7.6-7.8

Question 1

Piaget’s preoperational stage

Answer 1

Piaget’s second stage, from about 2 to
7 years of age.

Question 2

operations

Answer 2

reversible mental actions that allow them to do mentally what they formerly
did physically

Question 3

symbolic function substage
-egocentrism
-animism

Answer 3

the child gains the ability to mentally represent an object that is not present between 2-4

• Egocentrism: the inability to distinguish between one’s own perspective and someone else’s.
• Animism: the belief that inanimate objects have lifelike qualities and are capable of action.

Question 4

intuitive thought substage

Answer 4

children use primitive reasoning and
want to know the answers to many questions. 4-7 yo

Question 5

centration

Answer 5

a centering of attention on one characteristic to the
exclusion of all others.

Question 6

conservation

Answer 6

the awareness that altering an object or
substance’s appearance does not change its basic properties

Question 7

Vygotsky’s theory of ZPD

Answer 7

Zone of proximal development (ZPD): the range of tasks too difficult for the child alone but that can be learned with guidance.

Closely linked to the idea of the ZPD is scaffolding—that is, changing the level of support and instruction provided.

Question 8

language and thought

Answer 8

Children use speech to communicate socially and to help them solve tasks

Question 9

private speech

Answer 9

refers to this use of language for self-regulation.
* When they gain the skill to act without verbalizing, they have internalized their egocentric speech in the form of inner speech.
* Private speech plays a positive role in the development

Question 10

social constructivist approach

Answer 10

an approach that emphasizes the social contexts of learning and asserts that knowledge is mutually built and constructed.

Question 11

attention

Answer 11

is the ability to focus mental resources on select information improves significantly in the preschool year

Question 12

Executive attention

Answer 12

a good predictor of self-regulation involves:
* Action planning;
* Allocating attention to goals;
* Error detection and compensation;
* Monitoring progress on tasks; and
* Dealing with novel or difficult circumstances.

Question 13

sustained attention (vigilance)

Answer 13

is focused and extended engagement with
an object, task, event, or another aspect of the environment.
* Also called vigilance.

Question 14

memory

Answer 14

is the retention of information over time is central to cognitive development

Question 15

short term memory

Answer 15

individuals retain the information for up to 30s with no rehearsal
*The memory-span task assesses short term memory using a short list of stimuli
*STM increases during childhood

Question 16

autobiographical memory

Answer 16

involves memory of significant events
and experiences in one’s life

Question 17

the executive function of information processing

Answer 17

consists of higher-level cognitive processes
linked to the development of the brain’s prefrontal cortex.
In early childhood, it involves developmental advances in the:
* Cognitive inhibition;
* Cognitive flexibility;
* Goal-setting; and
* Delay of gratification.

Question 18

theory of mind

Answer 18

awareness of one’s own mental processes and
the mental processes of others.
From 18 months to 3 years, children begin to understand three
mental states:
* Perceptions;
* Emotions; and
* Desires.

*3-5 they understand false beliefs