Q.1 According to Jean Piaget, at what stage do children begin to understand object permanence?
Sensorimotor
Preoperational
Concrete Operational
Formal Operational
Explanation - Piaget’s sensorimotor stage (birth to ~2 years) is when infants realize that objects continue to exist even when out of sight.
Correct answer is: Sensorimotor
Q.2 What is the hallmark of the preoperational stage in Piaget’s theory?
Conservation
Egocentrism
Abstract reasoning
Hypothetical thinking
Explanation - Children in the preoperational stage (2-7 years) struggle to see perspectives outside their own, showing egocentrism.
Correct answer is: Egocentrism
Q.3 Which psychologist is best known for the sociocultural theory of cognitive development?
Jean Piaget
Lev Vygotsky
Erik Erikson
John Bowlby
Explanation - Vygotsky emphasized the role of culture, social interaction, and language in cognitive development.
Correct answer is: Lev Vygotsky
Q.4 The concept of the 'zone of proximal development' was introduced by which theorist?
Piaget
Vygotsky
Bandura
Skinner
Explanation - Vygotsky’s ZPD highlights the range of tasks children can do with guidance but not yet independently.
Correct answer is: Vygotsky
Q.5 In Piaget’s conservation tasks, children fail to understand that:
Numbers can be added
Objects remain the same despite changes in appearance
Time is constant
Language has structure
Explanation - Preoperational children struggle with conservation, e.g., thinking a taller glass has 'more' water.
Correct answer is: Objects remain the same despite changes in appearance
Q.6 Which stage of cognitive development involves the ability to think abstractly and hypothetically?
Sensorimotor
Preoperational
Concrete Operational
Formal Operational
Explanation - Piaget’s formal operational stage (12+) includes abstract thought and hypothetical-deductive reasoning.
Correct answer is: Formal Operational
Q.7 What is 'scaffolding' in cognitive development?
Providing support to help a child learn a task
Allowing children to learn independently
Measuring a child’s IQ
Teaching only through repetition
Explanation - Scaffolding refers to guidance provided by adults or peers that supports a learner’s development.
Correct answer is: Providing support to help a child learn a task
Q.8 Which of the following best defines 'egocentrism' in young children?
Selfishness
Inability to see another’s perspective
High self-esteem
Preference for solitary play
Explanation - In Piaget’s theory, egocentrism is the cognitive limitation where a child cannot take another’s viewpoint.
Correct answer is: Inability to see another’s perspective
Q.9 Which task demonstrates a child’s mastery of conservation?
Understanding gravity
Recognizing moral dilemmas
Knowing clay has same mass when reshaped
Identifying emotions
Explanation - Conservation tasks measure the understanding that quantity remains constant despite changes in shape or arrangement.
Correct answer is: Knowing clay has same mass when reshaped
Q.10 Who introduced the concept of 'schemas' in cognitive development?
Erikson
Piaget
Freud
Vygotsky
Explanation - Schemas are mental frameworks introduced by Piaget to describe how knowledge is organized and adapted.
Correct answer is: Piaget
Q.11 The ability to mentally reverse an action is called:
Centration
Reversibility
Object permanence
Abstract reasoning
Explanation - Reversibility, gained in the concrete operational stage, allows children to mentally undo actions.
Correct answer is: Reversibility
Q.12 At which age does Piaget suggest children typically enter the concrete operational stage?
2 years
4 years
7 years
12 years
Explanation - Concrete operational stage begins around 7 years and continues until about 11, involving logical thought.
Correct answer is: 7 years
Q.13 Which cognitive ability allows adolescents to engage in scientific reasoning?
Object permanence
Egocentrism
Hypothetical-deductive reasoning
Centration
Explanation - Adolescents in the formal operational stage can think systematically and test hypotheses logically.
Correct answer is: Hypothetical-deductive reasoning
Q.14 In Piaget’s terms, the process of fitting new information into existing schemas is called:
Accommodation
Assimilation
Scaffolding
Equilibration
Explanation - Assimilation involves incorporating new experiences into preexisting mental frameworks.
Correct answer is: Assimilation
Q.15 Which term refers to adjusting existing schemas or creating new ones to incorporate new information?
Accommodation
Assimilation
Equilibration
Reinforcement
Explanation - Accommodation modifies existing schemas to adapt to new experiences.
Correct answer is: Accommodation
Q.16 Piaget believed that learning occurs through a balance between assimilation and accommodation, called:
Equilibration
Reversibility
Scaffolding
Maturation
Explanation - Equilibration maintains cognitive stability while allowing growth.
Correct answer is: Equilibration
Q.17 Which stage is characterized by symbolic play and language development?
Sensorimotor
Preoperational
Concrete Operational
Formal Operational
Explanation - The preoperational stage (2-7 years) includes symbolic thinking and rapid language growth.
Correct answer is: Preoperational
Q.18 According to Vygotsky, private speech in children is:
A sign of immaturity
An aid in self-regulation and problem solving
A language disorder
Irrelevant to learning
Explanation - Vygotsky saw private speech as crucial for guiding thinking and self-control.
Correct answer is: An aid in self-regulation and problem solving
Q.19 Which of the following best describes centration in Piaget’s theory?
Focusing on multiple aspects at once
Focusing on one aspect of a situation
Ability to reverse actions
Understanding permanence
Explanation - Centration is the tendency of preoperational children to focus on one aspect while ignoring others.
Correct answer is: Focusing on one aspect of a situation
Q.20 What is the main limitation of concrete operational thinking?
Egocentrism
Inability to think abstractly
Lack of memory
Poor language skills
Explanation - Concrete operational children can reason logically about tangible objects but not abstract ideas.
Correct answer is: Inability to think abstractly
Q.21 Which developmental phenomenon is assessed by Piaget’s three-mountain task?
Memory
Egocentrism
Conservation
Language acquisition
Explanation - The three-mountain task measures a child’s ability to adopt another’s perspective.
Correct answer is: Egocentrism
Q.22 Which of the following is an example of abstract thought?
Counting objects
Solving algebra equations
Stacking blocks
Sorting shapes
Explanation - Abstract thought involves reasoning beyond the concrete, such as in algebra or hypothetical scenarios.
Correct answer is: Solving algebra equations
Q.23 Which cognitive ability is lacking if a child thinks that cutting a cookie into two pieces makes it 'more'?
Object permanence
Conservation
Reversibility
Equilibration
Explanation - Failing conservation tasks shows misunderstanding of quantity constancy despite appearance changes.
Correct answer is: Conservation
Q.24 In Vygotsky’s view, learning precedes development because:
Maturation drives learning
Social interaction creates cognitive growth
Language has little role
Children learn only alone
Explanation - Vygotsky argued that guided learning in social contexts leads development.
Correct answer is: Social interaction creates cognitive growth
Q.25 Which developmental psychologist emphasized stages that are universal across cultures?
Vygotsky
Piaget
Bandura
Skinner
Explanation - Piaget viewed his four stages of cognitive development as universal and biologically driven.
Correct answer is: Piaget