Exam 2: Piaget Flashcards
What was Jean Piaget’s primary focus in his studies of cognitive development?
A. Quantitative changes in cognitive growth
B. Qualitative development of cognitive structures
C. Measuring intelligence in children
D. Passive learning from environmental factors
Answer: B. Qualitative development of cognitive structures
Which statement best describes Piaget’s view of children in their own development?
A. Children passively absorb information from their environment
B. Children are active participants, constantly exploring and interacting with their environment
C. Children rely solely on adults to guide their cognitive growth
D. Children’s development is driven purely by biological factors
Answer: B. Children are active participants, constantly exploring and interacting with their environment
Piaget’s concept of assimilation is best described as:
A. Adapting new stimuli to fit existing cognitive structures
B. Modifying cognitive structures to fit new stimuli
C. Balancing new and old knowledge
D. Disregarding new stimuli
Answer: A. Adapting new stimuli to fit existing cognitive structures
In which of Piaget’s stages do children begin to develop symbolic thought?
A. Sensorimotor
B. Preoperational
C. Concrete Operational
D. Formal Operational
Answer: B. Preoperational
Which of the following is NOT a characteristic of the sensorimotor stage?
A. Children think through sensory experiences and motor actions
B. Children use symbolic thought
C. Development of object permanence
D. Learning through trial and error
Answer: B. Children use symbolic thought
What is the “A-not-B error” in Piaget’s sensorimotor stage?
A. The inability to recognize that an object still exists when out of sight
B. The tendency to search for an object in the first place it was found, even after seeing it hidden elsewhere
C. The inability to differentiate between similar objects
D. The tendency to look for an object in new locations
Answer: B. The tendency to search for an object in the first place it was found, even after seeing it hidden elsewhere
Which criticism of Piaget’s concept of object permanence suggests infants might lack memory?
A. Rene Baillargeon’s deficit-in-search skills hypothesis
B. Schacter’s memory deficit hypothesis
C. The appearance vs. reality theory
D. Vygotsky’s zone of proximal development
Answer: B. Schacter’s memory deficit hypothesis
What concept is Piaget assessing when children must understand that a tall, thin glass of water has the same amount as a short, wide glass?
A. Assimilation
B. Conservation of liquid quantity
C. Object permanence
D. Symbolic thought
Answer: B. Conservation of liquid quantity
Which of the following describes a limitation of children in the preoperational stage?
A. They are able to mentally manipulate objects in abstract ways
B. They have logical reasoning but struggle with hypothetical questions
C. They rely on appearances rather than logic to solve problems
D. They understand the concept of conservation
Answer: C. They rely on appearances rather than logic to solve problems
In the concrete operational stage, children begin to:
A. Think symbolically but not logically
B. Use logic, but only with concrete objects
C. Engage in abstract and hypothetical thinking
D. Act on objects only through sensory and motor interactions
Answer: B. Use logic, but only with concrete objects
What is the primary cognitive limitation observed in children in the concrete operational stage?
A. Struggle with concrete reasoning
B. Inability to form logical thoughts
C. Limited reasoning to real-world, concrete objects
D. Inability to engage in trial-and-error learning
Answer: C. Limited reasoning to real-world, concrete objects
Which stage of cognitive development is characterized by abstract and hypothetical reasoning?
A. Sensorimotor
B. Preoperational
C. Concrete Operational
D. Formal Operational
Answer: D. Formal Operational
iaget’s term “accommodation” refers to:
A. Integrating new stimuli with existing cognitive structures
B. Modifying cognitive structures to fit new information
C. Ignoring irrelevant information
D. A process occurring only in the sensorimotor stage
Answer: B. Modifying cognitive structures to fit new information
Which of the following is a criticism of Piaget’s research methods?
A. His concepts were clearly defined and measurable
B. He mostly relied on experiments with large sample sizes
C. He often over-interpreted data from observing his own children
D. His findings could not be replicated by other researchers
Answer: C. He often over-interpreted data from observing his own children
Which of the following is a task that distinguishes the formal operational stage from earlier stages?
A. Conservation of number
B. Conservation of liquid
C. Hypothetical and abstract reasoning, like the pendulum problem
D. A-not-B error test
Answer: C. Hypothetical and abstract reasoning, like the pendulum problem
