A number of studies have challenged aspects of Piaget's theory. Two examples are Diamond's (1985) study on infants' ability to reach for hidden objects and Gelman and colleagues' studies on preschoolers understanding of number
Review either Diamond's findings or Gelman's findings, and discuss how the findings challenge an aspect of Piaget's theory.
What will be an ideal response?
Diamond showed that infants' tendency to search for a hidden object is related to how long ago the object was hidden. As infants get older, they become able to search after longer and longer delays. Findings suggest that the ability to reach for hidden objects develops gradually, and they challenge Piaget's notion that cognitive change happens abruptly, in a stage-like fashion. Gelman and colleagues have shown that preschool children understand some aspects of the concept of number (e.g., they can count accurately, they understand the effects of the addition and subtraction of objects on a set of objects, they can identify which numbers in a set of numbers are larger and which are smaller). These studies challenge Piaget's claim that preschoolers do not understand the concept of number. More generally, they suggest that Piaget may have underestimated young children's capabilities.
You might also like to view...
Monocular depth cues are those cues that
a. are used to portray depth on a two-dimensional surface. b. can be felt as well as visually seen. c. are difficult to portray in flat pictures. d. arise from stereopsis.
The concept of catharsis proposed by Freud, Lorenz, and others suggests that a. crying makes you feel sadder
b. crying makes you feel less sad. c. emotions do not build up if they are not expressed. d. expressing emotion enhances emotional feelings.
What did Chang’s study reveal about the utility of optimism and pessimism when comparing Asian Americans and White Americans?
A. White and Asian Americans had similar levels of optimism and pessimism. B. Asian Americans were significantly more pessimistic, but there was no significant difference in optimism. C. White Americans exhibited a negative correlation between problem-solving and optimism. D. Asian Americans show significantly higher levels of optimism than White Americans.
Compare the thalamus to the hypothalamus. Which of the following is something they have in common?
A. Both act as a sensory relay station B. Both can be found in roughly the same area of the brain C. Both regulate heart rate and respiration D. Both help encode short-term memories into long-term memory