Which Piagetian concept best explains the 4-year-olds' responses?

Answer: Failure to conserve liquid quantity due to centration on height Conservation is the understanding that quantity remains the same despite changes in shape or appearance. Preoperational children center on one salient dimension (height), failing to coordinate it with width. By concrete operational stage (around 7), they decenter and conserve.

The 3-year-olds' incorrect answer most clearly reflects which Piagetian limitation?

Answer: Egocentrism characteristic of preoperational thought Egocentrism—difficulty taking another's perspective—is the preoperational hallmark and explains the 3-year-old's failure to separate Sally's belief from their own knowledge.

The shift between ages 3 and 5 most directly reflects the development of:

Answer: Theory of mind—the ability to attribute beliefs that differ from reality Passing false-belief tasks marks the emergence of theory of mind: understanding that others can hold beliefs different from one's own knowledge of reality.

AP Psychology · Topic 3.4

Cognitive Development Across the Lifespan Practice

Part of Development and Learning.

Practice questions

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Sample questions

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Sample 1difficulty 2/5
$Dr. Reyes shows 4-year-olds two identical glasses with equal amounts of juice. She then pours one glass into a tall, narrow container while the children watch. When asked which has more juice, 78% of the children point to the tall container. When the same children are tested at age 7, only 12% make the same error.$
$Which Piagetian concept best explains the 4-year-olds' responses?$
- A
  $Object permanence has not yet been acquired$
- B
  $Theory of mind is absent in preoperational thought$
- C
  $Failure to conserve liquid quantity due to centration on height$
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- D
  $Hypothetico-deductive reasoning is still developing$
Why
$Conservation is the understanding that quantity remains the same despite changes in shape or appearance. Preoperational children center on one salient dimension (height), failing to coordinate it with width. By concrete operational stage (around 7), they decenter and conserve.$
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Sample 2difficulty 2/5
$A developmental researcher administers the classic Sally-Anne false-belief task. Sally hides a marble in a basket, leaves the room, and Anne moves it to a box. Children are asked, "Where will Sally look for the marble?" In a sample of 40 typically developing children, most 3-year-olds answer "the box," whereas most 5-year-olds answer "the basket."$
$The 3-year-olds' incorrect answer most clearly reflects which Piagetian limitation?$
- A
  $Egocentrism characteristic of preoperational thought$
  check_circle
- B
  $Reversibility of concrete operations$
- C
  $Sensorimotor reflexes$
- D
  $Hypothetico-deductive reasoning$
Why
$Egocentrism—difficulty taking another's perspective—is the preoperational hallmark and explains the 3-year-old's failure to separate Sally's belief from their own knowledge.$
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Sample 3difficulty 2/5
$A developmental researcher administers the classic Sally-Anne false-belief task. Sally hides a marble in a basket, leaves the room, and Anne moves it to a box. Children are asked, "Where will Sally look for the marble?" In a sample of 40 typically developing children, most 3-year-olds answer "the box," whereas most 5-year-olds answer "the basket."$
$The shift between ages 3 and 5 most directly reflects the development of:$
- A
  $Object permanence$
- B
  $Conservation of number$
- C
  $Theory of mind—the ability to attribute beliefs that differ from reality$
  check_circle
- D
  $Postconventional moral reasoning$
Why
$Passing false-belief tasks marks the emergence of theory of mind: understanding that others can hold beliefs different from one's own knowledge of reality.$
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Sample 4difficulty 2/5
$Researchers present a Heinz-style dilemma to participants and ask them to justify their answers. Participant A says, "He shouldn't steal because he could go to jail." Participant B says, "He should steal because human life is worth more than property, and laws that fail to protect life are unjust." Participant C says, "He shouldn't steal because good people follow the rules."$
$Participant A's response is characteristic of which Kohlberg level?$
- A
  $Conventional$
- B
  $Formal operational$
- C
  $Preconventional$
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- D
  $Postconventional$
Why
$Preconventional morality is dominated by avoidance of punishment and pursuit of rewards. Concern about going to jail focuses on personal consequences rather than social norms or universal principles.$
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Sample 5difficulty 3/5
$Object permanence is$
- A
  $Emotional bond formed with a primary caregiver$
- B
  $Ability to recognize familiar faces consistently$
- C
  $Awareness that objects continue to exist when not seen$
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- D
  $Reflexive tracking of moving visual stimuli$
Why
$Develops around 8 months; before then, "out of sight, out of mind".$
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