CGA Educational Psychology Principles 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: In Maslow's hierarchy of needs, which level must be satisfied before an employee can focus on esteem needs such as recognition for grant achievements?
- Cognitive needs
- Belonging and love needs (Correct answer)
- Transcendence needs
- Aesthetic needs
Correct answer: Belonging and love needs
Maslow's hierarchy requires belonging and social needs (Level 3) to be met before esteem needs (Level 4) can motivate behavior.
Question 2: A trainer uses pre-assessments before a grant-writing workshop to tailor instruction to participants' existing knowledge. This practice is grounded in which educational psychology concept?
- Formative assessment (Correct answer)
- Summative evaluation
- Norm-referenced testing
- Criterion-contamination
Correct answer: Formative assessment
Formative assessment gathers data during the learning process to guide and adjust instruction in real time.
Question 3: Which instructional design element directly addresses the problem of learners forgetting 70% of training content within 24 hours (Ebbinghaus forgetting curve)?
- Single intense learning sessions
- Spaced practice and retrieval (Correct answer)
- Massed practice at course end
- Passive re-reading of materials
Correct answer: Spaced practice and retrieval
Spaced repetition and retrieval practice combat the forgetting curve by reinforcing memory over distributed intervals.
Question 4: A grant-funded professional development program measures whether staff actually changed their on-the-job behavior six months after training. This corresponds to which Kirkpatrick level?
- Level 1 – Reaction
- Level 2 – Learning
- Level 3 – Behavior (Correct answer)
- Level 4 – Results
Correct answer: Level 3 – Behavior
Kirkpatrick Level 3 assesses the extent to which participants apply what they learned when back on the job.
Question 5: Vygotsky's Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD) suggests that training is most effective when tasks are:
- Well below the learner's current ability level
- At the exact level of current mastery
- Slightly beyond current ability with expert support (Correct answer)
- Far above current ability to maximize challenge
Correct answer: Slightly beyond current ability with expert support
The ZPD is the gap between what a learner can do independently and what they can do with guidance, making scaffolded challenge optimal.
Question 6: Which motivation theory distinguishes between intrinsic motivation (internal satisfaction) and extrinsic motivation (external rewards) and is most applicable when designing grant staff incentive programs?
- Expectancy Theory (Vroom)
- Self-Determination Theory (Deci & Ryan) (Correct answer)
- Two-Factor Theory (Herzberg)
- Attribution Theory (Weiner)
Correct answer: Self-Determination Theory (Deci & Ryan)
Self-Determination Theory focuses on autonomy, competence, and relatedness as drivers of intrinsic motivation.
Question 7: During a needs assessment for a grant compliance training, a program officer finds a gap between desired and actual staff performance. In Mager and Pipe's framework, the first question to ask is:
- What training content should be delivered?
- Is the performance gap due to a skill deficiency or other barrier? (Correct answer)
- How long should the training program last?
- Which instructional media should be used?
Correct answer: Is the performance gap due to a skill deficiency or other barrier?
Mager and Pipe's performance analysis model first determines whether the gap is caused by skill lack or non-skill factors (e.g., motivation, environment).
CGA Educational Psychology Principles 3
In Maslow's hierarchy of needs, which level must be satisfied before an employee can focus on esteem needs such as recognition for grant achievements?