Question 1

Kaya is crying because her teddy bear fell off the kitchen table and bumped its nose. She pretends to be "Mommy" and goes to the cupboard for a Band-Aid to put on the bear's hurt nose. Because Kaya's thinking is intuitive and not logical, she is most likely in the ________ stage of cognitive development.
A) sensorimotor
B) concrete operational
C) formal operational
D) preoperational

Accepted Answer

Kaya's behavior indicates that she is in the preoperational stage of cognitive development, which generally occurs between the ages of 2 and 7 years old. During this stage, children's thinking is characterized by intuitive reasoning, egocentrism, and the inability to perform mental operations. For example, Kaya is unable to logically deduce that a Band-Aid won't actually help her teddy bear's hurt nose.

Question 2

A child is playing at the beach. She pours an equal amount of sand into both a short, fat container and a tall, thin container. When asked which container holds more sand, the child points to the tall, thin container. This response suggests that she is most likely in the ________ stage of cognitive development.
A) formal operational
B) preoperational
C) sensorimotor
D) concrete operational

Accepted Answer

This response suggests that the child is in the preoperational stage of cognitive development. In this stage, children focus more on the appearance of objects rather than their actual quantity or volume. The child may believe that the tall, thin container holds more because it looks like it takes up more space, even though the amount of sand in both containers is equal. This is a common misconception in preoperational children.

Question 3

Justin's mother believes that Justin, a nine-month-old, is still in Piaget's sensorimotor stage of cognitive development. To test this belief, which of the following could she try?
A) see whether he knows how to turn on the TV by using the remote control
B) hide his favorite toy underneath a couch cushion and see whether he looks for it
C) place a brightly colored mobile above his crib and see whether he reaches for it
D) ignore him when he cries and see how long he continues to cry

Accepted Answer

This is the best choice because it tests whether Justin has developed object permanence, which is a key milestone in the sensorimotor stage of cognitive development. If he looks for the hidden toy, it indicates that he understands that objects continue to exist even when they are out of sight. Choices A and C do not necessarily test cognitive abilities, but rather physical abilities (motor skills). Choice D is not a valid test and could potentially harm the child by neglecting their needs.

Question 4

Evan is in preschool and uses overregularization when speaking. Which of the following is he most likely to say?
A) "Build snowman."
B) "The moon looks happy."
C) "He hitted me with a stick."
D) "Yesterday, I want to go to the park."

Accepted Answer

Overregularization is when a child applies a regular grammatical rule to an irregular word. In this case, "hitted" is an example of overregularization of the irregular verb "hit". The other options do not show overregularization.

Question 5

Sally is playing outside with her brother Micah one day and wants to push him down when he takes her swing. Sally does not push Micah, however, because she predicts that she will be punished with no television privileges after dinner if she does. Sally is most likely in the ________ stage of development.
A) sensorimotor
B) formal operational
C) concrete operational
D) preoperational

Accepted Answer

The answer of Sally is playing outside with her brother...

Question 6

Joey needs to use his fingers to add and subtract. Joey can sort blocks based on both their shape and color at the same time. Based on this information, you know that Joey is most likely in the ________ stage of development.
A) formal operational
B) sensorimotor
C) concrete operational
D) preoperational

Accepted Answer

Joey's ability to sort blocks based on both shape and color suggests that he has reached the concrete operational stage of cognitive development. This stage, according to Piaget's theory, typically occurs between the ages of 7-12 and is characterized by the ability to think logically about concrete events and objects. Joey's reliance on his fingers for adding and subtracting suggests that he is not yet at the formal operational stage, which is characterized by abstract reasoning abilities. The sensorimotor stage occurs from birth to 2 years old and is characterized by learning through sense and motor interactions. The preoperational stage lasts from 2 to 7 years and is characterized by the ability to use symbols to represent objects but not the ability to reason logically.

Question 7

Damien likes to put all sorts of things, like bugs, dirt, and shoelaces, in his mouth. He also likes playing with his toy train; however, he seems to lose interest in playing with the train whenever his brother hides it. Damien is most likely in the ________ stage of development.
A) formal operational
B) preoperational
C) sensorimotor
D) concrete operational

Accepted Answer

Damien's behavior of putting various objects in his mouth and playing with toys shows that he is in the sensorimotor stage of development, which typically occurs between birth and 2 years of age. During this stage, children explore the world around them through their senses and actions, such as sucking, grasping, and shaking. Damien's lack of object permanence, as evidenced by his loss of interest in the toy train when it's hidden, is also characteristic of this stage.

Question 8

In front of Chris, Tasha pours the same amount of water into a short, fat glass and a tall, thin glass. She then asks Chris which glass has more water. If Chris is six years old, he is most likely to answer that
A) the tall, thin glass has more water.
B) the short, fat glass has more water.
C) they have the same amount of water.
D) he does not know which glass has more water.

Accepted Answer

At the age of six, children often focus on the height of containers rather than their overall volume when comparing amounts of liquid, leading them to perceive the taller container as holding more.

Question 9

Giovanni is having difficulty learning English. He keeps putting verbs at the end of sentences. For example, instead of saying "The dog ate the bone," he says, "The dog the bone ate." Giovanni is having trouble with
A) morphemes.
B) phonemes.
C) syntax.
D) overregularization.

Accepted Answer

Giovanni is struggling with the order of words in a sentence or syntax. He is placing the verb at the end of the sentence instead of following the typical English sentence structure, which is subject-verb-object. This is a common difficulty for non-native speakers learning English syntax.

Question 10

Darryl thinks that playing peek-a-boo is hilarious! He does not know where his mom goes during the game, but it excites him when he sees her face again. Darryl is most likely in Piaget's ________ stage of development.
A) preoperational
B) formal operational
C) concrete operational
D) sensorimotor

Accepted Answer

The concept of object permanence - the understanding that objects continue to exist even when they cannot be seen - is a key developmental milestone in infants. Darryl's excitement and surprise when his mom reappears suggests that he does not have a full grasp of object permanence yet, which is characteristic of the sensorimotor stage.

Question 11

Gretchen is excited when her son Brian demonstrates that he has developed theory of mind and will now be able to
A) think of himself as having mental as well as physical capabilities.
B) predict how he might behave in various situations.
C) be more egocentric in his actions at day care.
D) understand that his mom has intentions that guide her actions.

Accepted Answer

Theory of mind refers to the ability to understand that others have intentions, beliefs, and desires that guide their actions. Therefore, when Brian demonstrates theory of mind, he is recognizing that his mom has intentions that guide her behavior, which is option D. Option A is incorrect because thinking of oneself as having mental as well as physical capabilities is a basic aspect of development and not specifically related to theory of mind. Option B is partially correct, but it is more specific to the ability to make predictions, which is a part of theory of mind. Finally, option C is incorrect because having theory of mind means recognizing that others have intentions, which is not related to being egocentric.

Question 12

Janice is learning about the alphabet and how to read, but she is struggling to make the s and z sounds. Janice is having difficulty with
A) phonemes.
B) morphemes.
C) syntax.
D) babbling.

Accepted Answer

Phonemes are the smallest units of sound in a language, and they are essential for understanding and producing speech. Janice's struggles with the s and z sounds indicate difficulty with distinguishing between these two phonemes, which is an important skill for developing language and reading abilities. Morphemes are the smallest units of meaning in a language, syntax refers to the rules governing sentence structure, and babbling is a developmental stage in language acquisition when infants make sounds that are not yet specific to their native language.

Question 13

Robby is 11 months old and has begun making speech sounds like "baba" and "momo." On the other hand, 16-month-old Rebecca can produce two-word sentences like "Daddy eat" and "Mama give." Robby's speech is ________, whereas Rebecca's speech is ________.
A) babbling; telegraphic
B) telegraphic; overregularized
C) overregularized; babbling
D) telegraphic; babbling

Accepted Answer

Robby's speech is babbling because he is making nonsensical sounds that do not have any meaning or structure. Rebecca's speech is telegraphic because she is using short, simple phrases that omit function words (such as "the" or "a") and use only essential words to get her point across.

Question 14

In front of Chris, Tasha pours the same amount of water into both a short, fat glass and a tall, thin glass. She then asks Chris which glass has more water. If Chris is 10 years old, he is most likely to answer
A) the tall, thin glass.
B) the short, fat glass.
C) that they have the same amount of water.
D) that he does not know.

Accepted Answer

At the age of 10, a child should have the understanding of conservation of volume, meaning that the amount of water remains the same regardless of the shape or size of the container it is poured into. Therefore, Chris should know that both glasses have the same amount of water, and the answer is C.

Question 15

Peggy's parents are amazed at how much their daughter has changed. Over the past year, she became interested in doing chemistry experiments. Peggy predicts what will happen when she combines two chemicals together and then observes the results to see whether her hypothesis was correct. Peggy is most likely in the ________ stage of cognitive development.
A) formal operational
B) preoperational
C) concrete operational
D) sensorimotor

Accepted Answer

Peggy is in the formal operational stage of cognitive development, as indicated by her ability to think abstractly, make hypotheses, and predict outcomes, which are key characteristics of this stage according to Jean Piaget's theory.

Question 16

When trying to explain Piaget's theory of development to his roommate, Martin correctly states that development
A) consists of a series of qualitatively different stages of cognitive ability.
B) is primarily a biological process.
C) varies widely across cultures as a function of different environments.
D) depends on physical skills rather than cognitive skills.

Accepted Answer

Piaget's theory of cognitive development proposes that development occurs in a series of qualitatively different stages, each characterized by a unique way of understanding the world. Therefore, choice A is the correct option. B, C, and D are not accurate descriptions of Piaget's theory.

Question 17

Kane and MJ are sitting across from each other drawing pictures of their family room. When asked to draw the family room from MJ's perspective, Kane draws a picture of what he can see himself. Kane is likely in the ________ stage of cognitive development.
A) sensorimotor
B) concrete operational
C) formal operational
D) preoperational

Accepted Answer

Kane's drawing of the family room from MJ's perspective indicates that he is unable to take on MJ's point of view or understand that his own perspective is different from MJ's. This aligns with the preoperational stage of cognitive development, which typically lasts from ages 2 to 7, and is marked by egocentrism and difficulty understanding other people's perspectives.

Question 18

Nadia knows that a substance's quantity does not change, even when its form does. Based on this, Nadia is most likely ________ years old.
A) two
B) five
C) seven
D) nine

Accepted Answer

Understanding the concept of conservation of quantity requires a certain level of cognitive development, which typically occurs around the age of 9 or 10. Therefore, Nadia is most likely 9 years old if she understands that a substance's quantity does not change, even when its form does.

Question 19

Andre is writing an introductory psychology essay on Piaget's theory of cognitive development. He should criticize the original theory for all of the following reasons EXCEPT that
A) the stages are overly rigid and strict.
B) the age at which certain skills develop is underestimated.
C) infants do not learn about the world through their senses.
D) children only show aspects of one stage at a time.

Accepted Answer

Infants do learn about the world through their senses, as this is a fundamental aspect of Piaget's theory, so it would not be a valid criticism. However, the other options are valid criticisms of the original theory.

Question 20

Ming is learning English and today learned that the word talking is made up of two units of meaning: talk and ing. Ming is learning about
A) overregularization.
B) morphemes.
C) phonemes.
D) syntax.

Accepted Answer

Ming is learning about morphemes, which are the smallest units of meaning in language. "Talk" and "ing" are both morphemes. Overregularization refers to a grammatical mistake in which an irregular word is turned into a regular form (for example, "eated" instead of "ate"). Phonemes are the smallest units of sound in language, and syntax refers to the rules that govern the structure of sentences.

Quiz 4: Development Across the Life Span

Justin's mother believes that Justin, a nine-month-old, is still in Piaget's sensorimotor stage of cognitive development. To test this belief, which of the following could she try?

Evan is in preschool and uses overregularization when speaking. Which of the following is he most likely to say?

Joey needs to use his fingers to add and subtract. Joey can sort blocks based on both their shape and color at the same time. Based on this information, you know that Joey is most likely in the ________ stage of development.

Damien likes to put all sorts of things, like bugs, dirt, and shoelaces, in his mouth. He also likes playing with his toy train; however, he seems to lose interest in playing with the train whenever his brother hides it. Damien is most likely in the ________ stage of development.

In front of Chris, Tasha pours the same amount of water into a short, fat glass and a tall, thin glass. She then asks Chris which glass has more water. If Chris is six years old, he is most likely to answer that

Giovanni is having difficulty learning English. He keeps putting verbs at the end of sentences. For example, instead of saying "The dog ate the bone," he says, "The dog the bone ate." Giovanni is having trouble with

Darryl thinks that playing peek-a-boo is hilarious! He does not know where his mom goes during the game, but it excites him when he sees her face again. Darryl is most likely in Piaget's ________ stage of development.

Gretchen is excited when her son Brian demonstrates that he has developed theory of mind and will now be able to

Janice is learning about the alphabet and how to read, but she is struggling to make the s and z sounds. Janice is having difficulty with

Robby is 11 months old and has begun making speech sounds like "baba" and "momo." On the other hand, 16-month-old Rebecca can produce two-word sentences like "Daddy eat" and "Mama give." Robby's speech is , whereas Rebecca's speech is .

In front of Chris, Tasha pours the same amount of water into both a short, fat glass and a tall, thin glass. She then asks Chris which glass has more water. If Chris is 10 years old, he is most likely to answer

When trying to explain Piaget's theory of development to his roommate, Martin correctly states that development

Kane and MJ are sitting across from each other drawing pictures of their family room. When asked to draw the family room from MJ's perspective, Kane draws a picture of what he can see himself. Kane is likely in the ________ stage of cognitive development.

Nadia knows that a substance's quantity does not change, even when its form does. Based on this, Nadia is most likely ________ years old.

Andre is writing an introductory psychology essay on Piaget's theory of cognitive development. He should criticize the original theory for all of the following reasons EXCEPT that

Ming is learning English and today learned that the word talking is made up of two units of meaning: talk and ing. Ming is learning about