Question 1

Nikki sees a Dalmatian for the first time, and realizes it is a dog. Which cognitive mechanism would Piaget say Nikki is using?

Accepted Answer

Nikki is using assimilation, which is the process of incorporating new information into existing cognitive schemas. Seeing a Dalmatian for the first time and recognizing it as a dog involves fitting new sensory information into her existing category or schema of "dog."

Question 2

A four-month old is gazing at a toy. When you hide the toy behind your back, the infant acts as though the toy never existed. The four-month old has yet to grasp which of the following concepts?

Accepted Answer

Object permanence is the understanding that objects continue to exist even when they cannot be seen, heard, or touched. At four months old, infants typically have not yet developed this cognitive skill, which explains why the infant acts as though the toy never existed when it is hidden from view.

Question 3

Once a concrete operational child can mentally reverse a physical operation, they are said to have thinking that is

Accepted Answer

Reversible thinking is a characteristic of the concrete operational stage of cognitive development, according to Piaget. It means the child can mentally reverse actions, understanding that operations can be done and undone.

Question 4

This stage is primarily characterized by the development of simple input and simple output functions.

Accepted Answer

The sensorimotor stage is characterized by the development of simple input (sensory) and simple output (motor) functions. This stage typically occurs from birth to approximately 2 years of age, where infants learn about the world through their sensory perceptions and motor activities.

Question 5

Which of the following is NOT one of the criticisms of Piaget's theory?

Accepted Answer

Piaget's theory has been criticized for its stagelike conception of development, the accuracy of the ages he proposed for various cognitive milestones, and whether all adults reach the stage of formal operations. However, the nature of reversibility in concrete operations, as mentioned in option C, is not commonly cited as a criticism of his theory. Reversibility is a concept within his theory rather than a point of criticism.

Question 6

The recognition that even when the physical appearance of something changes, its underlying quantity remains the same.

Accepted Answer

The concept of conservation refers to the understanding that certain properties of objects or substances, such as volume, mass, or number, remain the same despite changes in their form or appearance. This cognitive ability is a key stage in child development, typically emerging in the preoperational stage according to Jean Piaget's theory of cognitive development.

Question 7

We can expect that sometime between 18 and 24 months, Davie will be able to call to mind a favorite toy whether it is visible to him or not. What is this accomplishment of the sensorimotor stage?

Accepted Answer

Representational thought is the ability to think about objects and events that are not present. This is a major accomplishment of the sensorimotor stage, as it allows children to begin to understand the world around them and to plan for the future.

Question 8

Michael is one-year old. Piaget would expect Michael to be in which of the four stages of cognitive development?

Accepted Answer

According to Jean Piaget's theory of cognitive development, the sensorimotor stage is the first stage, covering the period from birth to approximately 2 years of age. During this stage, infants learn about the world through their senses and actions. Since Michael is one-year old, he would be in the sensorimotor stage.

Question 9

These cognitive frameworks provide a way to understand and organize new knowledge.

Accepted Answer

Schemas are cognitive frameworks that help us understand and organize new knowledge.

Question 10

During this cognitive stage of development, children begin to use words as symbols for objects.

Accepted Answer

The answer of During this cognitive stage of development, children...

Question 11

Which of the following is NOT one of Piaget's proposed four stages of cognitive development?

Accepted Answer

Piaget proposed four stages of cognitive development: the sensorimotor, preoperational, concrete operational, and formal operational stages. "Concrete sensory" is not one of these stages, making it the correct answer.

Question 12

Kayla sees a dolphin on television. At first she thinks it's a fish because it is swimming in the ocean. Then she sees that it must come to the surface to breathe. Kayla begins to form a new schema representing this new information. Which cognitive mechanism would Piaget say Kayla is using?

Accepted Answer

Accommodation occurs when new information or experiences cause you to modify your existing schemas. In this case, Kayla modifies her schema of animals that live in the ocean to include the fact that not all of them are fish, based on the new information that dolphins breathe air.

Question 13

Jordan's science teacher tells him that some unknown subset of four colored chemicals will be clear when combined. Jordan systematically goes through all possible subsets to find the one that produces the solution that is clear in color. Which Piagetian stage does this represent?

Accepted Answer

Jordan is demonstrating the ability to think abstractly and systematically solve problems, which are characteristics of the formal operational stage according to Piaget's theory of cognitive development.

Question 14

During this Piagetian stage, children become able to manipulate mentally the internal representations they started to form in the previous stage.

Accepted Answer

During the concrete operational stage, which typically occurs between the ages of 7 and 11, children gain the ability to think logically about concrete events. They begin to understand the concept of conservation (the understanding that quantity does not change despite changes in the shape of containers), and they can perform mental operations such as mentally adding and subtracting numbers. This stage follows the preoperational stage, where children are more focused on symbolic play and struggle with understanding the viewpoint of others.

Question 15

Which of the following is NOT a neo-Piagetian approach?

Accepted Answer

Horizontal décalage refers to a concept introduced by Jean Piaget himself, not a neo-Piagetian approach. Neo-Piagetian theories typically extend or modify Piaget's original ideas, such as proposing additional stages or distinctions in performance levels, rather than directly employing Piaget's original concepts like horizontal décalage.

Question 16

Which of the following is the correct order of dialectical thinking?

Accepted Answer

The correct order of dialectical thinking is thesis-antithesis-synthesis. This process begins with an initial idea or thesis, which then encounters opposition or antithesis, and finally, these two are resolved or integrated in the synthesis.

Question 17

Individuals in this Piagetian stage can think about the reversibility of abstract ideas such as freedom (granting it and taking it away).

Accepted Answer

The formal operational stage, according to Piaget, is when individuals develop the ability to think abstractly and reason about hypothetical situations. This includes understanding the concept of reversibility with abstract ideas like freedom.

Question 18

Marva is given two equal balls of clay. She rolls out one of the balls of clay into a long snake. Marva recognizes the long snake of clay still contains the same amount of clay as the ball of clay because she has acquired the skill of

Accepted Answer

Marva understands that the amount of clay remains the same regardless of its shape because she has developed the concept of conservation of mass, which means understanding that the quantity of matter remains constant despite changes in form or appearance.

Question 19

This group of psychologists and educators has built on Piaget's theory while disowning the parts of the theory that have not held up to close scrutiny.

Accepted Answer

Neo-Piagetians have built on Piaget's theory, refining and extending it while also addressing and revising aspects that have not been supported by subsequent research.

Question 20

Martha doesn't understand that when someone else looks at her doll from a different point of view they see the doll differently. How would Piaget describe Martha's communication style?

Accepted Answer

Martha's inability to understand that others may see her doll differently from another point of view is described as egocentric by Piaget. This is characteristic of the preoperational stage of cognitive development, where children struggle to see perspectives outside their own.

Quiz 2: The Development of Cognitive, Learning, and Language Skills