Question 1

In the context of the behaviorist approach to cognitive development, classically conditioned learning becomes extinct if it is not reinforced by repeated association.

Accepted Answer

In classical conditioning, if the conditioned stimulus (CS) is repeatedly presented without the unconditioned stimulus (UCS), the conditioned response (CR) will eventually diminish and become extinct, indicating that reinforcement through repeated association is necessary to maintain the conditioned response.

Question 2

In the context of the behaviorist approach to cognitive development, operant conditioning enables infants to anticipate an event before it happens by forming associations between stimuli that regularly occur together.

Accepted Answer

Operant conditioning involves learning through consequences (rewards or punishments) rather than forming associations between stimuli, which is characteristic of classical conditioning.

Question 3

The Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development uses separate scores called intelligence quotients for each scale.

Accepted Answer

The Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development do not use intelligence quotients (IQs); instead, they provide composite scores for cognitive, language, and motor development scales.

Question 4

The Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development helps measure sensory and neurological deficits but cannot determine emotional disturbances in infants.

Accepted Answer

The Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development assess multiple areas including cognitive, language, motor, social-emotional, and adaptive behavior skills, thus it can help in identifying emotional disturbances in infants.

Question 5

Using the Home Observation for Measurement of the Environment (HOME), trained observers interview the primary caregiver and rate on a yes-or-no checklist the intellectual stimulation and support observed in a child's home.

Accepted Answer

The Home Observation for Measurement of the Environment (HOME) is indeed a tool used to assess the quality and quantity of stimulation and support available to a child in the home environment. It involves trained observers who conduct interviews with the primary caregiver and make observations, rating them on a yes-or-no checklist focusing on aspects of intellectual stimulation and support.

Question 6

The Home Observation for Measurement of the Environment (HOME) factors are associated with high intelligence and achievement.

Accepted Answer

The HOME inventory assesses the quality and quantity of stimulation and support available to a child in the home environment, which are factors associated with promoting high intelligence and achievement in children.

Question 7

According to the Piagetian approach, during the sixth substage of the sensorimotor stage, babies begin to learn how to coordinate input from their senses and organize their activities in relation to their environment.

Accepted Answer

During the sixth substage of the sensorimotor stage, babies develop symbolic thought, allowing them to engage in mental representation and deferred imitation, rather than primarily learning to coordinate sensory input with their activities.

Question 8

According to Piaget, the journey from reflex behavior to the beginnings of thought is a short one because children make the breakthrough to conceptual thought during the second half of the first year.

Accepted Answer

Piaget believed that the journey from reflex behavior to the beginnings of thought is not a short one. He proposed that children go through a series of stages, starting with the sensorimotor stage (birth to about 2 years), where they gradually move from reflex actions to the beginning of symbolic thought towards the end of this stage, indicating a longer developmental process.

Question 9

Liking to look at new things and quickly habituating to them correlates with later signs of cognitive development in babies.

Accepted Answer

Babies who show interest in new objects and quickly become accustomed to them tend to exhibit signs of advanced cognitive development later on. This is because an interest in novelty and the ability to habituate indicate efficient information processing and learning capabilities, which are foundational aspects of cognitive development.

Question 10

Individual differences in efficiency of information processing reflect the speed with which infants form and refer to mental images.

Accepted Answer

Individual differences in the efficiency of information processing are indeed reflected in the speed with which infants form and refer to mental images, as this process is a fundamental aspect of cognitive development and information processing efficiency.

Question 11

Piaget maintained that the understanding of causality develops slowly during the third year of life.

Accepted Answer

Piaget argued that the understanding of causality begins to develop in the sensorimotor stage, which lasts from birth to about 2 years of age, and becomes more sophisticated over time, with significant developments occurring well before the third year of life.

Question 12

In early infancy, when the structures responsible for memory storage are not fully formed, memories are relatively fleeting.

Accepted Answer

In early infancy, the brain structures necessary for storing long-term memories, such as the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex, are not yet fully developed, making early memories fleeting and difficult to retain into later life.

Question 13

The prefrontal cortex develops faster than any other part in the brain as it is believed to control many aspects of cognition.

Accepted Answer

The prefrontal cortex is one of the last brain regions to mature, developing well into a person's 20s, which contrasts with areas involved in more basic functions that mature earlier.

Question 14

According to learning theory, children learn language through classical conditioning.

Accepted Answer

Children learn language through a combination of mechanisms, including operant conditioning, social interaction, and innate cognitive abilities, rather than through classical conditioning alone. Classical conditioning primarily involves learning through association, which does not fully explain the complex process of language acquisition.

Question 15

Crying is a newborn's first means of communication.

Accepted Answer

Crying is the primary way newborns communicate their needs and discomforts, such as hunger, pain, or the need for sleep, to their caregivers.

Question 16

When infants become familiar with the sounds of words and phrases, they begin to attach meanings to them.

Accepted Answer

Infants initially learn the sounds of words and phrases through repeated exposure, and over time, they start to associate these sounds with specific meanings or objects, a fundamental process in language acquisition.

Question 17

By the end of the first year, babies lose their sensitivity to sounds that are not part of the language or languages they usually hear spoken.

Accepted Answer

During the first year of life, infants are highly sensitive to all the phonetic sounds of languages. However, as they grow and are exposed more to the specific language(s) spoken in their environment, they lose sensitivity to sounds not used in those languages, focusing more on the distinctions important for their own linguistic context.

Question 18

Symbolic gestures often emerge around the same time as babies say their first words, and they function much like words.

Accepted Answer

Symbolic gestures and first words both serve as means for babies to communicate specific ideas or desires, marking a key development in language acquisition.

Question 19

Repetitive babbling may emerge with the maturation of parts of the motor cortex, which control movements of the face and larynx.

Accepted Answer

Repetitive babbling is a developmental milestone in infants that is associated with the maturation of the motor cortex, particularly the areas controlling facial and laryngeal movements, enabling the production of sounds.

Question 20

In the context of the approaches to studying cognitive development, the behaviorist approach mainly
A) studies the basic mechanics of learning.
B) seeks to measure intelligence quantitatively.
C) describes the qualitative stages in cognitive functioning.
D) links brain processes with cognitive ones.

Accepted Answer

The behaviorist approach focuses on observable behaviors and the basic mechanics of learning, such as conditioning and reinforcement, rather than internal mental states or processes.

Quiz 6: Cognitive Development: 0 to 3