Question 1

Decety et al (2008) found when viewing images of pain, children
A) showed decreased activity in brain regions associated with experiencing first-hand pain
B) showed increased activity in brain regions associated with experiencing first-hand pain
C) showed no difference in activity in brain region associated with experiencing first-hand pain
D) began to cry and were withdrawn from the experiment

Accepted Answer

Decety et al (2008) found that when viewing images of pain, children showed increased activity in brain regions associated with experiencing first-hand pain, such as the anterior cingulate cortex and insula. This suggests that children can feel empathy and react to the pain of others in a similar way to how they would react if they were experiencing the pain themselves.

Question 2

This approach proposed that each cognitive function depends on a brain system or module
A) Innatist modular approach
B) Domain-general approach
C) Social constructivism approach
D) Positive psychology approach

Accepted Answer

The innatist modular approach proposes that each cognitive function is carried out by a specific brain system or module that is innate and biologically determined. This approach suggests that different cognitive functions cannot be reduced to a general cognitive ability or process.

Question 3

The Sally-Anne story is a task used to assess
A) Moral judgements
B) False belief understanding
C) Language skills
D) Motor skills

Accepted Answer

The Sally-Anne story is a classic task used in psychology to assess a child's theory of mind or understanding of false beliefs. It involves telling a story about two characters, Sally and Anne, and asking the child where Sally will look for a toy she left in one location after Anne moves it to another. A correct answer demonstrates an understanding of how Sally formed a false belief and what information she had access to. This task is not used to assess moral judgments, language skills or motor skills.

Question 4

Children with this disorder typically have difficulty with theory of mind and lag several years behind others in false belief tasks
A) Social anxiety disorders
B) Mood disorders
C) Autistic spectrum disorders
D) Psychosis

Accepted Answer

The description of the difficulty with theory of mind and lagging behind in false belief tasks is a hallmark feature of autistic spectrum disorders. Social anxiety disorders and mood disorders do not typically present with these symptoms, and while psychosis can involve deficits in theory of mind, it is not the primary feature of the condition.

Question 5

During the process of transmission, cultural tools initially exist on an
A) Intermental plane
B) Zone of proximal development
C) Intramental plane
D) spectrum

Accepted Answer

During the process of transmission, cultural tools initially exist on an intermental plane, which means they exist between individuals and are shared through social interactions and communication. This is a key concept in Vygotsky's sociocultural theory of development.

Question 6

The ZPD have been retrospectively termed
A) The critical periods
B) The core stages
C) scaffolding
D) The intermental plane

Accepted Answer

The term ZPD (Zone of Proximal Development) is closely related to the idea of scaffolding, in which a more knowledgeable person or teacher provides support and guidance to a learner as they work towards mastering a concept or skill. Therefore, option C is the best choice as it directly relates to the concept of ZPD. The other options - "critical periods," "core stages," and "intermental plane" - are not directly related to the ZPD concept.

Question 7

This term refers to the internal and individual motivation to master understanding
A) schemas
B) agency
C) reliability
D) independence

Accepted Answer

Agency refers to an individual's sense of control or self-determination, which includes the internal motivation to learn and understand. Schemas refer to mental frameworks and structures for organizing information, reliability refers to consistency or dependability, and independence refers to self-sufficiency or autonomy, which may be related to agency but is not the same concept.

Question 8

These stages are age-related periods of development with distinct boundaries, and that reflect qualitatively different types of cognitive activity
A) Sensorimotor stages
B) Developmental stages
C) Vygotsky stages
D) Theory of mind

Accepted Answer

Developmental stages are defined as age-related periods of development with distinct boundaries, reflecting qualitatively different types of cognitive activity. This term encompasses various theories and models that describe how humans grow and change throughout their lives, including cognitive, emotional, and physical development.

Question 9

Wynn's (1992) work with 5-month old infants provided evidence that
A) Small infants do not have a concept of number
B) small infants are able to understand basic addition and subtraction.
C) Small infants did not differentiate their looking tie as a function of the task
D) Small infants could not attend to cognitive tasks

Accepted Answer

Wynn's (1992) study demonstrated that 5-month-old infants can understand basic addition and subtraction, as evidenced by their longer looking times at incorrect outcomes in simple arithmetic tasks, suggesting an early numerical understanding.

Question 10

Jean Piaget suggested instead that each infant and child passively assimilates an understanding of the world based on his or her sensory input, but does not do much in the way of actively constructing a model of the world

Accepted Answer

Jean Piaget's theory of cognitive development suggests that children actively construct their understanding of the world through a process of assimilation and accommodation. They do not simply passively absorb information from their environment.

Question 11

The preoperational child may also have difficulty performing mental operations requiring an understanding that, for example, an object may retain its identity even if its appearance is changed for some reason.

Accepted Answer

This is true. According to Piaget's theory, the preoperational child (ages 2-7) has difficulty with conservation tasks, which are mental operations that require an understanding that the amount, volume, or quantity of a substance or object remains the same despite changes in its appearance or arrangement. For example, a preoperational child may believe that two rows of candies have different amounts simply because one row is spread out more than the other, even though the number of candies in each row is the same.

Question 12

Vygotsky and Piaget both emphasized that cognitive growth in the child is highly variable and dependent on the individual child's social and cultural experiences and the broader sociocultural context as expressed in phenomena such as language.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Vygotsky and Piaget both emphasized that cognitive...

Question 13

Tests of moral reasoning, like Kohlberg's, do not actually measure or observe moral reasoning in children and adolescents and do not predict moral behaviour

Accepted Answer

While Kohlberg's tests may provide insight into how individuals think about moral issues, they do not necessarily correlate with actual moral behavior. Critics argue that the tests are too focused on abstract moral reasoning and may not take into account contextual factors that influence real-world moral decision-making. Additionally, individuals may be adept at articulating moral principles without actually embodying them in their actions.

Question 14

Williams syndrome is characterised by low verbal scores and social interaction but high scores on non-verbal IQ

Accepted Answer

Williams syndrome is characterized by relatively strong verbal skills, social personality traits, and often musical interests, but individuals with this condition typically have lower scores on non-verbal IQ tests.

Question 15

Soon after birth, babies are able to distinguish their mothers face and voice from others.

Accepted Answer

Research has shown that newborns are able to distinguish their mother's face and voice from others within the first few days after birth. This ability is believed to be an important part of the mother-infant bonding process.

Question 16

According to the social constructivism theory, learning takes place when children cross zones of proximal development

Accepted Answer

According to the social constructivism theory, learning takes place when children are able to interact with others who have knowledge and skills beyond their own, and through that interaction, they are able to go beyond what they could do on their own. This is referred to as the zone of proximal development. Therefore, option A is true.

Question 17

The nativist position holds that infant knowledge and perception is acquired through experience.

Accepted Answer

The nativist position holds that infants are born with innate knowledge and abilities, and do not solely rely on experience to acquire knowledge and perception.

Question 18

According to Piaget's constructivist theory of development, mental structures also known as schema, become more sophisticated with age.

Accepted Answer

Piaget believed that as children interact with their environment, they create mental structures or schema. These schema become more complex and sophisticated with age and through experiences, leading to higher levels of cognitive development.

Question 19

Intentional reasoning has been found to develop from around 4 years of age

Accepted Answer

The answer of Intentional reasoning has been found to develop...

Question 20

When children began to notice the many differences between various examples of categories they _________the new information by altering their existing schemas

Accepted Answer

The answer of When children began to notice the many...

Quiz 12: Cognitive Development

Decety et al (2008) found when viewing images of pain, children

This approach proposed that each cognitive function depends on a brain system or module

The Sally-Anne story is a task used to assess

Children with this disorder typically have difficulty with theory of mind and lag several years behind others in false belief tasks

During the process of transmission, cultural tools initially exist on an

The ZPD have been retrospectively termed

This term refers to the internal and individual motivation to master understanding

These stages are age-related periods of development with distinct boundaries, and that reflect qualitatively different types of cognitive activity

Wynn's (1992) work with 5-month old infants provided evidence that