W02 Theories of Development 1. Which philosopher is associated with the 'Empiricist' view, depicted as knowledge coming 'from without' in the lecture background? Plato Jean Piaget John Locke Lev Vygotsky 2. How is the child primarily depicted in Jean Piaget’s theory of development? As a social being heavily reliant on cultural tools As a "little scientist" constructing knowledge for themselves As a passive recipient of environmental stimuli As a blank slate entirely shaped by parental instruction 3. According to Piaget, the main sources of continuity are three processes—assimilation, accommodation, and _____. nature nurture experimentation equilibration 4. In Piaget’s theory, what is the process by which people translate incoming information into a form they already understand? Assimilation Accommodation Equilibration Internalisation 5. When an infant adjusts their theory of the world because their current knowledge is contradicted by evidence (e.g., inanimate things coming closer when pulled), which process is occurring? Assimilation Centration Accommodation Scaffolding 6. Which of the following is NOT a central property of Piaget’s stage theory? Qualitative change Variable sequence Broad applicability Brief transitions 7. The period (birth to 2 years) within Piaget’s theory in which intelligence is expressed through sensory and motor abilities is called the _____ stage. sensorimotor preoperational concrete operational formal operational 8. What critical cognitive achievement is typically reached by approximately 8 months of age in the sensorimotor stage? Conservation Abstract reasoning Symbolic representation Object permanence 9. In the A-not-B task, what error do infants typically make until about 12 months of age? They refuse to reach for the object at all. They reach to where the object was found before, rather than where it was last hidden. They reach for the object correctly but drop it immediately. They look at the correct location but reach to a third neutral location. 10. Deferred imitation, the repetition of other people's behaviour a substantial time after it occurred, is a sign that the child has formed: Reflexive responses Concrete operations Enduring mental representations Egocentric speech 11. Which stage is characterized by the acquisition of symbolic representation but limited by egocentrism and centration? Pre-operational stage Sensorimotor stage Concrete operational stage Formal operational stage 12. The "Three-Mountains Task" is used to demonstrate which limitation of pre-operational thinking? Lack of object permanence Egocentrism Inability to conserve number Lack of symbolic representation 13. Why do pre-operational children typically fail conservation tasks (e.g., liquid quantity)? They cannot see the objects clearly. They lack the motor skills to pour the liquid back. They are not interested in the task. They focus on one perceptually salient aspect (centration) and ignore others. 14. During the Concrete Operational stage (7–12 years), children are able to: Reason hypothetically about alternative worlds Perform systematic scientific experiments Solve conservation problems and reason logically about concrete situations Understand that objects exist when out of sight for the first time 15. Which stage of cognitive development did Piaget believe was not universal and depended on the quality of education? Formal operational stage Concrete operational stage Pre-operational stage Sensorimotor stage 16. In the pendulum problem, how do children below the age of 12 (pre-formal operational) typically perform? They systematically test one variable at a time. They perform unsystematic experiments and draw incorrect conclusions. They refuse to touch the pendulum. They solve it immediately without experimentation. 17. Which of the following is a recognized critique of Piaget’s theory? It overstates the contribution of the social world. It portrays children’s thinking as less consistent than it actually is. It claims infants are more competent than they actually are. It is vague about the cognitive mechanisms that produce growth. 18. Lev Vygotsky’s sociocultural approach portrays children as: Social beings intertwined with others who help them gain skills Solitary learners who must discover the world independently Biological entities driven solely by innate reflexes Passive observers who do not participate in their own development 19. Vygotsky distinguished between "lower mental functions" (innate/biological) and "higher mental functions". How do higher mental functions develop? Through biological maturation alone Through independent experimentation Through cultural mediation and social interactions Through the suppression of private speech 20. In Vygotsky’s theory, the process by which a child learns a cultural tool and eventually uses it independently is known as: Assimilation Internalisation Centration Equilibration 21. Vygotsky’s emphasis on children as social learners is evident in his perspective on the relation between _____. language and emotion language and thought thought and emotion thought and ambition 22. According to Vygotsky, what is the function of "private speech" in children aged 4-6? It is a sign of cognitive immaturity and egocentrism. It is intended to communicate directly with peers. It disappears completely as soon as the child learns to read. It helps guide behavior and serves as a foundation for higher cognitive processes. 23. Research on counting systems (e.g., English vs. Chinese) and brick-counting tasks (Miura et al., 1994) supports Vygotsky’s idea that: The content children learn and their thinking are shaped by cultural products. Mathematical ability is purely biological and universal. Children in all cultures develop spatial abilities at the exact same rate. Language has no impact on cognitive development. 24. Which concept refers to the "mutual understanding that people share during communication," which serves as the foundation of human cognitive development? Conservation Social Scaffolding Intersubjectivity Object Permanence 25. The "Zone of Proximal Development" (ZPD) refers to: The stage where a child can solve abstract problems independently. The range of performance between what children can do unsupported and what they can do with assistance. The physical environment in which a child plays. The period of time before a child begins to speak. 26. Which process involves more competent people providing a temporary framework that supports children’s thinking at a higher level than they could manage on their own? Social scaffolding Assimilation Deferred imitation Conservation 27. How do Piaget and Vygotsky differ in their approach to education? Piaget emphasizes social interaction; Vygotsky emphasizes independent discovery. Piaget believes in pushing the child beyond their limits; Vygotsky believes in waiting for maturation. Both believe that language is the sole driver of development. Piaget suggests adjusting teaching to the child's developmental level; Vygotsky suggests challenging the child within the ZPD. 28. Regarding the direction of speech development, Piaget believed speech goes from _ while Vygotsky believed it goes from ___. Outer to Inner; Inner to Outer Concrete to Abstract; Abstract to Concrete Inner (Egocentric) to Outer (Social); Outer (Social) to Inner (Internalised) Simple to Complex; Complex to Simple 29. Piaget’s claim that everyone goes through the stages of development in the same order without skipping is referred to as: Broad applicability Invariant sequence Discontinuous leap Cultural mediation 30. Why is it beneficial to have multiple theories of development rather than just one? Because one theory is always completely wrong. Because development is purely biological and needs no explanation. Because researchers cannot agree on a single definition of "child". Because development is a complex process, and different theories allow a broader appreciation of different capabilities. Submit Quiz