Deck 6: The First Two Years: Cognitive Development

Question 1

There are five stages of sensorimotor intelligence.

Answer 1

False

Question 2

Habituation research has revealed that babies are more advanced than Piaget believed.

Answer 2

True

Question 3

The sequence of early language development is universal.

Answer 3

True

Question 4

Deferred imitation is a kind of memory infants begin to exhibit at about 18 to 24 months of age.

Question 5

Babies whose caregivers use child-directed speech learn language more slowly than babies whose caregivers use adult patterns in their speech.

Question 6

Reminder sessions can prolong a young infant's memory of earlier events.

Question 7

Child-directed speech refers to the sounds made by babies and imitated by parents in the first few weeks after birth.

Question 8

A baby in Piaget's third stage of sensorimotor intelligence will attempt to make interesting events last.

Question 9

A toddler in stage five of sensorimotor development is a "little scientist."

Question 10

By 8 months of age, infants have an understanding of object permanence.

Question 11

The sequence in which language development occurs depends upon which language is spoken.

Question 12

The stage of tertiary circular reactions is when infants begin experimenting with thought and deed.

Question 13

Eighteen-month-old babies display object permanence, but they also display the A-not-B error.

Question 14

Habituation research is a technique that Piaget developed for testing his theories.

Question 15

One of the first acquired adaptations is an accommodation of reflexes-for example, the reflexes involved in sucking a pacifier.

Question 16

Babies in the fourth stage of sensorimotor development work to achieve their goals.

Question 17

The "visual cliff" is used to determine whether infants recognize that height affords falling.

Question 18

Infants prefer to look at stationary objects over moving objects.

Question 19

According to Piaget, the period of sensorimotor intelligence comes to an end shortly after the first birthday.

Question 20

Babies in the stage of tertiary circular reactions explore the world, actively experimenting on their environment.

Question 21

When 1-week-old Justine feels too warm, she reflexively cries. According to Piaget, Justine is in stage _____ of the sensorimotor period.

A) one
B) two
C) three
D) four

Question 22

According to Skinner, a grandfather who smiles whenever the baby says "pa-pa" is providing reinforcement for talking.

Question 23

Freddy has been sucking his thumb for a few weeks. His parents would prefer him to use a pacifier, so they begin to offer one, but Freddy rejects it and continues to suck his thumb. Freddy is at stage _____ of Piaget's theory of sensorimotor development.

A) one
B) two
C) three
D) four

Question 24

Piaget believed children begin to develop cognitively at _____.

A) birth
B) 3 months
C) 1 year
D) 18 months

Question 25

A child's grammar use becomes obvious when he or she begins to produce holophrases.

Question 26

Preverbal infants show a preference for child-directed over ordinary adult speech.

Question 27

One word plus expression, tone, loudness, and cadence make up a holophrase.

Question 28

In which of Piaget's sensorimotor stages do infants adapt, anticipate, and become more deliberate in responding to people and objects?

A) stage one
B) stage two
C) stage three
D) stage four

Question 29

Piaget called an infant's first period of cognitive development "_____."

A) sensorimotor intelligence
B) adaptation
C) object awareness
D) imitative learning

Question 30

A child's first word combinations-for example, "More cookie" or "My toy"-are called "holophrases."

Question 31

Chomsky argued that babies are born to learn language.

Question 32

In which of Piaget's sensorimotor stages do infants respond to people and objects and seek to make interesting events last?

A) stage one
B) stage two
C) stage three
D) stage four

Question 33

The first two-word sentence appears between 18 and 24 months of age.

Question 34

Sophia asks her infant daughter, "Do you want to play patty-cake?" The baby responds by clapping her hands. This demonstrates stage ____ of sensorimotor development.

A) one
B) two
C) three
D) four

Question 35

"Language acquisition device" is a term Chomsky used to refer to the infant's inborn ability to learn language.

Question 36

Reading to infants has no impact on language learning, since babies do not yet understand the words being read to them.

Question 37

Deaf babies do not babble.

Question 38

Stage one in Piaget's sensorimotor period is defined as ______.

A) the stage of reflexes
B) making interesting sights last
C) first acquired adaptations
D) new adaptation and anticipation

Question 39

Infants in the sensorimotor stage _____.

A) learn to use language to express sensations
B) think of past and future events
C) use senses and motor skills to understand the world
D) think logically and critically

Question 40

In Piaget's terminology, sensorimotor stage two is described as _____.

A) the stage of reflexes
B) first acquired adaptations
C) making interesting sights last
D) new adaptation and anticipation

Question 41

Tia is fascinated with the toilet. So far, her parents have caught her trying to flush a stuffed animal, a toy cell phone, and a handful of dog food. Which sensorimotor stage is Tia MOST likely in? ____

A) stage three
B) stage four
C) stage five
D) stage six

Question 42

_____ is the understanding that objects continue to exist when they cannot be seen.

A) Object permanence
B) Acquired adaptation
C) Mental representation
D) Object continuity

Question 43

Piaget referred to toddlers in sensorimotor stage five as _____.

A) little heathens
B) tertiary infants
C) little scientists
D) blank slates

Question 44

Information-processing theory asserts that development _____, and Piaget's theory asserts that development _____.

A) occurs in stages; occurs in stages
B) occurs in stages; occurs daily
C) occurs daily; occurs in stages
D) occurs daily; occurs daily

Question 45

An example of stage-three sensorimotor behavior is _____.

A) thumb sucking and self-soothing
B) looking for a smile and smiling back
C) searching for a teddy bear hidden under a blanket
D) trying to dress like Mommy or Daddy

Question 46

Which of the following behaviors indicates that Drake has grasped the concept of "object permanence"? _____

A) Drake laughs when a sibling makes faces.
B) Drake grasps a rattle and bangs it on the floor.
C) Drake willingly lets go of an object.
D) Drake searches for a toy that has fallen from sight.

Question 47

The behavior of an infant in sensorimotor stage four might best be described as _____.

A) deliberate
B) experimental
C) creative
D) anxious

Question 48

Mary hides Ramy's favorite toy under a blanket while Ramy watches. Ramy removes the blanket and squeals when he sees the toy. Mary again hides the toy, but this time under a different blanket. Even though Ramy saw where Mary hid his toy, he still looks under the first blanket before removing the second blanket and retrieving the toy. Ramy has displayed _____.

A) lack of centration
B) lack of object permanence
C) habituation
D) the A-not-B error

Question 49

Stage _____ of sensorimotor development is characterized by trying to continue an experience, whereas stage _____ is characterized by initiating and anticipating events.

A) one; two
B) two; three
C) three; four
D) four; five

Question 50

According to Piaget, a child in stage five of sensorimotor development is like a _____.

A) child in the "terrible twos"
B) childish teenager who wants his way all of the time
C) perfectionist who must do everything right
D) scientist who experiments to see what will happen

Question 51

Sensorimotor stage four is the stage of _____.

A) making interesting sights last
B) new means through active experimentation
C) new means through mental combinations
D) new adaptation and anticipation

Question 52

Piaget's sixth stage of sensorimotor intelligence is known as the stage of "_____."

A) mental combinations
B) interesting observations
C) primary reactions
D) new adaptation and anticipation

Question 53

Which theory compares human cognition to the workings of a computer?

A) behavioral theory
B) information-processing theory
C) adaptive theory
D) Piaget's theory of cognitive development

Question 54

Adriana and her mother have been playing patty-cake, but her mother is now trying to engage Adriana in a picture book. Adriana wants to play patty-cake again, so she grabs her mother's hands and puts them together as if in a clap. Adriana is clearly in stage ____ of sensorimotor development.

A) one
B) two
C) three
D) four

Question 55

The behavior of an infant in sensorimotor stage four might best be described as _____.

A) goal oriented
B) redundant
C) stubborn
D) unintentional

Question 56

Baby Hugh enjoys playing with his dad's keys, but when his dad takes them away, Hugh does not search for them. Piaget would say that is because Hugh does not understand _____.

A) conservation
B) object permanence
C) egocentrism
D) affordances

Question 57

The first of Piaget's sensorimotor stages that involves an infant's interaction with something else is stage _____.

A) one
B) two
C) three
D) five

Question 58

Research indicates that infants reach the stages of Piaget's sensorimotor intelligence _____ Piaget originally predicted.

A) earlier than
B) later than
C) at the same time as
D) in a different sequence than

Question 59

Baby Mariska is participating in a research study to determine whether she can detect the difference between two amounts: a circle containing two dots versus a circle with no dots inside. The researcher shows her the empty circle repeatedly until she looks away while it is on the screen. Then the researcher shows her the circle with two dots in it, and records how long Mariska stares at it. What research method is being used?

A) observation
B) habituation
C) implementation
D) visualization

Question 60

Cooper sees his mother come through the door after work. He squeals, "Mama!" According to information-processing theorists, Cooper's reaction to his mother is an example of _____.

A) a linguistic supplier
B) habituation
C) an output
D) a calculation

Question 61

The environment offers many opportunities to interact with whatever is perceived. These opportunities are known as "_____."

A) affordances
B) cognitions
C) habituations
D) clarifications

Question 62

Studies on infant long-term memory has shown that infants can remember if the researchers _____.

A) use situations that are different from real life
B) do not let the baby move during the memory event
C) use highly emotional events
D) use special measures to aid memory retrieval, such as reminder sessions

Question 63

Harris is a 3-week-old newborn. A test of habituation reveals that he prefers listening to his mother's language over any other language. What is the best explanation for this? Harris _____.

A) understands the words in his mother's language
B) comprehends his mother's language
C) recognizes the rhythm, sound, and cadence of his mother's language
D) is designed to specifically learn his mother's language

Question 64

Jeremy spoke Ukrainian in early childhood, but stopped speaking it when he was about 4 years old. He no longer explicitly recalls any Ukrainian words and says he can't speak the language. Which of the following situations might reveal his implicit knowledge of Ukrainian?

A) Administer a test of Ukrainian language comprehension, and compare his results to others who have never spoken Ukrainian. Jeremy will score higher than lifelong nonspeakers.
B) Administer a test of Ukrainian language comprehension, and compare his results to others who have spoken Ukrainian all of their lives. Jeremy will score just as well as lifelong speakers.
C) Provide Ukrainian language lessons. Jeremy will pick up the language more quickly than lifelong nonspeakers.
D) Provide Ukrainian language lessons. Jeremy will quickly realize that he does not need lessons.

Question 65

Greg is 10 months old, and he refuses to crawl across the visual cliff even though his mother is encouraging him to do so. When he was 6 months old, he squirmed across it without hesitation. What has changed for Greg? ____

A) He has matured into understanding that crawling over an edge may lead to falling.
B) His visual system has matured sufficiently to detect depth.
C) He has developed an insecure attachment with his mother.
D) He must have fallen from an elevated height since his last test on the visual cliff.

Question 66

Javier's mother is a native Spanish speaker, and his father is a native English speaker. He hears both languages equally often and is addressed in Spanish by his mother and in English by his father. If Javier is a typical toddler, how will his language skills be affected by this early experience?

A) He will be able to understand one language but not the other.
B) He will often mix the two languages together and be unable to differentiate them.
C) He will be able to differentiate between both languages.
D) His cognitive skills will lag behind those of similar-aged monolingual children.

Question 67

_____ is experience-expectant; all babies engage in it.

A) Sign language
B) Waving
C) Babbling
D) The use of holophrases

Question 68

The usual order of the development of spoken language in an infant is _____.

A) cooing, babbling, reflexes, and spoken words
B) reflexes, cooing, babbling, and spoken words
C) babbling, cooing, spoken words, and reflexes
D) cooing, reflexes, babbling, and spoken words

Question 69

Elaine communicates with her new baby using child-directed speech, which is also referred to as "_____."

A) motherese
B) echolalia
C) holophrastic speech
D) telegraphic speech

Question 70

A visual cliff is used to assess infants' _____.

A) visual acuity
B) perception of depth
C) kinesthetic awareness
D) gross motor skills

Question 71

Research has found that child-directed speech is _____.

A) a feminine, rather than an masculine, approach to language acquisition
B) spoken in a high pitch with simple vocabulary and short sentences
C) unique to English-speaking parents
D) spoken in a low pitch with the use of nonsense words

Question 72

The fact that 3-month-olds do not spontaneously remember a kicking strategy that they learned two weeks earlier suggests that _____.

A) infant amnesia is a valid term
B) infants cannot remember anything for very long
C) infant memory is fragile
D) mobiles do not induce very durable memories

Question 73

Janie is a 3-month-old infant participating in an experiment. She's lying in her crib with one end of a ribbon tied to her foot and the other end tied to a mobile dangling over her crib. She quickly learns that she controls the movement of the mobile with her kicking. One week later, the researchers return, tie the ribbon to her foot and hang the mobile above her crib. Immediately, Janie starts vigorously kicking her leg. What does this experiment demonstrate?

A) Three-month-olds can remember actions for at least a week.
B) Three-month-olds can relearn the kicking strategy very quickly at the second test.
C) Kicking behavior is very easy to learn.
D) Mobiles are very interesting to 3-month-olds.

Question 74

By ___ months, an infant will imitate a behavior that he or she watched a day before.

A) 3
B) 5
C) 7
D) 9

Question 75

Geraldo loves to climb, and there are many opportunities for him to do so around his home: on the bookshelf in the living room, the decorative rocks in the front yard, and the ladder for the slide at the park. Each of these opportunities is _____ for climbing.

A) suitable
B) habituating
C) an affordance
D) a motivator

Question 76

The distinct language form known as "baby talk" is a _____.

A) verbal collection of facts and myths about having and caring for babies
B) teaching technique used to accelerate language acquisition
C) simplified language that adults use when talking to babies
D) preverbal sound (like "gaga" and "goo goo") that mothers often make

Question 77

Becky is a 4-month-old infant whose mother uses a high-pitched voice, simple words or phrases, and lots of repetition when she speaks. Becky delights in her mother's use of _____.

A) a dual-language approach
B) sign language
C) child-directed speech
D) babbling

Question 78

During the newborn period, the primary means of communication is _____.

A) blinking
B) reflexive
C) babbling
D) cooing

Question 79

Newborns prefer _____.

A) their mother's language more than any other language
B) animal sounds more than speech
C) normal speech more than baby talk
D) traffic noises more than music

Question 80

To test an infant's depth perception, a mother might attempt to lure her infant to cross a(n) _____.

A) bridge
B) visual cliff
C) elevated platform
D) crowded room