Question 1

Children usually pass the false-belief task between the ages of 4 and 6.

Accepted Answer

This is true, as research has shown that most children will pass the false-belief task between the ages of 4 and 6, indicating that they understand that other people can have different beliefs from their own.

Question 2

Egocentrism is the failure to understand that the world appears differently to different observers.

Accepted Answer

Egocentrism is a characteristic of preoperational thinking in children, where they are unable to take the perspective of others and understand that others may see the world differently. For example, a child may believe that everyone can see what they see, or that others know what they are thinking.

Question 3

The language spoken by children's families impacts their ability to count beyond the number 10.

Accepted Answer

Studies have shown that children from language backgrounds with limited words for numbers may have difficulty counting beyond 10. However, this does not apply to all families or all children from those language backgrounds. It is important to note that numeracy skills can be developed through various methods, including exposure to a variety of numeracy concepts and activities.

Question 4

The ability to focus on what another person is focused on is termed social referencing.

Accepted Answer

Social referencing is the process of reading emotional cues in others to help determine how to act in a particular situation. The ability to focus on what another person is focused on is termed joint attention.

Question 5

The ability to reason about abstract concepts is a defining feature of the concrete operational stage of development.

Accepted Answer

The ability to reason about abstract concepts is a defining feature of the formal operational stage, not the concrete operational stage, according to Piaget's theory of cognitive development.

Question 6

Well over 50% of American infants display a secure attachment style.

Accepted Answer

Research conducted by Mary Ainsworth and her colleagues in the 1970s found that approximately 60-65% of American infants displayed a secure attachment style towards their primary caregiver.

Question 7

If an adult model closes her eyes and turns her head in the direction of an object,a 3-month-old infant seated across from the model probably will look at the object.

Accepted Answer

This is due to the phenomenon of social referencing, in which infants follow the gaze of others to determine what is interesting or important. The 3-month-old infant is likely to follow the model's gaze and look at the object she is looking at.

Question 8

Children with autism typically are normal on most intellectual dimensions.

Accepted Answer

Children with autism can have strengths and weaknesses in different intellectual domains, but they are not typically characterized by intellectual disability or significant cognitive delays. In fact, some individuals with autism may have exceptional abilities or talents in specific areas, such as music, math, or visual-spatial skills.

Question 9

Vygotsky considered language and numerical systems as cultural tools that influenced cognitive development.

Accepted Answer

Vygotsky believed that language and other cultural tools, such as numerical systems, played a significant role in shaping cognitive development.

Question 10

The development of abstract reasoning skills appears to be the most important factor in the formation of a theory of mind.

Accepted Answer

The development of a theory of mind is influenced by a combination of factors including social interactions, language development, and cognitive growth, not solely by abstract reasoning skills.

Question 11

Once the principle of conservation is understood,children enter the formal operational stage of cognitive development.

Accepted Answer

Understanding the principle of conservation is a hallmark of the concrete operational stage of cognitive development, not the formal operational stage. The formal operational stage involves abstract, hypothetical, and deductive reasoning.

Question 12

Piaget emphasized the role of cultural factors in his theory of cognitive development.

Accepted Answer

Piaget actually emphasized the role of biological factors and universal cognitive structures in his theory of cognitive development, rather than cultural factors.

Question 13

Harry Harlow found that rhesus monkeys raised in isolation suffered emotional,but not cognitive,deficits as adults.

Accepted Answer

Harry Harlow's experiments showed that rhesus monkeys raised in isolation suffered both emotional and cognitive deficits as adults, demonstrating the importance of social and maternal interaction for normal development.

Question 14

An 18-month-old infant can recognize and imitate the intended behavior of an adult model.

Accepted Answer

Research shows that 18-month-old infants are capable of recognizing and imitating the intended behavior of an adult model. This is known as deferred imitation, where a child observes a behavior and can reproduce it later, even in the absence of the model.

Question 15

Harry Harlow found that rhesus monkeys raised in isolation spent more time clinging to an artificial mother made of wire that provided nourishment relative to an artificial mother made of soft cloth that did not provide nourishment.

Accepted Answer

Harry Harlow's experiments showed that rhesus monkeys raised in isolation spent more time clinging to an artificial mother made of soft cloth that did not provide nourishment, rather than an artificial mother made of wire that did provide nourishment, highlighting the importance of comfort and security over basic physiological needs like nourishment.

Question 16

Young children more accurately recognize that others differ from themselves in emotions than desires.

Accepted Answer

Young children typically find it easier to understand that others may have different desires than to grasp that others might feel different emotions. This is because understanding diverse desires often develops before the recognition of differing emotions in early childhood development.

Question 17

Modern psychologists see development more as a continuous process than as a movement through discrete stages.

Accepted Answer

Modern psychologists see development as a continuous process, rather than as a series of distinct stages. This view is reflected in theories such as Erik Erikson's psychosocial theory, which emphasizes the ongoing nature of development and the importance of identity formation across the entire lifespan. Other theories, such as Jean Piaget's cognitive development theory, still describe development as occurring in stages, but with more emphasis on the transitional phases between stages rather than strict age ranges for each stage.

Question 18

John Bowlby claimed that human infants smile and coo as a way of keeping their caregivers close.

Accepted Answer

Bowlby's theory of attachment suggests that infants have an innate drive to form attachments with their primary caregivers as a way of ensuring their survival. Infants signal their needs and maintain proximity to their caregivers through behaviors such as smiling and cooing, which are rewarding to the caregiver and help reinforce the attachment bond.

Question 19

Children all over the world pass and fail the false-belief task at about the same age.

Accepted Answer

Research has shown that children of various cultures and countries begin to pass the false-belief task around the age of 4-5 years old, while younger children fail the task. This suggests that there is a universal cognitive development process that is largely determined by biological factors.

Question 20

Deaf children who use American Sign Language to communicate lag far behind other children in acquiring a theory of mind.

Accepted Answer

Research shows that deaf children who are exposed to a sign language like American Sign Language (ASL) from an early age develop a theory of mind at a similar pace to hearing children. The critical factor is early exposure to a rich linguistic environment, whether it is through sign language or spoken language.

Quiz 11: Development-Part C