimotor period, children's understanding is primarily based on basic sensory and motor abilities, such as touching, grasping, and looking. They rely on direct physical experiences to build their understanding of the world around them. They are not yet capable of hypothetical thinking or logical deductions, which are characteristic of later stages of development. While they do develop some cognitive abilities during this period, such as object permanence and causality, their mental operations are still closely tied to the concrete objects and events they encounter in the real world. Reversibility, which involves understanding that a process can be reversed to return to its original state, typically develops during later stages of cognitive development.

Question 15

A teacher who pushes children to go just beyond what they are competent and comfortable doing is using:

Accepted Answer

The answer of A teacher who pushes children to go...

Question 16

To stop baby Rudy from repeatedly reaching for a sharp knife on the kitchen table,Rudy's mother put it in a cabinet and closed the door."Out of sight,out of mind," she thought,and it worked.Rudy's mother capitalized on his lack of:

Accepted Answer

Object permanence is the understanding that objects continue to exist even when they are not directly observed or perceived. By putting the knife in the cabinet and closing the door, Rudy's mother was able to prevent him from continuously reaching for it because he could no longer see it.

Question 17

Four-year-old Hope thought her next-door neighbor's new pet rabbit was a kitty-cat until she noticed it hopped instead of walked,and it didn't purr at all.The change in Hope's understanding of her neighbor's new pet illustrates Piaget's process of:

Accepted Answer

This scenario best illustrates Piaget's process of accommodation, which involves adjusting one's existing schemas or mental models to incorporate new information or experiences. Hope initially believed that the pet rabbit was a kitty-cat because it shared some similarities with her existing concept of a cat (e.g. small, furry, kept as a pet). However, when she observed that the rabbit hopped instead of walking and did not purr, she had to adjust her understanding of what a pet could be and create a new schema or mental model for rabbits. This process of adapting her mental model to align with new information is an example of accommodation.

Question 18

Which sequence accurately reflects the order of Piaget's stages of cognitive development,from birth through adolescence?

Accepted Answer

Piaget's stages of cognitive development are sensorimotor (birth-2 years), preoperational (2-7 years), concrete operational (7-11 years), and formal operational (11 years and up). This sequence reflects the correct order of the stages. Option A and B have preoperational before sensorimotor which is incorrect. Option D has nonoperational which is not a stage in Piaget's theory.

Question 19

Rhonda is currently attending preschool.According to Piaget,Rhonda is in the ______ stage of cognitive development.

Accepted Answer

According to Piaget's theory of cognitive development, the preoperational stage occurs from ages 2 to 7 years old. This stage is characterized by the development of symbolic thought, language use, and the ability to understand basic concepts. Preschool-aged children are typically in this stage of development.

Question 20

Edward is currently in the first grade.According to Piaget,Edward is in the _____ stage of cognitive development.

Accepted Answer

According to Piaget's theory of cognitive development, the preoperational stage occurs between the ages of 2 and 7. This stage is characterized by a child's ability to use symbols (such as language and images) to represent objects and events but still has limited understanding of logical principles. Therefore, Edward, who is currently in first grade, is most likely in the preoperational stage.

Quiz 8: Human Development