Sensorimotor
Birth – 2 Years
Infants use senses and motor capabilities to experience the environment. Develops object permanence — hidden objects continue to exist.
Thinking only by doing.
Preoperational
2 – 7 Years
Preschool years. Develops symbolic thinking and language. Still learns from concrete material; exhibits egocentrism; decisions dominated by perceptions.
Centers on one dimension.
Concrete Operational
7 – 11 Years
Elementary grades. Begins to think logically about personal experience. Can classify, order objects, solve conservation tasks. Thought becomes reversible.
Schema
A representation in the mind of a set of ideas or actions that go together.
Assimilation
Taking in new information into our previously existing schemas.
Accommodation
Altering existing ideas or schemas as a result of new experiences.
Equilibration
The process of achieving balance between assimilation and accommodation; moves the child from one stage to the next.
1. By age six, the human brain reaches what percentage of its adult weight?
A. 25% B. 90% C. 95% D. 100%
C
2. Synaptic connections in the brain are most rapidly formed during:
A. Adolescence B. Early childhood (birth to 6 years) C. Adulthood D. Old age (65+)
B
3. The prefrontal cortex, responsible for impulse control, fully matures during:
A. Stage 2 (birth–6) B. Stage 3 (7–22) C. Stage 4 (23–65) D. Stage 5 (65+)
B
4. Which factor is critical for healthy brain development in Stage 1 (0–10 months)?
A. Peer interaction B. Maternal avoidance of toxins and stress C. Advanced maths stimulation D. High-protein diet
B
5. The "pruning" of neural connections primarily occurs during:
A. Stage 3 (7–22) B. Stage 2 (birth–6) C. Stage 4 (23–65) D. Stage 1 (0–10 mo)
A
6. At birth, a baby's brain weighs approximately:
A. 1.5 kg B. 25% of an adult brain C. 50% of an adult brain D. 90% of an adult brain
B
7. Which brain functionality declines first in Stage 4 (23–65 years)?
A. Sensory processing B. Executive control (prefrontal cortex) C. Emotional attachment D. Motor coordination
B
8. What is the primary focus of brain development in Stage 2 (birth to 6 years)?
A. Abstract reasoning B. Formation of voluntary movement and emotions C. Pruning of grey matter D. Stabilizing white matter
B
9. In Stage 5 (65+ years), which activity helps improve concentration?
A. Avoiding new skills B. Stress reduction and exercise C. High-calorie diets D. Passive entertainment
B
10. The peak energy consumption of the brain occurs around:
A. Birth B. Age 6 C. Age 22 D. Age 65
B
Piaget's Cognitive Development Theory
11. A child who lacks the concept of conservation is likely in which stage?
A. Sensorimotor B. Preoperational C. Concrete Operational D. Formal Operational
B
12. Egocentric thought is most characteristic of which stage?
A. Sensorimotor B. Preoperational C. Concrete Operational D. Formal Operational
B
13. Hypothetical-deductive reasoning is a hallmark of:
A. Sensorimotor B. Formal Operational C. Preoperational D. Concrete Operational
B
14. Object permanence develops during:
A. Preoperational B. Sensorimotor C. Concrete Operational D. Formal Operational
B
15. A child classifying objects into hierarchies demonstrates:
A. Assimilation B. Concrete Operational thinking C. Egocentrism D. Sensorimotor reflexes
B
16. Accommodation refers to:
A. Using existing schemas B. Adjusting schemas to fit new information C. Balancing assimilation & accommodation D. Ignoring conflicting info
B
17. Equilibration involves:
A. Resolving cognitive dissonance through schema adjustment B. Memorizing facts C. Repressing thoughts D. Mimicking behaviour
A
18. Which stage aligns with the ability to solve abstract problems?
A. Sensorimotor B. Formal Operational C. Preoperational D. Concrete Operational
B
19. A preschooler pretending a stick is a sword is demonstrating:
A. Symbolic thinking (Preoperational) B. Conservation (Concrete) C. Object permanence (Sensorimotor) D. Hypothetical reasoning (Formal)
A
20. Reversible thinking is first observed in the:
A. Sensorimotor B. Concrete Operational C. Preoperational D. Formal Operational
B