Question 1

While strolling through the zoo with his mother,5-year-old Tim sees a penguin for the first time.He stares at the animal for a while and then tells his mother,"See the wings and beak,that's just some kind of bird." From a Piagetian perspective,Tim's behavior is best explained by

Accepted Answer

Tim is trying to make sense of this new experience by relating it to his existing knowledge about birds. This process of fitting new information into existing mental structures is known as assimilation in Piaget's theory of cognitive development.

Question 2

Piaget argued that movement from one stage of thought to the next was triggered by

Accepted Answer

Piaget believed that the transition from one stage of cognitive development to the next was initiated by disequilibrium. This occurs when children encounter new information or experiences that do not fit with their existing schemas or understanding, prompting them to adjust their thinking to restore balance.

Question 3

All of the following concepts except ________________ can be attributed to Piaget and his work on cognitive development.

Accepted Answer

Imprinting is a concept developed by Konrad Lorenz in the study of animal behavior, not by Piaget in the study of cognitive development. Object permanence, conservation, and centration are all concepts developed by Piaget.

Question 4

Frank is thoroughly confused when his father refers to his Aunt Susan as his sister Sue because according to Frank's logic,a person cannot be both a sister and an aunt.Piaget would refer to Frank's confusion as involving

Accepted Answer

Frank's confusion is due to a discrepancy between his existing cognitive schema ("a person cannot be both a sister and an aunt") and the new information he is receiving from his father. Piaget would refer to this state of confusion as disequilibrium, which occurs when new experiences or information cannot be assimilated into existing cognitive structures without adjustment or accommodation.

Question 5

What is the correct developmental sequence of Piaget's stages of cognitive development?

Accepted Answer

Piaget's stages of cognitive development progress from the sensorimotor stage (birth to about 2 years), to the preoperational stage (2 to about 7 years), then to the concrete operational stage (7 to about 11 years), and finally to the formal operational stage (about 12 years and up).

Question 6

Piaget is associated with which of the following theories?

Accepted Answer

Piaget is associated with cognitive-developmental theory, which focuses on how children learn and develop through stages of cognitive growth.

Question 7

What is Piaget's first stage of cognitive development?

Accepted Answer

Piaget's first stage of cognitive development is the sensorimotor stage, which occurs from birth to around 2 years old. In this stage, children learn about the world primarily through their senses and movements, and develop object permanence, the understanding that objects continue to exist even when they cannot be seen or touched.

Question 8

If William is a preoperational-stage thinker and Mary is a concrete-operational thinker,which term would a Piagetian use to characterize the difference between William and Mary's intellectual skills?

Accepted Answer

Piaget would use the term "qualitative" to characterize the difference between William (preoperational) and Mary (concrete-operational). This is because they differ in the way they think and process information, with William relying on symbolic thinking and Mary being able to think logically and concretely. This is a qualitative difference in cognitive skills, rather than just a quantitative difference in the amount of knowledge or information they possess.

Question 9

Twelve-year-old Jill traveled with her parents to a third-world country to volunteer at a mission.When she returned to her home in the United States,she had altered many of her ideas about what she valued.What Piagetian process was at work?

Accepted Answer

Accommodation is the Piagetian process where an individual changes their existing ideas or beliefs to fit new experiences or information. In this scenario, Jill's ideas about her values were altered based on her experience volunteering in a different country. Therefore, the best choice is B, accommodation.

Question 10

The famous Swiss psychologist Jean Piaget used ______________________ for detailed cognitive observations leading to his research.

Accepted Answer

Jean Piaget used his own three children for detailed cognitive observations, which were foundational to his research on cognitive development.

Question 11

According to Piaget,we adapt in what two ways?

Accepted Answer

Piaget believed that adaptation involves two complementary processes: assimilation and accommodation. Assimilation involves using existing mental structures to interpret new information, while accommodation involves changing existing mental structures to fit new information.

Question 12

A scheme is best thought of as a

Accepted Answer

A scheme is a mental structure or framework that organizes information in our minds, allowing us to interpret and make sense of new information based on our existing knowledge. It is a way of organizing information or experiences into categories and patterns, helping us to better understand and remember new information. It is not a behavior, symbolic image, or process of adjusting to new information.

Question 13

Four-year-old Tom learns to lift his stuffed cat up by the tail.After one painful attempt,Tom realizes that you cannot use this behavior on a live cat.In Piagetian terms,Tom's new knowledge involves

Accepted Answer

Accommodation refers to the process by which new experiences or information cause an individual to modify their existing schemas (mental frameworks) to fit the new information. In this case, Tom's attempt to lift his stuffed cat by the tail resulted in pain, which caused him to modify his existing schema to understand that this behavior is not appropriate for live cats. This is an example of accommodation because Tom had to modify his existing schema to fit the new information he received.

Question 14

If all you knew about Art was that he was having his first birthday,you would most likely predict that he ________________________ the sensorimotor stage of development.

Accepted Answer

At one year old, Art is typically halfway through the sensorimotor stage, which lasts from birth to about two years of age.

Question 15

________________________ is a mechanism to explain how children shift from one stage of thought to the next.Once children have solved the cognitive conflict and reached a balance it is attained.

Accepted Answer

Equilibration is the mechanism through which children shift from one stage of thought to the next. It involves a state of cognitive conflict or disequilibrium, which prompts children to adjust their thinking through accommodation, until they reach a state of balance or equilibrium. Once equilibrium is attained, children can progress to the next stage of cognitive development.

Question 16

Elizabeth,a 7-month-old infant,responds to holding her first orange by rolling it around on the floor just like she does with her blue rubber ball.This demonstrates what Piagetian process?

Accepted Answer

Assimilation is the process of taking in new information and incorporating it into an existing mental schema. In this case, Elizabeth is using her existing schema for playing with balls to interact with the new object, the orange. She is assimilating the orange into her existing understanding of round objects she can roll on the floor.

Question 17

_______________________ are actions or mental representations that organize knowledge.

Accepted Answer

Schemes are mental representations that organize knowledge by grouping information into categories based on similar characteristics or properties. Cognitions refer to mental processes such as thinking, remembering, and perceiving. Social impacts and organizations are not directly related to the concept of schemes.

Question 18

Five-year-old Marge watches other children playing in a sandlot.At first she only understands swinging at the ball with a bat.Then she learns about running,catching,and pitching.Eventually,Marge develops a functional cognitive system called "playing baseball." According to Piaget,Marge has achieved __________ of baseball information.

Accepted Answer

Organization is the cognitive process of arranging and grouping information into a coherent and meaningful system. In this scenario, Marge has undergone the process of gradually organizing her understanding of baseball by incorporating new information and skills. She has developed a functional cognitive system for playing baseball, suggesting that she has achieved organization of baseball information. The other options (disequilibrium, object permanence, and a secondary circular reaction) are not relevant to this scenario.

Question 19

The main task during the sensorimotor stage involves

Accepted Answer

During the sensorimotor stage, the infant learns to coordinate sensations, responses, actions, and the nonsymbolic aspects of the period. This involves manipulating objects, exploring the environment, and developing basic motor coordination skills. While language is important for cognitive development, it is not the main task during the sensorimotor stage. The suppression of motor reflexes occurs during the first few months of life and is not the main task of the entire stage. Assimilation and accommodation are important processes in Piaget's theory of cognitive development but are not the main task during this stage.

Question 20

Assimilation is to accommodation as

Accepted Answer

Assimilation and accommodation are two of Jean Piaget's cognitive development concepts. Assimilation refers to the process of incorporating new information into existing mental schemas, whereas accommodation involves adjusting existing schemas to fit the new information. Therefore, the best choice for the analogy is D, where incorporating is to adjusting. Options A and B are not related to the concept of assimilation and accommodation, and option C is too vague to be a valid option for this analogy.

Quiz 6: Cognitive Developmental Approaches