LMSW LMSW Human Growth and Development Questions and Answers 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: According to Erik Erikson, the central conflict of adolescence (ages 12–18) is best described as:
- Trust vs. Mistrust
- Identity vs. Role Confusion (Correct answer)
- Intimacy vs. Isolation
- Industry vs. Inferiority
Correct answer: Identity vs. Role Confusion
Erikson identified Identity vs. Role Confusion as the core psychosocial task of adolescence, during which individuals explore and commit to a sense of self.
Question 2: A social worker is assessing a 4-year-old who engages in cooperative play, shows empathy, and can follow two-step directions. Which theorist's framework would classify this child as functioning in the preoperational stage?
- Vygotsky
- Freud
- Piaget (Correct answer)
- Kohlberg
Correct answer: Piaget
Piaget's preoperational stage (ages 2–7) is characterized by symbolic thinking, egocentrism, and emerging language use.
Question 3: Which of the following best illustrates Vygotsky's concept of the Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD)?
- A child masters a skill entirely on their own after repeated practice
- A child performs a task only when given explicit rewards
- A child completes a task with guidance that they could not yet do independently (Correct answer)
- A child refuses to attempt tasks beyond their current ability
Correct answer: A child completes a task with guidance that they could not yet do independently
The ZPD is the range between what a learner can do independently and what they can achieve with skilled assistance.
Question 4: A 70-year-old client reflects on life with a sense of fulfillment and peace. According to Erikson, this person has successfully resolved which stage?
- Generativity vs. Stagnation
- Integrity vs. Despair (Correct answer)
- Intimacy vs. Isolation
- Initiative vs. Guilt
Correct answer: Integrity vs. Despair
Ego Integrity vs. Despair is Erikson's final stage (late adulthood), resolved successfully when one accepts life as meaningful.
Question 5: Bowlby's attachment theory proposes that infants form attachments primarily because:
- Caregivers provide food and reduce hunger drives
- Proximity-seeking behavior is evolutionarily adaptive for survival (Correct answer)
- Infants are conditioned through operant reinforcement
- Social learning from peers shapes attachment patterns
Correct answer: Proximity-seeking behavior is evolutionarily adaptive for survival
Bowlby argued attachment is an innate biological system that keeps vulnerable infants close to caregivers for protection and survival.
Question 6: A school social worker notices a 10-year-old demonstrates strong moral reasoning based on avoiding punishment and seeking rewards. According to Kohlberg, this child is functioning at which level of moral development?
- Postconventional — Social Contract
- Conventional — Law and Order
- Preconventional — Punishment and Obedience (Correct answer)
- Conventional — Good Interpersonal Relations
Correct answer: Preconventional — Punishment and Obedience
Preconventional morality (Stages 1–2) is driven by self-interest, reward, and avoidance of punishment rather than internalized principles.
LMSW LMSW Human Growth and Development Questions and Answers 2
According to Erik Erikson, the central conflict of adolescence (ages 12–18) is best described as: