Final answer:
The concept being described is Generalization in cognitive development, where the child learns to apply the learned shape of a circle to identify other round objects like a hamburger.
Step-by-step explanation:
The process in which a student is first taught to identify a circle using a picture of a circle, a ball, and a round puzzle piece, and then later presented with a hamburger and a ham sandwich and asked to choose the round object, relates to cognitive development and demonstrates the concept of Generalization. This is an aspect of learning where the child takes what they have learned about shapes and applies it to new and different objects to identify similar patterns. It's part of the larger process of how children form definitions and propositions that reflect logical and mathematical modes of rational thought, as they move beyond specific examples to understand broader categories.
After the acquisition phase, where the child has learned to associate the shape with various objects, generalization occurs when the child applies this understanding to other contexts and items that share similar traits. This can be seen when the child is able to recognize the round shape of a hamburger, which is not identical to but remains consistent with the shape of the initial items they were taught to associate with a circle.