Psychology - Cognitive Development

Development that involves growth and transitions in patterns of mental activity.

cognitive development

The understanding that physical quantities remain the same despite changes in shape or appearance.

conservation

The inability to mentally reverse actions.

irreversibility

Developmental "zone" between a child's actual developmental level and the child's ability to independently complete tasks.

zone of proximal development

A child's intellectual capacity is most likely to reach its fullest potential in a home where __________. A. curiosity and exploration is repressed B. the child does not have to follow a regular routine C. the child has been raised to be nonassertive and dependent D. there is strong emotional support and security

D.

Both Lev Vygotsky and Jean Piaget believed that __________. A. development was influenced by culture B. interaction with others impacted learning C. private speech was insignificant D. children were active participants in their learning

D.

During __________, frequently used synaptic connections in the brain strengthen while rarely used connections tend to thin. A. assimilation B. accommodation C. scaffolding D. synaptogenesis

D.

Thinking in terms of a situation's current state and not having the ability to mentally reverse actions are limitations of the __________ stage. A. formal operational B. sensorimotor C. concrete operational D. preoperational

D.

The understanding that objects exist even when they are not visible.

object permanence

Peer relationships can teach all of the following except __________. A. need for tradition B. perspective taking C. emotional support D. appropriate self-disclosure

A.

When it comes to the development of the ability to think and reason, individuals in __________ tend to be less self-centered and begin to think about decisions that have an effect on the world around them. A. late adolescence B. middle adulthood C. early adolescence D. early adulthood

A.

__________ refers to using prior knowledge and skills to interpret new information. Generalization Assimilation Integration Accommodation

Assimilation

Hereditary factors that influence cognitive development consist of __________. A. environments that promote strong sibling relationships B. genetically transmitted characteristics inherited from one's parents C. parenting styles practiced by the caregiver D. physiological changes that happen in the brain

B.

Jean Piaget theorized that individuals construct knowledge largely through interactions with __________. A. others' perspectives B. the environment C. parents D. friends

B.

Which of the following is not a reason childhood friendships are important to development? A. Positive relationships provide positive psychological support. B. Friends are a child's first chance in learning how to be social with siblings. C. Adolescents can use friendships as a way to work out personal problems. D. Children can learn what it means to be loyal through their friendships.

B.

Which of the following is not an example of scaffolding? A. presenting the learner with a leading question B. asking the learner to begin working on a problem C. showing a learner the solution to a problem D. completing the first part of a problem for a learner

B.

Which of the following is not one of the four basic principles underlying the Vygotskian framework? A. Children construct their knowledge. B. Growth is independent of cultural skills. C. Learning can lead to development. D. Language plays a central role in mental development.

B.

In which of Piaget's stages does a child begin to pretend and ask questions? A. concrete operational B. sensorimotor C. preoperational D. formal operational

C.

In which of Piaget's stages would a child be if the child has just developed object permanence? A. concrete operational B. preoperational C. sensorimotor D. formal operational

C.

Lev Vygotsky's process of children cognitively developing by having a higher-skilled person give them help at the beginning and slowly withdrawing help as the child's learning progresses is __________. A. basic capacity B. motivation C. scaffolding D. comfort level

C.

Piaget's belief that children form mental pictures according to new stimuli or experiences is known as __________. A. scaffolding B. differentiation C. schemas D. assimilation

C.

When new understandings are achieved but the range of information able to be understood does not change, a learner's zone of proximal development __________. A. grows wider B. becomes bigger C. is smaller D. does not change

C.

Which of the following choices is an accurate example of how the use of cultural tools is important in the development of one's cognitive developmental process? A. For the development of language skills, it is helpful to use symbolism in forming words to match mental pictures. B. Categorizing shades of blue from shades of purple helps one to make accurate concept formations. C. The use of an abacus to solve a mathematical equation is useful in helping the brain form a mental picture of the problem. D. Using cultural tools frequently causes connections in the brain's nerve endings to strengthen.

C.

__________ is when frequently used brain synapses begin to strengthen and rarely used connections begin to prune. A. Induction B. Plasticity C. Synaptogenesis D. Elasticity

C.

__________ who have been raised apart are typically more similar in intelligence level than biological siblings raised together because they have been born with the same genetic code. A. Male siblings B. Adopted siblings C. Identical twins D. Fraternal twins

C.

Which of the following is a method of scaffolding? A. explaining the correct way of doing something without errors B. correcting the mistakes of a learner without explaining why C. telling a learner that they have made a mistake D. showing a learner how to correct common mistakes

D.

__________ is when one relates similar objects to schemas one is already familiar with. A. Accommodation B. Generalization C. Differentiation D. Assimilation

D.

Vygotsky believed that scaffolding limited communication between the teacher and the learner.

F

Which of the following statements regarding cognitive development is false? Parents who reason openly with children can limit a child's cognitive ability. An educational environment that encourages children to explain personal thoughts generally improves cognitive ability. Opportunities to reflect on prior knowledge often increases cognitive development. Lack of opportunity to explore one's environment can limit one's reasoning.

Parents who reason openly with children can limit a child's cognitive ability.

Adolescents in the formal operational stage typically have unrealistic or impractical solutions to solving world issues.

T

Concept formation is the ability to categorize information that aids in cognitive development.

T

Due to the brain's plasticity, experiences during childhood have a strong impact on who we become.

T

Schemas are mental pictures that are formed as a result of one's experiences.

T

Process of reasoning in which individuals modify existing schemas to integrate new information.

accommodation

Process of reasoning in which individuals interpret new concepts or experiences with existing schemas.

assimilation

The tendency to focus on only one aspect of a problem.

centration

The inability for a preoperational child to share another person's perspective.

egocentrism

According to Jean Piaget, in what stage of cognitive development are children able to understand conservation tasks? formal operational preoperational sensorimotor concrete operational

preoperational

Teaching process that involves providing guidance to a learner in order to help increase one's understanding of a new concept or task.

scaffolding