Piaget Cognitive Development
According to Piaget, a 2-year-old child would be in which stage of cognitive development
Sensorimotor
A toddler begins to imitate the nurse by pretending to use a stethoscope on a doll.
Identify the cognitive stage:
Preoperational
A 5-year-old says, “I won’t take the toy because I’ll get in trouble.”
This child’s reasoning is characteristic of which stage of Kohlberg’s moral development?
Preconventional
A nurse caring for a 6-month-old notes that the infant cries when the mother leaves but calms when held by a familiar caregiver.
This behavior demonstrates successful progression through which Erikson stage?
Trust vs. Mistrust
During a health teaching session, the nurse encourages an adolescent to discuss personal values.
This supports which psychosocial task?
Identity vs. Role Confusion
A nurse assesses a 6-month-old infant. Which milestone should the nurse expect?
Rolls from back to stomach
A nurse is caring for a 6-month-old infant. The most appropriate way to communicate with the infant is to:
Maintain eye contact and speak in a soothing tone while providing care.
A nurse observes that the parents of a child with muscular dystrophy rarely leave the bedside.
The best nursing intervention is to:
Encourage them to rest and arrange for respite care support.
A 4-month-old infant coos and babbles during interactions.
The nurse interprets this as:
Appropriate communication milestone
A 4-year-old tells the nurse that the “heart monitor is mad because it’s beeping.”
Which Piaget stage is this child in?
Preoperational
A nurse observes that a 7-year-old understands rules of a board game and insists everyone plays fairly.
Which Piaget stage is this behavior characteristic of?
Concrete operational
A 13-year-old refuses to cheat on a test because “if everyone cheated, it wouldn’t be fair.”
This reflects which stage?
Postconventional — Social contract
A 2-year-old insists on choosing which shoes to wear. The nurse recognizes this behavior as part of which developmental task?
Autonomy vs. Shame and Doubt
A nurse praises a preschooler for helping set the table.
This supports which Erikson developmental task?
Initiative vs. Guilt
A 9-month-old infant is expected to:
Crawl and pull to a standing position
A 2-year-old cries when the nurse approaches with a stethoscope. Which communication technique is most effective?
Allow the child to touch and play with the stethoscope before the exam.
A nurse caring for a child with severe cognitive impairment overhears the parents arguing about finances.
The nurse’s priority action is to:
Offer to call a hospital social worker for family resource support.
Which finding indicates normal language development in a 12-month-old?
Says 3–5 single words with meaning
An adolescent says, “I know smoking now could cause cancer later.”
Which cognitive stage allows this type of reasoning?
Formal operational
A 4-month-old enjoys peek-a-boo because they believe the person disappears and reappears.
Which cognitive stage best explains this behavior?
Sensorimotor
A 9-year-old tells the nurse, “If I follow the rules, everyone will think I’m good.”
Which stage of moral development does this reflect?
Conventional
The nurse should allow a hospitalized toddler to choose between apple juice or milk.
This supports development by:
Promoting independence and control
A 15-year-old hospitalized for asthma says, “My friends will think I’m weird because I can’t play sports.”
Which Erikson stage does this relate to?
Identity vs. Role Confusion
A nurse is observing a 12-month-old child. Which gross-motor milestone indicates normal development?
Walks alone with a wide stance
The nurse teaching a 9-year-old about an upcoming procedure should:
Use simple diagrams and show the equipment that will be used.
A nurse working with a family of a ventilator-dependent child recognizes caregiver fatigue.
Which nursing intervention is most appropriate?
Refer them to respite care and family support groups for parents of medically fragile children.
The nurse observes parallel play during a home visit. This type of play is typical for which age group?
Toddlers
A nurse provides a demonstration of inhaler use with a model to a 9-year-old and then allows them to practice. The child successfully repeats the steps.
Which cognitive stage does this align with?
Concrete operational
A nurse observes that a 7-year-old refuses to lie because “the teacher will punish me.”
Which level of moral development is demonstrated?
Preconventional
An adolescent explains, “It’s against the rules to smoke at school, so I won’t do it.”
Which Kohlberg stage best describes this reasoning?
Conventional
A 4-year-old patient tells the nurse, “I’ll be brave when I get my shot.”
Which psychosocial stage is this child demonstrating?
Initiative vs. Guilt
The nurse encourages a young adult patient to maintain friendships and relationships for emotional health.
This intervention promotes:
Intimacy
Which gross-motor skill should a 2-year-old child demonstrate?
Kicks a ball forward
The nurse says to an anxious school-age child, “Would you like to sit with your stuffed animal while I change your dressing?”
This demonstrates:
Therapeutic play
The nurse notices that the sibling of a chronically ill child is withdrawn and resentful.
Which nursing intervention is best?
Encourage parents to include the sibling in simple caregiving and family discussions.
The first sign of puberty in females is:
Breast Budding
A 15-year-old states, “I know that if I study, I can become a nurse.” This reflects which Piagetian concept
Hypothetical reasoning
When teaching adolescents about health behaviors, the nurse expects their moral reasoning to focus on:
Maintaining peer approval and social order
A nurse overhears a child say, “I’ll help my friend clean up because she helped me yesterday.”
Which moral stage does this illustrate?
Preconventional
A nurse encourages a 10-year-old with diabetes to participate in self-care.
This helps the child develop:
Industry
The nurse encourages parents of a 10-month-old to respond promptly to crying.
What is the primary developmental benefit of this response?
It reinforces trust and security.
By age 3, a child should be able to:
Balance on one foot briefly and ride a tricycle
The parents of a 5-year-old disagree about whether to tell the child about an upcoming surgery.
The nurse’s most appropriate action is to:
Facilitate a discussion between the parents to support consistent communication with the child.
Parents recently learned their child has cystic fibrosis. Which emotional response does the nurse expect first?
Denial
A 4-year-old tells a story using imaginary friends and role-play.
The nurse interprets this as:
Normal imaginative play for preschoolers
A 6-year-old child explains that a tall glass has “more juice” than a short, wide glass even though both contain the same amount. This demonstrates:
Lack of Conservation
A nurse educator is discussing Kohlberg’s moral stages with a group of RN students. Which statement best summarizes moral development according to Kohlberg?
It progresses through levels of reasoning about rules, authority, and justice.
A 15-year-old states, “Everyone has the right to choose what happens to their body.”
Which stage of moral reasoning is being demonstrated?
Postconventional — Universal ethical principles
A 9-year-old says, “I’m not as smart as the other kids.”
According to Erikson, this child is experiencing:
Inferiority
An 80-year-old tells the nurse, “I’ve had a good life and am at peace with my choices.”
This reflects achievement of which Erikson stage?
Integrity vs. Despair
The nurse should expect a 9-month-old to be able to:
Use the thumb-and-forefinger (pincer) grasp
A nurse is caring for a 9-year-old whose parents speak limited English.
To promote effective family communication, the nurse should:
Use a certified medical interpreter when discussing care or consent.
A nurse observes parents grieving the loss of “the child they expected.” This reaction represents:
Anticipatory Grief
The first sign of puberty in males is:
Testicular enlargement