DEP1030
Intro to Cognitive
Development
Q & A w/ Rationales
2024
,1. A researcher wants to study how children's
understanding of numbers changes over time. She gives a
group of 4-year-olds and a group of 6-year-olds a task
where they have to estimate how many candies are in a jar.
She finds that the 6-year-olds are more accurate than the 4-
year-olds. What cognitive development theory can best
explain this finding?
a) Piaget's theory of cognitive stages
b) Vygotsky's theory of sociocultural learning
c) Information processing theory
d) Core knowledge theory*
Rationale: Core knowledge theory proposes that children
have innate and domain-specific knowledge of certain
concepts, such as numbers, that can be refined and
expanded through experience. The 6-year-olds have more
experience with numbers than the 4-year-olds, so they can
use their core knowledge more effectively.
2. A teacher wants to help her students develop
metacognition, or the ability to monitor and regulate their
own thinking. Which of the following strategies would be
most effective for this goal?
a) Giving the students frequent feedback on their
performance
b) Encouraging the students to reflect on their learning
processes and outcomes*
c) Providing the students with clear and specific learning
objectives
, d) Assigning the students to work in groups with peers of
different abilities
Rationale: Metacognition involves being aware of one's
own cognitive strengths and weaknesses, as well as the
strategies and resources that can enhance one's learning. By
reflecting on their learning processes and outcomes,
students can evaluate their own thinking and adjust it
accordingly.
3. A psychologist wants to assess the memory span of a 7-
year-old child. He shows the child a series of digits on a
screen and asks him to repeat them in the same order. He
starts with two digits and increases the number by one until
the child makes a mistake. What is the average memory
span for a 7-year-old child in this task?
a) 3 digits
b) 5 digits*
c) 7 digits
d) 9 digits
Rationale: Memory span is the number of items that can be
held in short-term memory at a given time. According to
Miller's (1956) classic study, the average memory span for
adults is about seven items, plus or minus two. However,
memory span increases with age, so children have lower
memory spans than adults. A typical memory span for a 7-
year-old child is about five digits.
4. A parent wants to foster her 3-year-old daughter's
creativity and imagination. She buys her a set of blocks and
encourages her to build whatever she wants with them.
Intro to Cognitive
Development
Q & A w/ Rationales
2024
,1. A researcher wants to study how children's
understanding of numbers changes over time. She gives a
group of 4-year-olds and a group of 6-year-olds a task
where they have to estimate how many candies are in a jar.
She finds that the 6-year-olds are more accurate than the 4-
year-olds. What cognitive development theory can best
explain this finding?
a) Piaget's theory of cognitive stages
b) Vygotsky's theory of sociocultural learning
c) Information processing theory
d) Core knowledge theory*
Rationale: Core knowledge theory proposes that children
have innate and domain-specific knowledge of certain
concepts, such as numbers, that can be refined and
expanded through experience. The 6-year-olds have more
experience with numbers than the 4-year-olds, so they can
use their core knowledge more effectively.
2. A teacher wants to help her students develop
metacognition, or the ability to monitor and regulate their
own thinking. Which of the following strategies would be
most effective for this goal?
a) Giving the students frequent feedback on their
performance
b) Encouraging the students to reflect on their learning
processes and outcomes*
c) Providing the students with clear and specific learning
objectives
, d) Assigning the students to work in groups with peers of
different abilities
Rationale: Metacognition involves being aware of one's
own cognitive strengths and weaknesses, as well as the
strategies and resources that can enhance one's learning. By
reflecting on their learning processes and outcomes,
students can evaluate their own thinking and adjust it
accordingly.
3. A psychologist wants to assess the memory span of a 7-
year-old child. He shows the child a series of digits on a
screen and asks him to repeat them in the same order. He
starts with two digits and increases the number by one until
the child makes a mistake. What is the average memory
span for a 7-year-old child in this task?
a) 3 digits
b) 5 digits*
c) 7 digits
d) 9 digits
Rationale: Memory span is the number of items that can be
held in short-term memory at a given time. According to
Miller's (1956) classic study, the average memory span for
adults is about seven items, plus or minus two. However,
memory span increases with age, so children have lower
memory spans than adults. A typical memory span for a 7-
year-old child is about five digits.
4. A parent wants to foster her 3-year-old daughter's
creativity and imagination. She buys her a set of blocks and
encourages her to build whatever she wants with them.
