Question 1

Max is 10 months old. He is able to push one toy aside to reach another toy that he wants to play with. He is also able to imitate the gestures and sounds his parents make when they play with him. What is Max's behaviour an example of?

Accepted Answer

Max's behavior is an example of the coordination of secondary schemas, where he is able to combine different actions to achieve a goal, such as pushing one toy aside to reach another.

Question 2

What is meant by deferred imitation?

Accepted Answer

Deferred imitation refers to the ability to observe a behavior, form a mental representation of it, and then imitate that behavior after a delay, indicating an understanding and internalization of the observed action rather than immediate mimicry.

Question 3

Rob hid behind his son's blanket and said "peek-a-boo!" His son looked bored and turned away. Rob stated, "He just doesn't seem to understand that I still exist when he can't see me." What aspect of sensorimotor development is Rob looking forward to?

Accepted Answer

Object permanence is the understanding that objects continue to exist even when they cannot be seen, heard, or otherwise sensed. This is what Rob is referring to when he mentions his son not understanding that he still exists when he can't see him. This concept is a fundamental aspect of sensorimotor development in infants and young children.

Question 4

What is the earliest communicative sound a child makes?

Accepted Answer

Crying is the earliest form of communication a child uses, signaling needs such as hunger, discomfort, or the need for attention.

Question 5

Nicole adjusts her rate of sucking so she can listen to a recording of her mother reading "Good Night Moon," a story her mother read aloud while she was pregnant with Nicole. What does this activity illustrate?

Accepted Answer

Nicole's adjustment of her sucking rate to listen to a recording of her mother reading a story that was read to her while she was in utero demonstrates memory. This indicates that Nicole remembers the sound of her mother's voice reading "Good Night Moon" from when she was in the womb, showcasing an early form of memory development.

Question 6

Tabatha is playing with a ball when it rolls down a flight of stairs and out of sight. She makes no attempt to find the ball. What cognitive-development stage is Tabatha in?

Accepted Answer

Tabatha is likely in the sensorimotor stage, which is from birth to about 2 years of age. During this stage, children learn about the world through their senses and actions. A key characteristic of this stage is the lack of object permanence, which means children do not understand that objects continue to exist even when they cannot be seen or heard. Tabatha's lack of attempt to find the ball suggests she may not yet understand object permanence, indicating she is in the sensorimotor stage.

Question 7

Children in the sensorimotor stage do not realize that people continue to exist even though they can't be seen. What concept have these children not yet mastered?

Accepted Answer

Children in the sensorimotor stage have not yet mastered object permanence, which is the understanding that objects continue to exist even when they cannot be seen, heard, or otherwise sensed.

Question 8

Which of the following describes a 1-month-old's crying?

Accepted Answer

A 1-month-old's crying is generally non-distinct and not yet specific to particular needs or stimuli.

Question 9

What is demonstrated by the textbook's case history of Genie?

Accepted Answer

Genie's case history demonstrates support for the hypothesis that there are sensitive periods for learning language, as her severe isolation during childhood significantly impacted her ability to acquire language later in life.

Question 10

Carla is an expectant mother and is reading about newborns' imitation reflex. Which explanation of an imitation reflex is she most likely to encounter?

Accepted Answer

The imitation reflex in newborns is often attributed to "mirror neurons," which are thought to enable the infant to mimic actions they observe, facilitating learning and social interaction.

Question 11

Annette is a child development specialist. Her niece, Cassie, has just had her first child and asks Annette whether her infant's crying is considered a primitive form of language. What is most likely to be Annette's response?

Accepted Answer

Crying is not considered a form of language because it does not represent specific objects or events; it is a basic form of communication to express needs or discomfort.

Question 12

At what age is an infant's first word typically spoken?

Accepted Answer

Infants typically speak their first word around the age of 12 months, which falls within the range of 11 to 13 months. This developmental milestone can vary slightly from child to child, but most children will have begun to speak by this age.

Question 13

What forms the basis for much of human learning?

Accepted Answer

Imitation of others is a fundamental aspect of human learning, as individuals observe and mimic the actions and behaviors of others to acquire knowledge and skills.

Question 14

What is a receptive vocabulary?

Accepted Answer

Receptive vocabulary refers to all the words a person (not just a child) understands when they hear or read them, regardless of whether they can articulate those words themselves.

Question 15

Brian and Tamara are concerned because their 12-month-old son has yet to speak his first word. What would an expert in child development most likely tell Brian and Tamara?

Accepted Answer

Children's normal range for speaking their first word is between 8 and 18 months of age, so Brian and Tamara's son is still within the typical developmental timeline.

Question 16

How would Piaget (1963) most likely describe the development of children's cognitive processes?

Accepted Answer

Piaget's theory of cognitive development describes children's cognitive processes as unfolding in an orderly sequence of stages, each characterized by unique ways of thinking and understanding the world.

Question 17

A child says "doggy." What is this word an example of?

Accepted Answer

A holophrase is a single word that is used by a child to express a complete idea or sentence, which is what the child is doing by saying "doggy" to possibly indicate seeing a dog, wanting the dog, or even talking about something related to the dog.

Question 18

What is the definition of the expressive language style?

Accepted Answer

Expressive language style refers to using language primarily as a means for engaging in social interaction, emphasizing the communicative function of language in connecting with others.

Question 19

Josh has learned that his ball is called a toy. When he sees a round light bulb, he calls it a "toy." What term describes Josh's response?

Accepted Answer

Josh is demonstrating assimilation, which is when new experiences are incorporated into existing schemas, in this case, understanding all round objects as "toys."

Question 20

Natalie is 18 months old and mispronounces some words. Her parents are quick to correct her pronunciation. According to the research cited in the textbook, what is the most likely result of correcting Natalie's pronunciation?

Accepted Answer

Correcting a child's mispronunciation, especially at an early age like 18 months, can potentially slow down their language development. This is because it may discourage them from attempting new words or expressing themselves freely, leading to less practice with language and, consequently, slower development.

Quiz 5: Infancy: Cognitive Development