Child Development & Learning Theories Flashcards
7 cards from real CECE practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Child Development & Learning Theories flashcards as text
Which of the following best describes the term 'object permanence' as used in Piaget's theory?
Answer: Recognizing that objects continue to exist even when out of sight
Object permanence is the understanding, typically acquired around 8–12 months, that objects exist even when they cannot be seen or touched.
A 4-year-old insists that the moon follows her when she walks home. This reflects which Piagetian concept?
Answer: Egocentrism
Egocentrism in the preoperational stage causes children to see the world entirely from their own perspective, including believing the moon moves with them.
Howard Gardner's Theory of Multiple Intelligences suggests that early childhood educators should:
Answer: Provide diverse learning experiences that address different types of intelligence
Gardner proposed at least eight distinct intelligences, and educators should offer varied activities that engage different strengths in each child.
In B.F. Skinner's operant conditioning, a teacher who removes a child's chore when the child demonstrates good behavior is using:
Answer: Negative reinforcement
Negative reinforcement involves removing an unpleasant stimulus (chore) to increase the likelihood of a desired behavior continuing.
Which attachment style, identified by Mary Ainsworth, is characterized by a child who is distressed when a caregiver leaves but is not comforted upon their return?
Answer: Anxious-ambivalent attachment
Anxious-ambivalent (resistant) attachment describes children who are highly distressed by separation but show anger or ambivalence when the caregiver returns.
The Reggio Emilia approach to early childhood education is best characterized by:
Answer: Child-led inquiry, collaboration, and documentation of learning
Reggio Emilia emphasizes children as capable protagonists of their learning, projects driven by their interests, and teacher documentation of the process.
Which developmental theorist proposed that personality development occurs through a series of psychosexual stages during childhood?
Answer: Sigmund Freud
Freud's psychosexual theory identified stages (oral, anal, phallic, latency, genital) and argued that unresolved conflicts at each stage affect adult personality.