Question 1

Dakota has started to read short biographies of women she believes are important. She makes lists of who is most important in categories like business leader, political leader, and star athlete. Then she starts to read about the number one person in each category. Which of Piaget's stages do you think Dakota is in?

Accepted Answer

Dakota's behavior suggests that she is in the concrete operational stage, which occurs between ages 7 and 11. Children in this stage are able to think logically about concrete objects and events, and they can organize things into categories and make lists. Dakota is using this logical thinking ability to categorize important women and prioritize who she wants to read about first.

Question 2

In Piaget's theory, which of the following are considered the two complementary processes that account for adaptation?

Accepted Answer

According to Piaget's theory, adaptation occurs through the complementary processes of assimilation (the incorporation of new experiences into existing mental structures) and accommodation (the adjustment of existing mental structures to fit new experiences). Therefore, option D is the correct answer.

Question 3

In contrast to Piaget's theory of cognitive development, Vygotsky placed greater emphasis on

Accepted Answer

Vygotsky believed that social interactions and cultural context play a crucial role in cognitive development, and that learning occurs through interactions with more knowledgeable individuals. In contrast, Piaget's theory focused more on the individual's own exploration and experimentation with their environment.

Question 4

Genevieve is studying cognitive development theories. Today, her professor introduced the central concepts of Vygotsky's theory, explaining that these would be the topics covered in the end-of-the-week quiz. Which of the following should Genevieve study before the end of the week?

Accepted Answer

Vygotsky's theory focuses on the role of culture in cognitive development, the concept of zone of proximal development (ZPD), and the idea that cognitive development involves a shift from intermental processes (transactions between people) to intramental processes (thinking that occurs within an individual). Therefore, Genevieve should study culture, ZPD, and movement from intermental to the intramental before the end of the week. None of the other options relate to Vygotsky's theory.

Question 5

According to Piaget's theory of cognitive development, which of the following statements is most accurate?

Accepted Answer

Piaget believed that encounters with discrepancy, or inconsistencies between what a child knows and what they observe, lead to cognitive growth and the development of logical thinking. This is because children must use their existing mental frameworks (schemas) to make sense of new information and adjust their thinking accordingly. Therefore, option C is the most accurate statement according to Piaget's theory.

Question 6

Which of the following is considered one of Piaget's contributions to understanding infant cognition?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Which of the following is considered one...

Question 7

Which of the following statements is considered an implication for human development based on Vygotsky's theory?

Accepted Answer

Vygotsky's theory emphasizes the role of social interaction and culture in shaping an individual's cognitive development. He believed that learning takes place through social interactions and language, and that cultural context plays a crucial role in shaping cognitive development.

Question 8

Which of the following statements best describes a characteristic of formal operational thought?

Accepted Answer

Formal operational thought is characterized by the ability to think logically and systematically, and to create interrelated systems of rules that can be used for problem solving. It is not based primarily on instruction from others, direct experience within a family context, or memories of past experiences.

Question 9

Which of the following psychosocial theory concepts is most similar to Vygotsky's zone of proximal development?

Accepted Answer

The "radius of significant relationships" in psychosocial theory is similar to Vygotsky's "zone of proximal development" as both concepts emphasize the importance of social interactions and relationships in facilitating development and learning.

Question 10

Helena is 6 months old. At what stage in Piaget's cognitive developmental theory is she in?

Accepted Answer

At 6 months old, Helena is still in the sensorimotor stage of Piaget's cognitive developmental theory, which is characterized by the child's understanding of the world through their senses and motor actions.

Question 11

Vygotsky emphasized the role of a culture's ________ in shaping thought.

Accepted Answer

Vygotsky's sociocultural theory emphasizes the role of cultural tools and signs, such as language and symbolic systems, in shaping thought and cognitive development. He believed that these cultural products are passed from older, more knowledgeable individuals to younger, less knowledgeable ones, and that this process is essential for cognitive growth. Thus, choice A is the best answer.

Question 12

When did Yang's preoperational thought stage occur?

Accepted Answer

The preoperational thought stage occurs between the ages of 2 to 7, which is when a child learns a language and starts to use symbols to represent objects. This is also known as the symbolic function substage of the preoperational stage. Option A is too broad, as the preoperational stage occurs within that time frame. Option C refers to the next substage, called intuitive thought, which occurs between ages 4 to 7. Option D refers to the concrete operational stage, which occurs between ages 7 to 12.

Question 13

Kendra has been breastfed. The first time she gets a bottle of apple juice, she uses the same sucking motion she has been accustomed to using during breastfeeding. Juice floods out of the nipple of the bottle. This is an example of

Accepted Answer

This is an example of assimilation - Kendra is applying her previously learned sucking motion from breastfeeding to a new object (the bottle nipple). However, the sucking motion that worked for breastfeeding does not work for drinking from a bottle, resulting in the juice flooding out.

Question 14

Whereas theories of cognitive development emphasize thinking and reasoning, theories of learning tend to focus on which of the following?

Accepted Answer

Theories of learning tend to focus on how behavior changes as a result of experience, including conditioning, reinforcement, and punishment, rather than on mental processes such as thinking and reasoning.

Question 15

Vygotsky argued that complex mental operations exist first in the social world and are then internalized. He described this as movement from the __________ to the __________.

Accepted Answer

Vygotsky's theory of sociocultural development posits that complex mental operations begin in the intermental, or social, world and are later internalized by the individual in the intramental, or individual, world. This process is known as the "zone of proximal development."

Question 16

Which of the following statements is considered an assumption of Piaget's cognitive development theory?

Accepted Answer

Piaget's cognitive development theory is based on the assumption that the roots of cognition lie in an infant's biological capacities. He believed that children actively construct their understanding of the world through their experiences and interactions with their environment. This assumption forms the basis of Piaget's stages of cognitive development, which describe how children's cognitive abilities develop and become more complex over time.

Question 17

By asking children how they know what they know, Piaget introduced the study of

Accepted Answer

Piaget introduced the concept of metacognition by asking children to reflect on and explain how they came to know certain things. Metacognition is the awareness and understanding of one's own thought processes, learning strategies, and cognitive abilities.

Question 18

Ricky wants to play a computer game, but cannot quite figure out how to get the figures to jump and kick. Ricky watches his older sister play the computer game for a few minutes and asks her a few questions. Then Ricky is able to play the game by himself. According to Vygotsky's theory, this is an example of

Accepted Answer

Vygotsky's theory emphasizes the importance of the zone of proximal development (ZPD), which is the difference between what a learner can accomplish independently and what they can do with guidance and support. In this scenario, Ricky initially struggled to play the game independently but was able to learn with his sister's guidance, demonstrating learning in the ZPD.

Question 19

What is the zone of proximal development?

Accepted Answer

The zone of proximal development is the distance between a child's actual developmental level (what they can do without assistance) and their potential developmental level (what they can do with assistance). It is the range of skills that a child is on the brink of developing and can be reached through guidance and support from a more knowledgeable person.

Question 20

Accommodation is referred to as the

Accepted Answer

Accommodation is the process of modifying existing schemes to account for new attributes revealed through experience. This allows individuals to adapt and adjust their understanding of the world.

Quiz 2: Major Theories for Understanding Human Development

In Piaget's theory, which of the following are considered the two complementary processes that account for adaptation?