Question 1

Jocelyn watches as her mother puts her toys in a basket. Three weeks later, after never having engaged in this behaviour, Jocelyn attempts to put her toys in the basket. What is Jocelyn demonstrating?

Accepted Answer

Jocelyn is demonstrating deferred imitation, which is the ability to remember and replicate actions observed at an earlier time, without the model being present.

Question 2

Which of the following is an example of a simple reflex?

Accepted Answer

Simple reflexes are automatic, involuntary responses to specific stimuli. Turning toward the source of a noise is an example of a simple reflex, as it is an automatic response to the stimulus of sound without the involvement of conscious thought.

Question 3

Which of the following is an example of a primary circular reaction?

Accepted Answer

Primary circular reactions are repetitive actions that focus on the infant's own body, often discovered by accident and then repeated for pleasure. Kayla touching her nose with her thumb and then repeating the action is an example of this, as it involves self-focused repetitive behavior.

Question 4

Which of the following is an example of a general nominal?

Accepted Answer

General nominals are nouns that refer to a class or category of things rather than specific instances. "Car" is a general nominal because it refers to any vehicle of a certain kind, not to a specific car.

Question 5

During which substage of the sensorimotor period of development are reflexes inflexible and stereotypical?

Accepted Answer

The first substage of the sensorimotor period, which spans from birth to approximately 1 month of age, is characterized by inflexible and stereotypical reflexes. This stage is foundational for the development of more complex sensorimotor skills.

Question 6

Infants progress from responding to events with reflexes, or ready-made schemas, to goal-oriented behaviour. What stage of Piaget's cognitive-developmental theory is being described?

Accepted Answer

The sensorimotor stage, according to Piaget's cognitive-developmental theory, describes the period from birth to about 2 years of age, where infants progress from reflexive, instinctual action at birth to the beginning of symbolic thought toward the stage's end. This stage is characterized by the development of goal-oriented behavior and the understanding of object permanence.

Question 7

Ashley is an average 12-month-old child. How many words can Ashley speak?

Accepted Answer

Ashley is an average 12-month-old child, so she should be able to speak around 13 words.

Question 8

Which statement best defines the process of cognitive development in children?

Accepted Answer

Cognitive development involves how children think, explore, and figure things out. It is the development of knowledge, skills, problem solving, and dispositions, which help children to think about and understand the world around them. Brain development is part of cognitive development.

Question 9

By what age will most children have demonstrated tertiary circular reactions?

Accepted Answer

Tertiary circular reactions typically emerge around 12 to 18 months of age, as part of the sensorimotor stage in Piaget's theory of cognitive development, where infants begin to experiment with new behaviors to see the outcomes.

Question 10

Baby Sammy likes to repeat the sound "dada." What is this vocalization called?

Accepted Answer

Babbling is a stage in child language acquisition, during which an infant appears to be experimenting with uttering articulate sounds, but does not yet produce any recognizable words. "Dada" falls into this category, as it is a repetitive sound that does not have a specific meaning to the child.

Question 11

What is the definition of syntax?

Accepted Answer

Syntax refers to the set of rules, principles, and processes that govern the structure of sentences in a given language, specifically the order of words and phrases to create well-formed sentences.

Question 12

What is required to move from reflexive imitation to purposeful imitation?

Accepted Answer

Improvements in cognitive abilities are necessary for a child to move from reflexive imitation, which is automatic and without purpose, to purposeful imitation, where actions are deliberately chosen to achieve a specific goal. This transition reflects the child's growing understanding and intentionality.

Question 13

What is the relationship between receptive vocabulary and expressive vocabulary?

Accepted Answer

Receptive vocabulary refers to the words a person can understand when they hear or read them, which is typically larger than expressive vocabulary, the words a person can use in writing or speaking. This is because individuals can recognize and understand more words than they actively use.

Question 14

What assumption forms the basis of a stage theory of cognitive development?

Accepted Answer

Stage theories of cognitive development, such as Piaget's theory, assume that development progresses through discrete, age-based steps, where each stage represents a qualitatively different level of cognitive functioning.

Question 15

What does Piaget's cognitive-developmental theory suggest about children and object permanence?

Accepted Answer

Piaget's cognitive-developmental theory suggests that the development of object permanence, which is the understanding that objects continue to exist even when they cannot be seen, heard, or touched, can be negatively impacted by factors such as early nutritional and relational deprivation. This is because healthy development, including cognitive development, is influenced by a child's physical and emotional well-being. Piaget did not claim that children develop an understanding of object permanence all at once or by a specific age without prior experience; rather, he proposed that this understanding gradually emerges through interaction with the environment, typically becoming solidified by around 18-24 months of age.

Question 16

At 18 months of age, Ben could speak approximately 50 words. However, by 22 months of age, his vocabulary had increased to almost 300 words, most of which were nouns. What term describes Ben's most recent language development?

Accepted Answer

The term "naming explosion" refers to the rapid increase in vocabulary that typically occurs in toddlers around the age of 18 to 24 months, where they start learning new words at a very fast pace, often many per day, and most of these new words are nouns. This describes Ben's situation accurately.

Question 17

Which of the following is an example of a tertiary circular reaction?

Accepted Answer

Tertiary circular reactions, a concept from Piaget's theory of cognitive development, involve purposeful adaptation of established schemes to new situations. Megan's behavior of experimenting with different ways to pull her toy into the crib and then adopting the successful strategy for future use exemplifies this stage of cognitive development.

Question 18

What is typically predicted by higher visual recognition scores in infancy?

Accepted Answer

Higher visual recognition scores in infancy are typically predictive of higher IQ scores later in childhood. This is because early visual recognition skills are indicative of cognitive processing abilities that are foundational to intelligence.

Question 19

To the delight of her parents, 20-month-old Maya just exclaimed "Daddy go." What does this utterance represent?

Accepted Answer

Maya's utterance "Daddy go" is an example of telegraphic speech, which is typical for toddlers. It involves the use of short, simple combinations of words that omit less critical words but still convey a clear message, much like the concise language used in telegrams.

Question 20

Which statement best describes Piaget's cognitive-developmental theory?

Accepted Answer

Piaget's cognitive-developmental theory is comprehensive as it outlines stages of cognitive development from infancy through adulthood, focusing on how children construct knowledge.

Quiz 5: Infancy: Cognitive Development