Child Development Theories Flashcards

A preschool teacher observes a four-year-old child who has become very interested in planning elaborate make-believe scenarios with peers. The child is focused on assigning roles and directing the play. According to Erik Erikson's stages of psychosocial development, which central conflict is this child most likely navigating?

Answer: Initiative vs. Guilt

Erikson's third stage, Initiative vs. Guilt, occurs between ages 3 and 5. During this stage, children begin to assert their power and control over the world through directing play and other social interactions. Successfully navigating this stage leads to a sense of purpose, while experiencing disapproval or being overly controlled can result in a sense of guilt.

Which of the following classroom activities best reflects Lev Vygotsky's concept of the 'Zone of Proximal Development' (ZPD)?

Answer: A teacher demonstrating how to tie a shoelace and then providing hand-over-hand guidance as the child practices the steps.

The Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD) is the gap between what a child can achieve on their own and what they can achieve with guidance from a more knowledgeable other (MKO). The teacher providing direct, scaffolded support for a task that is just beyond the child's independent ability is a classic example of teaching within the ZPD.

According to Jean Piaget's theory of cognitive development, a child in the preoperational stage (ages 2-7) is most likely to exhibit which characteristic?

Answer: Egocentrism, or difficulty seeing things from another's perspective

The preoperational stage, which Piaget identified as typically occurring between ages 2 and 7, is characterized by symbolic thought but also by limitations in logical reasoning. A key limitation during this stage is egocentrism, where the child has difficulty understanding that others may have different perspectives, feelings, and thoughts than their own.

A teacher notices that after a classmate receives praise for cleaning up their art supplies, other children begin to tidy their own spaces as well. This is an example of which principle from Albert Bandura's Social Learning Theory?

Answer: Observational Learning

Albert Bandura's Social Learning Theory posits that people can learn new behaviors by observing others. In his famous Bobo doll experiment, he demonstrated that children imitate the actions of a model. In this scenario, the children observed a peer being reinforced (praised) for a behavior and then chose to imitate that behavior, which is a core concept of observational learning.

Urie Bronfenbrenner's Ecological Systems Theory emphasizes the importance of understanding a child within the context of their environment. Which system represents the interconnections between a child's immediate environments, such as the relationship between their home and school?

Answer: Mesosystem

Bronfenbrenner's theory describes multiple layers of environmental influence. The Microsystem is the immediate environment (e.g., family, school). The Mesosystem specifically refers to the connections and interactions between the different microsystems in a person's life, such as the link between a child's family experiences and their school experiences. Positive communication between parents and teachers is an example of a healthy mesosystem.

A toddler insists on trying to put on their own shoes, even though they struggle and it takes a long time. According to Erik Erikson, successfully navigating this developmental task helps the child develop a sense of:

Answer: Autonomy

This scenario aligns with Erikson's second stage of psychosocial development, Autonomy vs. Shame and Doubt, which typically occurs between 18 months and 3 years. During this stage, toddlers are focused on developing a sense of personal control over physical skills and a sense of independence. Successfully completing tasks like dressing themselves fosters autonomy, while failure or criticism can lead to feelings of shame and doubt.