1. iClicker Questions for Psychology, Seventh Edition by Peter Gray Chapter 11: The Development of Thought and Language

2. In an experiment, a psychologist puts a colorful image on the side of an infant’s crib. The infant looks at it intently at first and then less and less over time. The psychologist then replaces the image with a new one and the infant looks at it intently. What phenomenon is the psychologist observing?
Answer: c
Assimilation
Accommodation
Habituation
Operation

3. If an infant refuses to crawl near the top of a staircase because he sees his father’s fearful facial expression, what is the infant doing?
Social referencing
Assimilating
Accommodating
Habituating
Answer: a

4. What have experiments using the selective-looking method with 3 1/2-month-old infants shown?
The infants look longer at the possible event, suggesting some understanding of core physical principles.
The infants look longer at the impossible event, suggesting they have no understanding of core physical principles.
The infants look longer at the possible event, suggesting they have no understanding of core physical principles.
The infants look longer at the impossible event, suggesting they have some understanding of core physical principles.
Answer: d

5. _________ is the process by which new experiences are incorporated into existing schemes, whereas _________ is the process of expanding or changing existing schemes somewhat.
Accommodation; assimilation
Assimilation; accommodation
Phonology; morphology
Morphology; phonology
Answer: b

6. Which of the following is NOT one of the limitations of Piaget’s theory?
Piaget overestimated the age differences in ways of thinking.
Piaget was vague about the process of change.
Piaget underestimated the role of the social environment.
Piaget underestimated the role of the child’s own activity in cognitive development.
Answer: d

7. Which of the following observations best supports Vygotsky’s view that language is critical to thought?
Children 4 to 6 years old often communicate with people they don’t know.
Children 4 to 6 years old rarely speak in the absence of others.
Children 4 to 6 years old often speak in a non-communicative manner.
Children 4 to 6 years old rarely communicate with people they don’t know.
Answer: c

8.  How is the language acquisition device (LAD) related to the concept of a universal grammar?
The LAD includes the inborn foundations of the universal grammar, plus the entire set of inborn mechanisms which guide the child’s ability to quickly and efficiently learn their culture's language.
The LAD is the entire set of inborn mechanisms which guide the child’s ability to quickly and efficiently learn their culture’s language.
The LAD is a subset of the universal grammar, which is a specialized linguistic module found only in humans.
The two have nothing to do with each other. The LAD is a notion created by the sociocultural psychologists while Noam Chomsky created and championed the concept of a universal grammar.
Answer: a