SW 620 (Theory) Quiz 3 Questions and Answers Graded A+
What is cognition? - Answers Cognition is the mental action or process of acquiring knowledge
and understanding through thought, experience, and the senses.
Cognitive theory seeks to do what? - Answers Cognitive theory seeks to understand human
learning, socialization, and behavior by looking at the brain's internal cognitive processes.
Cognitive theorists want to understand the way that people process information.
Cognitive theory shifts away from focus on ________ to the clients' interpretations of events as
they respond to stimuli and reinforcements - Answers behaviors
Which theory introduced a connection between thoughts, stimulus, and response (cognitive
mediation)?
Cognitive theory is often used together with behavior theory. - Answers Bandura's social
learning theory
The first basic concept of cognitive theory states that cognitions are our _____, _____, _____, and
____ about the causes of events, attitudes, and perceptions in our lives. - Answers beliefs,
assumptions, expectations, and ideas
Cognitive Theory postulates that we develop habits of thinking that form the basis for our _____
and _____ of the environmental input, categorizing and evaluating that experience, and making
judgments about how to behave. - Answers screening and coding
True or false: Emotions are physiological responses that come BEFORE our cognitive evaluation
of input. - Answers False! Thoughts occur prior to emotions and thoughts PRODUCE emotions.
Two people can have the same event happen to them and interpret it completely differently
based on their past experiences.
What is George Kelly's personal construct theory (1955)? (THIS IS HOW COGNITIVE THEORY
ORIGINATED) - Answers - A person's core tendency is to attempt to predict and control the
events of experience. Kelly believed that the truth was not absolute, but represents a state in
which perceptions are consistent with our internal construct system.
- "Person as empirical scientist" - the essence of human nature is the scientific pursuit of truth
through formulating hypotheses and testing them in the real world. His model of the person as
an empirical scientist influenced many other scientists.
- Through this testing process, people develop constructs: interpretations of events resulting
from natural reasoning processes
,The first concept of cognitive theory states what about innate drives and motivation? - Answers
There are NO assumed innate drives or motivations that propel people to act in a particular way
(critique is "what about ppl with intellectual disabilities? Do they not think then?")
The second concept of cognitive theory states what about patterns and behavior? - Answers
Patterns of thought and behavior are developed through habits that can be modified as we
acquire new information
The third concept of cognitive theory states what about schemas? - Answers - Schemas are our
internalized representation of the world; patterns of thought, action, & problem solving.
- Schemas develop through direct learning or social learning, it's the necessary bias with which
we view the world, based on early learning.
- Disordered thoughts come from schemas
- Schemas develop through our own experiences (direct learning) or watching an absorbing
others experiences (social learning).
What year did cognitive theory develop? - Answers 1960s. It continues to be a popular basis for
intervention in SW.
Cognitive theory was influenced by developments in what three areas? - Answers 1) Philosophy
2) Information processing theory in the computer sciences (examines how people process
information)
3) Social learning theory
What is assimilation? - Answers MAKE IT FIT! Using an existing schema to deal with a new
object or situation. (When a child sees a bear and thinks it's a dog because all they've seen have
been dogs)
What is accomodation? - Answers Changing our existing schema in response to a new situation
(The dad having to explain what a bear is to the child)
What is equilibrim? - Answers A state of balance occurs when a child's schema can deal with
new information through assimilation. The child's existing schema can explain what it's
perceiving around it.
What is equilibration? - Answers Force that drives cognitive development; seeking to restore
balance in the midst of a new situation through accommodation.
EQUILIBRATION DRIVES LEARNING BECAUSE WE DO NOT WANT TO BE UNCOMFORTABLE.
What is organization? - Answers A tendency to seek and build order. The individual will seek
coherence in schemata—systematize observations and data in the development of cognitive
, structures.
Who developed Cognitive Development Theory? - Answers Jean Piaget. He studied cognitive
processes in children.
What are the five assumptions in cognitive development theory that the creator found? -
Answers 1) Cognitive development occurs in a fixed sequence. Individual progresses through
stages in a progressive & and invariant way. No stage is skipped. Stages are not tied to age.
2) The stages build on each other; each successive stage represents more complex ways of
thinking. The stages are universal and culture does NOT change them.
3) Development occurs through individual activities (not teaching or maturation)
4) Interactions with the environment lead to the creation and modification of cognitive
structures
What is Piaget's definition of a schema? - Answers Schemas: Building blocks of knowledge; a
structure or representation of reality in memory. Way of organizing knowledge. "Units" of
knowledge, each relating to one aspect of the world, including objects, actions, and abstract (i.e.,
theoretical) concepts.
What is adaptation? - Answers Processes that enable the transition from one stage to another
(equilibrium, assimilation, and accommodation).
What are the four stages of cognitive development? - Answers Stages of Cognitive Development:
(SPCF - Some Pigs Can Fly)
1) Sensorimotor
2) Preoperational
3) Concrete operational
4) Formal operational
What is the first stage of Piagets Cognitive Development Theory? - Answers Sensorimotor
Intelligence: (age 0-2 years)
Goal: object permanence - knowing that an object still exists, even if it is hidden. It requires the
ability to form a mental representation (i.e., a schema) of the object.
Development focuses on sensory and motor schemata; Ex: child dropping toys from high chair;
repeats again leaning over to watch, repeats again at different angle, all in further developing a
What is cognition? - Answers Cognition is the mental action or process of acquiring knowledge
and understanding through thought, experience, and the senses.
Cognitive theory seeks to do what? - Answers Cognitive theory seeks to understand human
learning, socialization, and behavior by looking at the brain's internal cognitive processes.
Cognitive theorists want to understand the way that people process information.
Cognitive theory shifts away from focus on ________ to the clients' interpretations of events as
they respond to stimuli and reinforcements - Answers behaviors
Which theory introduced a connection between thoughts, stimulus, and response (cognitive
mediation)?
Cognitive theory is often used together with behavior theory. - Answers Bandura's social
learning theory
The first basic concept of cognitive theory states that cognitions are our _____, _____, _____, and
____ about the causes of events, attitudes, and perceptions in our lives. - Answers beliefs,
assumptions, expectations, and ideas
Cognitive Theory postulates that we develop habits of thinking that form the basis for our _____
and _____ of the environmental input, categorizing and evaluating that experience, and making
judgments about how to behave. - Answers screening and coding
True or false: Emotions are physiological responses that come BEFORE our cognitive evaluation
of input. - Answers False! Thoughts occur prior to emotions and thoughts PRODUCE emotions.
Two people can have the same event happen to them and interpret it completely differently
based on their past experiences.
What is George Kelly's personal construct theory (1955)? (THIS IS HOW COGNITIVE THEORY
ORIGINATED) - Answers - A person's core tendency is to attempt to predict and control the
events of experience. Kelly believed that the truth was not absolute, but represents a state in
which perceptions are consistent with our internal construct system.
- "Person as empirical scientist" - the essence of human nature is the scientific pursuit of truth
through formulating hypotheses and testing them in the real world. His model of the person as
an empirical scientist influenced many other scientists.
- Through this testing process, people develop constructs: interpretations of events resulting
from natural reasoning processes
,The first concept of cognitive theory states what about innate drives and motivation? - Answers
There are NO assumed innate drives or motivations that propel people to act in a particular way
(critique is "what about ppl with intellectual disabilities? Do they not think then?")
The second concept of cognitive theory states what about patterns and behavior? - Answers
Patterns of thought and behavior are developed through habits that can be modified as we
acquire new information
The third concept of cognitive theory states what about schemas? - Answers - Schemas are our
internalized representation of the world; patterns of thought, action, & problem solving.
- Schemas develop through direct learning or social learning, it's the necessary bias with which
we view the world, based on early learning.
- Disordered thoughts come from schemas
- Schemas develop through our own experiences (direct learning) or watching an absorbing
others experiences (social learning).
What year did cognitive theory develop? - Answers 1960s. It continues to be a popular basis for
intervention in SW.
Cognitive theory was influenced by developments in what three areas? - Answers 1) Philosophy
2) Information processing theory in the computer sciences (examines how people process
information)
3) Social learning theory
What is assimilation? - Answers MAKE IT FIT! Using an existing schema to deal with a new
object or situation. (When a child sees a bear and thinks it's a dog because all they've seen have
been dogs)
What is accomodation? - Answers Changing our existing schema in response to a new situation
(The dad having to explain what a bear is to the child)
What is equilibrim? - Answers A state of balance occurs when a child's schema can deal with
new information through assimilation. The child's existing schema can explain what it's
perceiving around it.
What is equilibration? - Answers Force that drives cognitive development; seeking to restore
balance in the midst of a new situation through accommodation.
EQUILIBRATION DRIVES LEARNING BECAUSE WE DO NOT WANT TO BE UNCOMFORTABLE.
What is organization? - Answers A tendency to seek and build order. The individual will seek
coherence in schemata—systematize observations and data in the development of cognitive
, structures.
Who developed Cognitive Development Theory? - Answers Jean Piaget. He studied cognitive
processes in children.
What are the five assumptions in cognitive development theory that the creator found? -
Answers 1) Cognitive development occurs in a fixed sequence. Individual progresses through
stages in a progressive & and invariant way. No stage is skipped. Stages are not tied to age.
2) The stages build on each other; each successive stage represents more complex ways of
thinking. The stages are universal and culture does NOT change them.
3) Development occurs through individual activities (not teaching or maturation)
4) Interactions with the environment lead to the creation and modification of cognitive
structures
What is Piaget's definition of a schema? - Answers Schemas: Building blocks of knowledge; a
structure or representation of reality in memory. Way of organizing knowledge. "Units" of
knowledge, each relating to one aspect of the world, including objects, actions, and abstract (i.e.,
theoretical) concepts.
What is adaptation? - Answers Processes that enable the transition from one stage to another
(equilibrium, assimilation, and accommodation).
What are the four stages of cognitive development? - Answers Stages of Cognitive Development:
(SPCF - Some Pigs Can Fly)
1) Sensorimotor
2) Preoperational
3) Concrete operational
4) Formal operational
What is the first stage of Piagets Cognitive Development Theory? - Answers Sensorimotor
Intelligence: (age 0-2 years)
Goal: object permanence - knowing that an object still exists, even if it is hidden. It requires the
ability to form a mental representation (i.e., a schema) of the object.
Development focuses on sensory and motor schemata; Ex: child dropping toys from high chair;
repeats again leaning over to watch, repeats again at different angle, all in further developing a
