Question 1

Discuss the concepts of the zone of proximal development as it relates to cognitive development.

Accepted Answer

The zone of proximal development (ZPD) is a concept developed by psychologist Lev Vygotsky that refers to the difference between what a learner can do without help and what they can achieve with guidance and support. This concept is closely related to cognitive development as it emphasizes the importance of social interaction and scaffolding in the learning process.

In the context of cognitive development, the ZPD suggests that children are capable of learning and understanding more when they are guided by a more knowledgeable other, such as a teacher or a peer. This means that the ZPD is not a fixed or static concept, but rather a dynamic and flexible one that can change as the learner gains new skills and knowledge.

The ZPD also highlights the role of scaffolding, which involves providing just enough support to help the learner accomplish a task or solve a problem. This support can take many forms, such as asking leading questions, providing examples, or breaking down complex tasks into smaller, more manageable steps. By providing this scaffolding, the learner is able to bridge the gap between their current abilities and their potential abilities, ultimately leading to cognitive growth and development.

Overall, the concept of the zone of proximal development is integral to understanding cognitive development as it emphasizes the importance of social interaction, guidance, and support in the learning process. By recognizing and leveraging the ZPD, educators and caregivers can effectively facilitate the cognitive growth of learners and help them reach their full potential.

Question 2

According to Piaget, accommodation refers to

Accepted Answer

A)   the fact that every structure has its genesis in previous structures.
B)   the modification or distortion of new information in order to incorporate it into current schemes or structures.
C)   the changing of a current scheme or structure in order to incorporate new information.
D)   the tendency to integrate structures into higher order systems of structures. C

Question 3

Sarah and Ryan both watch their neighbor digging holes in the garden with a trowel and planting flowers. Both children understand that it is their neighbor's goal to plant flowers, but when they begin to plant flowers in their own garden, Sarah uses a trowel to dig holes, just like her neighbor, while Ryan chooses to dig holes with his hands. Sarah is engaging in the form of social learning known as ___________, while Ryan is engaging in _____________.

Accepted Answer

A)   emulation; imitation
B)   imitation; emulation.
C)   instructed learning; stimulus enhancement.
D)   stimulus enhancement; instructed learning. B

Question 4

What is meant by a theory of mind? Discuss children's development of a theory of mind, beginning in infancy through the preschool years.

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Question 5

Spelke has argued that infants are born with a small set of distinct systems of knowledge that have been shaped by natural selection over evolution on which new and flexible skills and knowledge systems (such as reading and arithmetic) are later built. She refers to this as

Accepted Answer

A)   core knowledge.
B)   metacognition.
C)   object constancy.
D)   representational insight.

Question 6

Discuss the development of representational skills in early childhood. What is meant by representational insight?

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Question 7

With respect to cognitive development, plasticity refers to

Accepted Answer

A)   the artificiality of learning rote memory tasks.
B)   the ability to solve problems.
C)   the generation of new brain cells after birth.
D)   the ability to change or adapt to novel situations, including the ability to recover from formerly detrimental circumstances.

Question 8

What is prospective memory and how does it change over childhood?

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Question 9

What is meant by executive function and what are the specific cognitive skills that comprise it?

Accepted Answer

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Question 10

Tomasello and his colleagues, among others, have emphasized the importance of viewing others as intentional agents. This is first seen in infancy in the later part of the first year as reflected by

Accepted Answer

A)   representational insight.
B)   deferred imitation.
C)   false-belief reasoning.
D)   shared attention.

Question 11

What is infantile amnesia and what are some of the explanations for it?

Accepted Answer

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Question 12

When are the effects of early experience on intelligence apt to be maintained over time? Under what conditions can they be modified?

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Question 13

According to Piaget, which of the following is not a form of symbolic functioning?

Accepted Answer

A)   Language
B)   Mental imagery
C)   Symbolic play
D)   Mutual imitation

Question 14

Discuss the basic principles and assumptions of Piaget's theory.

Accepted Answer

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Question 15

Baron-Cohen uses the term mindblindness to refer to

Accepted Answer

A)   preschool children's difficulties with false-belief tasks.
B)   the inability to "read others' minds" shown by people with autism.
C)   sex differences in expression of theory of mind, with boys being more apt to display "mindblindness" than girls.
D)   the inability to understand that "eyes possess knowledge" (that is, that when someone is looking at something they see and have knowledge of that thing) .

Question 16

Makers of IQ tests re-standardize their tests from time to time, in part because the average score in the population changes (that is, the average IQ no longer equals 100). If IQ tests had not been changed over the past 60 years, the average IQ score of current Americans would be

Accepted Answer

A)   about the same as it was 60 years ago. Changes in IQ tests over time have sometimes made the tests more difficult and sometimes more easy to result in no average change in intelligence as measured by IQ scores.
B)   higher than it was 60 years ago. IQ tests have been made more difficult over the years, reflecting the American population becoming "more intelligent" as measured by IQ scores (i.e., the Flynn effect) .
C)   lower than it was 60 years ago. IQ tests have been made easier over the years, reflecting the American population becoming "less intelligent" as measured by IQ scores (i.e., the Sternberg effect) .
D)   unknown. There is no way to evaluate how changes in IQ tests over the past 60 years have changed the IQ scores of current Americans.

Question 17

Piaget's concept of object permanence refers to the

Accepted Answer

A)   knowledge that objects exist independent of one's perceptions of and actions on them.
B)   knowledge that an inanimate object (i.e., a ball)  will remain in a given location when put there, although an animate object (i.e., a rabbit)  may not.
C)   tendency for semantic knowledge of objects to remain permanently in long-term memory.
D)   ability to memorize the spatial location of permanent objects in the environment.

Question 18

Contrast children's "thinking" at the sensorimotor, preoperational, concrete operational, and formal operational periods of cognitive development.

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Question 19

In the Dimensional Change Card Sorting Task, children sort pictures according to one dimension (e.g., by color, "All the blue cards go here"), and then the dimensions change (e.g., sorting by shape, "Now all the flowers go here."). Children 3 years of age and younger have a difficult time performing this task when the dimensions change. This task assesses

Accepted Answer

A)   working memory.
B)   ADHD (attention deficit with hyperactivity disorder) .
C)   metacognition.
D)   cognitive flexibility, or task switching.

Question 20

To what extent are individual differences in intelligence stable over infancy and childhood?

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Exam 1: The Development of Cognitive Abilities