CONCEPTS FOR NURSING
PRACTICE
4TH EDITION
• AUTHOR(S)JEAN FORET
GIDDENS
TEST BANK
Questions 1-5: Foundational Concepts & Theorists
1. Reference
Ch. 1 — Development — Foundational Theories
NCLEX-Level Question Stem
A nursing student is preparing a presentation on classic
developmental theorists for their fundamentals class. They
want to explain a theory that emphasizes how individuals
actively construct their understanding of the world through
sequential stages, and where cognitive development is the
,primary driver of progression. Which theorist's work should
form the core of this presentation?
Options
A. Erik Erikson
B. Jean Piaget
C. Lawrence Kohlberg
D. Sigmund Freud
Correct Answer
B. Jean Piaget
Rationales
• Correct: Jean Piaget's theory of cognitive development is
built on the concept of schemas, where children actively
construct knowledge through processes of assimilation
and accommodation. His model is defined by four
sequential, invariant stages (sensorimotor, preoperational,
concrete operational, formal operational) where cognitive
maturation is the key to advancing to the next stage.
• A. Erik Erikson: Erikson's psychosocial theory focuses on
social and emotional conflicts across the lifespan. While
sequential, the crises (e.g., Trust vs. Mistrust) are
psychosocial, not purely cognitive, in nature.
• C. Lawrence Kohlberg: Kohlberg's theory is specific to
moral reasoning, building upon but distinct from general
cognitive development. It is a subset of developmental
thinking, not the broad theory of general cognitive
construction the student is describing.
, • D. Sigmund Freud: Freud's psychosexual theory centers on
biological drives and unconscious conflicts, with
development driven by the resolution of these conflicts,
not primarily by active cognitive construction.
Teaching Point
Piaget's stages are universal, sequential, and driven by
cognitive maturation; mastery of one stage is required to
progress to the next.
Citation
Giddens, J. F. (2025). Concepts for Nursing Practice (4th
ed.). Chapter 1.
2. Reference
Ch. 1 — Development — Applying Developmental Theory
NCLEX-Level Question Stem
A nurse is assessing an 8-year-old child who is hospitalized for
appendicitis. The child is worried about missing a week of
school and repeatedly asks very specific, logical questions about
their surgery and recovery timeline. According to Piaget's
theory of cognitive development, in which stage is this child
most likely operating?
Options
A. Sensorimotor
B. Preoperational
C. Concrete Operational
D. Formal Operational
Correct Answer
, C. Concrete Operational
Rationales
• Correct: The concrete operational stage (ages 7-11) is
characterized by the development of logical thought about
concrete, tangible events. The child's ability to think
logically about the specific, real-world sequence of surgery
and recovery, and to understand cause and effect (missing
school due to illness), is a hallmark of this stage.
• A. Sensorimotor: This stage (birth-2 years) involves
learning through senses and motor actions, with a focus on
object permanence, not logical reasoning about future
events.
• B. Preoperational: This stage (2-7 years) is marked by
egocentric thought, magical thinking, and the inability to
perform logical operations. The child's logical, sequential
questioning is beyond typical preoperational thought.
• D. Formal Operational: This stage (adolescence-
adulthood) involves abstract, hypothetical, and future-
oriented reasoning. While an adolescent might ask similar
questions, the child's focus is on concrete, specific logistics
rather than abstract implications.
Teaching Point
Concrete operational thinkers use logic for physical objects
and predictable events, not for abstract or hypothetical
problems.
Citation
PRACTICE
4TH EDITION
• AUTHOR(S)JEAN FORET
GIDDENS
TEST BANK
Questions 1-5: Foundational Concepts & Theorists
1. Reference
Ch. 1 — Development — Foundational Theories
NCLEX-Level Question Stem
A nursing student is preparing a presentation on classic
developmental theorists for their fundamentals class. They
want to explain a theory that emphasizes how individuals
actively construct their understanding of the world through
sequential stages, and where cognitive development is the
,primary driver of progression. Which theorist's work should
form the core of this presentation?
Options
A. Erik Erikson
B. Jean Piaget
C. Lawrence Kohlberg
D. Sigmund Freud
Correct Answer
B. Jean Piaget
Rationales
• Correct: Jean Piaget's theory of cognitive development is
built on the concept of schemas, where children actively
construct knowledge through processes of assimilation
and accommodation. His model is defined by four
sequential, invariant stages (sensorimotor, preoperational,
concrete operational, formal operational) where cognitive
maturation is the key to advancing to the next stage.
• A. Erik Erikson: Erikson's psychosocial theory focuses on
social and emotional conflicts across the lifespan. While
sequential, the crises (e.g., Trust vs. Mistrust) are
psychosocial, not purely cognitive, in nature.
• C. Lawrence Kohlberg: Kohlberg's theory is specific to
moral reasoning, building upon but distinct from general
cognitive development. It is a subset of developmental
thinking, not the broad theory of general cognitive
construction the student is describing.
, • D. Sigmund Freud: Freud's psychosexual theory centers on
biological drives and unconscious conflicts, with
development driven by the resolution of these conflicts,
not primarily by active cognitive construction.
Teaching Point
Piaget's stages are universal, sequential, and driven by
cognitive maturation; mastery of one stage is required to
progress to the next.
Citation
Giddens, J. F. (2025). Concepts for Nursing Practice (4th
ed.). Chapter 1.
2. Reference
Ch. 1 — Development — Applying Developmental Theory
NCLEX-Level Question Stem
A nurse is assessing an 8-year-old child who is hospitalized for
appendicitis. The child is worried about missing a week of
school and repeatedly asks very specific, logical questions about
their surgery and recovery timeline. According to Piaget's
theory of cognitive development, in which stage is this child
most likely operating?
Options
A. Sensorimotor
B. Preoperational
C. Concrete Operational
D. Formal Operational
Correct Answer
, C. Concrete Operational
Rationales
• Correct: The concrete operational stage (ages 7-11) is
characterized by the development of logical thought about
concrete, tangible events. The child's ability to think
logically about the specific, real-world sequence of surgery
and recovery, and to understand cause and effect (missing
school due to illness), is a hallmark of this stage.
• A. Sensorimotor: This stage (birth-2 years) involves
learning through senses and motor actions, with a focus on
object permanence, not logical reasoning about future
events.
• B. Preoperational: This stage (2-7 years) is marked by
egocentric thought, magical thinking, and the inability to
perform logical operations. The child's logical, sequential
questioning is beyond typical preoperational thought.
• D. Formal Operational: This stage (adolescence-
adulthood) involves abstract, hypothetical, and future-
oriented reasoning. While an adolescent might ask similar
questions, the child's focus is on concrete, specific logistics
rather than abstract implications.
Teaching Point
Concrete operational thinkers use logic for physical objects
and predictable events, not for abstract or hypothetical
problems.
Citation
