ECE Child Development Theories 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: According to Piaget, children in the preoperational stage (ages 2–7) primarily demonstrate:
- Abstract logical reasoning
- Symbolic thinking and egocentrism (Correct answer)
- Conservation of volume and number
- Hypothetical-deductive reasoning
Correct answer: Symbolic thinking and egocentrism
Preoperational children use symbols and language but are egocentric and have not yet mastered logical operations like conservation.
Question 2: Freud's psychosexual stage theory suggests that unresolved conflicts during the oral stage may lead to:
- Obsessive cleanliness or stubbornness
- Issues with dependency, aggression, or excessive oral habits (Correct answer)
- Difficulties with authority and guilt
- Problems with intimacy in adulthood
Correct answer: Issues with dependency, aggression, or excessive oral habits
Freud believed fixation at the oral stage (birth–18 months) could result in dependency, sarcasm, or excessive eating/smoking later in life.
Question 3: Which theorist is most associated with the concept of 'attachment' and its critical role in early childhood development?
- B.F. Skinner
- John Bowlby (Correct answer)
- Lawrence Kohlberg
- Howard Gardner
Correct answer: John Bowlby
John Bowlby developed attachment theory, proposing that early bonds between infants and caregivers are essential for healthy social-emotional development.
Question 4: Mary Ainsworth's Strange Situation experiment identified children who showed distress when separated and were not easily comforted upon reunion as:
- Securely attached
- Anxious-avoidant
- Anxious-ambivalent (resistant) (Correct answer)
- Disorganized
Correct answer: Anxious-ambivalent (resistant)
Anxious-ambivalent children show intense distress at separation and mixed behavior — seeking and resisting comfort — upon the caregiver's return.
Question 5: Howard Gardner's theory of multiple intelligences challenges the traditional view of intelligence by suggesting:
- Intelligence is a single, fixed trait measured by IQ tests
- There are at least eight distinct types of intelligence (Correct answer)
- Intelligence is primarily genetic and cannot be changed
- Social skills are the most important form of intelligence
Correct answer: There are at least eight distinct types of intelligence
Gardner proposed that humans possess multiple intelligences — including linguistic, logical-mathematical, musical, and bodily-kinesthetic — rather than one general ability.
Question 6: In Kohlberg's theory of moral development, the 'conventional' level is characterized by:
- Avoiding punishment as the basis for moral decisions
- Following rules to maintain social order and meet others' expectations (Correct answer)
- Applying universal ethical principles regardless of laws
- Seeking rewards for good behavior
Correct answer: Following rules to maintain social order and meet others' expectations
At the conventional level, individuals conform to social norms and laws to gain approval and maintain order.
Question 7: Lev Vygotsky emphasized the role of language in cognitive development because he believed:
- Language develops after thought and has no influence on it
- Language is a tool for thought that mediates higher mental functions (Correct answer)
- Children learn language solely through imitation
- Grammar acquisition is the primary driver of cognitive growth
Correct answer: Language is a tool for thought that mediates higher mental functions
Vygotsky viewed language as a cultural tool that internalizes into inner speech, becoming fundamental to thinking and self-regulation.
ECE Child Development Theories 3
According to Piaget, children in the preoperational stage (ages 2–7) primarily demonstrate: