Question 1

Selena has a dog at home,so she knows about dogs.She is walking down the street and sees an animal walking toward her.The animal has four legs,fur,and a tail.Selena knows that these are characteristics of dogs.But the animal coming toward her is meowing,not barking.Selena's mom tells her that the animal is a cat.Now when Selena sees an animal with four legs,a tail,and fur,she will conclude it is a dog if it barks and a cat if it meows,illustrating Piaget's concept of:

Accepted Answer

Selena had to adjust her previous understanding of the characteristics of dogs after learning that an animal with those characteristics could also be a cat. This is an example of accommodation, which is when we modify our existing schema to fit new information.

Question 2

Which of the following questions would be addressed by an evolutionary theorist?

Accepted Answer

Evolutionary theorists study how human traits and behaviors have evolved over time in response to selective pressures, such as adaptation to environmental challenges and maximizing reproductive success. Morning sickness in pregnant women may be explained in terms of evolutionary adaptation to increased sensitivity to toxins during pregnancy. The other options do not relate directly to evolutionary theory.

Question 3

A state of mental balance in which people are not confused because they can use their existing thought processes to understand current experiences and ideas is called:

Accepted Answer

Cognitive equilibrium refers to a state of mental balance where individuals can use their existing thought processes to understand current experiences and ideas without being confused. Social learning refers to the acquisition of knowledge and behavior through observation and interaction with others. Conflict resolution refers to finding a solution to a disagreement or dispute. Information processing refers to the mental processes involved in perceiving, interpreting, and organizing sensory information.

Question 4

Approaches to toilet training have changed over time.At one point,it was suggested to parents to postpone toilet training until the child was at least a year old to avoid serious personality problems later on.This view is MOST consistent with:

Accepted Answer

The suggestion to postpone toilet training until the child was at least a year old to avoid serious personality problems later on is consistent with psychoanalytic theory, which emphasizes the importance of early experiences and the unconscious mind in shaping personality development. According to this theory, the child's experience of toilet training can have a significant impact on their development of self-control and feelings of shame and guilt. Delaying training may have been seen as a way to avoid negative outcomes associated with a stressful or traumatic toilet training experience.

Question 5

With respect to Piaget's theory of cognitive development,the MOST difficult cognitive adaptation of the following options is:

Accepted Answer

Accommodation involves changing existing mental structures to adapt to new experiences, which can be more difficult than simply fitting new information into existing structures (assimilation). Sensorimotor behavior refers to the first stage of Piaget's theory, in which infants learn about the world through their senses and motor actions. Equilibrium refers to the balance between existing mental structures and new experiences, which is necessary for cognitive development but not necessarily difficult in and of itself.

Question 6

Sanjay has a small dog at home,so he knows about dogs.He is walking down the street and sees an animal walking toward him.The animal is very large;has four legs,fur,and a tail;and is barking.Sanjay knows that these are characteristics of a dog,given his knowledge of dogs.He quickly concludes that this animal is a dog.This example illustrates Piaget's concept of:

Accepted Answer

The example given in the question describes the process of assimilation, which refers to incorporating new information into pre-existing mental schemas or categories. In this case, Sanjay already has a mental schema for a dog based on his prior knowledge and experience with dogs. When he sees the animal on the street, he assimilates this new information into his existing schema and quickly concludes that the animal is a dog.

Question 7

According to Piaget,when old ideas are restructured to include new experiences,it is called:

Accepted Answer

According to Piaget, when old ideas are modified or restructured to fit with new experiences, it is called accommodation. This process involves adapting or changing one's existing mental structures to incorporate new information or experiences that cannot be assimilated into existing schemas.

Question 8

For centuries,men have needed a woman to be sexually faithful to ensure that her children are also his offspring.Which theory is MOST consistent with this explanation for faithfulness among romantic partners?

Accepted Answer

Evolutionary theory suggests that behaviors and traits that enhance reproductive success are more likely to be passed down to future generations. This includes the importance of sexual faithfulness in romantic partners to ensure that offspring are the biological offspring of the male partner.

Question 9

Approaches to toilet training have changed over time.At one point,it was suggested that parents toilet-train whenever they wished,using reinforcement as part of the training.This view is MOST consistent with:

Accepted Answer

The suggested approach of using reinforcement as part of toilet training aligns with behaviorism, which emphasizes the role of reinforcement and punishment in shaping behavior.

Question 10

_____ theories have made us aware of the impact on development of early-childhood experiences,remembered or not.

Accepted Answer

Psychoanalytic theories, particularly those of Freud and Erikson, emphasize the importance of early childhood experiences in shaping later development, even those that may not be consciously remembered.

Question 11

_____ was a cognitive theorist.

Accepted Answer

Piaget was a cognitive theorist who developed the theory of cognitive development, which focuses on the ways in which children acquire knowledge and understanding of the world around them. Freud was a psychoanalytic theorist who developed theories about the conscious and unconscious mind. Watson was a behaviorist who believed that behavior could be explained through conditioning. Vygotsky was a socio-cultural theorist who emphasized the role of social interaction and culture in cognitive development.

Question 12

According to evolutionary theory,why are so many people afraid of snakes?

Accepted Answer

According to evolutionary theory, a fear of snakes helped our ancient ancestors survive by allowing them to quickly recognize and avoid potential danger from venomous snakes. This fear has been passed down through generations and is still present in many individuals today, even if they have never had a direct experience with snakes.

Question 13

Jenny has never seen a pear before today.As her mom hands it to her,she says that it is a fruit.Jenny knows that apples and bananas are fruits and that she likes eating them,so she has a reference for this new experience.Jenny is experiencing:

Accepted Answer

Jenny is experiencing cognitive equilibrium because she is assimilating the new information about pears into her existing schema for fruits. She already knows what fruits are and likes eating some, so the concept of a pear fits into her previous understanding of what a fruit can be. Social learning (A) would involve learning through observation of others, which is not applicable to this scenario. Operant conditioning (B) involves learning through consequences of behavior, which is not relevant here either. Guided participation (C) involves learning through working alongside more skilled individuals or receiving specific instruction, which is not happening in this situation either.

Question 14

With regard to cognitive development,Piaget argued that _____ is more revealing than:

Accepted Answer

Piaget argued that how children think is more revealing than what they know, as he believed that cognitive development is a result of the interaction between the child's experiences and their own thinking processes. Therefore, understanding how children think can provide insight into their cognitive development, rather than simply focusing on what they know.

Question 15

The foundation of cognitive theory is:

Accepted Answer

Cognitive theory focuses on a person's thoughts, perceptions, and expectations, and how these shape their behavior and emotions. Therefore, the correct answer is C - a person's thoughts and expectations.

Question 16

In order to understand the emotions,impulses,and habits of humans over the life span,it is important to understand how those same emotions,impulses,and habits developed within Homo sapiens over the past 100,000 years.This concept is consistent with _____ theory.

Accepted Answer

The concept of understanding the development of emotions, impulses, and habits of humans over the past 100,000 years aligns with evolutionary theory, which explains how human traits have evolved and adapted over time through natural selection. The other choices, such as psychoanalytic, sociocultural, and information-processing, do not specifically address the evolutionary development of human behavior.

Question 17

Piaget's four stages of cognitive development,in order,are:

Accepted Answer

Piaget's four stages of cognitive development are sensorimotor (0-2 years), preoperational (2-7 years), concrete operational (7-11 years), and formal operational (11 and up).

Question 18

According to Piaget,when new experiences are interpreted to fit into old ideas,it is called:

Accepted Answer

Assimilation is the process of interpreting new experiences and fitting them into existing mental schemas or structures. Piaget believed that this is one of the ways in which individuals learn and develop cognitively.

Question 19

According to evolutionary theory,every species has two long-standing,biologically-based drives:

Accepted Answer

Survival and reproduction are the two most fundamental drives in evolutionary theory. All organisms are driven to survive in order to pass on their genes to the next generation. This means that they must find food, water, and shelter, avoid predators, and adapt to changing environments. At the same time, they must also reproduce in order to ensure the survival of their offspring and the continuation of their species. While aggression, sex, hunger, satiation, shelter, fear, and other drives are certainly important, they are all ultimately subsumed under the larger categories of survival and reproduction.

Question 20

According to Piaget,intellectual advancement occurs because of cognitive:

Accepted Answer

According to Piaget, intellectual advancement occurs through a process of achieving a state of cognitive equilibrium, where an individual can effectively assimilate new information into their existing cognitive structures (schemas) and accommodate new information by modifying their existing schemas. This process of achieving equilibrium and adapting to new information leads to intellectual advancement.

Quiz 1: The Beginning: The Science of Human Development