Question 1

Ethan, a three-year old, asks his mom to cut a pizza pie into twelve rather than eight pieces because he is "really hungry." On the basis of this example, it is most appropriate to conclude that Ethan ________.

Accepted Answer

Ethan's request for more pieces suggests that he does not understand the concept of conservation, which refers to the understanding that the quantity of a substance remains the same even when its shape or appearance changes. Cutting a pizza into more pieces does not increase the amount of pizza, which suggests that Ethan does not understand conservation. Object permanence, on the other hand, refers to the understanding that an object continues to exist even when it is out of sight, and is not directly related to Ethan's request for more pizza pieces.

Question 2

Which of Jean Piaget's stages of cognitive development is characterized by abstract thinking and the creation of hypotheticals?

Accepted Answer

Formal operations is characterized by abstract thinking and the creation of hypotheticals. This stage typically emerges in adolescence and allows individuals to think logically about abstract concepts and hypothetical situations.

Question 3

Piaget's term for the knowledge that an object exists even when it is out of sight is ________.

Accepted Answer

Object permanence is the term Piaget used to describe a child's understanding that an object continues to exist even when it cannot be seen, heard or touched.

Question 4

In Piaget's theory, the stage of cognitive development between 7 and 12 years of age, in which an individual becomes capable of logical thought processes but is not yet capable of abstract thinking, is the ________ stage.

Accepted Answer

According to Piaget's theory, the concrete operations stage occurs between the ages of 7 and 12 years. This is the stage where children become capable of logical thought processes and can think logically about concrete objects and events. However, they are not capable of abstract thinking or hypothetical reasoning, which is characteristic of the next stage, formal operations. Therefore, option A) concrete operations is the best choice.

Question 5

Which of the following is a limitation on the cognitive life of children in Piaget's preoperational stage?

Accepted Answer

Centration, or the tendency to focus on only one aspect of a situation and ignore others, is a limitation on the cognitive life of children in Piaget's preoperational stage. This means that they have difficulty understanding the concept that the same quantity of liquid can be present in different shaped containers or that a certain object can belong to multiple categories. Children in this stage also struggle with abstract concepts, hypothetical thinking, and object permanence, but these are not the primary limitations.

Question 6

Which type of thought does not begin until the stage of formal operations thought?

Accepted Answer

Formal operations thought, which typically begins in adolescence, involves the ability to think abstractly and consider possibilities beyond the concrete and present, such as hypothetical and future scenarios.

Question 7

Elijah is a 3-year-old boy who likes to spread his peas and carrots all over his plate. After spreading out his food, he asks for more. His mom pushes all the food together and Elijah continues to eat. Which period of cognitive development is Elijah in?

Accepted Answer

Elijah is in the preoperational period of cognitive development, as evidenced by his inability to understand that his actions (spreading food out and then asking for more) do not create more food. This age group also struggles with conservation tasks and often engages in magical thinking.

Question 8

Ashani is 18 months old. When her mom leaves her at the babysitter's house, Ashani cries initially. After a few moments, she stops crying because her mom is "out of sight and out of mind." According to Piaget, which period of cognitive development would Ashani be in?

Accepted Answer

According to Piaget, the sensorimotor stage occurs from birth to age 2, during which infants gradually develop their abilities to coordinate sensory input with motor actions and to form mental representations of the world. This stage is characterized by the development of object permanence (the understanding that objects continue to exist even when they are not visible), which is evident in Ashani's behavior.  Ashani's crying initially shows that she has separation anxiety, which is normal in this stage of cognitive development. However, her ability to stop crying and settle in the absence of her mother suggests that she is beginning to develop object permanence and is transitioning from reflexive to intentional behavior.

Question 9

What term is used to describe a child's inability to see the world through anyone else's eyes except his or her own?

Accepted Answer

Egocentrism refers to the cognitive limitation in which a child is unable to understand that others have a different perspective, and believe that their own perspective is the only one that exists. This is often seen in young children, specifically in the preoperational stage of cognitive development, as described by Piaget. Disparity refers to a difference or inequality between things, narcissism refers to an excessive admiration of oneself, and autonomy refers to the ability to make decisions and take actions independently.

Question 10

Your little brother has a big ball of clay. While he watches, you roll the ball of clay into a long snake-like shape. He begins to cry because he thinks he has less clay now. Which of Piaget's stages is your brother likely to be in?

Accepted Answer

Your brother's reaction indicates that he does not yet understand conservation, which is a hallmark of the preoperational stage according to Piaget's theory. Preschool-age children in this stage are likely to focus on the appearance of objects rather than their actual properties, which can lead to misunderstandings such as thinking that the amount of clay has changed simply because its shape has.

Question 11

Young infants cannot appreciate the carnival game in which a pea seems to disappear from under a walnut because they have not yet developed a sense of ________.

Accepted Answer

Object permanence refers to the understanding that objects continue to exist even when they are not within our immediate perception. Infants who lack this understanding would not be able to appreciate the disappearance of the pea from under the walnut, as they cannot yet form a mental representation of the object in their mind. Conservation refers to the understanding that the quantity of a substance remains the same even when it is rearranged or appears different, centration refers to the tendency to focus on only one aspect of a situation while disregarding others, and egocentrism refers to the difficulty of understanding and empathizing with others' perspectives. While these concepts are important for cognitive development, they do not directly relate to understanding the disappearing pea illusion.

Question 12

According to the most recent evidence, what can be said of Piaget's findings?

Accepted Answer

Recent evidence suggests that children develop object permanence earlier than Piaget proposed, indicating that they are less egocentric than he believed.

Question 13

According to Piaget, the stage of cognitive development between 2 and 7 years of age, in which the child learns to use language as a means of exploring the world, is the ________ stage.

Accepted Answer

Piaget's theory of cognitive development suggests that between the ages of 2 and 7, children reach the preoperational stage. During this stage, children learn to represent objects using symbols, such as language or pictures. They are also able to engage in pretend play and engage in egocentric thinking. This stage precedes the concrete operational stage (A) and follows the sensorimotor stage (B). The formal operational stage (D) typically begins around age 12 and involves the ability to think logically and abstractly.

Question 14

In which of Piaget's stages does the child develop conservation?

Accepted Answer

Piaget's concrete operations stage is between the ages of 7 to 12 years old, in which the child begins to think logically and understand conservation (the concept that a certain quantity or amount remains the same even if it looks different). In the preoperational stage (2 to 7 years old), the child struggles with conservation and is easily fooled by changes in appearance.

Question 15

Your little sister picks up objects, feels every part of them, and then puts them in her mouth. What stage of Jean Piaget's model of cognitive development does this behavior suggest she is in?

Accepted Answer

This behavior suggests that the child is in the sensorimotor stage of cognitive development, which occurs from birth to about two years old. In this stage, children develop their senses and motor skills, and explore the world through trial and error, such as picking up objects and putting them in their mouth.

Question 16

Larry, a ten-year old, first sees two identical glasses with water at the same level; then, the water from one of the short, wide glasses is poured into a taller, thinner glass. Larry will likely conclude that ________.

Accepted Answer

The volume of water remains the same regardless of the shape of the container.

Question 17

A characteristic that first shows up in the formal operations stage is ________.

Accepted Answer

Abstract thinking is the ability to think about hypothetical situations, use logic and reason, and think symbolically. This is a characteristic that is not present in the concrete operational stage, but is first seen in the formal operations stage.

Question 18

According to Piaget, ________ represents the beginning of the child's language development and symbolic thought.

Accepted Answer

According to Piaget's theory of cognitive development, object permanence is the understanding that objects continue to exist even when they cannot be seen, heard, or touched. Object permanence marks the beginning of symbolic thought, which is the ability to represent mentally external objects and events. This ability is essential for language development, as language involves the use of symbols to represent words and ideas. Therefore, choice (C) - object permanence represents the beginning of the child's language development and symbolic thought, according to Piaget.

Question 19

Ron, a toddler, is holding a picture and puts it to the receiver of a phone in order to "show" it to his grandmother. This example illustrates ________.

Accepted Answer

This behavior illustrates egocentrism, which is a characteristic of young children who are unable to see things from perspectives other than their own. Ron assumes his grandmother can see the picture because he can see it, demonstrating his egocentric thinking.

Question 20

According to Piaget, the ability to understand that simply changing the appearance of an object does not change the object's nature is known as ________.

Accepted Answer

Piaget's theory of cognitive development states that conservation is the ability to understand that changing the shape or appearance of an object does not change its fundamental properties. Object permanence refers to the understanding that objects continue to exist even when they are out of sight. Centration refers to the tendency to focus on only one aspect of a situation while ignoring others. Reversibility is the ability to mentally reverse actions, which is important for understanding conservation. However, the question specifically asks for the ability to understand that appearance does not change the nature of an object, which is best represented by conservation.

Quiz 8: Development Across the Life Span