Chapter 4: Theories of Cognitive Development

Question 1

A-not-B error

Answer 1

the tendency to reach for a hidden object where it was last found rather than in the new location where it was last hidden

Question 2

accommodation

Answer 2

the process by which people adapt current knowledge structures in response to new experiences

Question 3

assimilation

Answer 3

the process by which people translate incoming information into a form that fits concepts they already understand

Question 4

autobiographical memories

Answer 4

memories of one’s own experiences, including one’s thoughts and emotions

Question 5

basic processes

Answer 5

the simplest and most frequently used mental activities

Question 6

centration

Answer 6

the tendency to focus on a single perceptually striking feature of an object or event

Question 7

concrete operational stage

Answer 7

the period (7 to 12 years) within Piaget’s theory in which children become able to reason logically about concrete objects and events

Question 8

conservation concept

Answer 8

the idea that merely changing the appearance of objects does not necessarily change other key properties

Question 9

cultural tools

Answer 9

the innumerable products of human ingenuity that enhance thinking

Question 10

deferred imitation

Answer 10

the repetition of other people’s behavior a substantial time after it originally occurred

Question 11

dynamic-systems theories

Answer 11

a class of theories that focus on how change occurs over time in complex systems

Question 12

egocentrism

Answer 12

the tendency to perceive the world solely from one’s own point of view

Question 13

encoding

Answer 13

the process of representing in memory information that draws attention or is considered important

Question 14

equilibration

Answer 14

the process by which children (or other people) balance assimilation and accommodation to create stable understanding

Question 15

formal operational stage

Answer 15

the period (12 years and beyond) within Piaget’s theory in which people become able to think about abstractions and hypothetical situations

Question 16

guided participation

Answer 16

a process in which more knowledgeable individuals organize activities in ways that allow less knowledgeable people to learn

Question 17

information-processing theories

Answer 17

a class of theories that focus on the structure of the cognitive system and the mental activities used to deploy attention and memory to solve problems

Question 18

intersubjectivity

Answer 18

the mutual understanding that people share during communication

Question 19

joint attention

Answer 19

a process in which social partners intentionally focus on a common referent in the external environment

Question 20

long-term memory

Answer 20

information retained on an enduring basis

Question 21

object permanence

Answer 21

the knowledge that objects continue to exist even when they are out of view

Question 22

overlapping-waves theory

Answer 22

an information processing approach that emphasizes the variability of children’s thinking

Question 23

preoperational stage

Answer 23

the period (2 to 7 years) within Piaget’s theory in which children become able to represent their experiences in language, mental imagery, and symbolic thought

Question 24

private speech

Answer 24

the second phase of Vygotsky’s internalization-of-thought process, in which children develop their self-regulation and problem-solving abilities by telling themselves aloud what to do, much as their parents did in the first stage

Question 25

problem solving

Answer 25

the process of attaining a goal by using a strategy to overcome an obstacle

Question 26

rehearsal

Answer 26

the process of repeating information multiple times to aid memory of it

Question 27

selective attention

Answer 27

the process of intentionally focusing on the information that is most relevant to the current goal

Question 28

sensorimotor stage

Answer 28

the period (birth to 2 years) within Piaget’s theory in which intelligence is expressed through sensory and motor abilities

Question 29

social scaffolding

Answer 29

a process in which more competent people provide a temporary framework that supports children’s thinking at a higher level than children could manage on their own

Question 30

sociocultural theories

Answer 30

approaches that emphasize that other people and the surrounding culture contribute greatly to children’s development

Question 31

symbolic representation

Answer 31

the use of one object to stand for another

Question 32

task analysis

Answer 32

the research technique of identifying goals, relevant information in the environment, and potential processing strategies for a problem

Question 33

working memory

Answer 33

memory system that involves actively attending to, gathering, maintaining, storing, and processing information