CECE Child Development & Learning Theories 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which of the following best describes the term 'object permanence' as used in Piaget's theory?
- Understanding that objects have a fixed size regardless of distance
- Recognizing that objects continue to exist even when out of sight (Correct answer)
- Ability to classify objects into categories
- Understanding that the quantity of a substance doesn't change when its shape changes
Correct 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.
Question 2: A 4-year-old insists that the moon follows her when she walks home. This reflects which Piagetian concept?
- Animism
- Egocentrism (Correct answer)
- Centration
- Reversibility
Correct 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.
Question 3: Howard Gardner's Theory of Multiple Intelligences suggests that early childhood educators should:
- Focus instruction solely on linguistic and logical-mathematical skills
- Test IQ to determine which children are gifted
- Provide diverse learning experiences that address different types of intelligence (Correct answer)
- Allow children to self-select activities without teacher guidance
Correct 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.
Question 4: In B.F. Skinner's operant conditioning, a teacher who removes a child's chore when the child demonstrates good behavior is using:
- Positive reinforcement
- Negative reinforcement (Correct answer)
- Positive punishment
- Negative punishment
Correct answer: Negative reinforcement
Negative reinforcement involves removing an unpleasant stimulus (chore) to increase the likelihood of a desired behavior continuing.
Question 5: 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?
- Secure attachment
- Avoidant attachment
- Disorganized attachment
- Anxious-ambivalent attachment (Correct answer)
Correct 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.
Question 6: The Reggio Emilia approach to early childhood education is best characterized by:
- Direct instruction with standardized curriculum
- Child-led inquiry, collaboration, and documentation of learning (Correct answer)
- Strict behavioral routines and reward systems
- Focus on academic readiness through drill and practice
Correct 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.
Question 7: Which developmental theorist proposed that personality development occurs through a series of psychosexual stages during childhood?
- Erik Erikson
- John Bowlby
- Sigmund Freud (Correct answer)
- Carl Rogers
Correct 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.
CECE Child Development & Learning Theories 3
Which of the following best describes the term 'object permanence' as used in Piaget's theory?