Certificate In Psychology (CPSY) Practice Exam

What is often a sign that a baby is beginning to learn about cause and effect in their environment?

1. Increased visual attention to lights.

2. Smiling at caregivers.

3. Crying when upset.

4. Coordinated vocalizations.

The correct answer is: Increased visual attention to lights.

Increased visual attention to lights is often a sign that a baby is beginning to learn about cause and effect in their environment. When infants focus on lights, they may start to associate them with actions or events, such as a light turning on when a switch is pressed. This engagement indicates that they are establishing cognitive connections between their behaviors and the resulting outcomes in their surroundings. While smiling at caregivers, crying when upset, and coordinated vocalizations are important aspects of an infant's emotional and social development, they do not specifically indicate the recognition of causal relationships in the way that increased visual attention to stimuli does. Smiling is more reflective of social bonding, crying is a response to discomfort or need, and vocalizations are generally about communication development rather than an understanding of cause and effect.