Deck 12: Cognitive Development in Middle Childhood

Question 1

A child in the concrete operational stage will have the most trouble with which of the following?

A) abstract ideas
B) concrete information
C) information she can perceive directly
D) dual representation

Answer 1

A

Question 2

Cross-cultural research suggests that

A) compared to non-Western societies, comprehension of conservation in Western societies is greatly delayed.
B) Non-Western and Western children attain conservation at about the same age.
C) taking part in everyday activities helps children master conservation and other Piagetian problems.
D) conservation is not a relevant concept in non-Western societies.

Answer 2

C

Question 3

On the basis of cross-cultural research, some investigators have concluded that the forms of logic required by Piagetian tasks

A) emerge earlier in collectivist than individualist cultures.
B) emerge spontaneously in children from diverse cultures.
C) are heavily influenced by heredity.
D) are heavily influenced by training, context, and cultural conditions.

Answer 3

D

Question 4

Daniella loves to listen to and tell stories but rarely draws pictures. Daniella displays __________ advanced central conceptual structures in __________.

A) less; storytelling
B) no; storytelling
C) more; storytelling
D) more; drawing

Question 5

Heather is lining up crayons in order from shortest to longest. This skill is known as

A) continuum of acquisition.
B) decentration.
C) conservation of length.
D) seriation.

Question 6

As the prefrontal cortex develops in middle childhood, executive function undergoes marked improvement and children make gains in

A) information-processing speed.
B) information-processing capacity.
C) strategic thinking.
D) rehearsing.

Question 7

Which of the following children shows awareness of classification hierarchies?

A) Nick, who enjoys lining all of his action figures up and arranging them from shortest to tallest
B) Paige, who draws a map of her neighborhood, complete with landmarks and streets
C) Isabel, who spends hours sorting and resorting her collection of bracelets, grouping them first by color, then by size, and finally by shape
D) Jorge, who pretends he is king and that his little brothers are the commoners who must do his will

Question 8

Which of the following best characterizes Piaget's view of cognitive development in middle childhood?

A) continuous improvement in logical skills
B) discontinuous restructuring of children's thinking
C) biological prewiring of processes
D) random change in cognitive processes

Question 9

Some Neo-Piagetian theorists argue that the development of operational thinking can best be understood in terms of

A) a sudden shift to a new developmental stage.
B) a gradual mastery of logical concepts as children age.
C) expansion of information-processing capacity.
D) children's interaction with adults and more skilled social models.

Question 10

Nine-year-old Ryan thinks through a series of steps and then mentally reverses direction, returning to the starting point. Ryan is capable of

A) conservation.
B) reversibility.
C) decentration.
D) seriation.

Question 11

Which of the following statements about children with very low working-memory scores is true?

A) About 30 percent of children have very low working-memory scores.
B) They can benefit from direct training with working memory tasks.
C) Children from economically advantaged families are likely to score low on working-memory tasks.
D) The majority of children with low working-memory scores improve without intervention.

Question 12

Follow-up research on concrete operational thought shows that when children of the same age are tested, those __________ do better on transitive inference problems.

A) with well-developed language skills
B) who spend long hours engaged in make-believe play
C) with advanced metacognitive skills
D) who have been in school longer

Question 13

When Kelli, a researcher, asks school-age children in a small city in India to draw maps of their neighborhoods, Kelli will probably see maps that depict

A) main streets.
B) key directions.
C) people and vehicles.
D) formal, extended space.

Question 14

Mrs. Hartley asked her second graders to draw a map of the school using their memory. The students' cognitive maps will probably

A) have an accurate arrangement.
B) include landmarks.
C) incorporate map symbols and a key.
D) depict an organized route of travel.

Question 15

Accordingly to Case, once the schemes of a Piagetian stage are sufficiently automatic and integrated into an improved representation, children acquire __________ that permit them to think more effectively in a wide range of situations.

A) abstract ideas
B) primary systems
C) discontinuous structures
D) central conceptual structures

Question 16

Eight-year-old Daniel focuses on several aspects of a problem and relates them, rather than centering on just one. Daniel is capable of

A) decentration.
B) conservation.
C) reversibility.
D) seriation.

Question 17

Ten-year-old Gemma is presented with a stream of numbers on a computer screen. She is asked to press a button whenever the two-digit sequence of a "5" followed by a "7" appears. Gemma's __________ attention is being tested.

A) adaptive
B) selective
C) planful
D) productive

Question 18

Eleven-year-old Nathan first grasped conservation of number, followed by length, liquid, mass, and then weight. This limitation of concrete operational thinking is known as

A) transitive inference.
B) continuum of acquisition.
C) adaptability.
D) conservation of thought.

Question 19

In Piaget's concrete operational stage,

A) thought is more logical, flexible, and organized than it was during early childhood.
B) the focus is on coordination of sensation and action through reflexive behaviors.
C) the child learns to use and represent objects by images, words, and drawings.
D) individuals move beyond concrete experiences and begin to think abstractly.

Question 20

Many studies confirm that children with persistent learning difficulties in reading and math are often

A) from advantaged backgrounds.
B) deficient in working memory.
C) families who don't value education.
D) skilled at inhibition.

Question 21

Appreciation of __________ enables children to pinpoint the reasons that another person arrived at a certain belief.

A) theory of mind
B) second-order false belief
C) elaboration
D) cognitive self-regulation

Question 22

The phonics approach to reading

A) claims that if reading is kept meaningful, children will be motivated to discover the specific skills they need.
B) stresses the relationship between letters and sounds, thus enabling children to decode words.
C) stresses an appreciation for word concepts in a story context.
D) allows children to decipher meanings of words by reading the words around them.

Question 23

Children with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)

A) tend to score higher in IQ than other children.
B) are often asymptomatic before age 7.
C) find it hard to ignore irrelevant information.
D) have no difficulty with planning or reasoning.

Question 24

Which of the following statements about attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is true?

A) Boys are diagnosed three to nine times as often as girls.
B) Girls are diagnosed twice as often as boys.
C) ADHD affects about 15 percent of U.S. school children.
D) All children with ADHD are hyperactive.

Question 25

During middle childhood, the long-term knowledge base grows larger and becomes organized into

A) information-processing frameworks.
B) basic cognitive schemas.
C) hierarchically structured networks.
D) concrete operational webs.

Question 26

Which of the following students is using organization as a memory strategy?

A) Bruce, who groups explorers by country of origin
B) Jacob, who associates names of explorers with foods they remind him of
C) Samuel, who repeats the names of explorers several times
D) Levi, who creates a funny song that includes names of explorers

Question 27

Children who are expert in an area

A) are usually highly motivated.
B) acquire knowledge slowly, but accurately.
C) know the information inherently, without prior experience.
D) have difficulty organizing information.

Question 28

When teachers __________, first graders show greater literacy progress.

A) focus on reading aloud without stopping to concentrate on comprehension
B) rely exclusively on the whole-language approach
C) rely exclusively on the phonics approach
D) combine real reading and writing with teaching of phonics

Question 29

When studying for a test, Peter remembers the unrelated words cellular and canine by generating the following mental image, "The canine is talking on a cellular phone." Which memory strategy is Peter using?

A) rehearsal
B) organization
C) elaboration
D) chunking

Question 30

The ability to view a situation from at least two perspectives is called

A) recursive thought.
B) cognitive self-regulation.
C) seriation.
D) reciprocal awareness.

Question 31

Elaboration is a later-emerging memory strategy because it requires

A) considerable effort and space in working memory.
B) concrete pieces of information.
C) combining rehearsal and organization.
D) a greater digit span.

Question 32

Aili is aware that she should attend closely to her teacher's directions, group items when memorizing, and reread a complicated paragraph to make sure she understands it. But she does not always engage in these activities. Aili is not yet good at

A) selective attention.
B) applying memory strategies.
C) cognitive self-regulation.
D) metacognition.

Question 33

Which of the following statements about the development of reading is true?

A) Around age 3 to 4, children become able to decode simple, one-syllable words.
B) Middle childhood marks the time when most children first show interest in books and printed words.
C) Around age 7 to 8, there is a shift where children go from "learning to read" to "reading to learn."
D) Older learners tend to become set in their ways and have trouble adjusting the way they read to fit their current purpose.

Question 34

Mrs. Markie, a first-grade teacher, believes that, from the beginning, children should be exposed to text in its complete form so that they can appreciate the communicative function of written language. Mrs. Markie takes a __________ approach to teaching reading.

A) whole-language
B) phonics
C) reciprocal
D) hierarchical

Question 35

As children make the transition from emergent literacy to conventional reading, __________ continues to facilitate their progress.

A) whole-language instruction
B) private speech
C) phonological awareness
D) reciprocal teaching

Question 36

Children who __________ develop a sense of academic self-efficacy.

A) have high IQ scores.
B) acquire academic integrity.
C) acquire effective self-regulatory skills
D) use abstract, logical thought.

Question 37

Yolanda entered school low in phonological awareness. Without __________, Yolanda will probably be behind her agemates in text comprehension skills by third grade.

A) early phonics training
B) reading across the curriculum
C) metacognitive training
D) special education services

Question 38

Kelsey, age 10, is impulsive. During school, he drops his pencil, rearranges the papers inside his desk, and yells at people across the room. Kelsey fails to follow the rules when he plays games and lashes out with hostility when he is frustrated. He suffers from both academic and social problems. Kelsey most likely has

A) Down syndrome.
B) an anxiety disorder.
C) autism.
D) attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

Question 39

Mrs. Rosinski gives each of her children, ages 5, 8, and 12, a shopping list of 10 items. Which of the following results can she expect to see?

A) Her 5-year-old will probably make a plan before searching for items.
B) Her 12-year-old will probably scan the store before searching for items.
C) All of the children will immediately start to retrieve items.
D) All of the children will probably make a plan before searching for items.

Question 40

Stimulant medication prescribed to treat attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) seems to __________ activity in the __________, thereby improving the child's capacity to sustain attention and to inhibit off-task and self-stimulating behavior.

A) increase; hypothalamus
B) decrease; hypothalamus
C) increase; prefrontal cortex
D) decrease; prefrontal cortex

Question 41

IQ often enters into educational decisions because it

A) is an accurate representation of a child's information-processing speed.
B) is the best way to understand why certain children have difficulty in mathematics.
C) identifies children who will excel in art and music.
D) predicts school performance and educational attainment.

Question 42

Test designers use __________ to identify the various abilities that intelligence tests measure.

A) normative data
B) observational studies
C) confidence intervals
D) factor analysis

Question 43

A major shortcoming of the componential approach is that it

A) focuses too much on cultural bias in intelligence testing.
B) regards intelligence as entirely due to causes within the child.
C) has not generated enough research.
D) does not try to uncover the underlying basis of IQ.

Question 44

__________ intelligence reminds us that intelligent behavior is never culture-free.

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

Question 45

Benedicte has the ability to use her body skillfully for expressive as well as goal-directed purposes and the ability to handle objects easily. According to Gardner, Benedicte has a strong __________ intelligence.

A) bodily-kinesthetic
B) interpersonal
C) naturalist
D) musical

Question 46

Rosanna scores highly in Gardner's spatial intelligence. Based on these test results, which of the following occupations might Rosanna be best suited for?

A) writer
B) engineer
C) sculptor
D) biologist

Question 47

Sternberg's triarchic theory of successful intelligence is comprised of which of the following three broad, interacting intelligences?

A) experiential, interpersonal, and academic
B) fluid, crystallized, and social
C) contextual, verbal, and spatial
D) analytical, creative, and practical

Question 48

Which of the following parents is most likely to mention cognitive traits when asked for their idea of an intelligent first grader?

A) Boupha, a Cambodian immigrant to the United States
B) Lupe, a Mexican immigrant to the United States
C) Chi, a Vietnamese immigrant to the United States
D) Cindy, a Caucasian American

Question 49

Noah thinks more skillfully than others when faced with novelty. Given a new task, Noah applies his information-processing skills in exceptionally effective ways, rapidly making these skills automatic so that working memory is freed for more complex aspects of the situation. According to Sternberg's theory, Noah's strengths lie in __________ intelligence.

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

Question 50

With regards to teaching mathematics, research finds that __________ is most beneficial.

A) rote memorization of math facts and rules
B) computation drills alone
C) "number sense" alone
D) a blend of drill in computing and "number sense"

Question 51

Andrei skillfully adapts his thinking to fit with both his desires and the demands of his everyday world. When he cannot adapt to a new situation, Andrei tries to shape it to meet his needs. According to Sternberg, Andrei excels in __________ intelligence.

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

Question 52

Professor Diaz is conducting a study to determine whether a child's information-processing speed is related to her intelligence test score. He is conducting a

A) functional assessment.
B) factor analysis.
C) componential analysis.
D) dynamic assessment.

Question 53

__________ was designed to downplay culture-dependent information, which is emphasized on only one factor (verbal reasoning).

A) The Stanford-Binet Intelligence Scales, Fifth Edition,
B) The Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-IV (WISC-IV)
C) Sternberg's triarchic theory of successful intelligence
D) Gardner's theory of multiple intelligences

Question 54

Encouraging students to __________ and making sure they __________ are essential for solid mastery of basic math.

A) memorize math facts; remember them
B) apply strategies; know why certain strategies work
C) memorize math rules; have a calculator
D) have calculators; know how to use them

Question 55

According to Sternberg,

A) the gap between middle-SES and low-SES children-about 9 points-accounts for some of the ethnic differences in IQ, but not all.
B) each intelligence has a unique biological basis, a distinct course of development, and different expert, or "end-state," performances.
C) flexible attention, memory, and reasoning strategies are as important as efficient thinking in predicting IQ.
D) intelligence tests can easily underestimate, and even overlook, the intellectual strengths of some children, especially ethnic minorities.

Question 56

The __________ factors on the Stanford-Binet Intelligence Scales, Fifth Edition, are assumed to be __________ culturally biased.

A) quantitative reasoning; less
B) visual-spatial processing; less
C) basic information-processing; more
D) working-memory; more

Question 57

Group-administered IQ tests are useful for __________ and for __________.

A) reading evaluation; identifying zones of proximal development for a particular classroom
B) research design; identifying areas for future investigational studies
C) instructional planning; identifying children who require more extensive evaluation with individually administered tests
D) identifying children's specific learning deficiencies; providing information to improve their learning environments

Question 58

Which of the following is a good predictor of IQ?

A) well-developed gross-motor skills
B) flexible attention strategies
C) slow, steady nervous system function
D) REM brain-wave patterns during sleep

Question 59

Which of the following statements about intelligence tests is true?

A) Individually administered intelligence tests are primarily used for instructional planning and for identifying children who require more extensive evaluation.
B) Both group-administered and individually administered tests can be given by teachers with minimal training.
C) With individually administered tests, the examiner not only considers the child's answers but also observes the child's behavior.
D) Group-administered tests include observations of the child's behavior, such as attention to and interest in the tasks.

Question 60

Nianzu quickly applies learning and memory strategies to new situations and engages in self-regulation. According to Sternberg, Nianzu excels in __________ intelligence.

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

Question 61

Which of the following statements about group differences in IQ scores of American children is true?

A) American white children score, on average, 4 to 8 IQ points below American black children.
B) American black children fall midway between white and Hispanic children in average IQ score.
C) Although the difference in IQ scores between black and white children has been shrinking over the past several decades, a substantial gap remains.
D) The difference in IQ scores between black and white children has grown significantly over the past several decades.

Question 62

Which of the following interventions is useful in reducing cultural bias in testing?

A) community programs promoting collaborative approaches to homework
B) social programs promoting tolerance and less bullying of minorities
C) school programs promoting self-affirmation for minority children
D) media programs emphasizing metalinguistic awareness for all children

Question 63

According to the Flynn effect, IQs have __________ from one generation to the next.

A) increased steadily
B) decreased steadily
C) fluctuated
D) remained virtually the same

Question 64

Arthur Jensen's "How Much Can We Boost IQ and Scholastic Achievement?" claims that __________ is largely responsible for individual, ethnic, and SES variations in intelligence.

A) heredity
B) educational opportunity
C) child rearing
D) culture

Question 65

When assessing students, Mrs. Carter introduces purposeful teaching into the testing situation to find out what the child can attain with social support. Mrs. Carter is using

A) dynamic assessment.
B) disengagement.
C) static assessment.
D) componential analysis.

Question 66

Kyle recognizes and classifies all varieties of animals and plants. According to Gardner, Kyle excels in __________ intelligence.

A) spatial
B) naturalist
C) linguistic
D) logico-mathematical

Question 67

Ms. Setzer provides her second graders with opportunities to communicate in many situations. Her students show gains in the communicative side of language. Ms. Setzer emphasizes

A) pragmatics.
B) semantics.
C) grammar.
D) syntax.

Question 68

Research on African-American children adopted into economically well-off white homes during the first year of life suggests that

A) these children score similarly in IQ to children who remain in low-SES homes.
B) poverty severely depresses the intelligence of ethnic minority children.
C) genetic factors have a powerful impact on African-American children's IQs.
D) environmental factors have little impact on African-American children's IQs.

Question 69

Javier's father works together with him in a coordinated, fluid way. Each focuses on the same aspect of a problem. Javier's father prefers a(n) __________ style of communication.

A) collaborative
B) hierarchical
C) abstract
D) authoritarian

Question 70

Over middle childhood, Neveah, an African American, became increasingly conscious of ethnic stereotypes. By early adolescence, she stopped caring about her grades and said that school was not important to her. Neveah's attitude is an example of

A) self-fulfilling prophecy.
B) educational bias.
C) motivational anxiety.
D) disengagement.

Question 71

Mrs. Noneman directs her children to each carry out an aspect of a task. Each child is expected to work independently. Mrs. Noneman prefers a(n) __________ style of communication.

A) collaborative
B) hierarchical
C) abstract
D) authoritarian

Question 72

Gardner believes that each intelligence

A) is rooted in early environmental experiences.
B) has a biological basis.
C) has a similar course of development.
D) has a unique neurological basis.

Question 73

In middle childhood, children's attitude toward language undergoes a fundamental shift as they develop

A) metalinguistic awareness.
B) linguistic reasoning.
C) a theory of language.
D) systemic linguistics.

Question 74

Adoption studies consistently reveal that

A) about three-quarters of the differences in IQ among children can be traced to their genetic makeup.
B) when young children are adopted into caring, stimulating homes, their IQs rise substantially.
C) adopted children of low-IQ biological mothers score below average on IQ tests during the school years.
D) adopted children score, on average, 15 to 20 points lower in IQ than their nonadopted agemates.

Question 75

White children's narratives are usually __________ than those of African-American children.

A) shorter and less complex
B) longer and more complex
C) about the same length as
D) more focused on social relationships

Question 76

Gardner's __________ and __________ intelligences include a set of skills for accurately perceiving, reasoning about, and regulating emotion that has become known as emotional intelligence.

A) linguistic; musical
B) spatial; bodily-kinesthetic
C) interpersonal; intrapersonal
D) interpersonal; social

Question 77

Large, environmentally induced gains in IQ present a major challenge to the assumption that

A) gender variations in IQ are genetic.
B) societal contributions to IQ are unimportant.
C) ethnic variations in IQ are genetic.
D) IQ is a valid measure of school learning potential.

Question 78

Eight-year-old Goran immigrates to the United States with his family. About how long will it take Croatian-speaking Goran to attain speaking and writing skills in English on a par with his English-speaking agemates?

A) 1 to 2 years
B) 3 to 5 years
C) 5 to 7 years
D) until he is an adult

Question 79

Which of the following statements about vocabulary and reading is true?

A) Preschoolers' reading habits strongly predict later vocabulary size into high school.
B) Avid readers are exposed to more than 4 million words per year.
C) On average, children learn about 10 new words each day.
D) Children who rarely read encounter only about 600,000 words per year.

Question 80

When asked to define "bicycle," Emi said, "It's got wheels, a chain, and handlebars." Emi is probably a

A) preschooler.
B) first grader.
C) fourth grader.
D) sixth grader.