Deck 3: Social Construction of Mind: Sociocultural Perspectives on Cognitive Development

Question 1

Discuss the two types of cognitive artifacts of tools of intellectual adaptation and provide examples of each.

Answer 1

The two types are physical, or material, artifacts which include computers, maps and written documents, and symbolic, or mental, artifacts which include ways of thinking and reasoning. Much of human biological and cultural evolution can be measured by evidence of cognitive artifacts from the fossil and archeological record. In fact, Hunt (2012) proposed that modern societies can be evaluated in terms of national intelligence, or general cognitive abilities, based on the extent to which their citizens master modern cognitive artifacts such as literacy and numeracy.

Question 2

Which of the following is not an example of how sociocultural influences represent dynamic forces at work?

A) drastic changes in the economy such as the world financial crisis beginning in 2008
B) Hurricane Sandy in 2012
C) an influx of immigrants to a community
D) who wins the Oscar for best actress in any given year

Answer 2

D

Question 3

Tools of intellectual adaptation, or cognitive artifacts, come in two types: physical or material and symbolic or mental.

Answer 3

True

Question 4

Vygotsky proposed that we should evaluate development from the perspective of four interrelated levels in interaction with children's environments, which are

A) ontogenetic, microgenetic, phylogenetic, and sociohistorical.
B) ontogenetic, macrogenetic, physiogenetic, and sociocultural.
C) ontomorphous, microcephaly, phylum, and sociohistorical.
D) aura genetic, microbiological, phylogenetic and sociocultural.

Question 5

Which of the following is not a way in which parents, or more expert siblings and peers contribute to children's symbolic play?

A) Young children are more likely to engage in symbolic play when they are playing with someone else rather than when they are playing alone.
B) Mothers, in particular, bring out high levels of symbolic play in their children.
C) Young children who interact with a more skilled partner who structures the situation appropriately for them advance in their skills faster than when such support is not provided.
D) Young children are less likely to engage in symbolic play when they are playing with someone else rather than when they are playing alone.

Question 6

According to a 2012 survey in American Homes, which of the following is correct with regard Internet usage?

A) 20% of Black and 23% of Latino adults 25 years and older used the Internet.
B) 10% of Black and 23% of Latino adults 25 years and older used the Internet.
C) 80% of White and 83% of Asian adults 25 years and older used the Internet.
D) 95% of White and 98% of Asian adults 25 years and older used the Internet.

Question 7

Explain Vygotsky's proposal that cognitive development occurs in situations where a child's problem solving is guided by an adult.

Question 8

Which of the following is not related to the Zone of Proximal Development?

A) A child's actual developmental level as determined by independent problem-solving.
B) A child's level of potential development as determined through problem solving under adult guidance or in collaboration with more capable peers.
C) A child's level of development as determined by Piagetian developmental theories.
D) The zone in which sensitive instruction should be aimed and in which new cognate growth can be expected to occur.

Question 9

Reese (1995) proposed that mothers provide scaffolding by increasingly involving their children in collaborative conversations. According to Reese what was a tentative conclusion of this study?

A) The data were inconclusive and further research has to be conducted.
B) Children who participate to a greater degree in early adult-child conversations may be honing different abilities from those children who allow the adult to direct the interaction.
C) Children can only learn if both of their parents have college degrees and at least minimally interact with their children.
D) The data suggest results of the study will only apply to ethnic minorities.

Question 10

Which of the following elementary mental functions are infants born with that are eventually transformed by the culture into new and more sophisticated mental processes Vygotsky called higher mental functions?

A) attention, deprivation, perception, memory
B) attention, sensation, perception, memory
C) mindlessness, sensation, deprivation, memory
D) analytical thinking, rationalization, sensation, perception

Question 11

In Vygotsky's sociocultural perspective, learning and development are the result of interacting in specific, culturally defined tasks that have specific rules.

Question 12

What was the result of research conducted by Whitehurst and colleagues (1988) regarding training parents of 2- and 3-year-old children in a technique of interactive story reading?

A) After 1 month of such reading, children in the experimental group were 8.5 months more advanced on a measure of verbal expression than were children in the control group, despite the fact that the two groups were equal at the beginning of the study.
B) After 3 months of such reading, there was no differences noted between the experimental group and the control group.
C) After 1 month of reading, children in the control group were 8.5 months more advanced on a measure of verbal expression than were children in the experimental group.
D) After 3 months of such reading, children in both the control group and experimental group were similar on a measure of verbal expression.

Question 13

Which of the following is not an example of the function of shared remembering in children's memory development?

A) Children learn ways of remembering and communicating memories with others for example, narrative structure.
B) Children learn about themselves, which contributes to the development of the self-concept.
C) Children learn values important to the family and the community, that is, what is worth remembering.
D) Promotes internal and institutional solidarity.

Question 14

Elaborate and explain in detail Rogoff's view that development is a process of transformation of participation.

Question 15

In Malcolm Gladwell's (2008) book, Outliers, he asserts that ordinary people are the product of hard work, native intelligence, as well as the result of the practices of their culture at a future time in their history.

Question 16

In a 2012 survey of American homes regarding smartphone use it was determined that 54% of Black and 64% of Hispanic adults over the age of 25 use smartphones.

Question 17

Within the adult-child interchanges of daily life, children's intellectual processes are developed to handle the tasks and problems pertinent to their particular surroundings.

Question 18

Which of the following is not one of the reasons why it is important to facilitate symbolic play?

A) Children will learn to cheat and manipulate for the game advantage.
B) Children learn about people, objects, and actions through symbolic play.
C) Symbolic play might be related to other aspects of cognitive development.
D) Children's understanding of other people's feelings and beliefs increase as a result of symbolic play.

Question 19

Which of the following is not related to the concept of guided participation as developed by Rogoff?

A) refers to adult-child interactions during implicit instruction
B) refers to adult-child interactions during explicit instruction
C) refers to adult-child interactions during the more routine activities and communication of everyday life
D) focuses on day-to-day activities in children's lives, such as doing chores, watching television, and eavesdropping on adult conversations

Question 20

When most parents read picture books with their young children they are actually using a scaffolding strategy. Parents are more directive when children are younger and become less so as their children's language skills improve. Which of the following is not an example of this strategy?

A) Parents ask questions.
B) Parents point out and label pictures, provide feedback.
C) Parents make categorical distinctions, such as saying, "This is a dog and this is a bird; birds fly and make their nests in trees."
D) Parents do not elaborate about the stories' plots and allow the young child to figure it out.

Question 21

Explain how children's understanding of print and prereading skills were assessed in research conducted by Reese (1995)?

Question 22

Explain the concept of Scaffolding and provide examples.

Question 23

Discuss Vygotsky's view regarding the dual nature of cognitive development which he termed the general genetic law of cultural development.