,Liberty University PSYC 210 Quiz 3 | Developmental Psychology
(2026) Q&A
1. A baby accidentally grabs a rattle, it makes a noise when he moves it, and he then repeats
the action intentionally. This is an example of which Piagetian concept?
A) Primary circular reaction
B) Secondary circular reaction
C) Tertiary circular reaction
D) Coordination of secondary schemes
Correct Answer: Secondary circular reaction
Rationale: A secondary circular reaction occurs when an infant intentionally repeats an
action that involves an object in the environment, such as shaking a rattle to make noise.
Primary circular reactions involve the infant's own body, tertiary circular reactions involve
experimentation, and coordination of secondary schemes involves combining actions to
achieve a goal.
2. Rachel is 8 years old and Bethany is 16 years old. According to information-processing
theorists, how are they different?
A) Rachel has a larger working memory capacity.
B) Bethany uses more automatic cognitive strategies.
C) Rachel processes information more quickly.
D) Bethany has less efficient cognitive strategies.
Correct Answer: Bethany uses more automatic cognitive strategies.
Rationale: Information-processing theorists believe that as children develop, cognitive
activities become more automatic, freeing up mental resources for more complex tasks. Older
adolescents like Bethany have more automatic processing than younger children like Rachel.
,3. Which stage consistently fails conservation of quantity tasks, whether of water, mass, or
number?
A) Sensorimotor
B) Preoperational
C) Concrete operational
D) Formal operational
Correct Answer: Preoperational
Rationale: Children in Piaget's preoperational stage (ages 2–7) consistently fail conservation
tasks because they focus on the most salient perceptual aspect of the problem and cannot
mentally reverse the transformation. Concrete operational children pass conservation tasks.
4. A child is playing a hiding game. Each time a toy is hidden under a pillow, the baby
retrieves it. When the toy is then hidden under a blanket while the baby watches, the baby
still reaches under the pillow. This is called:
A) Object permanence
B) The A-not-B error
C) Conservation error
D) Egocentrism
Correct Answer: The A-not-B error
Rationale: The A-not-B error occurs when an infant continues to search for an object in a
previously successful location (A) despite having watched it being hidden in a new location
(B). It is a hallmark of Piaget's sensorimotor substage 4.
5. What does a child's ability to understand that objects continue to exist even when they
cannot be seen demonstrate?
A) Conservation
B) Object permanence
C) Reversibility
, D) Centration
Correct Answer: Object permanence
Rationale: Object permanence is the understanding that objects continue to exist even when
they are out of sight. It develops during Piaget's sensorimotor stage, typically between 8 and
12 months of age.
6. According to Piaget, which of the following is a characteristic of the preoperational stage?
A) Conservation
B) Abstract reasoning
C) Egocentrism
D) Reversibility
Correct Answer: Egocentrism
Rationale: The preoperational stage (ages 2–7) is characterized by egocentrism, where
children have difficulty seeing things from another person's perspective. Conservation and
reversibility develop in the concrete operational stage.
7. Core knowledge theorists argue that:
A) All knowledge comes from experience
B) Some cognitive mechanisms are innate
C) Development is purely quantitative
D) Children are passive recipients of information
Correct Answer: Some cognitive mechanisms are innate
Rationale: Core knowledge theorists propose that infants are born with domain-specific
innate cognitive mechanisms that allow them to make sense of certain types of information,
such as objects, numbers, and language.
(2026) Q&A
1. A baby accidentally grabs a rattle, it makes a noise when he moves it, and he then repeats
the action intentionally. This is an example of which Piagetian concept?
A) Primary circular reaction
B) Secondary circular reaction
C) Tertiary circular reaction
D) Coordination of secondary schemes
Correct Answer: Secondary circular reaction
Rationale: A secondary circular reaction occurs when an infant intentionally repeats an
action that involves an object in the environment, such as shaking a rattle to make noise.
Primary circular reactions involve the infant's own body, tertiary circular reactions involve
experimentation, and coordination of secondary schemes involves combining actions to
achieve a goal.
2. Rachel is 8 years old and Bethany is 16 years old. According to information-processing
theorists, how are they different?
A) Rachel has a larger working memory capacity.
B) Bethany uses more automatic cognitive strategies.
C) Rachel processes information more quickly.
D) Bethany has less efficient cognitive strategies.
Correct Answer: Bethany uses more automatic cognitive strategies.
Rationale: Information-processing theorists believe that as children develop, cognitive
activities become more automatic, freeing up mental resources for more complex tasks. Older
adolescents like Bethany have more automatic processing than younger children like Rachel.
,3. Which stage consistently fails conservation of quantity tasks, whether of water, mass, or
number?
A) Sensorimotor
B) Preoperational
C) Concrete operational
D) Formal operational
Correct Answer: Preoperational
Rationale: Children in Piaget's preoperational stage (ages 2–7) consistently fail conservation
tasks because they focus on the most salient perceptual aspect of the problem and cannot
mentally reverse the transformation. Concrete operational children pass conservation tasks.
4. A child is playing a hiding game. Each time a toy is hidden under a pillow, the baby
retrieves it. When the toy is then hidden under a blanket while the baby watches, the baby
still reaches under the pillow. This is called:
A) Object permanence
B) The A-not-B error
C) Conservation error
D) Egocentrism
Correct Answer: The A-not-B error
Rationale: The A-not-B error occurs when an infant continues to search for an object in a
previously successful location (A) despite having watched it being hidden in a new location
(B). It is a hallmark of Piaget's sensorimotor substage 4.
5. What does a child's ability to understand that objects continue to exist even when they
cannot be seen demonstrate?
A) Conservation
B) Object permanence
C) Reversibility
, D) Centration
Correct Answer: Object permanence
Rationale: Object permanence is the understanding that objects continue to exist even when
they are out of sight. It develops during Piaget's sensorimotor stage, typically between 8 and
12 months of age.
6. According to Piaget, which of the following is a characteristic of the preoperational stage?
A) Conservation
B) Abstract reasoning
C) Egocentrism
D) Reversibility
Correct Answer: Egocentrism
Rationale: The preoperational stage (ages 2–7) is characterized by egocentrism, where
children have difficulty seeing things from another person's perspective. Conservation and
reversibility develop in the concrete operational stage.
7. Core knowledge theorists argue that:
A) All knowledge comes from experience
B) Some cognitive mechanisms are innate
C) Development is purely quantitative
D) Children are passive recipients of information
Correct Answer: Some cognitive mechanisms are innate
Rationale: Core knowledge theorists propose that infants are born with domain-specific
innate cognitive mechanisms that allow them to make sense of certain types of information,
such as objects, numbers, and language.
