Question 1

What is the correct order of Piaget's stages of development?

Accepted Answer

Piaget's stages of cognitive development are in the following order: sensorimotor (birth to 2 years), preoperational (2 to 7 years), concrete operational (7 to 11 years), and formal operational (from 12 years and up).

Question 2

Who would have the least amount of interest in children's thinking?

Accepted Answer

A Skinnerian theorist, focusing on behaviorism, would be less concerned with the internal processes of children's thinking compared to the other theorists mentioned. Skinnerian theory emphasizes observable behaviors and the ways they are shaped by environmental stimuli, rather than cognitive processes or structures.

Question 3

Whose theory of development is best exemplified by the idea that children construct their own knowledge and that this constructed knowledge changes with age/experience?

Accepted Answer

Piaget's theory of cognitive development emphasizes that children actively construct their own knowledge through experiences and that this understanding evolves as they grow older. This theory is characterized by stages of development where children's ways of thinking change qualitatively with age and experience.

Question 4

Melissa is doing a study in which lacrosse players are interviewed about their role on the team and perceived capabilities for playing in Saturday's game. Melissa seems to be assessing the ____ of the lacrosse players.

Accepted Answer

Melissa is assessing the self-efficacy of the lacrosse players, which refers to their belief in their own abilities to succeed in specific situations or accomplish a task, in this case, their perceived capabilities for playing in Saturday's game.

Question 5

What type of theorist would most likely describe human cognitive development using the analogy of "mental software"?

Accepted Answer

Information-processing theorists often use computer analogies, such as "mental software," to describe how the mind processes information, suggesting that the mind operates in ways similar to how a computer processes data. This analogy helps to conceptualize how humans encode, store, and retrieve information.

Question 6

Rutger believes that, rather than progressing through a sequence of stages, mental processes gradually get more complex and efficient. Rutger is most likely a proponent of

Accepted Answer

Rutger's belief aligns with the information-processing theory, which suggests that mental processes become more complex and efficient over time, rather than progressing through distinct stages as proposed by theories like Piaget's, Kohlberg's, and Erikson's.

Question 7

When describing the development of his son Pitt, Brad says, "The best way to describe it is in terms of a slow computer with a small memory getting a faster processor and more storage space." This type of description would suggest that Brad adheres to a(n) ____ approach to development.

Accepted Answer

Brad's description aligns with the information-processing approach to development, which likens human thinking to the way computers process information, focusing on the ways in which people process, store, encode, and retrieve information.

Question 8

Who would most likely explain a child's maladaptive behavior by saying, "They probably saw some TV character do that"?

Accepted Answer

Adam, as a social learning theorist, would likely attribute a child's maladaptive behavior to observational learning, which includes imitating behaviors seen on TV. Social learning theory emphasizes the role of observing and modeling the behaviors, attitudes, and emotional reactions of others.

Question 9

Social cognitive theory and operant conditioning are similar in that they both

Accepted Answer

Both social cognitive theory and operant conditioning emphasize the importance of experience in shaping behavior. Social cognitive theory, proposed by Albert Bandura, suggests that learning occurs in a social context with a dynamic and reciprocal interaction of the person, environment, and behavior. Operant conditioning, a concept developed by B.F. Skinner, focuses on how the consequences of a behavior affect the likelihood of that behavior being repeated. Both theories recognize the role of environmental experiences in determining behavior, differing from theories that might prioritize innate or biological factors over learned experience.

Question 10

According to ecological theory, the people closest to a developing child represent his or her

Accepted Answer

The microsystem is the closest layer to the child and consists of structures that directly interact with the child, such as family, school, and peer group.

Question 11

Mary has only one child, three-year-old Shelly, and she has stayed home for most of Shelly's life. From an ecological perspective, Mary is best thought of as part of Shelly's

Accepted Answer

From an ecological perspective, Mary is best thought of as part of Shelly's microsystem. The microsystem is the closest layer to the child and consists of structures that the child has direct contact with, such as family members.

Question 12

Which theorist is best associated with an ecological approach to human development?

Accepted Answer

Bronfenbrenner is best associated with an ecological approach to human development, known for his Ecological Systems Theory which emphasizes the importance of multiple levels of the environment in influencing human development.

Question 13

When Dr. R. Carson is asked to explain troubled adolescents, she says, "The only way to explain the problems of adolescents is to study them in relation to their parents and the culture that surrounds them." Dr. R. Carson is most likely a proponent of ____ theory.

Accepted Answer

Dr. R. Carson's statement emphasizes the importance of considering the environment, including parents and culture, in understanding adolescents. This approach aligns with ecological theory, which focuses on how individuals interact with and are influenced by their various environments.

Question 14

Alberto believes he can successfully ski down a steep mountain. Most likely Alberto has

Accepted Answer

High self-efficacy refers to an individual's belief in their ability to succeed in specific situations or accomplish a task, which aligns with Alberto's confidence in skiing down a steep mountain.

Question 15

Dr. Link tries to help his students learn how to be independent learners by having them watch how other students can be successful by researching answers to possible test questions on their smartphones. Dr. Link is using principles of ____ to help his students.

Accepted Answer

Dr. Link is using principles of social learning theory, which suggests that people can learn new behaviors by observing others. In this case, students learn how to be independent learners by watching how their peers successfully research answers using their smartphones.

Question 16

The biggest difference between Vygotsky's approach to development and that of Piaget and the information-processing approach is that Vygotsky placed more emphasis on

Accepted Answer

Vygotsky's theory is distinct for its emphasis on the role of cultural and social interactions in the development of cognition, unlike Piaget, who focused on stages of individual cognitive development, and the information-processing approach, which emphasizes the mechanisms of thinking.

Question 17

Louis discovers that the experiences he has in his developmental psychology class help him to deal with the children he works with at a daycare center. This relationship is best described by Bronfenbrenner's notion of a(n)

Accepted Answer

The mesosystem in Bronfenbrenner's ecological systems theory refers to the interactions between the different parts of a person's microsystem. In this case, the knowledge and experiences Louis gains in his developmental psychology class (one part of his microsystem) directly influence how he interacts with and understands the children at the daycare center (another part of his microsystem), exemplifying the mesosystem's concept of interconnectedness between different life areas.

Question 18

Dr. Sefky says, "Sure, reinforcement and punishment are important, but how people interpret reinforcement and punishment is even more important." Given this statement, Dr. Sefky's view is most likely to agree with

Accepted Answer

Dr. Sefky's emphasis on the interpretation of reinforcement and punishment aligns with social cognitive theory, which focuses on how cognitive processes (such as interpretation and observation) influence learning and behavior, beyond just the mechanical aspects of reinforcement and punishment.

Question 19

Dr. Bach is a developmental psychologist who is interested in Vygotsky's theory. What sort of forces are probably of most interest to Dr. Bach?

Accepted Answer

Vygotsky's theory emphasizes the importance of sociocultural factors in cognitive development, suggesting that learning is deeply influenced by social interactions and cultural context.

Question 20

Brandon's developmental psychology teacher believes human development is best conceptualized as progressing discontinuously through several qualitatively different stages of thinking. His instructor is likely a(n)

Accepted Answer

Piaget's theory of cognitive development posits that children move through four distinct stages of mental development, emphasizing the progression through qualitatively different stages of thinking, which aligns with the description given.

Quiz 1: The Study of Human Development