Which of the following is a common critique of Piaget's Cognitive Developmental Theory?

• A. It argues that cognitive development is entirely determined by genetics, ignoring environmental influences.
• B. It places too much emphasis on the role of language in cognitive development.
• C. It suggests that cognitive development continues at the same rate throughout adulthood.
• D. It underestimates the abilities of young children by suggesting they cannot perform certain cognitive tasks until reaching specific stages.

Answer: (D)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Step 1: Understand Piaget's Cognitive Developmental Theory, which proposes that children move through distinct stages of cognitive growth, each characterized by different abilities and ways of thinking.
2. Step 2: Recognize that a common critique of Piaget's theory is that it may underestimate young children's cognitive abilities, implying they cannot perform certain tasks until they reach specific developmental stages.
3. Step 3: Compare this critique with the other options: the theory does not claim cognitive development is solely genetic, nor does it emphasize language excessively, nor suggest a constant rate of development throughout adulthood.
4. Step 4: Identify that the critique about underestimating young children's abilities aligns with research showing children can sometimes perform tasks earlier than Piaget proposed.
5. Step 5: Conclude that the correct critique is the one stating Piaget's theory underestimates young children's cognitive abilities by rigidly assigning tasks to specific stages.