Exam 2: Ch. 4 (personal notes) Flashcards
What is Piaget primarily interested in when it comes to cognitive development?
a) Quantitative changes in intelligence
b) The qualitative development of cognitive structures
c) Speed of learning new information
d) The role of genetics in cognitive development
b) The qualitative development of cognitive structures
In which of Piaget’s stages does a child begin to use symbolic thought but still struggle with logical reasoning?
a) Sensorimotor stage
b) Preoperational stage
c) Concrete operational stage
d) Formal operational stage
b) Preoperational stage
According to Piaget, what is the A-not-B error?
a) The child searching for an object in its last seen location, even after seeing it placed in a new one
b) The inability to understand object permanence
c) The failure to distinguish appearance from reality
d) The inability to mentally manipulate objects
a) The child searching for an object in its last seen location, even after seeing it placed in a new one
What is accommodation in Piaget’s theory?
a) Adapting external stimuli to fit existing cognitive structures
b) Using trial and error to learn new behaviors
c) Adapting one’s cognitive structure to fit new stimuli
d) Ignoring new information that doesn’t fit existing ideas
c) Adapting one’s cognitive structure to fit new stimuli
In the concrete operational stage, children:
a) Can reason logically but only about real-world, concrete objects
b) Think abstractly about hypothetical situations
c) Cannot perform mental manipulations
d) Struggle with object permanence
a) Can reason logically but only about real-world, concrete objects
Which of the following is a primary circular reaction according to Piaget?
a) A baby picking up a toy and making it rattle
b) A child flaring their arms and discovering their body
c) A baby combining behaviors, like pushing an object aside to grab another
d) A child using symbols to represent objects
b) A child flaring their arms and discovering their body
Piaget believed that object permanence develops by which sensorimotor substage?
a) Stage 2: Coordinating schemes and reflexes
b) Stage 3: Anticipating future locations of moving objects
c) Stage 5: Looking for objects where they last disappeared
d) Stage 6: Solving problems by thinking in advance
c) Stage 5: Looking for objects where they last disappeared
Reversibility refers to:
a) The ability to mentally undo an action
b) The ability to solve hypothetical problems
c) The ability to conserve number
d) The inability to understand abstract reasoning
a) The ability to mentally undo an action
According to Piaget, tertiary circular reactions involve:
a) Reflexive actions
b) Repetitive actions with external objects
c) Trial and error to explore objects and actions
d) Symbolic thought
c) Trial and error to explore objects and actions
Rene Baillargeon challenged Piaget’s account of object permanence by suggesting that infants may fail the object permanence test because of:
a) Poor memory
b) Deficits in search skills
c) Difficulty in understanding symbols
d) Lack of motor coordination
b) Deficits in search skills
According to Piaget, which of the following best describes a child’s role in their cognitive development?
a) Passive recipient of information
b) Active explorer of the environment
c) Dependent on external rewards for learning
d) Imitator of adult behaviors
b) Active explorer of the environment
In the sensorimotor stage, Piaget believed that children “think” primarily by:
a) Using language and symbols
b) Pondering concepts in their head
c) Acting on objects through sensory and motor actions
d) Solving abstract problems
c) Acting on objects through sensory and motor actions
Which of the following circular reactions involves the baby interacting with external objects?
a) Primary circular reactions
b) Secondary circular reactions
c) Tertiary circular reactions
d) Reflexive circular reactions
b) Secondary circular reactions
At what stage do children typically develop the ability to solve the conservation of liquid quantity task?
a) Sensorimotor stage
b) Preoperational stage
c) Concrete operational stage
d) Formal operational stage
c) Concrete operational stage
What did Piaget mean by a scheme?
a) The first form of symbolic thought
b) A child’s ability to solve problems using logic
c) A class of sensory-motor actions that are repeatable and organized
d) The mental manipulation of abstract concepts
c) A class of sensory-motor actions that are repeatable and organized
In Piaget’s theory, Stage 6 of the sensorimotor stage involves:
a) Experimenting through trial and error
b) Using reflexes to interact with objects
c) Beginning to plan actions in the head before performing them
d) Symbolizing objects with words
c) Beginning to plan actions in the head before performing them
Why do preoperational children perform poorly on conservation tasks?
a) They cannot use symbols yet.
b) They focus on the current appearance rather than understanding transformations.
c) They can only think in terms of trial and error.
d) They have fully developed abstract reasoning abilities.
b) They focus on the current appearance rather than understanding transformations.
Piaget argued that object permanence reflects the child’s understanding that:
a) Objects only exist when they are in direct view.
b) Objects can be seen in multiple locations simultaneously.
c) Objects exist independently of the child’s sensory experience.
d) Objects are dependent on the child’s actions for movement.
c) Objects exist independently of the child’s sensory experience.
In the preoperational stage, children’s thinking is limited by their difficulty with:
a) Understanding object permanence
b) Thinking symbolically
c) Logical reasoning and solving problems mentally
d) Using motor skills to manipulate objects
c) Logical reasoning and solving problems mentally
What was Schacter’s main critique of Piaget’s account of object permanence?
a) Children fail object permanence tasks due to deficits in memory.
b) Children do not understand the concept of objects until later stages.
c) The A-not-B error is due to motor development issues, not cognitive limitations.
d) Piaget underestimated children’s symbolic reasoning abilities.
a) Children fail object permanence tasks due to deficits in memory.
