Deck 6: Off to School: Cognitive and Physical Development in Middle Childhood

Question 1

Who is MOST likely to be a formal operational thinker?

A) Linda, who thinks nickels are worth more than dimes because they are bigger
B) Sonia, who has just mastered conservation
C) Bob, who is capable of using and understanding symbols
D) Luis, who can use combinatorial reasoning

Answer 1

D

Question 2

The first memory strategy acquired by MOST children is:

A) chunking.
B) use of abstraction.
C) verbal elaboration.
D) rehearsal.

Answer 2

D

Question 3

During ____, information is always embellished.

A) rehearsal
B) elaboration
C) metacognition
D) combinatorial reasoning

Answer 3

B

Question 4

Which phrase reflects a basic ability available only to a formal operational thinker?

A) "Realistically speaking ..."
B) "Hypothetically speaking ..."
C) "Speaking from experience, I ..."
D) "Speaking on behalf of others, I ..."

Question 5

What is one of the more questionable aspects of Piaget's theory?

A) It places too much emphasis on biology as the mechanism of change.
B) It does not account for variability in performance.
C) It overestimates the intelligence of adults.
D) It overvalues the influence of the sociocultural environment.

Question 6

Which describes one of the major criticisms of Piaget's theory concerning formal operational thought?

A) Adolescent thinking is not as irrational as Piaget predicted.
B) The belief that only males could think abstractly was sexist.
C) Adolescents do not appear as cognitively competent as Piaget thought.
D) Piaget argued that cognitive development continues to advance into old age, while research has found little change after age 20.

Question 7

Which MOST accurately describes long-term memory?

A) Temporary and limited capacity
B) Permanent and limited capacity
C) Temporary and unlimited capacity
D) Permanent and unlimited capacity

Question 8

Deena used to think that everyone else liked the same people she liked. She now realizes that different people have different opinions toward others. Piaget would suggest that Deena has recently become a ____ thinker.

A) preoperational
B) formal operational
C) concrete operational
D) sensorimotor

Question 9

A formal operational thinker and a concrete operational thinker are both presented with three beakers containing red liquid and are told that some combination of the liquids will produce a green liquid. How would the manner in which the formal thinker solves the problem MOST likely differ from that of the concrete thinker?

A) Formal thinkers would do the problem entirely in their head and not actually pour any liquid.
B) The formal thinkers' approach would be significantly more haphazard.
C) Formal thinkers would apply both animism and centration when solving the task.
D) Formal thinkers would be more systematic when combining the liquids and eliminating combinations.

Question 10

Metamemory is defined as an individual's:

A) intuitive understanding of memory.
B) level of semantic memory.
C) sensory memory speed.
D) short-term memory capacity.

Question 11

Matthew notices that his son Damian is having a great time playing near the kitchen sink. When Matthew asks Damian what he is doing, Damian responds, "It is fun to look at two different-size glasses, imagine water pouring back and forth between them, and knowing that the amount of water stays the same even though the glass shapes differ." Piaget would describe Tate's comments as indicating that he has acquired:

A) animism.
B) egocentrism.
C) irreversibility.
D) a mental operation.

Question 12

If you are reading this test question for the first time, it is:

A) currently stored in sensory memory.
B) currently stored in long-term memory.
C) currently stored in working memory.
D) not currently stored in any memory system.

Question 13

The main limitation of concrete operational thinking is that such thought is limited to:

A) hypothetical situations.
B) tangible, real-life examples.
C) emotional issues.
D) long-term memories.

Question 14

Birgit is really into women's soccer and is able to remember all of the professional teams because she has mentally sorted them by division. This indicates that Birgit is using ____ to help her recall the information.

A) divergent thinking
B) organization
C) abstract thinking
D) rehearsal

Question 15

Will won tickets to the  Country Music Expo  by listing all the possible words that could be created from the words "COUNTRYRULES." This is an example of:

A) combinatorial reasoning.
B) animism.
C) functional fixedness.
D) object permanence.

Question 16

When 80-year-old Marques is asked about his life, he is able to vividly recall his high school graduation party that occurred 60 years ago. Where was this information stored just before it was recalled by Marques?

A) Sensory memory
B) Working memory
C) Short-term memory
D) Long-term memory

Question 17

A concrete operational thinker and a formal operational thinker are given the following logical statements: (1) If you drop a 20-pound bowling ball on your foot, it will tickle. (2) You drop a 20-pound bowling ball on your foot. What reaction would you expect?

A) Only the concrete operational thinker would conclude that "your foot would tickle."
B) Only the formal operational thinker would conclude that "your foot would tickle."
C) Both would conclude that "your foot would tickle."
D) Both would conclude that "your foot would never tickle" after having a 20-pound bowling ball dropped on it.

Question 18

As a Piagetian, Faye would believe that a concrete operational child's ability to reverse thought is due to their acquisition of:

A) language.
B) mental operations.
C) self-efficacy.
D) convergent thinking.

Question 19

Who would be MOST likely to emphasize the important role that changes in memory efficiency plays in cognitive development?

A) Jerry, who is a social-learning theorist
B) Elaine, who is a socio-biologist
C) George, who is Piagetian
D) Newman, who is an information-processing theorist

Question 20

Working memory is BEST described as being:

A) temporary and limited in capacity.
B) permanent and limited in capacity.
C) temporary and unlimited in capacity.
D) permanent and unlimited in capacity.

Question 21

Eugene has discovered that in order to be successful in college, he must both pay attention to his instructor and take good notes. If Eugene is successful at engaging in both of these behaviors, he is demonstrating effective:

A) abstract thinking.
B) cognitive self-regulation.
C) over-regularization.
D) one-to-one principle understanding.

Question 22

Ginny is an architect commissioned to design a renovation plan for a decrepit, medieval-themed, private school set in a rural environment. She is excellent at picturing what an existing building would look like with certain modifications. This ability is probably MOST reflective of a high level of ____ intelligence.

A) personal
B) bodily-kinesthetic
C) spatial
D) intrapersonal

Question 23

Which provides the BEST example of cognitive self-regulation?

A) Having a short-term memory for a phone number you just heard
B) Realizing that some inanimate object may be capable of self-movement
C) Deciding that using flashcards helps memorization of vocabulary terms
D) Knowing that 4 + 4 = 8

Question 24

Theresa has just come to realize that in order to learn, she must focus her attention on her teacher, not her classmates. This indicates an advance in Theresa's ____ skills.

A) divergent thinking
B) scaffolding
C) sensory memory
D) metacognitive knowledge

Question 25

Who is BEST associated with a theory of "multiple intelligences?"

A) John Carroll
B) Alfred Binet
C) Howard Gardner
D) Jean Piaget

Question 26

Which of these is NOT a recommendation by Gardner for schools?

A) Schools should foster all intelligences.
B) Teachers should capitalize on the strongest intelligences of individual children.
C) Schools should focus on the idea that general intelligence is a single factor, is stable, and will not change due to environmental influences.
D) Instruction should try to engage as many different intelligences as possible to gain a much richer understanding of the topic by all students.

Question 27

____ and _____ are key elements of effective metacognitive knowledge.

A) Egocentrism; convergent thinking
B) Centration; animism
C) Goal selection; strategy monitoring
D) Divergent thinking; a lack of object permanence

Question 28

When asked to describe his specialization, Alfred says, "I am mainly interested in developing ways of measuring intelligence and personality factors." Given this description, Alfred is MOST likely a:

A) classical conditioning theorist.
B) Freudian.
C) psychometrician.
D) social-learning theorist.

Question 29

The BEST example of metamemory would involve knowing that:

A) whales are mammals, not fish.
B) a 10-word list of unfamiliar foreign words will be harder to recall than a 20-word list of familiar words.
C) 10 + 20 = 30.
D) foreign words come from another country.

Question 30

Albert just thought of a novel way to consider the relationship between matter and the speed of light. According to Sternberg, this action BEST exemplifies ____ ability.

A) familial
B) practical
C) creative
D) analytic

Question 31

Tyree is extremely good at identifying the motivations and intentions of the people he meets. According to Gardner, Tyree would MOST likely score very well on a test of ____ intelligence.

A) intrapersonal
B) bodily-kinesthetic
C) logical-mathematical
D) interpersonal

Question 32

Which BEST describes the hierarchical view of intelligence?

A) It consists entirely of general intelligence.
B) It consists entirely of broad categories of intelligence.
C) It consists entirely of specific skills.
D) It consists of general intelligence, categories, and specific skills.

Question 33

Omega scored very high on a measure of emotional intelligence. This means that Omega would definitely:

A) score high on a traditional test of general intelligence.
B) be described as very dysphoric.
C) have the ability to effectively use his emotions to help solve problems.
D) score low on a test of naturalistic intelligence.

Question 34

Long-term memory is to working memory as _____ is to _____.

A) organized; unorganized
B) permanent; temporary
C) weigh station; destination
D) biology; psychology

Question 35

The ability to deal adaptively with novel situations and problems is BEST associated with ____ ability.

A) analytical
B) creative
C) practical
D) familial

Question 36

Francisco is having a hard time remembering that Madison is the capital of Wisconsin. He also knows that his dad will be upset if Francisco flunks his test of state capitals. Suddenly, Francisco sees a connection between these two events and realizes that he can recall the capital of Wisconsin by remembering that his dad will be mad at him if he can't remember (mad at son = Madison). In this example, Francisco is clearly using ____ to aid in his memory.

A) rehearsal
B) centration
C) elaboration
D) irreversibility

Question 37

If a person believes in "general intelligence," then he or she believes that:

A) some people are smart, no matter the situation, task, or problem.
B) whether people are smart depends on the situation, task, or problem.
C) intelligence cannot be assessed psychometrically.
D) fourth-graders will be smarter than third-graders.

Question 38

According to Sternberg, ____ ability is MOST heavily focused on problem analysis.

A) analytical
B) creative
C) practical
D) familial

Question 39

Which cooking-related behavior is the BEST indicator of a high level of analytical ability?

A) Knowing that the reason a cake did not turn out well could be the lack of a key ingredient, the stove being too hot, or bad eggs
B) Being able to create a cake flavor that has never before existed
C) Realizing that if you follow the directions on a cake box, the cake will turn out okay
D) Visualizing what a cake will look like before it is baked

Question 40

Which behavior is LEAST associated with a cognitive self-regulation process?

A) Selecting effective strategies for learning spelling words
B) Relying on the same strategies one used in third grade for a sixth-grade social studies test
C) Identifying goals for studying for an upcoming math test
D) Monitoring one's own learning strategies

Question 41

Binet and Simon originally developed the concept of "mental age" as a criterion for helping them distinguish:

A) children with high IQs from children with low IQs.
B) children who would be able to learn in school from those who needed special instruction.
C) white children from black children.
D) economically disadvantaged children from the "select few" who previously attended school.

Question 42

Whose intelligence test was the first to use the concept of an intelligence quotient?

A) Alfred Binet
B) Howard Gardner
C) Jean Piaget
D) Lewis Terman

Question 43

In the United States, ____ Americans tend to score highest on intelligence tests.

A) European
B) African
C) Asian
D) Hispanic

Question 44

The fact that children with higher IQ scores tend to come from homes that provide them with cognitively challenging materials such as puzzles and books BEST supports the theory that:

A) intelligence and poverty are highly positively correlated events.
B) environmental factors impact intelligence.
C) genes determine intelligence.
D) identical twins are more intellectually similar than any random set of siblings.

Question 45

Tabitha's intelligence quotient is 100. She is 12 years old, so her mental age must be ____.

A) 6
B) 10
C) 12
D) 24

Question 46

Dr. Azikiwe is devising an intelligence test containing items that relate to experiences common to all people around the world. Dr. Azikiwe is MOST likely attempting to develop a(n):

A) test of multiple intelligences.
B) intelligence quotient.
C) spatial intelligence test.
D) culture-fair intelligence test.

Question 47

The basic premise of a hereditary view concerning the nature of intelligence is that:

A) the more closely related two individuals are, the more positively correlated their scores will be.
B) the correlation between biological sibling's IQ scores will be about 0.0.
C) parents' IQ scores are not very predictive of children's IQ scores.
D) experience plays a major role in determining a person's IQ score.

Question 48

IQ scores are:

A) good predictors of school success and occupational success.
B) good predictors of school success but bad predictors of occupational success.
C) bad predictors of school success but good predictors of occupational success.
D) poor predictors of school success and occupational success.

Question 49

Which data suggest the strongest link between heredity and intelligence?

A) Identical twins whose IQ scores correlate at the +.9 level
B) Fraternal twins whose IQ scores correlate at the +.9 level
C) Biological siblings whose IQ scores correlate at the +.9 level
D) Adoptive siblings whose IQ scores correlate at the +.9 level

Question 50

____ ability involves the realization that a solution will actually work.

A) Analytical
B) Creative
C) Practical
D) Familial

Question 51

Which evidence BEST demonstrates an environmental impact on intelligence?

A) A high correlation between the IQ scores of identical twins
B) A low correlation between the IQ scores of strangers
C) The rapid increase in average WISC scores seen during the past 25 years
D) The stability of WISC scores seen during the past 25 years

Question 52

On modern tests of intelligence, IQ scores are determined:

A) by comparing a child's score with the average score of other children of the same age.
B) by using the same IQ calculation as on the original Stanford-Binet exam.
C) based on a child's gender and race.
D) by subtracting a child's chronological age from their mental age.

Question 53

Self-discipline is _____, but _____ than IQ test scores.

A) good predictor of school success; not a better predictor of school success
B) good predictor of school success; often an even better predictor of school success
C) poor predictor of school success; a better predictor of occupational success
D) poor predictor of school success; a better predictor of school success

Question 54

The typical correlation between a child's IQ test score and their classroom grade is about ____.

A) +.2
B) +.4
C) +.6
D) +.8

Question 55

If the following children all have a mental age of 10, who has the highest IQ?

A) Sheldon, who is 5 years old
B) Leonard, who is 10 years old
C) Rajesh, who is 20 years old
D) Penny, who is 25 years old

Question 56

Julia loves to cook. While she is capable of reciting a large number of complete recipes and she often comes up with flamboyant dishes, the truth of the matter is that none of her recipes ever tastes very good, and she is always putting the uneaten leftovers in the refrigerator after evening dinners with her family. This indicates that on this task, Julia would rate poorly in ____ ability.

A) analytical
B) creative
C) practical
D) intrapersonal

Question 57

Newt has a mental age of 10. That means Newt:

A) is 10 years old.
B) has an IQ of 100.
C) is a genius.
D) passed test problems that an average 10-year-old would pass.

Question 58

Binet and Simon developed the first objective intelligence test in order to:

A) rank-order the intellectual capacities of different races.
B) identify children who would need special help in school.
C) help the military select soldiers for important tasks.
D) test their theory of intelligence.

Question 59

Which of these is NOT an example of how test-taking skills can have a negative effect on test scores?

A) Tests underestimate a child's intelligence if a child's culture encourages children to solve problems by collaborating with others and discourages them from excelling as individuals.
B) Many economically disadvantaged children are wary of questions posed by unfamiliar adults and often answer test questions by saying, "I don't know," a strategy that guarantees an artificially low test score.
C) Asking an economically disadvantaged child to answer a question using Raven's Progressive Matrices results in lower test scores because of differential cultural values.
D) When given extra time to feel at ease with an examiner, economically disadvantaged children respond less often with "I don't know" and their test scores improve.

Question 60

Which statement concerning ethnicity and intelligence is MOST accurate?

A) The recent discovery of a "smart gene" has led most to believe that intelligence has a strong genetic component.
B) Even if ethnic groups differ significantly in intelligence, the difference could be the result of environmental factors.
C) Being economically disadvantaged is related to ethnicity but not to intelligence.
D) If intelligence differences within an ethnic group are due to genetics, then intelligence differences between the group and other ethnic groups must be due to genetics.

Question 61

The definition of a "learning disability" always includes:

A) mild intellectual disability.
B) attention deficit.
C) a sensory problem.
D) normal intelligence.

Question 62

Which characteristic is LEAST associated with gifted children?

A) Divergent thinking
B) Passion about learning
C) Above average cognitive ability
D) Physical strength

Question 63

Who would MOST likely do the BEST job of playing a game in which the goal was to list as many novel ways to use a banana as possible?

A) Apa, who is a very good divergent thinker.
B) Phurba, who is a very good convergent thinker.
C) Lhakpa, who is a preoperational thinker.
D) Edmund, who is a concrete operational thinker.

Question 64

Which statement BEST describes the impact of various factors (e.g., biomedical, social) on intellectual disability?

A) Some factors affect intellect and other factors affect daily functioning.
B) These factors affect adults with intellectual disabilities differently than children with intellectual disabilities.
C) Certain factors guarantee an intellectual disability and others just contribute to its severity.
D) No individual factor guarantees an intellectual disability, but the risk for intellectual disability grows as more of these factors are present.

Question 65

What is the MOST common type of learning disability?

A) Mathematical
B) Developmental dyslexia
C) Down syndrome
D) ADHD

Question 66

Morris, a 17-year-old African American, is taking an intelligence test during his senior year of high school. Which of his current thoughts would indicate that he is experiencing stereotype threat?

A) "I wonder if my Asian friends do better than everyone else."
B) "If I don't do well, my mom and dad will be very disappointed."
C) "As an athlete, a good score on this will open up a lot of scholarship opportunities, so I must do well even though I am not that smart."
D) "If I do badly on this test, they may think that all black kids are stupid, and this thought is making me nervous and negatively impacting my performance."

Question 67

Which child is MOST likely to be gifted?

A) Julie, a 2-year-old, who chooses the birthday party gift bag with the most toys.
B) Geri, a 7-year-old, who scores 100 on intelligence tests.
C) Sarah, a 5-year-old, who is smart and loves to learn.
D) Piper, a 10-year-old, who is emotionally troubled.

Question 68

Alicia is a "gifted" child. Compared to her peers, Alicia MOST likely:

A) is more socially inept.
B) is physically larger.
C) has fewer emotional problems.
D) is less mature.

Question 69

By definition, intellectual disability involves both below-average intelligence and:

A) low standardized IQ scores.
B) a known genetic defect.
C) poor adaptive behaviors.
D) emotional problems.

Question 70

A child with outstanding divergent thinking skills would definitely have a lot of:

A) anxiety.
B) originality.
C) knowledge.
D) friends.

Question 71

The term "stereotype threat" is BEST associated with the concept of:

A) the self-fulfilling prophecy.
B) convergent thinking.
C) cognitive dissonance.
D) obedience.

Question 72

In recent years, the definition of "gifted" has:

A) broadened to include all IQ tests.
B) broadened to include areas like dance and music.
C) narrowed to include only those in the top 5 percent of their graduating class.
D) narrowed to include only scores from the Stanford-Binet test.

Question 73

Which is NOT a prerequisite for exceptional talent in childhood?

A) Support from parents
B) Child's passion for the subject
C) Early instruction
D) Talented parents

Question 74

Exceptional talent is the product of:

A) both nature and nurture.
B) nature.
C) nurture.
D) education.

Question 75

Many children with developmental dyslexia have problems converting:

A) spoken sound into memories.
B) memories into words.
C) numbers into letters.
D) printed letters into sound.

Question 76

What advice would you give to a teacher trying to encourage creativity in their students?

A) "Emphasize rote memorization."
B) "Provide them with items from standardized IQ tests and help them work through each problem."
C) "Encourage them to explore possibilities and not worry about getting the correct answer."
D) "Since creative ability appears to be innate, there is not a lot you can do."

Question 77

Yaakov has a problem. Though he is of normal intelligence and does well in most classes, he struggles tremendously in math. Yaakov is MOST likely suffering from:

A) an intellectual disability.
B) attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder.
C) a learning disability.
D) Down syndrome.

Question 78

Intelligence is to creativity as _____ is to _____.

A) correct thinking; divergent thinking
B) componential; contextual
C) spatial intelligence; musical intelligence
D) universe; stars

Question 79

Which activity BEST exemplifies a test of divergent thinking?

A) Naming all the state capitals
B) Listing the possible uses of a marshmallow
C) Identifying the exact distance from the Earth to the Moon
D) The test question you are currently reading

Question 80

Which child MOST likely has a learning disability?

A) Charlie, who has difficulty learning to read.
B) Paula, who has experienced a poor learning environment.
C) Andrew, who has Down syndrome.
D) Glen, who has Muscular Dystrophy.