Deck 6: B: Theories of Cognitive Development

Question 1

Which of the following abilities marks the end of the sensorimotor period?

A) the ability to use mental symbols
B) walking
C) talking
D) the decline of egocentrism

Answer 1

A

Question 2

The inability of the young child to grasp the fact that his or her view of the world, both literally and figuratively, may be but one of many is known as

A) animism.
B) conservation.
C) egocentrism.
D) intellectual realism.

Answer 2

C

Question 3

Who is experiencing disequilibrium?

A) Becky, who is doing much more accommodating than assimilating
B) Sandy, who is doing more assimilating than accommodating
C) Jane, who is doing equal amounts of assimilating and accommodating
D) Carla, who is not doing any assimilating or accommodating

Answer 3

A

Question 4

If an infant watches while a toy that has been hidden in one location is then hidden in a new location, most 8- to 12-month-olds

A) cannot find the toy.
B) cannot decide whether to look for the toy in the old or the new location.
C) look for the toy in the old location, indicating that they do not understand that objects exist independently.
D) look for the toy in the new location, indicating that they understand that objects exist independently.

Question 5

Each new stage of cognitive development

A) is fundamentally the same as the previous stage.
B) is marked by a distinctive way of thinking about and understanding the world.
C) occurs every two years during childhood.
D) can be skipped by children who are smarter than their peers.

Question 6

According to Piaget, preschoolers are in the ________ period of cognitive development.

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

Question 7

According to Piaget, most infants begin to use symbols at about

A) birth to one month.
B) four months.
C) eight months.
D) 18 months.

Question 8

Moses knows that even though he cannot see his favourite blanket, it still exists. Moses understands the concept of

A) assimilation.
B) accommodation.
C) object permanence.
D) equilibrium.

Question 9

Piaget thought children were like

A) little scientists.
B) miniature adults.
C) blank slates.
D) computers.

Question 10

Piaget was trained as a

A) psychologist.
B) medical doctor.
C) biologist.
D) neurologist.

Question 11

According to Piaget

A) children will not be curious unless parents provide a stimulating environment.
B) children create theories about how the world works.
C) children are capable of abstract thought from the time they are born.
D) children's thinking is very similar to adults' thinking.

Question 12

Which of the following is the correct order of Piaget's stages?

A) sensorimotor, concrete operational, preoperational, and formal operational
B) sensorimotor, preoperational, concrete operational, and formal operational
C) sensorimotor, preoperational, formal operational, and concrete operational
D) the order varies from individual to individual

Question 13

Piaget's ________ stage is characterized by the child's use of symbols to represent objects and events.

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

Question 14

According to Piaget, a seven to 11-year-old child is in the ________ period.

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

Question 15

Which infant is using mental symbols?

A) Eric, who is kicking his leg over and over
B) Dan, who is squeezing different toys to see if they squeak
C) Roger, who is climbing up on a chair to reach a toy on a shelf
D) Peter, who is saying "Vrrrrroooommm!" and moving his hand like a car

Question 16

Piaget's primary approach to investigating the origins of knowledge involved

A) debate.
B) introspection.
C) experiments with children.
D) discussion with other scientists.

Question 17

According to Piaget, infants do not have a full understanding of object permanence until

A) one month of age.
B) six months of age.
C) 12 months of age.
D) 18 months of age.

Question 18

According to Piaget, more advanced mental structures would not develop without

A) reinforcement.
B) short-term storage space.
C) imitation.
D) disequilibrium.

Question 19

When infants begin using ________, they are then able to mentally anticipate consequences rather than having to perform them.

A) object permanence
B) reflexes
C) means to achieve ends
D) symbols

Question 20

Which of the following would violate the principles of Piaget's theory?

A) if identical twins reached the preoperational stage at different times
B) if more intelligent children went through the stages faster than less intelligent children
C) if a gifted child skipped the concrete operational stage and went directly to the formal operational stage
D) if a child went through a revolutionary change of thought at two years of age

Question 21

When formal operational thinkers are faced with a problem such as figuring out what combination of clear liquids will produce a blue liquid, they will

A) haphazardly mix liquids to find the correct combination.
B) become confused and irritated.
C) systematically test hypotheses about different combinations of liquids.
D) concentrate on trying to pour the liquids without spilling them.

Question 22

Consider the following: Premise 1: If an animal barks, it is a dog.
Premise 2: A snail barks.
The concrete operational child would fail to draw the conclusion that "a snail is a dog" because his or her conclusions are based ona. tertiary circular reactions.
B) experience.
C) deductive reasoning.
D) egocentrism.

Question 23

According to Piaget, the concrete operational child

A) cannot reverse mental operations.
B) cannot solve conservation tasks.
C) thinks in a way that is limited to the tangible and real.
D) doesn't know that appearances can be deceiving.

Question 24

Who is likely to be able to answer a hypothetical question such as, "What would happen if no one had to work anymore?"

A) preoperational thinkers only
B) formal operational thinkers only
C) concrete operational thinkers only
D) concrete operational and formal operational thinkers

Question 25

During Piaget's ________ stage, individuals become capable of abstract, hypothetical thought and deductive reasoning.

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

Question 26

In contrast to concrete operational thinkers, formal operational thinkers

A) can reach counterfactual conclusions.
B) can use mental operations.
C) do not confuse appearances with reality.
D) are not centred in their thinking.

Question 27

Which of the following is NOT characteristic of formal operational thinking?

A) abstract thinking
B) hypothetical reasoning
C) deductive reasoning
D) centration

Question 28

Preoperational children's incorrect responses on conservation tasks are best explained by the ________ which is characteristic of their thought.

A) egocentrism
B) deductive reasoning
C) centration
D) animism

Question 29

Which characteristic of the concrete operational child's thinking allows him or her to solve Piaget's conservation problem?

A) reversible mental operations
B) hypothetical thinking
C) egocentrism
D) animism

Question 30

The formal operational child approaches problems by

A) forming hypotheses and systematically evaluating all possibilities.
B) trial-and-error.
C) relying on past experience.
D) using centration.

Question 31

During Piaget's ________ stage, children begin using mental operations to solve problems.

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

Question 32

Piaget used ________ experiments to see whether children realized that characteristics of objects remained the same despite changes in physical appearance.

A) circular reaction
B) conservation
C) deductive reasoning
D) equilibration

Question 33

Which of the following is characteristic of formal operational thought?

A) animism
B) centration
C) deductive reasoning
D) reasoning that is limited to the tangible and real

Question 34

________ would best explain why Joey thinks that when he sees Winnie the Pooh on TV and shows him a picture that Winnie the Pooh can see the picture just like he can.

A) Centration
B) Animism
C) Appearance as reality
D) Egocentrism

Question 35

________ thought is rule-oriented and logical but limited to the tangible and real.

A) Sensorimotor
B) Formal operational
C) Preoperational
D) Concrete operational

Question 36

When preoperational children are asked to identify different perspectives of model mountains on a table, which of the following characteristics of preoperational thought do they demonstrate?

A) egocentrism
B) animism
C) centration
D) intellectual realism

Question 37

When concrete operational and formal operational thinkers are asked to combine a number of clear liquids to produce a blue liquid

A) neither the concrete operational child nor the formal operational adolescent test the combinations of liquids in a systematic manner.
B) only the concrete operational child tests the combinations of liquids in a systematic manner.
C) only the formal operational child tests the combinations of liquids in a systematic manner.
D) both the concrete operational child and the formal operational adolescent test the combinations of liquids in a systematic manner.

Question 38

Centration is characterized by

A) difficulty in seeing the world from another's outlook.
B) crediting inanimate objects with real-life properties.
C) believing an object's appearance tells what the object is really like.
D) focusing on one aspect of a problem while ignoring other relevant aspects of the problem.

Question 39

In a conservation of liquid experiment, Victoria is shown two identical beakers filled with the same amount of juice. The juice from one of the beakers is poured into a taller, thinner beaker. Victoria now thinks there is more juice in the tall, thin beaker than in the original beaker. Victoria appears to be in Piaget's ________ stage of cognitive development.

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

Question 40

________ are strategies and rules that make thinking more systematic and more powerful.

A) Circular reactions
B) Symbolic processes
C) Mental operations
D) Scaffolds

Question 41

Which is the site of ongoing cognitive activity?

A) sensory memory
B) working memory
C) the central executive
D) long-term memory

Question 42

The computer is used as a metaphor for the mind in which theory?

A) learning theory
B) information processing theory
C) psychodynamic theory
D) Piaget's theory

Question 43

The zone of proximal development refers to

A) the highest level of achievement a child can reach by himself.
B) the difference between what a child can do with and without help.
C) a teaching style that matches the amount of assistance to the learner's need.
D) comments not intended for others but intended to help children regulate their own behaviour.

Question 44

Which of the following is an implication of Piaget's theory for teaching practices?

A) Teachers should tell children facts that they can absorb passively.
B) Children should be encouraged to look at the consistency of their own thinking and to sort out any inconsistencies.
C) The best teaching experiences are slightly behind a child's current level of thinking.
D) Teachers should construct a child's understanding of the world.

Question 45

When children and adolescents are tested on a number of tasks that have the same underlying structure

A) as predicted by Piaget's theory, children's performance is quite consistent across the different tasks.
B) as predicted by Piaget's theory, children's performance is inconsistent across the different tasks.
C) in contrast to Piaget's theory, children's performance is quite consistent across the different tasks.
D) in contrast to Piaget's theory, children's performance is inconsistent across the different tasks.

Question 46

Information-processing theorists use a ________ as a model for human cognition.

A) black box
B) microsystem
C) computer
D) macrosystem

Question 47

The best way to summarize research that has examined alternative explanations of children's performance on Piagetian tasks would be to say that

A) in almost every instance, Piaget's explanation is strongly supported.
B) in many instances, children's performance is better explained using concepts that are not part of Piaget's theory.
C) Piaget's description of object permanence must be revised, but his accounts of conservation are strongly supported.
D) when Piaget's tasks are modified, they are usually not solved until children are older than the ages predicted by Piaget's theory.

Question 48

Cognitive processes are compared to computer ________ by information-processing theorists.

A) memory
B) disk drives
C) hardware
D) software

Question 49

The information-processing approach

A) is based on Piaget's theory of cognitive development.
B) states that human thinking is based on mental hardware and mental software.
C) proposes that there are four stages of cognitive development.
D) is no longer a widely used theory of cognitive development.

Question 50

The view of children as active participants in their own development who systematically create ever more sophisticated understandings of their worlds is referred to as

A) the zone of proximal development.
B) the core knowledge hypothesis.
C) constructivism.
D) the theory of mind.

Question 51

According to Piaget, cognitive development is complete when the ________ period is reached.

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

Question 52

According to Vygotsky, development is optimal when

A) the child learns independently.
B) a child is guided by someone with more skill.
C) someone with more skill does NOT interfere by trying to structure a task for the child.
D) the amount of assistance given exceeds the amount that the child needs.

Question 53

According to Piaget, each stage of cognitive development involves consistent thought across different tasks. Recent research has found

A) very consistent performance across tasks as Piaget would predict.
B) very consistent performance across tasks only in concrete operational children.
C) inconsistent performance across tasks only in formal operational adolescents.
D) inconsistent performance across tasks contrary to Piaget's predictions.

Question 54

Private speech

A) eventually becomes inner speech.
B) involves talking aloud to others.
C) is more likely to occur while performing easy tasks than difficult tasks.
D) occurs before children's behaviour is regulated by speech from other people.

Question 55

________ refers to a teaching style that matches the amount of assistance to the learner's needs.

A) The zone of proximal development
B) Private speech
C) Scaffolding
D) Hypothetical reasoning

Question 56

Piaget's theory

A) stimulated research in the area of cognitive development.
B) viewed children as playing a passive role in their development.
C) does not provide useful ideas for fostering children's development.
D) has not had a lasting impact on the field of child development research.

Question 57

According to information-processing theory, the central executive is like the computer's

A) hard drive.
B) RAM.
C) operating system.
D) keyboard.

Question 58

In information-processing theory, mental hardware includes

A) cognitive processes.
B) different types of memory.
C) schemas.
D) operant conditioning.

Question 59

The concepts of scaffolding, private speech, and the zone of proximal development are most closely associated with

A) Piaget.
B) Vygotsky.
C) neo-Piagetian theories.
D) the theory of mind.

Question 60

Teaching suggestions based on Piaget's theory include

A) teaching at a level slightly ahead of children's current level of thinking.
B) using lectures to tell children how the world works.
C) not allowing children to see their mistakes.
D) using flashcards to drill facts.

Question 61

Which of the following is NOT true of working memory?

A) It stores information.
B) It is a permanent storehouse.
C) It holds "software" and "data."
D) It is analogous to computer RAM.

Question 62

Compared to younger children, older children

A) have more working memory.
B) have less working memory.
C) have the same amount of working memory.
D) use working memory space less efficiently.

Question 63

Working memory

A) holds visual images for a few seconds.
B) is a limitless, permanent storehouse of knowledge.
C) is like a computer's hard drive.
D) is the site of ongoing cognitive activity.

Question 64

Long-term memory

A) is a permanent storehouse of information.
B) is like a computer's random-access memory (RAM).
C) holds raw, unanalyzed information.
D) is the site of ongoing cognitive activity.

Question 65

The limitless, permanent storehouse of knowledge of the world is called

A) long-term memory.
B) sensory memory.
C) working memory.
D) the information processor.

Question 66

Before you read this question, the name of the prime minister of Canada was most likely stored in your

A) information processor.
B) sensory memory.
C) long-term memory.
D) working memory.

Question 67

How do children learn more effective problem-solving strategies?

A) Parents and teachers show children more effective strategies.
B) Children learn strategies by watching more skilled children.
C) Children learn new strategies on their own.
D) Children learn new strategies by instruction from others, observation of others, and self-discovery.

Question 68

Information-processing theorists believe that developmental change occurs

A) as a result of equilibration.
B) in several different forms, rather than by a single mechanism.
C) when mental structures are massively reorganized.
D) in a social context.

Question 69

Compared to an older child, a younger child is likely to use problem-solving strategies that are

A) faster.
B) less efficient.
C) more accurate.
D) easier.

Question 70

Inhibitory processes

A) prevent task-irrelevant information from entering working memory.
B) decrease steadily during childhood.
C) increase the number of disruptions from irrelevant information.
D) bring the mental tools to mind that are needed for a current task.

Question 71

Which is most like a computer's RAM (Random Access Memory)?

A) a memory strategy
B) long-term memory
C) sensory memory
D) working memory

Question 72

________ prevent(s) task-irrelevant information from entering working memory.

A) Automatic processes
B) Inhibitory processes
C) Infantile amnesia
D) Mental hardware

Question 73

You clench your fist, rapidly open your hand, then rapidly re-clench your fist. After you re-clench your fist, you momentarily see an image of your fingers extended. That image is stored in

A) working memory.
B) long-term memory.
C) sensory memory.
D) the information processor.

Question 74

As you read and think about this test question, it is stored in

A) long-term memory.
B) working memory.
C) sensory memory.
D) the information processor.

Question 75

You have been studying vocabulary words for your upcoming French test. What component of cognition is responsible for moving the words from working memory into long-term memory?

A) the central executive
B) sensory memory
C) inhibitory processes
D) automatic processes

Question 76

According to information-processing theorists, mental software consists of

A) built-in mental and neural structures.
B) sensory memory, short-term memory, and long-term memory.
C) a limitless, permanent storehouse of knowledge.
D) specialized strategies that are the basis for performing particular tasks.

Question 77

Sensory memory

A) holds raw, unanalyzed information.
B) is limitless and permanent.
C) passes information to long-term memory.
D) holds information for many days.

Question 78

How is the cognitive functioning of Rachel, an eight-year-old, likely to compare with Bethany, a 16-year-old?

A) Rachel will use less efficient strategies.
B) Rachel and Bethany will have the same amount of working memory.
C) Rachel will use more automatic processes.
D) Bethany will process information more slowly.

Question 79

Information-processing theorists refer to sensory memory, working memory, and long-term memory as mental

A) software.
B) hardware.
C) strategies.
D) operations.

Question 80

Which of the following is NOT one of the components of mental hardware?

A) mental processes
B) sensory memory
C) long-term memory
D) working memory