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WorksheetsCognitive and Language Development: Piaget & Chomsky
Total questions: 51
Worksheet time: 26mins
A toddler stops throwing a spoon and starts placing it gently on the tray after being told not to. Which process explains this change in behavior within an existing schema?
Assimilation into preexisting action schema
Maturation during the formal stage
Accommodation by creating a brand-new schema
Operant conditioning without schemas
A 5-year-old thinks two equal clay balls are different after one is rolled into a snake shape. Which Piagetian concept is missing, and which stage applies?
Conservation; preoperational stage
Object permanence; concrete stage
Reversibility; formal stage
Egocentrism; sensorimotor stage
Which example shows accommodation instead of assimilation?
A child changes their ‘dog’ schema to include ‘poodles’
A child calls a cow a ‘big dog’
A child learns letters by tracing
A child repeats a word from daycare
Order the first three stages of Piaget’s cognitive development by age and key ability. Which option lists them correctly from earliest to latest with a matching hallmark?
Sensorimotor (0–2): grammar rules; Preoperational (2–7): conservation; Concrete operational (7–11): object permanence
Sensorimotor (0–2): conservation; Preoperational (2–7): hypothetical thought; Concrete operational (7–11): reflexes
Preoperational (0–2): symbolic play; Sensorimotor (2–7): object permanence; Concrete operational (7–11): egocentrism
Sensorimotor (0–2): object permanence; Preoperational (2–7): symbolic thought; Concrete operational (7–11): conservation
How can a teacher help a 6-year-old understand someone else’s point of view, according to Piaget?
Show videos
Use role-play
Give math worksheets
Assign debates
What does Chomsky’s Language Acquisition Device (LAD) and the critical period mean?
Language is learned only by imitation
Humans are born ready to learn grammar early in life
Grammar develops after puberty
Vocabulary depends only on parents
Two infants hear different amounts of adult speech, but both use grammar-like patterns by 18 months. Which explanation fits LAD?
Innate grammar capacities guide early rule learning
Frequent correction shapes grammar through punishment
Motor maturation drives all language milestones
Peer interaction alone drives syntactic development
Which hypothesis best tests if limited language exposure before 18 months affects later grammar mastery?
Early bilinguals confuse grammar more than monolinguals
Children with little language before 18 months have lasting grammar problems
Children who see more picture books name objects faster
Toddlers who learn gestures first speak later
A 15‑month‑old cries when a parent leaves and calms when the parent returns. What type of attachment is this?
Secure attachment
Disorganized attachment
Insecure avoidant
Insecure resistant
Which theory supports forming strong bonds in the first two years to prevent future social problems?
Bowlby’s critical period for attachment
Piaget’s sensorimotor object permanence
Gesell’s maturation readiness principle
Bandura’s observational learning focus
Which scenario best shows a shift from indiscriminate to specific attachment?
Baby accepts comfort from anyone, then prefers one caregiver
Baby ignores all adults, then explores alone
Baby resists all soothing, then sleeps longer
Baby speaks first words, then imitates adults
Ainsworth’s Strange Situation classifies attachment by observing which sequence?
Play milestones
Imitation patterns
Separation and reunion with caregiver
Feeding routines
Which shows a toddler trusts caregivers?
Frozen, disoriented reactions
Seeks comfort, calms, resumes play
Avoids eye contact, explores alone
Clings, resists soothing
Which plan best tests for insecure avoidant attachment in a lab?
Observe low distress on separation and ignoring on reunion
Measure high distress on separation and easy comfort on reunion
Record strong clinging and anger after caregiver returns
Count frequency of crying during stranger’s play interaction
Arrange the stages of attachment development in order during the first year.
Multiple, Specific, Asocial, Indiscriminate
Asocial, Indiscriminate, Specific, Multiple
Specific, Asocial, Multiple, Indiscriminate
Indiscriminate, Multiple, Specific, Asocial
Which age range should a public health program focus on to build secure bonds?
Birth to two years
Two to five years
Five to seven years
Prenatal third trimester
Which prediction matches Bowlby’s view of weak early attachments?
Stronger immunity from less stress
Better language from less dependence
Earlier walking from more independence
Later problems with socialising and parenting
Which observation best distinguishes insecure resistant from insecure avoidant behavior on reunion?
Approaches caregiver smiling versus avoids eye contact
Quickly calms and explores versus clings briefly
Seeks comfort but remains upset versus ignores caregiver
Plays with stranger easily versus freezes in place
A daycare uses the same key workers for infants. Which theory explains the benefits?
Operant conditioning and crying
Motor milestones
Primary and multiple attachments
Language device and bonding
Which outcomes match secure attachment?
Delayed milestones and limited social play
High distress and resistance to soothing
Independence with minimal seeking of comfort
Positive self‑concept and healthy exploration
A researcher mislabels an 8‑month‑old who shows separation anxiety and prefers one caregiver as being in the multiple stage. What is the correct classification?
Specific attachment stage at seven to nine months
Asocial attachment stage at zero to three months
Indiscriminate stage at three to seven months
Disorganized attachment type at nine months
Which action best helps a child develop trust?
Give consistent, sensitive responses
Practice physical skills
Reward quietness always
Change caregivers often
A child shows little distress when a caregiver leaves, plays alone, and avoids the caregiver on return. What long-term pattern is most likely?
More dependence on caregivers
Faster language growth from social support
Secure bonds and confident exploration
More independence but emotional needs unmet
A toddler becomes clingy and fussy at 18 months, then calms down later. What best explains this?
Temperament is fully shaped by environment
Observational learning stops regressions
Reinforcement only builds new behaviors
Maturation has cycles with unstable phases
Which strategy uses Social Learning Theory to reduce playground aggression?
Give aggressive students more time alone
Remove all rewards and punishments
Have peers model calm conflict resolution
Give lectures on rules without demonstrations
A child observes an older sibling tie shoelaces, remembers the steps, tries it later, and continues after receiving praise. Which sequence shows these processes?
Reproduction, Retention, Attention, Motivation
Motivation, Attention, Reproduction, Retention
Retention, Motivation, Attention, Reproduction
Attention, Retention, Reproduction, Motivation
Which example best shows the difference between Gesell’s maturation view and Bandura’s social learning view?
Reinforcement does not change behavior
Practice can overcome biological limits
Peer praise creates new study habits
Skills develop as the nervous system matures
A teenager copies an athlete’s study routine after seeing the athlete win an award. What most likely increased imitation?
Vicarious reinforcement signaling valued outcomes
Punishment reducing attention during modeling
Neural maturation reaching a fixed timetable
Latent learning unaffected by observed rewards
Which shoe-tying activity uses both maturation and social learning?
Model shoe-tying when children are ready for fine-motor skills
Use only verbal instructions
Wait until all children are seven
Practice daily regardless of hand strength
Which statement best contrasts feedback in the two theories?
In maturation feedback fully determines timing
In both theories feedback alone creates new abilities
In SLT feedback is unnecessary after attention
In SLT feedback guides imitation; in maturation feedback cannot replace readiness
How can a caregiver discourage a child’s rude phrases using Social Learning Theory?
Ignore the behavior and show disapproval
Wait for the child to stop
Let the child spend time with the cousin
Punish other behaviors
A student compares two models: one says genes make people vulnerable but need stress to trigger illness; the other says stress alone predicts illness. Which conclusion best combines both?
Stress creates genes while vulnerability predicts outcomes
Genes alone explain illness while stress is unrelated
Genes set vulnerability while stress activates risk
Stress always causes illness while genes prevent it
A person has a genetic risk for anxiety but only shows symptoms after stress. What concept explains this?
Stress Diathesis Model with triggered vulnerability
Activity Theory with role replacement
Disengagement Theory with natural withdrawal
SRRS with fixed life change units
Client A has divorce (73), job loss (47), and moving (20). Client B has marriage (50), pregnancy (40), and changing schools (20). Who has the higher SRRS score?
Client A due to divorce being always illness
Client B due to more positive events totaling 110
Client A due to higher combined LCUs totaling 140
Client B due to events being less controllable
Which tool uses Life Change Units to assess illness risk?
General Adaptation Syndrome Stages
Havighurst Successful Ageing Inventory
Cumming and Henry Disengagement Checklist
Holmes and Rahe Social Readjustment Rating Scale
A 75‑year‑old replaces work roles with club memberships and volunteering after retirement. Which theory explains this?
Activity Theory: social role substitution
Stress Diathesis: genetic triggers
Disengagement Theory: social withdrawal
SRRS: event severity ratings
An older adult reduces social contacts after retiring because most friends were coworkers. Which interpretation best matches Disengagement Theory?
Withdrawal prevents any role replacement options
Withdrawal arises only from genetic vulnerability
Withdrawal always harms mental stability and health
Withdrawal can be a natural, adaptive ageing process
A clinician uses SRRS scores to counsel a client with a score of 320 LCU. What is the best advice?
Ignore genetics; high LCU is enough
High LCU increases illness risk; manage stress
High LCU means only positive changes; reduce social activity
High LCU guarantees illness; start treatment now
Which scenario shows the Stress‑Diathesis Model with SRRS scoring?
Genetic risk disappears with moderate LCU scores
High LCU only builds resilience
High LCU increases risk most for those with genetic predisposition
LCU scores predict illness the same for everyone
Which city plan follows Activity Theory for healthy ageing?
Offer classes on accepting isolation
Use genetic screening for services
Create volunteer roles to replace lost work
Discourage role changes for inner focus
Which statement best distinguishes Activity Theory from Social Disengagement Theory?
Activity discourages friendships while disengagement builds networks
Activity measures LCU totals while disengagement rates events
Activity assumes genetic triggers while disengagement rejects genes
Activity promotes role maintenance while disengagement normalizes withdrawal
After a spouse’s death, which plan best fits Activity Theory for wellbeing?
Join new groups and seek new social roles
Limit interactions and focus on inner life
Rely only on personal resilience
Ignore stressors as they don’t affect health
A student claims: “Disengagement always improves health for older adults.” Which critique uses evidence from ageing theories?
Disengagement is never observed; all elders stay active
LCU totals prove disengagement is always negative
Only genetics matters; social factors have zero effects
Benefits depend on context; losing roles after retirement may harm some
Which approach best supports mental stability in later adulthood?
Encourage social engagement and monitor life events
Promote social withdrawal and ignore life events
Discourage volunteering and use LCU scores only
Avoid new social roles and rely only on genes
A researcher predicts that people with high SRRS scores who reduce social roles after retirement will have the biggest drop in wellbeing. Which theory supports this?
SRRS scores always cause illness
Activity theory says withdrawal is best
Genetics cause equal decline for all
Stressful events increase risk and disengagement removes buffers
Which behavior shows secure attachment in preschool?
Child does not react when caregiver leaves or returns
Child ignores caregiver at drop-off and pickup
Child seeks comfort from caregiver after injury, then returns to play
Child clings to caregiver and avoids peers
According to Bandura’s Social Learning Theory, what is the best way to help toddlers learn to share?
Let children learn sharing on their own
Punish children for not sharing
Only give verbal instructions
Show sharing and praise those who do it
What does maturation do in learning to walk?
Walking begins when the nervous system is ready, regardless of practice
Children walk only after seeing others
Practice alone decides when walking starts
Learning to talk leads to walking
Which example best shows assimilation in Piaget’s theory?
A child calls a horse a ‘dog’ after seeing it for the first time
A child creates a new category for horses, separate from dogs
A child refuses to call any animal a dog
A child learns to spell by memorizing each word
Which behavior is typical of an infant in the indiscriminate attachment stage?
Prefers one caregiver
Accepts comfort from any adult
Shows separation anxiety
Ignores soothing
Which way best uses Social Learning Theory to encourage sharing?
Take away toys if children don’t share
Let children play alone
Teach sharing with written instructions
Show sharing and praise children who copy
