Question 1

A 4-year-old child is shown a row of seven red checkers. He is asked to place a black checker immediately above each red one. By doing so, the child agrees that there are as many red as black checkers. The experimenter then spreads out the black checkers so that the line they form is longer than the one formed by the red checkers. The experimenter asks whether there are more red checkers or more black checkers in order to determine whether the child understands:
A)object permanence.
B)reversibility.
C)conservation.
D)abstract thinking.

Accepted Answer

The experiment is testing the child's understanding of conservation, which is the idea that the quantity of a substance remains the same even when its appearance changes. The fact that the child agrees that there are as many red as black checkers shows an understanding of conservation, but if the child then incorrectly identifies the longer line of black checkers as having more than the red checkers, it would indicate a lack of understanding of conservation. This experiment does not test object permanence, reversibility, or abstract thinking.

Question 2

Which age range is NOT correctly labeled with the corresponding Piagetian stage?
A)0-2 years - sensorimotor stage
B)2-7 years - preoperational stage
C)7-11 years - concrete operational stage
D)11 years to adulthood - postoperational stage

Accepted Answer

There is no Piagetian stage called "postoperational stage". The correct term for the final stage is "formal operational stage". Therefore, choice D is not correctly labeled.

Question 3

The text reports the case of a girl named Genie, who was exposed to virtually no language from the age of 20 months until the age of 13. In what way does Genie's case offer support for the notion of a critical period in language acquisition?
A)With intensive instruction, Genie acquired a sizeable vocabulary; moreover, she eventually mastered the rules of syntax.
B)Even with intensive instruction, Genie never mastered the complexities of language.
C)Once she was no longer isolated, Genie acquired a sizeable vocabulary and mastered the rules of syntax, even without intensive formal instruction.
D)Genie never learned to speak.

Accepted Answer

Genie's case supports the critical period hypothesis because, despite receiving intensive instruction, she was unable to fully acquire language, suggesting there is a critical period for language acquisition that she had missed.

Question 4

During the sensorimotor period:
A)children begin to understand reversibility.
B)understanding is based mainly on basic sensory and motor abilities.
C)mental operations are tied to actual objects in the real world.
D)children can consider hypothetical outcomes and make logical deductions.

Accepted Answer

During the sensorimotor period, understanding is mainly based on basic sensory and motor abilities, and mental operations are tied to actual objects in the real world. Children are not yet able to consider hypothetical outcomes or make logical deductions, and understanding reversibility emerges during the preoperational period.

Question 5

Dawn is a newborn. Ellis is 5. Fritzi is 9. Girard is 15. Which individual is correctly matched with his or her Piagetian stage?
A)Dawn - sensorimotor
B)Ellis - concrete operational
C)Fritzi - formal operational
D)Girard - postoperational

Accepted Answer

Dawn is a newborn and is in the sensorimotor stage, which is the first stage of Piaget's cognitive development theory. This stage occurs from birth to around 2 years old, during which infants develop an understanding of their environment through their senses and actions. Therefore, option A is the correct choice.

Ellis, at 5 years old, is most likely in the preoperational stage, during which children begin to represent and think about objects with symbols, such as language, but their thinking is still egocentric and lacks logical reasoning. Therefore, option B is incorrect.

Fritzi, at 9 years old, is most likely in the concrete operational stage, during which children can think logically about concrete events but have difficulty with abstract concepts. Therefore, option C is incorrect.

Girard, at 15 years old, is most likely in the formal operational stage, during which adolescents can think logically about abstract concepts and reason hypothetically. Therefore, option D is incorrect.

Question 6

A 4-year-old looks at a picture of a dragon while on the telephone with her grandfather. If Piaget's claims of egocentrism are correct, the child is likely to:
A)describe the dragon picture to her grandfather.
B)ignore her grandfather when he asks her about her day.
C)tell her grandfather to look at the dragon.
D)ask her grandfather if he would like to see the picture the next time they are together.

Accepted Answer

Piaget's concept of egocentrism in children refers to their inability to understand that others have different perspectives and experiences. Therefore, a child might tell her grandfather to look at the dragon, not realizing that he cannot see the picture through the phone.

Question 7

When an infant recognizes that objects continue to exist even when they are no longer in sight, the infant has attained what Piaget termed:
A)object permanence.
B)conservation.
C)formal operations.
D)reversibility.

Accepted Answer

Piaget termed the recognition that objects continue to exist even when they are no longer in sight as object permanence. This is an important milestone in an infant's cognitive development.

Question 8

Four-year-old Hope thought her next-door neighbor's new pet rabbit was a kitty-cat until she noticed it hopped instead of walked, and it didn't purr at all. The change in Hope's understanding of her neighbor's new pet illustrates Piaget's process of:
A)conservation.
B)assimilation.
C)reversibility.
D)accommodation.

Accepted Answer

Piaget's process of accommodation refers to the process of modifying existing cognitive schemas or creating new ones to fit new information. Hope had to modify her existing schema of a kitty-cat to fit the new information that the neighbor's pet was actually a rabbit that hopped instead of walked and did not purr.

Question 9

Four-year-old Darlene is exploring one day when she finds a bottle of vitamins in a cupboard. They look just like the candies she got for Halloween so she eats them all. Darlene's error illustrates Piaget's process of:
A)conservation.
B)accommodation.
C)assimilation.
D)egocentrism.

Accepted Answer

Darlene's error illustrates the process of assimilation, which is when a child uses an existing schema (in this case, the idea that all small, colorful items are candy) to interpret and respond to new information (the vitamins). So, Darlene assimilated the vitamins into her existing schema for candy.

Question 10

Piaget used the word _____ to refer to a collection of ideas that functions as a basic unit of understanding.
A)concept
B)construct
C)schema
D)structure

Accepted Answer

Piaget used the term "schema" to refer to a basic unit of understanding that serves as a framework for organizing knowledge and understanding. Schemas are mental structures that represent organized patterns of thought or behavior that are used to understand and interact with the world.

Question 11

Rhonda is currently attending preschool. According to Piaget, Rhonda is in the ______ stage of cognitive development.
A)sensorimotor
B)preoperational
C)concrete operational
D)formal operational

Accepted Answer

According to Piaget's theory of cognitive development, the preoperational stage typically occurs between the ages of 2 and 7 years old. During this stage, children are developing symbolic thinking, imaginative play, and language skills, but they still struggle with logical reasoning and understanding of concrete concepts. Preschool-age children, like Rhonda, are typically in the preoperational stage of cognitive development.

Question 12

A child demonstrates object permanence, egocentrism, and a failure to conserve. She is MOST likely in which Piagetian stage?
A)preoperational
B)concrete operational
C)sensorimotor
D)formal operational

Accepted Answer

The child's demonstration of object permanence (the understanding that objects continue to exist even when they are out of sight) is a characteristic of the sensorimotor stage. However, the child's egocentrism (inability to consider others' perspectives) and failure to conserve (inability to understand that the physical properties of an object do not change even if its shape changes) are both characteristics of the preoperational stage. Therefore, the child is most likely in the preoperational stage of Piaget's development theory.

Question 13

The field of cognitive development is greatly indebted to the seminal work of the Swiss scholar:
A)Piaget.
B)Freud.
C)Vygotsky.
D)Pavlov.

Accepted Answer

The field of cognitive development is based on Jean Piaget's theory of cognitive development, which proposed that children develop cognitive abilities through a series of distinct stages. His work has been influential in shaping our understanding of how children learn and develop, and his ideas are widely studied and applied in contemporary research and practice. While the other scholars listed have made significant contributions to the field of psychology, their work is not as closely tied to cognitive development as Piaget's.

Question 14

A vocabulary explosion occurs when children are _____ of age.
A)12 months
B)18 months
C)2-3 years
D)4-5 years

Accepted Answer

Typically, between the ages of 2 and 3 years, children experience a vocabulary explosion where they rapidly acquire new words and make significant strides in their language development. By this age, most children are able to understand basic sentences and use simple phrases to communicate their needs and wants.

Question 15

Mrs. Weston asks Colin if he wants his sandwich in one piece, or cut into two pieces. Colin asks her to keep it in one piece, because he isn't hungry enough to eat two pieces. Colin's answer suggests that he:
A)has not achieved object permanence.
B)does not understand reversibility.
C)does not yet understand conservation.
D)has mastered the concept of egocentrism.

Accepted Answer

Colin's response indicates a lack of understanding of conservation. He believes that cutting the sandwich into two pieces changes the amount of food he has, rather than just changing the appearance. This is a common misunderstanding in children who have not mastered the concept of conservation.

Question 16

Jay complains to his father that he does not have enough juice. There is no more juice in the house, so his father takes the juice Jay has in his glass and pours it into a taller, narrower glass. Jay believes that he has more juice because he has not yet developed an understanding of:
A)object permanence.
B)formal operations.
C)reversibility.
D)conservation.

Accepted Answer

Jay's belief that he has more juice because it is in a taller, narrower glass demonstrates a lack of understanding of conservation, which is the concept that the amount of a substance remains the same despite changes in its appearance or arrangement.

Question 17

To stop baby Rudy from repeatedly reaching for a sharp knife on the kitchen table, Rudy's mother put it into her apron pocket. "Out of sight, out of mind," she thought, and it worked. Rudy's mother capitalized on his lack of:
A)conservation.
B)egocentric thought.
C)object permanence.
D)reversibility.

Accepted Answer

Object permanence refers to the understanding that objects continue to exist even when they cannot be perceived. In this scenario, Rudy is unable to perceive the knife and therefore does not reach for it, indicating a lack of object permanence.

Question 18

Children are considered to be fluent in their native language by the time they are _____ years of age.
A)2-3
B)4-5
C)5-6
D)7-8

Accepted Answer

Children are generally considered to be fluent in their native language by the age of 5-6, as they can understand and use complex sentences and have a large vocabulary.

Question 19

Which sequence accurately reflects the order of Piaget's stages of cognitive development, from birth through adolescence?
A)sensorimotor > concrete operational > preoperational > formal operational
B)preoperational > concrete operational > preoperational > formal operational
C)sensorimotor > preoperational > concrete operational > formal operational
D)nonoperational > preoperational > operational > postoperational

Accepted Answer

Piaget's stages of cognitive development are as follows: 
1) Sensorimotor stage: Birth to 2 years old 
2) Preoperational stage: 2 to 7 years old 
3) Concrete operational stage: 7 to 12 years old 
4) Formal operational stage: 12 years old and beyond 
Option A is incorrect because it has the incorrect arrangement of the preoperational and concrete operational stages. Option B is incorrect because it has two preoperational stages. Option D is incorrect because it has nonoperational and postoperational stages that do not exist in Piaget's theory. Therefore, the correct answer is C, which presents the accurate sequence of Piaget's stages of cognitive development.

Question 20

In Piaget's theory, the process of fitting new experiences into existing schemas is called _____. The process of restructuring ideas to make room for new information is called _____.
A)accommodation; assimilation
B)assimilation; accommodation
C)assimilation; conservation
D)conservation; accommodation

Accepted Answer

Assimilation involves integrating new experiences into existing schemas, while accommodation involves altering existing schemas or creating new ones to incorporate new information.

Quiz 8: Cognition, Language, and Intelligence

Which age range is NOT correctly labeled with the corresponding Piagetian stage?

The text reports the case of a girl named Genie, who was exposed to virtually no language from the age of 20 months until the age of 13. In what way does Genie's case offer support for the notion of a critical period in language acquisition?

During the sensorimotor period:

Dawn is a newborn. Ellis is 5. Fritzi is 9. Girard is 15. Which individual is correctly matched with his or her Piagetian stage?

A 4-year-old looks at a picture of a dragon while on the telephone with her grandfather. If Piaget's claims of egocentrism are correct, the child is likely to:

When an infant recognizes that objects continue to exist even when they are no longer in sight, the infant has attained what Piaget termed:

Four-year-old Hope thought her next-door neighbor's new pet rabbit was a kitty-cat until she noticed it hopped instead of walked, and it didn't purr at all. The change in Hope's understanding of her neighbor's new pet illustrates Piaget's process of:

Four-year-old Darlene is exploring one day when she finds a bottle of vitamins in a cupboard. They look just like the candies she got for Halloween so she eats them all. Darlene's error illustrates Piaget's process of:

Piaget used the word _____ to refer to a collection of ideas that functions as a basic unit of understanding.

Rhonda is currently attending preschool. According to Piaget, Rhonda is in the ______ stage of cognitive development.

A child demonstrates object permanence, egocentrism, and a failure to conserve. She is MOST likely in which Piagetian stage?

The field of cognitive development is greatly indebted to the seminal work of the Swiss scholar:

A vocabulary explosion occurs when children are _____ of age.

Mrs. Weston asks Colin if he wants his sandwich in one piece, or cut into two pieces. Colin asks her to keep it in one piece, because he isn't hungry enough to eat two pieces. Colin's answer suggests that he:

Jay complains to his father that he does not have enough juice. There is no more juice in the house, so his father takes the juice Jay has in his glass and pours it into a taller, narrower glass. Jay believes that he has more juice because he has not yet developed an understanding of:

To stop baby Rudy from repeatedly reaching for a sharp knife on the kitchen table, Rudy's mother put it into her apron pocket. "Out of sight, out of mind," she thought, and it worked. Rudy's mother capitalized on his lack of:

Children are considered to be fluent in their native language by the time they are _____ years of age.

Which sequence accurately reflects the order of Piaget's stages of cognitive development, from birth through adolescence?

In Piaget's theory, the process of fitting new experiences into existing schemas is called _. The process of restructuring ideas to make room for new information is called _.